I love when I get a chance to review a book by Karen Kingsbury. I also love that my 8 year old daughter is joining in on the fun of learning about the Baxters through the children's books.



Trouble is brewing for the Baxters on Kari's wedding day. She is unsure on whether she is marrying the right person. John and Elizabeth, her parents are concerned about all of the kids.



The whole book focuses on the wedding day and includes the different characters but especially Ashley, Kari, Landon and Ryan. The story is told in the present day and in the memories of the characters.



I love how John and Elizabeth are concerned about their adult children but know when to offer advice and when to pray for them!



Thanks so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc. The opinions are my own.

Hind sight is 20/20. If you have read the Baxter series then most things won't be a surprise to you in this book. I have to say that while I always enjoy Karen Kingsbury's writing, this book was a bit disappointing to me. I would have rather this book been more about John and Elizabeth. However the majority of this book was rehashing Ashley's story a couple times over. Not only did it repeat from other books, but it was repetitive in this book alone. I also disagree that this would be a good book to start reading the series. I think it might make the first books less effective because now you know how some of the stories work out. Not completely but still a spoiler in some ways. However it was an enjoyable refresher to read with a couple of never before seen parts. Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the free advanced copy. I'm leaving this review voluntarily.

This is really my second book about the Baxter’s. This one is a prequel to the whole series and introduces you to the family. It seems to revolve more around Kari and Ashley. It’s enough to wet your appetite and make you want to read the others. I really liked it book.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Kari is excited about getting married but has some reservations. She and her siblings are home to celebrate her marriage to a teacher. Her mother is worried about Kari and her other kids. I enjoyed this book and getting to know the Baxter family a little better.

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

The Baxter family, we know them, we love them, we have grown up and prayed with them through all their trials and tribulations.

My all time favorite series!

A wonderful addition to the Baxter series! If you’re like me and have read the entire Baxter series, this book gives us a look of the time period before Kari’s marriage to Tim in the first book, Redemption. I found myself getting teary eyed during interactions with Kari and Ryan and with Ashley and Landon, knowing how their stories end up. Great story!

The Baxters
by Karen Kingsbury
Pub Date: April 26, 2022
Atria
Thanks to the author, Atria, and NetGalley for this ARC. I have read everything Karen Kingsbury has written so for me this was a disappointing read. Nothing really new here. I will buy it for the library because we have to have everything "Karen Kingsbury"
* Christian Fiction
* I felt this was very repetitive.If you haven't read the series "The Baxter's" by Karen Kingsbury, this is a good first book as it is written as the prequel to everything. It will give you context to all the coming stories and increase your book appetite for what is to come in future stories.

If you have read stories about this family especially the 'Redemption' series, it comes off as less of a must-read.
3 stars

Karen Kingsbury brings us the prequel to her beloved Baxter series of books.

This introduces us to the wedding day of daughter, Kari, to Tim Jacobs. Stormy winds are blowing on this day, not only weatherwise, but also on the feelings and emotions of not only Kari, but all the family members.

I found this prequel repetitive within the book. Also, I had a hard time enjoying the book since I have already read all the books in the Baxter series and already know what happens in the future. I just could not really rationalize the need for a prequel. I would recommend it to someone who has not already read the series.

I received a copy of the book from the author. The opinions expressed are my own.

The Baxter's is a story about family. It is also about God and the relationship each one has with God. Life wasn't easy for the Baxter's, they went through rough times, some lost their faith, some turned their backs on Him. The story is still their journey with all that happens along the way. As Kari, is about to marry Tim, a tornado is heading their way. She wonders if it is a sign. But, you have to ride out the storm to see what happens when the storm is over. This book does that, rides out the storm, see what happens, and how it all turns out.
Landon, wasn't supposed to go to the after party but at the last moment, Kara's mother, invited him. He asked God, am I supposed to be there? God led him to go and while he was there, he knew God had him there for a reason. He was supposed to be there, and I could see as I read, that as the events unfolded, God was putting things in motion. There are lessons learned, challenging questions that made someone think, and finding the faith that what they were doing was what they were supposed to be doing, or seeing they needed to change something.
Family, faith, flaws, it is living the life you have, and dealing with it the best you can. Karen Kingsbury writes about life, and the way their life is, what they do along the way, and where they end up when the storm is over. I have read many of the books about the Baxter family and each one is different, because the people are different, God's plan for them is different, their faith isn't the same, and you never know what it will become until they have gone through all that they have to go through.
I received an ARC from Atria Books through NetGalley.

