A Time to Embrace

Timeless Love #2

by Karen Kingsbury

"Their whole life was a series of miracles. Can they really hope for one more? And as tragedy pulls their lives apart, can they somehow find that all-important time to embrace?"

After twenty-one years, John and Abby Reynolds are back together and feeling like newlyweds. Together they are convinced they can handle the issues of their past, the questions from their children, and even the high-school politics that drain the joy from John's coaching career. But then disaster strikes...the type of tragedy John and Abby never expected.

The squeal of brakes and the crunch of metal changes everything. Suddenly devastation tears at the heart of their family, and the depth of their existence. In the process, their children falter in their faith and guilt colors everything about the future. Fumbling for forgiveness and hoping for a miracle, John and Abby must remember what is important and cling to that above all else.

Together, they're determined to move on with their lives. but is "together" enough for a future they never expected?

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Adult Fiction, Audiobook, Inspirational

316 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

About the author

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/K...

Reviews

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD - you have been notified.

I finished this book this afternoon and have been struggling with what I wanted to say in this review. I think that I am struggling because I thoroughly enjoyed the story and don't want to be cynical but I think I need to be.

The issues discussed in the book are as follows: underage drinking, illegal car racing, high school bullying, bomb threats, parents teaching children entitlement, parents rallying to fire a coach, paralysis, a car accident, legal troubles, premature labor, a premature baby in NICU, abortion, troubled marriages/divorce, pornography and I may be missing some.

Yes, all those issues were addressed in this book and although it is a lot I think my real problem was they were all resolved by the end in a happy way. God answered all the prayers, everyone felt better and had resolved their issues. At one point in the book, it stresses that God answers prayers not as we want, but in his time, in his way and that everything that happens, God has a purpose for it. Yet, everything was fixed in the way that the characters wanted it to be. I wish I had faith in positive resolutions.

I continue to remind myself that this is fiction and that the point was that God does answer prayers, continue praying and pray without ceasing. Reality brings us different answers.

[Pam · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was disappointed in this book. I do believe in God and in the need for ceaseless prayer, but this part of the book was so distracting for me. Every prayer was immediately answered, and almost always answered word for word the way it was prayed. This does little to encourage me as a believer. I felt like every prayer had to be answered immediately as if the author thought we would forget, or give up our hope in God if the prayer wasn't answered in the very next sentence. In trying to see this book through the eyes of a nonbeliever, I think this would be taken to be childish and unrealistic, and the book discarded before they took away the real value of the message in the book. In this book, there should have been more spoken of the truth of prayer - that you have to seek to live in the center of God's will, and pray from that heart, not just 'ask and you shall receive' (immediately - before the beginning of the next paragraph!).

[January · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury (2002)
Timeless Love #2
+307-page Kindle Ebook

Genre: Family, Christian Romance

Featuring: Epigraphs, Marion, Illinois; Multiple POVs, Family Dynamics, Bible Verses, High School Football Coach, Teacher, Journalist, Quadragenarians, Reminiscing, Recaps of Book 1, Newlyweds, Smear Campaign, Bullying, Goth vs Jocks, Sex - Off-Camera, Porn Addiction, School Threats, Drinking, Drag Racing, Christmas, Backyard Lake, Medical Miracles, Legal Woes, Second Chances, Author's Note, A Word to Readers - Testimony, Discussion Questions, Excerpt from a Time to Dance - Chapter 1,

Rating as a movie: PG-13

Books and Authors mentioned: The Holy Bible written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

Memorable Quotes: Abby loved nights like this, when the gang gathered at the Reynoldses’ house, laughing and sharing updates about their lives. Across from her, Abby admired the glow on Nicole’s face. Thank You, God, for bringing Matt into her life. Don’t ever let them go through what John and I did . . .

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️¾🏈🏫💻🌐🏁✝️

My thoughts: 🔖Page 20 of 307 [Chapter] Three - I'm excited to continue with the same couple, the drama is mediocre so far.
🔖219 [Chapter] Twenty-Three - This story didn't go in the direction I expected but it is heading towards the 5-star zone.

