Katie in Waiting

Carrington Springs #1

by Erynn Mangum

Katie McCoy has spent her whole life waiting for the right guy and he isn't coming. After relocating to Carrington Springs, Missouri, Katie finds herself getting more and more frustrated. Can't God see that she's trying her best to meet someone? Doesn't He care that she's lonely? What is she doing that is making Him not bless her with this? With two new friends, Eliza and Ashten, by her side, Katie starts to realize that maybe God has bigger plans for her life than she could have ever imagined.

Genres: Christian Fiction, Contemporary, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Chick Lit, Adult Fiction

211 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 20, 2015

About the author

I love to read, love to write and am very blessed to be a wife and mama of two precious boys and a beautiful little girl. My latest books are The Broken Branch and Mind the Gap! Look for the Lauren Holbrook series (Miss Match, ReMatch, Match Point, Match Made and Bake Me A Match), the Maya Davis series (Cool Beans, Latte Daze and Double Shot) Sketchy Behavior, and the Paige Alder series (Paige Torn, Paige Rewritten and Paige Turned) and the Carrington Springs series (Katie in Waiting, Once Upon Eliza and Happily Ever Ashten) in paperback and ebook format, along with lots of ebook novellas. :) To learn more, visit me on Instagram @ErynnMangum.

Reviews

[Lindsey (Books for Christian Girls) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5 stars, personally ⭐️ Christian Fiction - Contemporary, very light romance


About this book:

“Katie McCoy has spent her whole life waiting for the right guy and he isn't coming.
After relocating to Carrington Springs, Missouri, Katie finds herself getting more and more frustrated. Can't God see that she's trying her best to meet someone? Doesn't He care that she's lonely? What is she doing that is making Him not bless her with this?
With two new friends, Eliza and Ashten, by her side, Katie starts to realize that maybe God has bigger plans for her life than she could have ever imagined.”


Series: Book #1 in the “Carrington Springs” series.


Spiritual Content- Many prayers, talking to God, thanking God, & blessings over food; Scriptures are read, discussed, & thought over; Church going, sermons, & Bible studies; Katie wishes to meet the right guy and be married & she prays/complains about it to God throughout the book; Katie struggles some Sunday mornings with not wanting to go to church (because she’s trying out different ones), but always goes anyway; Katie recalls sermons from different pastors about singleness with one saying it was a noble calling (because of Jesus and Paul being single) and another saying the problem with modern culture was women in the workforce; Katie, Eliza, & Ashten start a Bible study and there are two of their meetings on-page with Scriptures read and discussed; Many talks about God, trusting Him, His plan, His love for us, prayers, complaining, & church; ‘H’s are capital when referring to God and Jesus; Many mentions of God & Jesus; Many mentions of churches, church going, finding the right church, church activates/groups, music/hymns, worship, sermons, & pastors; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of Bibles, Bible studies & Bible reading; Mentions of those in & books of the Bible; Mentions of Christians & missionaries; Mentions of Heaven; A few mentions of church denominations; A couple mentions of church Christmas musicals; A couple mentions of blessings; A couple mentions of the Bible belt; A couple mentions of sins (including wearing white to a wedding is a sin that will get you kicked out of heaven); A mention of a Christian radio station;
*Note: A couple mentions of being lucky; A mention of cults; A mention of a devilish glint in someone’s eye; A mention of a place being like Sin City; A mention of Santa Claus.


Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a form of ‘crap’, a ‘heck’, a ‘sheesh’, a ‘shoot’, a ‘sucker’, five ‘holy cow’s, six forms of ‘dumb’ and eight ‘oh my gosh’s; Sarcasm & Eye rolling; Mentions of a murder mystery, crime scenes, & dead bodies (in a book Katie is editing); Mentions of serial killers & luring their victims; Mentions of deaths (including from car accidents, cancer, a drowning, & freezing to death); Mentions of drinking & alcohol; A few mentions of possible break-ins by an intruder with a weapon; A few mentions of divorces & broken homes; A couple mentions of wars; A couple mentions of lies; A couple mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of cigarettes & smoke; A mention of throwing up; A mention of nightmares from Halloween costumes;
*Note: Eliza comments that she can’t stand children (despite working as a nurse on the Mother Baby floor); Going to Starbucks, Panera, & Chili’s; Many mentions of pop culture (Songs: ‘My Girl’, ‘Only You’, ‘Come Fly With Me’, ‘The Way You Look Tonight’, ‘Swing’, & ‘Wedding March’; Movies: While You Were Sleeping, Serendipity, Star Wars, Mission Impossible, Rocky, Mary Poppins, You’ve Got Mail, The Wedding Planner, Ocean’s Eleven, & Day After Tomorrow; TV Shows: Grey’s Anatomy, Anne of Green Gables, Friday Night Lights, What Not To Wear, & Little House on the Prairie; Celebrities: Bradley Cooper, Sandra Bullock, Michael Buble, Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, Frank Sinatra, Shirley Temple, Dr. Seuss, the Pioner Woman, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Cruise, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Lopez, George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Jane Austen, Guy Fieri, Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, & Audrey Hepburn; Fictional Characters: Thor, Gilbert Blythe, Scarlett O’Hara, Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Charlotte and Mr. Collins from Pride and Prejudice, & Coyote and Roadrunner); Mentions of car brands; Mentions of restaurants & stores (Starbucks, Panera, Chili’s, Cracker Barrel, Hobby Lobby, Target, Walmart, & Planet Fun); Mentions of other brand names (Pyrex, Tupperware, Raisin Bran, Oreos, Frito pie, Clif bar, Nestle, Altoid, Coke, Dr. Pepper, Keurig, Saran Wrap, Corelle, Scotch Guard, Visa, UGG boots, & Pine-Sol); Mentions of social media platforms & websites (Pinterest, Facebook, Google, & Netflix); Mentions of Halloween, trick-or-treaters, the Grim Reaper, & scary costumes; A few mentions of Disney & Disney princesses; A couple mentions of TV channels (The Weather Channel & HGTV); A couple mentions of yoga pants; A mention of Girl Scouts; A mention of a Beverly Cleary book; A mention of the Boxcar children; A mention of AT&T; A mention of the NFL; A mention of zombies.


Sexual Content- Some noticing, staring, & blushes; a ‘sexy’ (said as in “…coffee breath is [not] sexy”); Many mentions of dating, dates, finding the right guy, boyfriends, & exes; Mentions of love, wanting to be married & being content in the life you’re living; Mentions of make-out sessions in a book & romance books (one that Katie is editing); Mentions of cute guys; Mentions of blushes; Mentions of sparks/attraction & having sparks with a guy; A couple mentions of married couples kissing; A mention of workplace affairs; A mention of country songs being about one night stands; A mention of a married man not wearing his wedding ring because he can get discounts without it;
*Note: A few mentions of people in New York viewing relationships and marriage as downfalls rather than singleness (including Katie thinking that most of the people she worked with in New York came from broken homes and most of them would think lifelong monogamy was a sentence comparable to life in a high security prison); A couple mentions of underwear; A mention of puberty; A mention of shaving legs; A mention of skin tight clothing (in a grandmother’s opinion and she adds it would have gotten the wearer stoned 150 years ago); A mention of baggy pants that the guys had to hold at the crotch; A mention of eating disorders; A mention of a biological clock; A mention of a sister wives agreement (looked negatively on, not supporting).

-Katie McCoy, age 30-31
1st person P.O.V. of Katie
277 pages

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Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
Early High School Teens- Four Stars
Older High School Teens- Five Stars
My personal Rating- Five Stars

Oh my goodness. That was incredible. Y'all want to talk about absolutely fantastic? This. This book right here.
More and more I've been wanting to Christian Fiction where there isn't a giant romance plot. And even ones that don't -- gasp! -- have any romance at all. I feel like this book fits that first longing.
I'm constantly seeing posts and hearing talks from Christian women telling teen girls to know that God has Mr. Right for you, just keep loving God and He'll bring him around. “Katie in Waiting” hits the nail on the head with that idea. Christian girls need to learn how to be content in the life they're currently living, not waiting idle for the possible life of marriage and having babies. (Which is a good to do for some, don’t misunderstand me, but it’s nice to see a waiting view in a Christian Fiction book.)
Also, that Katie was an English major and is an editor for publishing house just made it that much better. Eliza was a hoot and I can't wait to read her story next! :)


2025 reread: Just like other books by this author, this book has such a special place in my heart. Katie’s struggles are ones I know well and the ending message gives me hope along with her. I can’t wait to reread the rest of the series—I forgot what a way of sunshine kind of character Eliza is. She’s like the Energizer Bunny on caffeine.


Link to review:
https://booksforchristiangirls.blogsp...


*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.

[Celestria · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book did not end at all how I expected prior to starting it and I'm not exactly thrilled about it. Also not much really happened. But I just enjoy Erynn Mangum's writing style regardless, so it's still getting 5 stars and we'll see what happens in the next book.

