Grace Will Be There: Finding God in the Life We Aren't Ready For

by Katie M. Kelley

Genres: Christian Living, Faith

176 pages, Paperback

Published August 4, 2026

Reviews

[Ashlee Gadd]

My favorite book of 2026, period. I’m not even biased. EVERYONE GO READ THIS!!!!!

[Lianna Davis]

Beautifully written, these stories stay with you long after you’ve finished reading. They bear witness to a familiar pattern I’ve noticed in my own life as well: God allows deep difficulties, yet He always meets us in them.

I especially appreciated how the author leaves the reader thinking about the grace God gives throughout everyday life. Grace in the Son, certainly. But also grace in a camera, a Peloton, and a good cup of decaf. I’m grateful to Moody for publishing a book that’s a little different—and for recognizing, in advance, the fruitfulness of this format.

[Heather]

I inhaled this book. I'm a forever reader of whatever this author writes.

[Kendra Kruckenberg]

I devoured this beautiful little book in 24 hours. When I finished, I immediately handed it to my husband to read and ordered a copy as a gift for a dear friend. In a voice that is equal parts relatable and polished, Katie writes with a frankness that is refreshing and a hope that is uplifting. I loved the essay format and was drawn into her story immediately. I saw myself in so many of her words, even when she was talking about things I have not personally experienced. Highly recommend!

[Rebekah]

I flew through these essays and really love Katie’s voice. Katie Kelley has lived a lot of life and walked a lot of heartache but writes with hope and humility. Her essays are so encouraging and so clear.

[Baylee Sanders]

I had the great honor and privilege of being a part of Katie Kelley’s launch team for her newest book, Grace Will Be There. I’ve always enjoyed her writing style. The way she tells a story is so instantly captivating, she hooks me from the first sentence and has me hanging on for the entire story. Grace Will Be There is a collection of essays and stories from her life, each one pointing to the simple beauty of God’s grace always being there. Katie showed me how grace is more than “just a word for a coffee mug, or a flowery cliché you grab on to in the hardest moments,” but rather it is “the miracle of you simply crawling, inching, limping your way forward in faith that you are moving toward the Author of all of life, closer to His presence, and the eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison that only a life found in Jesus can offer.” She made me laugh, she made me cry, and you will NOT regret getting this book and stepping into Katie's world for a while!

[Kimberly Knowle-Zeller]

Grace Will Be There is such a balm. It's hopeful and honest. Katie Kelly's words and stories are rooted so strongly in faith and Scripture and continually point to God. This book will make a great gift for a friend going through a hard season or transition. I'll keep coming back to Grace Will Be There for this powerful reminder of grace.

[Erin]

The format of this book--a collection of essays about pivotal (and sometimes seemingly small) moments in Katie Kelley's life--is so refreshing. The essays can be read quickly or slowly savored, and favorites can easily be revisited. I have followed Katie's writing for years (until very recently she was known as Katie Blackburn) and love her vulnerable writing style and the way her words always point to Jesus. This book made me tear up and laugh and praise the Lord, and that's always a 5 star book for me. If you're a believer who wants to hear from someone who has seen sorrow and still finds joy in Christ, then this is the book for you!

[Bethany Broderick]

Katie is one of my favorite writers, and I am always moved by her honesty and hope. She has a way of vulnerably sharing her stories in a way that leads to me understanding a bigger truth about how God is working in my own story. This is a hope-filled collection of essays about how God has met Katie in the unexpected sorrows of life and how we can trust that God’s grace will always be there for us.

[AnaLise Zierhut]

One of the best books I have ever read. So refreshing, honest, and vulnerable. Katie truly is a masterful storyteller, and her ability to see God’s grace in big and small ways through the unexpected pain is a muscle we all need to grow.

[Morgan Toensing]

I could read Katie’s writing all day. Such good reminders of God’s grace and how He is always working.

[Emily B]

I make it a habit to not rate memoirs because really how does one rate someone else's story? While not strictly memoir this had a lot of crossover. I laughed. I cried. I skimmed some, re-read some, and mostly enjoyed this read from Katie.

[Lindsay]

Reading this book was like sitting with a dear friend over coffee. Katie’s stories are vulnerable, deeply hopeful, and a balm to my soul. As she traces the threads of grace through her own life—from a grad school apartment to a mission trip, adoption, severe disability, Peloton rides, and redwood trees—I found myself laughing and crying along the way, while also reflecting on the threads of God’s kindness woven throughout my own life.

