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The Baxter Family Books in Order

Part ofKaren Kingsbury Books in Order

See all the Baxter Family books by Karen Kingsbury in order, with short summaries, crossover notes, and where to start with this long-running family saga.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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The Baxter Family books in publication order

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11 books

1

A Baxter Family Christmas

by Karen Kingsbury

2016

A Christmas-season Baxter story that brings the family together around traditions, memories, and the kind of surprises that change everything. In the middle of holiday stress and joy, the Baxters are reminded why home and faith matter most.

2

In This Moment

by Karen Kingsbury

2017

A Baxter family story about what happens when one unexpected moment changes everything. As relationships are tested by fear, sacrifice, and the need for honesty, the people involved discover how quickly life can shift, and how faith can steady them.

3

Love Story

by Karen Kingsbury

2017

In this Baxter-connected novel, love gets messy when real life collides with the plans people thought were set in stone. As a couple faces pressure from family, history, and hard circumstances, they learn that commitment is proven in the everyday choices.

4

To the Moon and Back

by Karen Kingsbury

2018

A heartfelt picture book about the bond between parent and child, written with adoption and chosen family in mind. It uses simple, lyrical promises to say: you are wanted, you are safe, and you are loved beyond measure.

5

When We Were Young

by Karen Kingsbury

2018

A story of first love and long memory, where two people are forced to face the promises they made as teenagers. When a tragedy shakes their world, they have to decide whether they will cling to regret, or let grace rewrite their future.

6

Someone Like You

by Karen Kingsbury

2020

High school senior Maddie wants a perfect future, until an unexpected pregnancy changes everything. As her boyfriend Clay heads into military service and distance grows, both of them have to decide what love looks like when life does not follow the plan.

7

Truly, Madly, Deeply

by Karen Kingsbury

2020

Maddie and Clay’s story continues as new responsibilities and long-distance stress stretch them to the limit. With faith tested and old fears resurfacing, they have to choose whether they will fight for their young family, and for each other, day by day.

8

Two Weeks

by Karen Kingsbury

2020

Terminally ill Cole Blake is given two weeks to live, and a crowded hospital room becomes an unlikely place for hope. As he and his wife Elise face goodbye and a baby on the way, their story begins changing the people around them.

9

Forgiving Paris

by Karen Kingsbury

2021

A trip to Paris is supposed to be a reset, but for a couple carrying old wounds, the city becomes a mirror. As hidden hurts surface, they learn that forgiveness is not a single moment, it’s a decision that has to be made again and again.

10

The Baxters: A Prequel

by Karen Kingsbury

2022

Set before the Baxter saga begins, this prequel follows John and Elizabeth as they fall in love and start building a family. Early choices, joys, and heartbreak lay the groundwork for the stories that echo through the Baxters for decades.

11

The Baxters Devotional

by Karen Kingsbury

2024

A devotional drawn from the world of the Baxters, built around short readings and faith-forward reflections. With themes like forgiveness, family, and hope, it’s designed for daily encouragement, either alongside the novels or on its own.

The Baxter Family books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "A Baxter Family Christmas"

    A Baxter Family Christmas

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2016The Baxter Family, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Love Story"

    Love Story

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2017The Baxter Family, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "In This Moment"

    In This Moment

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2017The Baxter Family, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "To the Moon and Back"

    To the Moon and Back

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2018The Baxter Family, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "When We Were Young"

    When We Were Young

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2018The Baxter Family, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Two Weeks"

    Two Weeks

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2020The Baxter Family, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Someone Like You"

    Someone Like You

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2020The Baxter Family, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Truly, Madly, Deeply"

    Truly, Madly, Deeply

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2020The Baxter Family, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Forgiving Paris"

    Forgiving Paris

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2021The Baxter Family, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "The Baxters: A Prequel"

    The Baxters: A Prequel

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2022The Baxter Family, Book 10
  11. Book cover for "The Baxters Devotional"

    The Baxters Devotional

    by Karen Kingsbury

    2024The Baxter Family, Book 11

Series background & context

The Baxter family books are a long-running, connected set of contemporary novels that follow one close-knit Christian family through marriage, parenting, grief, and the big surprises that can change a life overnight. The home base is Bloomington, Indiana, but the story often widens to include careers, romances, and crises that pull family members far from home.

At the center are John and Elizabeth Baxter and their adult children, each with their own hopes and weak spots. Kingsbury writes the Baxters like real people, sometimes wise, sometimes stubborn, often trying to do the right thing while dealing with old mistakes and new pressure. The drama is emotional rather than flashy, and the stakes usually land on relationships: who stays, who forgives, who tells the truth, and who keeps showing up.

The easiest way to read the Baxters is by following the mini-series arcs in order. The saga begins with the five-book Redemption arc, then continues through later arcs like Firstborn, Sunrise, Above the Line, and Bailey Flanigan, with Coming Home acting as a bridge between eras. After that, the story keeps expanding into newer Baxter-centered novels and spin-offs that track the family as the next generation grows up.

These books are built for readers who like to live with a family for a long time.

Across the series you will see recurring themes: adoption and belonging, loyalty under stress, the everyday work of staying married, and the way faith can be both comfort and challenge. Kingsbury does not treat prayer like a magic trick, instead it sits alongside therapy, hard conversations, and the slow choice to keep loving people who disappoint you.

If you start at the beginning, you will see the Baxters grow in real time.

Some Baxter stories have also made the jump to the screen, but the heart of the series is still the same: a family learning, again and again, how to come home to each other.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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