Fiction Addict

Genre: Romance

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: October 2009

Reviewed by Elizabeth Olmedo

In six weeks, Brad Cutler will marry the woman of his dreams. Laura, perfect for him in every way, shares the same faith, morals and goals. Unfortunately, the past Brad thought he buried long ago breathes down his neck threatening to ruin everything he’s built.

Brad travels back to North Carolina to find Emma, the ex-girlfriend he abandoned nine years earlier after the bad choices of a fateful summer led to an unwanted pregnancy and abortion. He hopes to atone for his past wrongs, but in doing so, he risks everything. Laura now wonders if she even knows the man she is about to marry.

In Shades of Blue, Karen Kingsbury once again delicately weaves a story of love, faith and redemption. She tackles difficult issues and expertly shows how the choices we make change our lives forever, not only affecting us, but also those we love the most. Brad’s character demonstrates how bad decisions can lead to a lifetime of pain and regret. At the same time, though he cannot change the past, he shows that the hope of forgiveness and redemption always exist.

Not your typical romance, Shades of Blue focuses mostly on Brad and Emma’s broken past and journey to restoration while Laura struggles with anger and forgiveness miles away from her fiancée. Some Christian clichés do come through, making the narrative feel forced in places, but Kingsbury makes up for it by dealing with a complex issue, such as abortion, with gritty realism that palpably draws readers in.