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The Baxter Family #1
Love Story
An instant New York Times bestseller!
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a new book featuring everyone’s favorite family—the Baxters, which tells the story of how John and Elizabeth first fell in love.
From the day they met, John and Elizabeth were destined to fall in love. Their whirlwind romance started when they were young college students and lasted nearly thirty years—until Elizabeth died of cancer.
So when John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great. But he agrees and allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together.
At the same time, Baxter family friend Cody Coleman is working through the breakup of his complicated relationship with Andi Ellison. He is determined to move on when a chance sighting changes his plans—and heart. Can Cody convince Andi to give their love another try, or is it time for them to say goodbye for good?
As school comes to an end, Cole presents his report on the love story between his grandparents John and Elizabeth Baxter. It is a tale that touches the hearts of the entire family, and one that causes Cole to better understand his own beginning.
Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a new book featuring everyone’s favorite family—the Baxters, which tells the story of how John and Elizabeth first fell in love.
From the day they met, John and Elizabeth were destined to fall in love. Their whirlwind romance started when they were young college students and lasted nearly thirty years—until Elizabeth died of cancer.
So when John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great. But he agrees and allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together.
At the same time, Baxter family friend Cody Coleman is working through the breakup of his complicated relationship with Andi Ellison. He is determined to move on when a chance sighting changes his plans—and heart. Can Cody convince Andi to give their love another try, or is it time for them to say goodbye for good?
As school comes to an end, Cole presents his report on the love story between his grandparents John and Elizabeth Baxter. It is a tale that touches the hearts of the entire family, and one that causes Cole to better understand his own beginning.
Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.
345 pages, Hardcover
First published June 6, 2017
1346 people are currently reading
14854 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 - 30 of 635 reviews
August 17, 2017
I know I'll probably be lambasted for this review, but hear me out. I'll preface the review by admitting that I really need to stop reading Karen Kingsbury's books. I haven't liked many since the Redemption Series, and that was years ago. I read the series about Dayne and Katy but quickly tired of the whole "star" thing. I started the first Bailey Flanigan book but stopped less than halfway through and didn't read any of the others. A girl who makes it in both Broadway and Hollywood? Ridiculous. I want to read about normal people. People with the same struggles as me. So I stopped reading most of Kingsbury's books, occasionally joining back in to read something like Coming Home, A Baxter Family Christmas, and now Love Story. Coming Home broke my heart, but it was by far the best of Kingsbury's books since the Redemption series.
With that in mind, here goes my review - and I feel like two stars would be too generous. I won't go so far as to say that I hated the book, only because I still love the original Baxter characters. What I do despise is what the author has done with them. I think I'm also starting to despise Kingsbury's writing in general. It's so cliched and simplistic. I started seeing patterns in the writing years ago. It's as if she copies and pastes the same lines and just changes simplistic plot lines and characters' names. "She loved the way they (fill in the blank: made each other laugh, made each other feel..., etc.)." "He waited to hear a whisper from God." "Through the waves of her soul..." Each chapter ends with a sentence fragment intended to create drama for the next chapter. Dialogue is not authentic. For example, in one scene a teenaged boy asks his mom to "tell me your love story." Come on. I have two sons - that's not how teenagers talk. In another scene, one character broke up with another by quoting an Adele song. It's all so formulaic.
And then there's the whole tone. I know that most people read these books because they're classified as Christian or inspirational. But that, too, is getting old, even to someone who has followed Christ for my entire adult life. The main problem is that while the Baxters started as flawed characters who struggle with sin (the beauty of the Redemption Series) - like the rest of us - they overcome their sin so quickly and efficiently that they become cardboard characters. REAL people struggle continually - they don't wrap up their sin nice and neat with a bow on top. By the time we get to this book, these characters have become so pious that the writing has the opposite effect of making me feel like a heathen. Why do I still struggle? Why isn't my family like the perfect Baxters? Readers are hit over the head with God on literally every page. The characters pray about everything - jobs, spouses, etc., of course, but also minutia like whether the soy sauce is too salty at the local Chinese restaurant. Good grief. What's being glorified here isn't Jesus - it's the Baxter family.
The tone continues to build to the point that the entire book is one, big, preachy mess. The author even uses the word "liberal" in relation to a character who is alcoholic, implying that people who are politically liberal must live in sin. The character miraculously decides in a split second that he will return to God and vows never to drink another beer - as if beer is the most important lifestyle change to make when devoting your life to God. And, of course, it's beer that leads to premarital sex, which leads to pregnancy, which ruins everyone's lives, and makes the perfect Baxter family decide never to drink again. Couldn't they just have had a moment of sexual weakness like the rest of us without throwing in Kingsbury's legalistic opinion of alcohol? And what's up with the whole scene where she claims that prayer is being attacked and all the mentions of Fox News?
If you like an author who writes legalistic (yes, I said it again), judgmental, self-righteous, Trump-loving stories, then read Karen Kingsbury's recent books. As for me, after reading her earlier works and seeing how her writing has tilted so far to the extreme, I'm out. There are far better Christian authors out there - Colleen Coble, for example, Tracie Peterson, and Terri Blackstock just to name a few. Even the hardcore evangelical writers like Francine Rivers and Beverly Lewis are far stronger writers.
