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.

A life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.
--back cover

Genres: Romance, Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Historical, Historical Romance

479 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America's coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).

www.francinerivers.com
www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers
Twitter: @FrancineRivers

Reviews

[Auntee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not even going to attempt to review this one because I doubt that I could do it justice. Besides, there's over a thousand reviews of this book on GR (hard to believe--I must have been one of the few people who haven't read this book)! Anyway, it was definitely the best book I've read all year, and probably one of the best books I've EVER read. It was easy to read (the story flowed very smoothly), yet emotionally, it was very difficult to read. Parts of the book just tore me up inside, and I had to take frequent breaks to wipe my tears. I loved the broken and bitter prostitute heroine, Angel, and the saintly, patient (too good to be true) farmer hero, Michael. But to categorize them that way seems so unfair, because they were so much more than that.

I guess this book could be called religious fiction, or inspirational romance, but don't let that scare you. It's based on the bible story of Hosea and Gomer, but you don't have to be up on your bible studies to enjoy this one. And it gets just slightly preachy at the end, but you won't care because you'll be too wrapped up in Angel and Michael. The book deals with some really horrible and heartbreaking stuff (child rape, prostitution, incest)(but not in real explicit terms) and just when you think you've read the worst, something else is revealed that will break your heart all over again. But please try to get through those moments, because there is a beautifully written romance, too, about unconditional love, faith, and hope. I must have cried buckets while reading the last 100 pages, but it was worth it. I don't think I'll forget this story for quite a while--5 stars!

[Lexie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I recieved this as a part of the First Reads program.

I was repulsed by this book.

It's supposed to be a Christian romance novel. Full disclosure, I'm an atheist, so I wasn't expecting to exactly fall in love with the book. But I found the concept of the story of Hosea being retold during the Gold Rush interesting, or else I wouldn't have picked it up.

So you may ask, why was I so repulsed by this book? Looking past the forced marriage, rape, beatings and child rape described in the book. Also looking past the flat, one dimensional characters, that are by the way, stunning and physically beautiful (how boring is that). Not to mention, looking past the horrible source material that is the Old Testament. I'm repulsed by the ideas that this book reinforces for women. I'm disgusted that this drivel was written by a woman. And after reading some reviews prior to recieving the book, I'm appaled that some people found this book moving, positive and uplifting. The plot device of using these characters to represent god and his unconditional love that he supposedly has for his children was weak. This was represented by the two main character's and Angel. So god talks to him(I'll leave that one alone) and tells him to marry her. He has a priest marry the two of them while she's pretty much unconsious. She runs away after being forced to work for and take care of him. I wonder why she would run away. So she finally meets a family who is willing to take care of her. She's in a good place. And then he comes back for her. She for some unknown reason, goes back to him. The worst part is the ending, because she wants nothing more than to please him and bear him a son.

This book does nothing more than subjugate women. In my own opionion, so do gods and religions, but that's a different story for a differnt time. What positive message is there in this for anyone? Be a good wife and devote all your time to making babies. I think we all know there is more to life than that.

Please don't waste your time reading this book, get something else that will celebrate life and the worth of an individual, or something that you will learn something from. I'll be trading mine in at the local book mine, to get something of more worth.

[Kristin (KC) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly heart wrenching. Gripping. Riveting. Extraordinary...I could go on and on and still not justify the magnitude of this story's brilliance— what it means, what it stands for, and how deeply it has affected me.

Reading Redeeming Love was an intensely humbling and inspirational experience. It isn't about drama or angst or sexy loves scenes...it is a powerful, eye-opening story focused on faith and redemption; on rising up from the dust of despair and finding yourself worthy. It's about the unparalleled ways love and faith can conquer all, and I could not have been more pleased with this loving and fulfilling journey.

Sarah, aka, Angel is a beautiful, damaged woman who remains a prisoner of a past that heartlessly sold her into prostitution as a child. She was abandoned, abused, and alone, and my heart shattered for her. Selling her body was all she'd ever known...so when Michael attempts to show her an honest life, she is untrusting and feels unworthy to receive it. Angel had a quiet strength and I was completely blown away by her transformation. Her quest for freedom was relentless and she easily became one of my most beloved heroines.

Michael, in my opinion, was saint-like. His patience and love for Angel was astonishing, and his faith in himself and in God--inspiring. I've never before felt such a strong sense of love and acceptance through a character. Angel and Michael's connection stands as a pure example of love in its most honest and unconditional state...exactly how it's meant to be.

The writing simply wow'd me. It was eloquent and its grace brought this story to life. I felt every pain and heartache displayed within these broken characters, as well as every rejoice.

This was my first Christian Fiction novel and I was initially unsure what to expect. Although faith in God plays a big role in this story, having faith in oneself is an equally apparent theme—one to which anyone can relate. The element of religion was heavily pronounced, but I didn't find it to be preachy — in fact, I found it comforting and enlightening. It wasn't over-the-top; it was delicate and its message seemed to transcend the structures of organized religion. Freedom does not come from without, but is instead brought forth from within.

My song for Sarah

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise.

Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free...

Book Stats:
▪ Genre/Category: Christian Fiction/Romance
▪ Steam Caliber: Clean
▪ Romance: Emotional and heartbreaking. Beautifully evolves.
▪ Characters: Expertly composed. Patient, kind, loving hero. Tragically broken, but lovable heroine.
▪ Plot: Centers largely on redemption, faith, and the healing power of love. Substantial depth.
▪ Writing: Accomplished and exquisite execution. Inspiring narrative.
▪ POV: Third person perspective.
▪ Cliffhanger: None

[Karla · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Inspiring Stars!! I'm soooo happy!! Where's a box of tissues when you need them?? I have to listen to the end again. Oh my, I can't stop crying!! Michael...he is the power of love!!



No review I could ever do, would give this book the justice it is so deserving of! You have to experience it to understand all the meaning that it holds. Thank you to KarLyn who was the first to tell me about this book, and then all my other friends who encouraged me to read it. It's an amazing journey I will NEVER forget!

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars

"Love cleanses, beloved. It doesn't beat you down. It doesn't cast blame. My love isn't a weapon. It's a lifeline. Reach out and take hold, and don't let go.”

Honestly, I almost never read historical romance. It just doesn’t interest me as much as contemporary does. I saw this on my libraries page and it had been recommended to me in the past, so I picked up the audiobook. I’m so glad I did. This book was fantastic and I loved it so much!

This book takes place in California in the 1850’s. Michael is a farmer who goes into town to sell some of his things, and that’s when he sees Angel. Angel’s life has been hard and even though she’s young she’s been through so much. She is a prostitute who has been owned by others since a young age.

Michael feels called to marry Angel and even though she’s resistant to the idea, eventually she comes around. Michael treats Angel well and shows her what real love and partnership is. She doesn’t know how to accept this and never feels good enough, and it causes issues between them. No matter what, though, Michael never gives up on her.

Redeeming Love is, above all, a story of unconditional love. It’s based on the bible story of Hosea and Gomer which is a parable of God’s love for us and his willingness to always take us back, no matter what our mistakes.

Angel/Sarah and Michael’s love story was beautiful and I was on the edge of my seat through most of this story. I didn’t know how things would turn out, but by the end I was so happy. This is a clean/inspirational romance and it gave me so many feels and had such an amazing hero and I adored it so much.

Though fallen low, God raised her up, an angel.

[Lilith · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are many things, good and bad, that could be said about this book, but I have only one thing to say.

Forced sex is rape. Every time. When her brother in law drives her through the wilderness and commands her to have sex with him or he will abandon her there, he is using physical and emotional force. That is pure rape.

