Cover Image: A Borrowed Life

A Borrowed Life

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Member Reviews

Enjoyed the storyline, good to read about an older woman turning her life around. Heart warming ove story, that I could not put down

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What a great story! I was drawn into Liz’s story and her struggle to separate Liz from Elizabeth and to help her daughter out from under the restrictions of her upbringing. Lance is a bit of a mystery and Liz’s new friends are a kick in the pants. The story was really a wild ride, but the transformation of the main characters was both believable and beautiful. I would highly recommend this book.

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What a great second chance storyline, this one was an unexpected pleasure that I really enjoyed reading! With a great writing style, King grabbed my attention and made me want to keep cheering Liz on! How could I not love a book where a woman finds her own life and recreates herself?! The perfect read for me right now, I needed this one! I'll definitely be reading more from her in the future.

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I found this book to be not only my cup of tea, but trite and predictable.

I usually really like titles published by Lake Union, but this one missed the mark for me.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

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Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title

This one wasn’t for me and i ended up not finishing

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When Liz husband dies she finds herself feeling free instead of sad, she realizes how controlling he was, and how she allowed it, she starts a new life, which her daughter hates, now she realizes what she should have done differently for her daughter. A journey of self discovery, finding out who she is, this was absolutely my kind of book.

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This book was a very good read and held my interest through out, I really hope to read something else by the author soon!

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Wanted to like this book of a woman and found herself after her pastor husband passed away. Her daughter was not nice to her at all and it just didn’t hold my interest.

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A Borrowed Life is a wonderful book about family relationships between spouses and parent/child. It caused me to reflect on my own relationships, laugh and cry. Some of the relationships were restrictive due to other's expectations which caused Liz to forgo what she wanted for herself. Some relationships were supportive allowing Liz to change and grow.

Overall A Borrowed Life is well written with a storyline to draw you in. I am looking forward to reading additional books by Kerry Anne King.

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A Borrowed Life REVIEW
As a quick reminder, here is my rating structure:

1 star: Did not finish
2 Stars: Finished but I do not recommend
3 Stars: Liked but could use some improvements
4 Stars: Loved this book!
5 Stars: Rare. The unput-down-able, binge read obsession.
My star ratings are also based also genre based. I compare all books with books of the same genre. While I would love to believe that my love of books in general transcends all bias, there are genres I prefer over others.

I’m human.

Example: If I read a mystery novel and think it deserves a 5-star rating, then I have compared it to other mystery books, and determined it to be one of my absolute favorites. The unputdownable mystery.

This will hopefully keep me from comparing Outlander, a personal obsession of mine, with the experience of reading The Hate You Give. Both 5 star books for me, but completely and totally different. I couldn’t even try to rate them against each other, so I don’t. Makes my life easier.

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My Thoughts…
I barely stopped to sleep when reading this book. I’m not even sure I can pinpoint why, but I was hooked on this story. Something about the writing instantly drew me into the book and I HAD to keep reading.

I felt everything that happened, the despair, helplessness, and hopelessness that turned into hope for the future. The story never stopped for me, never dragged, and I just wanted to read it.

There was something so very relatable to Liz. I not only rooted for her, but I was invested in her future. I didn’t need her to succeed, I didn’t need her to find love, I didn’t even need her to find a happily ever after. I needed her to find herself and find peace.

There is just something so very compelling about Liz and her story. I honestly didn’t know what she was going to do what, what choices she would make. I just wanted to see her get to decide for herself.

Though there’s romance, it’s definitely not the typical meet cute, with a very twisty relationship. The romantic relationship served to help Liz come into herself, experience life, and really decide who she wanted to be. This wasn’t a perfect hero, instant love, overly idealized love story. A Borrowed Life depicts love at its truest and full of complications, and uses it to compliment the focus of the book, which is Liz’s journey of healing.

If you like fiction, especially emotional, redemptive stories, this is your next read.

*Special thanks to Kerry Anne King, Lake Union Publishing, and TLC Book Tours for providing a copy of A Borrowed Life in exchange for an honest review.

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this was a really good read, the characters were great and I really enjoyed getting to know Liz. It was a good journey going through it.

