Catch a Falling Star
Read Catch a Falling Star Online
Authors: Beth K. Vogt
Praise for
Catch a Falling Star
“Anytime a novel makes me tear up, laugh out loud, or put my hand against my chest because the romance is just
that
good, I tend to give it a big thumbs-up.
Catch a Falling Star
had me doing all three! It pulled me in, kept me reading well past my bedtime, and left me eager for more from this talented author. Beth Vogt knocked this one out of the park!”
âKatie Ganshert, author of
Wildflowers from Winter
and
Wishing on Willows
“Beth Vogt has once again captured my complete attention. With a slightly different feel from her debut,
Wish You Were Here,
Vogt's latest,
Catch a Falling Star,
is rich with true-to-life characters who sit down beside you and invite you into their lives. The story unfolds with humor, tenderness, and a few poignant moments that will have you savoring each well-written word. Vogt points the way toward grace, healing, and hope without preaching, but presents an honest portrayal of real lived-out faith and how it can impact lives. Another wonderful offering by this very talented author!”
âCatherine West, award-winning author of
Yesterday's Tomorrow
and
Hidden in the Heart
“
Catch a Falling Star
is one of those books you keep thinking about after the end. Poignant characters, crackling dialogue, and a central theme we can all connect with: What happens when things don't go according to plan? Beth K. Vogt writes from the heart with such an engaging voice . . . and she definitely has a permanent place on my must-read shelf!”
âMelissa Tagg, author of
Made to Last
“Beth K. Vogt has accomplished what all debut authors aspire to doâwrite a great second book.
Catch a Falling Star
is fun, quirky, and filled with Vogt's well-crafted prose and signature voice. What a great thingâto discover a new author for my favorites list.”
âRachel Hauck, award-winning author of
The Wedding Dress
and
Once Upon a Prince
“This is one of
those
kinds of books: the kind you open thinking you'll just read a chapter or two, and then before you know it, you're turning the last page with a smile and sigh. I don't know how she does it, but Beth's characters seem to live and breathe. I closed the cover after reading the last page and found myself a little bit sad, wondering where all my new friends had gone.”
âSiri Mitchell, author of
The Cubicle Next Door
and
Unrivaled
“After reading Beth Vogt's debut novel,
Wish You Were Here,
I knew her books would have a permanent place on my bookshelf.
Catch a Falling Star
is laced with Beth's signature humor, well-developed characters, and spiritual truth, but her writing maturity shines. Her stellar ability to craft soul-stirring happily-ever-after romances leaves me craving more of her books. She does what every author desiresâkeeps readers turning pages way past their bedtimes.”
âLisa Jordan, award-winning author of
Lakeside Reunion
and
Lakeside Family
“
Catch a Falling Star,
Beth Vogt's sophomore novel, delights with an intriguing cast of characters, a page-turning plot, unexpected twists, and sharp writing. I loved this tender story framed in second chances and heartfelt dreams that proves fairy-tale lives come in all shapes and sizes.”
âMegan DiMaria, author of
Searching for Spice
and
Out of Her Hands
“Beth Vogt is a rising romance star with this amazing second novel. Delightful, sparkling romance and a story that is sure to keep you up all night. Bravo!”
âSusan May Warren, bestselling and award-winning author of
Take a Chance on Me
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In memory of Ian Lyons, who taught me about courageous faith.
June 23, 1995âApril 27, 2009
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
â2 Corinthians 4:16â17 (NIV)
W
hat exactly was she celebrating?
The question haunted Kendall all day long. It was her birthdayâshe ought to be able to answer it.
She pulled into a parking space outside her favorite Mexican restaurant. Shifting into neutral, Kendall turned off the Jeep and deposited her keys into her purse, exchanging them for a tattered makeup bag and her ever-handy GorillaTorch.
Just once, she'd like to put her makeup on in front of the bathroom mirror like a normal person.
Attaching the twistable hands-free flashlight to her steering wheel so her face was illuminated in her rearview mirror, Kendall twisted her body to the left so she could trace a hint of brown eyeliner.
Sheesh.
Most women used a makeup mirror. Tossing the pencil into the bag lying open on the passenger seat of her Jeep, Kendall sorted through the containers of eye shadow and lip gloss, looking for her mascara. A quick peek at her phone
lying on her dash told her that she had five minutes before she was officially late to her birthday dinner. Yep. Enough time for mascara and a little blush. She assessed her short brown hairâall it required was a quick comb-through with her fingers.
Her closest friends waited inside On the Border, eager to celebrate. Nineteen hours into her birthday and she wanted to label it
RETURN TO SENDER.
Kendall couldn't help comparing today with her thirteenth birthday, when her mom decided to deluge her with pink frilly clothes.
Pink.
She looked like an overdose of cotton candy on a too-short stick. She returned all her giftsâexcept for the oversized stuffed pink bear her then-three-year-old-sister Bekah refused to releaseâand pocketed the cash.
Kendall swept blush across her cheeks. It wasn't that she didn't have a satisfying lifeâan exciting life, even. It's just that at thirty-six years old, she'd hoped for . . . more.
The buzz of her phone mocked her attempts to be on time. Why did she think she'd ever be in control of her time and be the first to arrive? She abandoned that ideal the day she entered medical school. Besides, all the other partygoers tonight were physicians like her. They'd understand when Kendall walked in late. Half made up. As usual.
She switched from blush to mascara as she turned her phone to speaker. “Dr. Haynes.”
“Kendall, it's Mom.”
Kendall's eyes closed as she mentally and physically sat straighter, as if her mother could see her. “Hey, Mom. How are you?”
“I'm fine. Are you having a good birthday?”
“Just finished clinic. Going to dinner with friends.”
“Oh, how nice. I'm so glad you've found some friends there in Colorado.”
Of course she'd found friends in Colorado. She wasn't in high school anymore. She had a thriving solo family practice, friends, even a dog to round out the picture of a satisfying life.
“Look, Mom, I'm running lateâ”
“Well, this is rather important . . .”
Kendall stared out the window of her Jeep, watching people walk into the restaurant. Rachel had just walked by her with a friendly see-you-inside wave. Most likely Melissa and Sonia were already seated, having ordered their usual Guac Live. Would there be any left by the time her mother finished talking?
“I've got about five minutes. Is that enough time?”
“I'll get straight to the point. Bekah's boyfriend, Ryan, is going to propose. I'd like to give him Mina's ring so he can give it to her.”