What makes me sick is that she has to "find forgiveness" for this, that he never repents, that the book never recognizes rape for what it is. Especially after all the rape and systematic sexual abuse this woman grew up with.

This sounds like rape in the real world, where the victim is blamed and the real sin goes unnoticed and unaddressed. It's time to wake up and call it what it is.

It also deeply disturbs me that so many people read this book and do not see this sickness.

[Kathy * Bookworm Nation · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think the purpose of this book was overshadowed by the very dark subject matter. A lot of people have called this a Christian Romance, I find that very hard to believe. The story is about a young girl sold into prostitution at the age of eight who later is rescued by a man named Michael. The books goes into shocking, disturbing detail of the sad life she led. She run’s away from her devoted husband multiple times, which also got old. The whole thing was very depressing and I only continued to read hoping it would get better. I also didn’t like that her husband was suppose to be so understanding yet was still sleeping with her before she even loved him or before they really had a decent relationship. If he really had respect for her and what she had been through he would have waited until she was ready. The book was way too long and way too gloomy. For the subject matter and details given, I would give it an R rating. I wish I hadn’t bothered reading it.

[Pakinam · Rating 3 out of 5]

رواية كلاسيكية وفيها حتة رومانسية يمكن تكون مش واقعية في زمانا الحالي..الترجمة معجبتنيش أوي كمان..
علي الرغم من كل دة زائد حجمها الكبير إلا إنها رواية جميلة..كإنك بتتفرج علي فيلم قديم وعارف ايه اللي حيحصل بس مستمتع في نفس الوقت..
يعني حسيتها مناسبة للجو الكئيب بتاع الي��مين دول.. رواية تدعو إلي الحب والتفاؤل والأمل إن بكرة حيكون أحلي رغم كل الحاجات الصعبة اللي بنمر بيها في حياتنا...

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hm, hard review to write! I appreciate the story of redemption Rivers set out to tell, but I didn't like how she went about it. The story was riveting at first, drawing me in, so that I read the first 100 pages without even setting it aside. But I had to lay the book down to complete a task, and as I did it, I realized that I was feeling...dirty.

Truly, a great deal of the book is focused on sordid and dirty details. Even after we are away from the subjects of child rape, human trafficking, auctioning of women, and seduction, it talks a great deal about nakedness and marital relations. I didn't like what I'd gotten into, frankly. I also didn't like how Michael tried to control her every thought and action in an attempt to hold onto her and not let her go.

It wasn't a strict retelling of the story of Hosea, but I felt that choosing to give Michael the name of Hosea was too forced. Yes, we have him losing her three times. We don't have her doing so because of wanting to return to the life she knew. Her situation is portrayed as very bad, and instead of having Michael a bright light of God still chasing her like the hound of Heaven, we have a very flawed man not fully understanding who she is past her protective walls, a man letting her run back into independence because he labors under a misconception of what she's gone to do. This isn't an illustration of the redemptive side of marriage, where the man is to show what Christ is willing to do for the church...Michael failed her at the end. He gave up on her and stayed on his farm in discouragement, instead of chasing after her and making sure she is safe.

The real, biblical Hosea kept after his wife, chasing her down and dragging her out of sin even when she made the choice to go back into it. Hosea was a picture of God reaching out to sinning Israel and dragging her back to a clean life.

Sarah's story is a powerful one. I felt that it often went too far into the descriptions of what she was feeling...thus, instead of giving the facts, it presented images and drew out emotions where bare facts would have been much less sensual. We didn't have to go down into the depths to feel how revolting her life was. We didn't have to spend two chapters on her being sold at the age of eight and raped by a monster, over and over again, over the next number of years.

So, in the end, it fails as an allegory; Michael doesn't chase after her quite as the real Hosea did; Sarah isn't wanting to return to a life of sensual fulfillment as Gomer was. Also, it tipped over the edge more than once into sensationalism, ending in being more like a soap opera than like a story focused only on the redemption of a soul and a lifestyle.

I welcome thoughtful comments...I'm quite willing to explain my thoughts further, but don't want to spend too much time on the review.

[Reads With Rachel · Rating 1 out of 5]

Every time i think "this is the worst book I have ever read" I think it'll be the last. This will be the last. This is the worst fucking book I have ever read in my entire life.

[Oceana Reads Co. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will always be the first time I saw God’s voice in a story that spoke directly to my heart’s longing to know His love for me.

[Grace Arango · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am no longer a supporter of this book.
I can't get past how much the main female protagonist is talked down to and slut-shamed by her own husband (and that's not even all).

Yes, I am a Christian but that shouldn't be an excuse for why I should endorse this book and I'm tired of being told I should.

p.s. I am expecting your hate comments.

[Amy | Foxy Blogs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listening Length: 17 hours 17 minutes.
I'm so excited that the movie comes out next week. (2022)
_________________

*Just finished doing a re-read via audiobook this time (September 2020). Still my all-time favorite book. I'm excited that next year there will be a movie of this book releasing.

**Read this book about 10 years ago. Re-reading it now! (March 14th, 2013) I finished and this book is still my all-time favorite book! Deserves more than 5 stars.*

This book is based on the love story from the Bible of Hosea and Gomer. Gomer is a prostitute and Hosea is a Godly man told to marry her. It's their struggle (she finds it hard to turn away from the life she has always known and basically born into).

This is the ultimate love story!
I loved reading about Michael & Angel's love story. There were so many things I wanted to highlight throughout this book.
One of my favorite lines was: "Hello, Sarah. I'm very pleased to meet you. Finally!"

Also this written on the cross was very touching:

Though fallen low
God raised her up
An angel.

The song Amazing Grace reminds me of this book:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

Michael is definitely my book husband. He isn't someone you just date. He is someone you marry.


Standalone

[Jennifer Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please note: I read the Kindle version which apparently is the clean Christian version. The original paperback is what I should have read. Darn.

4 Angel Stars



This is a Christian based love story about a prostitute finding redemption and spirituality with her farmer husband. This book quotes a lot of scripture and the story itself is based on the Bible story of Hosea and Gomer.

Set in California in the 1950’s during the gold rush, Sarah is working as a high priced prostitute after years being owned since she was just eight years old. She catches the eye of a farmer named Michael. God speaks to Michael and tells him that Angel/Sarah is to be his wife. Michael sets out to wed the closed off Angel and offers her a home and freedom.

"Love cleanses, beloved. It doesn't beat you down. It doesn't cast blame. My love isn't a weapon. It's a lifeline. Reach out and take hold, and don't let go."

Michael and Angel/Sarah were wonderful characters and their love was epic but somewhere around 78 percent the story went pretty preachy for my tastes. Nonetheless the writing was strong and it is a nice story of redemption and spiritual rebirth.

”Though fallen low, God raised her up, an angel.

[Arlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers has undeniably earned a coveted spot on my top bookshelf of classically flawless stories. This is a book that I will probably find myself reading over and over again until it simply falls apart at the seams. Such a beautiful love story that I could not separate myself from both mentally and emotionally.

I read this book while I was traveling, and I truly don’t know how I made my connector flights or found my departing gate terminals, or even who sat next to me on the airplane. Forget all the flight instructions about cabin pressure, oxygen masks and floating devices, I was lost in my book as I was more concerned about the turbulence in Michael and Angel’s life and their ultimate destination than anything I was experiencing at the moment. I think I must have sighed a hundred times from heartbreak and angst for these characters and forget about keeping track of my facial expressions, but I treasured every moment irregardless of what people around me must have witnessed.

