"Leaving" continues following the threads first woven in Karen's "Redemption" series. This book focuses on Bailey being ready to spread her wings, Cody Coleman living life with a new job and new friends, and Landon & Ashley Blake facing another challenge in their lives. While some of the storylines do seem to drag on, the main thing that took away from this being a 5-star review was the fact that I found this first edition very poorly edited. Example: Kari is not the oldest Baxter daughter. Aside from that, I thought a number of the plot twists were fresh and interesting. I love Bailey and the Baxters and am looking forward to seeing where they go from here.

I understand some of the negative reviews of this book. It is very sentimental, but that's what has made Karen Kingsbury and that is the season of life she is personally in. I don't mind that... in my heart of hearts I'm quite sentimental myself! :-) The beef that Bailey lives a charmed life has merits, but it's the same life she's had since she was introduced in the "Firstborn" series. Also, yes, Bailey/Brandon smacks of Katy/Dayne but these guys are younger and have a whole different set of issues separating them. I actually really liked both Brandon and Cheyenne and wouldn't mind if those relationships took off rather than the one we're all expecting. Don't get me wrong: I think Bailey will end up with You Know Who, but Brandon is a positive character who has shown a lot of growth since "Take One" started. We'll see!