I read a couple of the books from this series years ago, however had forgotten most of it. I like that each of the characters has their own storyline and that this book at least glazes over some of them. It did hit one of my pet peeves though as a reader. I find it to be insanely lazy for two characters to not discuss their perceived issues and to move forward with a new storyline without resolution of a past relationship. I can understand the reason, however these love triangles are just so obvious and aggravating. I like that this author really keeps you invested in the story though. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

Once again, Karen Kingsbury has created a heartwarming, emotionally moving story filled with beautiful messages! We get to see our beloved Baxter characters in the forefront of the storyline. It’s an inspiring story that shouldn’t be missed!

The Baxters by Karen Kingsbury, is the story of a family getting ready for a wedding. Elizabeth Baxter feels like something is off, regarding the marriage of her daughter to Tim Jacobs. The storm coming seems like a sign that they shouldn’t get married. As the wedding gets closer even Kari’s siblings aren’t sure if she should get married. Her brother Luke is so angry with his sister who just came back from Paris, with a son. Kari has her own doubts about getting married. Ashley and her sister Brooke feels like their family is falling apart. As the storm gets worse, feelings and emotions reach a fever pitch. Is this wedding doomed? Can the family pull it together? Will there be a happy ever after? The Baxters is heartwarming story of family and how they will go to the ends of the world to protect each other. This was a 4 star read for me. The writing was very good and it was a quick read. I want to thank Netgalley & the author for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. I hope you enjoy it too.

Karen gives you a heartwarming story in this book, a sweet story that made me smile a lot. This book lives up well to the other books about this family, and I enjoyed it.

A great summer read!
Many thanks to Atria and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I absolutely loved this book! While I've read many books in the Baxters' series, I don't believe it's necessary to read the series to understand this book. Kingsbury does a great job brining in alot of details to complete the back stories of each character. I appreciated how she made many of the characters in the family relatable.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book. I am going to give it 3.5 stars. This is my first introduction to the Baxter family so take that perspective in consideration when reading this review. This book is about the wedding of one of the Baxter daughters, Kari, to a man named Tim. We get introduced to Kari, her parents Elizabeth and John, and all of the other grown Baxter children. This story all centers around the day of the wedding and the family's doubt about if Kari is marrying the right guy. She had a first love that ended because of a misunderstanding and now there is a big lack of clarity in Kari and her family as to if she's doing the right thing. The weather also reflects this turmoil as a tornado approaches and the skies are ominous. I was really intrigued by some of the siblings storylines and I could see how people fall in love with the family and the series. However, this book as a standalone story left a lot unanswered. I liked the element of faith woven into this book, but I want to know more. As a prequel I would say this is successful in leaving me wanting to know more, but was it necessary? I don't know.

I've always been a big fan of The Baxter series and Karen Kingsbury. I love the messages in her books and she is a great storyteller. That's why it pains me to call this one disappointing. I don't feel like it really added anything to the series, it just felt unnecessary and the story itself was dull and uninteresting. I will admit that I'm not a big fan of romance so perhaps that's why it seemed overly sappy to me as well. A miss for me but hopefully others will really enjoy it.

I enjoyed this prequel to the beloved Baxter Family series. It’s been so long since I read the originals, and I appreciated the chance to return to these characters in their much younger state. I always loved Elizabeth, and getting to have her present again was nice. Filled with classic Karen Kingsbury emotion, this story takes you on a familiar ride, but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment.

I loved this story. It was so nice to hear more about the Baxters backstory. I loved the characters, the storyline and really didn't want it to end! A wonderful summer read! The publisher made a copy of this book available on Netgalley. This review is my honest opinion.

Karen Kingsbury continues to be a phenomenal writer. Years later we are still drawn to her stories. She perfectly weaves together the back stories of the Baxters whom we have come to know and love. She packs a lot of back information in a little book and manages to tie it all together. As usual there are dramatic and emotional elements of faith, family, frienship, and mystery women throughout. I highly recommend this book.

