This book serves as a sequel to Even Now.

It vividly depicts the story of two individuals who reunite despite having completely divergent perspectives on the war that is unfolding in Iraq.

However, their differences prove to be insurmountable, and they end up separating once more.

Throughout the narrative, there are numerous tragic events that occur, which tug at the heartstrings.

I found myself shedding tears on several occasions while delving into the pages of this book.

Certainly, it makes one more acutely aware of the sacrifices and hardships that our troops endure as they are sent to fight in other countries.

It forces us to confront the harsh realities of war and the profound impact it has on the lives of those involved.

The book not only tells a story of love and loss but also serves as a poignant reminder of the human cost of conflict.

It is a powerful and moving read that will stay with you long after you have turned the final page.

You Must Have Tissue

Karen Kingsbury is truly an outstanding writer. Her novels are not just fictional stories but carry profound messages that touch the hearts of readers. In her works, we are often immersed in the lives of the characters, experiencing their joys and sorrows.

When Justin died, it was a heart-wrenching moment. I found myself shedding tears, deeply affected by the loss. I couldn't help but wonder how Ms. Kingsbury would manage to reconcile the differences between Shane and Lauren. Thankfully, she did, and it added another layer of depth to the story.

Although I'm not entirely sure about the nature of the relationship between Joe and Emily, I do understand that Emily had to move on with her life. The story of Justin is a tragic one, filled with heartbreak and loss. It makes us reflect on the preciousness of life and the importance of珍惜 those around us.

Kingsbury's writing has the power to make us feel a wide range of emotions, and this is what makes her novels so captivating. We become invested in the lives of the characters and are eager to see how their stories unfold. If you haven't read any of Karen Kingsbury's novels, I highly recommend that you do. But be sure to have a tissue handy, as you're likely to need it.

I want to begin by stating that I was completely unaware that this was Christian Fiction or a sequel. Admittedly, this was my oversight. Having said that, it's quite possible that someone who was specifically seeking that genre or had already read the first book might provide a more favorable review. In hindsight, I now understand why it didn't truly clarify certain aspects that I believed it should have. Consequently, I don't think it functioned very well as a stand-alone work. Obviously, I was able to finish it, but there were a few things that left me a bit perplexed.

Even though I was attempting to skip over the parts that didn't interest me regarding religion, I still considered it to be a good story. It was extremely emotional and did prompt me to reflect on some aspects of my life. In my opinion, it's worth reading or listening to.

Oh. My. Gosh.

I just moments ago finished this book. It was an absolute emotional rollercoaster. I cried through the last half of it, sobbed uncontrollably.

This is hands down the saddest, most vivid, most real, most heart-wrenching, and most moving book I've ever had the pleasure (if you can call it that) of reading. The story was so powerful and engaging that it completely sucked me in and didn't let go until the very end.

It's gonna take a while for me to recover from this one. I feel like I've been through a major life event.

Read it. (But definitely read book 1 first). Shut yourself in a room so you can cry freely while reading. This book will totally change how you think about life, love, and everything in between. It's a must-read for anyone who loves a good, emotional story that will stay with them long after they've turned the last page.

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My heart truly broke while I was engrossed in reading this book.

The characters within its pages were so vivid and their storyline was captivating. It was truly a remarkable thing to witness the healing that God brought about.

As I read, my mind couldn't help but drift back to my dad's funeral. He was an Army veteran, and the memories of that solemn occasion came flooding back, causing my heart to break all over again.

This book, despite the pain it sometimes elicited, was truly wonderful. It had the power to touch my heart on multiple levels and make me reflect on both the beauty and the sadness in life.

It was a journey of emotions that I will not soon forget, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience it through the pages of this remarkable book.

Emily, the Love Child

Shane and Lauren had a special bond that began in childhood. They grew up together as friends and as they entered high school, their relationship blossomed into love. However, their joy was short-lived when they discovered they were expecting a baby. Troubled and scared, they knew they had to face their parents. They dreamed of finishing school and then getting married, but their parents had different ideas. In a cruel twist, their parents separated them. Lauren, left alone, gave birth to a beautiful baby girl and named her Emily.

The story takes us on a journey as we see how Shane and Lauren struggle to find each other again. Their lives are filled with many surprises, both happy and very unhappy times. But through it all, they always turn back to God for help and guidance. This is a very beautiful story that will touch your heart. So, pick up this book and enjoy the emotional rollercoaster of Shane and Lauren's lives.

You will be amazed at how love can overcome all obstacles and bring two people back together.

Rating: 3/10

Super cheesy! 'Even Now' was also cheesy, but it had the whole reunion aspect going for it. As a teen, I used to devour these kinds of books, but now I realize how unrealistic they are. Reading is supposed to be an escape from reality, but this was just excessive. The saddest part of the book didn't even move me, and I guessed the ending about one-third of the way through. The whole story was extremely predictable.