With that in mind, here goes my review - and I feel like two stars would be too generous. I won't go so far as to say that I hated the book, only because I still love the original Baxter characters. What I do despise is what the author has done with them. I think I'm also starting to despise Kingsbury's writing in general. It's so cliched and simplistic. I started seeing patterns in the writing years ago. It's as if she copies and pastes the same lines and just changes simplistic plot lines and characters' names. "She loved the way they (fill in the blank: made each other laugh, made each other feel..., etc.)." "He waited to hear a whisper from God." "Through the waves of her soul..." Each chapter ends with a sentence fragment intended to create drama for the next chapter. Dialogue is not authentic. For example, in one scene a teenaged boy asks his mom to "tell me your love story." Come on. I have two sons - that's not how teenagers talk. In another scene, one character broke up with another by quoting an Adele song. It's all so formulaic.
And then there's the whole tone. I know that most people read these books because they're classified as Christian or inspirational. But that, too, is getting old, even to someone who has followed Christ for my entire adult life. The main problem is that while the Baxters started as flawed characters who struggle with sin (the beauty of the Redemption Series) - like the rest of us - they overcome their sin so quickly and efficiently that they become cardboard characters. REAL people struggle continually - they don't wrap up their sin nice and neat with a bow on top. By the time we get to this book, these characters have become so pious that the writing has the opposite effect of making me feel like a heathen. Why do I still struggle? Why isn't my family like the perfect Baxters? Readers are hit over the head with God on literally every page. The characters pray about everything - jobs, spouses, etc., of course, but also minutia like whether the soy sauce is too salty at the local Chinese restaurant. Good grief. What's being glorified here isn't Jesus - it's the Baxter family.
The tone continues to build to the point that the entire book is one, big, preachy mess. The author even uses the word "liberal" in relation to a character who is alcoholic, implying that people who are politically liberal must live in sin. The character miraculously decides in a split second that he will return to God and vows never to drink another beer - as if beer is the most important lifestyle change to make when devoting your life to God. And, of course, it's beer that leads to premarital sex, which leads to pregnancy, which ruins everyone's lives, and makes the perfect Baxter family decide never to drink again. Couldn't they just have had a moment of sexual weakness like the rest of us without throwing in Kingsbury's legalistic opinion of alcohol? And what's up with the whole scene where she claims that prayer is being attacked and all the mentions of Fox News?
If you like an author who writes legalistic (yes, I said it again), judgmental, self-righteous, Trump-loving stories, then read Karen Kingsbury's recent books. As for me, after reading her earlier works and seeing how her writing has tilted so far to the extreme, I'm out. There are far better Christian authors out there - Colleen Coble, for example, Tracie Peterson, and Terri Blackstock just to name a few. Even the hardcore evangelical writers like Francine Rivers and Beverly Lewis are far stronger writers.
April 7, 2020
I think with this book, the Baxter family series has finally jumped the shark.
In an effort to bring conclusions to stories, without enough pages to do it in, implausibility arises. For example, how is it that poor Cole is 17 years old and still has not been told who his birth father was? And then when he does sit down to hear the story, he somehow doesn’t care who his birth father is, he wants to hear about Landon. How is it that Grandpa Baxter got drunk on 4 cans of beer? There are NO baby bears in Ann Arbor wandering by the side of a lake. Luke is taking on a case because it’s becoming a “crime to pray in public.” The whole Cody and Andi story is just wrapped up in a nice neat implausible bow.
My biggest complaint is that there seem to consistently be so many product placements in these books. She mentions Liberty University, where she teaches, over and over again. She drops in her son-in-law, his song and the song’s lyrics. The characters don’t just watch the news, they watch Fox News. The movie being made is the title of one of her books. Characters with no need to have their name mentioned are given names, probably due to a donation being made. The list goes on and on.
These inconsistencies and apparent advertisements detract from the message of the book.
I might give the Baxters one more chance, but the way these last few books have been written, I feel I’m about done with them.
I received this advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
In an effort to bring conclusions to stories, without enough pages to do it in, implausibility arises. For example, how is it that poor Cole is 17 years old and still has not been told who his birth father was? And then when he does sit down to hear the story, he somehow doesn’t care who his birth father is, he wants to hear about Landon. How is it that Grandpa Baxter got drunk on 4 cans of beer? There are NO baby bears in Ann Arbor wandering by the side of a lake. Luke is taking on a case because it’s becoming a “crime to pray in public.” The whole Cody and Andi story is just wrapped up in a nice neat implausible bow.
My biggest complaint is that there seem to consistently be so many product placements in these books. She mentions Liberty University, where she teaches, over and over again. She drops in her son-in-law, his song and the song’s lyrics. The characters don’t just watch the news, they watch Fox News. The movie being made is the title of one of her books. Characters with no need to have their name mentioned are given names, probably due to a donation being made. The list goes on and on.
These inconsistencies and apparent advertisements detract from the message of the book.
I might give the Baxters one more chance, but the way these last few books have been written, I feel I’m about done with them.
I received this advanced reader copy via NetGalley.
May 28, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Baxter Family is wonderful, heartwarming story of how John and Elizabeth first fell in love. As always trials and challenges in a marriage but most of all the unconditional love of a family.
