Even Now (Lost Love, #1) by Karen Kingsbury

Even Now (Lost Love, #1) Reviews

• 
  Cathy

  A+; Emotions ranging from heartbreaking to triumphant in this lovely novel. If you've ever doubted the power of one moment, you won't after reading this. Ms. Kingsbury is without question the best in Christian fiction, delivering a powerful message that does not come across as preachy or ignore the realities in life. No goody-two-shoes characters cripple her prose. Real people struggle with their faith issues and come out closer to God and each other because of it.
• 
  Karen.J.

  “Even Now” by Karen Kingsbury
  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
  Once again I listened to the audiobook of “Even Now” spoken by an excellent narrator. A wonderful love story starting from teenagers to adulthood. All the trials, tribulations and the growing bonding of a committed relationship.
  I am now listening to the audiobook “Ever After” by Karen Kingsbury the second book following “Ever After”.
• 
  Tracey

  Let me start by saying that had I known this was Christian fiction I may not have picked it up to begin with. I sometimes find the religious writing a little too over-the-top for my liking. I had a couple of issues with this story line:
  1.The parents of these two teenagers conspire against them by taking deliberate steps to separate them from each other. One family moves across the country and the other into the suburbs and neither leaves a forwarding address. My issue ... the author implies that had they had God in their lives they would have behaved differently and not been so manipulative and controlling in their children’s' lives. Say what? Being lacking in a strong Christian faith is not synonymous with lacking compassion and empathy!
  2.It takes two decades to reunite this couple who have remained deeply in love. Their daughter has grown up without her parents. The events set in motion twenty years ago have caused irreparable damage. My issue … the author wants us to believe that after all that has transpired these seven characters will reunite and fall into each other’s arms full of forgiveness because they now have God in their lives. Really? You would think that there might be at least one of them that is holding onto a bit of anger and perhaps would like to lash out and express their grief about the years that have virtually been stolen from them? Apparently not.
  The story had potential to be very good but it just was not realistic to me. The reunion was too easy; the author wrapped it up in a nice little package and stuck a bow on it. Don’t get me wrong, I like happy endings and I am not saying that this couldn’t end happily. I am just saying I don’t think that the forgiveness could have come so easily without a little conflict and venting of anger first.
  
• 
  Trey Atkins

  I read this because Kingsbury's books encourage my wife. The theme of God's control of our lives and situations is one I am fully behind, but this now ranks as my least favorite book. Mainly due to disappointment.
  
  When I read self-published work, mistakes are common and expected. However, this is a well-known author with a respected publisher, yet the mistakes in storyline and editing seem to indicate both are interested far more in the profit to be had and than in a quality story and book.
  
  A few examples:
  1. I am not an editor and read fast, yet, was distracted by dozens of simple editing mistakes. They are embarrassing to list and would result in a "F" at a high school or college.
  2. The storyline is not realistic. The reaction to the loss of a baby, the story of how they remain apart and unable to contact one another, and the actions of the parents to keep them apart begin the list of plot and storyline that simply could not happen.
  3. The storyline has conflicting facts. Ages and dates have conflicts. The timing of high school, college and military training makes it impossible for Shane to have served in the Gulf War. At most points in the story Shane is said to be a baseball player, except when it is football. This list could go on, but I'm only growing more disappointed in the lack of professionalism.
  
  I appreciate the Christian teaching about prayer, trusting God, and God's control over events. However, I've never wanted a refund on a book before, but feel disappointed enough in this one to consider asking.
• 
  Sam

  It wasn't outstandingly beautiful prose, or a praise-worthy plot line, but this book made me cry. And for that, I give it 5 stars. There have been around, maybe 6, 7, books in my life that have had me sobbing (it's not easy to get my tears going in books) and this one had me wailing into the book in the middle of the night. Even Now had me smiling and laughing and making some sort of sound in my throat that sounded like sobbing and choking all at once... When Lauren and Shane were finally reunited, I felt like throwing myself to the ground in relief, tears streaming down my cheeks. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a touching book. Once in a while, perhaps because my tears come hard when I read, I appreciate reading a book so beautifully written that it sends my emotions on a rollercoaster. This book is definitely one of those books. If you don't mind shedding a tear or clutching fearfully at your chest for the sake of the characters, this book is definitely for you.
  
