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Ordinary Women of the Bible
The Reluctant Rival Leah's Story
The Reluctant Leah’s Story is the 17th book in the Ordinary Women of the Bible fiction series.
The moment Leah set eyes on Jacob ben Isaac, she was in love. Unfortunately, Jacob preferred her younger sister, Rachel. But when her father hatched a plan that would make Leah Jacob’s wife, she agreed due to her love for him—and fear of Jacob’s brother, Esau. Now, over a decade later, she is one of four wives vying for Jacob’s attention—and the only wife who follows his God. Throughout the years, the boundaries between the four women have been clear. That is until Rachel births her first son, and Leah her first daughter. Joseph and Dinah are the darlings of Jacob’s camp and the newest tension between rivaling sisters.
Leah fumes when she discovers Rachel teaching Joseph and Dinah about pagan gods. Will Rachel’s relentless devotion to false deities poison their children—and perhaps the whole family? Can Leah keep her sister from destroying Jacob’s faith in Elohim?
The moment Leah set eyes on Jacob ben Isaac, she was in love. Unfortunately, Jacob preferred her younger sister, Rachel. But when her father hatched a plan that would make Leah Jacob’s wife, she agreed due to her love for him—and fear of Jacob’s brother, Esau. Now, over a decade later, she is one of four wives vying for Jacob’s attention—and the only wife who follows his God. Throughout the years, the boundaries between the four women have been clear. That is until Rachel births her first son, and Leah her first daughter. Joseph and Dinah are the darlings of Jacob’s camp and the newest tension between rivaling sisters.
Leah fumes when she discovers Rachel teaching Joseph and Dinah about pagan gods. Will Rachel’s relentless devotion to false deities poison their children—and perhaps the whole family? Can Leah keep her sister from destroying Jacob’s faith in Elohim?
Kindle Edition
Published September 11, 2024
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About the author
Mesu Andrews
36 books1,929 followersMESU ANDREWS is the Christy Award-winning author of Isaiah’s Daughter whose deep understanding of and love for God’s Word brings the biblical world alive for readers. Andrews lives in North Carolina with her husband Roy. She stays connected with readers through newsie emails, fun blog posts, and frequent short stories. For more information, visitMesuAndrews.com.
Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011, the story of Job) won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012) relates the poetic Song of Solomon in story form, and Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell, 2013) sets the story of Hosea and Gomer in biblical Israel. In the Shadow of Jezebel (Revell, 2014) displays God's sovereignty over Jezebel's daughter, Queen Athaliah. The Pharaoh's Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2015), unveils Moses' early years, and Miriam (2016) introduces Yahweh's prophetess during the ten plagues and the Exodus. Isaiah’s Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2018) introduces readers to the prophet Isaiah's captivating daughter, and its sequel, Isaiah's Legacy (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2020) , provides the redemptive end to her life and her son Manasseh's reign. To follow Yahweh's progression toward the Messiah, By the Waters of Babylon (August 2018) continues the story of the prophets and kings through the exile, and Of Fire and Lions (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2019) tells Daniel's compelling story. And The Reluctant Rival: Leah's Story tells of Leah, Jacob's neglected wife, and how God used her to change the course of history. And when Joseph's brothers sell him into a life of slavery in Egypt, Jacob's favorite son encounters one of the Bible's most infamous bad girls in, Potiphar's Wife (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2022).
Her first novel, Love Amid the Ashes (Revell, 2011, the story of Job) won the 2012 ECPA Book of the Year for a Debut Author. Love’s Sacred Song (Revell, 2012) relates the poetic Song of Solomon in story form, and Love in a Broken Vessel(Revell, 2013) sets the story of Hosea and Gomer in biblical Israel. In the Shadow of Jezebel (Revell, 2014) displays God's sovereignty over Jezebel's daughter, Queen Athaliah. The Pharaoh's Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2015), unveils Moses' early years, and Miriam (2016) introduces Yahweh's prophetess during the ten plagues and the Exodus. Isaiah’s Daughter (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2018) introduces readers to the prophet Isaiah's captivating daughter, and its sequel, Isaiah's Legacy (Waterbrook/Multnomah, 2020) , provides the redemptive end to her life and her son Manasseh's reign. To follow Yahweh's progression toward the Messiah, By the Waters of Babylon (August 2018) continues the story of the prophets and kings through the exile, and Of Fire and Lions (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2019) tells Daniel's compelling story. And The Reluctant Rival: Leah's Story tells of Leah, Jacob's neglected wife, and how God used her to change the course of history. And when Joseph's brothers sell him into a life of slavery in Egypt, Jacob's favorite son encounters one of the Bible's most infamous bad girls in, Potiphar's Wife (Waterbrook/Multnomah 2022).
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 24, 2021
Where do I begin? Do I begin with how engaging and unputdownable this book is? Or about how excellent the characters are? Or maybe I start by explaining how thought-provoking the storyline and themes are? I don’t know … there are just SO many good things to say about The Reluctant Rival: Leah’s Story by Mesu Andrews that it’s hard to narrow it down to one thing. But I’ll do my best! 😉
I have always struggled with Jacob’s story in Genesis. It’s really hard reading his story and not thinking he’s a total stinker. Of all the many things that occur in his story, and all the many reasons why I could think he’s a total jerk, it has always been his treatment of Leah that I’ve struggled with the most. My heart hurts for her every time I read her chapters in Genesis. What I love so much about The Reluctant Rival is that Leah gets a happy ending. Yes, she is the wife Jacob didn’t want. Yes, she has to deal with Rachel constantly being #1 and that being thrown in her face. Yes, very bad things happen — I can’t even imagine what she must have felt knowing her precious daughter had been raped by a pagan neighbor, and losing her sister after Benjamin’s death must have been truly devastating. BUT, Mesu Andrews does a phenomenal job showing Leah’s story as one filled with hope and happily ever afters. What I love the most about Leah’s character in this story is how easy she is to relate to. I’ve been there. I’ve been the one someone didn’t want. I’ve been the one someone hurt with unkind words. I’ve been the one who was left behind after a loved one died. And, I’ve been the one who had an, “I believe, help my unbelief,” moment a time or two (Mark 9:24). Leah’s faith, as illustrated in this story, is OUTSTANDING. Leah is the kind of woman who has grabbed on to Yahweh and refuses to let go. But, after a true reached-the-end-of-her-rope moment, Leah does question God’s presence in her life: “Yahweh, are You there? Are You real?” (155). But she quickly shakes her head and reaffirms God’s truth: “Forgive me, El-Roi — the God who sees. I know You are real” (155). I may have burst into tears after I read this scene because I have done this very same thing. I’ve become seriously overwhelmed by my circumstances and have questioned God’s existence, but have immediately taken my thoughts captive as Leah does and forced them back onto the right track — God’s track! It’s just nice to know that others — even fictional characters — experience those slight moments of questioning. It makes me feel less lonely.
The Reluctant Rival is a beautiful story and one I won’t ever forget. It’s well-researched, well-written, and HIGHLY engaging. This is a book a reader won’t want to put down. I highly, highly recommend this read!
I purchased a copy of this novel in PDF form from Guideposts.org on March 10, 2021, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I have always struggled with Jacob’s story in Genesis. It’s really hard reading his story and not thinking he’s a total stinker. Of all the many things that occur in his story, and all the many reasons why I could think he’s a total jerk, it has always been his treatment of Leah that I’ve struggled with the most. My heart hurts for her every time I read her chapters in Genesis. What I love so much about The Reluctant Rival is that Leah gets a happy ending. Yes, she is the wife Jacob didn’t want. Yes, she has to deal with Rachel constantly being #1 and that being thrown in her face. Yes, very bad things happen — I can’t even imagine what she must have felt knowing her precious daughter had been raped by a pagan neighbor, and losing her sister after Benjamin’s death must have been truly devastating. BUT, Mesu Andrews does a phenomenal job showing Leah’s story as one filled with hope and happily ever afters. What I love the most about Leah’s character in this story is how easy she is to relate to. I’ve been there. I’ve been the one someone didn’t want. I’ve been the one someone hurt with unkind words. I’ve been the one who was left behind after a loved one died. And, I’ve been the one who had an, “I believe, help my unbelief,” moment a time or two (Mark 9:24). Leah’s faith, as illustrated in this story, is OUTSTANDING. Leah is the kind of woman who has grabbed on to Yahweh and refuses to let go. But, after a true reached-the-end-of-her-rope moment, Leah does question God’s presence in her life: “Yahweh, are You there? Are You real?” (155). But she quickly shakes her head and reaffirms God’s truth: “Forgive me, El-Roi — the God who sees. I know You are real” (155). I may have burst into tears after I read this scene because I have done this very same thing. I’ve become seriously overwhelmed by my circumstances and have questioned God’s existence, but have immediately taken my thoughts captive as Leah does and forced them back onto the right track — God’s track! It’s just nice to know that others — even fictional characters — experience those slight moments of questioning. It makes me feel less lonely.
The Reluctant Rival is a beautiful story and one I won’t ever forget. It’s well-researched, well-written, and HIGHLY engaging. This is a book a reader won’t want to put down. I highly, highly recommend this read!
I purchased a copy of this novel in PDF form from Guideposts.org on March 10, 2021, in order to review. In no way has this influenced my review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
March 15, 2021
Excellent story. Mesu has spun a tail of the biblical Leah and Rachel from a fresh perspective but stays true to the biblical narrative. Characters are believable and intriguing. I couldn’t put it down!
July 19, 2021
Another wonderful work of Biblical fiction by Mesu Andrews. This is part of the Ordinary Women of the Bible series from Guideposts. I've only read one other from this group and they are all stand-alone. This one is about Leah, the first wife of Jacob, the patriarch. I've always been fascinated by Leah's story as the "less loved" wife/sister, who learned to praise the Lord anyway (in the naming of her son Judah). I appreciated Ms. Andrews take on her story and enjoyed the additional information in the back of the book as well. I also enjoyed how the author tied in some of her other stories as well, referencing some points in Love Amid the Ashes. All in all, this was a very enjoyable work of Biblical fiction and I enjoyed learning more about Jacob and his wives. I would definitely recommend this one to fans of Biblical fiction!
May 25, 2021
Leave it to Author Mesu Andrews to pen a Biblical fiction story that challenges what I understood about one of Jacob’s wives, Leah. This story showcases admirable qualities of Leah that are very thought-provoking. Jacob has always seemed to be less than honorable and even though he was blessed many times over, perhaps God used Leah to balance his impulsive nature. Mesu never disappoints with her meticulous research and her ability to stay true to the words of the Bible while delivering a new prospective.
June 16, 2021
Another great story from a talented story teller. I love how she fills in the gaps - taking a Bible story and creating outstanding Christian Fiction. I love how she explains her perspective so the reader knows where she is coming from. Thank you for this blessing!
December 22, 2024
The Reluctant Rival might be one of the only Ordinary Women novellas I gave four stars instead of five, but don't let that fool you. It's still just as strong as its counterparts; I just have a writer's eye that tends to notice little things that could be "stronger." As it is though, Mesu Andrews did her usual wonderful job with Leah's story for this series.
First off, I love the focus on Leah as a character. As usual, Mesu did her homework, sticking to Genesis while pulling in some Biblical scholar knowledge I wasn't familiar with. For instance, here, Leah's "weak eyes" are partially attributed to her Mittani ancestry and blue eyes. That's not a take I hear often or at all, but Mesu weaves it into the plot without being obtrusive. This provides a unique jumping-off point for Leah's eventual bitterness, her need to prove herself, and her being negatively singled out as plain, particularly next to Rachel.
However, and what I liked about Leah, is that she's not at all an unlikeable lead in The Reluctant Rival. She has her moments, and I'll address those. But along with those, she's a diligent worker, a tenacious and loving wife to Jacob even when he doesn't deserve it--which is a lot of the time--a great mom to every child in her family, intelligent, subtly witty at times, and a faithful follower of Yahweh. I particularly loved her diligence in telling the true stories of Yahweh to her children and encouraging Jacob to do the same when the boys spent time with him. There's a great scene between Jacob and the oldest four that showcase their diverse personalities and give hints to who those sons will be in the future.
Speaking of the future, there's a couple of other great scenes between Leah and a much younger Joseph. Leah, of course, is not Joseph's biological mother, and she could not prevent Joseph's trajectory. But I thought it was clever and insightful of Mesu to add the interactions between Joseph, Leah, and the older boys. It provides foreshadowing and again, shows Leah's developing, improving character as a mother and a woman. That is yes, she did get into a "baby war" with Rachel, and The Reluctant Rival shows that story "in living color." But over time, readers do get to see her self-compassion, her determination to follow and praise Yahweh as much as she can, and her dedication to being fair to all her sons.
Finally, I want to applaud Mesu for spending some time on moments when the sisterly relationship between Leah and Rachel is positive. Those moments become fewer as the novella progresses, yes. But they do have some good banter and "comic relief" going on. They also have a few key serious moments, which tend to highlight Leah's determination to help Jacob "clean house" vs. Rachel's love of Jacob combined with a tendency to lean into what people want vs. what they need.
This does bring me to the weak points I mentioned. The first was, even though The Reluctant Rival is Leah's story, I did want to see more of Rachel's positive traits. Often, she reads like a complete spoiled brat, and that didn't seem fair to me. Despite the rivalries and bitterness, she and Leah were still sisters, and Scripture gives us every indication that they were close at some point, so again, I wanted to see at least some of that.