The Baxter Family is wonderful, heartwarming story of how John and Elizabeth first fell in love. As always trials and challenges in a marriage but most of all the unconditional love of a family.
March 25, 2017
This is the back story of John and Elizabeth Baxter, if you are a reader of the Baxter books, we have been waiting a long time for this one.
I love the way Karen weaves the present with the past for this book. And we get to catch up with everyone along the way.
Although this can be a stand alone, I always suggest you read the past books as they are like coming home and attending a family reunion.
(Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book)
I love the way Karen weaves the present with the past for this book. And we get to catch up with everyone along the way.
Although this can be a stand alone, I always suggest you read the past books as they are like coming home and attending a family reunion.
(Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book)
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October 26, 2025my pastor’s wife recommended this to me!
October 8, 2017
Karen Kingsbury is a well known author. I absolutely LOVE this cover and I really love Karen Kingsbury. She is an incredible, down to earth mom, wife and minister.
I do really like how she incorporates "real life" into her books. Though, I wasn't loving it in this book. Temptation is real and yes, the issues in this book happen often, but I was so confused by the integrity of John when he was young and really lost a lot of respect for him right from the beginning. At first, he says he wants to protect Elizabeth. Also, he is against her parents for wanting to protect her. Then, he completely breaks that trust with her and obviously her parents, only confirming why they protected her so much. This just made me cringe on the inside.
Of course, redemption is the beautiful element of the story, I just didn't feel like it was captured enough for me to stay engaged. It simple isn't my cup of tea, sadly.
A few times I have tried Kingsbury books and have come away thinking they are alright, good, capturing the fine line of fragility in people and the grace of God... just not a crazy great read. I feel this way again. Actually worse with this book. I didn't even bother finishing the book.
I loved the concept of it and really wanted to know more about their life, but, it really fell flat for me and I just wasn't that overall invested in the characters to keep going.
Given that her books are so famous, I would love to know what you think so I can better understand and maybe grow to appreciate her works much more:
If you read this book and loved it, what stuck out to you and captured your heart?
What is your favourite part of Karen Kingsbury's writing?
What makes her stand out to you and why do you think her books are so popular?
I do really like how she incorporates "real life" into her books. Though, I wasn't loving it in this book. Temptation is real and yes, the issues in this book happen often, but I was so confused by the integrity of John when he was young and really lost a lot of respect for him right from the beginning. At first, he says he wants to protect Elizabeth. Also, he is against her parents for wanting to protect her. Then, he completely breaks that trust with her and obviously her parents, only confirming why they protected her so much. This just made me cringe on the inside.
Of course, redemption is the beautiful element of the story, I just didn't feel like it was captured enough for me to stay engaged. It simple isn't my cup of tea, sadly.
A few times I have tried Kingsbury books and have come away thinking they are alright, good, capturing the fine line of fragility in people and the grace of God... just not a crazy great read. I feel this way again. Actually worse with this book. I didn't even bother finishing the book.
I loved the concept of it and really wanted to know more about their life, but, it really fell flat for me and I just wasn't that overall invested in the characters to keep going.
Given that her books are so famous, I would love to know what you think so I can better understand and maybe grow to appreciate her works much more:
If you read this book and loved it, what stuck out to you and captured your heart?
What is your favourite part of Karen Kingsbury's writing?
What makes her stand out to you and why do you think her books are so popular?
February 23, 2019
What a story! It’s tough and uncomfortable at times, but then, that’s what living in sin will do to a person—in this case, characters. Yet, the journey toward salvation is clearly expressed and beautifully exhibited in this novel. Every person’s love story with God is special and unique, and His love conquers all sin. I especially liked that Mrs. Kingsbury never once okayed the sin the characters chose. She always made the wrongness of sin and the guilt of conscience that follows such actions very clear.
She also gave these characters a spectacular finale… which you’ll have to read in order to experience for yourself! (Just a little tease there for you.)
The profoundness of faith in Jesus grew deeper the more I read. That made for some pretty incredible final chapters. This book definitely got me thinking about the impact each of our lives can make for the Kingdom of Heaven, if we choose to do the will of God.
I particularly enjoyed this line: “Not all people who say they’re a Christian actually are.” I have always believed this truth, based on Matthew 7:21, which states: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” This is one of the rare times that I’ve heard a Christian leader say this same truth. That moment was quite beautiful in the story, because it was about more than faith but also about our actions proving our faith. Faith is an action, after all!
The hardback was a nice weight with easy-to-read text, and the audio book (I read both versions, by the way) was also lovely. The narrators did a fantastic job throughout. It was neat how they would switch off for the male/female POV characters. This was my first experience with that style of narration, and I rather enjoyed it.
The one thing that did somewhat bother me was that I felt I had missed so much character history by not having read the previous 20 or so books in the Baxter/Flannigan series. So I’m planning on rereading Love Story after I eventually catch up on all the various series that precede it.
Content: alcohol, premarital sex and pregnancy (lifestyle choices by non-Christian characters; never portrayed as correct choices), war violence, marital affair
She also gave these characters a spectacular finale… which you’ll have to read in order to experience for yourself! (Just a little tease there for you.)
