09 January, 2014

#BookReview :: Return (Redemption #3) by Karen Kingsbury, Gary Smalley



This touching novel reunites readers with the Baxter family and focuses on the only Baxter son, Luke. He is determined to leave his faith and his past behind and embrace a new, free-thinking future. 











A Special Note: Redemption series is Christian Fiction. I am not Christian and I have not read the Bible. So, I am not in a position to agree or disagree with the religious side of the book and my review will be solely focus on this series as a work of fiction and my point of views on the characters/situations as a third person. I do not mean to criticize or applaud any of the religious views presented through the stories.

Luke Baxter is the ‘baby’ of the family.  He has been in a relationship with Reagan and though they had decided not to ‘do the deed’ before their wedding night, they end up sleeping together. The next day is 9/11 and as the attack on the twin towers devastates the nation, things get personal for Luke and Reagan. Reagan having ignored her father’s call the previous night realizes that she had missed her chance at the ‘last conversation’ with her dad because the attack had claimed his life. She moves to spend some time with her mother and break her contact with Luke. Luke on the other hand not only loses his love, but unknown to him, Reagan gets pregnant from their night together. Now as Luke questions everything as he knew it, it is up to his family to have patience with him and hope that he would find his way back to them and to God. Ashley’s story continues in this book and reached new heights and lows making her too question a few things. Erin on the other hand has a secret that the family doesn’t know about.

Luke hadn’t really made a good first impression with his appearance in the last novel and I was hoping to see a better version of him in this book. But my, did he test my patience or what?! Well, I am glad he did because I realized one major thing about this series. The author has drawn up some major flawed characters… and that is kind of a good thing because that is what people are in real lives. We are all flawed and we often get on people’s nerves whether we realize it or not. All the characters in this series have some major flaws and that is exactly what makes them human and real. The ‘issues’ that are brought up are also issues that people really face outside the world of fiction. And though the way Ms.Karen resolves the issues and ties-up the loose ends in the plot isn’t something I always agree with, I am happy that she at least tries to address these things. The plot remains constant with each book and so does the author’s riveting story-telling.

Another couple of hours well spent in reading this third installment. I will read the other two novels if I can get my hands on them. I will not be going out of my way to procure them, however. 



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