Additionally, I have no problem with any of the wives worshipping pagan gods and goddesses, or being nervous about Jacob "cleaning house" on that issue later. However, I did notice that a couple of times, especially with Bilhah and Zilpah, Mesu seemed to drift into saying paganism was condoned a bit too much when compared to the Biblical account. Now granted, Laban was an unapologetic idolator, and we don't know what the religious background of any of the wives were. So maybe my writer's eye was acting up. But again, I did wonder, so there you have it.
That said, The Reluctant Rival remains a strong contribution to the series, and I certainly wouldn't be reluctant to read it again. It gets my recommendation, and if you are a Mesu Andrews fan, I'd say definitely snap it up.
First off, I love the focus on Leah as a character. As usual, Mesu did her homework, sticking to Genesis while pulling in some Biblical scholar knowledge I wasn't familiar with. For instance, here, Leah's "weak eyes" are partially attributed to her Mittani ancestry and blue eyes. That's not a take I hear often or at all, but Mesu weaves it into the plot without being obtrusive. This provides a unique jumping-off point for Leah's eventual bitterness, her need to prove herself, and her being negatively singled out as plain, particularly next to Rachel.
However, and what I liked about Leah, is that she's not at all an unlikeable lead in The Reluctant Rival. She has her moments, and I'll address those. But along with those, she's a diligent worker, a tenacious and loving wife to Jacob even when he doesn't deserve it--which is a lot of the time--a great mom to every child in her family, intelligent, subtly witty at times, and a faithful follower of Yahweh. I particularly loved her diligence in telling the true stories of Yahweh to her children and encouraging Jacob to do the same when the boys spent time with him. There's a great scene between Jacob and the oldest four that showcase their diverse personalities and give hints to who those sons will be in the future.
Speaking of the future, there's a couple of other great scenes between Leah and a much younger Joseph. Leah, of course, is not Joseph's biological mother, and she could not prevent Joseph's trajectory. But I thought it was clever and insightful of Mesu to add the interactions between Joseph, Leah, and the older boys. It provides foreshadowing and again, shows Leah's developing, improving character as a mother and a woman. That is yes, she did get into a "baby war" with Rachel, and The Reluctant Rival shows that story "in living color." But over time, readers do get to see her self-compassion, her determination to follow and praise Yahweh as much as she can, and her dedication to being fair to all her sons.
Finally, I want to applaud Mesu for spending some time on moments when the sisterly relationship between Leah and Rachel is positive. Those moments become fewer as the novella progresses, yes. But they do have some good banter and "comic relief" going on. They also have a few key serious moments, which tend to highlight Leah's determination to help Jacob "clean house" vs. Rachel's love of Jacob combined with a tendency to lean into what people want vs. what they need.
This does bring me to the weak points I mentioned. The first was, even though The Reluctant Rival is Leah's story, I did want to see more of Rachel's positive traits. Often, she reads like a complete spoiled brat, and that didn't seem fair to me. Despite the rivalries and bitterness, she and Leah were still sisters, and Scripture gives us every indication that they were close at some point, so again, I wanted to see at least some of that.
Additionally, I have no problem with any of the wives worshipping pagan gods and goddesses, or being nervous about Jacob "cleaning house" on that issue later. However, I did notice that a couple of times, especially with Bilhah and Zilpah, Mesu seemed to drift into saying paganism was condoned a bit too much when compared to the Biblical account. Now granted, Laban was an unapologetic idolator, and we don't know what the religious background of any of the wives were. So maybe my writer's eye was acting up. But again, I did wonder, so there you have it.
That said, The Reluctant Rival remains a strong contribution to the series, and I certainly wouldn't be reluctant to read it again. It gets my recommendation, and if you are a Mesu Andrews fan, I'd say definitely snap it up.
April 28, 2021
I loved it. I knew Leah's story from the Bible, but I always love reading this series from Guidepost and the spin the authors put on the stories of these women.
I've been torn about whether I should feel sorry for Leah or Jacob. Was she punished for deceiving him? Was he being punished for stealing his brothers blessing? It seemed like he got his revenge by being mean to her and letting her know he didn't want her. Rachel is a spoiled brat and even in the bible she steals her father idols, has Jacob sleep with her maid to get children, since she can't have any, and generally treats Leah bad. She "steals" her daughters affection.
There are times it seems Jacob really does loves Leah and maybe he did grew to love her in his own way.
I've been torn about whether I should feel sorry for Leah or Jacob. Was she punished for deceiving him? Was he being punished for stealing his brothers blessing? It seemed like he got his revenge by being mean to her and letting her know he didn't want her. Rachel is a spoiled brat and even in the bible she steals her father idols, has Jacob sleep with her maid to get children, since she can't have any, and generally treats Leah bad. She "steals" her daughters affection.
There are times it seems Jacob really does loves Leah and maybe he did grew to love her in his own way.