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I inhaled A BORROWED LIFE by Kerry Anne King in several rapt sittings. King's story traces the unexpected, unwanted blooming of a long-suffering wife when her controlling, overbearing husband dies suddenly. Without the good Paster Thomas to manage her every move, Liz is free to think, to make friends, and to choose what she wants to do. With this freedom comes the guilt and regrets over having wasted so much of her life "doing the right thing" rather than living her own caring, original life, but Liz forges forward with new friendships, new interests and fresh possibilities for life, love, and the pursuit of her own experience and integrity. I rooted for the protagonist every step of the way, enjoyed the many well-wrought characters, and relished the opportunity to read a story by an exceptionally talented writer at the top of her game. I received an advance reader copy from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

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A Borrowed Life is a thought provoking, entertaining read with a warm and fuzzy ending. Easily read in a sitting.

It was wonderful to read about a character closer to my age taking stock of her life and making the often difficult choices she needs to make to find herself again after years of subservience and invisibility. Liz's struggle to regain her authentic self was fraught with emotional outbursts (mostly from her daughter), doubt and uncertainty but also strength. With the support of her bestie Val and a new leading man, Liz's story gave me all the feels.

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Some books just feel like they are good for your soul, and Kerry Anne King’s A Borrowed Life is one of those books. Funny, sweet, emotional, inspiring, and uplifting. This is a perfect read to lift your spirits and remind us that even hard times bring change and good things to those with an open heart.

The main character Liz Lightsey has been the perfect Pastor’s wife for 26 years, when at 49 she finds herself a widow. Being a pastor’s life isn’t easy—Liz spent so much of her time catering to her family and her church, that she let herself and her own interests fall by the wayside. Now at 49, Liz isn’t entirely sure who she is. Thomas had ideas about what the roles for a woman and man in a home were, and suddenly Liz is able to think clearly if she agrees.

I thought this was so relatable—I think women in general tend to sacrifice what they want for others (particularly men). And we do it willingly, we are often nurturers and taking care of others is important to us. But our interests matter too. I think most women will really connect with this book and with Liz, she is such a great character and I loved seeing her come alive as the book went on.

When Liz’s neighbor suggests she audition for a part in a community theater production, Liz begins to find herself again little by little. Her life is hers now, and she is opening up new opportunities and meeting new people. And slowly, Liz experiences other things—margaritas, wearing jeans, cutting her hair. Liz is finally living her life for herself and doing things that interest her.

There are a few moments that took me by surprise in the story that I really enjoyed! This is a lovely story and one that will bring a smile to your face.

Thank you to TLC Book Tours for my copy. Opinions are my own.

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This was just what I needed right now. A great book that made me laugh out loud many times. Of course it also made me cry, get angry and want to strangle a certain person or persons. But overall it was the perfect read for me right now. Kerry Anne King is such an amazing author.

This is one book that will make you feel many emotions. I laughed so hard at Liz and Val and most of the church ladies. Liz and Val are the best of friends and the antics they get into are priceless. The things that Val does to help Liz cope during the loss of Thomas. Thomas is Val's husband and I very much disliked that man. He's the preacher in the town and died of a heart attack. You'll learn a lot about him and it's not good.

Abigail is Liz's daughter. Another person that I couldn't stand. She was very childish and overbearing and down right ugly to her mother. And that she called her "mother" made my skin crawl. The way she said it. The condescending way she treated her mom after the loss of Thomas. She was just picking up basically where Thomas stopped when he dropped dead. She took it upon herself to be the ruler of the house and dictate what her mom could and could not do. I really did not like her.

Lance.. I loved him up to a point. After I heard his story I got over my dislike for him and was a huge fan. He's wonderful and scared and it's so understandable after hearing his story. He's got a lot of patience, I have to give him that. At least later in the story he does. At first he is very sexy and will make you love him. Then he turns into a first rate jerk and you will hate him. But he's ok. He really is.

This story will grab ahold of you and pull you in hard and fast. It's so good. It's the best of it's kind I have read. I usually read thrillers. This book has so many feels to it. It makes you feel like you are right there. From the community play to the countryside. When Liz decides to take back her life you will most certainly root for her. I sure did. I said to myself many times, "you go girl." Have the life you've been denied for twenty-six years. Get out and enjoy. Have fun. Get to know YOU!

