Weekend Writing: Reviewing Karen Kingsbury's "Found"

"As he dropped to his knees, as he silently cried out to Jesus and begged Him to come through the open door into his heart, into his life, he felt something he'd never felt before. His heart was complete, and that could mean only one thing: the hole was gone." - Karen Kingsbury, "Found" 

Every book I read from Karen Kingsbury is more captivating than the previous book, even when I think her books can't get any better. Her "Life-Changing" fiction is comforting, inspirational, and they impact readers in ways we hardly expect. I am currently enjoying her Firstborn series--a continuation of the Baxter Family series established in the Redemption series. I love the Baxters, but as I have expressed in many book reviews (including my previous review of Forgiven), I love the Firstborn series, as well. I enjoy reading about Dayne Matthews--the Hollywood heartthrob--and Katy Hart, the small-town, innocent Christian girl who works as a director of the Christian Kids Theater (CKT) in Bloomington, Indiana.

Karen Kingsbury's "Firstborn" series (photo/Amazon.com).

Found continues the story of Dayne and Katy. Since the first book in the series, Dayne and Katy have a strong connection neither the two can deny. They formed a bond we often dream about, since they met while Katy was auditioning for one of Dayne's movies. Even though Katy ultimately turned down the movie offer to stay in Bloomington, she didn't turn down Dayne. Even though they try to stay away from each other, it's impossible. They love each other, but there are a few things keeping them apart: Dayne's celebrity status, and his wavering acceptance of God's love.

Oh, and the fact that Dayne's former girlfriend, Kelly, told him he's about to become a father to her baby. Or...Is the baby actually Dayne's? That's a good question...

Dayne's life is changing and he has no idea who he is anymore. He loves Katy, but he can't be with her as long as paparazzi are following him everywhere and that he's going to have a baby with another woman. He's floating around--just going through the motions while he wonders how Katy can love God so much when He does everything to keep them apart.

Karen Kingsbury's "Found."

It isn't until Dayne visits his former friend, Bob Asher, in Mexico City when Dayne sees the light. Bob, a Christian missionary, opens Dayne up to God. While in Mexico City, Dayne asks God for forgiveness, for salvation, and for redemption. God accepts him--having always loved Dayne.

Dayne later tells Katy, "I once was lost but now am found."

Yes, Dayne found his way back to his faith. He found the person he's supposed to be. He finds a way to forgive his birth parents for giving him up for adoption, his adoptive parents for spending more time as missionaries than raising him, and forgiving God for his hardships. Dayne is found, and he does everything in his power to never be lost again.

Overall, Found has many emotional highs and lows. I was elated when I found out Ashley Baxter-Blake was expecting a baby with her husband, Landon. Ashely and Landon are relationship goals for me, so I was excited to watch them add a limb to their family tree (Ashley already being a mother to her first son, Cole). However, her birth story is one for the books--giving birth during a F5 tornado.

I was also excited when John Baxter found out his birth son--his firstborn son--was Hollywood celebrity Dayne Matthews. He finally completed the promise he made to his dying wife, Elizabeth, years ago. He tracked down their firstborn son, but then John had to move on to the next step: meeting his son for the first time. Elizabeth met her son during the final moments of her life. But, how would John and Dayne interact with each other? Would it be a pleasant meeting? Or, would it be awkward?

Kingsbury continues her phenomenal writing style of being inspirational and writing about real emotions. She interweaves multiple stories into one novel: Dayne and Katy's romance, Dayne's religious struggles, John's conflict with connecting with his son, and Ashley's pregnancy. You can't help but love Kingsbury's characters.

Karen Kingsbury (photo/myhero.com)

You want the best for her characters. When I'm reading Kingsbury's novels, her characters are like family members to me. I'm drawn to their stories. Just like every other book of hers, I found myself racing to the end of Found. I had to know what would happen next. Would Ashley survive her labor? Would Dayne be found in his religious journey? Would Dayne and Katy confess their feelings? Would John and Dayne meet? Is Dayne's former girlfriend telling the truth about her pregnancy?

There are so many questions, but like always, Kingsbury answers them in her novel, yet she still leaves us hanging for more to be explored in future books. I'll continue to work my way through the Firstborn series. I love the series so much. I love learning about Dayne and Katy, as well as the Baxter family. I'm in love with the characters and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Until next time...

Read on.

-KJL-