Longing/Loving- Karen Kingsbury

 

So the book Loving by Karen Kingsbury has been out for about a month now and I have read it. Now I will so this I am so discussed with this book, in away I feel like Karen needs to apoligize to most of her readers for this book. You see for years she has been writing the story of the Baxters and then it quickly turned into stories about the Flanigans and then to the last four books about Bailey Flanigan, and Like most people through the books you feel very close to each one of the chacacters and you start to relate to them, they felt real, they felt as if they had flaws and you wanted to pray for them through there struggles.
  
        Well when Karen decided to come out and write the Bailey Flanigan story I was so happy I could not wait to see what was going to happen with her and Cody. Then Leaving came out and I thought what whats happening, then Learning came out and I could see this was no longer a book series about Cody and Bailey this was a series that had turned into what Karen choice to write about. As I continued to ready the series I became very disappointed and knew that Karen was writing this story after her own daughter. Also she was writing things in the story line that I became very disturbed with.
  
         You see Karen has really pushed for many books up to the four that Bailey (aka Kelsey) to be a good example to girls of all ages, and I personally became so in love with this example that Bailey was protraying because there are so few girls out there now a days who live this life style Christ has given them to live in the Bible as a Godly women. I decided that I could not wait to have my own daughter to pass these book to and then also pass them to my neices and nephews they all need to learn that there are people out the to set a good example by. Well as the book progessed I started to see a pattern and I no longer wanted any of them to read the books I was blown away.

     You see in the last two books Longing and Loving, Karen started to really push Brandon and Bailey together and started really tearing apart the Cody. I was really confussed by this but I kept reading. I started to see how Brandon was changing a little to what Bailey wanted him to not what God wanted him to, he started being mean to her at points in the story and then buy her lavish gifts to make up for it. I highly doubt Karen realizes this but this is the pattern of someone who is abusive. And what became even more disappointing as the time went on I could see that she was writing a story about Katy and Dayne to a certain point all over again. WOW!!! REALLY!!!? You see I really love Katy and Dayne I think they set really good example of what Christians should be and I think that in Katy and Dayne's Story Dayne was willing to give up everything for Katy because deep down he really loved her, we wanted to show his love by actions not by buying her really expensive gift. With Brandon it felt like the pattern became that he would show his love by lavishing expensive gifts and trips and then Bailey would 2nd guess herself and say "oh Ok I will love you". I mean what kind of example is that really setting for our teen girls, hey its ok to love someone as long as if they do something wrong they can buy you off.

    As I have read these last 2 book you  quickly see Karen changing the story line to her daughters and heres why I say this well when the books came out and where posted on my websites including hers they had a picture of Cody and Bailey the finally cover was changed shortly after Kelsey and Kyle became engaged. Now when asked about this changed Karen started she did not like the covers and for some time not she chose to have these book end the way the ended. I do not believe this either I feel like she is trying to down play this whole thing and its very dishearting to me as a reader and as a consumer. Heres why you see as a consumer and a reader I dont like to be lied to, own it if you changed it fine you could have and should have been honest with us those of us as she likes to say our TEAM CODY. Those who are TEAM BRANDON/TEAM BAILEY I know do not feel this way and thats fine they are entiled to their opion. I just know from the reviews on my websites that there are more unhappy readers then there are happy readers. I think its also intresting that people who go onto her facebook to share their councerns those post are ussally remove with in an hour or two. I think as a writer people would want to know how those fans feel not want to delete them. I have been reading Karen's books since 2007 and I have loved everyone of the books I have read but these last few am I going to stop reading her well probaly not, but I feel like she needs to appoligize to her fans that feel like they were lead on for some many books only to have the rug ripped out from under us. I also feel that her newest book she should leave Brandon and Bailey out of it, because honestly the damage is done and I dont think anyone cares about them any more.
 
        Ms. Kingsbury I highly doubt you or your team will read any of this and if you do or any one who knows you does I do not mean to be disrespectful in any way I just find it hard to believe what you keep telling your readers that this is how it was always going to end. I will say this I am so glad that this series is done with, Bailey and Brandon story has been told and I am glad I know that at the end of Loving you left it open for what appears to be a Cody series and well at this point thats nice but I think I have to say I am done with this group of people for a little while can you please write some new Charaters so that we can enjoy those books.


Thank you all for reading and feel free to leave comments, if your comments are abusive I will delete this is soully my oppion and I do not expect you to agree with me.