Learning

Bailey Flanigan #2

by Karen Kingsbury

Bailey struggles to find herself on Broadway and with her new cast members in New York City, 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 each other.

Bailey and Cody’s desire to follow their individual dreams begins to cause confusion for the young couple. Bailey, now living in New York City, is an actress and dancer on Broadway, but soon her job is at risk. Cody continues to be a coach, mentor, and friend to a group of football players in Indiana.

Cody, whose mother's history as a drug addict has put his family in harm's way, takes matters into his own hands and cuts off all ties to the love of his life in order to protect her. Bailey, wounded from Cody's sudden disappearance, seeks solace in Brandon Paul, a famous actor who has fallen in love with her.

Can absence truly make the heart grow fonder, or will Cody turn to others to share in his happiness? And when tragedy strikes, who will be there to provide comfort in the face of loss? As Cody’s past catches up with him, he must learn to reach out for help or risk withdrawing permanently inside himself.

Both Bailey and Cody find themselves learning significant life lessons in this poignant love story. Featuring members of the popular Baxter family from bestselling author Karen Kingsbury’s beloved Redemption series, discover what’s in store for these two beloved characters.

Sweet, contemporary Christian romance The second installment of the Bailey Flanigan series Book 1: LeavingBook 2: LearningBook 3: LongingBook 4: LovingIncludes discussion questions for book clubs

Genres: Christian Fiction, Christian, Fiction, Romance, Christian Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary

353 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development with Hallmark Films and as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books are being developed into a TV series slated for major network viewing sometime in the next year. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near five of their adult children.

See more at: http://authors.simonandschuster.com/K...

Reviews

[Vacirca Vaughn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't believe I am so in love with Karen Kingsbury.

This novel was the last of 44(?) novels of hers that I have read in about 10 weeks. I was averaging between 3-5 per week and have spent at least one million dollars on her work (more like $500, but it might as well have been a million!)

I love Karen Kingsbury.


And I loved this novel...as I have fallen in love with every novel, every series, and every word with which she blesses her readers. Her Christian works have not only drawn me closer to my Savior, Jesus, but have inspired me to be a better writer. This novel, like the rest, is the continuation of a story that began about 14 novels ago, in Redemption. Now we are in the third spin-off series that takes us to the loving, confusing, exciting, challenging relationship between Bailey and Cody as they struggle as young Christians in a dark world.

They love each other but their desire to please God first, and to follow their individual dreams second causes confusion for the young couple. We see Bailey in NYC, now fully pursuing God's call on her life--to be a light in the dark, Godless theater industry. Cody continues to be a coach, mentor, and friend to a group of underprivileged football players in Indiana. Cody, whose mother's history as a drug addict has put his family in harm's way. Wanting to protect Bailey from trouble, he takes matters into his own hands and cuts off all ties to the love of his life. Bailey, wounded from Cody's sudden disappearance, finally seeks solace in a famous actor who fell in love with her a few novels ago.

If it wasn't a Christian series, it could be on MTV! The drama had me on the edge of my seat, or bed, or couch, or cliff screaming at the pages. Ms. Kingsbury continues to win souls for Jesus as her intricate storylines win you over. As always, her characters are so distinct that you'd recognize them anywhere. Her style is so recognizable that I could win Jeopardy if they had a category on her work.

Although I am giving a review on this last novel of hers that I read, I am really reviewing the entire body of work of Ms. Kingsbury because there is no real difference between how I felt about this novel or how I felt about all the others. The Baxter Family series, along with the two subsequent series, have changed my life. The stand alone titles have each helped me to grow as a person, no matter the storyline. Ms. Karen Kingsbury changes lives, changes hearts, and changes plans even as she entertains with wonderfully intricate stories that are timeless.

If you are reading this, you don't necessarily have to identify as a Christian to read her work. Read it because it's fantastic. Read it because it's entertaining. Read it because she's a literary genius. Read it just because I said so. And if something changes in your heart along the way, what can it hurt?

Read it, most of all, because this woman can actually write!

[Danae Whitteker · Rating 2 out of 5]

In my review of the first book in this series, I mentioned that they are too Christian... everyone lives in a bubble. This book is not that way fortunately. Instead Bailey leaves her Christian bubble and begins making a life for herself in the secular world of Broadway. That is a nice change.