This is such a good book. You will treasure each part of this story. From the very beginning to the last page. Throw in a few tears of joy and it's really a perfect book.

Thank you #NetGalley, #LakeUnion, #KerryAnneKing, #ABorrowedLife for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5/5 stars and a very high recommendation! A must read.

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Elizabeth Lightsey was a good and dutiful wife to her husband as well as a respectful wife to a clergyman. She was also a respectable mother to her daughter Abigail and followed all of the stringent rules set forth by her husband, Rev. Thomas Lightsey. She never disagreed with him. She never offered an opinion. She was never flamboyant. In fact, she was leading a church organized knitting circle in their home when her husband dropped dead of a massive heart attack. And now, at age 49, Elizabeth (she prefers Liz, thank you very much) is at a literal and figurative crossroads in her life. Does she continue on the path set forth by her strict and overly rigid husband or does she find her own way in life?

You already know that Liz is going to shake free and try to discover who she really is because it's never too late to try something new. Sadly, not too many people want Liz to change, including Liz's daughter or any of the gossiping busybodies from Liz's church. Fortunately, Liz has a BFF in her next-door neighbor and Val is definitely shaking things up. Liz has new clothes, is wearing her hair differently, and is even wearing makeup. She's joined a theater group, and has stopped going to church. And now, adding insult to perceived injury in her daughter Abigail's eyes after an almost DUI (you'll definitely want to read the book to learn more about that one), Liz is pregnant. Will she have an abortion, give the baby up for adoption (as Abigail suggests), or raise the baby as a single parent since she's quite adamant about not getting married again?

Liz has crammed a lot of life into the few months after her husband's death. The reader gets a glimpse into her marital life via journal entries, discoveries made whilst Liz is clearing the house, and more. <b>A Borrowed Life</b> isn't a simple story about a mid-life crisis or a self-discovery. It's about allowing oneself to become subsumed by a stronger personality in a relationship. It's about family, both blood family and found family. And it's a story about self-determination at any age (you'll have to read the story to understand that a bit more). I found <b>A Borrowed Life</b> to be a fast-paced and enjoyable read. I could relate to all of the characters and the action, and empathized and sympathized with Liz and Abigail. If you enjoy reading stories filled with realistic characters dealing with everyday issues in a funny and unique way, you'll definitely want to grab a copy of <b>A Borrowed Life</b> to read. After I finished reading this book, I immediately began discussing it with my 85-y.o. mother and had to order a print copy for her to read. (Yes, I liked it that much.) Ms. King is a new-to-me author, but I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. I hope you'll enjoy reading <b>A Borrowed Life</b> as much as I did.

Happy Reading y'all!

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A borrowed life is one of this books I didn't finished because I got asleep every time I read it, and I was not waiting for that.

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I have mixed feelings about this book. Whilst I appreciated the notion of finding yourself and gaining 'freedom' after a confining marriage, I couldn't bear the judgement and interference from Liz's friends and daughter and I was unable to continue. In my opinion, a person's loved ones would want them to be happy and would encourage them to do whatever is necessary to achieve that. But in this book, not enough did.

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Kerry Anne King introduced us to Liz who’s entire life was spent being the perfect mother and obedient wife of a pastor. For almost 30 years she put herself last until her husband dies. For the first time in years she allows herself to live a life she truly wants but not without the judgement of her daughter, her neighbors, or her church family.
Determined to find her own path in life she rediscovers what she used to love. She goes into community theater and finds her passion for acting and the leading man. Just as she is about to start her new life she discovers she’s pregnant at the age of 49. Life has surprises around every corner for Liz and this book had me rooting for her the entire time.
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Thank you #NetGalley and #LakeUnionPublishing for a digital Arc in exchange for an honest review.
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This story will be inspirational for all women who feel suppressed in some aspect of their lives and want to make a change despite opposition. A Borrowed Life explores how a woman who pushes against the confines of the life she has at age 49 is shocked by an unplanned pregnancy and how much her life changes in a short amount of time. Is she up for the challenge? Many readers will enjoy seeing how the main character, Liz, handles each obstacle thrown in her way. I found the mother-daughter relationship especially interesting, and as always. Kerry Ann King does a great job of creating relatable characters and an emotional story.

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