I'm a fan of Karen Kingsbury's writing and look forward to visits with the Baxter family. The author's life-changing fiction illustrate that we all make mistakes but it's our character and faith that will see us through difficult times.

Overhearing a heart-breaking conversation, Kari ended her relationship with Ryan. Forcing herself to move on, on the morning of her wedding, Kari's foreboding feelings echo the weather. When Ryan returns to confront Kari, will she give a chance to explain his actions?

Returning from home pregnant and unmarried, Ashley feels ashamed and judged for her actions. A devasting car accident caused Ashely to abandon her faith and seek solace in Paris. Away from her family's shelter, she sought another life and now faces the consequences. Struggling to move on, Landon's unconditional love won't let her be free.

John and Elizabeth are going through their own struggles. Their eldest was given up for adoption before they married. Elizabeth and her son, Dayne are unknowingly trying to find each other. Kingsbury fans will find these missing stories weaved together to provide a foundation for the rest of the rest of the series.

While the Baxters always faced challenges, at their core, they represented faith, family and friendship. In this novel, rose-colored glasses are removed and the Baxter’s flaws are what endear them to readers.

A wonderful prequel to introduce the most loving family in a book series. You’ll laugh, cry, smile and wanting more at the very end. If you haven’t read any of the other Baxter family books, don’t fret, The Baxter’s is a great starting point.

I graciously received an advance e-copy from Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

I received an arc copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I have to say that I loved the first part of this book of preparation for Keri's wedding and I would have given it five stars. However, since the book was told in parts by different people, there was so much repetition of events and conversations. I actually kept thinking that I read that part already. Basically conversations were repeated word for word and events. I love this author and her books but have to say this was a disappointment.

I haven't read any of the Baxter books and I absolutely fell in love with this family! This book is the prequel to the series, so it was the perfect introduction to the Baxter's . This book was filled with angst, yet also hope. I did yell at the characters a couple times to just communicate with the person they were at "odds" with.. I am anxious to read the next book in the series to see how/if things were resolved.

i highly recommend this book. I enjoyed the Christian influence/references in this story. I also enjoyed all the characters. Karen did a great job of letting me get to know each one and feel an emotional attachment to them.

Thank you to Atria Books/Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Truly, Madly, Deeply I truly enjoyed so when I was sent this widget I opened immediately.

This book is part of a series, but can also be read as a standalone.

The Baxters is an emotional Christian, women’s fiction novel.
Karen's writing is down to earth and Hallmark-y, with faith added in the script.
Here we get a better look inside the entire family!
And let me say, its lovely!

While reading you will feeling everything The Baxter's go through in this book.
This book really focuses on family, love, and faith.
Amazing characters, with hearts full of gold!
Beautifully written and will brings tears to the eyes.
This is worth the read!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Atria Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. A reader could look at this book one of two ways. If you have never read the Baxter books before, this is a nice introduction to their lives. I felt like parts of it were choppy as it hinted at some things, but doesn't go into tons of details about all of the Baxter children. This could have been done on purpose. Because I have read all of the books, I thought this book was repetitive. While it was nice to read about Elizabeth again, I just felt like the same stories were being told over and over about Kari and Ashley. However, I do not remember the drunk driving accident from the original books. I'm not sure if this is a new topic or if I just forgot about it. In true Karen K fashion, this book highlights on strong family ties and God.

If I ever wanted to re-read a series of books before, I definitely do now! How enjoyable is The Baxters prequel to all the Baxter series books! This book tied together all of the stores and makes you long for more. Thank you again Karen Kingsbury.