Shades of Blue

Karen has obviously spoken to women who have been through this. It shows in the writing.On the whole, I like Karen's books although from time to time, the American "Moms apple pie" stuff can get a bit wearing.This book was very touching though.A recommended read for any reader of Karen Kingsbury or for anyone with doubts about abortion.

I am almost done with the book and have not been too disappointed. It's my first read from the autor and I guess I need to get used to the writing style which I find to be a bit simplistic and preachy sometimes, particularly after having read so many books from Francine Rivers which I find to be a lot deeper.Overall a nice modern and simple story.

I read this a while ago and forgot to review it. I did enjoy it very much, so much so that I bought it for a friend who also loved it and passed it on to her daughter while in Australia.

very good

As usual Shades of Blue is another easy read from Karen Kingsbury. The perfect accompaniment for me on a recent trip where I knew I would be spending several hours waiting at the airport.

My wife's favourite author.

pressie

Another great story from Karen Kingsbury. Couldn't put it down until I was finished it! . Would recommend to others.

Excellent & touching story!!

Like a lot of reviewers, I've read many Karen Kingsbury books.....some excellent, some not so much. In retrospect, I would not have bought this one had I know the entire book hinged on abortion and it's after-effects. I totally agree with pro-life stances, but as a mature, older adult this topic was of no interest to me at all. The angst and suffering nine years after the fact was the main theme of the book, and while that may be an accurate occurrence in many cases, it just wasn't something I wanted to read about for the entire book. Younger women and teenagers especially could benefit from reading it, I would think. The ending wasn't completely satisfying, somehow, and a particular action of Laura's after Brad was back in NY struck me as way over the top. I never can get used to this author's style of having God speaking to individuals in complete sentences, either. This is just not a book I really enjoyed reading, nor was I glad I had spent hours doing so.

I am stunned at the depth of emotion I felt while reading this book. It was incredibly thought provoking. I appreciate the author's ability to make me feel and understand the deep emotional scars that abortion leaves behind. Someone close to me had an abortion a few years ago. I better understand how to help her from reading this book. I read a few reviews complaining about Emma and Brad not ending up together and then complaining about how the ending was too neat. Neat would have been Emma and Brad ending up together. Real life isn't neat and tidy. The pain is part of God's plan and often brings about the most growth. God's grace and forgiveness and the Godly sorrow leading to it can indeed take place in three days time. It just takes a lifetime to forget and forgive one's self. The characters in this book, just like in REAL life, felt God's grace but did not forget their sin. I thought the subject was masterfully handled. I would recommend this book to anyone who finds themself with an unexpected pregnancy or even contemplating intimacy outside of marriage. The consequences were very clearly portrayed.

This story is touching, inspiring, and heartbreaking; all in one. I felt my heart breaking with each revelation of the sad choices that the young couple made. I was touched with a mixture of emotions as Brad was lead by God to "make things right". And I cried with Emma and Brad as they realized the depth of their choices and the depth of God's forgiveness. I so needed to read this story. Thank you Karen for your commitment to touch and change hearts; and especially for your honesty at the end. Yes..... we all have a past. Praise God for His redemptive Love and forgiveness.

I really enjoyed the shifts and turns in this story, and found the couple's frustrations, fears, doubts, and other emotions quite understandable. I think most people do not know enough about the impact of abortion on the parents, the other family members, and the future of their potential relationships in these situations. I felt like Ms. Kingsbury's own perspective was controlled fairly well, and she allowed this couple to face and work through the actions they chose in a healthy way. There is no one avenue of actions in this kind of situation, and the impact on all those involved will continue for their lifetimes regardless of their ultimate decision. I think Ms. Kingsbury worked through this point in a very Christian and compassionate way.

First time reading this author and I'm impressed. Im a Christian who loves to read and I'm always on the lookout for well written faith filled stories. This one delivers. I discovered the author after channel surfing and coming across an interview she did on the 700 club. This novel touches on forgiveness, regret, guilt, fear and of course faith in Christ to get through it all. A very difficult subject but I gained a new understanding on abortion that I never had before. I pray healing for those who are dealing with this issue.

This story is very touching. I loved watching the charactors grow stronger in their faith and change along the way. Brad and Emma are with the help of her parents busy planning for their up comming wedding. Brad wants nothing more than to become Emma's husband except first he feels he needs to make ammends with his past before moving on with the next chapter in his life. When he was younger Brad and the girl he loved Laura made a wrong choice that changed both of their lives forever. She became pregnant and they decided that having an abortion was the right choice. This made things difficult as they battled with their choice Brad decided it was best to go on his own way and he went off to collage leaving Laura to be alone all except for her mother who died not much long after. Brad decides that before he gets married he needs to go back and ask Laura to forgive him. He shares this news with Emma who is very upset with this decesion at first and says maybe they should call the wedding off. She wonders Why must he go back searching for his ex unless he no longer cares for her. He can only hope that Emma will come to understand and wait until he gets back. He assures her that he loves and wants only her. He hopes she will understand why it is that he must do this. I wondered when he saw Laura if they would end up back together. Part of me said they should while the other half said no that it was time to close the past and move on. This left me wondering what would happen and if they would change their minds later on. How they go about puting an end to their past and would be enough? This was a book that i couldn't put down. I have read several books by this author and I have always found them uplifting each with their own special messages. I can't wait to read the next one.

I was disappointed in the way the young man handled the pregnancy after sex the first time. When he later fell in love , he knew he had to apologize to Emma, to somehow make It right. I love the way it made Emma feel whole after so many years of feeling the tragedy of the abortion she had. Twenty years after the abortion they came together and apologized to Jesus. Then they prayed and they cried and hugged and made it right with Jesus. The result was very spiritual. Awesome story. You have to read the book to understand what really happened!

