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On Every Side
After suffering the loss of his mother and separation from his sister and the girl he loved, Jordan Riley fills the holes in his soul with anger. But Faith Evans begins to disassemble the walls around Jordan ’s heart, and he realizes there’s something very familiar about her…
Everything Is on the Line
...for Faith Evans,
an up-and-coming newscaster. A woman of honor and integrity, who finds herself making a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy...
...for Jordan Riley,
a powerful attorney dedicated to fighting for human rights and against God. A man still reckoning with the boyhood loss of the three women who once meant everything to him...
...for Bethany, Pennsylvania,
a small town no one ever dreamed would become the center of national attention. But it has. All because of a beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus Christ that stands in Bethany’s park. A statue that some say is a clear violation of separation of church and state. A statue that has to come down. A statue that suddenly becomes the focus of a bitter conflict—one rife with political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts. Before it’s over, everything that Jordan and Faith and the town of Bethany stand for will be challenged.
Will love be enough when the battle rages on every side?
Everything Is on the Line
...for Faith Evans,
an up-and-coming newscaster. A woman of honor and integrity, who finds herself making a stand against the one man she never imagined would be her enemy...
...for Jordan Riley,
a powerful attorney dedicated to fighting for human rights and against God. A man still reckoning with the boyhood loss of the three women who once meant everything to him...
...for Bethany, Pennsylvania,
a small town no one ever dreamed would become the center of national attention. But it has. All because of a beloved, hundred-year-old statue of Jesus Christ that stands in Bethany’s park. A statue that some say is a clear violation of separation of church and state. A statue that has to come down. A statue that suddenly becomes the focus of a bitter conflict—one rife with political intrigue, social injustice, and personal conflicts. Before it’s over, everything that Jordan and Faith and the town of Bethany stand for will be challenged.
Will love be enough when the battle rages on every side?
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
560 people are currently reading
3066 people want to read
About the author
Karen Kingsbury
208 books12k followersKaren 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...
See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/K...
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 177 reviews
May 20, 2015
A nice Christian novel about two adults who grew up playing together, and building their faith. After they go their separate ways circumstances cause the young man (Jordan)to lose Faith, while the young woman (appropriately named Faith) continues to grow in hers. when the legality of a park statue of Jesus Christ is challenged,heads butt, and a friendship that was recently rediscovered is also challenged.
July 12, 2025
JULY 2025 - Once again, 3 1/2 stars rounded up. This is the fourth book I’ve read by Karen Kingsbury. She just isn’t my favorite. This was interesting, predictable, a bit over the top. The ending was a happy one. They usually are.
December 5, 2013
One thing that disappointed me about this book was how predictable it was. From the very beginning, I knew that Jordan was going to work with Joshua in his law firm, just from his vision. And the names were eye-rollingly obvious. Joshua Nunn, Jericho Park, the walls going up over the statue, and Jordan.. Faith Moses.. I thought it was a little overkill. As a story, it was ok- I had recently finished her Forever Faithful series, which involved Christian Lawyers, so this felt like more of the same, but it was still interesting at times. I find our legal system fascinating, so the court scenes and those little dramas were fun for me to read. I like how there was a mini-epilogue in the end, about Mr. Campbell from the beginning of the book. It was nice to get a little clue as to how those things worked out.
This book is definitely worth reading. It was nice being able to read one of her books without going through an entire box of tissues! I loved the romance between Faith and Jordan.
This book is definitely worth reading. It was nice being able to read one of her books without going through an entire box of tissues! I loved the romance between Faith and Jordan.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 29, 2017
A Jesus statue stands in the park of Bethany, Pennsylvania. For the people of the town, the statue means everything to them. Except for a man named Jordan Riley, a man who is totally against God and wants to see the statue removed.
Faith Evans is a newscaster who decides to fight to keep the statue standing. She had a segment on the news called Sacred Child, where a child is shown who needs a homes. Then, Faith meets a little girl named Rosa, and Rosa really wants Faith to be her new mommy.