³This story was great, there was minimal inconsistency but felt like several storylines were dropped during the climax, they picked them back up near the end and I was left without an explanation for Nate's story. Overall this was a good story but it had a rough start and I'm not a fan of literary refrains.

Recommend to others: Yes. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her catalog.

Timeless Love
1. A Time to Dance (2001)
2. A Time to Embrace (2002)

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

John and Abbie Reynolds have just survived a close call with divorce, but now their marriage seems to be on solid ground. John is still coaching football at Marion High School, and while he really tries to connect with his students and football players he is having difficulty with the team, they had bad attitudes and in general came off cocky,and the parents of the boys are even worse, having lost two of the first four games of the season, the parents are rude and condescending, threatening to get John fired if things don't improve. So when an unsigned letter shows up at the school questioning whether he is a good moral leader, because they say that he knows his players are drinking and drag racing but does nothing about it, and in an ironic twist of fate John is in a car accident, hit by a boy who was drag racing, while he survives he is paralyzed from the waist down. Can their marriage survive this, and how will it affect those around them?

Karen Kingsbury's writing skills shine thru in this book, the characters come off as very real, as they deal with day to day struggles. I enjoy the way she weaves God's message throughout her books, her stories are always very inspiring and reminds the reader that with God all things are possible.
While this is the second book in the Timeless Love Series, it can easily be read as a stand alone story, but I would recommend reading the first story, because you will get a glimpse of what John and Abbie's marriage endured, with the help of God.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an inspirational story, that has some substance to it, be prepared you won't be able to put this one down!

Even though I was provided a copy of this book to review by Booksneeze it in no way alters my opinion of this story.

[Quiniece Sheppard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book was amazing. So glad I read this book as I had heard of Karen Kingsbury, but never read any one of her books. I am now a supporter of her work. If I could sum this book up in a phrase it would be "God still performs miracles". Anything can happen if you are crazy enough believe in the impossible. That's exactly what happened in this book. Everyone experienced a miracle and it just wasn't one person as sometimes we believe that miracles only happen to certain people or they can't happen to us, but they happen to anyone who believes in the source of the miracle, which is God. I found myself rejoicing with John got the miracle of walking again even though the doctors told him he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life. I rejoiced when John's daughter got a miracle with the pre-mature birth of her daughter whom the daughters said would never make it. I also rejoiced in the re-uniting of a husband and a wife who were divorced but decided to give it another shot. There were so many miracles and acts of faith in this book that I'm not able to name them all. When God shows up, our lives will never be the same. We can't stay the same when we have God and that's another lesson this book teaches us. It teaches us that with God nothing is impossible. That's exactly what a miracle is. I can't wait to read other works by this author. This book was heartfelt and very touching. I enjoyed every minute of reading it.

[Maria Pierron · Rating 1 out of 5]

I skim read this and didn't like it. Readers are reminded far too many times that "the marriage almost ended" in the last book and "john and Abby now look at each other as if they were newlyweds once again."
A Time to Embrace doesn't keep you guessing. Jake Daniels (whose name I first read as Jack Daniels...haha!) is given a car for his birthday...and we're told over and over how fast the car is, how it's basically a race car, etc, and it's pretty obvious that there's going to be a wreck. Nicole emphasized the fact she had a plan for her future (which seemed strange coming from this girl...) and, dun dun duuun! Her plan goes awry.
Overall a very strange book.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel the same about this book as I did the first one, only this one I feel like I've already read it before. I don't know if I read these books years ago, or what, I predicted everything and had major dejavu through the whole book. I think this series just tries too hard, too many miracles, too many scenarios that would make a beginner believer question if they are doing it wrong. Why doesn't God ever speak to me? Why don't I get a miracle with my health scare? etc. I definitely like her other series better.

[Duane Enoch · Rating 1 out of 5]

It gets a minus one I was not able to finish reading it

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although this was the second book in a series, I jumped right into the story without missing a beat. Karen skillfully wrote in such a style that it gave the reader enough background not to be lost in this next installment in the Timeless Love series. I instantly grew attached to John and Abby and their new-found love. Learning about how close they came to ending their marriage – and all the joys that they were experiencing since finding their love again – was beautiful. John and Abby viewed their marriage as something incredibly special and sacred…making everything they did seems so pure and good. Their testimony was beautiful. I enjoyed every moment of reading about their renewed love with each other and Christ.