[Kara · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first few chapters start out slow and I wouldn't define this read as a page turner, but there is humor and depth within that resonated with me far beyond what a page turner normally would. Katie is a fictional book editor, I was VERY MUCH paying attention to the aspects of her job since that's where my heart is for a career, and she has many questions in the "waiting" time with God as she longs for a husband and family. I definitely relate to that as well and I don't believe for a second that God dislikes our questions or even our frustrations. I believe He wants us to be obedient and trust Him but to ALWAYS be real with Him.

Katie brings up so many realistic issues with finding a church to belong with, connecting with other Christians your age, and enjoying being a loner but also needing to connect with others in her community. LOOOOVED her relationship with her grandma!!!

Her sense of humor and movie references had me laughing and nodding my head throughout the story and loved her two new friends. A bit of warning also, there are LOADS of eating scenes in this book so try to have a snack available when reading this. It will make you hungry :) Also loved her descriptions of NYC, never been but will visit someday.

Mangum has SUCH a talent for balancing real-ness and humor in this, can't wait to read the rest of this series!

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth Erynn Mangum book I have read, and it is definitely my favorite by her so far.

I wish I had read this a few years ago, but of course it hadn’t come out at the time I really needed it. Still, it had a good message. The right guy is out there - you just need to be patient and love will come.

Katie is so relatable and funny. I can totally understand wanting the guy to make the first move. She longs for companionship without coming across as desperate. I really enjoyed her friends Eliza and Ashten as well, and I can’t wait to read more about them in later books.

[the_bookish_took · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love this book!

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m so conflicted on this:
On one hand, I was all for the subject and I think we need more books with this subject matter, but on the other hand, I felt like it could have been done better. The whole book (seems) to revolve around the idea, that life doesn’t always go the way we would have planned, and so you have Katie, who thought she would be married by now, and yet here she is, and she doesn’t even have a boyfriend. And so I thought the whole book would be about just that, and how we are to be faithful in our season of waiting, and growing closer to God. And in parts it is that way, but really I felt like this was essentially like any other contemporary Christian book. In less than a quarter of the book (I think) we are already introduced to a “potential boyfriend” character and they are going on a date, and by the end of the book, she has three guys pining after her. And so I feel like the whole idea and purpose of the book is somewhat compromised, as Katie’s “Problem” is solved seemingly very quickly. Now, she doesn’t end up with any of the guys, in this book, she goes on a couple dates, and then by the end, she has three guys who wish to date her, but she technically doesn’t end up with any of them by the end of this book. Please understand, I’m not against her having a relationship, I just feel like with what the purpose of this book seemed to be, she should have had the whole book with no relationship, and then in further books throughout the series she could have begun a relationship. I also realize this all was kind of my own folly, as there are only three books and each one deals with a different girl from the same friend group, so this always was an impossibility. Anyways, that’s just some of my thoughts.

This book was fine, I found it more or less slow throughout most of the book, I do want to finish the series, because I do feel like it is such an iconic series in the Christian fiction genre, but I don’t know when, as I don’t want to buy the other books, but our library also doesn’t have them, so 🤷‍♀️

[RebekahAshleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few weeks ago I read my first Erynn Mangum book, “Katie in Waiting”. It was AMAZING!
It really spoke to me and it really helped me out with some things I was going through.
This book described me so well. Katie was SO similar to me, this book should've been called "Rebekah in Waiting"! ;D
Katie McCoy has always wanted to get married. She's been waiting for the right man to come into her life, but he's just not showing up. Katie doesn't understand why God doesn't bring someone along for her.
There was literally so much that I could relate to. How Katie felt about certain things, her thoughts, we even shared many likes and dislikes. It was crazy!
I loved how the theme of the book was to wait. Wait for the right guy. If God has plans for you to get married then He most definitely will bring the right man into your life at the right moment.
I know I've always dreamed of getting married and having kids. I've dreamed about that for so many years. I've gotten discouraged before too, but this book was such a lovely reminder that God has it ALL under control. Wait for His timing. It's the best!
I can't wait to read the other two books in the series! The next two books follow Katie's friends, Eliza and Ashten. 
I highly recommend this book. 
Another book I highly recommend, especially to young ladies who are single and in that time of waiting, is the book “Praying For Your Future Husband” by Robin Jones Gunn and Tricia Goyer. It was very inspiring and helpful to me when I read it last year and I'm already planning to read it again! 

[Bekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a rather sweet story by Erynn Mangum with some very good points in it. This was my first book by this author and I rather enjoyed it.

What I Liked: All of the characters were unique and dynamic. I especially loved the friendship between Katie, (the main character), Eliza, and Ashten. All three of them had different personalities, but complemented each other in their friendship with their different strengths.

