Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxter Family Books In Order

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Thanks!

Karen Kingsbury used to be a journalist for the Los Angeles Times–and later for the Los Angeles Daily News. Her first books were in the True Crime genre, but she later wrote Christian inspirational family sagas like The Baxters.

In fact, her series involving the Baxter Family are her most popular ones. The saga is set where the Baxters grew up and some of them still live, in Bloomington, Indiana. In each of the books, the Baxters are either the main characters or they at least play key roles.

How to read Karen Kingsbury’s The Baxter Family Series In Order?

The Baxter family saga is composed of multiple series, but they follow each other to a certain point. After that, the books are stand-alone novels.

The Original Baxter Family Series in Order

The first five books formed the Redemption series written with Gary Smalley. The next five are the Firstborn series. Then, the next four formed the Sunrise series, then came the Above the Line series (also 4 books), and the Bailey Flanigan series (4 books).

  1. Redemption (2002) – When Kari Baxter Jacobs finds out that her husband is involved in an adulterous relationship and wants a divorce, she decides she will love him and remain faithful to her marriage at all costs.
  2. Remember (2003) – Convinced she could make it on her own, Ashley Baxter has kept the most important people in her life at a distance–her family, the man who loves her, and the God she is sure can never forgive her. Now, just as she begins to open her heart, the events of September 11 rip into Ashley’s world and she is led to heartbreaking and hope-filled decisions that will forever change her life.
  3. Return (2003) – Luke is determined to leave his faith and his past behind and embrace a new, freethinking future. But what he doesn’t realize is that his past holds a secret even he doesn’t know. When Luke finds out, his comfortable new life is turned upside down, and he must turn back to his roots.
  1. Rejoice (2004) – Brooke Baxter has achieved everything this world has to offer–a prestigious career, a beautiful home, and two wonderful children. Her recent return to her faith is an encouragement to her family. But if she faces tremendous loss, can her fledgling faith and her rocky marriage survive?
  2. Reunion (2004) – Plans are being made for a family reunion. Nearly all the adult Baxter children have a reason to celebrate, except one. As the preparations get underway, a deadly diagnosis sends shock waves through the Baxter family and threatens to tear them apart.
  3. Fame (2005) – The Firstborn series starts here. Hollywood A-lister Dayne Matthews returns to LA after his shocking discovery. Though his life is filled with fame, fortune, and paparazzi, his heart is pulling him toward a woman and a family who have no idea how their lives are tied to his. Meanwhile, Katy Hart has finally found contentment as the director of Christian Kids Theater in Bloomington, Indiana. But that changes in an instant when she meets Dayne Matthews and he promises a future she left in her past.
  1. Forgiven (2005) – Dayne Matthews is at the top of the Hollywood list, working on what may be his best movie yet. Still, he feels empty and unfocused, aching for real love and the family he’ll never know. Then a friend tells him about a teaching center and a way to become like God. Is this the answer Dayne’s been searching for? Back in Bloomington, Katy Hart struggles to walk the Christian Kids Theater group through a devastating tragedy, and John Baxter reconnects with an old friend and shares a buried secret.
  2. Found (2006) – Driven by his wife’s dying wish―to find their firstborn son―John Baxter sets about the search of a lifetime. But when the answers finally come, they shake John to his core. Can he walk away, or will he decide it’s time to let the truth come to light? Meanwhile, Dayne Matthews receives crushing news and finds wisdom and comfort from a long-lost friend and then Katy Hart, the girl Dayne can’t seem to forget. Will he find the strength to face a future laced with loss, and will that strength lead him to the greatest love of all?
  3. Family (2006) – In the wake of finding his firstborn son, John Baxter looks for a way to tell his other children the truth about a secret he’s kept from them all their lives. At the same time, a sensational Hollywood trial brings Dayne Matthews and Katy Hart together again, this time in a very public way. Just when it seems they have a chance at love, doubts and presumed scandals place them farther apart than ever. In the midst of this crisis, one truth is clear for all of them-never in their lives has family been more important.
  1. Forever (2007) – Katy Hart is thrilled about her future with Hollywood’s Dayne Matthews. But as she plans a wedding and looks for a house on the shores of Lake Monroe, she receives tragic news. Now she and the Baxter family must travel to Los Angeles to sort through their options. While paparazzi hound them, Luke Baxter wrestles with feelings that have troubled him for nearly a year. Ultimately, the Baxters must pull together one last time in an act of service and love to help Katy and Dayne find what they’ve always been looking for-a chance at forever.