What really bugs me is how Emily treats her grandmother. In 'Even Now', Emily loves her grandparents, and they raise her with love, encouragement, and ensure she has everything she needs. Understandably, Emily wishes she knew her parents, but she takes it a step further and claims she always felt empty, as if the love from her grandparents wasn't enough. There are kids out there who don't have their parents, but another family member steps in and fills that void, just like Emily's grandparents did for her. They loved and cared for her as if they were her parents, so she should feel secure enough not to feel like she's missing out.

Then the reunion occurs, and throughout the process, Emily keeps her grandparents in the loop and rejoices with them. Everything seems great. But once Lauren and Shane enter Emily's life, it seems like she kind of forgets about her grandparents. They're still there, but it's Lauren and Shane she turns to. I don't think there's anything wrong with Emily treating her parents as parents, but her grandparents are the ones who put in the hard work. They know her better than Lauren or Shane, and yet they're slowly being pushed out of the picture.

This is even more evident in 'Ever After'. Emily doesn't contact her now widowed grandmother at all to see how she's doing or ask for advice. It seems that the only people who keep in regular contact with her are Shane's parents. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose your husband and then see the child you raised and love basically replace you with the parents who couldn't get their act together. I think you can never have too much love, and Emily could have loved them all equally, as if she now has three parents. Meanwhile, it never mentions that her grandmother feels rejected. She just accepts it. I know that in reality, this would never happen. Emily's grandmother even says in 'Even Now' that she felt she made a lot of mistakes raising Lauren and felt like she had a second chance with Emily. This would have created a stronger bond because she raised Emily in a way that made her feel loved and supported. Lauren felt like she had to fit the perfect mold set for her, which is why she happily left her parents and never looked back.

I'm not a parent and have no plans to become one anytime soon, but I think about how my mum would feel, and I know it would break her heart if this happened to her. Sometimes people don't understand how much parents sacrifice for their children, and then those kids grow up and completely disregard them. I know my rant is about a small part of the book, but it loomed over me the entire time I was reading 'Ever After'. Where is Emily's grandmother? She's not only lost her husband but also the child she gave everything to. Rant officially over.

The Questions:

Entertaining/Addictive?: It's so cheesy that I rolled my eyes countless times. I listened to the audio book, which was easy to follow.

Writing Style?: A cheese feast. The author tries to tug at your emotions and make you cry, but it was so obvious that I felt nothing.

Impacting/Thought Provoking?: Read my rant above.

Clean?: Yes

Read it again?: No

Would I Recommend it?: No

I could not put this book down!

Karen K. is my favorite author!

This story was so real and raw that I was in tears!

I was angry with Karen because of Justin and Emily.

However, I kept reading and crying until the end of the story!

Such a beautiful, riveting and real story!

I am even more appreciative of what those serving in our military do and the sacrifice of so many!

My heart especially goes out to VietNam vets and the way they were treated and health struggles they often have!

The story painted a vivid picture of the characters and their emotions, making it easy for me to empathize with them.

The plot was engaging and full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat.

Karen K. did an amazing job of bringing the story to life and making me feel like I was a part of it.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good story that will tug at your heartstrings and make you think about the sacrifices that our military personnel make every day.

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I read this book a few months ago, and I really struggled with writing a review.

The story is extremely complex, which made it a bit of a challenge to put my thoughts into words.

Having read the prequel, I had set my expectations really high for the way this story would unfold.

Surprisingly, the story evoked a wide range of mixed feelings from me, but interestingly, it was in a good way.

It had moments that made me feel really sad, but at the same time, it also gave me a glimmer of hope.

I would highly recommend the two books in this series to those who are seeking to understand God's ways.

After all, as the saying goes, His ways are certainly higher than our ways, and these books offer some profound insights into that concept.

This book, just like the first one, had me bawling my eyes out throughout the entire thing.

There is a girl who spends her entire life attempting to find her parents and wondering if they ever found each other. Finally, she locates them and discovers that they never did. She devises a surprise reunion for them. However, on their first night in town, she learns that being separated for so long, their views about the war they are both in or work for are so disparate that they can't envision making a relationship work.

Their daughter finds love during college while working on the army base with a soldier. After spending the summer together and falling in love, he has to embark on a second tour in Iraq, but only for 6 months instead of the year they initially thought. Two months into his tour, he is hit by a roadside bomb and is killed, but his best friend manages to survive. In his final moments, he tells his friend to go home and be a friend to her because she will need a friend to get through these difficult times and to tell her how sorry he is that he's not coming home to marry her.

They go through the funeral and all the grieving. And it shows that 18 months after all that, the friend she made because of her first love is someone she falls in love with, as he does with her. It's such a very touching story.