This was an easy, rather light read with quite a bit of humor in it. I enjoyed most of the humor and several times was laughing or chuckling out loud at certain circumstances Katie was going through and the several instances where she lectures herself in her mind.

There were also some good points made in the story and I enjoyed reading of Katie learning to trust God. She realized that contentment can only come from the Lord and that He is and always will be enough.

What I Didn't Like: While I liked the story, it took a little bit for it to really get going. It wasn't too bothersome to me, because this seemed like a lighter read, but that's just my thought.

I give this book 3 stars for the sweetness of the story and for the good points mixed in. This story made me laugh quite a bit, as well. I would like to read the second book in this series when it comes out this summer.

[Grace Tolman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was my first read from this author. I give it a solid 3.5 stars
Katie is a book editor that moved to the little town of Carrington Springs from New York. She is thirty something and have been waiting for a long time for Mr. Right. She was at the point of giving up when she meets Erin and Ashten. Two girls that are Christians like her, about her age, and also single. With the two new friends, Katie goes through the process of understanding the Lord's timetable for her romance. She also meets three potential suitors and by the end of the book becomes torn as to who should she pick.
I thought the book was fast paced enough and it was interesting. There is a bit more "preachy" moments that I had wanted but it was clean and interesting nonetheless. The one thing that I didn't like about it is that Katie's story did not end with this book. I knew, early on, that the three friends would have their own books but I was hoping that Katie's story would end in her book and so on. Oh well I guess I will have to read the next one soon in order to find out how Katie will decide.

[Tari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this author. Such sweet Christian characters.

[Lillian B (Kaladin Stormblessed version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy five star!!!
Such a cute story!!!
Katie is SOOOO relatable, and I was constantly like, yep, I get that too. You're not the only one sometimes who sits around in your pajamas all day, Katie...
I was reading this in a public place, and burst out into laughter CONSTANTLY.

❤ I loved the humor (if that wasn't obvious)
❤ The grandma was just so great 😂😂
❤ And yes yes yes I'll be Elizas new best friend purely for the cookies
❤ Amazing faith content, and I LOVE how this mirrored some sermons on God's plan for your life that I had just listened to
I'm rooting for her to end up with Luke... But... Idk. Is the messy car too much of f a dealbreaker for her??
Because she's making it sound like it might be.


FAVORITE QUOTES:

"Maybe my problem is I haven't found any dead bodies in my kitchen recently."

"Bowling? You know, that sport where you chuck a shiny, marbled-looking ball down a very slick runway and it crashes into a bunch of things that look like a weird play on a turkey leg?"

"...if God is light, and there isn't any darkness in him, then we know that He really is taking care of us. He really does have a plan for us and it's a good plan. And I think that's what it means when it talks about joy. We can only have complete joy because He is our only Light. He is only good."

Age rec: Best for 13+ because younger readers might get bored, but there are really no huge content things.

CW/TW:
Romance: Katie wants love and marriage in the beginning of the novel, she learns to be content in Christ at the end, Katie goes on some dates, there's a love square

Negative: N/A
Note: Some mentions of popular tv shows, ie. grays anatomy and many others

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Erynn Mangum, so I was excited to see a new series by her. So much so that I actually bought a ebook copy on Amazon, which is something I rarely do! I will look for the series in paper form, as I like to have physical copies. Anyway, the book starts with Katie, who doesn't seem to have many friends in town except her Grandmother. She is longing for love and marriage, which doesn't seem to be coming her way. She has just moved back to her small town after life in the big city of New York. She is a book editor, which means she can work from home, so being near Gran was just the ticket. She does end up meeting Eliza and Ashten, who are just her age and in the same single state. They become fast friends and soon Katie has more guys asking her out then she anticipated. Who will she end up with?

[smReader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Long story short, I won't be reading the rest of this series.
I have mixed feelings about this book. It was clean and quirky, which I liked. There was also a lot of faith content (always a bonus). I thought Katie's ongoing internal conflict and wrestling with God over her destiny was interesting and relatable, especially since it ended somewhat unresolved. I did like that the characters were relatable and realistic. However, the writing style just didn't do it for me and overall, I feel lile nothing really happened in this book. Every page just seemed to mw to be an in-depth description of Katie's everyday life. Getting up, getting dressed, eating breakfast etc. Personally, I found it a little boring, but that's just me. Overall, a clean, faith inspiring read but nothing exciting or particularly engaging.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Erynn Mangum's books. I have yet to read one that I haven't liked. Our library got this one, and I was so excited, and now I am sincerely hoping that we get the other two as well.
Katie is new to Carrington Springs, yes a rather typical storyline I know, but that's about it on the typical side. I like Katie's story, to me it felt very real and relatable. Katie is questioning about singleness and her desire to get married and how in her 30ish years there's really never been any guys much interested. Boom three potentials all at once. There was some Pride and Prejudice moments. The God moments were just amazing and deep and really hit home with me.
I don't feel like I do reviews all that great, but I hope it gets other interested in reading this series.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Katie McCoy has spent her whole life waiting for the right guy and he isn’t coming”

Thirty-one year old Katie has always wanted to get married. It was part of her plan. Everything was going great in her life plan up until the married part. Now she has relocated to the little town her Gram lives in and works from home as an editor. Along the way she meets some good friends, looks for a home church, and learns more about God’s plan for her life.