  2. Sunrise (2007) – The Sunrise series starts here. In preparation for their long-awaited wedding day, Dayne and Katy are determined to keep the ceremony a secret from the paparazzi. Their relationship grows closer and stronger as they plan together, but in the end it takes the help of the Baxter family and many of the CKT kids so that they’ll even have a chance at a private wedding. John Baxter is thrilled that his oldest son will be settling down a few miles away, but he isn’t sure how any of his kids will handle a situation he can no longer run from-the feelings he is having for his friend Elaine.
  3. Summer (2007) – Dayne Matthews and Katy Hart are married and living in Bloomington, Ind., where Dayne has found a solution to his on-camera love scenes-he wants Katy to star in his next film. The Baxter family learns that Ashley and Kari are both pregnant, but an ultrasound reveals that something is wrong with one of the babies. As the summer progresses, the sisters pray for a miracle while trying to face the unthinkable.
  1. Someday (2008) – Pressures of the celebrity lifestyle weigh heavily on Dayne and Katy Matthews as they take on separate movie projects. Tabloid rumors talk of trouble and unfaithfulness between the two, but finally something drastic catches Dayne’s attention and makes him realize the destruction they’re playing with. But will it be too late? The Flanigan family recognizes the deep loss of the Christian Kids Theater program, and they lead a final effort to keep the theater from being torn down.
  2. Sunset (2008) – As John Baxter makes plans to marry Elaine, one of the Baxters enters into the most trying season of all. During a time of renewed love and hope for the future, the Baxters try to come together to establish the sacred ground of marriage and to chart a course for the future.
  3. Take One (2009) – The Above the Line series starts here. Filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison left the mission field of Indonesia for the mission field of Hollywood with a dream bigger than both of them. Now they have done the impossible: raised enough money to produce a feature film with a message that could change the world. But as Chase and Keith begin shooting, their well-laid plans begin to unravel.
  1. Take Two (2009) – Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison have completed their first feature film, and Hollywood is buzzing with the news. In the wake of that excitement, the producers acquire rights to a novel that has all the ingredients they want for their next project. At the same time they cross paths with a well-connected player who introduces them to the right people, and suddenly every studio in town wants to talk to Chase and Keith.
  2. Take Three (2010) – Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison set out to change the world with their films-and they are finally seeing their dreams come true. The dedicated producers are deep in negotiations with America’s top young movie star to play the lead in their next inspirational movie. But life takes a sudden turn for Chase, removing him from Jeremiah Productions permanently. In the process, Keith brings on one of the Baxter family members and the moviemaking continues.
  3. Take Four (2010) – Chase Ryan returns to his family and a job in his hometown, filmmakers Keith Ellison and Dayne Matthews finally ink a deal to have the nation’s top young actor star in their current film. But at the same time, the actor takes a very public fall that threatens his reputation among his fan base. Meanwhile, healing happens for Andi Ellison in her relationship with God, her family, and those she loves, but is it too late?
  1. Leaving (2011) – The Bailey Flanigan series starts here. Bailey has won an audition for the ensemble of a Broadway musical in New York City. She’s determined to take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but is she really ready to leave family and friends for the loneliness of the city? And what of Cody? His disappearance has her worried about their future and praying that their love can survive.
  2. Learning (2011) – Bailey Flanigan is growing closer to her dream to be an actress and dancer in New York while Cody coaches a small high school football team … on and off the field. But neither feels complete without the chance to share their dreams with one other. Can distance truly make the heart grow fonder? Or will Cody learn to turn to others to share in his happiness? And when tragedy strikes, who will be there to provide comfort in the face of loss?
  3. Longing (2011) – After a long and lonely silence from Cody Coleman, Bailey Flanigan becomes closer to her one-time Hollywood co-star, Brandon Paul. Nights on the town in New York City and long talks on the balcony of Brandon’s Malibu Beach home make Bailey dizzy with new feelings and cause her to wonder if her days with Cody are over forever.
  1. Loving (2012) – Bailey enjoys the beginning of her new career and time spent with Brandon while Cody faithfully coaches his team on and off the field. But has she agreed to marry the right guy? Will she spend her life with Brandon Paul in Los Angeles, or will her heart draw her back to Bloomington, Indiana and Cody Coleman, her first love?
  2. Coming Home (2012) – A Standalone novel. The Baxters make plans to come together for a summer lakeside reunion, a celebration like they haven’t had in years. But before the big day, the unthinkable happens. As the Baxter Family rallies together, memories come to light in the grief-stricken hours of waiting and praying, memories that bring healing and hope during a time when otherwise darkness might have the final word.