Her approachable, joyful perspective helped reframe the ways I see the grace that has always surrounded my life, even in the plot twists I never expected. She writes that she “fight[s] every day not to miss the miracle that God is always making things new,” and her resilience stirred something in me, encouraging my own.

This book is a beautiful reminder that God's grace has always been shaping my life, and it strengthens my faith that His grace will continue to sustain me.

[geekoutonreading : Tiffany]

"What a grace to us: to be able to live fully, contentedly, gratefully in the micro-moments, trusting the whole story to the only One who does see the big picture."

This book was vulnerable, encouraging, humorous, real, and beautifully written.

Written in the form of essays, the author shares her triumphs, her hard times (divorce, single parenting, having a child with autism), her less than stellar moments (which give a few laughs), and inspiration (pointing us toward Jesus).

She gives us hope that the hard times don't have to define us, we can still thrive when life doesn't go the way we planned, and God is always there for us surrounding us with grace.

I read this book in one sitting and highly recommend!

*Thank you to Moody Publishers for the complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.*

[Stacey Wooten]

This book came to me in a season that I didn’t know I would need it. Katie’s stories pulled me in from the start, but also put into words all the things I didn’t know how to process in my own life. She is a master story teller who has lived through some hard things but has emerged with a gift for processing those realities through a lens of hope, humor, and beauty. What a gift this book has been to be reminded of the grace interlaced in all our highs and lows. I will definitely be buying some for friends.

[Friederike Weaver]

This is a beautifully written, easy to read, can't put it down, collection of essays about the author's life. She weaves together different stories to craft a picture of how God has sustained her in the big and small moments of every day life. I couldn't put it down and felt so encouraged by Katie's storytelling. Makes a great gift too!

[Molly]

Authentically honest and yet vibrantly hopeful. Stories have a way of getting past our toughest defenses and making rethink what we thought we knew. It’s well worth telling real stories about to tear down, and rebuild better, our understanding of grace. Katie is exactly the kind of author I want to ride along with for that (and probably anything else).

[Karly Pancake]

This book is so real and raw; Katie says what sometimes I’m too afraid to say, but beautifully. She’s experienced so much hardship and still finds that God meets her there, which has been my experience too. But she also doesn’t sugar coat it, which is everything to me. :)

[Stacy]

This is a beautiful collection of essays. Katie writes honestly & vulnerably, and even if your life looks different from hers, you’ll still see yourself in her stories. Which is a telltale marker of a great writer, one who threads her story with a greater theme we can all relate to.

[Lauren Groves]

Katie is a master storyteller! I read the second half of this book in one sitting, weeping along the way. Grateful for Katie’s vulnerability and willingness to share how God’s grace has ushered her and her family through a shadowy season of life.

[Meg]

I loved the way Katie took us on a journey through her stories. They were perfectly placed - honest and real and tender and at times perfectly witty. For anyone who has gone through something unexpected (which, isn’t that all of us?), this book will feel like a true companion.

[Allison Gregory-Graff]

These stories are so important. Katie is a beautiful writer and tells stories of grace, motherhood, and Jesus within this book. I was moved to tears with every essay.

[Emily Brumbaugh]

A quick read that was heartwarming and relatable!

[Valerie]

Katie M. Kelley is one of my favorite writers. She uses vulnerability, honesty, and humor to relate to her readers. This collection of essays does a great job of showing how she is on the lookout for grace in her life and how much of life is a gift in the midst of hard times like meltdowns, divorce, and moves. I loved this book so much that I am already on my second reading! Each essay reminded me of my daily need to be on the lookout for grace.

[Brittany Schrock]

Sunday Crew was my favorite 💛

[Crystal]

Katie Kelly's writing has brought hope and healing to my life for many years now, through her Coffee + Crumbs essays, her blog/Substack, and now through her second book. She has such a way with words that somehow, magically, draws in her readers, helping them feel seen and known in the midst of chaos and despair, whether that be a diagnosis, a divorce, or just life. Her essays are life giving, hope-filled, and honest. Everyone needs to read Katie's book! Hurry, go read it!!

[Gaby]

Incredible. WHAT A GIFT!!