Two Weeks

Kingsbury (When We Were Young) follows the senior year of Cole Baxter Blake, the 18 year-old son of Landon and Ashley Baxter Blake, in this winsome inspirational drama. During his final semester, Cole falls head over heels for Elise Walker, a new student from Louisiana who moved to Indiana to escape an abusive boyfriend. But just as they are getting to know each other, Elise learns she is pregnant, so Cole vows to put his plans of studying to become a doctor on hold in order to help her. While Elise considers her options, she meets prospective adoptive parents Lucy and Aaron Williams. Lucy and Aaron, from nearby Bloomington, have suffered through years of infertility and are overjoyed to finally be welcoming a child. As the story builds predictably, Elise and Cole form deeper bonds over Elise’s rediscovered relationship with God—something she had abandoned before moving. Kingsbury does throw in an unexpected twist that puts everyone’s faith and fortitude to the test, though it unsurprisingly brings out the best of everyone in the end. Kingsbury doesn’t stray from her signature style of creating scenes charged with emotion and characters that sparkle as paragons of virtue. Her fans will love this uplifting romance. Agent: Rick Christian, Alive Literary Agency. (Apr.)