What do you think?
Rate this book
Samson: Contemporary Christian Romantic Suspense
Ruthless. Arrogant. Unstoppable.
Samson has been hired by the government to stop crime, but he’s not run by them. He’s been given free rein because he always gets his man. But his impressive abilities have not only caused him to lose sight of God, they’ve also brought about a life of overindulgence, obscuring the purpose he was created for.
Delilah’s about to change all that.
After losing everything when her business collapsed, Delilah was forced to move back home and take a waitressing job at her cousin's restaurant in the city.
Then Samson walked through the door.
Everyone was taken by his intoxicating presence except Delilah, who saw through his cool exterior the moment he entered. But when her cousin makes a bad deal, exposing her family to harm by attracting Samson’s unwanted attention, she must put her loathing aside and do whatever it takes to find his weakness, including pretending to fall for him.
Will Samson’s impenetrable pride lead to his downfall? Or will a staggering betrayal and unimaginable loss serve as a catalyst for God to remind him of the extraordinary purpose he was created for.
**Author’s Although this novel is inspired by the story of Samson from the Bible, it is written as a contemporary Christian romantic suspense and is not intended to be an exact retelling. —SPOILER ALERT— All of my books have happily-ever-afters and this book is no exception.
Samson has been hired by the government to stop crime, but he’s not run by them. He’s been given free rein because he always gets his man. But his impressive abilities have not only caused him to lose sight of God, they’ve also brought about a life of overindulgence, obscuring the purpose he was created for.
Delilah’s about to change all that.
After losing everything when her business collapsed, Delilah was forced to move back home and take a waitressing job at her cousin's restaurant in the city.
Then Samson walked through the door.
Everyone was taken by his intoxicating presence except Delilah, who saw through his cool exterior the moment he entered. But when her cousin makes a bad deal, exposing her family to harm by attracting Samson’s unwanted attention, she must put her loathing aside and do whatever it takes to find his weakness, including pretending to fall for him.
Will Samson’s impenetrable pride lead to his downfall? Or will a staggering betrayal and unimaginable loss serve as a catalyst for God to remind him of the extraordinary purpose he was created for.
**Author’s Although this novel is inspired by the story of Samson from the Bible, it is written as a contemporary Christian romantic suspense and is not intended to be an exact retelling. —SPOILER ALERT— All of my books have happily-ever-afters and this book is no exception.
- GenresFictionContemporary
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 2, 2024
103 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 5, 2024
This was a contemporary romance based on biblical characters. I found it interesting for the author to delve into the character of Samson. His gifts, his hangups, his family relationships, and how he saw himself. I liked how the author had him grow as a person and the relationships he had with people around him, as well as his dad helped him to look deeper inside of himself.
And then there was Delilah. To see her as a regular girl with hopes and dreams, family dynamics, and struggling to do the right thing. It was very different from the biblical story.
I enjoyed how the author wove the contemporary story together with these two people. It ended a bit differently than I thought it might and I enjoyed it.
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my unsolicited opinion of this book.
And then there was Delilah. To see her as a regular girl with hopes and dreams, family dynamics, and struggling to do the right thing. It was very different from the biblical story.
I enjoyed how the author wove the contemporary story together with these two people. It ended a bit differently than I thought it might and I enjoyed it.
I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my unsolicited opinion of this book.
October 14, 2024
**Has some weaknesses, but still a decent read**
I'm glad for the author's note to remind that this story is absolutely, positively NOT an exact retelling of Samson's story in a modern setting. I definitely would have been a bit feistier with all the liberties taken otherwise. Still, once I realized this author's rather creative way of placing Samson in modern times, it made me wish she HAD retold the story a bit more accurately. Woulda been pretty cool, honestly. But alas, a biblical retelling this was not to be.
As a contemporary romance that "borrows" people from the Bible, though, it was decent. Sure, it felt a little fanfiction-ish, but I was more or less invested anyway. It was fun to see what parts of the Samson story were recognizable, even despite their loose usage. It wasn't boring at all, and I did find myself feeling fond of the (biblical) characters. It was a remarkably easy read, thanks mostly to its heavy use of dialogue and minimal exposition. Unfortunately, that aspect worked both for AND against the entire story.
I may be a major fan of dialogue, but it doesn't mean I want JUST dialogue, and this story had a HECK of a lot of it. A majority of the dialogue was presented in a "stacked" fashion, with characters bouncing back and forth without any true reactions to what was spoken. Character mannerisms and facial expressions during interactions were severely lacking. It's page after page of this throughout, and it sadly gave the story a robotic feel to it, a blank canvas that stays blank because there simply weren't enough details provided to make it realistic. It was a shame.
All in all, it wasn't too bad a read, but I really wish I can get over how much I wished for something else. A little more detailed info. A little more biblical accuracy and less fabrication. Given that these traits may likely carry on into the rest of this series, I'm not sure if I'm as interested in completing the journey as I once was. Perhaps one day in the future, but as of now, I'm good to go.
I'm glad for the author's note to remind that this story is absolutely, positively NOT an exact retelling of Samson's story in a modern setting. I definitely would have been a bit feistier with all the liberties taken otherwise. Still, once I realized this author's rather creative way of placing Samson in modern times, it made me wish she HAD retold the story a bit more accurately. Woulda been pretty cool, honestly. But alas, a biblical retelling this was not to be.
As a contemporary romance that "borrows" people from the Bible, though, it was decent. Sure, it felt a little fanfiction-ish, but I was more or less invested anyway. It was fun to see what parts of the Samson story were recognizable, even despite their loose usage. It wasn't boring at all, and I did find myself feeling fond of the (biblical) characters. It was a remarkably easy read, thanks mostly to its heavy use of dialogue and minimal exposition. Unfortunately, that aspect worked both for AND against the entire story.
I may be a major fan of dialogue, but it doesn't mean I want JUST dialogue, and this story had a HECK of a lot of it. A majority of the dialogue was presented in a "stacked" fashion, with characters bouncing back and forth without any true reactions to what was spoken. Character mannerisms and facial expressions during interactions were severely lacking. It's page after page of this throughout, and it sadly gave the story a robotic feel to it, a blank canvas that stays blank because there simply weren't enough details provided to make it realistic. It was a shame.
All in all, it wasn't too bad a read, but I really wish I can get over how much I wished for something else. A little more detailed info. A little more biblical accuracy and less fabrication. Given that these traits may likely carry on into the rest of this series, I'm not sure if I'm as interested in completing the journey as I once was. Perhaps one day in the future, but as of now, I'm good to go.
April 25, 2024
A unique story inspired by the story of Samson in the Bible (Judges 13-16).
After losing everything, Delilah comes to live with her cousin Luca to waitress in his restaurant. Unbeknownst to Delilah, Luca became involved with crime when he accepted money from Marc, an evil "friend" from the past. What will it cost Luca and his family?
Samson is untouchable with superhuman strength and good at his job, yet he's also arrogant and self-centered and uses people to get what he wants--especially women. When Delilah meets Samson for the first time, he's surprised when she turns him down (because no woman has ever done that before). He's attracted to Delilah's feisty and independent attitude; but the more they fight it, Delilah and Samson become friends--and maybe more? Can they trust one another? Their moments together are sweet and sentimental at times; but in a desperate situation, Delilah betrays Samson's secrets (more than once). When facing death and knowing that God has given Samson a second chance to make a difference, can God forgive Samson one more time?
This is a Christian romantic suspense with some violence, plenty of surprises and an HEA. While the story varies from the biblical version, there are a few similarities, and Ms. Coleing is even able to include Samson using the jawbone of an animal (though not a donkey) in a fight! I look forward to more in this series inspired by the Book of Judges.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book and have voluntarily given my honest opinion in this review.
After losing everything, Delilah comes to live with her cousin Luca to waitress in his restaurant. Unbeknownst to Delilah, Luca became involved with crime when he accepted money from Marc, an evil "friend" from the past. What will it cost Luca and his family?
Samson is untouchable with superhuman strength and good at his job, yet he's also arrogant and self-centered and uses people to get what he wants--especially women. When Delilah meets Samson for the first time, he's surprised when she turns him down (because no woman has ever done that before). He's attracted to Delilah's feisty and independent attitude; but the more they fight it, Delilah and Samson become friends--and maybe more? Can they trust one another? Their moments together are sweet and sentimental at times; but in a desperate situation, Delilah betrays Samson's secrets (more than once). When facing death and knowing that God has given Samson a second chance to make a difference, can God forgive Samson one more time?
This is a Christian romantic suspense with some violence, plenty of surprises and an HEA. While the story varies from the biblical version, there are a few similarities, and Ms. Coleing is even able to include Samson using the jawbone of an animal (though not a donkey) in a fight! I look forward to more in this series inspired by the Book of Judges.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book and have voluntarily given my honest opinion in this review.
May 4, 2024
This is a modern retelling of Sampson from the Bible, the first book in a series about the judges of Israel.
It is not an exact retelling, but you can definitely see similarities and parallels. The jawbone of an animal even comes into play....though I think was a cow's.