The profoundness of faith in Jesus grew deeper the more I read. That made for some pretty incredible final chapters. This book definitely got me thinking about the impact each of our lives can make for the Kingdom of Heaven, if we choose to do the will of God.
I particularly enjoyed this line: “Not all people who say they’re a Christian actually are.” I have always believed this truth, based on Matthew 7:21, which states: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” This is one of the rare times that I’ve heard a Christian leader say this same truth. That moment was quite beautiful in the story, because it was about more than faith but also about our actions proving our faith. Faith is an action, after all!
The hardback was a nice weight with easy-to-read text, and the audio book (I read both versions, by the way) was also lovely. The narrators did a fantastic job throughout. It was neat how they would switch off for the male/female POV characters. This was my first experience with that style of narration, and I rather enjoyed it.
The one thing that did somewhat bother me was that I felt I had missed so much character history by not having read the previous 20 or so books in the Baxter/Flannigan series. So I’m planning on rereading Love Story after I eventually catch up on all the various series that precede it.
Content: alcohol, premarital sex and pregnancy (lifestyle choices by non-Christian characters; never portrayed as correct choices), war violence, marital affair
June 9, 2017
2.5 stars
Karen Kingsbury's Love Story is all about nostalgia. If you were a fan of the Baxter series, then this is an addition to the series. While I enjoyed the first five Baxter series, or the R series as they are affectionally called, I didn't really like Love Story. The story John Baxter tells Cole is a story that fans of Kingsbury's Baxter series will be familiar with. I can't remember where in the twenty-four novels in the series that Kingsbury has told this story before, but I learned nothing new about the relationship between John and Elizabeth. So I was disappointed in that aspect. As an added bonus, Kingsbury threw in a dueling story with Cody and Andi, to show why their love just can't seem to work. After reading the first couple of scenes with them, I got bored and skipped their parts until the end of the book. Wasn't that interesting. To make the story even more nostalgia, Kingsbury threw in an update on Bailey and Brandon. Again, it paralleled her real life daughter, Kelsey, and I skimmed through these sections too. Overall, the story moved rather rapidly. A month in one novel with not a lot of action. More telling than showing. If you want to know what has been happening to the Baxters, then this might be the perfect novel for you, but for me, I didn't learn anything I didn't know, and I prayed the novel would hurry up and end.
I received a complimentary copy of Karen Kingsbury's Love Story from Howard Books, and the opinions stated are all my own.
Karen Kingsbury's Love Story is all about nostalgia. If you were a fan of the Baxter series, then this is an addition to the series. While I enjoyed the first five Baxter series, or the R series as they are affectionally called, I didn't really like Love Story. The story John Baxter tells Cole is a story that fans of Kingsbury's Baxter series will be familiar with. I can't remember where in the twenty-four novels in the series that Kingsbury has told this story before, but I learned nothing new about the relationship between John and Elizabeth. So I was disappointed in that aspect. As an added bonus, Kingsbury threw in a dueling story with Cody and Andi, to show why their love just can't seem to work. After reading the first couple of scenes with them, I got bored and skipped their parts until the end of the book. Wasn't that interesting. To make the story even more nostalgia, Kingsbury threw in an update on Bailey and Brandon. Again, it paralleled her real life daughter, Kelsey, and I skimmed through these sections too. Overall, the story moved rather rapidly. A month in one novel with not a lot of action. More telling than showing. If you want to know what has been happening to the Baxters, then this might be the perfect novel for you, but for me, I didn't learn anything I didn't know, and I prayed the novel would hurry up and end.
I received a complimentary copy of Karen Kingsbury's Love Story from Howard Books, and the opinions stated are all my own.
July 21, 2017
I have read the entire Baxter series and have come to know and admire the Baxter and Flanigan families. The love story of John and Elizabeth was sweet and touching, the beginning of a journey of joy, sorrow and trusting in God to be there through it all. Paralleling their story is that of Andi Ellison and Cody Coleman, who have had their own share of heartaches and misunderstandings. Can they find a path back to one another?
Karen Kingsbury's novels always leave me with hope that faith will sustain me through the difficulties of life, and bring about the moments of joy that lift me up.
Karen Kingsbury's novels always leave me with hope that faith will sustain me through the difficulties of life, and bring about the moments of joy that lift me up.
March 12, 2017
I heard about this book and thought, “Finally! I finally get to learn about John and Elizabeth Baxter’s back story. How they met, fell in love, and raised this incredible family.” So I immediately jumped on Net Galley (since the book doesn’t come out until summer) and requested an advanced reader copy. As soon as my kids were in bed that night, I started reading.
And was somewhat disappointed.
The first quarter of the book didn’t address John & Elizabeth’s story at all. It focused on the relationship issues between Cody and Andi. Which I expected to be a part of the overall story based on the synopsis copy. But it was literally the first 25% - all of it - and then more throughout. In fact, I would probably say this story was more about them than the Baxters. Also, while I’m on the subject of the synopsis copy, it’s not accurate. At the start of the book, Cody and Andi are no longer engaged. So there is no planning or upcoming wedding for Bailey to have her heart touched by.
And now that we’re on Bailey, let’s transition there. First, I love all the Baxter and Flannigan series characters. I’m invested in them and like to see where they are in their “lives.” However, Bailey’s character and pregnancy and story line again took away from the story I really wanted: the love story that began the Baxter family in the first place.
