Just Beyond the Clouds by Karen Kingsbury

★★★★☆
#1 bestselling author Karen Kingsbury tells the heartwrenching story of Cody Gunner, a widower fighting for stability, and the woman who wants to help him trust again--even when trust is the most terrifying thing of all.

Still aching over his wife's death, Cody Gunner can't bear the thought of also letting go of his Down's Syndrome brother, Carl Joseph. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure. So when Carl Joseph's teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can't deny the instinctive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart. What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might just see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies just beyond the clouds.

I really enjoyed Just Beyond the Clouds.  What I didn't realize until after I'd read it was that it's the second book in a series! (The first is A Thousand Tomorrows, which I haven't read).  You definitely don't need to read the first book in the series to get up to speed in this book, but I may go back and read the first one anyways.  This was a really sweet and enjoyable story.  Elle works with handicapped young adults, and their personalities are so sweet and innocent.  I loved reading about Elle and Cody and how they carefully navigate their relationship.  This is the second Christian fiction book I've read by Kingsbury, and she is definitely on my list of authors to watch for.  A really enjoyable and sweet read.

(By the way, A Thousand Tomorrows and Just Beyond the clouds are available as one Nook book here!)