But what does happen is that almost every prayer is answered in the perfect way and everything goes right for all the Christians, as long as they pray. Bailey almost loses her dream job, but with God's help she is able to prove herself. The small-town football team that hasn't won a game in three years gets a Christian coach and starts playing for God: they never lose after that. And the character who should have died in a life-threatening car accident not only survives, but returns to normal life faster than anyone, including drs, thought possible. I definitely believe in miracles (I should not even be alive right now), but it was all just too much too soon.

This is not to say that are no struggles of course. One character is diagnosed with a terrible disease. I also did not wish for bad things to happen. I'm glad Bailey was able to keep her job, I'm glad the team won and I'm glad the character did not die. But I also might have like to see how Bailey, the rich girl who had everything she ever wanted, would have handled that situation, or how the town would have reacted if the team lost the final game. We all love God when things go our way... what about when they don't?

With that said, the book was still a welcome break from the weightier literature I tend to read, so I'll finish the series. Plus, the storylines are engaging enough and the characters likeable enough I do genuinely want to see what happens.

[A. R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Karen Kingsbury's characters, that's why I read these books. The situations are real and the emotions genuine. Although in this installment, if the character of Brandon Paul said one more schmaltzy romantic thing I may have been sick. It was a little thick. Otherwise no complaints...an easy read and I'm looking forward to finding out how the story goes with the next book.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey finally said yes after he declared his love to her for all of New York. Finally!
Baileys faith is a but much at times. She asks God for permission for everything which is very unrealistic and I still dont like football and wish it was a different sport but I love the characters and the story so despite that I liked it alot.

[Christine Indorf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 2 in the Bailey Flanagan series. This isn’t my favorite series by Karen Kingsbury but still entertaining. I’m not a fan on 3rd act breakup troupe. Still it will be a 4 star series for me. I will continue reading this series and beyond.

[Terri Harr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have enjoyed every KK book I have ever read. Learning is no exception. The characters in this book and many others are some of my favorites, Bailey especially. To watch her grow from a young teenager into a strong young woman off on her own in New York is quite exciting. It almost felt like I was there with her as she started her job and learned the routines. I love the special relationship she has with her mom. I think every teenage girl and mom should read these books and desire to have a relationship like that. I have to admit I am not too sure about what is best for Bailey as far as her man. I love seeing how happy she is when Brandon Paul treats her so special. I am upset with Cody for ignoring her, no matter his reasons. I can see many good things about it each way. I have always loved when her and Cody were together. I see such a special relationship between them that neither can have with anyone else. But Cody has made some choices that have kept them apart. And those choices have hurt Bailey greatly. So each of them has to live life down the path that those choices have put them on. It's like real life, the choices we make effect our lives and we can allow God to use them for good or we can keep making more bad choices. God is able to do great things no matter what our choices. And like the message that is throughout these books, God has a plan for our lives, a plan for good. That is something that I love about her books. She brings out how even through hard times and through things that we find impossible to live through God can and will bring us through if we will cling to Him through it. I cannot wait for the next two books in this series! They are going to be awesome, I know.

[Olivia · Rating 3 out of 5]

{2.5 stars}

Honestly, I was more engaged with this one than the first book, but many of the same issues continued. I LOVED the depth of Christian life presented in these books, and truly it was so powerful, but the romance side of the book and certain characters brought the rest of the book down.

Cons:
-Brandon. His romantic speeches got on my nerves so much. Seriously, if I saw a guy acting that way to a girl in real life, I'd encourage the girl to steer clear. He was very pressuring, by constantly telling her how they ought to be together and so on and so forth. Bailey found him so humble, but his actions and speech sure didn't live up to that. Girls...don't look for a guy like this ;)
-Love triangles have never been my thing...enough said!!
-I didn't agree with some the characters motives of being a light for Jesus in certain situations...yes, we should shine for Him, but we also should be mindful of how our actions reflect on our testimony.
-The football theme was so much like Facing the Giants, and it was basically stated that God assured Cody that every game they were going to play, they would win!! What?