And there were times Delilah was going to do something, and I hoped and hoped she wouldn't, but it would play into the similarities of the Bible, so I figured it was going to happen.
I enjoyed the book. Samson wasn't a very nice guy for a lot of the book, and just like Sampson in the Bible, God had to bring him down low. It is a suspense novel, and there are bad guys. I won't give any spoilers, but the author did a great job of creating a modern version of the story of Sampson. It was a great and enjoyable read.
Next up is Gideon, and I am looking forward to reading that one.
It is not an exact retelling, but you can definitely see similarities and parallels. The jawbone of an animal even comes into play....though I think was a cow's.
And there were times Delilah was going to do something, and I hoped and hoped she wouldn't, but it would play into the similarities of the Bible, so I figured it was going to happen.
I enjoyed the book. Samson wasn't a very nice guy for a lot of the book, and just like Sampson in the Bible, God had to bring him down low. It is a suspense novel, and there are bad guys. I won't give any spoilers, but the author did a great job of creating a modern version of the story of Sampson. It was a great and enjoyable read.
Next up is Gideon, and I am looking forward to reading that one.
June 6, 2024
This was a modern-day tale based on Samson and Delilah. This is a story about falling away from God’s plan, forgiveness and redemption.
Samson was a hard character to like in the beginning. His undercover role led to his feeling of being invincible. He was arrogant and a womanizer. Delilah in the current day storyline finds Samson’s weakness and does end up betraying him though not willingly. Parallels to the biblical story are there but it’s loosely based giving a contemporary take. This is a solid Christian book filled with romantic suspense and relevant to today.
Thank you to the author/publisher for providing an ARC for an honest review.
Samson was a hard character to like in the beginning. His undercover role led to his feeling of being invincible. He was arrogant and a womanizer. Delilah in the current day storyline finds Samson’s weakness and does end up betraying him though not willingly. Parallels to the biblical story are there but it’s loosely based giving a contemporary take. This is a solid Christian book filled with romantic suspense and relevant to today.
Thank you to the author/publisher for providing an ARC for an honest review.
July 28, 2024
Samson
What a great modern day Samson story. It was intriguing from beginning to end. So many twists and turns that it kept you turning page after page. I loved how it brought the personal relationship with Jesus into this story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a suspenseful read. I’m really loving all of your books!
What a great modern day Samson story. It was intriguing from beginning to end. So many twists and turns that it kept you turning page after page. I loved how it brought the personal relationship with Jesus into this story. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for a suspenseful read. I’m really loving all of your books!
November 12, 2024
Samson
This book was one the best written stories inspired by the bible story, I’ve ever read. I love that it ended differently than the story in Judges. I also loved that he forgave Delilah. I’m impressed by the way this author was able to take one of the most popular stories in the Bible and create a complete story without changing all the facts.
This book was one the best written stories inspired by the bible story, I’ve ever read. I love that it ended differently than the story in Judges. I also loved that he forgave Delilah. I’m impressed by the way this author was able to take one of the most popular stories in the Bible and create a complete story without changing all the facts.
July 5, 2024
Powerful and exciting
Wow this was so full of suspense, mystery, and lots of twists and turns. There is so many places in the story you would be able to put it down at all. Great jobs of writing.
Wow this was so full of suspense, mystery, and lots of twists and turns. There is so many places in the story you would be able to put it down at all. Great jobs of writing.
July 20, 2025
Not what I expected ~ better!
I had no idea what to expect and was initially confused as to what I had stumbled into.
As I got into the account, I was able to identify with the characters and enjoyed the book very much.
Well done!
I had no idea what to expect and was initially confused as to what I had stumbled into.
As I got into the account, I was able to identify with the characters and enjoyed the book very much.
Well done!
December 28, 2025
Enjoyed this book
This book was a clean, suspense thriller. I enjoyed the parallels with the Biblical characters and the reminders that God is always working out His plan in our lives.
This book was a clean, suspense thriller. I enjoyed the parallels with the Biblical characters and the reminders that God is always working out His plan in our lives.
May 4, 2024
Samson
Oh my goodness what a great book! Excitement, danger, romance all rolled into one story, along with a dose of faith and the mercy of God. I highly recommend this book.
Oh my goodness what a great book! Excitement, danger, romance all rolled into one story, along with a dose of faith and the mercy of God. I highly recommend this book.
October 13, 2024
My 1st
This was my first Christian suspense and I absolutely loved it! I'm starting book two tomorrow, can't wait to read the entire series.
This was my first Christian suspense and I absolutely loved it! I'm starting book two tomorrow, can't wait to read the entire series.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews