This story is the perfect example of there is more to what we see.

From the outside and from external third-party viewpoints, Lori would seem like a confident, bubbly outgoing lady, and Jase a young youth pastor with a bright future in the ministry.

Only the readers see their true struggles – Lori with her worth which linked to overeating, and Jase with his loss in faith after his fiancé died. As a reader I could empathize with both struggles, and I am sure a lot of other readers as well. We all have something which happened in our past, happening, or might happen, which might take a knock in our faith and make us doubt God.

I love how Jase was honest at the end about his struggle and journey to find a way back to trust in God.

Kenzi was also a sweet character, who after she found God, she decided to leave the Amish world, though it is such an integral part of her.

A lovely story about friendship with a focus on character growth.

*I received a complimentary copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.*

Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book. Heartwarming with a touch of a mystery added in there for good measure.

This is a wonderful Christian romance book that grabbed my attention immediately. The small town and the close knit church family reminded me of my childhood church. I love the authors style of writing. It flows effortlessly. I was invested in the story and characters from beginning until the end. Life and spiritual lessons are woven throughout this beautiful story. It gets a 4 star rating from me. A copy was provided from NetGalley. These are my honest words.

I’m generally a huge fan of Kim Vogel Sawyer’s books, and the premise of this book really appealed to me. Truthfully though, some of it fell flat, I had difficulty connecting with some of the characters, and there was a lot of sparkle missing. I loved the Krafts and their very important role, I loved Jase and the growth his character showed, but I had a hard time connecting with a youth minister who didn’t believe in God anymore. Lori had so much potential, and I’m sure the goal was to show the importance of reconciliation & forgiveness, but the hateful way her dad treated her was abuse. She was belittled and cursed, hated herself, but then she ate a lot and poof decided everything was forgiven. It seemed unrealistic to me, and I think it’s important for characters who are going through the self hatred that kind of dysfunctional relationship breeds to find that it’s ok to take responsibility for their own happiness. I think not having it wrapped up with a big red bow would have felt more authentic, even more so if she had recognized her own beauty instead of only being validated by another person. The love story also was missing a lot of the desired spark and it almost seemed contrived from the very beginning, like Lori just decided and so it happened. I really wanted to love it, and ultimately it ended up being a good story, I just hoped for more.

Youth pastor Jase takes a move away from Texas after the untimely death of his fiancee. The small town where he goes needs him, but he is feeling adrift. With the counsel of the head pastor, who is preparing for retirement, Jase moves step by step toward healing.
Luckily, young adult women of the congregation, Kensie and Lori, provide a much-needed friends group for Brandon. When the people let down their guards and start to lean on their friends, healing begins.

Any book by this author is always excellent reading. I loved the storyline and the characters in this book. It was one that it was always difficult to find a stopping point, because I wanted to keep reading. As always, I’m looking forward to the next book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

I often struggle with picking books that I know I will enjoy. I have not had that problem when I select a book by Kim Vogel Sawyer. This book walked through something we can all relate to. When life's brokenness causes us to doubt God's goodness. Then throw in a good romance and I am hooked.

Kim Vogel Sawyer has been on my top favorite author list for years now. I have read every single one of her books and have been eagerly waiting for her newest release, From This Moment. She knows how to touch the readers heart and feel the Grace of God, while crafting a beautiful story. This one is no different. I adored Jase and Lori and was interested in what would happen to them throughout. I had the whole book read in one sitting.

From This Moment would get one hundred stars from me if it were possible. I highly recommend it for readers who enjoy reading faith filled Amish r0mance. It should not be missed.

I received an ebook copy of From This Moment from the publisher. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.

Another sweet story from Kim Vogel Sawyer. The story took a while to grab my attention but once it did it held it to the end. The story was a comforting reminder that as much as we rely on the ministers in our lives, we need to remember that they are only human too and need our prayers, love and support. I was disappointed there was no kiss in the end but I've come to expect that from her books.

Another masterpiece by Kim Vogel Sawyer. Beautifully written. Rich character development. Engaging story line. Multi-layered. Highly recommended. Five stars.

From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer had my heart tugged toward it all the way through. There is heartbreak, loss, change, new beginnings, restoration, and more. The brownies had my mouth watering even though I’m not a brownie-type person. This author has a way with words that I just love. I love the phrases that she uses like “he must have lost his ever-lovin’ mind,” “flibbertigibbet,” and “we need your thinker for a problem.” The characters were believable and I loved how they all interacted. Yes, to this one!
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.