Pros:
-Bailey and her mom are close...I love that they talk about everything
-Cheyenne is the sweetest girl. She is definitely my favorite character from these books, and if things don't work out like I hope, I'm going to be very sad!
-Many challenging, thought-worthy topics that will encourage young people to be bold for Christ. Don't be afraid to speak of what God has done in your life!

So, why am I continuing this series? Because, I do care enough to see what happens...and I hate NOT finishing a series :)) If the same things I dislike in the next books continue, I won't state them on my other reviews of this series.

[Paula Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bailey, forever the Drama star has just returned from filming her first movie part in "Unlocked" as we discovered was the film version of a book that Karen Kingsbury has also written, one that would have to be in my Top 2 Favourites :), now she is headed for the stage in Broadway's production of Hairspray. However , life for Bailey is about to get hard and will have her reaching closer to God as she decides who she really is inside and what she wants out of her life. Torn between two men - her crush Cody and hollywood actor Brandon Paul , Bailey's heart is torn and will become more divided as Cody's close friend Cheyenne ends up in a tragic accident leaving Cody to tend by her side. As the play starts Bailey feels at a loss as she is the subject of nasty gossip e.g that she only got the part because of the movie and her connections. Can Bailey show the rest of the cast that she deserved the part and that no matter what happens with God on her side she can shine like the star he has created and which love interest will Bailey choose ? Will she go with her heart's desire of Cody or will she take a look at the path ahead and discover that her Prince Charming is in fact Brandon Paul ? We also catch up with familiar faces and names including the Blake Family, Baxter Family and Flanigans :)
Find out in Learning by Karen Kingsbury and I look forward to reading Book #3 Longing. Another fabulous book by one of my all-time favourite Christian authors Karen Kingsbury.

[Smutty~ Vibes · Rating 5 out of 5]

i love love love bailey ❤❤❤ this is one of my favorite series written by karen kingsbury a must read and a great additions to the baxter books although id like to smack cody and tell him go get your girl lol other than that a must read i cant put down!!!!!

[Reagan Soper · Rating 5 out of 5]

another great Karen book

[EA Kellogg]

got sent this book in a care package 🤣 to be fair it’s the 2nd in series so i had no idea what was going on really, but it was christian fiction from 2011. fun & nostalgic i’ll say!

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was even more unrealistic than her other books….I’m still going to read the rest of the series😬

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a part of Karen Kingsbury's Team KK, which means I get the book before its publication date in order to review it and promote it. Karen asks that we not give away plot details, so here's the review I shared with Karen.

Often in life, the most important lessons we learn are the ones that take us through hard situations, choices, and circumstances. In Learning, Karen weaves a story of learning through hard choices. Many authors write a beautiful story of love, one that ends in happy ever after. Not Karen. Instead she writes about real life in life-changing fiction. The situations the characters face are ones that the people who live on either side of us face. The characters face hard choices that we face ourselves.

It is this honesty, this openness, this vulnerability that sets Karen’s characters, particularly Bailey and Cody, apart from other books and other characters. These characters make mistakes, have flaws, and face rough times. Readers can identify with them, and that is why the characters in this series are some of my favorite. I have read many books. I’m a life-long book lover, former language arts teacher, and now a librarian. I know books and characters like I know my friends. After the thousands of books I have read, these characters stand out. In addition to enjoying the storyline, their stories speak to my heart and encourage me to learn in difficult situations, to have integrity when I’m faced with a hard choice, and to love Jesus more than all else.

(I have much more to say about this book, but Karen asked that we not give away any plot details! You’ll just have to check out the book to find out more.)

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well…it was typical Karen Kingsbury. Saccharine sweet and even the conflicts will be wrapped up by the end of the series with no issues. I know her message is that God is good and will overcome all, but sometimes it just feels as if she is disconnected from the real world. A teacher taking in a student who was hiding in the school because he had no place else to go? Yes, it could happen, but only after dealing with a ton of bureaucratic nightmares. In the meantime, it's more likely the kid would have accused the teacher of abuse and with no one to vouch otherwise, the teacher would be in a world of trouble. And with this series being based in Indiana, the fictional town/football team parts just don't really ring true for me. The small-town football team would not be playing Warren Central and Lawrence Central, and John Marshall hasn't been a football powerhouse in years. Yes, that's picky, but…

I realize I'm starting to sound bitter and picky, so I'll let it go. In closing thoughts--I remember absolutely loving the Redemption Series and recommending them to our church book club. Maybe I've just hit a wall and it's too much of a good thing. I think I'll let this one go for awhile…and won't be rushing out for books 3 and 4 in this series!

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Karen Kingsbury is one of those writers who always seems to write a good book. She uplifts and inspires while allowing us a peek at the lives of the characters she creates,and with her series books she always leaves us wanting more.
Learning is the second book in the Bailey Flanigan series, and while I think it could be read as a stand alone book, you will certainly want to read the first book in the series titled Leaving. The plot revolves around Cody Coleman and Bailey Flanigan young adults who are following their dreams while following God as well. In this book Bailey has landed a role on Broadway while Cody is teaching. The author tells their stories making us feel like we are following along with our friends, allowing us to experience their ups and downs their hopes and dreams, and she does it in such a way that allows us to realize how God can work in our lives. If your looking for a book that you wouldn't mind sharing with your teen daughter or just want an uplifting story that will make you laugh and cry, then pick up this book, although I must warn you once you start reading Karen Kingsburys' work you won't be satisfied until you have read everything she has written.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library)]

When it comes to Christian authors, few even come close to the popularity or prominence of Karen Kingsbury. Not since Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye composed a multi-volume interpretation of Biblical prophecy that sold in the millions has a Christian author gained such praise and renown. Learning, book number two in the Bailey Flanigan series, is typical Karen Kingsbury: all of the drama, romance, and Christian content that her fans have come to expect. I did feel that the book moved a bit too fast, but it was still a good story otherwise. For those who are complaining that much of the book deals with Cody Coleman, consider the following: Not only was Cody a very prevalent character in the previous novels about the Flanigan family, but series follow plot lines that have nothing to do with the titular character(s) all the time; remember how much time every episode of Lizzie McGuire spent on her little brother Matt's mischievous shenanigans?

[Nezzle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh the feels!! Loved this book sooo much! It was so motivational and inspirational and such a sweet love story. I'll admit that some things wrapped up a bit too nicely but it was exactly the type of book I needed. I love the scriptural references and the way I was able to relate to so many of Bailey's struggles. I also have a super huge crush on Brandon Paul ❤️

[Melissa (Semi Hiatus Until After the Holidays) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The second book in the Bailey Flanigan series looks further into Bailey and Cody’s lives as their paths go in different directions. There are some real gems of wisdom and depth in this novel, particularly surrounding Bailey’s involvement with her fellow cast members with regards to her Christian beliefs. This is a series that should be read in order.

As Bailey begins her time as an actor in the Broadway production of Hairspray, her former relationship with Cody Coleman is never far from her thoughts. Yet Cody has moved on — both as a coach of a high school football team and with his relationship with Cheyenne Williams, who is currently recovering from injuries from a car accident. But Cody still thinks about Bailey too. Will they find their way back together, or follow a new path?
Review originally appeared in RT BookReviews

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this second book better than the first one in the Bailey Flanagan series. However, there still seems to be a bit of the "too much" factor--where too many things (either good or bad) happen to one family and those surrounding them. It doesn't feel realistic. I know it's fiction but it seems that there should still be a certain amount of realism. I think Karen Kingsbury is a very good story teller, but with this series it seems like she's trying too hard to make the God talk and story lines work. I greatly enjoy reading Christian fiction although prefer a little more subtlety and reality.

[Charity U · Rating 4 out of 5]

NO IDEA where this series is going...but I'm caught. Can't put them down! Can't wait to get the next book.

[Dana]

Awesome book!

[Rebecca Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bailey is in New York, living out her dreams of acting and dancing on the Broadway stage. She is also growing closer to actor Brandon Paul. However, she still finds her thoughts often consumed with Cody Coleman and longs for some way to make this broken relationship whole.

Cody is coaching a high school football team, and trying to knit them together off the field. He is also helping a dear friend to recover from a near-fatal car accident. As he grows closer to Chey, will he let go of his feelings for Bailey? Or those feelings cause him to reconcile with her?

This is actually a much better book than the first book in the Bailey Flanigan series. Maybe Bailey's finally starting to grow on me. I'm enjoying the supporting characters, and I'm really enjoying Cody's storyline. This is a book I really liked.

Here's my take on each of the point of view characters. As always, this comes with a **SPOILER WARNING***

Cody: He is head coach of the high school football team now. His takes his struggles from his youth and is able to use them to help the young players have better lives. He's really making a difference for the young men on his team. He is also deep into a friendship with Cheyenne, and this friendship is starting to get romantic. He still thinks of Bailey, but the love that he has with Cheyenne is different from the love he had with Bailey, and it's an awesome difference. I look forward to each scene that he's in, and he is probably my favorite character in this series.

Bailey: Bailey is struggling to adjust to Broadway. She isn't quite to par with the other dancers in skill, and she doesn't fit in well with them personally. She feels God telling her to reach out to the other dancers and love them and tell them about him, but it takes the death of a dancer she has developed a closeness with to truly push her into following God's voice in her new job. She is also getting closer and closer to actor, Brandon Paul, and enjoying all her adventures with him. By the end of the book, she has realized that she is in love with Brandon, and they are officially an item. Her scenes with Brandon always have a surreal feel to them as he is the perfect and most romantic boyfriend that I've ever seen in life or in writing.

Ashley: Ashley is struggling with her husband's new lung disease. It isn't the fatal disease, but it's still serious, and her husband is mourning the loss of his career as a fireman. She's having difficulty understanding and being the supportive wife that she knows she is called to be, but she's doing her best.

Jenny: Jenny is in the book to provide a picture of her loving her sons and loving Cody when Cody stops by for a visit. She is warm and generous and loves Cody as much as her own children. She's the mother I aspire to be (but fail to be most of the time).

Cheyenne: Cheyenne is recovering from an awful car accident. She is relearning how to walk and is developing a deepening relationship with Cody. Her point-of-view scenes show her still missing her fiancee who had died, and her questioning if it is okay to love Cody differently from Art. I think it's great that Cody and Cheyenne are both so emotionally wounded, and I feel like they make a great pairing.

Brandon: His point of view is included to show how he's doing on the movie set as far as his commitment to God goes. We also get to see his joy in planning a special day for Bailey and his desire for the two of them to be serious and to grow old together.

Even though there's two more books left, I hope there's not a lot of Bailey/Cody drama to go because I like them in their different lives and I like the lives that they've made for themselves. I would hate to see them cause their current partners agony by destroying that for a relationship that never really got off the ground between them. I just have to get that out there.

However, there's still too much emotional distance between the two of them for there to be a happy ending right now for either of them. I would love to see a reconciliation of their friendship and a forgiveness of both themselves and each other. I would love to see Cody be able to continue to be a part of the Flanigan family. I don't think that's too much to ask, but there's a lot of emotions for Cody and Bailey to both work through to get to that place in their relationship.

[Autumn Slaght · Rating 2 out of 5]

The rating is actually 1.5 stars. I didn't hate it enough to rate it 1 star but I didn't enjoy it near enough to rate it 2.
I'm not going to reiterate the things I've already stated that drive me nuts about the Baxter family series. If you really want to know my biggest peeves, you can read my previous reviews. :)
As always, I hate giving a negative review to a fellow author. I'm glad that other people like her, but these are just my thoughts. This book was so cringey and boring. Very, very boring.
I would have loved it if a book in the "Bailey Flanigan" series was more about...Bailey Flanigan. Kinda the main character who gets maybe 30% page time in the books? I literally do not care about Cody and only kind of skimmed through his chapters...not really missing much I don't think. The book was the ultimate example of "tell vs. show." For instance. Spoiler alert:
After the death of a castmate, Bailey starts a Bible study with her Broadway cast. This happens about halfway through the book. Sounds good, right? Sounds like it will be a good part to the story? Something other than her sitting around moaning and groaning about how much she misses Cody? Yeah, the Bible study gets 3 chapters. And it gets even better! We got to see the first Bible study. The second mention of the Bible study is in a paragraph's flashback Bailey has as she thinks back on when her director tells her to stop holding it. And the third time the Bible study portion is mentioned is crammed into a hastily written page toward the very end about Bailey, again, THINKING BACK on how for the last half of the book, her job was threatened if she started up the Bible study again outside of the theater with the cast. The director was going to fire her. But then in Bailey's flashback while she's serving soup, she remembers how she started the Bible study back up and all of the sudden her director was like "Okay, it is what it is. You're not fired." I would have loved it if there was more meat to the whole Bible study portion instead of being told through flashbacks while Bailey's doing something that we don't care about. Everything in this story takes back seat to the overdramatic saga of Bailey pining for Cody while falling in love with Brandon in very unrealistic circumstances.
That was another thing. Brandon flying across states and countries to surprise Bailey may have been nice once or twice throughout the series. But 9 times out of 10 whenever they skype, he's flown in and arranged all these extravagant things like getting her to the 103th floor of the Empire State Building to spring out of the shadows and surprise her. If he were a prince, this would be far more realistic. But he's an actor. And it happens so often that it's not special any more. But I most definitely am team Brandon over Cody any day of the week.
The one thing that I did like was when Brandon told Bailey, "We'll spend most of our lives in eternity. So we need to make this one count." Or something to that effect. During the few scenes were we actually get to see Bailey, she has spot-on points that would make a reader stop and think and give them something to take away from. You just have to find them through the murkey waters of a painfully drug-out romance between a guy who ghosted a girl and the girl still loving him after he treated her like scum off of his shoe. I could stop reading here and just say that Bailey ends up with Brandon in my own mind...but I won't. I've got 12 (11? I can't do math!) books left to go in the Baxter Fam series.

Again, sorry for the rant.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, I liked this one better than the first, Leaving, however there were still some issues. A second character is in a coma and miraculously wakes up when another character begins strumming his guitar and singing a worship song. I believe in miracles, but two characters who come out of comas so far in two books is a bit far fetched for me. Also mentioned in the first book is that Bailey will have to pay $200 rent per month while living in an elderly couple's New York apartment, however, in this book it states she doesn't have to pay any rent. Maybe that detail was forgotten in between due dates for the manuscript.

Overall, the book was enjoyable and moved much faster, thankfully than the first. However, if just seems like everything is so perfect for all the Christians in the books but if you're a non-believing character well then all bets are off. One of Bailey's cast mates in Hairspray dies due to taking "uppers" and her anorexia, Bailey battles guilt because she feels she let the cast mate down with not sharing Christ more, so she begins a Bible study. God never said Christians would have a pain free life or that He would give us every little thing our heart desires. If that were the case my husband would still be here instead of becoming a widow at 36 and my children would all still have their dad. Have we had blessings? Yes. However, they came through with a lot of pain and suffering - ultimately God was with us through it all, but being Christian doesn't guarantee a pain free, grief free, disease free, etc life.

[Jennifer Robb · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars (rating shown may vary depending on review site).

I used to read Karen Kingsbury often, but have gotten away from it in recent years. A friend (MH) sent me this book in a box of books. I thought she'd gotten it from another friend and then passed it on to me, but I don't see a review on here by that friend, so perhaps that was a different Kingsbury book.

In this book, Bailey Flanigan realizes her dream of performing on Broadway--but is it all that she thought it would be?

There are some good lessons on listening to God's direction within Bailey's story--speaking up or acting on direction before there is no more time to do so, etc. I did appreciate Bailey's attempts to study the Bible with her castmates and to make them not feel judged--that we all have some sin that we struggle with, but we can't just give up and say, God made me this way, so I won't struggle against what I know is a sin.

I appreciate that Kingsbury has Bailey struggle because in many of her novels, my complaint was that everything was too perfect--everything always turned out--etc.

Cody Coleman takes over coaching a high school football team and they have a transformative season. (Talk about that perfect storytelling aspect of Kingsbury's writing!)

I'm a little disappointed that Bailey and Cody, who were friends for a long time, totally cut off direct communication with each other--at least for this novel.

[Amanda Gilmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall Amanda rating: A
1. I loved the Christian aspect that was placed into each of these books. I loved that Bailey went and prayed before making decisions and that she spread the love of Jesus to everyone she came into contact with. I also loved the relationship that she has with her mother. I could only dream of having a bond like that with my daughter.
Bailey- I love this character. I think that while she is chasing her dreams she is still very uncertain about what she truly wants within her heart of hearts. I think that she is torn between the comfort of the past as well as the excitement of the future. She prays, she tries to listen, but she still holds on to anger against Cody, (which is probably deserved)all while still trying to figure out her future.
Cody- makes mistakes, but he is truly trying. He has a lot of anger and a lot of hurts he needs to work through, as well as a load of guilt. He is confused about his future with Cheyenne or Bailey.
Brandon- I don't know why but this is my pick for Bailey. I love this character. He has room for growth but is a very well-written character. I can't wait to see how these stories unfold.

[Steve W · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I enjoyed the book, as I have pretty much enjoyed everything I have read from Karen Kingsbury, I found myself throughout the book not really liking Brandon Paul. I noticed some other readers commented on how the way Brandon talks to Bailey is kind of over the top. I am put off by his "brash confident..." personality and his syrupy speeches. I supposed my view of him is colored by the fact that, in a way, he is competing with Cody for Bailey's heart. Of course, that is not a complaint about the story. I don't have to love every character, and there are characters that serve purposes other than being a delight to the reader.

I could say more about how the story develops, but would risk spoiling it for someone else. When I teased my wife that I might just go to the end of the 4th book to see how the relationships end up, she said I shouldn't do that (not that I would have anyway).

I'm glad I didn't read more of the reviews before I read the book as I came across unmasked spoilers that I would have preferred to avoid. So don't go reading the reviews; read the book!

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book from the Bailey Flanigan series and the 20th book from the Baxter Family series.

I enjoyed seeing Bailey deal with the issues she faced on Broadway when things didn't go so well for her in her performance and her relationship with those she worked with. I think this shows that many Christians face work situations that aren't a dream and times when they are considered a poor fit based on the culture they face at work. I wish Francesca would have taken it even a step further and terminated Bailey. Show a Christian's reaction to the loss of employment.

Cody's situation was almost the direct opposite. He took over a small high school football team that hadn't won a game in two years and took it to an undefeated season. A little over the top Karen. Throw in a loss and show how the team handles that.

Bailey and Brandon. Cody and Cheyenne. Both couples seem to be thriving. It will be interesting to see if Kingsbury lets those relationships flourish or if she will bring Cody and Bailey back together (which I predict).

[Olivermagnus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bailey Flanigan is living a dream. She living in New York City, has a role in the Broadway musical ‘Hairspray’, and she has the attention of Brandon Paul, a popular movie star. But she can’t seem to forget Cody, the first man she has ever really loved.

Other than some innocent Facebook stalking, Cody and Bailey do not have any interaction with one another throughout the book. Both are aware of the other’s new romantic relationships and have decided to move on with their lives in spite of their lingering love for one another.

Bailey’s journey as a single Christian woman and her desire for fame on the Broadway stage at times seem at odds with one another, and she faces problems in trying to stay active in her faith with a group that finds her religion at odds with their own lives.

All the romantic elements in this book are very tame and appropriate for a younger audience. The Bailey Flanigan series is my first foray into Christian fiction and I have to commend Karen Kingsbury for the way this series reaches out to young people who enjoy Christian fiction with a YA focus.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OKAY I AM HERE TO ADMIT THAT I AM SO IN LOVE WITH BRANDON PAUL 😭😭😭 “hey new york! I’m in love with brandon paul!”

He is literally perfect. The fact that he always is surprising her and is so supportive of Bailey’s career🥹 When they went up the staircase 😂 When they went to empire state building🥹 when he mapped out central park ahead of time🥹 him getting her the necklace and asking her to be his girlfriend 🥹 Him showing up at her first show with roses 🥹 The skype calls and him telling her a million times how much he misses her 🥹

He is always making her laugh and is so confident in his love for her!!!!! Men step it up!!!! Cody could never 🙄 I love how adventurous he is too!!! Ugh BRANDON CAN I PLS DATE YOU?!!?!? Bailey can share 😂😂 Anyways these books are so good!!!! Cant wait for Longing 😌😌 Hopefully there are no B+B fights 😭