The next books came after Coming Home and the conclusion of what is considered to be the original Baxter Family Series. They can be read in any order, as stand-alone titles. I put them in publication order.

  1. A Baxter Family Christmas (2016) – Two years have passed since the terrible car accident that took the life of John Baxter’s daughter, Erin, her husband and three of their four daughters. Prompted by grief, and missing his daughter, John has invited a stranger for Christmas Eve dinner – Kendra Bryant, the transplant recipient who now has Erin’s heart.
  2. Love Story (2017) – Decades ago, John and Elizabeth Baxter lived a love story that is still playing out in the lives of their adult children and grandchildren. But few of them know the exact details of that story or the heartbreak that brought the two together. Now in high school, Ashley Baxter Blake’s oldest son, Cole, must write a family history paper for a freshman English class. He decides to interview his grandfather about that long ago love story.
  3. In This Moment (2017) – Hamilton High Principal Wendell Quinn is tired of the violence, drug abuse, teen pregnancies, and low expectations at his Indianapolis school. A single father of four, Quinn is a Christian and a family man. He wants to see a change in his community, so he starts a voluntary after-school Bible Study and prayer program. He knows he is risking his job by leading the program, but the high turnout at every meeting encourages him. A year later, violence and gang activity are down, test scores are up, and drug use and teen pregnancy have plummeted. The program is clearly working-until one parent calls the press. Now Quinn faces a lawsuit that could ruin everything.
  1. To the Moon and Back (2018) – Brady Bradshaw was a child when the Oklahoma City bombing killed his mother. Every year, Brady visits the memorial site on the anniversary to remember her. A decade ago on that day, he met Jenna Phillips, who was also a child when her parents were killed in the attack. Brady and Jenna shared a deep heart connection and a single beautiful day together at the memorial. But after that, Brady never saw Jenna again. Every year when he returns, he leaves a note for her in hopes that he might find her again.
  2. When We Were Young (2018) – Theirs is a special kind of love and they want the world to know. They’ve been letting more than a million adoring fans follow their lives on Instagram, since the day Noah proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully staged photos and encouraging posts, their life is anything but a fairy tale and Noah’s obsession has ruined everything. Now, Noah and Emily have decided to call it quits and Noah is leaving in the morning. But when Noah wakes the next day, everything is different. Emily is gone and the kids are years older.
  3. Two Weeks (2019) – Cole Blake, son of Landon and Ashley Baxter Blake, is months away from going off to college to kickstart the great plan he has been dreaming about for years-a career in medicine. But as he starts his final semester of school he meets Elise, a mysterious new girl who captures his attention-and heart-from day one. Elise has her heart set on mending her wild ways and becoming the good girl she used to be. But not long after the semester starts, she discovers she’s pregnant. Eighteen and alone, she shares her secret with Cole. Undaunted by the news, and in love for the first time in his life, Cole is determined to support Elise-even if it means skipping college so he can marry her and raise another man’s baby.
  1. Someone Like You (2020) – Maddie Baxter West is shaken to the core when she finds out everything she believed about her life was a lie. Her parents had always planned to tell her the truth about her past: that she was adopted as an embryo. But somehow the right moment never happened. Then a total stranger confronts Maddie with the truth and tells her something else that rocks her world-Maddie had a sister she never knew about. Betrayed, angry, and confused, Maddie leaves her new job and fiancé, rejects her family’s requests for forgiveness, and moves to Portland to find out who she really is.
  2. Truly, Madly, Deeply (2020) – When eighteen-year-old Tommy Baxter declares to his family that he wants to be a police officer after graduation, his mother, Reagan, won’t hear of it. After all, she’s still mourning the death of her own father on September 11 and she’s determined to keep her son safe from danger. But Tommy’s father, Luke, is proud of Tommy’s decision. He would make a kind and compassionate cop.

The Baxter Family Children Series in Order

Written by Karen Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell, this series is for readers ages 8-12 and the stories focus on the childhood of the Baxter children-Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke.

  1. Best Family Ever (2019) – Brooke is the perfect older sister. For that reason, Kari and Ashley work hard to make their parents just as proud of them as they are of Brooke. Each girl has her own talents. Brooke is an excellent student. Kari is a great soccer player. Ashley, a talented artist. And they are always there for each other. But when the news comes that Dr. Baxter is moving the family from Ann Arbor to Bloomington, Indiana, and the Baxters need to leave the only home and friends they’ve ever known, no one is happy.
  2. Finding Home (2020) – Summer is over and Dad begins his important position at an Indiana hospital. Like it or not, Bloomington is the Baxter Family’s new home. As school starts, everyone finds reasons to be excited about the move. Everyone, that is, except Ashley. Ashley desperately misses the home and friends she left behind. As she realizes her siblings have their struggles, too, she can’t help but wonder if unlikely friends can be the best friends of all? And could time and love from her family be enough to make a house feel like home?
  3. Never Grow Up (2021) – When Kari Baxter is assigned an essay about what she wants to be when she grows up, her mind goes blank. She doesn’t want to grow up; she wants everything to stay just like it is. But Kari comes to realize that while making time stand still isn’t possible, she can enjoy every moment with her best family ever.
  1. Adventure Awaits (2022) – School science camp is a few weeks away, but Ashley and Kari Baxter have very different feelings about going. With the help of their siblings, Kari and Ashley prepare for wild experiments and the challenges of the great outdoors, and together they learn what it means to plan for an experience they won’t forget.
  2. Being Baxters (2023) – Things are changing in Bloomington for the Baxters. When Ashley’s teacher, Mr. Garrett, takes a month off work for the birth of his baby, the intimidating Ms. Stritch takes his place. Ashley tries but can’t seem to crack the new teacher’s tough exterior. Meanwhile, Brooke struggles when a popular girl excludes her at lunch, Erin adjusts to getting glasses, and when Kari is given a dance solo for the upcoming recital, she takes her success a little too seriously.

If our article about the Baxters Series in Order is useful to you, don’t forget to bookmark it! You may also be interested in the books by Debbie Macomber and the Canadian West/When Calls The Heart series.

Similar Posts

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *