Leaving Book Review

SUMMARY:  The Bailey Flanigan Series begins with Bailey leaving Bloomington for the adventure of a lifetime.  She 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 Coleman?  His disappearance has Bailey worried about their future and praying that their love can survive.
     In order to be closer to his mother in jail, Cody takes a coaching job in a small community outside Indianapolis.  New friends, distance, and circumstances expose cracks in his relationship with Bailey Flanigan.
     Love, loneliness, big opportunities, and even bigger decisions highlight the first book in the new Bailey Flanigan Series that features members of the popular Baxter family and finally completes the Bailey/Cody story.

REVIEW:  When I first started this book, I was really confused.  It started with a "Baxter Family Newsletter" from the fictional Baxter family (apparently well-known to Mrs. Kingsbury's readers) that was included in my review copy.  Having never read any other books by this author, I didn't know what to do with the seemingly important information.  Adding to my confusion, as I read the book, Bailey's character is the main focus and the Baxter family doesn't make an appearance until much later.  About halfway through the book, though, my confusion dissipated.
     That said, the book is really good.  I was drawn into the characters and the story.  The book can stand on its own but I think it would be helpful to read the other stories, too.  Mrs. Kingsbury does a great job filling in the background and backstory gaps for those who may not be familiar with them or may have forgotten some of the details.  I would have liked more information on the movie of Brandon Paul's that was shelved, but that is just my personal preference.
     Leaving is the first book in the four part Bailey Flanigan series.  I highly recommend this book and can't wait for the rest of the series to come out.

This book was provided by Zondervan Publishers for review without compensation.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist, with over 15 million books in print.  Her Life-Changing Fiction (tm) has produced multiple bestsellers, including Take One, Between Sundays, Even Now, One Tuesday Morning, Beyond Tuesday Morning, and Ever After, which was named the 2007 Christian Book of the Year.  An award-winning author and newly published songwriter, Karen has several movies optioned for production, and her novel Like Dandelion Dust was made into a major motion picture and is now available on DVD.  Karen is also a nationally known speaker with several women's groups.  She lives in Washington with her husband, Don, and their six children, three of whom were adopted from Haiti.
     You can find out more about Karen, her books and her appearance schedule at www.KarenKingsbury.com.