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Romance fiction, whether it be Christian or secular, always has the same story. But, after a serious injury, Michael takes her in and loves her unconditionally, just the way God loves us, flaws and all. And, unlike a lot of Christian romance (including some of Rivers' other works- the Atonement child), the plot doesn't stop so Rivers can preach at you. Don't let the 45 page prologue stop you. Instead, it is beautifully woven in. Angel has had one hellava hard knock life and trusts no one- she is Miss Independent (how many of us can relate to that- I know I can). This book was absolutely amazing and you should definitely check it out.
The only difference between Christian and secular is whether or not the sex happens in your face or as an implied epilogue. She fails to realize that all she has to do is grow in his love (which is just the way God wants us to grow in Him). When Angel finally does open herself to Michael's love, she feels totally unworthy of such a stud. Yawn. Unlike the snore-inducing conflict of the average romance novel ("I saw her/him flirting with you."), the conflict here is deep (though I won't give it away).
This is an amazing romance that breaks all the conventions and mirrors God's love for us without whacking you over the head with preachiness. The story doesn't end there though. Michael is the dreamy rugged farmer who has saved himself for her. Virginal girl falls in love with jaded womanizer and teaches him how to love again. This book flips that convention on its head with Angel, the bastard daughter of a prostitute that becomes a prostitute herself when her mom dies.
I've been reading Christian Fiction for over 25 years and I don't know why I've never picked this book up before. I was so glad to see that Paul didn't continue in his hatred for Sarah and played a huge role in bringing Sarah and Michael back together. I'm so glad I did. Having never read the book of Hosea, I went into Redeeming Love without any idea of where the story was going to lead. I was amazed at the way Francine Rivers captured the emotional issues that a woman would face who has suffered through such horrifying experiences.
Im not even sure what led me to purchase this book, as I had never even walked into the fictional section of the Christian bookstore. As I neared the end of the book I was so sad, I didnt want it to end and read as slow as I could to prolong the story. She repeatedly tried to "steer her own ship" and each time she failed her heavenly Father and faithful husband were waiting for her with unconditional love. Since there are 677 reviews before mine, the purpose of this review is more to just thank the author than anything else. This story reminds me that no matter what you have done in your lifetime, God loves you regardless and is always waiting for you to surrender to Him. Everyday after that I couldnt wait to get the kids into bed so I could pick the book back up. I cant wait to read every book that Francine Rivers has written.
I have a love for the 1800's and thought it sounded kinda cool. Angel was emotionally broken, beaten down, scarred, cynical, bitter, and resentful but God (thru Michael) loved her still. The love this man had for his Father, the faith, the forgiveness, the patience. Like many others here, the first night I told myself I was just gonna read a chapter or two and go to bed. Words just cant really describe how much I loved this story, its been over a month since I finished it and I still find myself daydreaming of Michael and Angel.
This was my first Christian Romance Novel and I have to say it has set the bar HIGH. I would even tell my husband each day what "happened" in the book, we would discuss the characters like we knew them. I was captivated by the story right from the start. But one day I found myself looking around, picked up this book and started the reading the back. I was up till 3am, reading in bed next to my sleeping husband with a book light.
The beginning of the book is sad, but realistic and necessary to understand how God is able to reach Sarah and make her aware of His love despite her hard beginnings. This book is very well written and a wonderful story of the power of God's love and ability to save us, no matter how grave the circumstances. It is about the triumph of the human spirit and the lengths that God will go to to save any one of us--even when we are unaware of His care for us.
She was a prostitute. Most men do not possess the patience to continually take back an adulterous, rebellious woman - and rightfully so. How many women have had abortions and experienced the redeeming love of Christ. If anyone is expecting "Redeeming Love" to be existential and stuffy then they should save themselves the money and not buy it in the first place. While I won't dismiss God's ability to use an author of fiction to present the Gospel to readers, I rely on my prayer time and studies of the Scriptures to bring me closer to Him. With that said, reading a work of fiction that doesn't run completely contrary to the things of God is refreshing. It's an illustration of Christ's redeeming love for us. I found neither to be true.
For what it's worth, I don't take issue with a woman removing her clothes in the presence of her husband. I don't want to read raw sex scenes in a book, but I found nothing between the covers of this book that made me cringe, wince or blush. I began reading it Christmas night and couldn't put it down. And, yes, Angel did disrobe several times throughout the book. These people either never read the book or their standards of decency are far superior to my own. Angel doesn't always take heed or appreciate their help, and she oftentimes finds herself in trouble when she does not.
Another thing I do not understand is why people call this book "graphic". It's a Christian-based romance novel that is meant to be allegorical, not literal. The good news is that this book is not meant to be realistic. "Atlas Shrugged" is considered one of the greatest novels of all-time and I think it's the most vile (in terms of writing style and content) book ever written that was later dubbed a "classic". First off, I want to preface this review by confessing I don't much care for contemporary literature. Another issue that comes up in reviews is how Angel is either "always naked" or that the intimacy scenes are "graphic". There were a few times I was left scratching my head. I had recently come back to the Lord and it was such a kind gesture for my grandmother, knowing about my re-dedication to Christ as well as my love for reading, to give me this book.
As fallible human beings we can only take so much. I find it to be poorly written (largely due to publishers' unrealistic deadlines), trite and boring most of the time. The point was not to shock or hurt readers, but to more clearly illustrate how God can take even a young, rebellious, cold-hearted prostitute and place people in her life to draw her closer to Him. **This review may contain some mild SPOILERS**For those who say this book is poorly written I'm curious as to what they are used to reading. Everyone told me I should read it, so I did, and was horribly disappointed. Angel didn't know how to conduct herself any differently and, in the beginning of their relationship, Angel tried to use her body as leverage against Michael.
Furthermore, I can't say this book "saved" me or brought me closer to Christ. When my grandmother gave me "Redeeming Love" as a Christmas present I was skeptical, but vowed to read it so as not to hurt her feelings. At no point does Michael ever take advantage of the situation, even though Angel was by all accounts his spouse and he could have taken her at any time she took her clothes off in his presence. Throughout the book, God puts people in Angel's/Sarah's life to minister to her. At the very least he took liberties with her that were so beyond acceptable that it was quite disturbing it wasn't presented as a type of sexual violation.
Yes, there was intimacy, but it was implied. Many times throughout the book Michael prays for God's strength and rejects Angel's manipulative sexual advances. Christian women are just as capable of being raped and abused as non-christian women and vice versa. I was a bit perturbed that what took place between Paul and Angel was glossed over as some dirty encounter that was Angel's fault when, quite frankly, it almost came across as if Paul raped Angel. The book mentions unwed motherhood, infertility, abortion, child prostitution, rape and other types of abuse; however, these are dark aspects of life that even believers have experienced. No, this book is not perfect.
I read the first nine chapters in one night. There was nothing perverted or explicit about it. How many women have been sold into sex trafficking and held close to their faith and were later miraculously delivered out of that nightmare. If you're expecting a truly realistic storyline this probably isn't going to cut the mustard for you either. Yes, there are is some pretty heavy subject matter in this book.
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