Book Review: Forever With You by Robin Jones Gunn

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Title: Forever With You

Author: Robin Jones Gunn

Series: Christy & Todd: The Married Years #1

Genre: Contemporary

Audience: Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**5 stars**

There was something about the CHRISTY MILLER, SIERRA JENSEN, CHRISTY & TODD: THE COLLEGE YEARS, and KATIE WELDON series that just drew me in. I loved going back into their world; and I felt like Christy, Todd, and their friends were somehow my friends. So you can guess how thrilled I was when I heard Robin Jones Gunn was writing CHRISTY & TODD: THE MARRIED YEARS! Christy and Todd forever! <3 *grins*

Forever With You, Book One in CHRISTY & TODD: THE MARRIED YEARS series, starts out with Christy waiting to tell Todd some important news. Todd Spencer is a youth pastor, and Christy loves being his wife and making their little apartment a home. But all things are about to change. Journey with this sweet couple through married life and up and downs in the ministry ... fall in love with their stories all over again!

I must admit, I didn't much like a good chunk of this book. It was a bit depressing, and left me feeling a little down, and annoyed, for some reason! Annoyed with Christy, then annoyed with Todd. For all the talk about their hearts being connected, they didn't seem very connected in the beginning of Forever With You. They didn't communicate very well ... tell each other what they were thinking. So for awhile, it was looking like a pretty sorry existence for them.

But somewhere along the line, things looked up. Not necessarily in the story, but in Christy and Todd's hearts. Our dear characters grew, and learned, and leaned on God.

And I fell in love with Christy and Todd, and their friends, and stories all over again!! ^_^ It was just so beautiful. Their walk with God. Their walk closer to each other. The precious, soul-deep memories made with true friends. The nearness of God. I think I struggled and grew with Christy and Todd a little in this book!

It was lovely to not only reunite with our forever couple, but also Doug, Tracey, David, Rick, Bob, Marti and a few others. We didn't actually reunite with Katie (over in Africa), but Christy did skype with her! *grins* I'm excited for the wedding promised to come in the next book! How wonderful to see how each character has grown and where they have gone. And not to mention, to meet Baby Daniel! <3 How far Christy and all her teenage friends have come - through the grace of God!

So yes, the faith theme ... beautiful. By the end, it was so deep and meaningful; very much touched my soul. I was stirred and encouraged by the message brought across. God is so good and faithful! I love when a novel brings that truth across! Amazing job, Robin Jones Gunn!

The romance ... Christy and Todd are a happily married young couple. And in spite of this being a story where the main character is married, the author did not write sensual scenes! There were some sweet, deep, "lovey", slightly passionate moments, but I feel Robin did a good job of keeping it clean and the married couple's private times to themselves! So that was appreciated! *smiles* This series still has a feeling of being written for teens, so I would say about sixteen and up, perhaps.

Anyway, overall, just a rich beginning to this exciting, new series. Raw. Real. Poignant. Tender. Beautiful. Faith-filled. And joy! I can feel the joy! I am so looking forward to reading Home of Our Hearts!