“Christians are not perfect. They’re just broken people who know they need a savior. Because we’re such a mess.”

“When they’re in trouble, we pray and make ourselves available. And when things go right, we cheer from the sidelines.“

Who doesn’t love a prequel to one of the favorite series? This was a great read and made me want to read the whole series all over again. I may buy this for a friend who has adult children. It is full of great reminders that even though our children may take different paths than we wanted God is always at work.

Books in The Baxter Family series are like coming home to me. The Baxters is a prequel to the whole series, so whether you have read them all or are just starting the series you could jump in with this one. Even though I know how the series plays out, Karen Kingsbury has a way of getting me all in my emotions and this one definitely brought me to tears. If you are a fan of this series and author, I would absolutely recommend this novel!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for the e-ARC and the opportunity to read The Baxters in exchange for my review. All opinions are strictly my own.

I loved this next installment of the Baxter Series. I have grown quite attached to them all and I love when we get a new story to see how they are all doing.

This book was just as perfect as all the rest have been. The characters are deep, complex, and the kind of people you want in your life.

The story flows well, as all of Karen Kingsbury's books do.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. *

The Baxter’s by Karen Kingsbury is the prequel to the beloved book series about the Baxter family. I have read several books about the Baxter family but not all so I was excited to get to read this one to see where it started. This book starts where most of the kids are grown with Luke and Erin still in high school. They are kind of background characters in this book, The focus of this book is primarily on Kari and Ashley. This can be a standalone or you can still enjoy it if you’ve already read and enjoyed other Baxter family books.
As usual Karen uses her fiction to show God’s love, grace and mercy for her characters and the reader as her characters are believable and relatable.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book for my honest opinion.

I really enjoyed Karen Kingsbury’s Redemption Series years ago. The Baxters prequel was fun to read and made me remember why I loved all the Baxter family books so much. Karen Kingsbury is a master at weaving heart tugging stories of faith and hope. I think as a prequel this book might give away some parts of the story that might make reading the series a little anticlimactic. It felt kind of like a nice trip down memory lane for an old fan and an enticement to check out the tv series.
Thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for the chance to read and honestly review.

This book is exactly what we needed! Now I feel like I need to go back and re-read the earlier Baxter books. Elizabeth is just what I had imagined her to be - such grace and love for her family. In my mind, Bloomington, Indiana is a place I would like to visit. I have been reading about the Baxters for so long, that I feel like I personally know them. I will definitely be recommending this book to others! Definitely a five-star read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this ARC.
I love Karen Kingsbury and her novels. It's an honor for me to read her ARC.
This book is the prequel to her beloved Baxter series of books. This is a great beginning to The Baxter series as it lets you get to know the backstory of this family. I really enjoyed reading this book. I'm looking forward to reading more of the Redemption series and getting to know the Baxters.

I always enjoy visiting The Baxter family and this time was no different. I found myself reading from cover to cover and I loved learning more of their backstory in The Baxters. It was easy to feel like I was stepping back into time, living in the moment when Kari was marrying Tim and Ashley was unsure of a future with Landon. I think the best part was having Elizabeth so vibrant and alive in this story. I am in awe of how Karen Kingsbury keeps telling marvelous stories about this beloved family. I hope she never stops allowing us to peek in on The Baxters.

The Baxters story is a prequel to all the other 30 plus novels Karen Kingsbury has written on the Baxter family. This is a good book to read to refresh your memory on the early days of the Baxter or for the new reader who may not want to read every single novel. In this book we see Kari getting married. Her mother, Elizabeth has reservations and rightly so. If you read the first book in the series you will find out why. Kari marries Tim Taylor when deep down she is still in love with her first love Ryan but she will not admit it. She broke up with him because she thinks he cheated on her. The story also focuses on Ashley Baxter who has come back from Parish pregnant by a married man. I loved how most of her family particularly her parents supported her and did not judge her. That's the way families should work.

Thanks for the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.