Karen Kingsbury has a talent for writing memorable Christian fiction that is deeply meaningful. I've read all her books and have gotten a lot out of them--especially the Redemption series. I have to say, Shades of Blue moved me more than anything she's written.Brad is a twenty-eight year old man with a great career and a wonderful fiancee, Laura. Their wedding is set for 5 weeks away. Brad and Laura are serious Christians who have refrained from relations, waiting for their wedding day. Brad has let Laura believe that he is a virgin as she is. But he has a dark secret in his past that troubles him more and more as their wedding approaches.Ten years earlier, Brad had made a terrible decision that is very much on his conscience. He and his childhood sweatheart Emma allowed their passion to overcome all their good intentions, and Emma became pregnant. Brad and she were 18, just ready to start college. When Emma told Brad they were going to have a baby, his reaction was not at all what she expected. He was stunned and dismayed at the news, and saw this as something that would ruin both their futures. He simply didn't have the courage and character to face the consequences of fathering a baby. He pushed Emma to have an abortion. Not wanting this, but so afraid of losing Brad, she reluctantly went through with the abortion. Afterward, Brad's love for Emma and his religious convictions couldn't withstand the tension over what they had done. His feelings for her changed and he just wanted to get away from her and forget what had happened.Over the next ten years, Brad has managed to bury the experience deep in his memory. He has matured in his Christianity and fallen deeply in love with Laura, a devoted Christian who loves Brad completely. Now as the wedding is so close, Brad's conscience is bothering him so much that he realizes he cannot marry until he has gone to see Emma to apologize for everything he did and didn't do in the past. In the meantime, Brad's fiancee Laura has become very concerned that Brad might be getting cold feet, because he seems to be growing distant as the date nears. Brad finally tells Laura about his past and his decision to go see Emma and make his apology in person.I won't go further into the story and spoil it for anyone. Suffice to say that Brad, Emma, and Laura are all suffering greatly as Brad heads back to his childhood home to look up Emma. Brad is overcome by guilt about the way he forced Emma to kill their unborn child, then abandoned her. Emma has become a first-grade teacher who has let her sorrow and guilt ruin her life. Laura is despondent that Brad misled her and now might be drawn back to a relationship with his first love.Kingsbury delves deeply into the souls of these people as she tells the story. The dialog is believable. The sharing of feelings is so powerful that I seemed to see inside each character in turn. The recounting of the abortion itself was so realistic that I actually felt the anguish and terror of Emma's experience.I don't think any reader could close this book unscathed. It made me realize how serious the consequences are when we knowingly go against God's will. One decision can change a person's life, and of course, one decision can take a life before a baby ever gets the chance to be born.Karen Kingsbury courageously took on a hugely difficult and controversial subject, and she did it masterfully. I hope many, many young people read this book. In fact, I hope EVERYONE reads it. It is a masterpiece of Christian fiction.

The story is sweet enough, but the author's soap boxing on her personal views on abortion get old very fast. The story world have stood on it's own without the overdone views on abortion. Of course, it is the author's decision on how to write the story. However, the description of the book is misleading. I will not be buying any additional books from this author.

Karen Kingsbury doesn't shy away from the tough topics in her novels. In "Shades of Blue," it's abortion.Brad Cutler is a young advertising executive in New York, preparing to marry Laura James, the boss's daughter, in what looks to be a storybook wedding. But there's a problem - Brad's haunted by a relationship that ended a decade before.The relationship was with Emma Landon, a childhood friend who became the high school sweetheart and love of Brad's life. Emma is a teacher, haunted by what happened in the relationship with Brad. And the "what happened" was an abortion.In many ways, this isn't an easy novel to read. Kingsbury writes about pain, and makes the pain real. The reader is often moved to tears, tears for Emma, tears for Brad and tears for the life they created and made the decision to end.But "Shades of Blue" is also about forgiveness and the need for a closure that's marked by love and faith. I didn't know how she'd pull off the story she had set up - it could have moved in several directions. But ultimately, that's what she did, and she did it in a realistic, believable way.

This is a powerful story that reveals what happens after an abortion. Ms. Kingsbury definitely does not gloss over the fact that abortion is essentially murder (thank you!), thereby having a lasting effect on women (and men) who make this "choice". Brad & Emma's story was powerfully written and I especially appreciated reading about how we as Christians SHOULD respond toward others in crisis. As always, her writing ability pulled me into the story early on, making me feel like I was a third party participating in Brad & Emma's journey to forgiveness. At the conclusion of the book, Ms. Kingsbury shared some very personal information with readers that brought me as a reader even closer to her--not many authors are willing to be "real". "Shades of Blue" is a must-read--not only for those who love a good story. But for those who need to hear that there is forgiveness and redemption following an abortion, as well. For the latter group, I pray you find the healing and forgiveness that is available to you from Jesus Christ.

Very interesting read. I wondered for most of the book if he would stay true to his commitment or break his engagement. It would be hard to go back to ones home town and see your childhood sweetheart. In the end no one was hurt. I like Karen Kingsbury's books. She writes a wholesome story with no bad language or lurid sex scenes. It is hard to find authors like Kingsbury.

This might be a good book for a 13 year old but it is very over simplified for any thinking adult to read. It implies that all people everywhere are white, upper middle class, evangelical Christians. This book's main theme is anti-abortion.

This book deals with the issue of abortion. I am pro-life. I have to say that this book exposed a part of my heart that I didn't know was there. It revealed a side of abortion that I had never comprehended. It is a must-read for anyone who has had an abortion, contemplating an abortion, or has helped someone through the process. There is healing in this book for EVERYONE written by an author who we have come to love and trust.