I love the characters. I love the stories that Karen Kingsbury tells about her characters. I love the messages of hope and redemption that infuse her stories. I guess I just wish her books would return to being more focused. In the original Baxter series, I became attached to the characters because each book focused mainly on introducing and exploring one character at a time. The other characters were there but not the focus. That feel has been missing from her last several Baxter/Flannigan books. And I miss it.
Like the book, this review hasn’t focused much on John & Elizabeth’s love story. That’s because I don’t feel like that was really a big part of the story this time. It was embedded, yes. It was told, yes. But it wasn’t explored. Expounded. I think I would have preferred a novella just of their story, even if it was still told through the device of their grandson’s school project.
That being said, I still believe it’s worth the read for anyone who has read the Baxter tales in the past. Just don’t expect too much from John & Elizabeth; the focus is definitely elsewhere.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit www.mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com
And was somewhat disappointed.
The first quarter of the book didn’t address John & Elizabeth’s story at all. It focused on the relationship issues between Cody and Andi. Which I expected to be a part of the overall story based on the synopsis copy. But it was literally the first 25% - all of it - and then more throughout. In fact, I would probably say this story was more about them than the Baxters. Also, while I’m on the subject of the synopsis copy, it’s not accurate. At the start of the book, Cody and Andi are no longer engaged. So there is no planning or upcoming wedding for Bailey to have her heart touched by.
And now that we’re on Bailey, let’s transition there. First, I love all the Baxter and Flannigan series characters. I’m invested in them and like to see where they are in their “lives.” However, Bailey’s character and pregnancy and story line again took away from the story I really wanted: the love story that began the Baxter family in the first place.
I love the characters. I love the stories that Karen Kingsbury tells about her characters. I love the messages of hope and redemption that infuse her stories. I guess I just wish her books would return to being more focused. In the original Baxter series, I became attached to the characters because each book focused mainly on introducing and exploring one character at a time. The other characters were there but not the focus. That feel has been missing from her last several Baxter/Flannigan books. And I miss it.
Like the book, this review hasn’t focused much on John & Elizabeth’s love story. That’s because I don’t feel like that was really a big part of the story this time. It was embedded, yes. It was told, yes. But it wasn’t explored. Expounded. I think I would have preferred a novella just of their story, even if it was still told through the device of their grandson’s school project.
That being said, I still believe it’s worth the read for anyone who has read the Baxter tales in the past. Just don’t expect too much from John & Elizabeth; the focus is definitely elsewhere.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy.
If you would like to read more of my reviews, please visit www.mommyreadsbooks.blogspot.com
February 27, 2017
Karen Kingsbury made me feel the feels.
July 14, 2018
4.5 stars. The ending was a little rushed, but I was so invested in this story and I loved all the different stories that Kingsbury showcased. Review to come.
August 22, 2019
Karen Kingsbury never disappoints. Love her books
January 22, 2023
This book was so sweet 😍 I really enjoyed it😊
February 23, 2019
What a story! It’s tough and uncomfortable at times, but then, that’s what living in sin will do to a person—in this case, characters. Yet, the journey toward salvation is clearly expressed and beautifully exhibited in this novel. Every person’s love story with God is special and unique, and His love conquers all sin. I especially liked that Mrs. Kingsbury never once okayed the sin the characters chose. She always made the wrongness of sin and the guilt of conscience that follows such actions very clear.
She also gave these characters a spectacular finale… which you’ll have to read in order to experience for yourself! (Just a little tease there for you.)
The profoundness of faith in Jesus grew deeper the more I read. That made for some pretty incredible final chapters. This book definitely got me thinking about the impact each of our lives can make for the Kingdom of Heaven, if we choose to do the will of God.
I particularly enjoyed this line: “Not all people who say they’re a Christian actually are.” I have always believed this truth, based on Matthew 7:21, which states: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” This is one of the rare times that I’ve heard a Christian leader say this same truth. That moment was quite beautiful in the story, because it was about more than faith but also about our actions proving our faith. Faith is an action, after all!
The hardback was a nice weight with easy-to-read text, and the audio book (I read both versions, by the way) was also lovely. The narrators did a fantastic job throughout. It was neat how they would switch off for the male/female POV characters. This was my first experience with that style of narration, and I rather enjoyed it.
The one thing that did somewhat bother me was that I felt I had missed so much character history by not having read the previous 20 or so books in the Baxter/Flannigan series. So I’m planning on rereading Love Story after I eventually catch up on all the various series that precede it.
Content: alcohol, premarital sex and pregnancy (lifestyle choices by non-Christian characters; never portrayed as correct choices), war violence, marital affair
Note: See my review on the hardback version for a full list of tags.
She also gave these characters a spectacular finale… which you’ll have to read in order to experience for yourself! (Just a little tease there for you.)
The profoundness of faith in Jesus grew deeper the more I read. That made for some pretty incredible final chapters. This book definitely got me thinking about the impact each of our lives can make for the Kingdom of Heaven, if we choose to do the will of God.