September 11, 2025
I love the genre of biblical fiction so I was excited to read Leah’s story. My main struggle throughout this book was how it attempted to cover the entire story of Leah’s life, and was incredibly speculative in its efforts. The most successful biblical fiction books (IMHO) are those that expound on a few lines of scripture to create a broader narrative. This story essentially spanned all of Jacob, Leah, and Rachel’s life. It sort of felt like there were three main characters. The other thing I struggled with was that the author made it seem as though Leah was ok with the whole sister wives thing at times. It honestly just wasn’t super believable to me. The author made a noble attempt to cover a broad range of scripture, but I believe they would have been more successful if they had tried to cover a portion of Leah’s story as opposed to her entire lifetime.
June 16, 2025
Not the best Mesu Andrews I’ve read, but it’s nice to read an interpretation of Leah where she’s not the ugly, unwanted wife. I have a daughter Leah, and the Leah of the Bible shows a woman, loved and blessed by God, who trusts in him in the midst of her sorrow. I always wanted *my* Leah to see that part of Leah’s story over the narrative of her “weak eyes”.
November 19, 2025
Beautiful and Insightful
I love the research done to reveal some truths to the beliefs and wording used to describe Leah as "weak eyed" and the name possibilities regarding the strained life of four wives living together with one husband that favored one above the others. I've often read other biblical fiction that hinted at Leah's closeness after her sister's death allowed Jacob to realize her faithfulness to him and her sister despite her deception led Israel to eventually come to love her because she was buried in his family's tomb by him and that he asked to be buried with her in the covenant tomb of his father's. Yet, he never moved Rachel there or asked to be buried with her.
I believe he did cherish Leah but felt a need to spoil Rachel for his part in their having to share him as a husband. He may have loved Rachel more but the Bible does not paint a pretty picture of her. It is easy to see that she was still favored but also easy to see a devoted man of God and husband of a woman that would her abba's idols to worship them growing weary with her unbelief in Yahweh and idol worship.
I love how all of these ideas were included in the characters of this fictional novel and how leak was portrayed as beautiful with light eyes and the cultural belief tied to that common belief of the time. I also enjoyed the continued pain of Leah constantly being second choice pushing her into such a strong personal relationship with Yahweh allowing her to remain a faithful wife, sister, and mother. We can all imagine the strength she would need to do this and to remain a loving wife, sister, and mother.
I do envy her but I have always looked up to her with the deepest respect. I believe you will enjoy getting to know her as I have often pictured her and find some peace in how God walked with her through the toughest years of her daily life.
I love the research done to reveal some truths to the beliefs and wording used to describe Leah as "weak eyed" and the name possibilities regarding the strained life of four wives living together with one husband that favored one above the others. I've often read other biblical fiction that hinted at Leah's closeness after her sister's death allowed Jacob to realize her faithfulness to him and her sister despite her deception led Israel to eventually come to love her because she was buried in his family's tomb by him and that he asked to be buried with her in the covenant tomb of his father's. Yet, he never moved Rachel there or asked to be buried with her.
I believe he did cherish Leah but felt a need to spoil Rachel for his part in their having to share him as a husband. He may have loved Rachel more but the Bible does not paint a pretty picture of her. It is easy to see that she was still favored but also easy to see a devoted man of God and husband of a woman that would her abba's idols to worship them growing weary with her unbelief in Yahweh and idol worship.
I love how all of these ideas were included in the characters of this fictional novel and how leak was portrayed as beautiful with light eyes and the cultural belief tied to that common belief of the time. I also enjoyed the continued pain of Leah constantly being second choice pushing her into such a strong personal relationship with Yahweh allowing her to remain a faithful wife, sister, and mother. We can all imagine the strength she would need to do this and to remain a loving wife, sister, and mother.
I do envy her but I have always looked up to her with the deepest respect. I believe you will enjoy getting to know her as I have often pictured her and find some peace in how God walked with her through the toughest years of her daily life.
August 25, 2025
🌟🌟🌟🌟
The Reluctant Rival by Mesu Andrews was not my usual kind of read, but I’m so glad I picked it up. It’s an easy, engaging story that dives deep into Leah’s perspective—a refreshing shift, especially after reading a book centered on Rachel. Seeing Leah’s side of the story added so much depth and emotion to the biblical narrative.
What stood out most was how relatable Leah felt. Her struggles with identity, love, and faith were portrayed with honesty and grace. I appreciated how Andrews used actual Bible verses to anchor the story—it felt biblically accurate without being preachy, and that added a layer of authenticity I really valued.