First off, one thing I must note about this book, and it’s probably the one small element that held me off from reading it sooner than I did, or reading it at all for that matter. The book is categorized as Contemporary Christian Fiction as it’s based on the biblical story of Hosea and Gomer. Wait!! Don’t let that turn you off just yet. Just give me a few more moments to share its fabulousness; I swear I’m not a religious fanatic (See?? I’m swearing!). But before I move on let me explain my reading preferences.

I pick up books for fictional journeys, normally young adult, paranormal, and dystopian. For me to pick up a book with a religious/spiritual tone, well… let’s just say I’d never think that would happen, and I’m just being honest. Secondly, I’d be lying if I called myself a devout anything… Christian or Catholic. Nope, that’s not me… the devout part that is... so when the situation feels preachy, I get uncomfortable. I’m not saying I have absolutely no faith… not the case at all. I just wouldn’t normally read a book about religion, faith or spirituality. And, I’m not going to feel guilty about that because God and I have our private convos, and let’s just say… we’re good. Okay, so keeping that in mind, I still picked up this book and I was wowed… Not in a spiritual sense mind you. It was more like it showed me how when you really love someone, you’re willing to sacrifice a piece of yourself and forgive your partner’s grievances no matter how much it might hurt sometimes. I saw it from more of an emotional perspective rather than a spiritual sense. So if I missed the mark… oh well… it was mine to miss.

Overall, this book does a masterful job of blending love and betrayal, hope and despair, self-destruction and ultimate redemption. I fell in love with these characters as Michael and Angel experienced a turbulent journey towards trust, hope, love and ultimate faith. Michael Hosea was the true angel in this story for the number of times he forgave Angel’s transgressions and painful, ongoing betrayal. He was such a gentle and trusting soul and just an all around, too good to be true person. His faith in God and his belief in his purpose as dictated by a higher being were heartfelt and poignant. As for Angel, for all of the mistakes and sins she committed, I still held a soft spot for her and cared for her character deeply, and that never wavered. My heart broke when her back-story was revealed, and I read about how she was betrayed, destroyed and used. No matter how awful her choices were and how badly they hurt Michael, I still wanted to come to her defenses. What an emotional ride!

Another thing I want to share about this book. It has one of the most beautiful scenes I’ve ever read. There is a part in the story, right after Angel betrays and abandons Michael (and not for the first or last time) that he takes her to an unknown destination. She is frightened that he’ll hurt her as punishment, and their journey through the dark forest to get where they were going was intense. He ultimately leads them to the crest of a mountain and he points to the moon… yes, that ball of cheese in the sky, and he holds her tightly. After resisting him for some time, she finally stops to look at the beauty around her as the hours pass, the moon descends and the sun begins to set. He doesn’t say much, but he shows her the hope held in the renewal of a new day and the absolute beauty around you if you just stop to look and listen, rather than destroy it or pretend it doesn’t exist; and he simply tells her, “This is the life I want to give you.” *tear...sob*

Am I a total sap if I admit it reminds me of the song Moonlight? Noooo, not the Barry Manilow version… more like the Jason Castro rendition. :) So for me to quote a sappy love song, you know I was moved by this book! Gah!!! *head desk*

I’ve been pegged as being a sucker for melodramic love stories. Well, I’m good with that and willing to own it because it’s books like Redeeming Love that remind me some of them are just worth it. Absolutely worth it! There are some books you want to convince everyone to read and then there are some that you want to keep to yourself because you’ll be disappointed if someone bashes to pieces something you just absolutely adore. I’ll tell you right now, I loved this book, but if it doesn’t gain traction by many, I’ll feel comforted that it’s safe and treasured on my bookshelf.

Now here are the lyrics to Moonlight and I’ll just end with that. :)

Midnight, not a sound from the pavement
Has the moon lost her memory, she is smiling alone
In the lamplight, the withered leaves, collected my feet
And the wind begins to moan

Memory, all alone in the moonlight
I can smile at the old days, it was beautiful then
I remember the time I knew what happiness was
Let the memory live again

Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life, and I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory, too
And a new day will begin

Burnt out ends of smoky days, the stale cold smell of morning
The street lamp dies, another night is over, another day is dawning
Touch me, it's so easy to leave me, all alone with the memory of my day in the sun
If you touch me, you'll understand what happiness is
Look a new day, has begun

*sniffle... sniffle... tear... tear*

[Romanyjoseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية تضع أمام القارئ حقائق بالغة الدقة عن الفرق بين المقاييس البشرية والمقاييس الألهية في التعامل مع الأحداث التي تعترض حياة البشر . وتكشف الحكمة من العذابات والصعاب التي تعصف أحيانا بحياة الأنسان والتي يقف العقل عاجزا عن استيعابها أو فهمها.ما لا يفهمه البشر بشكل عام تكمن وراءه حكمة الهية وخير عميم . ولا يقوى على استيعاب متناقضات الحياة وأهوالها إلا من تسلح بالإيمان العميق .

تعاملات مايكل معاها, وتعاملاتها مع مايكل, هم صورة حية لعلاقتنا مع الله الذي لا نستوعب محبته وقبوله الفائق لنا مهما كان حالنا.

إن كل كلمة في القصة لهي درس عميق يري فيها القارئ نفسه مكان “سارة” ويلتمس حب الله في شخص “مايكل” البطل

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 STARS

She thought she had been saved by his love for her, and in part she had been. It had cleansed her, never casting blame. But that had been only the beginning. It was loving him in return that had brought her up out of the darkness.

Wow. So much to say about this book. And I don’t even know where to begin. The emotions incited were overwhelming. My chest still hurts from the feelings I have. I must say, I don’t cry often when I read. And when I do, it is more often out of sorrow and pain. But this book made me cry out of sheer joy. It chokes me up still to think about it. Very inspiring read.

This story follows the life of a girl who has believed from her earliest memories that she was a mistake. Not meant to be born. A burden to everyone she encountered.



And as she grew up, her beliefs were reinforced time and time again. She lost any hope she had of love and happiness in her life. She’d had to trade those frivolous needs for mere survival. And she knew deep down to the bottom of her soul that those things were not meant for her.

[image error]

All they saw was her beauty, a flawless veil wrapped around a frozen heart, and they were enthralled. They looked into her angel eyes and were lost.

It was the 1850’s, and the California gold rush was in full swing. And it wasn’t long before Angel found herself in the midst of chaos.



Enduring the ship alone to get there was enough to take her sanity. The freedom she thought she would find upon her arrival had quickly turned into a fight to survive. Penniless and alone, she was quickly drawn right back into the life she had tried so hard to escape.

There was no freedom. There was no happiness. Not for her. Not ever. But then something happened. And his name was Michael Hosea.



Now this was a man who was told by God, that he should marry Angel and deliver her from her bondage. But Angel wasn’t buying it. The more he tried to convince her, the more convinced she was of his insincerity.

What was it about this man that got to her? She preferred the numbness to this stirring of emotion. Hope was torment. Hope was an enemy. And this man was a thorn in her side.

Until fate eventually gives her up to him, just like she knew it would… but she wouldn’t go easily.

She was the blackest night, and he the starlight piercing it, creating an unfolding pattern in her life.

This book was a struggle for one woman to overcome the power of her own self worth. And in a way, it proved that although food and water are needed to nourish our bodies, they may not be as important to our survival as faith and hope and trust.

She stared at those aristocratic hands, hands without calluses, pale and manicured. Beautifully shaped hands that were capable of unspeakable cruelty.

She remembered Michael’s hands, large and strong, clearly used to hard labor. They were callused and rough. His hands had looked so cruel and yet been so gentle. His touch had healed her body and opened her heart.