I particularly enjoyed this line: “Not all people who say they’re a Christian actually are.” I have always believed this truth, based on Matthew 7:21, which states: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” This is one of the rare times that I’ve heard a Christian leader say this same truth. That moment was quite beautiful in the story, because it was about more than faith but also about our actions proving our faith. Faith is an action, after all!
The hardback was a nice weight with easy-to-read text, and the audio book (I read both versions, by the way) was also lovely. The narrators did a fantastic job throughout. It was neat how they would switch off for the male/female POV characters. This was my first experience with that style of narration, and I rather enjoyed it.
The one thing that did somewhat bother me was that I felt I had missed so much character history by not having read the previous 20 or so books in the Baxter/Flannigan series. So I’m planning on rereading Love Story after I eventually catch up on all the various series that precede it.
Content: alcohol, premarital sex and pregnancy (lifestyle choices by non-Christian characters; never portrayed as correct choices), war violence, marital affair
Note: See my review on the hardback version for a full list of tags.
November 23, 2020
I have such a sweet spot for the Baxters. They were the first family who introduced me to Christian fiction and one of my all time favourite fiction families (though, sometimes it feels like they exist in the real world). Their legacy of faith is so strong, even though they are not without their mistakes!
I enjoyed finally getting John and Elizabeth's back story. Through the previous 25+ books in the Baxter series, it is clear that John is a man of strong faith, so to see what happened between him and Elizabeth which lead to Dayne's adoption was great. And how promising, because no matter the mistakes of your past, God can change you and your future and make you known for a legacy of faith!
I also enjoyed Cody and Andi's love story and hope to see more off them in the rest of the series.
You do not have to read the 25+ books before this new series, there is a recap before the story starts. However, you will know the characters and their journey more in-depth if you do have time to read all the books.
Narrator: I loved the narrators. They read the story with emotion and I enjoyed that they jumped between male and female as the POV of the characters changed.
I enjoyed finally getting John and Elizabeth's back story. Through the previous 25+ books in the Baxter series, it is clear that John is a man of strong faith, so to see what happened between him and Elizabeth which lead to Dayne's adoption was great. And how promising, because no matter the mistakes of your past, God can change you and your future and make you known for a legacy of faith!
I also enjoyed Cody and Andi's love story and hope to see more off them in the rest of the series.
You do not have to read the 25+ books before this new series, there is a recap before the story starts. However, you will know the characters and their journey more in-depth if you do have time to read all the books.
Narrator: I loved the narrators. They read the story with emotion and I enjoyed that they jumped between male and female as the POV of the characters changed.
April 5, 2017
I was so excited that I got the chance to read Karen Kingsbury's new novel before it comes out in June! Many years ago I got sucked into the world of the Baxters through Kingsbury's books, and it's been exciting to see her writing more books about them again.
In Love Story, we finally learn the full story of John and Elizabeth Baxter, how they met and fell in love, and how Elizabeth was sent away to have their first baby out of wedlock, forced to give the baby up for adoption. That sounds terribly sad if you haven't already read the rest of the Baxter Family books and know how it all worked out, so I wouldn't recommend reading this book at all unless you've read the rest of the books in those series. A lot of the characters and stories in this book won't make sense or mean as much if you don't already have the backstory from the other books.
I also liked how Kingsbury gave us updates on Bailey's marriage and Cody's life through this book. Bailey and Cody were some of my favorite characters from her series, and it was fun to see how things are working out for them.
The only thing I haven't loved about Kingsbury's books in the past is how she will have God "speak" to her characters. At times she has even said that the characters heard God's voice audibly, and I have had concerns with whether she is giving the correct impression of how a Christian can expect to hear from God. I'd hate to have a Christian who was younger in their faith feel like they must be missing some way that God is speaking to them, instead of realizing that God speaks to us through His word, the Bible. There were a couple instances in this book, but I do appreciate how she almost always has God "speak" something that comes from a Bible verse at least. Thankfully I find that Kingsbury has been toning down that aspect of her stories in her more recent books, which has let me enjoy them even more.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and finished most of it in one sitting on a Sunday afternoon. Kingsbury's writing is done in a way that keeps you reading, and I'm a sucker for a happy ending. If you have read any of the Baxter books in the past, I definitely recommend catching up with the Baxters and Flannigans with this book!
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
In Love Story, we finally learn the full story of John and Elizabeth Baxter, how they met and fell in love, and how Elizabeth was sent away to have their first baby out of wedlock, forced to give the baby up for adoption. That sounds terribly sad if you haven't already read the rest of the Baxter Family books and know how it all worked out, so I wouldn't recommend reading this book at all unless you've read the rest of the books in those series. A lot of the characters and stories in this book won't make sense or mean as much if you don't already have the backstory from the other books.
I also liked how Kingsbury gave us updates on Bailey's marriage and Cody's life through this book. Bailey and Cody were some of my favorite characters from her series, and it was fun to see how things are working out for them.
