Shades of Blue

I am not a huge Karen Kingsbury fan, but the subject matter intrigued me- a young couple that decided to have an abortion instead of keeping and raising their child. Although they had purposed to avoid a sexual relationship, the young couple in the book get emotionally and physically involved. The book retraces their past and the steps that led them to a physical relationship- isolating themselves, deep emotional involvement, even small details that set them up to go further than they wanted to. The book also shows the sadness and emptiness of a physical relationship without the commitment of marriage and, of course, the deep pain caused by an abortion, for both Brad and Emma. The author's notes at the end are particularly personal as well. I think teen girls should read this book, not as a warning, but as a glimpse into the pain going "too far"- not just physically, but emotionally as well. Kingsbury included this important piece- even after finding forgiveness from God for their past, they still have a lifelong connection to one another because of their past. Becoming "one flesh" with anyone besides your future spouse means giving a piece of yourself away to that person forever. Highly recommended.

Everyone has a past. A hurtful past can be accepted and forgiven; however, the past often leaves consequences that impact today. Brad Cutler has loved two women in his life. As the date draws near to wed one, he is haunted by his first love and the secrets they shared. As he leaves his fiancé to reconcile the past, the future remains uncertain. This thought provoking story of love and redemption is difficult to absorb, yet beautiful at the same time. Redemption comes from not only receiving forgiveness but forgiving yourself. This book is a great reminder that our actions today effect our tomorrows. Shades of blue is an excellent read. At the beginning, it seemed to go a bit too slow for me but at other times, I couldn't put it stop reading. This book comes with many surprises including some from Karen Kingsbury herself.

This is a book that every person should read. Karen Kingsbury did a marvelous job of drawing you into the situation and making you feel the emotions of the setting. This book could prevent a lot of heartache if it were read by every young person. I cannot recommend this book to highly.

Book release date was today - I went to Barnes and Noble at 10:30 am and spent the day absorbed - finished the entire book by 7 pm! BRAVO! Another Karen Kingsbury work that deals with real pain, hurt, anger and frustration while ministering the awesome healing power of God. I can't wiat to read the next one and give this one away!

I love to read. I like books of all stripes. There is not one particular genre that I favor. I just love the written word. I love reading Christian fiction and Karen Kingsbury has long been one of my favorite authors. Her stories are real. She is not afraid to deal with difficult issues like depression, drunk driving, cancer and addiction. The characters in her books could be real people. They have real and complex problems. For the most part, Karen refrains from offering pat answers and easy solutions. This novel tells the story of Emma, Brad, and Laura. Brad and Emma were in a relationship 10 years ago, and Laura is Brad's fiancee. Brad comes to realize that he has a lot of unresolved issues with Emma and can't move forward in his life with Laura until they are resolved. The people in this novel suffer deeply and are hurting. They all react differently to the situation. Ultimately, this is a book about forgiveness, redemption, and healing. But those things do not come easily. All 3 characters are surprised at how the story turns out. Karen Kingsbury's books have a way of grabbing your heart and refuse to let go until the last page is turned. I read this book in one sitting. I just couldn't wait to find out how the story would end. Her stories are well-written with engaging, realistic characters. If I have one complaint about Kingbury's writing it is this: A lot of the time, I think things end up resolved a little too neatly at the end of her books. This book is no exception. I just don't think it's possible for such profound pain, anger, and shame to be faced and processed in a single weekend. Real life doesn't work that way. Healing and restoration take time. Can God heal completely in a single weekend? Absolutely! He is all powerful and can do anything! But I have found that often, healing is not that quick. I have come to realize that healing is a process, not an event. It's kind of like peeling an onion. The layers might be thin, but there are a lot of them. God brings healing one layer at a time. But that said, this is a truly wonderful book. I highly recommend it and others by Karen Kingsbury. I especially recommend "The Redemption Series" by this author. This book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. I think that it also has the potential to be life-changing. I know my life has been changed by her books.