First, If you haven't read all the Baxter series books, I HIGHLY recommend taking the time and starting it. It will be worth is because once you get into them you will start to know the Baxter's characters and build a relationship with it. You will see this is a family that is just like yours and mine. This is a story that you will not want to end and keep going through the family line to see how they grow.
This is not just a story about Kari's wedding, it's about challenges that each grown Baxter kid has to overcome. We all have had some time of hurdle to overcome and we can relate to at least one of these characters. This novel will show you if these Baxter's are still strong enough to handle the family trouble to if it will finally break them.
Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this prequel to the Baxters series. I really liked knowing more about the background of some of the characters, especially Ashley's story. The book touched much on redemption and forgiveness, and showing that all families, even the ones that are the closest have their flaws. And the book showed how everyone of us does things wrong or makes bad decisions, but God loves us anyway and he forgives us. I liked how Elizabeth and John touched some on their firstborn son, how they had to give him up for adoption, and how they wished for contact with him. I've read most of the Baxter books and recently read "Forgiving Paris". The book brought back to memory many things I had forgotten from the earlier years in the series.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for the book in exchange for a review.

I LOVED this book! In fact, it had me wanting to read the next in the series and I did! Such a fun story and the fact that they will be on TV is even better! You will enjoy the storyline as well and you will be hooked!

Never a disappointment Karen Kingsbury is consistently an author that will make you cry and laugh. Keep you centered in your faith and realistic enough to show no one is without faults. The anger between brother Luke at his sister Ashley, the feeling of discontent at Kari's wedding to Tim Jacobs, .. A storm is brewing outside and in the Baxter family.. Why won't Ashley realize that she and Landon belong together. How mom Elizabeth still hopes her daughters Ashley and Brooke will come back to their faith, that Luke will realize he is being a poor example of a Christian by being so snobbish. Will there be a tornado,( which is possible in Indiana ) and ruin Kari's wedding. There are many family issues going on here just like in real life they all intersect on this Kari's wedding day.
With the television series coming to the small screen it's a good introduction to the Baxter family saga.
Thank you NETGALLEY for the advance copy.

I will never not love these books! I have been following the Baxter family for 20+ years now and always look forward to the next title. Karen Kingsbury has a way of writing that is inspirational, real, and relatable. You won't be sorry if you start reading her titles and this book is a great place to start to get to know the family before diving into all their stories in the series.

A beautiful, emotional story that introduces us to the beloved Baxter family! I found myself crying as I read parts of the story and wanting to plead with the characters at other parts. Expertly written to make the story come alive and feel as if you are apart of it.

The Baxter series as long been one of my favorites. This book helped to answer some questions I had and ignite a desire to reread every single book to spend time with this incredible family again. For readers new to the Baxter’s, this book is the perfect introduction to the family. It sets the stage for the series and gives background on each family member. One of the things I love most about the Baxter family is their realness. The struggles they face are real life and they show that even though they have strong Christian faith, they are not perfect and that we are all sinners in need of grace.

I highly recommend this book and do yourself a favor and read the entire series. You will not be disappointed! I cannot wait for the TV series!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Oh I love reading Karen’s books. She writes about real life issues and any one of her characters could be me. The siblings fight just like all siblings do and and you could just feel the tension in the house when it happens. I don’t know about anyone else but I would love to be a member of the Baxter family! Thank you for writing such great books Karen!

The Baxter Family is my favorite family, and Karen Kingsbury is a favorite author. In her newest installment in the series, she travels back in time and writes about the day of Kari’s wedding. There’s a terrible storm brewing, and many are wondering if it’s a portent of things to come. Kari is marrying Tim, but she still has feelings for her ex, Ryan, but are those just left over feelings or is there more to it? Ashley is home from Paris with a surprise for the family. A surprise all are not comfortable with. Others have lost their faith, is the whole family crumbling or will their strong faith and hope bring them back together again ... you’ll have to go back and start at the beginning to find out. After reading the entire series, this book felt a bit on the repetitive side, it also repeated things more than once in this book. There were a few new things to add to their story, but for me it didn’t really add anything to the series. If we’re going back into the past, I’d love to read more about John and Elizabeth’s early love story!

I just love the Baxter family. Even though we know what happens to these people in the future, I love this early look into what happened before things happened. You can really feel the anxiety of the day. The pressures of the relationships. Nothing and no one is ever perfect. Thank you for a great read.

The Baxters,: A Prequel by Karen Kingsbury is a good book, but I wish I could have read it first! I have read and loved all the Baxter books and look forward to the TV series that is coming! I love Karen Kingsbury’s writing and how she tells of God’s grace and forgiveness, which is the main theme of this book. I do recommend reading this book and all of the books in the Baxter series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to read and give my own opinion of the book.

