Thank you for quick delivery on this Karen Kingsbury book. What a blessing to my heart to read this book.

I usually like Karen Kingsbury books but this was just too much. The characters were so unreal. The seven year old boy was perfect. Totally unlike a normal seven year old especially going through the loss of his mother.

The book was way too mushy for my taste. It was also too predictable. An affair in a marriage is devastating. Not something that can be fixed in a few weeks.

The other thing that really bothered me what the way she wrote when the boy was talking. I really didn't like the little kid talk she wrote in. Everything was "my mommy"... or some mispronounced word. It was kind of like reading Junie B Jones.

I did not like this book.

There is so much foreshadowing in this book you'll know how it ends if within the first few chapters. This book posses no twist or turns. The characters are one-dimensional, the dialogue is cheesy, and the book is filled with preachy undertones. I suppose I should have done more research before purchasing the book, and I would have known better, but I was expecting more "literature" but found it to be "chick-lit".
I won't be purcahsing any more Kingsbury's novels.
On a positive note, it is a quick-read.

This is my first Karen Kingsbury novel. The tragedy is borderline unbearable. This book has a nice ending, and takes you through the struggle of infidelity, but the emotion is so raw, and the characters, especially that of the little boy, were a little too unbelieveable. I don't know if I'd be willing to give this author another shot or not, and I am an avid reader of Christian fiction. Should've gotten it from the library.

Aimee

This book is outstanding! Kingsbury does an excellent job of capturing real human emotions. She is not afraid to create flawed characters with real emotions who are dealing with a heart wrenching situation. It was very easy to relate to the characters and to feel what they were feeling. Many Christian authors stick with fluffy topics and create too perfect characters. I commend Kingsbury for tackling difficult topics and for creating a story that will hook readers and make them think. This book will not disappoint.

I have to say this book was only okay. It started off good. Some good characters and some interesting life changing experiences to deal with. Probably one of my favorite characters was the little boy named Max. He was sweet, innocent and just plain adorable. You can probably guess how the book ended and I am not saying it was a bad ending I mean it ended the way I wanted it to end. It just that near the middle I got bored and it just wasn't as interesting a read as it was in the beginning. Saying that though I would give the author another shot some day.

Kiahna Siefert and Connor Evans had a brief affair that ended as quickly as it had started. Now eight years later there is a plane crash and Kiahna's will asks that Connor be found, and her young son to be with the father that he did not even know existed.

Connor has regretted that one night and never even told his wife about it. Now his marriage is stronger then ever. When the Lawyer calls him with a proposition of a two-week visit with Max, Connors world is flipped upside down. Will he lose the wife that he adores or will he have to give up the son he always wanted?

Oceans Apart is a heart-wrenching story that starts out with a terrible tragedy and grips you from the first pages and does not fail to keep you wondering how it would end until the last pages. Max is such a doll of a character; you cannot help but fall in love with him and his simple trusting love of God. Oceans Apart is another winner in Karen Kingbsbury's long list of must read books.

Tori
reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

The back of the cover made it sound interesting, but at first I thought to myself, there's no way the family can fix itself after this. Basically, a airline pilot, Connor, has a one night stand with a hawaiian stewardess during a snowstorm, goes home, and tries to forget about it, never telling his wife and two daughters. But he's not that lucky. Eight years later, Connor gets a phone call. Kiahna, the stewardess, has died in a plane crash- and her will states that before he's put in foster care, her son must meet his father. Connor brings the boy into his home- and the family falls apart.
My heart went out to both Kiahna, who didn't know Connor was married and who dreamed of becoming a doctor before she got pregnant with Max, and Michele, Connor's wife, who is heartbroken by her husband's infedility. Most of all my heart broke for Max, who doesn't understand what's going on around him, and who just wants to find his daddy.
My only problems with the book are that some of it was slightly unbelievable. After a snowstorm, Kiahna offers Connor her couch for the night, and he conviently doesn't tell her he's married until after they have sex. (Your average man.) I didn't really buy Connor's excuse for sleeping with Kiahna, since he's so in love with Michele: he rolls over in the morning and grabs Kiahna, thinking she's Michele: yeah, right. And Michele's choice on what to do about Max- while it makes the reader happy, it's just a little too happy to not be corny.
Despite its flaws, however, this is a good book, and its message, sprinkled throughout the book in bible passages, make it more than just a great read. I recomend it to anybody, even me, who ususally doesn't go for inspirational fiction.

I enjoyed reading this novel and could relate to the reactions and feelings of the characters. Readers could consider this light reading if they don't think about the different heart-attitudes and related consequences described in this novel.

A birthday present, this book is not in a genre I usually read. However, it's good to do things you don't usually do sometimes. Variety is the spice of life. There were a few places where the story seemed to be overly saturated with emotion for my taste, and some things were repeated several times. But I enjoyed this story and wouldn't mind reading more from this author.

Ocean's apart while well worth reading left me not loving the story or feeling the raw emotions of most of Karen Kingsbury's books. Conner and Michele Evans have the perfect marriage and the perfect daughters but what causes Connor to have the affair and the whole affair just does't seem real to me. The only parts of the book I loved were the parts with Max the son that Connor fathered. I loved the little boy and could not understand how Michelle could not fall in love with that little boy. This is an easy read just not up to par with some of her other work.

He only slipped up once in his marriage vows and his commitment to living the Christian way, but it only took one night of giving into loneliness and temptation to give Connor Evans a son that he does not know about until the boy's mother is killed in a plane crash. When lawyers contact him to inform him of the sad news and the decision he now faces, Connor must confess to cheating to his wife, Michele. Though she attempts to cope, Michele is rocked and believes her entire marriage to be stained by lies. Even as Conner and his son, Max grow closer and their daughters begin to accept him as a friend, even though they do not know the whole truth, Michele struggles with the entire situation. Has Conner gained a son to lose a marriage? What is the path God would have them take?

***** This is a book that will shake you up; Ms. Kingsbury, as usual, pulls you into the narrative and wires you into the characters' emotions. Max's simple faith, Michele's hurt reaction to being betrayed, and Conner having to face the results of his sin will all feel as real as the nose on your face. Once again, a strong Christian message is presented, but not in a wimpy way, like so many "inspirational" novels tend to do. The characters are beautifully realized with all their flaws and heartaches. Even more clear though, is God's ability to make miracles out of messes. *****

Amanda Killgore for Huntress Reviews