Sunday, June 7, 2009

Review:Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers



California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside. Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything, Michael Hosea obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation until, despite her resistance her frozen heart begins to thaw. But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she can no longer deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael Hosea does…the One who will never let her go.


Not being familar with the story of Hosea I was intrigued enough to know more about it when I read the back cover blurb. All in all this book was excellent and has a permenant residence on my Keeper Shelf. Like you hope to have in any good book there were places where I cringed( like every single time Angel left Michael)and others where I felt my heart would leap from my chest(can’t give those away or you won’t read the book).

What I liked:
Michael’s relationship with God. He’s so full of faith that God has a plan for him, bumps and all. It really made me think about my own faith and if I let God take control enough. I love books that make you think about them days or weeks after you’ve read them.
This might sound a little strange, considering my previous paragraph, but I did like the touchy subject of Duke and child prositution. Not that I agree with it all, but it was refreshing to see an author,especially a Christian author, make such a risky move and actually talk about it and have it be a major part of the heroine’s character. Those scenes weren’t feel good moments at all but the book really wouldn’t have been the same without them.
Something else I like was Angel and Michael’s budding relationship. It was very realistic and believable. Angel didn’t instantly “see the light” and change when Michael came into her life and that was a good thing because we were able to see her grow as a person.

Things I didn’t like:
The story seemed to sag a little when Angel/Sarah ran off to San Fransisco and lived with the Axles. It was good for Angel to have that relationship with that family and have a friend in their daughter but drug on a bit.
Rating: A
Published:2005
Price:$14.99
Favorite books by author: This is my first one but it’s definitely on the list now.
Author’s website: http://www.francinerivers.com/

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