Thank. you for the advanced e-ARC win exchange for my honest review. I will post my review on Goodreads and Amazon.

So well written emotionally moving .A novel that drew me in a reflection on the life you thought you were living.,The widow of a pastor who realizes how difficult her life really was.#netgalley#lakeunion

A Borrowed Life is so well written that it’s nearly shocking to find out that it’s fiction. First of all, the character Earlene IS my memaw but without any redeeming qualities. I LOVED her presence in this book and it really helped paint the picture of small town church gossip. I really enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to recommend it to all of my friends. 👏🏼

Excellent handling of the 'coming of age later in life' theme, with the added emotional weight of shedding a heavy cloak of a controlling marriage and religion. King has mired her character Liz in multiple layers of trapped, and we feel all of that...so we too experience the surprising feelings of suddenly being free. But where did the fear come from? Why is reinventing oneself a weight of its own? As Liz starts to explore her own past and her current connections for markers and lessons of her life's re-start, it's a gripping read. Hard to put down. The kind of read that opens your eyes and heart and changes you. With such a great narrative and such great characters, this book is a natural for fall reading on the porch or by the fireplace.

This story is about Liz who becomes widowed at the age of 49. Her life has been quite restricted as her husband was very much 'stuck in his ways' and was very particular about what they did. Now that she is widowed, Liz is not only getting used to life without her husband, but also life as herself - who is she? She begins to find out...

I found this book quite difficult to get into. It was quite slow and laborious and I wasn't totally convinced by the characters, I just couldn't relate to them or figure out why they did the things they did. I enjoyed some aspects of it and it did make me think about the things I'd like to do before a certain age too.

This is an enjoyable read but just not one which totally absorbs you and stays with you afterwards.

I found this to be a deeply satisfying novel about a middle-aged woman coming out of widowhood and discovering who she really is. The combination of the background of the theater community group and the church community Really spoke to me and added much to the multi dimensional emotional layers of what Liz, the former preachers wife, and her daughter had to go through. It is beautifully written, with emotional depth and believable characters throughout.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A Borrowed Life by Kerry Anne King is an interesting look at the life of the widow of a pastor. When her husband dies suddenly, Liz Lightsey is thrust suddenly into a single life she didn't expect. Her husband, Thomas, was a disciplined, religious man and expected her to act to a certain, rigid standard. When he passed, Liz wasn't sure how to act. She went a little crazy, found some new friends, joined a theater group, met a man, found out what sex could really be like and found herself pregnant.

I found the characters difficult to connect with and there were times when I couldn't understand why Liz did the things she did. I admit, I had a difficult time getting through this book and I felt that the pregnancy was just a plot device to get from one place to another, which it did rather awkwardly.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

Liz was a very young girl who fell in love with Thomas a new pastor. A short time after getting married she realized she did not know what she was getting into. She spent the next 26 years of her life being the perfect partner to her husband and playing her part as the Pastor’s wife. But maintaining the appearance were very difficult, taking care of a demanding husband and really over time she lost who she was trying to be what everyone else expected of her.

Thomas suddenly and expectantly dies. Liz is shaken by these events. However, somewhere deep inside a part of herself hopes to find freedom she has not expected in years. Liz finds herself trying to find a new path forward and her daughter Abigail pushes back on her mom not wanting any change to occur. Liz finds some hope in her new life as she takes a role in Community Theater and new friends. Liz is even surprised by her unexpected relationship with the Leading man in the play.

Liz feels she is making her way, only to find out she is pregnant at 49 yrs old. What will Liz do? Does her relationship with her leading man have a chance? How will Abigail handle the news? Will Liz be able to find freedom to live her life her way?

This was a story about appearances and how others can little by little control us to the point that we lose who we are. It is a discovery of Liz in her pre-Thomas self and trying to find a path forward. Liz recognizes that she needs to help her daughter break free of expectations and reach for her dreams.

I enjoyed this story. This was a troubled difficult journey that you want to cheer Liz on to find her way. Your heart hurts for her as she struggles to get the expectations of her husband out of her head telling her how she should act, feel and live. I found this story to ring true. There is not a quick resolution or the instant happy ending. Instead you are part of the journey of how Liz finds freedom and finds a way to live her life her way.

Thank you to netgalley for my complimentary copy. The thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a great book! King does a good job of not being predictable, and keeping the storyline interesting. I’m personally a very involved church member so at times I took issue with the way church was portrayed, but as the book went on I felt like it was more sensitively approached. And all the religious themes in the book do exist in real life- I just felt the extremes lacked the balance of more healthy religious people.

Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for a review copy.

