Christian

57129

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. ( )

I liked this book better than the first one in the series. It allows Bailey to suffer some adversity and makes the characters be more realistic in some of their behavior. Unlike some reviewers, I love the inclusion of some of the Baxter family storylines. I have read all the other books ands it feels like catching up with what some old friends are doing. I didn't like the ending, mostly because it doesn't really allow the book to stand alone. ( )

Karen Kingsbury continues to be probably the most-read and well-loved Christian fiction writer and you can tell why by reading this book - it's like ice cream - it's smooth and it just slides down your throat with minimal effort. I continue to read but luckily her books are available in the public library because they are not worth the $10.00 to buy them.

By the third page I was wincing a bit... she used the phrase "in addition" twice in the same paragraph. It's either poor writing or poor editing - whichever, perhaps publishing a book every three months is too much when you want to produce a quality product.

I gave up reading another one of her books because she preached about how wonderful and "right" it was that the US was fighting a war in Iraq... this one I almost tossed aside because she preaches about how true Christians would be vocal against homosexuality. I wouldn't mind it so much (although I don't agree) if she wouldn't use one dimensional characters (Gerald) and a really poor plot device (how in the world does Bailey have time to dance 8 times a week on Broadway and do all the other things, like lead a Bible study and run around New York with her boyfriend?) to advance her agenda. Apparently Kingsbury has never watched "The West Wing" and thus heard the argument that the Old Testament has a lot to say on a lot of issues (including touching pig skin) and you cannot pick and choose which ones you want to hold up as absolute. Her plot B, high school football, is lovely irony.

If you are looking for shiny, happy people and Christians who hardly ever struggle with anything significant (Cody is a marvelous character who becomes THE high school football coach - a la "Friday Night Lights - by ignoring religious freedom and overcoming PTSD and a mother in prison for drugs so easily and quickly) this is your book. If you prefer a little more depth and realism, check out Melody Carlson's older, stand-alone fiction or something by Jamie Langston Turner. ( )