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Dangerous Beauty #2
Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty
New York Times bestselling author Angela Hunt vividly retells the biblical story of Bathsheba, whose incredible beauty nearly destroyed a king.
384 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2015
191 people are currently reading
2112 people want to read
About the author
Angela Elwell Hunt
271 books1,968 followersChristy-Award winner Angela Hunt writes for readers who have learned to expect the unexpected in novels from this versatile author. With nearly six million copies of her books sold worldwide, she is the best-selling author of more than 165 works ranging from picture books (The Tale of Three Trees) to novels.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
Now that her two children are grown, Angie and her husband live in Florida with Very Big Dogs (a direct result of watching Turner and Hooch and Sandlot too many times). This affinity for mastiffs has not been without its rewards--one of their dogs was featured on Live with Regis and Kelly as the second-largest canine in America. Their dog received this dubious honor after an all-expenses-paid trip to Manhattan for the dog and the Hunts, complete with VIP air travel and a stretch limo in which they toured New York City.
Afterward, the dog gave out pawtographs at the airport.
Angela admits to being fascinated by animals, medicine, psychology, unexplained phenomena, and “just about everything” except sports. Books, she says, have always shaped her life— in the fifth grade she learned how to flirt from reading Gone with the Wind.
Her books have won the coveted Christy Award, several Angel Awards from Excellence in Media, and the Gold and Silver Medallions from Foreword Magazine’s Book of the Year Award. In 2007, her novel The Note was featured as a Christmas movie on the Hallmark channel. Romantic Times Book Club presented her with a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, and American Christian Fiction Writers bestowed the same award in 2019.
In 2006, Angela completed her Master of Biblical Studies in Theology degree and completed her second doctorate in 2015. When she’s not home reading or writing, Angie often travels to teach writing workshops at schools and writers’ conferences. And to talk about her dogs, of course.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
January 19, 2016
I was really quite disappointed with this book. =/
I hadn’t read any books by Angela Hunt before and so when “Bathsheba” came up for review,I was interested in reading it. And indeed the cover is beautiful (besides the unrealistic amount of makeup… ^.^).
But this book was unfortunately, not a favourite for me. There were several parts that I had to skip because they were really inappropriate – it would make a person blush, truly. I don’t think that is necessary at all to have it in any book, but especially Biblical Fiction.
One quote I liked: “A complacent man would eventually neglect the Lord, because he would depend upon HaShem’s promise, and not HaShem Himself.” – I agree with this, but sadly, the characters did not follow this. Bathsheba did rely on The Lord’s promise and not so much God Himself. Her faith was quite strangely portrayed. She was mostly angry at God, and at some point she switched her attitude towards Him, but it was not clear or obvious.
One of the over-all themes that I didn’t care for at all was the great emphasis on physical beauty. The fact that Bathsheba was a “Tob” woman (meaning, very beautiful) was referenced and repeated a thousand times. And there was way too much stock put into her beauty. I was also very disappointed with the prophet Nathan’s attitude towards his wife. He compared her to Bathsheba continually, and it was very degrading. It would be one thing if no physical description was given, but they did describe the looks of each, and to say that one figure type is more pleasing than another is just terrible. Every woman is made beautiful in Yahweh. There is absolutely no size or shape that is better than the other. Period.
Nathan as a character, as a prophet, was very discouraging to me. Yes, he was a man, but he was a man of God, and I do not believe that a prophet would behave as he did, in many aspects. In comparing his wife (who was extremely sweet, and probably the best character of the whole book) to Bathsheba, he thanked God that his wife wasn’t as pleasing as Bathsheba. It was just so wrong.
I get that this series is about ‘dangerous beauty” and that, in theory, is why so much emphasis is placed on it, but I don’t think it is godly, especially to give descriptions of what is “remarkably beautiful” because everyone’s perception of beauty is vastly different and unique. To talk down about one figure type is very detrimental to a reader who could be that figure type. I fear that any young lady who is not secure in God with how He has made her, will read this and feel inferior, inadequate and will compare themselves with the book’s interpretation of what is beautiful. I feel that to be dangerous. We can not put beauty in a box and say it is only one type of person. We cannot put beauty on a pedestal and say it is so important, because it is not. The important beauty comes from the heart overflowing with Christ’s love. We are to reflect His beauty, and that comes from inside us.
There were quite a few other things, like the pride issues, but I don’t want to keep going on negatively. I am afraid I cannot recommend this book. I hate to give unfavourable reviews, but this book sent off so many alarms to me.
I hadn’t read any books by Angela Hunt before and so when “Bathsheba” came up for review,I was interested in reading it. And indeed the cover is beautiful (besides the unrealistic amount of makeup… ^.^).
But this book was unfortunately, not a favourite for me. There were several parts that I had to skip because they were really inappropriate – it would make a person blush, truly. I don’t think that is necessary at all to have it in any book, but especially Biblical Fiction.
One quote I liked: “A complacent man would eventually neglect the Lord, because he would depend upon HaShem’s promise, and not HaShem Himself.” – I agree with this, but sadly, the characters did not follow this. Bathsheba did rely on The Lord’s promise and not so much God Himself. Her faith was quite strangely portrayed. She was mostly angry at God, and at some point she switched her attitude towards Him, but it was not clear or obvious.
One of the over-all themes that I didn’t care for at all was the great emphasis on physical beauty. The fact that Bathsheba was a “Tob” woman (meaning, very beautiful) was referenced and repeated a thousand times. And there was way too much stock put into her beauty. I was also very disappointed with the prophet Nathan’s attitude towards his wife. He compared her to Bathsheba continually, and it was very degrading. It would be one thing if no physical description was given, but they did describe the looks of each, and to say that one figure type is more pleasing than another is just terrible. Every woman is made beautiful in Yahweh. There is absolutely no size or shape that is better than the other. Period.
Nathan as a character, as a prophet, was very discouraging to me. Yes, he was a man, but he was a man of God, and I do not believe that a prophet would behave as he did, in many aspects. In comparing his wife (who was extremely sweet, and probably the best character of the whole book) to Bathsheba, he thanked God that his wife wasn’t as pleasing as Bathsheba. It was just so wrong.
I get that this series is about ‘dangerous beauty” and that, in theory, is why so much emphasis is placed on it, but I don’t think it is godly, especially to give descriptions of what is “remarkably beautiful” because everyone’s perception of beauty is vastly different and unique. To talk down about one figure type is very detrimental to a reader who could be that figure type. I fear that any young lady who is not secure in God with how He has made her, will read this and feel inferior, inadequate and will compare themselves with the book’s interpretation of what is beautiful. I feel that to be dangerous. We can not put beauty in a box and say it is only one type of person. We cannot put beauty on a pedestal and say it is so important, because it is not. The important beauty comes from the heart overflowing with Christ’s love. We are to reflect His beauty, and that comes from inside us.