The side story of Marion’s Quarter Back, Jake, was also very moving. From his struggles with his peers and his divorced parents strained relationship, the reader couldn’t help put instantly like the guy. Compared to his other peers, he seemed like a nice guy, and as the story progressed it was wonderful to watch him grow and mature. The hardships and sorrow he went through, while at the time seemed unbearably hard, only helped him to grow closer to Christ and build a stronger relationship with Him.
It’s been a while since I have read a book that has made me cry, but this one struck me hard. About half way through the book, when the crisis arose in John and Abby’s life, Karen wrote in such a personal way that I felt the character’s pain and confusion. I couldn’t help but connect to them and feel for them as they went through seemingly insurmountable disaster. I found myself hoping for a good outcome right along with the characters! You know you hold a priceless book in your hands when this happens!

There is only one caution that I must give my younger readers. In the book the subject of pornography is discussed between a father and son. I thought the conversation was very edifying in our world with the internet being so close to our fingertips, but depending on the age of the reader, it may be a little much. So I just caution my readers in this area – it’s only discussed in one scene. There are also a few intimate scenes between John and Abby that might be a little much for younger readers. After going to a dance class, John leads Abby upstairs for a different kind of dance lesson…things like that. Karen never is explicit, but says enough for the reader to put together the rest.

As this book held my interest and kept me flipping the pages as fast as I could read them (with a box of Kleenex nearby), I knew this book would get 5 big stars from me. It was captivating, had an awesome story plot, was writing to perfection, and had a strong message against divorce, porn, and car racing. This is a book with a powerful story that will stay with you long after you have finished the book.

I reviewed this book for Thomas Nelson/BookSneeze. The thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are soley my own.

[Nola Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

We met John and Abby Reynolds in "A Time to Dance", when they struggled to come together after 21 years of marriage. Kingsbury brings them to us again in A Time to Embrace, a novel of pain and faith.

Everything seems to be back on track for the couple after their near-divorce scare. But one fateful night, a night when a few seconds make a lifetime of difference, changes everything. Abby and John must struggle to come together, and to come to the Lord.

As John struggles with a newly imperfect body, he also struggles with his faith. Like any human, he can’t help but ask, Why me? Why this? Why now? He wrestles with his pride and his anger. And yet, out of the ashes of his life comes forgiveness that witnesses strongly for his town.

At the same time, Abby fights her own battles. With John’s life changed, she strives to appear strong, to give him somewhere to lean on. She fights to support him and love him, even as he pulls away and becomes distant. And she tries to be her own source of strength, before she learns again to rely on her Heavenly Father.

Mixed into the couple’s struggle is the fight of those who love them. Their daughter, whose prayers helped save their marriage, now turns away from God. Their youngest son watches his dreams disappear. Their oldest son fights his own spiritual battles. And the boys who bear the blame – and their parents, who carry their share – must fight their own battles. Slowly but surely, each comes to see the hand of God amid the tragedy.

Once again, Kingsbury has brought us a heart-touching tale that begs the question, why do bad things happen to good people? Her three-dimensional characters stand up to the challenges given, reacting realistically and drawing the reader further into the story. I did raise my eyebrows at the miraculous conclusion, which I didn’t feel was altogether necessary, or even helpful. I loved watching John, his family, and his community come together, and felt that the ending read more as a ‘feel good’ ending than a realistic one. After all of that struggle, I don’t think the surgery made for a happy ending – instead, the happiness came from the peace everyone found. A more realistic ending would also have helped provide hope for those who struggle with permanent injuries.

Overall, the novel is an emotionally compelling read. The spiritual journey of each character, major and minor, kept the reader intrigued. Kingsbury has again managed to share a joyful story of a Christian family returning to God despite – or perhaps because of – their tragedy.

