Book Review: Shades of Blue by Karen Kingsbury

I have read several books by Karen Kingsbury. Most of them have been pretty good. After reading several, however, I felt that they were beginning to sound a lot alike, so I stopped reading them for a while. When I saw this one, I thought it might be a little different, so I checked it out from the library.

When young people are in love, they sometimes do stupid things. This is a story of a couple who let their passions get control of them and they wind up with many regrets. As they get older, they both wonder what life would have been like if things had been different.

The primary male character in this book, Brad Cutler, is getting married. But weeks before the wedding, he has memories of his high school girlfriend and what they did on a beach several years before. He realizes that before he can pledge his heart to his bride, he must go back and confront his past and seek forgiveness. What happens as a result of this decision is the subject of this book.

When I read the first few chapters, I wanted to put the book down. Kingsbury painted such a "perfect" picture of Brad, his fiancee, and her family that I found myself rolling my eyes in disbelief. But I made myself go on. Then the book got better. I began to get into the story and see what my life might have been like if I had made similar choices. I grieved with the characters as they struggled with their past and with trusting God.

I think this book would be helpful for some who find themselves in an unwanted pregnancy, or for those who are struggling with trusting God for their future. It's a little too "sweet", but I know a lot of readers like this kind of book. If you do, you will enjoy Shades of Blue.