There were quite a few other things, like the pride issues, but I don’t want to keep going on negatively. I am afraid I cannot recommend this book. I hate to give unfavourable reviews, but this book sent off so many alarms to me.
June 18, 2016
I'm careful about what biblical fiction I pick up. I've read many 'novelizations' of Bible characters and found most of them inaccurate in glaring ways. Yes, we'll never know the full story, just what's been given to us but if you don't follow what's obvious from the Bible, what's the point?!?
However, because of the author, I requested this book to review and I don't regret it. Hunt has clearly done her research!! It was fascinating to get into the culture and read the story I've heard so many times. While Hunt does expound of certain things (Bathsheba knowing the prophet Nathan, conversations in the harem, Bathsheba's family/background), the points of the story that mattered were from the Bible. There were several times when I recognized almost the exact words in her novel that I had read in Scripture.
Along with being accurate to the best of her abilities, Hunt weaves a compelling story of people redeemed. Do we imagine David was perfect? Often but though the Bible calls him 'a man after God's own heart', he still sinned, and those sins are also recorded in God's Word. Hunt makes the characters come alive, showing their faults, strengths, and weaknesses. I've often wondered how Bathsheba could forgive David. He essentially ruined her life in several ways but God's grace shows through and though the real answers to many questions won't be revealed until heaven, this well thought out book gives a 'what might have been' account.
I loved the author's note at the end when Hunt talks about her research, what she dramatized, and what is clearly from the pages of the Bible. She also has an extended reference guide of where she got her research. The first Christian fiction book I read was Hunt's 'Dreamers' about the biblical story of Joseph. I read it in one day so I might be biased toward the author. :) But this is a book I would recommend and read again. And I'm definitely going to be reading II Samuel and I Kings and doing my own study into the life of David.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way by the publisher. Available Sep 2015.
However, because of the author, I requested this book to review and I don't regret it. Hunt has clearly done her research!! It was fascinating to get into the culture and read the story I've heard so many times. While Hunt does expound of certain things (Bathsheba knowing the prophet Nathan, conversations in the harem, Bathsheba's family/background), the points of the story that mattered were from the Bible. There were several times when I recognized almost the exact words in her novel that I had read in Scripture.
Along with being accurate to the best of her abilities, Hunt weaves a compelling story of people redeemed. Do we imagine David was perfect? Often but though the Bible calls him 'a man after God's own heart', he still sinned, and those sins are also recorded in God's Word. Hunt makes the characters come alive, showing their faults, strengths, and weaknesses. I've often wondered how Bathsheba could forgive David. He essentially ruined her life in several ways but God's grace shows through and though the real answers to many questions won't be revealed until heaven, this well thought out book gives a 'what might have been' account.
I loved the author's note at the end when Hunt talks about her research, what she dramatized, and what is clearly from the pages of the Bible. She also has an extended reference guide of where she got her research. The first Christian fiction book I read was Hunt's 'Dreamers' about the biblical story of Joseph. I read it in one day so I might be biased toward the author. :) But this is a book I would recommend and read again. And I'm definitely going to be reading II Samuel and I Kings and doing my own study into the life of David.
I was given a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for a review. The thoughts and opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way by the publisher. Available Sep 2015.
March 7, 2016
SUMMARY: One of the Bible's most misunderstood and misjudged women, Bathsheba comes to life in this new biblical reimagining from Angela Hunt. Combining historical facts with detailed fiction, this is an eye-opening portrait that will have you reconsidering everything you thought you knew about her.
After receiving God's promise of a lifelong reign and an eternal dynasty, King David forces himself on Bathsheba, a loyal soldier's wife. When her resulting pregnancy forces the king to murder her husband and add her to his harem, Bathsheba struggles to protect her son while dealing with the effects of a dark prophecy and deadly curse on the king's household.
REVIEW: This is Book 2 of Hunt's Dangerous Beauty series. From the moment Bathsheba is born her beauty becomes both a blessing and a curse. Hunt, with great depth of research and Biblical foundation, fleshes out the story of Bathsheba. The name Bathsheba, to me, has always conjured up a sensuous, adulterous woman; yet it is David within whose fault her entire change of life is bound. Loyal to her God, to her husband the King, and to her family, Bathsheba becomes a strong support to King David and a protector of her son and future King, Solomon.
Hunt's writing is so vivid that you feel yourself lost in the intrigue of the palace and its sights, sounds, and smells. The characters come alive through her descriptions and dialogue. I love the way Hunt uses the 2 perspectives of Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet as they weave their way through the events that Nathan prophesies and, in turn, Bathsheba is involved. Biblical fiction tends to either be poorly done or strongly written. Hunt has once again fallen in the strongly written category.
Book 3 - Delilah: Treacherous Beauty, the last of the series, release in June 2016. I look forward to reading it.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"The secret of contentment in hard times is to collect a bountiful store of memories and set them aside like treasure....When pleasant days are hard to find, pull out your memories and live in them until happiness returns."
"Life was a corridor with countless possibilities, and only Adonai knew the doors we would pass through."
"Pride is evil...for it compares one man to another and both men are Adonai's creations."
"No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
After receiving God's promise of a lifelong reign and an eternal dynasty, King David forces himself on Bathsheba, a loyal soldier's wife. When her resulting pregnancy forces the king to murder her husband and add her to his harem, Bathsheba struggles to protect her son while dealing with the effects of a dark prophecy and deadly curse on the king's household.
REVIEW: This is Book 2 of Hunt's Dangerous Beauty series. From the moment Bathsheba is born her beauty becomes both a blessing and a curse. Hunt, with great depth of research and Biblical foundation, fleshes out the story of Bathsheba. The name Bathsheba, to me, has always conjured up a sensuous, adulterous woman; yet it is David within whose fault her entire change of life is bound. Loyal to her God, to her husband the King, and to her family, Bathsheba becomes a strong support to King David and a protector of her son and future King, Solomon.
Hunt's writing is so vivid that you feel yourself lost in the intrigue of the palace and its sights, sounds, and smells. The characters come alive through her descriptions and dialogue. I love the way Hunt uses the 2 perspectives of Bathsheba and Nathan the prophet as they weave their way through the events that Nathan prophesies and, in turn, Bathsheba is involved. Biblical fiction tends to either be poorly done or strongly written. Hunt has once again fallen in the strongly written category.
Book 3 - Delilah: Treacherous Beauty, the last of the series, release in June 2016. I look forward to reading it.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"The secret of contentment in hard times is to collect a bountiful store of memories and set them aside like treasure....When pleasant days are hard to find, pull out your memories and live in them until happiness returns."
"Life was a corridor with countless possibilities, and only Adonai knew the doors we would pass through."
"Pride is evil...for it compares one man to another and both men are Adonai's creations."
"No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
December 28, 2020
Lots of sad parts to this novel. I enjoyed how the author brought the Bible to life and reading the details. My favorite character was Nathan, the prophet.
April 27, 2020
DNF AT 49%
WARNING: HARSH REVIEW AND SOME RANTING
I can't do this anymore unfortunately. I thought I could finish this one being my very first Angela Hunt boo but honestly....I just can't. I'm having way too many issues with this and it doesn't seem like the actual DAVID AND BATHSHEBA story but more like the BATHSHEBA AND PROPHET NATHAN story and it just didn't feel the same.
A few issues I had and one of them BIG TIME was the night David slept with Bathsheba. Here's a snippet of what happened and see if you can figure out my issue here when Bathsheba is telling it from her POV.....
DAVID TAKES BATHSHEBA
"I did not have an opportunity to finish. Without warning the king loomed over me, his hands clasping my wrists like iron manacles. I gasped as he lifted me to my feet, and his mouth smothered mine before I could remind him yet again that I belonged to another. Somehow, even as his hands gripped my wrists, he found the cord that tied my cloak and loosened the knot. My mantle slid away from me, leaving me exposed and vulnerable in my light tunic. I stood, stiff and still, as urgent thoughts pushed and jostled in my head. The king tasted of wine, he smelled of perfumed oils, and his mouth felt hard and demanding. What was I to do? For a moment I considered slapping him in the hope of bringing him to his senses, but he still held my wrists, and who was I to strike the king? I thought about screaming when he finally pulled his mouth from mine, but even if someone heard, who would take action against Adonai’s anointed ruler? Not the guard who had brought me to this place, and surely not the servants. No one would come to my aid. The king was the king, and he could do as he pleased with his people......
“My lord, please.” My voice trembled. “You are a far better king than this. I am your servant, but I am another man’s wife—” “If the king cannot take what he wants, why is he king?” The words were a warning growl. The inner trembling that had begun when the guard appeared in our courtyard now spread to my limbs. I shuddered as he pushed me onto the couch and gasped when he planted his knee, forcing a space between my legs. “My lord and king,” I begged, openly weeping, “please let me go. I will say nothing of this. I will go home and remain silent like a good soldier’s wife. You have other women. You have but to send for them, and they will come. You are king of Israel; nothing righteous will ever be denied you—” “Be quiet now, and do not resist.” A feral light gleamed in the depths of his eyes as he stared down at me. “I will not hurt you if you do not struggle. And no one ever need know.”.....
As my arms went limp, I closed my eyes and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure. During the assault, I focused my thoughts on Uriah and promised myself that I would remain silent to protect the man I loved. I would not speak of this to Elisheba, or Amaris, or even Adonai, because I could not understand how HaShem could know everything and do nothing as I suffered. When the king had finished, he sat on the edge of the couch without looking at me, poured himself another cup of wine, and then summoned a guard. “A new tunic,” he told the man, jerking his thumb toward me. “The other is ruined.”
okay, um.... first of all, why did David practically rape her right then and there? No. I believe if he was going to try and get her into his bed or at least sleep with her, he's going to warm her up. In other words foreplay. He's going to know exactly who she is, who her husband is and most likely also her family, he's going to talk to her and maybe bring up Uriah into the conversation but also then lead up to him perhaps telling her how beautiful she is and go from there to entice her and manipulate her by abusing his power so she would consent to lay with him all because he's king and he gets whatever he wants. He's not going to just attack her. *insert major eye roll* I even looked up this story in my Bible and nowhere did it say any terms about raping her. Only that he 'took' her which we know words like that or 'know/knew' etc mean they had sex right? Nowhere does it say he ravished her just like that or any form of rape. So that was one big uncomfortable issue I had.
I also had a second issue with the way the Prophet Nathan (who we don't know much except for what's in the actual bible story) and his behavior towards his own wife to lusting after Bathsheba secretly and ugh. Idk, he just wasn't acting like a prophet of God like the ones in these ancient texts. But to have his POV and Bathsheba's and have him basically see David's life or feel his feelings through either Nathan's and Bathsheba's was also annoying. I i> I WISH SOOOOOOOO BALDLY that we had instead both David and Bathsheba's POV. I want to see David's POV in this story since it's really mainly about him, is it not? So definitely disappointed on that one.
NATHAN ON HIS WIFE
"That night, as the sun sank behind the western horizon, Ornah put the girls to bed and then stretched out next to me. After a moment, she timidly tapped my arm. “Nathan?” “Not now,” I whispered, making an effort to keep my voice gentle. Ornah was a kind woman, a good mother, and a hardworking wife, but she had never excited my imagination or my loins the way Bathsheba had. But Bathsheba now belonged to someone else, and my thoughts had no business trespassing in another man’s home."
NATHAN SEEING DAVID LUST AFTER BATHSHEBA IN A VISION
"My gaze skimmed rooftops and gardens, houses and pathways, and then I spied two women in a tree-lined courtyard. One sat in a mikvah, her back to me. Her hands gripped the sides of a stone trough while her servant poured fresh water over her hair and shoulders. But even though the younger woman’s face was not visible, the glimpse of slender shoulders, the gentle tapering of ribs to a narrow waist, the flare of feminine hips . . . my own loins began to stir. I turned away, realizing I had no business gazing at any woman in that manner. I looked at the king and saw that he had not averted his gaze. Instead of turning aside or closing his eyes, he remained focused on the tantalizing sight. He then straightened and signaled for the guard at the door. My hope—my confidence—in Israel’s anointed king shriveled as the guard hurried to answer his master’s command. “See that house?” David pointed to the courtyard below. “Make note of it, go inquire, and return straightway to tell me who that woman is.”
Then we have the woman herself. I didn't like how she was portrayed either in my opinion. She was too prideful, annoying, whining, and ugh. Just not my favorite. And in all honesty, I kinda found her part of the story as it was said when she was born the prophet Samuel had given a prophesy about how her son would change all of Israel and then when she was older and marrying Uriah and all, it was like all she cared about was having a child and for the year Uriah was with his wife before he had to go back to war, she was trying all she could to have sex with her husband so she could conceive but t hen she'd complain about her period/cycle basically.....
BATHSHEBA
"The time of niddah always frustrated me, because my courses normally flowed for only three days, yet the Law constricted my movements for a full week.....The house felt empty without Uriah, and so did my bed. I missed his company and his warmth, and every four weeks I felt nothing but frustration and sorrow during the time of my uncleanness."
And that got even more annoying when even a family nurse had been disappointed. Even though I do understand cultures of these times, it was still annoying how it was portrayed and wasn't as focused on the actual Bathsheba and David story. When I stopped reading this, Solomon had just been born and David had quietly and secretly (including Nathan in a way) that Solomon would be David's heir and next King of Israel and then it was like she said she realized when the first child they had before he was taken away from them so shortly she felt too prideful and then made a comment about how she was going to keep secret about her son being the heir from the other wives and concubines.
Which I still feel she was prideful. Okay, I get it, keep it secret obviously, but she still had pride! Overall, I felt like it was becoming a chore to finish this book because each time I picked it up, I was honestly bored. I sadly couldn't get into this, I was uncomfortable with how David was portrayed as if he was the villain when in reality we have to remember he was human too. He changed. He repented. He felt true sorrow and remorse. He even tried to warn his son Solomon literally on his deathbed to not do the things he did basically and rule in righteousness. David is not the villain here. He fell short, yes, and abused his power, but God knew exactly what to do to help David find and see and feel that remorse and sorrow. Anyway, I'm just glad I got 'brave' enough to actually DNF this thing because I need to get into the habit of DNF'ing books I'm personally not enjoying. Especially when I was practically halfway through. So unfortunately and sadly, I have to stop because I'm just having too many issues here.
WARNING: HARSH REVIEW AND SOME RANTING
I can't do this anymore unfortunately. I thought I could finish this one being my very first Angela Hunt boo but honestly....I just can't. I'm having way too many issues with this and it doesn't seem like the actual DAVID AND BATHSHEBA story but more like the BATHSHEBA AND PROPHET NATHAN story and it just didn't feel the same.
A few issues I had and one of them BIG TIME was the night David slept with Bathsheba. Here's a snippet of what happened and see if you can figure out my issue here when Bathsheba is telling it from her POV.....
DAVID TAKES BATHSHEBA
"I did not have an opportunity to finish. Without warning the king loomed over me, his hands clasping my wrists like iron manacles. I gasped as he lifted me to my feet, and his mouth smothered mine before I could remind him yet again that I belonged to another. Somehow, even as his hands gripped my wrists, he found the cord that tied my cloak and loosened the knot. My mantle slid away from me, leaving me exposed and vulnerable in my light tunic. I stood, stiff and still, as urgent thoughts pushed and jostled in my head. The king tasted of wine, he smelled of perfumed oils, and his mouth felt hard and demanding. What was I to do? For a moment I considered slapping him in the hope of bringing him to his senses, but he still held my wrists, and who was I to strike the king? I thought about screaming when he finally pulled his mouth from mine, but even if someone heard, who would take action against Adonai’s anointed ruler? Not the guard who had brought me to this place, and surely not the servants. No one would come to my aid. The king was the king, and he could do as he pleased with his people......
“My lord, please.” My voice trembled. “You are a far better king than this. I am your servant, but I am another man’s wife—” “If the king cannot take what he wants, why is he king?” The words were a warning growl. The inner trembling that had begun when the guard appeared in our courtyard now spread to my limbs. I shuddered as he pushed me onto the couch and gasped when he planted his knee, forcing a space between my legs. “My lord and king,” I begged, openly weeping, “please let me go. I will say nothing of this. I will go home and remain silent like a good soldier’s wife. You have other women. You have but to send for them, and they will come. You are king of Israel; nothing righteous will ever be denied you—” “Be quiet now, and do not resist.” A feral light gleamed in the depths of his eyes as he stared down at me. “I will not hurt you if you do not struggle. And no one ever need know.”.....
As my arms went limp, I closed my eyes and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure. During the assault, I focused my thoughts on Uriah and promised myself that I would remain silent to protect the man I loved. I would not speak of this to Elisheba, or Amaris, or even Adonai, because I could not understand how HaShem could know everything and do nothing as I suffered. When the king had finished, he sat on the edge of the couch without looking at me, poured himself another cup of wine, and then summoned a guard. “A new tunic,” he told the man, jerking his thumb toward me. “The other is ruined.”
okay, um.... first of all, why did David practically rape her right then and there? No. I believe if he was going to try and get her into his bed or at least sleep with her, he's going to warm her up. In other words foreplay. He's going to know exactly who she is, who her husband is and most likely also her family, he's going to talk to her and maybe bring up Uriah into the conversation but also then lead up to him perhaps telling her how beautiful she is and go from there to entice her and manipulate her by abusing his power so she would consent to lay with him all because he's king and he gets whatever he wants. He's not going to just attack her. *insert major eye roll* I even looked up this story in my Bible and nowhere did it say any terms about raping her. Only that he 'took' her which we know words like that or 'know/knew' etc mean they had sex right? Nowhere does it say he ravished her just like that or any form of rape. So that was one big uncomfortable issue I had.
I also had a second issue with the way the Prophet Nathan (who we don't know much except for what's in the actual bible story) and his behavior towards his own wife to lusting after Bathsheba secretly and ugh. Idk, he just wasn't acting like a prophet of God like the ones in these ancient texts. But to have his POV and Bathsheba's and have him basically see David's life or feel his feelings through either Nathan's and Bathsheba's was also annoying. I i> I WISH SOOOOOOOO BALDLY that we had instead both David and Bathsheba's POV. I want to see David's POV in this story since it's really mainly about him, is it not? So definitely disappointed on that one.
NATHAN ON HIS WIFE
"That night, as the sun sank behind the western horizon, Ornah put the girls to bed and then stretched out next to me. After a moment, she timidly tapped my arm. “Nathan?” “Not now,” I whispered, making an effort to keep my voice gentle. Ornah was a kind woman, a good mother, and a hardworking wife, but she had never excited my imagination or my loins the way Bathsheba had. But Bathsheba now belonged to someone else, and my thoughts had no business trespassing in another man’s home."
NATHAN SEEING DAVID LUST AFTER BATHSHEBA IN A VISION
"My gaze skimmed rooftops and gardens, houses and pathways, and then I spied two women in a tree-lined courtyard. One sat in a mikvah, her back to me. Her hands gripped the sides of a stone trough while her servant poured fresh water over her hair and shoulders. But even though the younger woman’s face was not visible, the glimpse of slender shoulders, the gentle tapering of ribs to a narrow waist, the flare of feminine hips . . . my own loins began to stir. I turned away, realizing I had no business gazing at any woman in that manner. I looked at the king and saw that he had not averted his gaze. Instead of turning aside or closing his eyes, he remained focused on the tantalizing sight. He then straightened and signaled for the guard at the door. My hope—my confidence—in Israel’s anointed king shriveled as the guard hurried to answer his master’s command. “See that house?” David pointed to the courtyard below. “Make note of it, go inquire, and return straightway to tell me who that woman is.”