***Also posted on Amazon, CBD, B&N

This is the third of the author's books that I have read. I was surprised that I didn't enjoy this one as much as the other two. My problem was that I did not like one of the main characters. Despite that, the author writes so well that it is hard to put her books down and I will keep reading them. I like the book worlds that she creates. The theme of this book is getting through a crisis of faith.

So far what I've read of Kim Vogel Sawyer are what I would term light and gentle reads. They're usually just good stories that aren't high on the angst and, for the most part, have pleasant characters, or at least characters that have valid reasons for their actions. I appreciate that this story doesn't have any true antagonist, just some typical teens. Most of the trouble is of an inward nature, with each character dealing with their own personal issues - feeling God's direction and battling with their own inner demons. From This Moment is actually the first contemporary story I've read by her, and for me, one of the better ones.

The cast of characters is easy to love. I enjoyed seeing all of the friendships play out. My favorite details were about Kenzie and her loom. She has such a neat talent. I also truly empathized with Lori and found her struggles with food and her body image to be realistic. While I don't tend to eat my feelings, I've definitely had my moments, and if not food, have tried to fill voids with other things that were too much of a good thing (exercise, studying long hours, etc). I appreciated that her struggle addressed both the spiritual and practical aspect, since her problem was with overeating but also finding worth in herself. There are several secondary characters that color the story with life and warmth.

A few things made me laugh - like a teen saying he needed to "vamoose," and a mid-twenties guy talk about his CD collection. I know I'm not one of the cool kids, but does that age group have CD collections anymore - of course, the strangest things are trendy and retro now, so what do I know? Those things took me out of the story a bit because they just didn't come across as realistic for people their age. I also didn't care for Lori's goofy exclamations, but again, that could just be me.

Readers that prefer a lighter romance will be happy with this story, but also those looking for a happy ending will be satisfied. It definitely didn't make me swoon, but not every story has to have that swoon factor to be a good one. Kim Vogel Sawyer fans are sure to enjoy this one!

In From This Moment, Kim Vogel Sawyer once again displays her beautiful storytelling. The characters in this book are so well written that I could not help but be drawn into the story. They were dealing with very real and often difficult issues, but they were tackled with grace. Despite the difficult topics that were brought up within the story, I still walked away with a sense of hope. This was an emotional story, and one that I could not get enough of. If you enjoy a good inspirational fiction story, this is certainly one to check out.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley for consideration. All thoughts are my own.

From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer is a beautifully crafted story of hope and new beginning. Have you ever wanted to start again? This story begins with such a thing, set in a small town. The characters in this book are so realistic, dealing with very real hurts. This only adds dimension to the story. I absolutely adored the author's voice in this story. Her prose flows so smoothly and quickly sets the scene with just enough description. I think readers of inspirational fiction will love this book. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

A true delight:
Like one of Kenzie's rag rugs, I liked how all of the characters and threads of the story came together in such a comfortable and comprehensive way. This book really resonated with me and I loved how Kenzie and Jase worked through their doubts and struggles, learning to fully surrender their own desires to the Lord's will. My heart also went out to Lori and it was wonderful seeing her personal growth as she overcame her insecurities and challenges.
I loved the strong Christian message that was woven throughout, especially about allowing the Holy Spirit to fill us up and be our strength and comforter. All in all, this was a fabulous book that I highly recommend if you want to be encouraged and inspired.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

From This Moment
What a refreshing Christian read! Well-written. Sorry to see the story end, I wanted more.

This is essentially a story of wrestling with spiritual issues and healing from childhood trauma. Jase, a youth pastor struggles to walk the talk as he works with young people in the new community church he has moved to. Lori, the newly appointed church custodian fights her demons – a terrible relationship with her father that results in her having a very poor self image. Their friend, Kenzie, having left her Amish community and doing fabulously as a weaver, is feeling the draw to go back to her family and share her conversion story. The senior Pastor whose health issues are getting worse, but he doesn’t want to tell his wife that he needs to change his diet as he fears she might see it as a rejection of her cooking!

All these characters form the cast of a sweet story of hope and grace and finding redemption in God and community.

Masterfully paced and plotted. I loved how these two characters found each other and the mystery of the ring was enjoyable.
Many thanks to WaterBrook & Multnomah and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

What a sweet story of finding love. With tortured pasts, the main characters have to rise above those years to see the good that could be in their lives.

When an odd circumstance draws them together in a way that neither expected - nor saw coming - the path they choose brings their hearts to that Y in the road where they will have to choose.

Great read. Expect a tear or two! Highly recommend the book.

Disclaimer: I received a digital copy of this book from WaterBrookMultnomah with no expectation in return. The above thoughts are my own.