Jordan's little sister, Heidi, was separated from him when they were young, and she was in a foster home. Heidi thought her brother was killed in a accident, until they meet again in Jerico Park.
At the end of the book, Jordan and faith get engaged and decide to adopt Rosa. What a lovely ending!!
Faith Evans is a newscaster who decides to fight to keep the statue standing. She had a segment on the news called Sacred Child, where a child is shown who needs a homes. Then, Faith meets a little girl named Rosa, and Rosa really wants Faith to be her new mommy.
Jordan's little sister, Heidi, was separated from him when they were young, and she was in a foster home. Heidi thought her brother was killed in a accident, until they meet again in Jerico Park.
At the end of the book, Jordan and faith get engaged and decide to adopt Rosa. What a lovely ending!!
August 26, 2017
The story itself was good - albeit predictable - but the names Bob Moses, Joshua Nunn, Jericho Park, Faith, Jordan caused me to roll my eyes quite a bit. Are the readers really that clueless that we wouldn't know what inspired the story if she hadn't made it so glaringly obvious?
I also was put off by the "special needs" that made Rosa unadoptable. I don't see why she would be less desirable than any other child.
I also was put off by the "special needs" that made Rosa unadoptable. I don't see why she would be less desirable than any other child.
August 19, 2009
a bit trite... predictable and overly parabolic? is that the word I want... but uplifting and a quick read... I doubt I'll be able to read too many of her books!
July 3, 2014
I enjoyed reading this book, especially that I live in Marshfield, WI....Remember it well when it happened here.
October 31, 2014
the book irritated me. If it worked that way, why is there so much evil in the world?
July 2, 2017
A great book about finding your faith after tragedy.
August 12, 2017
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!!
Outside of the Baxters, this is one of my top all time favorites! Jer 29:11 will always be my favorite verse!
Outside of the Baxters, this is one of my top all time favorites! Jer 29:11 will always be my favorite verse!
December 27, 2017
Such a good author another good book by her.
January 16, 2018
Quite enjoyed this book.
February 21, 2018
Another beautiful story written by this amazing lady.
June 29, 2018
The best book ever! They need to make a movie of this one.
May 30, 2020
Oh, I did not care for this. I should make it plain that I don't think it's badly written, though its arguments are at times blurred and inaccurate, and personally the constant prayer was a bit repetitive. The people who enjoy this sort of thing would most probably like it immensely, but it's not for me. I've been treating 2020 as my year of reading more romance, and I've basically been randomly picking romances from Goodreads lists and swallowing them whole. I've since read historical, contemporary, western... but I've not read an inspirational romance before. (I've not even read an inspirational novel of any kind before, but try new things and all that.) This reading gap is not hard to understand, as I'm an atheist with a strong belief in separation of church and state. According to this book, that means I'm either a backroom dealing Enemy who uses orphans and bribery as pawns to get my way, or I fall into that trope-which-does-not-die, the atheist who is not really an atheist because they hate God instead of simply disbelieving in him. So it was hard not to roll my eyes at the constant misrepresentation, which felt a little bigoted to be honest, or the pervading air of persecution felt by the religious characters, who seem to interpret the idea of the state not forcing religion on individuals as really meaning the state wants to prevent them from expressing their religion at all times, in all ways, forever.
I did not entirely lose all patience, however, until I reached the point where the main character read a letter his dying mother wrote to his then 13 year old self, saying that though she worried for him and his little sister, who were about to be left alone in the world, she was excited to get to heaven - excited, implicitly, to leave her grieving children behind. What a letter to write at such a time! This crosses from determined ignorance into active unkindness as far as I'm concerned, and it's a little bit difficult to stomach.