  
• 
  Rissa

  Even now⭐️
  
  Lauren got pregnant but parents being parents wanted her to keep her pure wanted her to get an abortion and forget the boy the impregnated her but she loved him and she would love this baby.
  
  She was told the baby died so she needed to find her boyfriend. The childs father, no one would keep them apart now. They would grow up and start a family again.
  
  But Laurens daughter Emily didnt die it was a mistake but Lauren didnt want to talk to her parents. Her parents were the reason she was miserable. So being good grandparents they took Emily in and made Emily the best life. All the mistakes they made with lauren were lessons and taught them how to be great parents to Emily. But even though emily had everything she still didnt have her parents.
  
  It was beautiful and I loved it!!
  
• 
  Emily

  What can I say that I haven't already said while I was reading... Horrible editing, spelling mistakes nearly every page wherein a space was moved/added/removed, making the intended words into completely different words... but still real words, albeit ones that didn't make sense in the sentence. Continuity errors. Contrived plot points, characters lacking common sense. I was interested in the basic plot, but it could have been done SO much better. Though she's quite prolific and popular, I haven't read much by this author. This one doesn't give me a good feeling about seeking out any of her other works.
• 
  Yvonne

  This was the first book I have read by this author. I am definitely going to read more!
• 
  Tiffani

  Let me be the first to say I LOVE a good cheesy romancey indulgence from time to time. Not always but just on occasion, however this novel was just TOO MUCH CHEESE.
     The bones of this story were good, real tear jerker worthy. But I did not find the actually writing and telling of the story to be all that good. If my husband thinks I roll my eyes at him too much he should have seen me whilst reading this! Too cheesy. And dumb. Especially that wonderful moment where Emily realized she had been spelling her dad's name incorrectly. Come on! 
     And the forshadowing was horrendous!  I don't know if it was intended to be discreet... but you knew every single that was going to happen pages and pages before it did. Also thought the religious stuff was too pushy. Meh. I keep branching out to new authors and books and I keep getting disappointed. Where I'd my Chamberlain, Moyes, or Koontz when I need them??
• 
  Kristi

  I fell in love with this story. The characters were amazing. Lauren and Shane's love for each other was flawless, even as kids. They grew up without each other. And their child little Emily. Found them and tried to get them back together. I love it. Emily was adorable. Her character was awesome. Karen Kingsbury made a great contrast of characters.
  Although it was in ways similar to one other book I read called The Chance. But I overly enjoyed both books.
  This book was Heartbreaking, sad, heartwarming, happy, loveable. I laughed and cried. Just a complete mix of emotions.
  I cant wait to read the sequel to this book.
• 
  Mariann Ryckman

  Not a huge fan of Christian fiction with a few exceptions. This was one of the most contrived story lines I've ever read. None of the actions made sense - all of the consequences were extreme. The outcome was just too neatly worked out. If you're looking for an easy read where you can just skim pages while people are whining or making dumb mistakes, this is it.
• 
  Melissa (Back But Always Behind)

  Pregnant teen and her boyfriend separated by their parents find each other 18 years later with the help of their daughter.
• 
  Morgan M

  Would never really tell any of you that you must read this book! Felt a little too forced so was a bit of a slow read. But I did love the ending of restoration of relationships all coming together
• 
  Tess

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
  ❤️/5
  
  This book was one of the most special, inspirational, moving books that I have ever read. it truly has changed me and changed my perspective. the characters in this book are so special, I feel like I have lived their lives, even as time spans 18 years throughout the book.
  but be prepared - the way I cried and sobbed my eyes out, they were sad tears, heartbroken tears, happy tears and relieved tears. My family had to seriously check if I was alright I was so moved!
  the characters are also closer to my age at the beginning meaning I felt it deeper.
  
  as a Christian, I felt the Lord deeply throughout those this novel, I felt the Lord was speaking to me through it and it honestly gave me no advice, but an essence about how I might handle these situations if I was in their shoes.
  
  trigger warning - teen pregnancy, death, war etc.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Andrea Cox

  I didn’t realize the theme of this story was unwed teen pregnancy. That is not my favorite theme, but I do appreciate that the author kept the intimacies off-page. This wasn’t an easy book at all.
  