[Reanne Melhorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this novel by Karen Kingsbury, there is an intense focus on love, loyalty, trust, and expectance. In A Time to Embrace, Nicole, Abby and John’s daughter, discovers many things. First, she finds out about how John and Abby and almost divorced the night of her wedding – the night of their anniversary. As Abby tries to figure out how to deal with how to react to this new information (John’s and Abby’s affairs on each other), she also tries to balance her new marriage and college, and something else that she wasn’t expecting, nor had they planned on happening, for several more years – Nicole was pregnant. As much as she wanted to feel happy about her new baby growing inside of her, she just couldn’t. Nicole began to slip into a deep depression because of her pregnancy, afraid of all of the what-ifs that stood in her future. She had planned to finish college and start her carrier before they even thought about children – but her child had been an accident. Also, John gets into a horrible accident, caused by two of his own football players (gets paralyzed because of it) and faces losing his job because of a group of disgruntled parents.

This series has to be one of my favorites, for sure! It has a rather addicting storyline, and I couldn't wait to finish it! Karen Kingsbury has a wonderful talent. I couldn't put it down! I am one that normally doesn't really like religious books, as I normally fimd them very dry and boring. It was actually quite the opposite here! I found this book and the one before it extremely addicting and inspiring. Reading this has made me want to be a better Catholic, as well...

People who enjoy reading religious books would enjoy this novel, as it explores ones’ own sense of religion, making the reader question oneself about how they had treated their religion. Also, people who enjoy romance novels would enjoy this book. People who enjoy reading a long, slightly more challenging read would also enjoy this book because it makes a person question their own morals on multiple levels. Generally anyone who enjoys a good book that challenges their mind would thoroughly enjoy this book. People who enjoy reading tragedies would enjoy this as well, being that there are many tragedies in this book, but not in the classic sense – more of things that people today would consider tragic to happen.

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Time to Embrace by Karen Kingsbury

A Time to Embrace is a beautifully woven story about forgiveness and love. Abby and John Reynolds have just survived 3 years of an unhappy marriage which almost ended in divorce. A Time to Embrace picks up just after they have forgiven each other’s transgressions - John’s for spending too much time with another woman, and Abby’s for becoming too close to her magazine editor via email. They have renewed their vows and are more in love with each other than before. They put God first in their lives, and are seeing the blessings of being in God’s will.

As John struggles with the politics of being a high school football coach, he is still working on encouraging and loving his students and players. He not only wants to see them succeed now, but also is training them for life. After winning a football game, he is involved in a horrific accident. During his recovery, he and Abby both struggle with God’s involvement in their “new” life. The promises of God are written throughout this wonderful book! Romans 8.28 teaches us “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Karen Kingsbury has reminded us again to put God first in our marriages and in life! For an uplifting read, pick up both A Time to Dance and A Time to Embrace and walk through a slice of John and Abby’s life together. You won’t be disappointed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Anna Hardesty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me on edge the entire time. I think I cried more and gasped more during this book than I have for any other novel. Abby & John had some problems, like most married couples do, but God helped them sort them out. They still are working out some problems, but you can tell that they love each other and God is going to help them through this. Their daughter Nicole has just gotten married & that's another key to fixing their marriage puzzle. The love these two people share is amazingly beautiful and the author, Karen, did an amazing job expressing their love through words. John is the high school's football coach and health teacher, and lately, the parents of the football team have not been very kind to him. They are petitioning to get him fired just because their sons are not as talented as the quarterback. But that's not the only thing causing problems, the main problem for John is that his star player, Jake, has some anger problems. But the day his dad buys him a brand spanking new hot rod, his mood changes and he starts being nicer to the people he's hurt most. A tragedy occurs and Abby is left wondering what went wrong, what she could have done and Jake is at a loss for words, wondering why in the world he did what he did. This book was amazingly written and I love the author's way with words. I could feel the love between Abby and John the entire time I was reading it. One of the best Christian romance novels I have EVER read!

I have received this book for free from the publisher through the Booksneeze.com book reviews bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are MY OWN.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Time to Embrace is a beautifully woven story about forgiveness and love. Abby and John Reynolds have just survived 3 years of an unhappy marriage which almost ended in divorce. A Time to Embrace picks up just after they have forgiven each other’s transgressions - John’s for spending too much time with another woman, and Abby’s for becoming too close to her magazine editor via email. They have renewed their vows and are more in love with each other than before. They put God first in their lives, and are seeing the blessings of being in God’s will.