I am a huge Kk / Baxter fan but I’ll be honest this book was hard to read. Maybe because I know the outcome but I really struggled finishing this book.

There is something about reading The Baxter series that just soothes my soul.
.
I love this family and this series and I am always a sucker for a prequel. I always want all of the backstory all of the time and this was perfection. If you haven’t read this series yet this is a great place to start.
.
I am always all in and thankful to receive any bit of Baxter story. Huge thank you to @atriabooks for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is out tomorrow!

I came to know of Karen Kingsbury's work by reading one of the Baxter books and since then I have been a fan of Kingsbury. I love how the story is continued in a way with The Baxters. I would recommend reading this fascinating story!

Wow, all I can say is, THE BAXTERS blew me away! Be prepared to go on an emotional roller coaster ride like you have never experienced before. It is the prequel to The Redemption series but it can easily be read as a stand alone.

Karen Kingsbury sure knows how to make the reader feel as if they are right there at the kitchen table with the family dealing with all their troubles and THE BAXTERS is exactly that! She made me sad, then the next moment I was smiling and giggling out loud! You can never go wrong with a Karen Kingsbury book if you are a fan of the Christian fiction genre. All of her characters feel genuine and relatable and put your emotions on one heck of a roller coaster ride. As you are reading, you will find yourself cheering for all of them, praying they can work out their problems and be happy once again. You will also wonder how much heartache a family can stand before it completely breaks down and splits.

THE BAXTERS is a heart tugging story filled with grief, loneliness, heartbreak, and love that will hold you hostage until the very last page. Once I started this heartwarming story, it was very hard to put down! The love of God and family is what holds this family together, no matter how tenuous at times it seems to be. Karen Kingsbury isn’t afraid to write about subjects out of the norm as far as the Christian Fiction genre goes. Oh, as a warning to the reader, keep the tissues handy and do not read the ending in a public place unless you don’t mind crying in front of strangers! I’m so excited to continue catching up on all of Karen Kingsbury’s previous books.

Along with the heartbreak there is also hope, faith and healing. I felt so close to the whole family as I finished up THE BAXTERS and really didn’t want the book to end. Karen is an excellent story teller and she gets you so caught up in their lives right from the very first page and never lets you go. This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time!

THE BAXTERS is all about family and the past and the secrets that come out are heart tugging. It had me flipping through the pages like a woman on a mission. I had to know what was going to happen to Ashley and Kari, Elizabeth, and all the secondary characters. The characters are all well written and totally believable. THE BAXTERS is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read in 2022 so far. I was instantly emotionally invested in all of the characters. My heart broke for Ashley as well as Kari and for all they were dealing with.

Karen Kingsbury really knows how to write about family drama, heartbreak, and forgiveness. I can not wait to read more by this wonderful and heart tugging author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Atria Books through Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book! It's well written and holds your attention. This book is full of emotions, you will laugh, cry and feel every emotion in between. This is a book you don't want to miss.
I received a complimentary copy from Atria Books via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

The Baxters by Karen Kingsbury. Every book I have ever read by Karen Kingsbury has left me full of emotions happy, sad she produces it all. She tells it like life is. I know when I read her books the story will be beautiful but will leave me waiting for the next chapter.

What a great "introduction" to the Baxter family!! Whether you have read any of the Baxter family stories or are an "old friend" of the family, this book is a great stand-alone read. I mean, what can go wrong (or right) with a wedding happening while a huge storm is brewing outside?? Wonderful characters and an intriguing setting/plot that draws you in from the first page. I received an advance copy from the publisher but all opinions are my own.

The Baxters is the prequel to the family saga by Karen Kingsbury. I have read several of her books, but I have only read one or two them from the Baxter family. With that said, I feel this is a good read to help anyone to get acquainted with the members of the family. Honestly, I was feeling overwhelmed by the twenty some odd books, and didn't know where to start. Well, now there is a beginning. The author has a list in order at the beginning of the book. So yay! I enjoyed the book and can understand why this series is such a sensation. However, I did get a little frustrated with a couple of the characters. I still liked them and felt for them. This book is an inspirational story and I loved the faith of the family members. They aren't perfect, but they recognize their need for God.

*I was given a copy of the book by the publisher and this is my honest opinion.

This is a hard book to read in the best way. Hard because you see all the mistakes the Baxters make that set up the series. It is in the best way because Karen Kingsbury shows God's faithfulness in all of life! I highly recommend reading this emotional new beginning to the Baxter Family Saga!

Never before told stories!!! Same great family!!!

Pub Date April 22nd 2022.
Reading now, I received from Publisher: Atria Books/Netgalley!
Excited to read, I was invited to read this book..
I hope I do this right.
I love her books and I couldn't put it down, the cover is pretty, I love the characters, the title to the story. the Baxters has always always been one of my favorite series.