I don’t want to say much more. I will say though that this one will go straight to my favorites list. I’m sorry, I know this review is lacking in so many ways… but the book is definitely not. I will leave you with a few quotes, and photos, and my updates photos as well.



I cannot recommend this one enough.
BTW... my update photos are better. ;)

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

update: I watched the movie and 😪😪😪 Michael was just as perfect as in the book ughh. It was actually very true to the book but not everything could be included of course. The book was still better and I still don't like Paul🤣 It should have been a limited series or something imo.
_________________________________________________________
audio: ummm it wasn't good. the narrator portrayed no emotions while narrating, it was like reading a textbook for her. It kind of took away from my enjoyment of the book :/ To be fair this is a very old book and the audiobook was produced in 2001 I think.

plot: 4 stars

"Love cleanses my beloved, it doesn't beat you down, it doesn't cast blame." He kissed her again. "My love isn't a weapon, it's a lifeline."

Disclaimer: This is a historical romance(my first ever) moderately relying on the Christian religion. I am a Muslim, but I think anyone from any religion can read this book because the overall theme is not restricted to Christianity. This is a retelling of the biblical story of Hosea (which I believe is present in Christianity and Judaism). I had never heard of this story before so I read up a little about it before going into the book just to have a sense of what I would be getting into.

This book is about a love that never gives up, a love that lifts you and saves you even if you don't want it to. The fmc angel was sold into prostitution at the age of 8, all she has ever known is the cruelty of men so naturally she is distrustful of them. Michael Hosea, a religious man, sees her one day and hears the voice of God telling him that she is the one he has been waiting for his whole life. He stops at nothing to marry her and get her to love him.

If you look up the word patience in the dictionary, you would find Michael Hosea. The faith and patience this man had was honestly unmatched and I don't think I will ever read about an mmc that had this much patience and faith in God and the woman he loves.

Angel/Sara was a strong yet broken character. She grew and changed throughout the story and had a very satisfying character arc imo.

I liked all the side characters, except for Paul. Try as she might, but Mrs. Rivers could not make me forgive Paul for what he did and I don't think anyone should have ESPECIALLY MICHAEL, but that's just me. He is actually the main reason I removed one star.

This book is very polarizing, people either absolutely love it or absolutely hate it for its content. This book has mentions of rape, child abuse, violence but it is not at all graphic. nothing is described at all. Everything is alluded to, so some of the hate towards the book for those reasons made no sense to me. There is also hate towards how women are portrayed and treated in this book, but this book is set in the 1800s; that's how women's lives were actually like. Okay we don't like that that's how it was, but our opinions don't change history😅

The whole message of the book is the enduring power and love of God and how God will never leave you no matter how bad things get. God will forgive you if you repent and accept his love. Honestly this message could not have come at a better time for me during the horrible events plaguing my country now. God will come through for us and of that I am sure.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

New England 1835
Seven year old Sarah was living in a beautiful cottage in the countryside with her loving mother.
She was a happy child and the only thing that made her heartsick was the absence of her father in her life.
Her mother told her that she was not old enough to meet her father yet.
Every time he would visit, her mother would have the servant take Sarah away from the cottage.

That particular day her mother told her it was time to meet her father. Sarah was ecstatic but her father did not seem happy to meet her.
She was sent outside and Sarah eve dropping through the open window learned that her mama was actually her wealthy, married father's mistress.
Her father wished Sarah had never been born, he did not care about her and was angry that mama had tricked her father into seeing Sarah that day.

Sarah's father did not come back after that day and her mama grew thin, wan and depressed.
When he did show up it was to tell mama that he wanted them out of the cottage.
Mother and daughter ended up in the slams of New York's docks and her mother had to prostitute herself to survive.
That winter mama became ill and died.
Eight year old Sarah was sold into prostitution.

At the age of 18 we find Sarah working in a brothel in a Gold mining town in California.
She was damaged inside. She was bitter, cold and cynical.
She lived for the day having no dreams and hopes and wishing she was dead but having no courage to end her life.
The last ten years were tremendously abominable.
She did not know how to do anything other than prostitution.

Michael Hosea was a farmer and a man of God.
He was lonely and asked God to give him the right woman to love and marry.
One day while in the Gold mining town, he saw a beautiful young woman in black and was enthralled by her.
To his surprise God told him:
"This is the woman l have chosen for you".
Michael had a hard time believing it as the girl was a prostitute at the local brothel.

He'd visited her that night and asked her to go away with him and be his wife.
Sarah thought he was crazy.
He kept coming back over and over. He wasn't like a hundred others who paid and
Played. He wasn't like anyone she had ever known.
She found herself thinking of him at odd times. Sarah didn't want to risk going with Michael Hosea.
He was by far a darker unknown. She rebuffed him over and over.
Frustrated and angry Michael lashed out at God:
"Why do you tell me to marry a harlot? It's not going to work. She doesn't want anything to do with me".

Sarah had been badly beaten by the brothel guard after asking for the gold she'd earned, and suffered many injuries.
Half conscience and delirious, Sarah agreed to marry Michael. He took her to his farm and nursed her.
She'd made it clear to him that she did not want to be there with him. She was just staying because she was injured to leave.

Michael knew Sarah was giving him her body but not her heart and soul and that knowledge was eating up on him. She kept telling him she did not belong there.
Deep down she knew she did not deserve any better than been a prostitute.
She did not know how to love.

She'd run away and got back into being a prostitute. Michael found her and brought her back.
She would leave him two more times.
The last time she had left him, it took 3 years for the two to get back together again.
Each and every time he forgave her transgressions.

Michael and Sarah had a turbulent journey toward love, trust and redemption.
I think Michael was saintly. I am amazed at Michael's patience and perseverance.
He saw her worth and inner beauty right from the start.
Sarah's life was full of unimaginable horrors.
She would eventually find her self worth but it was an uphill self struggle.

The book left me emotionally drained and exhausted as the plot is heart wrenching but at the same time l am glad l read it.
The story is based on, and inspired by the story of Hosea and Gomer from the bible.
This book is not for the faint hearted.

[Haleigh DeRocher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't quite finish but I cannot keep reading this drivel. I usually don't leave reviews for books I don't finish, but I'm making an exception here because I have strong opinions.

I can forgive a book for bad ideas/theology if it is well-written. I can even forgive inappropriate content if I feel that it is necessary for moving the plot of a well-written story forward. What I cannot forgive in a book is bad writing.

This book gets two stars from me (I almost gave it one) because it is poorly written. It is objectively bad. The story is unbelievable as a whole. The characters are flat, boring, and undeveloped. The allegory is forced and weak. The entire plot pivots around sex which is shallow and annoying. And this book is SO. LONG. The author could have condensed it to 200 pages and it would have been better.

I can understand the appeal, and I think the content itself - as a Christian story - is okay. The allusions to sex are not graphic or gratuitous, though the material is dark. I can understand the message Rivers was trying to communicate and I applaud her for the attempt. But even so, this book would have been so much better if Edith Wharton or Thomas Hardy had written it. Francine Rivers just didn't manage it.

I love Christian fiction. CS Lewis, George MacDonald, JRR Tolkien, Louisa May Alcott, GK Chesterton, Elizabeth Prentiss, John Bunyan - they all wrote such beautiful, morally high stories: Art. This book is not that. I criticize it not because I don't like Christian fiction, but because I don't like it when authors write bad novels, slap some Christian themes and a Christian label on them, and then believers are expected to praise it to the ends of the earth. Nope, won't do it. So this is my harsh but honest review of a badly written novel.