The only thing I haven't loved about Kingsbury's books in the past is how she will have God "speak" to her characters. At times she has even said that the characters heard God's voice audibly, and I have had concerns with whether she is giving the correct impression of how a Christian can expect to hear from God. I'd hate to have a Christian who was younger in their faith feel like they must be missing some way that God is speaking to them, instead of realizing that God speaks to us through His word, the Bible. There were a couple instances in this book, but I do appreciate how she almost always has God "speak" something that comes from a Bible verse at least. Thankfully I find that Kingsbury has been toning down that aspect of her stories in her more recent books, which has let me enjoy them even more.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and finished most of it in one sitting on a Sunday afternoon. Kingsbury's writing is done in a way that keeps you reading, and I'm a sucker for a happy ending. If you have read any of the Baxter books in the past, I definitely recommend catching up with the Baxters and Flannigans with this book!
Note: I received a digital copy of this book for free in exchange for a review. This is my honest opinion.
June 23, 2020
2.5 stars
Another sweet addition to the ongoing Baxter Family series. This one doesn't cover much new ground, so longtime fans of the books and characters may be disappointed, but the tale will be easy to follow for those new to the series. John and Elizabeth's background isn't a surprise although it was nice to get a little more detail; however, it wasn't as touching as it could have been. The remainder of the subplots mostly stay on the surface and don't get spiritually or emotionally deep. Even the PTSD storyline is glossed over and not thoroughly explored. There are too many characters to touch on, although Kingsbury does try to do just that.
John Baxter's 16-year-old grandson Cole is given an assignment in which he asks to interview his grandfather about how he met and fell in love with his grandmother Elizabeth. John deeply contemplates whether or not he should, but he feels led and, over the course of a few weeks, tells Cole and his daughter Ashley the tumultuous tale of their love story. Cody Coleman is trying to make sense of his feelings after his engagement to Andi Ellison is called off for a second time. Can he allow himself to share the most vulnerable parts of his life with her, or should they part ways for good?
Another sweet addition to the ongoing Baxter Family series. This one doesn't cover much new ground, so longtime fans of the books and characters may be disappointed, but the tale will be easy to follow for those new to the series. John and Elizabeth's background isn't a surprise although it was nice to get a little more detail; however, it wasn't as touching as it could have been. The remainder of the subplots mostly stay on the surface and don't get spiritually or emotionally deep. Even the PTSD storyline is glossed over and not thoroughly explored. There are too many characters to touch on, although Kingsbury does try to do just that.
John Baxter's 16-year-old grandson Cole is given an assignment in which he asks to interview his grandfather about how he met and fell in love with his grandmother Elizabeth. John deeply contemplates whether or not he should, but he feels led and, over the course of a few weeks, tells Cole and his daughter Ashley the tumultuous tale of their love story. Cody Coleman is trying to make sense of his feelings after his engagement to Andi Ellison is called off for a second time. Can he allow himself to share the most vulnerable parts of his life with her, or should they part ways for good?
March 16, 2018
I read this book knowing nothing about the author or her many books. I thought from the synopsis on the back cover, as well as from the title, that it would be a cute little love story, a perfect vacation read. I was quite surprised by what I found as I began the book. First of all, I didn’t expect a Christian book. And not just a Christian undertone, almost every page mentioned God’s will. To me, it was fanatical. And keep in mind, this is coming from a girl who loves her religion and God deeply! In addition, the characters and their feelings and emotions were super superficial. They were unbelievable. The whole book felt unauthentic. I’ve found that when a writer mass produces books, like this author has, the books feel like they were written over a weekend to meet a deadline. On the bright side, there weren’t any trashy parts or bad language. When all is said and done, Karen Kingsbury books aren’t for me.
November 9, 2017
This is the first book I've ever read by Karen Kingsbury. I found it at my local library and decided to give it a try. Wow! I read this so fast, just devoured it! The intertwining love stories are so tender, clean, heartfelt, and punctuated with real life troubles and overcoming of problems. I want to get to know the entire Baxter family now and can't wait to read more by Karen.
December 4, 2018
Elizabeth, oh how I’ve missed you.
January 31, 2019
3.5 stars. I will always love the Baxter family and Karen Kingsbury has a beautiful soul. And the cover of this is so cute! But the more Kingsbury I read, the more repetitive she gets. Basically, her novels remind me of Hallmark movies, which in many ways is a good thing (in my personal opinion), but has it’s other downsides.
Her stories are cute and warm fuzzyish and in general fun adult reads. But the same lines she uses over and over (for every character) can get annoying. And sometimes they’re just a little too unrealistic in the end or I don’t like something about it. In this case, I’m a little tired of how Kingsbury seemingly glorifies having children out of wedlock. Don’t get me wrong, she does make it clear that purity is God’s way (And I absolutely believe in redemption!). But sometimes she just goes so much into the story (or adds just a few too many details, which contributes to this less-than-5-star review) that it seems like the wrong things are emphasized, whether purposefully or not.
Still, I’m thankful for a couple of the strong stands she does take in the book. And in the end, I enjoy a cute story. And that’s simply what this was. Will I read another Kingsbury in the future? Most likely. Just no longer as impressed as I used to be.
Her stories are cute and warm fuzzyish and in general fun adult reads. But the same lines she uses over and over (for every character) can get annoying. And sometimes they’re just a little too unrealistic in the end or I don’t like something about it. In this case, I’m a little tired of how Kingsbury seemingly glorifies having children out of wedlock. Don’t get me wrong, she does make it clear that purity is God’s way (And I absolutely believe in redemption!). But sometimes she just goes so much into the story (or adds just a few too many details, which contributes to this less-than-5-star review) that it seems like the wrong things are emphasized, whether purposefully or not.