  It seemed to me like everyone in this story committed sin upon sin upon sin in the first half. Yet, when certain characters finally turned back to God and sought forgiveness for those sins, the story became richer and more enjoyable. True repentance is absolutely amazing, and I love when that is highlighted in books.
  
  Lauren’s parents were horrible and toxic in the first half of the story. They were very well written and drove me batty for their mindsets against their daughter. I liked that they mellowed and learned to be better people while they raised their grandchild.
  
  This book showcased the contrast between the depravity of sinful behavior and the hope and peace found only in following God’s will for one’s life. The faith journeys in this book were beautiful.
  
  My one complaint about the narrator was that grown-up Emily sounded like a young child. I kept having to remind myself she was college aged. The narrator did a fantastic job at including the proper emotions during the most heartbreaking scenes, which added richness to the audio version.
  
  The second half of this story was superb and brought all the emotion and depth I have come to expect from a Karen Kingsbury novel. I really enjoyed the reunions that took place. They kind of made my heart melt.
  
  Content: teen sex, unwed pregnancy
  
• 
  Abigail Harris

  RTC
• 
  Lisa

  I really do enjoy reading Karen Kingsbury's novels. They are heart warming and uplifting. They are absolutely primarily intended to illustrate the hope and love of God, however, some inaccurate details really irked me and made this story feel unrealistic. When Lauren is in Afghanistan and she sees Emily's email, she responds with her to call a phone number. Emily calls like 5 minutes later from the Central Time zone. It was a small detail that made the event feel forced.
  
  The second thing that irked me was the lack of understanding about Shane's profession. I am in the Navy and I understand Karen is not, but I would have appreciated some basic research on the ranking structure. She describes Shane as a Captain in the Navy but that means he would have been an O-6. A Captain in every other service is an O-3. Based on the timeline of the novel and that Shane is 37, he would have only had about 15 years in the Navy. He would have likely been an O-4 (Lieutenant Commander) or maybe an O-5 (Commander). This would have been easily fixed with taking the time to do some basic googling.
  
  My average rating for Kingsbury's books is about 4.0 so I rated this one as 3.0.
• 
  Tracy Mundy

  A sweet story and I look forward to reading book 2!
• 
  Julie

  I've read about 75% of Karen Kingsbury's books and this was by far my least favorite. I would have given it 1 star if it hadn't been for the lessons on forgiveness.
  My first issue with this book is the fact that Shane and Lauren had no idea where the other was moving to. Seriously?! They didn't even exchange addresses or at least the name of the town? I thought that was absurd.
  My second issue was with Lauren running away after she thought Emily died. She didn't think she should stick around for a proper burial or memorial service?
  My third issue was that there was no contact between Emily and Shane's parents, other than saying goodbye at the airport. Shouldn't there have been a scene where they ask Emily for forgiveness and try to get to know their granddaughter?
  I don't know how Shane and Lauren ended up with such great careers because they both were quite stupid in the other aspects of their lives.
  I don't know what Ms. Kingsbury or her editor were thinking when they decided to publish this nonsense. I don't think I'll be reading the sequel.
• 
  Maria

  Lost Love Series
  
  EVEN NOW
  The first book, Even Now, is the story of a young woman seeking answers to her heart's deep questions. A man and woman separated by lies and long years. . . yet who have never forgotten each other. With hallmark tenderness and power, Karen Kingsbury weaves a tapestry of lives, losses, love, and faith and the miracle of resurrection
  