Finally, I have to apologise to Ms. Kingsbury, as I thought the legal case at the centre of this romance was the most ridiculous piece of trumpery I'd ever heard of, and I thought poorly of her that she expected me to swallow it. Turns out it's based on a real life case, which is enormously depressing on just about every level. I can only say that all the people involved in that lawsuit, on every side, deserve the "ridiculous" label, and I sincerely hope they've made better use of their limited time on Earth since then.
I did not entirely lose all patience, however, until I reached the point where the main character read a letter his dying mother wrote to his then 13 year old self, saying that though she worried for him and his little sister, who were about to be left alone in the world, she was excited to get to heaven - excited, implicitly, to leave her grieving children behind. What a letter to write at such a time! This crosses from determined ignorance into active unkindness as far as I'm concerned, and it's a little bit difficult to stomach.
Finally, I have to apologise to Ms. Kingsbury, as I thought the legal case at the centre of this romance was the most ridiculous piece of trumpery I'd ever heard of, and I thought poorly of her that she expected me to swallow it. Turns out it's based on a real life case, which is enormously depressing on just about every level. I can only say that all the people involved in that lawsuit, on every side, deserve the "ridiculous" label, and I sincerely hope they've made better use of their limited time on Earth since then.
November 27, 2025
THIS. WAS SO. GOOD. 😻😻😻
The childhood best friends TO enemies TO back to best friends TO LOVERS sounds kinda mid but was actually incredible.
Faith content was very prominent but not necessarily solid…Lots of God speaking in people’s minds. How would they know the difference btwn their own thoughts and a thought from God?
🚫🌶️🙈 No spice besides mentioning this:
⚠️ One character recalls sleeping with her bf and having a miscarriage afterwards. No detail besides mentioning that fact and her not being able to tell him no anymore. Here’s my little rant: WHY WOULD YOU HANG OUT WITH YOUR BF ALONE IN YOUR APARTMENT??? IN YOUR BEDROOM??? How unwise of a person—a Christian no less!!—do you have to be?!? They broke up afterwards bc apparently she was “too serious for him” and he proposed without any intention of marrying her. 🙄 Realistic unfortunately but what a moron.
🚫🤬 No cussing
🚫🏳️🌈 No LGBTQ+ characters/references
🚫⚔️ No violence
✅✝️ TONS of faith content!! This is a Christian story and concerned a court case about the boundaries of religious freedom.
📈😞 High heavy topics (but dealt with appropriately): Cancer, death of loved ones, foster care, separation of siblings.
Kingsbury basically modernized the Bible story abt Joshua marching around Jericho and made it into a court case. Keep that in mind as you read it and you’ll pick up on a ton of Easter-egg-type things. :)
Can I just say…Jordan is such a hot name 😭
What the fricking fruit loops I loved this book sm I can’t even speak aahhh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
The childhood best friends TO enemies TO back to best friends TO LOVERS sounds kinda mid but was actually incredible.
Faith content was very prominent but not necessarily solid…Lots of God speaking in people’s minds. How would they know the difference btwn their own thoughts and a thought from God?
🚫🌶️🙈 No spice besides mentioning this:
⚠️ One character recalls sleeping with her bf and having a miscarriage afterwards. No detail besides mentioning that fact and her not being able to tell him no anymore. Here’s my little rant: WHY WOULD YOU HANG OUT WITH YOUR BF ALONE IN YOUR APARTMENT??? IN YOUR BEDROOM??? How unwise of a person—a Christian no less!!—do you have to be?!? They broke up afterwards bc apparently she was “too serious for him” and he proposed without any intention of marrying her. 🙄 Realistic unfortunately but what a moron.
🚫🤬 No cussing
🚫🏳️🌈 No LGBTQ+ characters/references
🚫⚔️ No violence
✅✝️ TONS of faith content!! This is a Christian story and concerned a court case about the boundaries of religious freedom.
📈😞 High heavy topics (but dealt with appropriately): Cancer, death of loved ones, foster care, separation of siblings.
Kingsbury basically modernized the Bible story abt Joshua marching around Jericho and made it into a court case. Keep that in mind as you read it and you’ll pick up on a ton of Easter-egg-type things. :)
Can I just say…Jordan is such a hot name 😭
What the fricking fruit loops I loved this book sm I can’t even speak aahhh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
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June 25, 2024I’m sad to admit that after thoroughly enjoying the first two novels in this book the last novel was a bit of a let down. While it still had true Kingsbury flavor in that it was easy to read and it kept my attention throughout, there were several different items that I felt drew away from the overall picture. The biggest for me was her focus more on the “sensational” realm of Christianity with a vision/dream (whether from God or an Angel is never made clear–first it makes it seem like an angel but then the man is instructed to remove his shoes because he is on “holy ground”) that occurs twice to one of the main characters and a near death experience for one of the others. I feel like maybe because the overall storyline of the angel in the park wasn’t as gripping she felt the need to “add a bit of excitement” into the story. I did love how this novel was based on true events–which I felt would have made an amazing novel just in and of themselves without the extra flair. Another aspect of the book that I loved was watching the change of heart that took place in both of the main characters–and the thought of “the walls coming down” theme that ran throughout the book. If you’re a died hard Kingsbury fan then this is certainly worth reading–but I’ve enjoyed several other of her books much more!
March 26, 2020
Karen Kingsbury, how I love you, and it is very apparent how Karen Kingsbury loves the Lord and is shining her light brightly for him through the words she writes! I loved this book, but from just the first few chapters, I knew EXACTLY what was going to happen! Sometimes, that’s ok. My son says he prefers movies that are fairly straightforward; he enjoys knowing what’s coming next. You have a man who has strayed from God, a woman who will NEVER stray from God, love, death, the foster care system, the legal system, cancer, and just Classic Kingsbury in which I can ALWAYS find nuggets to take with me!
“...where God guides, God provides.”
“My life isn’t guided by the stars...It’s guided by the One who made them.”
“When I am weak, my God can be strong. And it’s the battles He fights for me that end up being my greatest victories of all.”
“The Bible was alive and active, and no matter what issue she faced, God’s Word had something to say about it.”
“When things looked their worst—-in fact, especially when they looked their worst—-God was putting in overtime, making marvelous things happen.”
“...where God guides, God provides.”
“My life isn’t guided by the stars...It’s guided by the One who made them.”
“When I am weak, my God can be strong. And it’s the battles He fights for me that end up being my greatest victories of all.”
“The Bible was alive and active, and no matter what issue she faced, God’s Word had something to say about it.”
“When things looked their worst—-in fact, especially when they looked their worst—-God was putting in overtime, making marvelous things happen.”
June 1, 2024
What a great story! I cried and cried! God is so good! I have a Christian friend who told me she doesn’t read or watch movies anymore because she feels there is no truth in stories. She couldn’t be more wrong. I believe there is great truth to be found in stories. Stories are how we have communicated with each other since time began. This story is filled with truths about the way God works in our post-Christian country, where the entire month of June we are expected to celebrate Pride, one of the seven deadly sins, by allowing naked men and men dressed as women to parade through our streets, and businesses to assault our senses with products dedicated to debauchery, while we say nothing, even on social media, for fear of losing our jobs. This book was written in 2000 and it is more relevant today than it was then. God bless Karen Kingsbury for being brave enough to stand up for Christianity with these amazing stories. I want to read them all.
October 9, 2024
This ia a beautiful story of redemption and persistence. Despite Jordan's pain from losing his mother and sister, and his years spent raging at God, God had not given up on him. And neither had his friend Faith, or his sister Heidi. Faith has a conviction and passion to defend a city statue of Jesus, even when her old friend is bent on getting it torn down, and the odds seem to be against her and her allies. But God doesn't give up when the we feel certain defeat looming; He is faithful and works in ways we can't imagine.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 177 reviews