*Note: I don't want to get much into the topic of content because, like I said, I can forgive content. But one major issue I had in this book is the issue of consent in Sarah and Michael's marriage. He expects her to be faithful to him, but she did not want to nor consent to marrying him. The whole premise of the novel falls apart right there, in my opinion. Furthermore, it is so hard to suspend disbelief with a character who glimpses a hot woman and immediately "falls in love with her". I know that the book claims it was a message from God, but this really just sounds like the Christian version of "love at first sight" and it's just as unbelievable as in a secular romance novel or a Hallmark movie.

**Edit to add: I am aware that the novel is loosely based on the Book of Hosea. Francine Rivers made it abundantly clear (her main character is named Michael Hosea for goodness sake and she references the book a thousand times). Just because she based the book off of a bible story does not mean that she did a good job writing this novel. Further, this is not a good retelling of Hosea. Gomer was a "whore" and many scholars believe that she was not a prostitute before she married Hosea, but rather chose to commit adultery after they had married. Hosea then chose to love her again and again in spite of her betrayal. Sarah in the story was sold into prostitution as a child and has suffered immense psychological trauma. She does not want to marry Michael and doesn't consent to the marriage, and when she leaves him it isn't to return to prostitution, but to break free and be on her own for the first time in her life. The allegory is flawed, and Rivers' writing is so poor that there is no way I can overlook it.

[Mona M. Kayed · Rating 4 out of 5]

قرأت هذه الرواية لأول مرة في يومين ، ثم أعدت قراءتها بعد ذلك أربع مرات على مدار ثلاث سنين ، بساطتها و عمقها تجبرانك على الولوج في الأعماق الإنسانية كما لم تفعل من قبل ..

كلماتها مفعمة بالتسامح و المحبة غير المشروطة ، لا أحد على وجه البسيطة يملك الحق في اتهامك أو تصنيفك ، لا أحد يملك سلطة على نفسك ، قد تكبلك القيود لكنك وحدك تملك مفاتيح أقفالها ، و حين تنهي قراءتها تتفهم تماماً أن معظم آلامك كانت نابعة منك أنت لأنك لم تكن قادراً على مسامحة نفسك و لم تتمكن من استيعاب طبيعتك البشرية المجبولة على الخطايا ..

يحدث أحياناً أن تنتزعك الشدائد من نفسك انتزاعاً ، تفقد على إثرها القدرة على المواصلة و تغدو سقيماً في أعماقك، كافراً بكل النعم المحيطة بك ، لكن حياتك قد تنقلب إثر صدفة ، مجرد صدفة تلقي في طريقك حباً عظيماً و تسامحاً أعظم ، صدفة تهبك الراحة التي تنشد حتى لو ظننت في داخلك أنك لا تستحقها .. كل ما يتوجب عليك وقتها أن تفتح نوافذ قلبك للشمس و أن توطّن روحك لاستقبال المحبة ، فبالرغم من كل ما حدث ، أنت إنسان من حقك أن تحب و من حقك أن تكون محبوباً ..

ببساطة ، هي رواية مناسبة لمن يبحث عن الاختلاف ..

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

10000000000/5 stars!!!!! This book was so very good! Rivers did not shy from the hard questions and deals with them biblically. I think Redeeming Love will prove moving to everyone, Christian or not. Highly recommended!

[Eastofoz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to rate because at times it’s a 1 and then a 3 and I can even see how readers could give it a 5 star rating. It’s an inspirational romance that at times is quite heavy on the religious aspect in my opinion. If the idea of a kind of self-sacrifice to the extreme that doesn’t seem to benefit anyone apart from God (but even then that’s debatable) appeals to you, then you’ll probably like this book. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I could appreciate it.

It’s not the greatest writing in the world. It’s very simple in style and reminded me of something like the Good News Bible where Biblical verse is written in a more modern, accessible way with a simplistic approach to what is otherwise complicated religious dogma when you really look at it. The relationship between the two frontier families is a bit too utopian but fits in with this striving-to-be- like-God ideal and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think you have to like reading about that sort of “wholesomeness”. There’s a note from the publisher that says it’s a PG 13 novel and maybe for people who read inspirational romances it is but I didn’t think so. There was one very brief disgusting scene but given the situation and the period I thought that was misleading to brand it PG 13. There is virtually no physical intimacy in this book, apart from the odd kiss, and any sex is glossed over leaving you wondering if they had sex or not. The violence in the novel is treated the same way and I think it’s a disservice not to “show” the reader what the author is seeing. You get these one liners about horrific beatings, great sex on a very spiritual level but no detail. The author shows a lot about God but not enough about the h/h together as a married couple. Emotional, spiritual and physical intimacy make for better rounded characters I think and I felt short changed not to get all that. The book could probably be a good 4 ½ stars if this aspect of the writing had been developed.

The hero and the heroine are very well-drawn. Michael is a true saint and if you took away his devout belief in God he’d make one of the best romance heroes around. He gets kicked in the teeth so many times but he still keeps coming back for more. He reminded me of poor Job at times. His self-sacrifice skirts the incredulous and I still can’t see what he got out of it during those years of waiting. His character’s endless patience reminds me of Sarah McCarty’s Asa in Promises Linger. As for Angel/Sarah, she is such an irritating/stupid woman. She has heaven in hand and she keeps throwing it away. Her life is a nightmare and it’s a wonder she never killed herself to get out of it, but I had a hard time understanding that after so much unconditional love from Michael that she felt too she ended up leaving him.

It was difficult to believe all this love at first sight and God speaking to these people in mysterious ways. It’s the Old Testament mysterious mean God in this story at times who takes everything away and you get to live in emotional hell. Why I don’t know and that’s what I really didn’t like about this book from a romance perspective. Michael’s a good guy why keep testing him? Angel has been through hell and back why have her leave her haven incessantly? I guess you could say that they both had things to do first before they could be together but I think they really wasted some very valuable time that they could’ve been better spent together.

The epilogue is quite moving and God finally decides to give something back apart from just his love which is supposed to be the true reason for living, but I didn’t really see what kind of happiness it brought these people because without each other they were horribly sad and lost.

If you take the novel as a retelling of the Book Hosea(what little I know about it) it’s pretty good, but if you read it as a romance you may be disappointed. So two stars for romance, four for the retelling of the Book of Hosea for me.

FYI: If devout believers who see God in everything as well as true faith being the only way to find happiness in life bother you, you may want to pass on this book.

[Ivan · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ page 50

I was supposed to read this to page 200 as punishment for lost bet but I'm gonna be dishonorable scum and just bail out of it because I just can't go on with this. This book is probably good if you are into this kind of stuff but religious romance about redeeming love for anti-romantic, cynical atheist like me was just torture.

[Sydney · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hm.

I had a difficult time with this book. When I first read this, I loved it. Even though my opinion has changed, I can see why this book continues to remain so popular. Many people who love this book often express how they appreciate that Rivers is unafraid to tackle such heavy topics. But after reading this a second time, I question if most of the content in this book is necessary for conveying the story. It’s really quite a depressing book, filled with descriptions of child abuse, rape, prostitution, human trafficking, violence, sexual intimacy, and more. While I won’t go so far as to say that all of the descriptions are graphic, they are all very painful to read and leave little to the imagination.

One of my big problems with this book is how most of the content in this book feels like it’s there purely for shock value than for anything else. I understand there are harsh realities and how this book can open the door to conversations and compassion toward those trapped in a similar situation to Angel’s, but I don’t need heavy descriptions of deeply traumatic experiences to sympathize with her. Because of how much Rivers made Angel endure, her trauma just feels romanticized and the story of redemption is overshadowed by the intensity of her suffering. Additionally, I find it absolutely repulsive that the terror of a young girl being forced into prostitution was written in a Christian fiction book as entertainment.