The contrast between Leah and Rachel’s relationships with Jacob was powerful. It highlighted not just the tension between sisters, but also the different ways they sought love and favor. Ultimately, the book beautifully illustrated how God blesses those who follow Him, even when life feels unfair or uncertain.
Highly recommend if you enjoy biblical fiction with heart and truth woven together.
The Reluctant Rival by Mesu Andrews was not my usual kind of read, but I’m so glad I picked it up. It’s an easy, engaging story that dives deep into Leah’s perspective—a refreshing shift, especially after reading a book centered on Rachel. Seeing Leah’s side of the story added so much depth and emotion to the biblical narrative.
What stood out most was how relatable Leah felt. Her struggles with identity, love, and faith were portrayed with honesty and grace. I appreciated how Andrews used actual Bible verses to anchor the story—it felt biblically accurate without being preachy, and that added a layer of authenticity I really valued.
The contrast between Leah and Rachel’s relationships with Jacob was powerful. It highlighted not just the tension between sisters, but also the different ways they sought love and favor. Ultimately, the book beautifully illustrated how God blesses those who follow Him, even when life feels unfair or uncertain.
Highly recommend if you enjoy biblical fiction with heart and truth woven together.
June 8, 2021
Wow. I’ve always been on Rachel’s “side” when hearing the story, but oh my goodness this gives a new perspective.
Some of the details like Rachel hiding the gods and Leah believing in Yahweh are so well executed.
I love Mesu Andrews anyhow, but wasn’t sure what to expect.
I also loved how Dinah’s story was told. Literally everything is taken from Genesis but expanded upon. It’s like reading an in depth Bible study, with all the historical elements, locations, foods, tents, camels, childbirth, and everything explained. And Leah’s relationship with Jacob is super believable. As is Rachel’s which I love because I saw her in a completely different light after reading this. All of it. So good!
Some of the details like Rachel hiding the gods and Leah believing in Yahweh are so well executed.
I love Mesu Andrews anyhow, but wasn’t sure what to expect.
I also loved how Dinah’s story was told. Literally everything is taken from Genesis but expanded upon. It’s like reading an in depth Bible study, with all the historical elements, locations, foods, tents, camels, childbirth, and everything explained. And Leah’s relationship with Jacob is super believable. As is Rachel’s which I love because I saw her in a completely different light after reading this. All of it. So good!
June 26, 2023
The Reluctant Rival is an imagine telling of the story of Leah and Rachel. Mostly from Leah's prospective. She was not the one Jacob wanted but she was the capable one, the one Jacob could depend on, the one who followed Yahweh. Mesu Andrews has Jacob come to realize he loves Leah and she is a good wife to him. Leah trusts in Yahweh and strives to bring Jacob's whole camp to Him. She trusts the Lord and always counsels to ask Him. An interesting look at the life of this tribe of shepherds who are rewarded for their love of God and following His ways. It is also a look at the Biblical story of Jacob.
June 24, 2022
Prior to reading this, if you had asked me to describe the personalities of Rachel and Leah, it would have been completely opposite of how I would describe them now that I've read this book. I love that Mesu always turns Bible characters into real people with real emotions and personalities. Were their true personalities more like my pre-book belief of more like I think of them now? No one knows but my thoughts and feelings toward them has certainly been broadened and next time I read about Jacob, Rachel, and Leah in the Bible, I will think more deeply about their lives.
November 25, 2025
Richly woven story based upon the true Biblical story of Leah, Jacob and Rachel. Leah was always a character in the Bible I felt for. So having a world in which my musings about the emotions and personality of her character were brought to life was very entertaining. The authors research to put timeline to events that are mere chapters apart in the Bible prompted my own research and study and gave life to the historical accounts in the Bible.
My only qualm was however, that the Bible is clear—the daughter, Dinah was raped. It never says anything about Dinah being in love with Shechem the son of Hamor. And I didn’t quite appreciate that change. I would’ve liked for the author to stay more true to the story and flesh it out like she did other events in the Biblical account instead of diminishing the horror of what occurred between Dinah and the son of Hamor. The Bible describes it in Genesis 36:4 as a thing that should not be done—an abomination. Alluding that Dinah went willingly in this book diminishes that. Besides that however, it was an entertaining read that encouraged me to think and study more about the Bible and the history of Yahweh’s world.
My only qualm was however, that the Bible is clear—the daughter, Dinah was raped. It never says anything about Dinah being in love with Shechem the son of Hamor. And I didn’t quite appreciate that change. I would’ve liked for the author to stay more true to the story and flesh it out like she did other events in the Biblical account instead of diminishing the horror of what occurred between Dinah and the son of Hamor. The Bible describes it in Genesis 36:4 as a thing that should not be done—an abomination. Alluding that Dinah went willingly in this book diminishes that. Besides that however, it was an entertaining read that encouraged me to think and study more about the Bible and the history of Yahweh’s world.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2021
Another great book about Ordinary Women of the Bible.
Looking forward to reading the next book about Ordinary Women of the Bible.
Looking forward to reading the next book about Ordinary Women of the Bible.
September 22, 2021
I really liked this book as everything I have read from Mesu Andrews. I just loved Jill Eileen Smiths Rachel better.
September 15, 2024
This novel gives details to the Biblical character Leah, Jacob's unwanted first wife, Leah. Leah was given to him rather than Rachel, for whom he had worked 7 years, on the excuse that the older daughter must be married before the younger one. So Jacob was forced to work another 7 years for the woman he loved and wanted.
While the book claims Leah's eyes were blue like her mother's, the Bible says only that they were "weak," which usually means nearsighted. The book doesn't mention eye weakness in Leah except for once, when it puts Leah in charge of the books under Laban's tutelage and supervision. Apparently, she also takes on that responsibility for her reluctant husband as he works 7 more years for Rachel, who has the expected brown eyes of her people. And after that, the book details that Laban cheated Jacob, apparently multiple times, which I believe God allowed to drive home the cheating Jacob had done to get the inheritance and the blessing due his older (by minutes) twin, Esau. God never took His hands off Jacob, though, no matter how much he schemed, because he was devoted to the one and only and true living God.
As Laban continues to cheat
Jacob, Jacob obeys the dream he had that told him to peel the bark partially off certain trees, and put the sticks.in the water trough when the strongest ewes and rams came to drink. The agreement had always been that Jacob could have the spotted and striped sheep, and with this trick, most of the healthiest lambs came out
spotted or striped. This increased Jacob's wealth, but angered Laban, who continually cut Jacob's salary as more spotted and striped lambs were born - ten times in all Laban messed up Jacob's salary.
Fonally, Jacob realized, as did his 4 wives (the maidservants given to Joseph by each of his wives to bear children for them making 2 concubines, or 2nd class wives, plus Leah and Rachel), that Laban would always find a way to cheat Jacob, and by extension, his wives and children, so that he could prosper using Jacob for the rest of his life. And so, one morning, his hired shepherds, his children, and his wives sneaked out of Laban's property and headed back to Jacob's parents' home, going through Edom, Esau's territory. As Laban pursued him, Esau would soon meet Jacob, making the entire family feel sort of surrounded by enemies. Laban claimed only to want his household idols, stolen by Rachel, who claimed (as she sat on them) that she couldn't get up and be searched because she was on her period, and so she got away with the theft.
The author decided that Leah would be the one who learned about God and stuck with Him, mostly because God, seeing Leah was hated for the deception her father forced on her, gave her more sons and only one daughter so that she would prove valuable to Jacob, when Rachel was unable to have children for so long...and Rachel died bearing her 2nd child, Jacob's 12th son (2 to each of the concubines, 2. to Rachel, and 7 (6 boys and one girl) to Leah).
Jacob was wealthy enough to appease Esau with a sizable flock of sheep and goats, plus cattle, horses, camels, and donkeys, as gifts.
The incident in Shechem is detailed here. The only daughter, Dinah, comes to the prince of Shechem's attention when she is 9. As she grows up, at age 16, she falls for the prince and he for her. The prince may or may not have courted her briefly (and likely secretly) before he took her into the palace, and according to the Bible, raped her then married her. Apparently she loved him, but she was unequally yoked to an idol worshipper, and her brothers see only the premarital sex and call it rape, and the Bible records it as such. But instead of a staightforward dealing with their sister, the prince, and the king, Jacob's sons deal with treachery, attacking and killing the prince, taking their sobbing sister, and plundering the town, which means they have to move elsewhere fast, which they do.
The book stops with Isaac's final days, noting that he and later, Rebecca was buried with Abraham and then that he and Leah were buried there as well, skipping over the part where the older brothers sell Joseph into slavery.
I liked how Leah was portrayed, as earning respect and love from her husband based on her steadfast faith in God and her organizational skills and her skills keeping the books, which Leah teaches Joseph from a young age in the book...this could be inferred from Joseph's skills shown in Potiphar's house, then in the jail, and then in preparing Egypt for a coming famine, gathering enough to make Pharoah wealthy and the owner of the entire country plus, possibly, parts of other countries.
I always read the author's notes in every book as they explain how the character development was carried out.
I intend to read every book and am glad they're stand alone books as I have read them so out of order that this last book (so far) in the series I've read before some of the very early books!