As John struggles with the politics of being a high school football coach, he is still working on encouraging and loving his students and players. He not only wants to see them succeed now, but also is training them for life. After winning a football game, he is involved in a horrific accident. During his recovery, he and Abby both struggle with God’s involvement in their “new” life. The promises of God are written throughout this wonderful book! Romans 8.28 teaches us “…that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
Karen Kingsbury has reminded us again to put God first in our marriages and in life! For an uplifting read, pick up both A Time to Dance and A Time to Embrace and walk through a slice of John and Abby’s life together. You won’t be disappointed.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing, fantastic read from Kingsbury. Every book I've read has just left me feeling so good.
I thought I had figured out early on what might happen in this book and while I was partially right, the whole of what happened was truly a shock to me and actually made me mad that she (Kingsbury) would have this happen to such a wonderful person but with God's grace, the ending was beautiful and so inspiring!!

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO... my first review was off. This is the sequel to "A Time to Dance." (Also a great read). This book really helped me as a person, a part of a family, and a teacher. The lesson is about what you can overcome with the help of God and family. It's amazing what God's love can do for your life and your family. The ostacle the main character faces is so huge, and yet he endures and goes on to thrive.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Karen Kingsbury does it again. I thought after A Time to Dance, I couldn't learn anything more about relationships and faith but I was wrong. This novel just goes to show that you shouldn't ever give up hope on something, and that God will help you through the tough times and the even tougher times. The strength shown by the characters in this book really spoke to my heart. I once again will not forget this story, and the lessons I learned from it.

[Rev. Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another winner by Karen Kingsbury that deals with real life events, such as premature babies, divorce, indulgence in pornography, etc, in the light of God's grace to provide healing for people dealing with those issues. This is the second in her Timeless Love Series, and was full of demonstrations of the miracles available to those who call on God for help when their own efforts have not been sufficient.

[Oorla · Rating 5 out of 5]

The characters in this book are ordinary people, which make them real and believable.
Coach Reynolds and his wife Abby are both portrayed as good Christians but were subject to temptations like any other to which they both almost succumb, but for God’s grace.
Their marriage was restored only to be faced with series of challenge. We can see their personal struggles but their marriage and family was able to withstand the storm because they fought together.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Way too preachy. Too many positive outcomes. Too many new characters and problems. It was like living in perfectland. This was my first time reading Karen Kingsbury and although I am Christian, the amount of religious inserts was distracting. I would never read one of her books again. Had potential, but ended up being ridiculous.

[Tiffany Parent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely LOVED this book! I got half way through it before finding out that it was the 2nd book in a 2 part series, but it was too good to put down, so now I have to find and read the 1st book. But this book was extremely encouraging and lifted me up immensely. Definitely a 5 star rating for this book

[Jan Ackerson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish there was a possibility of having less than one star. It's beyond me why this author is so popular in Christian circles. Her writing is abyssmal, and the premise of this one (a healed spinal cord injury) offends me.

[Heather Brunet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just like the first book in this 2 book series, I totally loved how things worked out for John and Abby ... It was an amazing book, and an even better ending, a story of tragedy and how the family works together to deal with the emotions that go along with that tragedy. Well worth the read!

[Sara Nuñez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Milagros. Es lo que Dios nos da a todos, pocos los han visto o apreciado, yo espero seguir viendolos y no perder la fe, para seguir encontrando libros de gente que piensa como yo.
26/09/2014.
Sara Nuñez

[Tami · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn't finish it and I always finish a book but after the first one and the repetition in it I began reading this one. I had to stop I can't believe some who is a writer is portraying another writer in the story the way she is Abby. Enough is enough!

[Heather Richmond · Rating 4 out of 5]

God works miracles! However, sometimes His answers to our prayers aren't what ours would be. In those situations we trust a sovereign God who holds the world together. We await the day of His return when all things will be made right, as He intended!

[Lisa Merchant · Rating 2 out of 5]

Only slightly better than its predecessor. Very poor grip on reality. Pollyannish. Someone please smash Ms. Kingsbury's rose-colored glasses before she attempts to write another novel.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book about forgiveness and faith. Great book, but not my favorite by this author.

[April Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Terrific book!