Liz has lost her husband and she quickly starts to realize that the life she once knew, wasn’t hers at all. After coming to terms with the fact that her now deceased pastor husband was; abusive, controlling, manipulative and just a plain old jerk, Liz decides to take her life back. But not without a few roadblocks. You will root for Liz all the way. You will laugh and cry and you won’t be able to put this book down!

OH how I loved this book!!! I loved going on Liz's journey with her - absolutely couldnt stand Thomas and his mentally abusive ways and how he weaponized God and the church to control her - I was so angry to see the extent that he went to, to control her. I enjoyed seeing her go from a controlled "perfect" woman, to a flawed forgiving loving life embracing person in her own right. Her love story with Lance may have happened a little out of "traditional" order, but it was a love story none the less. There were times that Abigail needed a good butt whoopin, but it was very satisfying to see her open up and come around. I absolutely ADORED this book and am looking forward to reading more by Kerry Anne King!!! Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for making it possible to read an advanced copy of A Borrowed Life!

Kerry Anne King specializes in novel’s about women on journeys of self-discovery and growth, and this one fits that description perfectly.

Liz has played the role of perfect wife for two decades, but when her husband, a pastor, suddenly dies, she finds herself single again in her almost-fifites, and surprised that what she feels instead of just grief, is relief, to finally be able to live life on her own terms.

But does she even know what those terms are? What type of life she really wants? And why does she feel like she’s acting out more like a teenager than a grown woman?

I loved how this novel tackled the question of what do we do when life’s doors are flung wide open and we aren’t sure what direction to go with our new freedom. And how do we reconcile the decisions we made about how to be in the past, with who can now become for the future?

A fun and fulfilling read that you won’t soon forget.

It's a shame to say that I didn't like this book. I started reading the book and I just couldn't get into it. I dnf'ed the book about 25% through. I'm sure this book is more appealing to other people, it just didn't conquer up any emotional attachments from my side.

This book was exquisite and just what I needed! I've loved King's other books so was pretty sure I'd love this one as well and I did! Liz is the epitome of the obedient pastor's wife, holding weekly knitting circles in her home and raising her daughter (now grown and a nurse) to believe she was put on this earth to serve men and kowtow to them. But when husband Thomas suffers a fatal heart attack, Liz realizes she has no real "voice" of her own until good friend, Val introduces her to community theater where she unexpectedly lands the lead and meets single, handsome Lance (who unfortunately is "emotionally unavailable"). When daughter Abagail returns home to "care" for her, Liz recognizes how narrow her vision has been and just how her husband shaped her to believe all the Bible verses literally and not recognize a woman's power or spirit. What follows is a wonderful and heartbreaking trial of the relationship between mother and daughter, mother and friend, mother and "church ladies," mother and hot guy." How does one reinvent herself when tragedy strikes suddenly? We never know until it strikes but I loved King's belief that, "...When you're held back from being yourself, from living your gifts, how can you possibly be your best self?" Oprah worthy, right?? I was teary-eyed at the end as Liz comes to terms with her new life and all the possibilities it holds!

Another wonderful and thoughtful story by Kerry Anne King. The ability of her to portray the feelings of a character who is smothered in the shadows of her husband, even in his death, and then eventually freed of them was refreshing and believable. I enjoyed this book from start to finish and would highly recommend!

I felt this book was quite the wild ride! It follows the life of Elizabeth Lightsey, the wife of a preacher who controls her life and makes every decision for her ...for 26 years. But then he suddenly dies - and although she’s devastated, she finally gets her life handed back to her and she’s free to make decisions for herself. The craziness that happens after this is absolutely amazing. (This story kind of has a housewives vibe to it as the whole community is constantly up each other’s a** ...and it’s comical!) for Elizabeth, is it too soon for a new romance? To soon to start a new life at 49 years old? This book is about life, love, surprises, change, challenges, loving yourself, sticking up for yourself, standing up for what you believe in (which I found to be pretty bad ass in this book), being able to get the strength to stop caring what other people think of you, and the power of YES instead of no! Overall great read from Kelly Anne King and I do recommend this book if you’re looking for a non-stop exciting and fun story! You will be rooting for Liz the whole time, just like I was!

Thank you to Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing (Amazon Publishing) for this ARC!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for making it possible to read an advanced copy of A Borrowed Life!

I was intrigued to read this by the very fun cover design and also because the story sort of reminded me of an updated version of the play and movie, "Shirley Valentine," about a woman in her 40s who gets a second chance at rebuilding the life she's always dreamed about. While I think Shirley Valentine is the more daring take on this familiar "coming of age later in life" journey, I did find A Borrowed Life to be an engaging read for most of the book.

Elizabeth Lightsey is stuck in her life at 49 years old. Her marriage to the small town Pastor, Thomas, is unfulfilling to say the least, and she belongs to the worst knitting circle with the most judgmental people I can ever imagine. She journals to her "secret self", her alter-ego Liz, every morning, hoping to reclaim some part of her bolder, more adventurous self. Liz expects to be set free from boredom once her husband dies from a heart attack, but true to form, she discovers her new life is just the beginning of a whole new set of challenges and delights.

It took a while, but I have to say I was fully engrossed in the middle section of the book. Once Liz dips her toes into community theatre, a bit of casual sex, and reclaiming her sense of self, does the novel really come alive. I loved the Inner Liz sections of the book that revealed a lot of the character's unexpressed desires. Her overly opinionated and intense daughter, Abigail, along with a nagging sense that Thomas is trying to control her behavior from beyond the grave, work well together to thwart Liz's chances at full independence, which I found believable. Side characters like Val and even Lance, are a true delight. I didn't expect this book to have such a heavy romantic scene, but boy, is it worth the wait!

The dialogue in the book is somewhat stilted, however. Abigail and Thomas (and Earlene, Churchgoer) seem as though they are written as much older people. I don't know very many 25 year olds, Abigail's age, who go around using the word "obtuse." Thomas is written like a 65 year old Pastor straight out of the 1950s (versus 2019 when the novel is set) who appears to only know how to quote the bible rather than talk like a person living in the modern day. I wish we could have gotten scenes earlier in the book about what Thomas' and Liz's marriage was actually like and a clearer picture upfront of how Liz ended up here. Halfway through the story I started to ask myself why in the world Liz ever married this guy!

I found the pregnancy angle frustrating and unnecessary. Plenty of women go on to reinvent their lives without throwing in pregnancy and children (especially with a woman at age 49 who apparently already went through menopause?!) as an obstacle. I wish the author had taken a different path, which would have made the story more unique and believable for a woman looking to start over. In some ways, it seemed like the pregnancy was written in as a way to somewhat temper all of the growth and self-discovery that Liz was going through. It certainly stopped her budding sexual & romantic relationship with Lance. I don't know, this storyline kind of felt forced and more formulaic than I think what was intended. And it made Abigail one of the most unbearable bratty characters... I really wanted Liz to stand up to her more!

As a side note, and this is probably a technical glitch, but my Bluefire Reader cut out all of the dialogue in written as Texts, so I actually missed what happened in the end, which is a shame!

I appreciated King's writing and she does reach levels of emotional depth that surprised me. Liz felt like a living, breathing human, and honestly, who doesn't ever find themselves in a bad marriage, a horrible job, or just stuck in an unsatisfying phase of life with no clue how to move forward. I found Liz's struggle heartbreaking and something I could identify with on a certain level. Apparently King has experience as a medical professional working with those suffering from grief and loss, and she clearly knows what she's talking about here.

Thanks again to Netgalley for providing this advanced book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.
Again Thank you for giving me an opportunity to review this book. I throughly enjoyed the book. I am going to be going back to this book for years to come. Can’t wait to recommend to my bookstagram pals. Thank you again for the chance to read and review this book.

An absolute must for all Amanda Process fans! Kerry Anne King handles this sensitive topic with such a sure touch and huge empathy. Inside Elizabeth, dutiful wife of a church pastor, lives Liz, a free thinking, intelligent and rebellious woman. For nearly three decades Liz has been subjugated by her coercive husband who has slowly crushed her spirit and forced her to raise their daughter Abigail to be equally dutiful and repressed. Pastor Thomas's sudden death ,snaps the chains of duty which have hitherto bound her and allows her spirit to soar. No longer does she have to creep down in the early mornings to write in her notebook or read her forbidden novels. With the help of a free spirited neighbour who entices her into joining a community theatre group, she expands her friendship group, finds strength to stand up to neighbourhood gossips, and fling open the doors of her cage. Will she be able to free her horrified daughter who is still bound to the strictures enforced by her father? We are swept along on their journey , willing Liz to succeed. I won't spoil the ending for you but I was enraptured to the very last word. I need more from this fabulous, and emotionally intelligent writer !

Wow! What a tour de force! I read this highly addictive book in 1 day.

I loved the characters, especially Liz. I really enjoyed watching her develop and grow throughout the book and the changes she underwent were evident at the end of the book. I liked how her development was gradual; there were some setbacks along the way but she overcame them and become stronger.

I got frustrated at some points with Lance and Abigail. Lance was absent for much of the book and treated Liz badly at some points, often blaming her solely for mistakes that he had a hand in. I was frustrated with Abigail because she was never really supportive of her mom, although I understand how she had essentially been brainwashed by her father since childhood and ingrained habits, attitudes, and beliefs can be incredibly hard to let go of and change.

That being said, I wholeheartedly recommend this book. I'm really glad I read it and look forward to reading more by this author!