Take Three By Karen Kingsbury Review and Giveaway {Ends 4/11}

Winner #55 - Donna 

Winner # 37 - LKnott 

Karen Kingsbury has always been a favorite author of mine.  She can draw you into a book and keep you there until the end of the book.  It is very much like her characters have a life of their own and while she is the author, there are times it feels like the characters are doing the writing.

Take Three is the third book in the Above the Line series.  While I think all of Karen's books are great, I truly believe that this one captured her heart.  Take Three takes some unexpected turns as the Chase Ryan removes himself from Jeremiah Productions and leaves the entire thing in the capable hands of Keith Ellison.  However, Keith's daughter Andi is on the verge of making a decision that could ruin her life forever.  Keith struggles to connect with his daughter and to keep from losing her while still working on the film that he believes the Lord has called him to.

I was drawn into the book immediately and cried with Andi as she struggled.  I cheered with Bailey Flanigan as she made some tough but wonderful decisions.  I absolutely loved Take Three and it is definitely on my shelf for a second read sometime down the line.

If you have not read any of the Above the Line books by Karen Kingsbury, I highly recommend them.  While these books take a look into two Christian producers trying to break into Hollywood with wholesome, inspirational movies; these books also capture the real life struggles that normal people deal with on a daily basis.  These books are inspiring, thought provoking, and life changing as they bring you challenges through the fictional lives of her characters.

You can purchase Above the Line or Take Three at Amazon or just about anywhere books are sold. 

Win It!! 

Zondervan has generously allowed me to give away 2 Advanced Reader copies of Take Three to two of my readers.

1.  Leave a comment letting me know your favorite book of all time.  Do this one first!

Extra Entries:

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This giveaway ends April 11, 2010 and is open to the US only. Make sure that you leave your email address in each comment. Leave a separate comment for every entry that you make so that these will count for you! Have fun and I look forward to announcing the winners of this great giveaway!

Disclosure: This review is based on my own honest unbiased opinion of this product. You may or may not agree with my opinion. I was sent product free of charge to review. No one from the Zondervan was involved in the writing of this post. I was not paid to write this review. 

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

Reading as always been a passion of mine.  I have less time to read than I have ever had before and it takes me longer to go through a book but I still love to fall into the pages of a good book and get lost in a gripping story.  When I do read, I like to look for books that carry meaning and inspire you to overcome your trials and mistakes you have made.

Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury is a book that challenges you to look outside the box or our own bubble.  Brad Cutler has a great career in a New York Ad agency and is about to marry a beautiful girl who has kept herself pure for the day she marries.  He loves her and can not wait for their wedding day but is haunted by his past.  His past is filled with a terrible mistake that he made that only him and his high school girlfriend know about.

I was gripped by the story of regret stemmed by hard choices and the journey Brad takes to seek forgiveness.  The choices he and his former girlfriend made had an effect on more people than they realized it would have.  It has affected their future and more people in a way that they never could have imagined.

Like Brad, we all have made choices in our life that we regret or that have affected our future more than we planned.  Karen Kingsbury weaves a story through Shades of Blue to teach us that God will forgive and that He can use those choices (even though wrong) for His glory if we only let Him.  The key however is asking forgiveness from God and those that we hurt with our choices.  We must then forgive ourselves before we ever can move on.

Karen Kingsbury is a master storyteller who will keep you through the whole book.  WARNING:   You will want to read Shades of Blue until you have finished.  It can be dangerous to your health as you may stay up late to finish it!

Shades of Blue releases today and can be purchased through Amazon.com or your local bookstore.