  EVER AFTER
  In Ever After, the moving sequel to Even Now, Emily Anderson, now twenty, is attending college on a soccer scholarship when she meets the man who changes everything for her. Lauren and Shane still struggle to move past their opposing beliefs about war, politics, and faith. Shane believes it’s possible; Lauren doesn’t. So she says a painful good-bye to her long-ago love and returns to her job as a war correspondent in Afghanistan. Then tragedy sends shock waves through all their lives. Can Lauren and Shane set aside their opposing views so that love—God’s love—might win, no matter how great the odds?
• 
  Maggie Carr

  Read Harder Challenge 2019: A Book By A Journalist or About Journalism
  
  Those closest to me know my two reading rules-
  1. When at all possible avoid reading what everyone else is "in the moment"
  2. Don't read a series that is still a work in progress (I'm not patient enough to wait for series additions)
  So when my library started a challenge for this year to complete a variety of tasks related to reading and more I was eager to commit. One task is to read a book that a friend or family member asked you to read, so I finally caved and checked out Karen Kingsbury per my sisters numerous "have you read them yet?" questions she asks of me often. I was pleasantly surprised and already have the follow up on hold. I'm sure I'll be reading more by this author even after the sequel but abiding to rule 2, of course.
• 
  Amber

  Great Karen Kingsbury Story! It starts out about two teenagers who fall in love and Lauren (the main girl) gets pregnant. She decides to keep her baby instead of giving it up for adoption much to the dismay of her parents and her boyfriends parents. Her boyfriend Shane's parents are trying everything they can to get them to change their mind. They want to get married and raise the baby together because they are in love. The come up with a plan and it keeps them apart. Lauren has her baby and somethings happen and she ends up leaving only to come back 18 years later to meet the daughter she didn't know was still alive! Great book would recommend. Very easy read for me. Was done in a few days :)
• 
  Loraine

  "A young woman seeking answers to her heart's deep questions. A man and woman separted by lies and long years...yet who have never fogotten each other. With hallmark tenderness and power, Karen Kingsbury weaves a tapestry of lives, losses, love, and faith--and the miracle of resurrection."
  
  Two families the Galanters and the Andersons - close knit with a son and daughter who grow up together, fall in love, and make a tragic mistake which tears the two families to pieces. Karen Kingsbury has written a riveting tale of what happens when people follow their own will rather than God's will and the chaos it creates. I loved the storyline and the fact that the characters were trying to do what they thought was right at the time but for all the wrong reasons.
• 
  Carolyn Vandine West

  Rounded up to a four because we can’t give 1/2 stars.
  Lauren and Shane became pregnant during their junior year of high school. Both sets of parents were against them marrying and keeping their child. When Shane’s parents moved out of state, the parents agreed to cut ties. This book outlines lost years because of a misunderstanding. I related to this book, because of a similar situation in my life at 16, minus the pregnancy. My husband and I just passed our 48th anniversary. So we obviously loved and made it through the stumbling blocks in our way.
  I read this for a book discussion club with the senior services center. The other women in our group loved it. I was not as much as impressed as they were.
  I will probably read the next in the series to see if it wraps up a few things.
• 
  Ann

  First off, I read this on my Kindle. There were so many typos that it just drove me crazy. They were real words, but out of context, such as "allow edit" instead of "allowed it". It makes me crazy to see typos in books, there is just no excuse for that.
  
  Overall, the story was ok. Christian romance/drama. I did get a little frustrated with characters who seem to have no common sense at all. Parts of the story were unbelievable to me.
  
  It was a quick read, and a page turner. There was a bit of the politics of the Middle East and how the US was handling it. I don't think I could or could not recommend it.
• 
  MMatchak

  Emily Anderson was born to teenage parents who were separated by their own parents as a result of her coming into the world. Emily is raised by her grandparents who have been searching for her mother, Lauren, who has been missing since Emily was just weeks old. Once Emily is old enough, she begins searching, too, only her search expands to find her father, Shane, as well, whose parents moved to California to keep him away from her mother. It is a story of lost love, but one I found rather predictable at points.