Because this is advertised as an allegory to Hosea, I really struggled with the theological aspects of this book, mainly because of the romantic element of the story. The allegory in this story is not only incredibly flawed, but far removed from the actual prophetic biblical story. Whether it was intentional or not, Michael is often compared to God just as the readers see themselves as Angel. While it is true that God loves us and continually is pursuing us, having Him compared to Michael romanticizes God into someone He isn’t. Michael is a flawed romantic “hero” who, to be honest, I find quite unlikeable. To have any comparison between him and our perfect, holy God is just concerning to me.

Even if you remove the allegory from the romance, the romance is still not the best. Just the fact that Michael marries Angel when she’s barely conscious to “rescue” her is questionable. Then, he calls her names that she repeatedly asks him not to (Does he really think calling her Mara/bitter is going to warm her up to him?), focuses way too much on her physical beauty, and is intimate with her far too soon. I find his compassion for her lacking, and he often tells her that she needs to obey him. Is he the worst guy I’ve ever read? No. But he’s certainly not on my list of favorite book heroes.

I’m glad many people have found this book to be a blessing. I can certainly see it’s appeal and why it’s remained so popular, but for me it’s just too much. The reality of life on earth is that it is filled with sorrow and hardship, and many readers want books that reflect this reality. Though my book preferences sit more on the side of wholesome, I'm not opposed to "realistic" content. My concern with Redeeming Love is that in the effort to write a book about the grittiness of life, there is content in this book that Christians should be wary of consuming. Because of this and how uncomfortable I felt reading it, I can no longer recommend this book.

[☾ Dαɴιyα ☽ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well, I only have myself to blame for this one. Actually, myself and all the rave reviews on Goodreads saying this was such a moving, inspirational book. Now that I've finished it, I'm left wondering what exactly should have inspired me about it. As a reader I didn't like this book. As a woman -- I loathed it.

Maybe in some alternate reality I could have gotten over the poor writing style, the one-dimensional characters, their often irrational behavior, perhaps, though I doubt it, even over the fact that God actually speaks in this book, I cannot and will not get over the crap Angel was put through because she was a woman. The double standards for men and women is something that pisses me off all the time, and here I almost wanted to burn the damn book. Why, you might ask. The part of the book that made me hate it is the part where Paul, Michael's brother-in-law made Angel have sex with him as payment for letting her travel with him. I admit, I wanted Angel to at least argue with him, but nevertheless, he was a disgusting son of a bitch that asked it, and then did it. What a decent human being that really has the moral high ground when it comes to prostitutes. I believe the little sleezeball was just pissed that he was never a good enough client to even get to Angel. When I find prostitution like this in a book, I feel sorry for the prostitute. I especially felt bad for Angel. She was forced into it by a pedophile when she was only eight years old. For her, I had sympathy, but for those men that came to her, I only had contempt. Paul -- I despised that man with all my might. And if forcing Angel to have sex with him wasn't bad enough, when she ultimately came back to Michael, he still treated her as garbage. He showed his hatred towards her every chance he got. Hey, Paul, I've got news for you! You're garbage! You're despicable! If you think prostitutes are that filthy and unworthy, well, guess what, you went to them, so you're much, much worse!

And Michael was behaving like nothing happened. All forgiven. I don't know... I'd expect my loving, protective husband to kill the bastard, or at least beat the crap out of him, and never speak to him again. But that's just me. Oh, that's not all. Angel spent the whole time blaming herself, trying to redeem herself, justifying Paul. In the end, she actually apologized to him. What the fuck was that all about?! I was reading it, and I couldn't believe it. It's okay to rape a prostitute? Is that it? She had it coming? Putting the blame on the victim is something I can't stand. The way almost every man in Angel's life treated her, she should have shot them all.

I also hated the fact Angel's past was showed as her sin. She was abused in every way for at least ten years. I know there weren't any psychologists there, but for God's sake talk to her, help her, don't ignore it, and pretend it never happened. The victim of such abuse needs therapy, not forgiveness for something they were forced into.

In the long list of my problems with this book was also the part where Angel said the purpose of a woman's life is to bear children. Okay, having children if you want them is all great, but are we really implying that women who can't have children, or perhaps end up with men who can't, have meaningless lives?
And sure, even though Angel couldn't have children, she ended up having them because I guess God reversed whatever that "doctor" did to her to make sure she never got pregnant again.

I've mentioned at the beginning some of the other things that bothered me while reading. I haven't got the energy to go into them, though they bothered me a lot. But, never mind, I'm just glad I'm done with this book, and that now I know never ever to pick this type of book again.

[♡Karlyn P♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, a very powerful story! I listened to this one on my iPod. I tried so hard not to cry (especially toward the end) but I finally had to pull over and wipe my eyes when it ended. So much grief, redemption and joy. A fantastic story that drew me in and kept me glued.

Its a historical romance set in mid 1800's gold country region of California. Angel is a damaged young woman working a brothel and struggling with many horrors from her past. Michael is a devout Christian who believes God wants him to marry Angel - a soiled dove.

Apparently this is a retelling of a bible story. I think this may be only the second Christian themed novel I've ever read, which means its the first one I ever finished. While it was very inspirational it refrained from being preachy.

Its not a light read, and at times was even depressing. But the writing was so spot on and the characters so real I couldn't stop. And it does end with a great ending. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to crawl into the book to talk with Angel, hug Michael, slap his brother, kill a bad guy, shelter a person down on their luck...etc. I can see why it has such high ratings by sooooo many people. But my next book will be a light read. I don't think I could take two books like this in a row!

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

I can safely say that I should have never started this book.

I have heard about this book for ages. It pops up from time to time on friends' feeds, and with over 70,000 Goodreads ratings and over 1,600 Amazon ratings, I'd say it is a pretty popular book. When I saw this come up on NetGalley, I was hesitant to give this a try. However, the Kindle book costs $9.99, so I figured this was my only shot to see what all the fuss was about. I asked a few GR friends if they thought that this book was appropriate for someone who isn't Christian or religious, and they all said yes, that it was more of an uplifting love story than anything else.

I have to respectfully say that they were wrong.

This book is very heavy on the religious themes. There is a case of insta-love (as dictated by Jesus) and God saving a woman from a life of despair and prostitution.

The theme of the story is based on the Book of Hosea from the Bible, where God told the prophet, Hosea to marry a prostitute.

"Go marry a prostitute and have children with her."

I can see how people who have a religious background and like the idea of Jesus leading them to their soul-mate would love this book. It is a love and God conquers all type of story. However, religious content aside, this book is just not my speed. The beginning of this book is actually very sad and depressing. It features child abuse and neglect, all of which I dislike reading about. Also, technically speaking, I wasn't too impressed with the writing style. It often dove into the realm of "cheesy" and "eye-roll-inducing". Besides, the insta-love is annoying in any setting.

I won't do a long, picky review of this book. I didn't finish it and I'm not rating it because I recognize that I am not the target audience for this story. Despite what people might say, this is 100% a Christian book and should be read only by those that enjoy religious fiction. I'm glad that many of my friends have loved this one but this certainly isn't for me.

**Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

[Dalia Nourelden · Rating 5 out of 5]

الرواية خلصت 😞😞😭😭
هفتقدها جدا وبجد قرار نقلها من "reading "
ل"read " كان فى حد ذاته قرار صعب

الرواية دى فيها مقومات كتيير انى أكرهها ، فى حاجات كتير تغيظ :

اولا : الحب من اول نظرة من اول ماشافها عرف ان هى دى اللى كان مستنيها وهتبقى مراته 《اللى هوه بحبك وهتجوزك 》



ثانيا : كلامه مع ربنا

ثالثا : التسامح الرهييب اللى عنده 《مفيش حد بيسامح كده ياعم الحاج 》

رابعا " الحب الغير مشروط ، الحب الذى يغفر للمحبوب كل شئ واى شئ 《هذا الحب غير موجود 》



....
بس كل ده مش مهم لان اسلوب الرواية جمييل وتدرج المشاعر والهدوء والعواصف اللى موجودة خلتنى دخلت جوه الرواية بطريقة مش طبيعية وخلى اى حاجة كانت ممكن مع رواية تانية يخليها رواية سخيفة الكاتبة حولتها باسلوبها لرواية مميزة 《 انا تعبت اوى مع الرواية دى 😭😭》 .

من الروايات القليلة اللى اجبرتنى على قرائتها بهدوء وببطء لأنى كنت بوصل لاوقات انى لأ مش هقدر اكمل اكتر من كده اعصابى تعبت . بس اسلوب الكاتبة دخلنى جوه حياة انجل وافكارها وحياتها وخلانى من المدافعين عنها رغم جنانها ومتفهمة مشاعرها فبجد تحية كبيرة لاسلوب الكاتبة وافكارها وسردها للرواية وجميع المنعطفات اللى حصلت جوا الرواية رغم انها تعبتنى وجننتنى بس 👍👍👏👏 ، وطبعا مايكل وافكاره وفيما بعد مريام

نتكلم باه عن الرواية 😁😁 ونحرق شوية احداث 😂😂😞

سارة ، انجل ، اماندا ، ترصة ، ماندى (مين كل دول ؟) دول اسماء البطلة على مدار الرواية 😂😂 نبدأ معها بطفولتها حين كانت تحيا مع والدتها وحين تأخذ اولى بداية قطار صدمات حياتها وهى ان والدها لايرغب بها فهى ابنة عشيقته وهو لديه منزله وعائلته ولايرغب فى ابنة من عشيقته وامها التى تعشق والدها لكنه يتخلى عنها ليتركهم فى حالة بائسة .



وتتوالى الصدمات لتموت والدتها وتباع وهى فتاة فى الثامنة من عمرها لرجل تحت مسمى انه يحتاج لابنة لكنه بالطبع لا يحتاجها كابنة ف دوك مريض يعشق الأطفال .
ثم تنتقل بنا الكاتبة الى سنوات حين استطاعت اخيرا ان تهرب من دوك لكن حظها السئ يجعلها تهرب من استغلال دوك الى استغلال الدوقة



حتى تضعها الصدفة امام مايكل . الشاب المؤمن الذى لم يسبق له ان مس امراة وينتظر حتى يتزوج ولم يستطع احد ان يهدم جدران ايمانه
وتبدا الرحلة مابين مايكل الذى يرغب فى انتشال انجل مما هى فيه ومابين انجل التى ترفض ولاتستطيع ان تصدق مايكل وترفض مساعدته بشدة فكيف له ان تصدقه وان تصدق مايرغب فى اعطائه اياها وهو عكس كل ماعرفته من الحياة وحدث معها وهو ماكان السبب فى عذاب والدتها .


اعتقد ان الكاتبة لخصت الكثير من الاشياء الهامة فى هذه الفقرة ورغم حدوث الكثير الا ان هذا المشهد بالذات كان من اكثرهم قوة من وجهة نظرى وتأثرت به





ونبقى فى هذا الصراع مابين مايكل الذى يحب اماندا ويرغب ان تفتح له قلبها وتحبه وبين انجل التى رأت وعاشت الكثير من الصدمات التى تحكيها لنا على مدار الرواية والتى جعلتها تبنى سورا عاليا حول قلبها ،



وكل ماحدث معها يجعلها ترفض جميع محاولات مايكل وتهرب منه ، وترفض مشاعره وتحاول قتلها بكل الطرق الممكنة فكل شئ من ماضيها قصته عليه ليس لتفتح له قلبها لكن لتجعله يتركها تذهب لكن مايكل كان له راى اخر ومصمم على هذا الرأى وهى لم تكن اقل عنادا منه ولا تصميما على تحقيق ماتريده


نكتفى بهذا القدر لان شكلى هكتب الرواية كلها ومش هعرف اقف 😂😂

٦ / ١١ /٢٠١٩

[Charlotte · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 45 %
I actually wrote an 11 page review but had to cut it down for the Goodreads format.

I'm so disappointed by this book.
I heard nothing but rave reviews about this book and how it basically restored faith in God. I had such high hopes.

So ignoring the weird, weird way that this was written with points of view switching paragraph to paragraph, let’s just talk about the plot.

I’d like to preface with the fact that I'm a born and raised Catholic. I'm passionately Catholic and love my faith.
If this had been my introduction to the faith, I would've run screaming. I know that Christian men aren't like this and thank the good Lord because the men in this book are enough to make me turn from the faith.
Good things/things that didn't bother me first:

I’m all for the darker Christian content. Let’s change this idea that all Christian books are light and fluffy!

An issue that didn’t bother me but was annoying was the character descriptions. Why do all Christian books feature beautiful white people? Or white people that aren’t conventionally pretty but are pretty in ~God’s eyes~.

The few times I’ve seen fictionalized ethnic Christians in books, they’re usually backwards heathens who need to be saved. It’s obnoxious.
The only ethnic people in this book are the meek Chinese prostitute who gets burned alive and a passing reference to “Spanish speaking Californian girls”. So. Mexicans? Or what?
Of course we have multiple references to how beautiful Angel and Michael are because how else could we be expected to read a Christian book if the people aren't beautiful????
It’s just annoying but I could excuse it.

On to the things I couldn’t excuse.

Enter Michael.

I. Hate. Him. So. Much

This man is the most abusive, controlling, manipulative, toxic person. I truly do not understand how we are supposed to love him.

There are several times when Michael thinks or hears God tell him that Angel is “made for him”. That's fine. But do we ever hear Angel think that Michael was created for her? Or are we just going to accept that they’re not equals and she was made to serve and love him? This idea only works if it goes both ways. Both partners are made for each other. Otherwise it’s just weird, dehumanizing, and possessive.

Also. Can we talk about page 79? This man is supposed to love and marry her but is busy comparing her to what a “good” woman should be. We all have a type, that’s fine and all but the way he goes on and on is so insulting. He’s already decided to marry her. Could he be any more condescending and patronizing? Don’t answer that. I’m sure he could, it’s well within his character.

Then let’s talk about the way he decides to marry her.
Not only does she deny him multiple times and he keeps going, the actual ceremony is one of the worst things I’ve ever read.
Angel has been beaten to the point of death. She is not able to give informed consent, she is barely awake during the ceremony, she doesn't know who she's marrying and only marries him as a way to escape her horrible situation.

Speaking of consent, she doesn't actually give it.
She says “Why not?”
This is not consent.
She’s barely conscious, doesn’t know what’s happening, and does not say “yes”.
For a book that deals with rape an awful lot, I was incredibly disappointed to find that the author treated this as proper marriage both legally and in the eyes of God.

