Cover Image: A Borrowed Life

A Borrowed Life

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Member Reviews

This book is funny and uplifting.
The characters are well developed and felt very real. The author wrote about relationships so well.
This was a page turner.

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The story was a little bit predictable but well written. Kept my interest the whole time. Still enjoyable and worth reading it.

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This book is just as gorgeous inside as its cover. It is beautifully written, fast paced, and a feel good book. Highly recommend.

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I've wondered myself as friends have had kids later in life what it would be like to find out you're pregnant again at 49 = explores family relationships and how to be true to yourself while balancing/ juggling loyalties

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Kerry was one of my guests on Crime & Wine because this book is so wonderful. How she managed to delve into the unique experiences and mindset of her protagonist is amazing. No spoilers. You've got to read it.

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Great book. Highly recommend and will most defiantly read more by this author and suggest to others!

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Plot: A woman is left bereaved after her pastor husband dies suddenly and she is left to confront the woman she had to become in order to be the pastor's wife while trying to reconnect with herself and her estranged daughter. She grapples with the Christianity and ideologies her deceased husband imposed on her and living life. She starts to say yes to things she had always wanted to do which then leads to an unexpected pregnancy at 49.

Triggers: emotional abuse, manipulation

Opinion: This was a really interesting premise for a book. I am a Christian and it was interesting to read an author's perspective of when religion is used as a weapon especially in a marriage relationship. I enjoyed the book despite having taken a long time to finish it. I would definitely like to read more from this author. It was not as extensive and I really wished the author had developed Abigails character a lot more and allowed us a glimpse of what her perspective and hurt was from or about.

All in all, it was good book, and would recommend 3.5 stars.

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This was such a unique premise for a book. A wife starting a new life after her not so great husband dies is nothing new... but starting over and pregnant at 49? I was hooked. I loved the storyline of her returning to her roots in the theatre and overcoming years of repression in her former life.

The writing was beautiful and I will definitely read more by this author.

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This book is a great example about how life's detours can bring you to right where you are supposed to be. Liz has lost who she really is after 30 years of playing the part of perfect pastor's wife and mother. When her husband suddenly dies she is shocked and grieving but also feels a sense of freedom and a chance to have a life of her own. As Liz sets out to try some new things and a new relationship she will also experience a few surprises along the way.

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The cover of the book is what drew me in and the reason why I wanted to read this book. It is so beautiful!! Unfortunately, that's where the enjoyment ended for me. While I believe others would enjoy this book, it just wasn't the right book for me at this time.

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A Borrowed Life by Kerry Anne King is a story about finding oneself and living one's life on one's own terms. It is one of those books that makes you feel good every step of the way, especially if you are the outcast in a conservative society. It iterates the importance of right to live as one pleases to do, no matter what others think and how they resist.

This is my first book from the author, and I will definitely read more of her work.

Thanks to the author and the publisher for the ARC.

Verdict: Recommended.

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The blurb caught my attention but after that I lost my interest and didn't read this book. MAybe next time.

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Liz is the perfect pastors’ wife. When the expectations of her husband, daughter and the congregation take their toll, she powers on.

Then, her husband dies and she realises just how much of herself had been chipped away by his controlling, manipulative nature.

Now that her husband is dead, Liz is free. Free to live her life, her way.

This is a story of rediscovery and highlights emotional abuse and the effects it has on a person.


This was a good book that I did enjoy reading. It’s uplifting and, at times, funny. However, it also felt like a story we’ve all heard before. I didn’t feel overly attached to any of the characters. While I was engaged enough to want to know what happened next and how things would ultimately play out, I wasn’t overly attached.


If you haven’t read a lot of mid-life, change of direction, rediscovery type, contemporary fiction books then you may enjoy this one. If this is the sort of story you are already familiar with then you would not discover anything particularly unique in this one.

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A well-written light mid-life change novel. The main character, Liz, was very likeable and I could almost believe such a scenario could indeed happen. A woman straitjacketed by her pastor husband and his dour church, who is freed by his sudden death and learns to fly for the first time! You go gal!

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Whether it's death or divorce it's hard to suddenly be on a different path in life and one that we wouldn't have through possible otherwise. I loved this story and felt such emotion for Liz and her family.

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Thank you to the publisher and net galley for a copy of this book in exchange for my opinions. While this book would be enjoyed by many I had a difficult time finishing it. It wasn’t for me but I could see other people would enjoy it.

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4.5 stars.

I really enjoyed this book! It’s uplifting, inspiring, funny, and sweet & a very quick read! The characters were all wonderfully developed, the writing was spectacular and honest, and the storyline was so unique. I loved Liz and watching her grow through each chapter was a joy. I never wanted to put this book down, so I truly flew through it! Absolutely adored this one. Already looking forward to reading more from Kerry Anne King!

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the e-book in exchange for an honest review.

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At age forty-nine Liz has recently become a widow after her husband Thomas suddenly passed away. Being the wife of a pastor Liz has always lived under the watchful eye of the congregation and knew what her role needed to be. Now that Thomas is gone and the strict set of rules he used to control Liz by are no longer hanging over her head she begins to ask herself, who am I without him? Having lost most of who she was under her husband's thumb over twenty-six years Liz begins to make a new life for herself all at her adult daughter's defiance to any sort of change. Abigail cannot understand why her mother can't just honor her father and remain exactly as she was before his passing. Why is she auditioning for a play? Why is she spending time with the neighbor who is clearly a bad influence? Who is this man that is driving her home from rehearsal? The conflict between mother & daughter only increases as Abigail struggles to hold on to life as she knows it and Liz exhales and creates the life she has always dreamed of. Though I found this to be an enjoyable read I found myself wondering if the author has issues with religion as almost all of the characters in this book that belongs to the church were written in a negative light, even in the smallest of ways, though redeeming herself with Pastor Steve and his youthful positivity. "A Borrowed Life" was a quick read and might be a welcome addition to the right readers library but not sure it will find a permanent home in mine. Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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After looking through my Netgalley shelf for an hour because I just could not decide what to read next, I settled on this quiet little book. I am so glad I did! I don’t feel like there are often stories told about women in their late 40s, so I really appreciated that aspect. Liz was a great character snd I enjoyed watching her start her life anew after the death of her husband. I especially loved the fighting feminist crawling out of a pastor’s wife’s skin. I read this book in a day which is not something I do often anymore—a sign of a great story!

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Liz husband dies and she discovers that she likes her new life much better than does her daughter. Kerry's lyrical style, inventive plot and realistic characters encourage us to explore our own journey giving us the courage to self-assess and re-calibrate in parallel with her protagonist. Highly recommended.

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