My Karen Kingsbury corner of books

In four days on March 27, Karen Kingsbury’s last novel “Loving” in the Bailey Flanigan series will be in stores.  I have followed this story ever since the Flanigan family was mentioned for the very first time in the fifth novel “Reunion” of the Redemption series.   This series started when I was in high school and is now ending when I have been out of college for more than two years.  I have literally grown up with the Flanigan family.

When I first read about the Flanigan family I could tell that it was based on Karen’s family.  It was like you were getting a sneak peek into the life of Karen Kingsbury.  In the next series Firstborn the Flanigan family played a slightly bigger role.  We meet Cody Coleman who is now one of the love interests for Bailey in the Bailey Flanigan series.

Instead of describing Cody, here is the video introduction. He has always loved Bailey, but he feels he is not good enough for her.

After Karen finished writing the Sunrise series she wrote the “Above the Line” series, where Bailey and Cody have a main storyline.  This series is where she meets Brandon Paul. His character is portrayed by Kyle Kupecky who is one of the singers in Anthem lights and is engaged to be married to Karen Kingsbury’s daughter Kelsey who portrays Bailey Flanigan.  (I did not realize how much of a soap opera this is, sorry about that.)


My point of this whole post is I am anxious to know who Bailey is going to end up with in this latest novel. I would personally like it if she would end up with Cody Coleman who throughout the entire series truly does love Bailey but I have my doubts because I believe Karen Kingsbury will have Brandon and Bailey get married.  I will be disappointed but I will have to try and get over it. If Bailey and Cody are the ones who get married I will be pleasantly surprised.

Here is the “Loving” trailer. 

Karen Kingsbury has signed a deal to write 10 novels with Simon and Schuster. Simon and Schuster  I am definitely looking forward to something new.  Karen Kingsbury is still my favorite author though.  

I hope everyone has a great weekend.  

Forget Me Not by Vicki Hinze

Vicki Hinze is an award-winning author of 23 novels, three nonfiction books, and hundreds of articles.  I personally hadn’t heard of this author until I entered a contest to win a free book.  I can’t even remember where I won it from.  I finally got around to reading the book.  (A side note, I am actually very terrible about reading the free books I win.) This is also the same for Ted Dekker’s books.  I have read some but not all.  So back to Forget Me Not, it is an edge of your seat suspense novel.  It was quite a page turner. I am truly a romantic at heart and even though this is a suspense novel there is some romance sprinkled throughout the book. 

James Rollins author of The Doomsday Key says in the front cover of the book it was “Written with equal parts grace and passion, Vicki Hinze’s latest thriller Forget Me Not delves deeply into a chilling world of twisted loyalties, amnesia, and the struggle of a woman to expose a terrorist plot. Romantic, suspenseful, and ultimately uplifting, this story proves that what is buried in the past never stays buried forever.”

Description of book

Crossroads Crisis Center owner Benjamin Brandt was a content man- in his faith, his work, and his family. Then in a flash, everything he loved was snatched away. His wife and son were murdered, and grief-stricken Ben lost faith. Determination to find their killers keeps him going, but after three years of dead ends and torment, his hope is dying too. Why had he survived? He’d failed to protect his family. 

Now, a mysterious woman appears at Crossroads seeking answers and help-a victim who eerily resembles Ben’s deceased wife Susan. A woman robbed of her identity, her life, of everything except her faith and Susan’s necklace.

The connections between the two women mount, exceeding coincidence, and to keep the truth hidden, someone is willing to kill. Finding out who and why turns Ben and the mystery woman’s situation from dangerous to deadly. Their only hope for survival is to work together, trust each other, and face whatever they discover head on, no matter how painful. But will that be enough to save their lives and heal their tattered hearts?

Book Review: A Great Catch by Lorna Seilstad

From the back cover: 


She wants to change the world.
He wants to change her mind.

It's the beginning of a new century at Lake Manawa resort in Iowa, but some things never change. When Emily Graham's meddlesome aunts and grandmother take it upon themselves to find her a husband among the resort guests, the spunky suffragist is determined to politely decline each and every suitor. She has neither the time nor the need for a man in her busy life.

Carter Stockton, a recent college graduate and a pitcher for the Manawa Owls baseball team, intends to enjoy every minute of the summer before he is forced into the straitlaced business world of his father.

When their worlds collide, neither Emily nor Carter could have guessed what would come next. Will Carter strike out? Or will Emily cast her vote for a love that might cost her dreams?


My Review:
I had tried reading this book once before and I couldn't get into reading it.  I seen it at the library and I just knew I had to try reading it again because the cover was so intriguing.  I am so glad I did.  I really got into the story this time and enjoyed it immensely. 


I didn't realize that this book is the second in a series called "Lake Manawa Summers." It reads like a stand alone novel so you don't have to worry about reading the first book, but I will be requesting it from the library.  


"A Great Catch" has a sweet romance, humor, history, and a great spiritual lesson of learning to put God first in your life.  


This is Lorna Seilstad's second novel.  

Book Review: Maid to Match by Deeanne Gist

Synopsis (From Deeanne Gist's blog)

From the day she arrives at the Biltmore, Tillie Reese is dazzled--by the riches of the Vanderbilts and by Mack Danvers, a mountain man turned footman. When Tillie is enlisted to help tame Mack's rugged behavior by tutoring him in proper servant etiquette, the resulting sparks threaten Tillie's efforts to be chosen as Edith Vanderbilt's lady's maid. After all, the one rule of the house is no romance below stairs.

But the stakes rise even higher when Mack and Tillie become entangled in a cover-up at the town orphanage. They could both lose their jobs, their aspirations ...and their hearts.

My Review

Ever since the first book by Deeanne "A Bride Most Begrudging" I fell in love with her books.  "Maid to Match" was no different than her other six books.  This book takes place in 1898 in North Carolina.  This is one of my favorite time periods to read about.  The characters that Deeanne writes about seem so real and I felt like I was right there with Tillie and Mack in the Biltmore Estate.  

It is a quick historical read with a sweet romance entwined.  It is a stand alone book so you don't have to worry about reading a sequel.