Still, I’m thankful for a couple of the strong stands she does take in the book. And in the end, I enjoy a cute story. And that’s simply what this was. Will I read another Kingsbury in the future? Most likely. Just no longer as impressed as I used to be.
January 15, 2024
What a story. 💖 This was such a beautiful and redemptive read. I wish the book would’ve been a little longer, as I felt it ended quickly…but I still give it 5 stars. Looking forward to reading more of her books!
May 4, 2017
I just love the Baxters and am so excited to have them back in my life. We all know the story of John and Elizabeth, but to finally get all the details and the emotions of their beginning - so so sweet. Yes, I cried! *I received an advanced copy of this book*
July 27, 2023
It has been quite a few years since I checked in on the Baxter family. Nevertheless, this book brought me right back into that circle, and I didn’t feel like I’d missed a thing. It would be a good place to start if you haven’t read any of them. What a heart warming story of several couples, their struggles, failures, and the great redeeming power of God.
August 3, 2017
oh gosh, Karen! your writing just keeps getting better and better!! I loved getting to know Elizabeth a little bit more and seeing Cody and Andi and Brandon and Bailey (awwww especially at the end). keep up the good work Karen! can't wait for your new book coming in a few months!!!!
July 27, 2025
Tbh got this from one of those little free libraries on my way to the beach and it wasn’t bad !! A little slow but like not bad. Lots of different characters/plots to follow so more like a 2.5 ⭐️ but it wasn’t a bad book.. just not my speed
October 21, 2025
4.5 this was a great book!!!
February 20, 2024
Predictable, too many characters, and heavy on faith (which is fine, I just had no idea before I started it). John and Elizabeth’s love story was the sweetest, most relatable story line.
March 14, 2017
Love Story is the 26th book Karen Kingsbury has written about the Baxter family. There are five in the Redemption series, five in First Born series, four in Sunrise, four in the Bailyey Flanigan series, and then there is Coming Home and A Baxter Family Christmas. You don't have to worry about getting lost and not knowing what is going on. Karen does an excellent job at the beginning of the book reviewing what has happened with all her characters. She names all the children, their spouses and all their children. She reviews events that has happened. So really you don't have to read all the previous 25 books unless you have plenty of time. Knowing more details about the history of the characters just would help you get inside their minds more easily.
In this book John Baxter's grandson Cole is doing a school project on family history. He wants to write about John Baxter and his first wife Elizabeth who is the mother of all John's children. Sadly she had died ten years earlier from cancer. As John remembered back on his and Elizabeth's love story I knew there was sadness there. After all I had read the previous 25 books! I thought I was prepared but I still had wet eyes at one point in the story.
There is also a second story in the book which is about the on again and off again romance of Andi Elison and Cody. Some people reading these books were not happy that Bailey and Cody did not work out. Several books in the series were pointing toward they having their happy ever after ending but that didn't happen. She fell in love with an up and coming actor. Reading Andi and Cody's story may make some people feel a little better about the union that maybe they were meant to be together after all.
So all and all I liked this book but there is one thing that is bothering me that is inconsistent with the previous book. In the previous book it was mentioned at the beginning of the book that John Baxter was 60 years old. In this book he meets Elizabeth in 1967. She is 19 and John is five years older which would make him 24 years old. If he was 24 years old in 1967 then he should be about 74-75 now. Also, when Ashley was talking with Cole about her mother she told Cole that her mother was barely in her 60s when she died of cancer 10 years ago. John would have been 65 then and 10 years later would be 74 and not 60 in the last book, A Baxter Family Christmas. I guess some people don't notice details like this but I do.
Thanks Howard Books and Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book to review. This book is due to be released on June 6, 2017.
In this book John Baxter's grandson Cole is doing a school project on family history. He wants to write about John Baxter and his first wife Elizabeth who is the mother of all John's children. Sadly she had died ten years earlier from cancer. As John remembered back on his and Elizabeth's love story I knew there was sadness there. After all I had read the previous 25 books! I thought I was prepared but I still had wet eyes at one point in the story.
There is also a second story in the book which is about the on again and off again romance of Andi Elison and Cody. Some people reading these books were not happy that Bailey and Cody did not work out. Several books in the series were pointing toward they having their happy ever after ending but that didn't happen. She fell in love with an up and coming actor. Reading Andi and Cody's story may make some people feel a little better about the union that maybe they were meant to be together after all.
So all and all I liked this book but there is one thing that is bothering me that is inconsistent with the previous book. In the previous book it was mentioned at the beginning of the book that John Baxter was 60 years old. In this book he meets Elizabeth in 1967. She is 19 and John is five years older which would make him 24 years old. If he was 24 years old in 1967 then he should be about 74-75 now. Also, when Ashley was talking with Cole about her mother she told Cole that her mother was barely in her 60s when she died of cancer 10 years ago. John would have been 65 then and 10 years later would be 74 and not 60 in the last book, A Baxter Family Christmas. I guess some people don't notice details like this but I do.
Thanks Howard Books and Netgalley for providing me a digital copy of this book to review. This book is due to be released on June 6, 2017.
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