After the marriage, she constantly makes it clear that she doesn't want to be with or have anything to do with him. She’s only there because she’s too injured to do anything else, wants to repay him for saving her life, can’t travel and/or doesn’t know the way back. Despite this, Michael always insists that they are married and love each other. When she tries to annul the marriage, he says goes on about how it's not as easy as taking a ring off her finger. Which is the most unintentionally hilarious thing I’ve ever read.
I mean....
That’s essentially how they got married. She was barely conscious, did not give consent, did not say “I do”, did not believe in God, repeatedly told her “husband” that she didn’t want to marry him and did not want to get married under God or in any other way. She got a ring slid on her finger and everyone called it good.

Later Michael talks about how it doesn't feel good to be used, no matter the reason. Like essentially being forced into marriage and kind of being kept hostage all for the reasoning that someone is “saving” you and God is telling them what to do? Ironic.

Michael is incredibly patronizing in his treatment of her post-marriage. Before the marriage, she tells him, as a prostitute, that he can call her whatever he likes and she’ll do whatever he wants. He calls her "Mara" because it means bitter.
Firstly, that’s incredibly rude and patronizing. “Good to see you. I’m going to call you Resentful Little Witch”. Then, post-marriage, despite her continually telling him to call her Angel, he refuses, citing how she said he could call her anything he liked. Which is something she said as a prostitute. But he also keeps insisting that she’s no longer a prostitute.
So is she a prostitute or isn’t she?

He is extraordinarily controlling, telling her what to do, where to go, etc. When she wants to go back for her money, he just tells her "No". It would have been far better if he had said he would go with her as protection or to help her. It’s already clear at this point in the book (and later on proven explicitly) that he can hold his own against multiple strong and angry men (because he's a perrrrrfect , gorgeous macho man of course).
Or he could have offered to go back and get the money for her. But no, he simply orders her not to go. No discussion, no partnership, no explanations, just an order.

Then there’s the scenes between the two of them

She’s terrified from having a triggering nightmare about being raped and understandably doesn't want to be touched. But he insists, drags her out of bed, threatens to force her to travel naked "whether [she] likes it or not", threatens her until she feels unsafe and is frightened by him but ultimately agrees to go with him.
Ladies and gents this is what we call A GIANT RED FLAG.

This continues because of course it does.

She’s terrified. He’s inconsiderate and unsympathetic.
He threatens to throw her over his shoulder and carry her. I can’t imagine that he’s going to carry her like a ballerina on his shoulder either but toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She’s only recently healed by the way.
He gets all hurt over her not trusting him which...oh my god.
I don’t know that there are too many times to bring up that he forced her to marry him WITHOUT CONSENT.
So let’s bring that up again. And all the other numerous times he’s attempted to control and gaslight her.

This scene goes on for some time. She keeps begging him to take her back to the cabin because she’s afraid of the dark (and because it triggers childhood trauma) and his response is “ohh I’m afraid too. Of you and what you make me feel uwu” and it sickens me.
The scene ends with I guess what’s supposed to be a romantic moment but the whole thing is so awful and disgusting that I can’t see it as romantic.

Michael is continually aggressive, violent, and creepy towards her including wanting to shake sense into her, not letting her go until she starts hurting herself in her struggles to get away from him, and asking Jesus if he should chain up Angel like a dog.
They get into a fight and he "shakes with the power" of longing to hit her. He also thinks that if she says one more word he will put his father's theory (that all women want to be dominated) to the test.

Lovely. More red flags showed as patience, restraint, and love. Get out of my face with that nonsense.

Angel continually expresses her desire to leave him but he ignores this and happily believes that she’s happy with him and he’s protecting her. He has the gall to tell her that she doesn't know her own choices, and that (despite her repeatedly telling him) he doesn't know what she wants.

Then he decides to have sex with her, despite his assurance that they won't have sex until she loves him.
She doesn't but they do.
Okay, whatever I guess.
Just a few pages earlier she talks about sex is nothing but horrible for her and no one ever tries to ensure that she’s enjoying herself too.
She doesn't enjoy herself during sex with Michael and you’ll notice that after, he only talks about how much pleasure “he had found in her” but no one ever pays attention to if she’s enjoying herself or taking pleasure in anything. Because why care about your partner during sex?

While having sex (that she’s not enjoying) he has this weird thing about her saying his name, despite how clearly she doesn't want to. And then when she gives up and does, he sees this as him breaking down her barriers? And pats himself on the back for breaking her down, even though she hadn't liked being vulnerable.

Um. No? I think she didn’t like how weird you were during sex and how you forced her to say your name despite the fact that she didn’t like doing that

Finally, she makes her way back to Pair-A-Dice and gets back into being a prostitute. She hates it and Michael returns to save her.
Yay right?
Wrong.
He is so violent and horrible to her during this entire time he’s saving her.

There are these quick switches between a loving, gentle, man and this angry, violent person which are more HUUUUGE red flags.
She talks about not recognizing him while he's like this and being too afraid to speak or do anything in case he hurts her. If your partner is like this, run for your life.
He later talks about how he noticed how happy she was to see him but this is his reaction? And the fact that his wife has gone through so much (of her own volition yes, but still) and then he stops his grueling pace “out of care for the horses and not her” which is ANOTHER red flag.
I understand that he’s angry at her but the way he’s manhandling and treating her is not okay.
She is AFRAID OF HIM.
MORE RED FLAGS.
She is so scared that she wants to get away. She vocally expresses her fear that he's going to kill her and rather than go “oh shoot I’m not handling this appropriately”, he calls her stupid. Her fears don’t wake him up and he does nothing to dispel them but instead asks God (aloud) why he had to marry this person. It honestly sounds like he’s going “I don’t want to hurt you but you’re making me do this but acting this way”.
So. SHE. JUMPS. OUT. OF. THE. MOVING. WAGON. She is afraid for her life. He is calling her a “stupid, stubborn woman” and talking to God rather than to her. Because depersonalization and name calling is romantic didn’t ya know?
She is afraid that he will kill her and I would jump out of a moving vehicle too.
Again.
She is so desperate and scared, she JUMPS OUT OF THE MOVING WAGON. Why are we rooting for this relationship??

She runs and he pursues her. She physically fights against him, clearly desperate to get away. As I was reading this I was thinking “oh my god I’m about to watch this man rape her”. This is all sorts of horrible. And can we highlight not only how desperately she’s trying to get away but “He knew if he hit her once, he wouldn’t stop.” WHAT
WHAT
WHAT
WHAT
“HE KNEW IF HE HIT HER ONCE, HE WOULDN’T STOP”
THESE ARE ABUSIVE THOUGHTS THAT LEAD TO ABUSIVE RELATIONSHIPS.
His restraint isn’t romantic or protective; it's ABUSIVE.
ABUUUUUUUUUUSIVE
Why was this written off as a healthy relationship???????
When she's too exhausted to fight anymore, he holds her to him and talks about how he can "feel the fear radiating from her" and "rightly so".
He also thinks about how he'd "gone out of his mind when she had left him".
He knows that "If he had hit her back once, he would have killed her."

I’ve tried really hard not to curse during this review. I have to keep reminding myself of that so I don’t curse Michael out.
RUN ANGEL RUN. GET OUT OF THERE.
That whole chapter is an example of why Michael should burn in hell.

Finally the final red flag that broke me. He, (once again), asks her what she wants and she says she wants to be free to which he responds
"You are free. You just don't know it yet."
WHAT
WHAT
WHAT
What on God’s green earth am I I reading right now???????? What sort of manipulative, controlling, toxic, gaslighting, abusive piece of -
Alright. I’m out. Screw this guy, screw this book. I can’t I can’t I can’t

(I didn’t talk about Paul because he sucks and kept sucking and I figured he would always suck but according to some reviews he got a happily ever after? Screw him too.)