I enjoy the light humor and faith that Erynn Mangum always brings to her books. I really enjoyed the friend group that formed in this book and look forward to reading more about the friends. I also enjoyed Katie’s weekly dinners with her Gram.

I’m looking forward to continuing this series!

[Meagan | The Chapter House · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I’ve read a lot of Mangum’s books to date, and prefer her Lauren and Maya series over this one. It’s particularly descriptive, even for Mangum, and could have cut back on that word count and developed the plot more. It also needed an editor/proofreader, which was kind of entertaining since the main character is an editor.

But, I enjoyed it nevertheless. Looking forward to seeing how the other two books pan out.

[Syd's Shelf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars. I haven’t read an Erynn Mangum book in a while, but I had some credits on Amazon, so I thought that I’d give this book a try. Overall, the book was good. Not much happened — there were a lot of lunches and dinners and descriptions of food. There were also some grammatical/spelling errors and inconsistencies (which is ironic because Katie mentions that sometimes authors forget minor characters’ eye colors). The ending was also abrupt and didn’t really resolve anything. I’m curious to see how this series continues.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Erynn Mangum's stream of consciousness type writing is a little hard to get back into after a few years off. Her characters had the trademark coffee and sweets weaknesses, but Katie seemed to be a bit more mature than I remembered her heroines. This wasn't deep thought, but the ending was a welcome surprise. I'll look forward to the rest of the series.

[Daminika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It definitely wasn't bad, and was somewhat entertaining. But not really an escape from reality. Not to mention the writing style was not what I'm used to, or what I necessarily care for. But I got used to it after a while, and I'm quite proud that I made it through.

The ending came out of nowhere! It was a good ending I suppose, but like, what happened after that??

[Becca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and Relatable

This book is definitely fun light reading, and I also find it very relatable to my,life stage. I get the main character's frustrations, because I feel the same way so often. This is a series I reread, because I feel so able to connect with the characters.

[Audrey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was different than I had expected. Not in a bad way by any means, just different. It ended differently than I thought it would. Nonetheless, I shall continue on with the series because of course I want to know the ending of Katie, Ashten, and Eliza's story!

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was reading this novel, all I was after was a light read. It was a great opportunity just to chill for a couple of hours and disappear into the beautiful world that Mangum has created.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, and funny, as Erynn always is. However; it felt a bit rushed, and also slow at the same time...?

[Rosa Elder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was okay. You’re left hanging. There are two other books that I assume will give a little more insight. Still just okay.

[Bridget Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars 🌟

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good!!! I loved Katie, Eliza, and Ashten. It was really funny. I really liked the setting, and Katie's job. I also really liked Luke. It was so good!!!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75

[Geneva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this entire series about three friends and their journeys of faith. This book was about Katie who has recently moved to a new town near her grandmother and is building a new life. She makes two new friends and tries to overcome her struggles with loneliness amidst being set up on blind dates and feeling the pressure of getting older. It is a story of faith, humor, friendship, coffee, and a little sprinkle of romance.

[Judith DeStefano · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slice-of-Life

31-year-old Katie has always wanted to get married, but when three different guys unexpectedly step into her life, she’s not sure what to do.

It’s not fast-paced. It’s not super high-stakes. But you’ll spend time with some nice people, maybe chuckle a time or two, and end on a good note.

[Ricki]

DNF around 50%. Didn’t hook me. Felt weird that all the main character girls in their 20s were renting nice houses and had high paying jobs that they liked and went out to restaurants all the time. Very different from my reality where it’s very hard to afford a condo as a single person, let alone a house.

Also felt weird that the protag was a highly paid editor who could take weeks on one novel and flew out to New York every month. Is that really what it’s like to work for a popular publishing house? I too have a master’s degree in English and have worked as an online editor, and the situation in the story seems pretty unrealistic to me.

I won’t rate it because it’s self-published and it’s not bad, so I don’t want to bring the rating down. I think it could be good for other people, just not for me personally.