While the book claims Leah's eyes were blue like her mother's, the Bible says only that they were "weak," which usually means nearsighted. The book doesn't mention eye weakness in Leah except for once, when it puts Leah in charge of the books under Laban's tutelage and supervision. Apparently, she also takes on that responsibility for her reluctant husband as he works 7 more years for Rachel, who has the expected brown eyes of her people. And after that, the book details that Laban cheated Jacob, apparently multiple times, which I believe God allowed to drive home the cheating Jacob had done to get the inheritance and the blessing due his older (by minutes) twin, Esau. God never took His hands off Jacob, though, no matter how much he schemed, because he was devoted to the one and only and true living God.
As Laban continues to cheat
Jacob, Jacob obeys the dream he had that told him to peel the bark partially off certain trees, and put the sticks.in the water trough when the strongest ewes and rams came to drink. The agreement had always been that Jacob could have the spotted and striped sheep, and with this trick, most of the healthiest lambs came out
spotted or striped. This increased Jacob's wealth, but angered Laban, who continually cut Jacob's salary as more spotted and striped lambs were born - ten times in all Laban messed up Jacob's salary.
Fonally, Jacob realized, as did his 4 wives (the maidservants given to Joseph by each of his wives to bear children for them making 2 concubines, or 2nd class wives, plus Leah and Rachel), that Laban would always find a way to cheat Jacob, and by extension, his wives and children, so that he could prosper using Jacob for the rest of his life. And so, one morning, his hired shepherds, his children, and his wives sneaked out of Laban's property and headed back to Jacob's parents' home, going through Edom, Esau's territory. As Laban pursued him, Esau would soon meet Jacob, making the entire family feel sort of surrounded by enemies. Laban claimed only to want his household idols, stolen by Rachel, who claimed (as she sat on them) that she couldn't get up and be searched because she was on her period, and so she got away with the theft.
The author decided that Leah would be the one who learned about God and stuck with Him, mostly because God, seeing Leah was hated for the deception her father forced on her, gave her more sons and only one daughter so that she would prove valuable to Jacob, when Rachel was unable to have children for so long...and Rachel died bearing her 2nd child, Jacob's 12th son (2 to each of the concubines, 2. to Rachel, and 7 (6 boys and one girl) to Leah).
Jacob was wealthy enough to appease Esau with a sizable flock of sheep and goats, plus cattle, horses, camels, and donkeys, as gifts.
The incident in Shechem is detailed here. The only daughter, Dinah, comes to the prince of Shechem's attention when she is 9. As she grows up, at age 16, she falls for the prince and he for her. The prince may or may not have courted her briefly (and likely secretly) before he took her into the palace, and according to the Bible, raped her then married her. Apparently she loved him, but she was unequally yoked to an idol worshipper, and her brothers see only the premarital sex and call it rape, and the Bible records it as such. But instead of a staightforward dealing with their sister, the prince, and the king, Jacob's sons deal with treachery, attacking and killing the prince, taking their sobbing sister, and plundering the town, which means they have to move elsewhere fast, which they do.
The book stops with Isaac's final days, noting that he and later, Rebecca was buried with Abraham and then that he and Leah were buried there as well, skipping over the part where the older brothers sell Joseph into slavery.
I liked how Leah was portrayed, as earning respect and love from her husband based on her steadfast faith in God and her organizational skills and her skills keeping the books, which Leah teaches Joseph from a young age in the book...this could be inferred from Joseph's skills shown in Potiphar's house, then in the jail, and then in preparing Egypt for a coming famine, gathering enough to make Pharoah wealthy and the owner of the entire country plus, possibly, parts of other countries.
I always read the author's notes in every book as they explain how the character development was carried out.
I intend to read every book and am glad they're stand alone books as I have read them so out of order that this last book (so far) in the series I've read before some of the very early books!
October 20, 2024
Leah's Story Heart Breaking !
How do you marry one man Jacob so save yourself from Esau ! Wow , talk about a conundrum !! She wants love but Lord Blessed Her with Respect & 11 Sons & One daughter . Such a hard life but in the end she was blessed. I enjoyed the writing style you could feel the heart ache & love thru all the sorrow & joy . Each Word was a reflection from the soul of Mesu Andrews !! Loved it !!
How do you marry one man Jacob so save yourself from Esau ! Wow , talk about a conundrum !! She wants love but Lord Blessed Her with Respect & 11 Sons & One daughter . Such a hard life but in the end she was blessed. I enjoyed the writing style you could feel the heart ache & love thru all the sorrow & joy . Each Word was a reflection from the soul of Mesu Andrews !! Loved it !!
July 30, 2024
Mesu did it again! I’ve read so many different books on Leah and Jacob’s story and this is by far my favorite!
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