Then we have the woman herself. I didn't like how she was portrayed either in my opinion. She was too prideful, annoying, whining, and ugh. Just not my favorite. And in all honesty, I kinda found her part of the story as it was said when she was born the prophet Samuel had given a prophesy about how her son would change all of Israel and then when she was older and marrying Uriah and all, it was like all she cared about was having a child and for the year Uriah was with his wife before he had to go back to war, she was trying all she could to have sex with her husband so she could conceive but t hen she'd complain about her period/cycle basically.....
BATHSHEBA
"The time of niddah always frustrated me, because my courses normally flowed for only three days, yet the Law constricted my movements for a full week.....The house felt empty without Uriah, and so did my bed. I missed his company and his warmth, and every four weeks I felt nothing but frustration and sorrow during the time of my uncleanness."
And that got even more annoying when even a family nurse had been disappointed. Even though I do understand cultures of these times, it was still annoying how it was portrayed and wasn't as focused on the actual Bathsheba and David story. When I stopped reading this, Solomon had just been born and David had quietly and secretly (including Nathan in a way) that Solomon would be David's heir and next King of Israel and then it was like she said she realized when the first child they had before he was taken away from them so shortly she felt too prideful and then made a comment about how she was going to keep secret about her son being the heir from the other wives and concubines.
Which I still feel she was prideful. Okay, I get it, keep it secret obviously, but she still had pride! Overall, I felt like it was becoming a chore to finish this book because each time I picked it up, I was honestly bored. I sadly couldn't get into this, I was uncomfortable with how David was portrayed as if he was the villain when in reality we have to remember he was human too. He changed. He repented. He felt true sorrow and remorse. He even tried to warn his son Solomon literally on his deathbed to not do the things he did basically and rule in righteousness. David is not the villain here. He fell short, yes, and abused his power, but God knew exactly what to do to help David find and see and feel that remorse and sorrow. Anyway, I'm just glad I got 'brave' enough to actually DNF this thing because I need to get into the habit of DNF'ing books I'm personally not enjoying. Especially when I was practically halfway through. So unfortunately and sadly, I have to stop because I'm just having too many issues here.
November 28, 2015
David and Bathsheba are the two most pivotal characters in the Bible. Being raised as a Christian, often I heard of the sin of David and how it is easy to fall into adultery. Even though that David was a man after God's heart, it was very easy for him to trust his willpower and not God grace to empower Him. Although this book was about Bathsheba and her transgressions, I felt that Nathan was unnecessary for the most part. Why are the readers knowing about how he felt about his love ones? Why are we not talking about David and his fall? However I thought it was interesting that we got to know more about him as a person.
I am not going to compare and contrast whether this book was like the Bible. I don't think that was the point of the novel, it was not made to be identical like the Bible. If that was the case, then it would not have so many things that was not overly mentioned. There were many similarities with this and the written text of the Bible, but not enough for me to compare the two.
It was just different and unique, I love how short and concise the scriptures were. Also the writing style was really good, that was a very nice element.
Will I recommend it? Only for people who are not that sensitive when it comes to reading the Bible, cause you may be offended by some things that are contained in the novel.
Lastly, I don't think this book was only for Christians but for everyone who wants to know more about the story of Bathsheba.
I am not going to compare and contrast whether this book was like the Bible. I don't think that was the point of the novel, it was not made to be identical like the Bible. If that was the case, then it would not have so many things that was not overly mentioned. There were many similarities with this and the written text of the Bible, but not enough for me to compare the two.
It was just different and unique, I love how short and concise the scriptures were. Also the writing style was really good, that was a very nice element.
Will I recommend it? Only for people who are not that sensitive when it comes to reading the Bible, cause you may be offended by some things that are contained in the novel.
Lastly, I don't think this book was only for Christians but for everyone who wants to know more about the story of Bathsheba.
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September 1, 2016
*takes slow breath*
I know the Bible story. The story is centered around David, how he succumbed to lust and did horrible things because of it. Bathsheba is barely a character, she's there for David to have sex with and to bear the child that dies. We never get her side of the story, whether she came to David willingly or because one didn't disobey the king, her reaction to the death of her husband and her unnamed son, her life as one of David's harem all through the rise and fall of his kingship. All we know is that she was Solomon's mother. I was ready for her to be a full-fledged character.
I hate, hate, hate that she falls in love with her rapist--and David is very much her rapist here, he summons her, has her, and sends her home without a shred of remorse--and the murderer of her husband, over the course of long years of Stockholm Syndrome. I hate that her beauty is specifically blamed for her rape; that she's some special kind of gorgeous (there's allegedly a specific Hebrew word for it) that drives men crazy, to the extent that the Prophet of God, who is married and devout and busy trying to keep David from doing stupid things, still pauses periodically to think "Wow, Bathsheba is beautiful, I know I'm sinning by thinking about her rather than my wife, but JUST LOOK AT HER." I hate that she's forced to build her life around this physical beauty she's been conditioned to disdain and associate with misfortune, because it's the only way to try to stay afloat in a harem. And I hate some more the underlying theme, which translates to me as "Christian ladies! Remember that you need to be beautiful and desirable for your man--but not too beautiful, ha ha, because you might inspire lust in somebody, and that's really your fault because vanity! But don't worry, even if you are the cause of some man's sin, God will still make it work out for good! After you suffer suitably, of course."
Second star is eked out because the writing is very good and the story carries on through David's kingship rather than ending with the birth of Solomon. But only just.
I know the Bible story. The story is centered around David, how he succumbed to lust and did horrible things because of it. Bathsheba is barely a character, she's there for David to have sex with and to bear the child that dies. We never get her side of the story, whether she came to David willingly or because one didn't disobey the king, her reaction to the death of her husband and her unnamed son, her life as one of David's harem all through the rise and fall of his kingship. All we know is that she was Solomon's mother. I was ready for her to be a full-fledged character.
I hate, hate, hate that she falls in love with her rapist--and David is very much her rapist here, he summons her, has her, and sends her home without a shred of remorse--and the murderer of her husband, over the course of long years of Stockholm Syndrome. I hate that her beauty is specifically blamed for her rape; that she's some special kind of gorgeous (there's allegedly a specific Hebrew word for it) that drives men crazy, to the extent that the Prophet of God, who is married and devout and busy trying to keep David from doing stupid things, still pauses periodically to think "Wow, Bathsheba is beautiful, I know I'm sinning by thinking about her rather than my wife, but JUST LOOK AT HER." I hate that she's forced to build her life around this physical beauty she's been conditioned to disdain and associate with misfortune, because it's the only way to try to stay afloat in a harem. And I hate some more the underlying theme, which translates to me as "Christian ladies! Remember that you need to be beautiful and desirable for your man--but not too beautiful, ha ha, because you might inspire lust in somebody, and that's really your fault because vanity! But don't worry, even if you are the cause of some man's sin, God will still make it work out for good! After you suffer suitably, of course."
Second star is eked out because the writing is very good and the story carries on through David's kingship rather than ending with the birth of Solomon. But only just.
August 21, 2015
Bathsheba Reluctant Beauty
I always start a Biblical fiction novel with a little hesitation. I have my own ideas about Bible characters that have been formed over many years. When I read Biblical fiction, I want a fresh idea of the character but a true account of the story. Angela Hunt has done both with this story of Bathsheba. I have read several novelizations of the David and Bathsheba story and this is definitely my favorite. The characters were so real and flawed. She captured the time period so well, which is very hard to do. I would not call this a romance, but a fictional biography. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to readers who like rich historical fiction.
I received this book for free for the purpose of review from Netgalley.
I always start a Biblical fiction novel with a little hesitation. I have my own ideas about Bible characters that have been formed over many years. When I read Biblical fiction, I want a fresh idea of the character but a true account of the story. Angela Hunt has done both with this story of Bathsheba. I have read several novelizations of the David and Bathsheba story and this is definitely my favorite. The characters were so real and flawed. She captured the time period so well, which is very hard to do. I would not call this a romance, but a fictional biography. I can't wait for the next book in the series. I would recommend this book to readers who like rich historical fiction.
I received this book for free for the purpose of review from Netgalley.
June 15, 2023
4 stars 🌟
996Bc
" No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
This is the biblical story of Bathsheba retold as a fictional work of art.
The story begins with our Bathsheba's marriage to Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in King David's army. The word play is beautifully done, easily putting you into the beautiful setting that was her life. Her description of Uriah, both physically and emotionally, makes him an easy man to like and respect. Leaving the reader feeling Joy for Bathsheba that she found love in an arranged marriage.
Bathsheba's story truly begins with the longing for the child that was promised to her by a prophet when she was a baby. A child that would change the course of history. (If you know your Bible, you know who this amazing child was!)
The second POV we hear from is Nathan, a prophet of the Lord. First, as a friend and wedding guest, then in service to King David.
he is a righteous man, struggling with his human desires and human failing. Loving Bathsheba from afar, but holding onto the fact that they are both married to other people, he keeps his longings to himself, dedicating himself to God's work and her future protection.
I wish we had had a POV of King David! telling how he first laid eyes on Bathsheba through a vision from God to Nathan didn't quite do it for me. though I could feel Nathan's perturbedness and could easily understand the significance, I would have preferred it from David. So much of the story revolves around the king and his moods and whims that not having him as a POV felt like a disservice.
Bathsheba's rape by the King, though not graphic, was heart wenchingly vivid.
" I neither wanted nor welcomed his. attention, but he was a king, and I a mere woman. All I could do was surrender."
" I closed my eye and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure."
Yet this is not the end of her pain. When Uriah dies, David takes her for his wife.
This whole book is wrought with pain and heartache. No one is spared the agony of life when surrounded by royal people who believe themselves to be infallible. Beautifully written, a treasure to read. An old tale with a new life breathed into it. Sorrow mixed with jubilation and learned forgiveness. This book teaches peace in the mist of turmoil.
996Bc
" No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort."
This is the biblical story of Bathsheba retold as a fictional work of art.
The story begins with our Bathsheba's marriage to Uriah the Hittite, a soldier in King David's army. The word play is beautifully done, easily putting you into the beautiful setting that was her life. Her description of Uriah, both physically and emotionally, makes him an easy man to like and respect. Leaving the reader feeling Joy for Bathsheba that she found love in an arranged marriage.
Bathsheba's story truly begins with the longing for the child that was promised to her by a prophet when she was a baby. A child that would change the course of history. (If you know your Bible, you know who this amazing child was!)
The second POV we hear from is Nathan, a prophet of the Lord. First, as a friend and wedding guest, then in service to King David.
he is a righteous man, struggling with his human desires and human failing. Loving Bathsheba from afar, but holding onto the fact that they are both married to other people, he keeps his longings to himself, dedicating himself to God's work and her future protection.
I wish we had had a POV of King David! telling how he first laid eyes on Bathsheba through a vision from God to Nathan didn't quite do it for me. though I could feel Nathan's perturbedness and could easily understand the significance, I would have preferred it from David. So much of the story revolves around the king and his moods and whims that not having him as a POV felt like a disservice.
Bathsheba's rape by the King, though not graphic, was heart wenchingly vivid.
" I neither wanted nor welcomed his. attention, but he was a king, and I a mere woman. All I could do was surrender."
" I closed my eye and felt my heart turn to ice as the king of Israel used me for his personal pleasure."
Yet this is not the end of her pain. When Uriah dies, David takes her for his wife.
This whole book is wrought with pain and heartache. No one is spared the agony of life when surrounded by royal people who believe themselves to be infallible. Beautifully written, a treasure to read. An old tale with a new life breathed into it. Sorrow mixed with jubilation and learned forgiveness. This book teaches peace in the mist of turmoil.
September 14, 2015
What do you know about Bathsheba from the Bible? Well, I didn't remember much---just that David risked everything to have her as his wife. And that she was the mother of Solomon, Israel's wisest king. Most people think of David as the main character in the David and Bathsheba story. Many think of Bathsheba as a "hussy" or perhaps a pawn in the king's hand. But Angela Hunt shows us a different perspective. She tells the story from the point of view of Bathsheba and of Nathan, the prophet who publicly condemned David for his adultery. The reader gets to know Bathsheba, her challenges and struggles as a woman of God reconciling what happens to her with the will of God and the future of Israel. It's balancing act for Nathan between his concern for Bathsheba and the king and the directives he receives from God.
Bathsheba has been aware of her extraordinary beauty since childhood. Prophet Nathan has admired her from afar. He takes an interest in the unfolding story, not just as the king's prophet, but as a person interested in her welfare. The story has everything a fiction reader could want---romance, intrigue, conflict. I like that the author portrays Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, as an honorable man and a good soldier. I also enjoyed getting to know Bathsheba as a daughter, mother, wife, and woman of influence. She had more than beauty. She had substance.
Angela Hunt is an excellent writer of historical fiction, weaving the fictional elements with the Bible facts in a masterful way. She truly knows how to make the story come alive. This is the second in Hunt's Dangerous Beauty series. The first was Esther, and the third will be Delilah. I can't wait to read the next one!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Bathsheba has been aware of her extraordinary beauty since childhood. Prophet Nathan has admired her from afar. He takes an interest in the unfolding story, not just as the king's prophet, but as a person interested in her welfare. The story has everything a fiction reader could want---romance, intrigue, conflict. I like that the author portrays Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, as an honorable man and a good soldier. I also enjoyed getting to know Bathsheba as a daughter, mother, wife, and woman of influence. She had more than beauty. She had substance.
Angela Hunt is an excellent writer of historical fiction, weaving the fictional elements with the Bible facts in a masterful way. She truly knows how to make the story come alive. This is the second in Hunt's Dangerous Beauty series. The first was Esther, and the third will be Delilah. I can't wait to read the next one!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
October 2, 2015
The Bible tells us in 2 Samuel 11, “[David] saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. .. David sent messengers and took her,” Did you catch it, the 4 letter word that indicates how the king, the most powerful man in the kingdom of Israel, coveted and took? Angela Hunt did- and before it’s through this tale may clear Bathsheba of her long held title — seductress.
Tampering with the reputation of David “a man after [God’s] own heart” could have gone terribly sideways for Angela Hunt, but she held her own. Even the Bible itself reveals David’s many mistakes, contrasting them with a merciful God and a humbled king. Viewing these ups and downs in his life through the reimagined lens of his wife, Bathsheba, was compelling and thought provoking.
Hunt is proficient in revealing a story through dialog. In this particular book, she relies heavily on the prophet Nathan to foreshadow events and to allow readers into places and conversations Bathsheba could not have step. An oft repeated prophecy about Bathsheba is an invention of the author, otherwise historical events hold close to scripture. For this reason, I felt there were only a handful of really remarkable twists to the tale.
It’s been less than a year since I’ve reviewed Esher: Royal Beauty. Therefore, I’ve spent a little less than a year pining over the release of Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty. Where Esther was my introduction to the Angela Hunt’s, Bathsheba secures her a place on my must read author list.
4 stars
VERY GOOD
I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Tampering with the reputation of David “a man after [God’s] own heart” could have gone terribly sideways for Angela Hunt, but she held her own. Even the Bible itself reveals David’s many mistakes, contrasting them with a merciful God and a humbled king. Viewing these ups and downs in his life through the reimagined lens of his wife, Bathsheba, was compelling and thought provoking.
Hunt is proficient in revealing a story through dialog. In this particular book, she relies heavily on the prophet Nathan to foreshadow events and to allow readers into places and conversations Bathsheba could not have step. An oft repeated prophecy about Bathsheba is an invention of the author, otherwise historical events hold close to scripture. For this reason, I felt there were only a handful of really remarkable twists to the tale.
It’s been less than a year since I’ve reviewed Esher: Royal Beauty. Therefore, I’ve spent a little less than a year pining over the release of Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty. Where Esther was my introduction to the Angela Hunt’s, Bathsheba secures her a place on my must read author list.
4 stars
VERY GOOD
I received this book from Bethany House Publishers for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 27, 2015
Full disclosure: I only made it about 10% of the way through and I knew at Chapter 2 that this would not be the book for me.
Painting Nathan, of all people, the prophet who confronts and convicts David about his sin with Bathsheba, as a man who lusts after her himself, frequently "painting her face over his wife's" when they are intimate was enough to make me sick.
Nathan was human, so obviously he sinned. And given that the Bible describes Bathsheba as being desirable in appearance, it is possible that he had a natural physical response to her. But what is described in the opening chapters is not a passing, knee-jerk response, but a deliberate passion that is grown over DECADES by him, the imaginings of which are still privately indulged in after they are both married.
I don't know what the author was trying to do here. Possibly send the message that no one, not even a messenger of God, was immune to her appeal. But I thought it took a lot of nerve and left me nauseated. This had no Biblical basis that I know of or could find. And if that's just the beginning... I don't think I could stomach the way she portrays history that is bad enough as it is.
Painting Nathan, of all people, the prophet who confronts and convicts David about his sin with Bathsheba, as a man who lusts after her himself, frequently "painting her face over his wife's" when they are intimate was enough to make me sick.
Nathan was human, so obviously he sinned. And given that the Bible describes Bathsheba as being desirable in appearance, it is possible that he had a natural physical response to her. But what is described in the opening chapters is not a passing, knee-jerk response, but a deliberate passion that is grown over DECADES by him, the imaginings of which are still privately indulged in after they are both married.
I don't know what the author was trying to do here. Possibly send the message that no one, not even a messenger of God, was immune to her appeal. But I thought it took a lot of nerve and left me nauseated. This had no Biblical basis that I know of or could find. And if that's just the beginning... I don't think I could stomach the way she portrays history that is bad enough as it is.
November 19, 2017
Well this was a rip roaring reading experience for me. Other than The Red Tent this is new foray into biblical fiction. Irony, of course, because I believe the bible is fiction so it all meshes together nicely. So the author gets all the freedoms from me for artistic license. To her credit shle has done quite a bit of research work lining up her story with the bible.
The portrayal of Nathan the prophet is realistic. As is David. As is Bathsheba.
Here's a spoiler alert. All men, real or imaginary, like sex unless they are castrated. And even those are suspect. If you are going to get offended because the men in the story (even the religious ones) like sex, don't read the book.
Another related spoiler alert. I come from a Mormon background and the Mormon god is all about sex. Life, eternal life, is all about propagation. So there is that added symmetry.
Rating a two not because of the writing which was good, but because I rolled my eyes too many times while reading it.
The portrayal of Nathan the prophet is realistic. As is David. As is Bathsheba.
Here's a spoiler alert. All men, real or imaginary, like sex unless they are castrated. And even those are suspect. If you are going to get offended because the men in the story (even the religious ones) like sex, don't read the book.
Another related spoiler alert. I come from a Mormon background and the Mormon god is all about sex. Life, eternal life, is all about propagation. So there is that added symmetry.
Rating a two not because of the writing which was good, but because I rolled my eyes too many times while reading it.
August 15, 2017
How are there possitive review of this book!? WTF. It's basically about a boring woman who gets raped and her husband is murdered... then what- creates a happy family with the man who did it to her? >shudders< So creapy. This book will haunt me.
I know it's a hard story to tell, begrudgingly I will admit it was even true to the source material, it's jut- Bathsheba is the weakest character I've ever read. She does NOTHING, she thinks about NOTHING. UGH.
I know it's a hard story to tell, begrudgingly I will admit it was even true to the source material, it's jut- Bathsheba is the weakest character I've ever read. She does NOTHING, she thinks about NOTHING. UGH.
October 11, 2016
The story of David and Bathsheba is arguably one of the Bible’s most notorious tales. It has all the trappings of a contemporary soap opera – love and lust, secrets and murder. And all of this drama stems from the unlikeliest of sources – the man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22), the shepherd boy turned king, David. To believers David is often viewed as an unassailable paragon of virtue, one incapable of willfully being led astray by another man’s wife. And so setting aside any other possible truth, Bathsheba is all too often cast as a seductress, a woman who willingly sought to seduce the king and make her husband a cuckold. Scripture provides almost no insight into Bathsheba’s feelings during this episode – other than to say she mourned Uriah following his death (2 Samuel 11:26) – and much is assumed in the echoing silence. In film and fiction, even in a cursory reading of scripture, it is all too easy and tempting to romanticize David and Bathsheba’s relationship, because the alternative is too hard to comprehend. It is easier to view both as equal partners in adultery, overcome by passion, but historical reality paints a very different picture of the fateful night David summoned Bathsheba to his palace. In a patriarchal culture where women possessed little to no agency, as a woman alone, her husband away fighting the king’s war, Bathsheba would have had little if any recourse when faced with David’s demand for her body.
Hunt is the first novelist I’ve encountered to portray the result of Bathsheba’s summons into David’s presence as a rape. This novel strips their meeting of any vestige of romance, forbidden or otherwise, and leaves readers with the unvarnished, unsettling truth that no man or woman, no matter how revered as a titan of the faith, is incapable of committing a horrific act. And in so doing, Hunt delivers one of the most powerful, heart-rending depictions of the cost of sin and the restorative power of forgiveness that I’ve ever encountered outside the pages of scripture. This novel is unsettling in the best sense of the term, a difficult, challenging read that has stayed with me long after I finished the final page.
Little is known of Bathsheba’s life before or after her entry into David’s household. But given that she is one of only five women mentioned (though unnamed) in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:6), it is safe to assume that she is included for a greater reason than simply as a token adulteress. As a tob woman (one of extraordinary beauty and sensual appeal), Hunt takes the liberty of positioning Bathsheba as a woman destined for greatness from birth thanks to a prophetic word from Samuel, claiming that she would be “’mother to a great man’ and ‘affect the future of Is’rael.’” But far from craving power, Bathsheba is passionately in love with her warrior husband, and thus the position she is put in when David claims that to which he has no right is extraordinarily untenable. For not only is she the survivor of an assault, the king’s actions strip her of the life she once expected and hoped to live.
One of the things I appreciate most about this retelling of Bathsheba’s story is Hunt’s effort to place both the initial act and its cascading effects within the broader context of David’s reign and the socio-political challenges he faced during his rule. Although David attempted to conceal his sin, like all such acts they are not committed in a vacuum, and its affects would be felt long after the prophet Nathan unmasked his secret to the entire court (2 Samuel 12). In 2 Samuel 11:3 Bathsheba is identified as the daughter of Eliam, and several chapters later in 23:34, Eliam’s father is identified as Atithophel, who is also as one of David’s advisors in 2 Samuel 15. Atithophel chose to back Absalom’s revolt, a tragic and bloody episode that fulfilled Nathan’s prophesy that “the sword shall never depart” from David’s family as a consequence of his sin (2 Samuel 12:10). It is no great stretch to imagine that David's attack on Bathsheba and Uriah should give birth to her grandfather Atithopel’s desire for revenge against the king who dishonored his family. It’s a twist of deliciously Shakespearean proportions, a tragic example of the consequences of David’s sin bleeding far past the edges of his personal life.
If David can rape Bathsheba – and make no mistake, his position left her with no choice other than to do what was required to survive, and choosing survival does nothing to make the act consensual – how then does one reconcile such an unflinchingly honest portrayal of David at his worst with the psalmist and penitent, from whose lineage came the promised redeemer? Within these pages Hunt explores the concepts of forgiveness and redemption, wrought to an extent far beyond that which this reader’s finite understanding can only hope to understand. For out of David’s worst choice and Bathsheba’s worst day, God in His infinite mercy brought redemption the form of Solomon, the son who would fulfill his father’s dream of building a permanent house of worship, and Jesus, the Davidic messiah who would fulfill the promise of seeing David’s throne established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).
I’ve long loved biblical fiction for its potential to illuminate familiar scriptures in fresh ways, but rarely have I ever been quite as moved by a retelling as with this novel. David’s attack against Bathsheba seems insurmountable, but despite the sin, despite the reality that sin has consequences, woven throughout this tale of violence and heartbreak is an unmistakable thread of forgiveness birthed by a holy grace. David is redeemed and forgiven not simply because he was discovered and repented, but through Bathsheba’s forgiveness – and thus he loved her most “’because…[she] forgave the most.’” As Nathan reminds Bathsheba, “’no pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort.’” Living out one’s faith when life is easy is an entirely different proposition from living it out when life cuts to the quick. Reluctant Beauty is a gorgeously-rendered reminder that God can bring forth breathtaking beauty as He births redemption from the ashes of our failings. Bathsheba’s story is a crowning achievement for Hunt, that rare novel that not only entertains and informs but challenges and edifies, cutting to the raw, hidden places where we hide our worst secret selves and reminding us that even there, even then, redemption is possible.
Hunt is the first novelist I’ve encountered to portray the result of Bathsheba’s summons into David’s presence as a rape. This novel strips their meeting of any vestige of romance, forbidden or otherwise, and leaves readers with the unvarnished, unsettling truth that no man or woman, no matter how revered as a titan of the faith, is incapable of committing a horrific act. And in so doing, Hunt delivers one of the most powerful, heart-rending depictions of the cost of sin and the restorative power of forgiveness that I’ve ever encountered outside the pages of scripture. This novel is unsettling in the best sense of the term, a difficult, challenging read that has stayed with me long after I finished the final page.
Little is known of Bathsheba’s life before or after her entry into David’s household. But given that she is one of only five women mentioned (though unnamed) in the lineage of Christ (Matthew 1:6), it is safe to assume that she is included for a greater reason than simply as a token adulteress. As a tob woman (one of extraordinary beauty and sensual appeal), Hunt takes the liberty of positioning Bathsheba as a woman destined for greatness from birth thanks to a prophetic word from Samuel, claiming that she would be “’mother to a great man’ and ‘affect the future of Is’rael.’” But far from craving power, Bathsheba is passionately in love with her warrior husband, and thus the position she is put in when David claims that to which he has no right is extraordinarily untenable. For not only is she the survivor of an assault, the king’s actions strip her of the life she once expected and hoped to live.
One of the things I appreciate most about this retelling of Bathsheba’s story is Hunt’s effort to place both the initial act and its cascading effects within the broader context of David’s reign and the socio-political challenges he faced during his rule. Although David attempted to conceal his sin, like all such acts they are not committed in a vacuum, and its affects would be felt long after the prophet Nathan unmasked his secret to the entire court (2 Samuel 12). In 2 Samuel 11:3 Bathsheba is identified as the daughter of Eliam, and several chapters later in 23:34, Eliam’s father is identified as Atithophel, who is also as one of David’s advisors in 2 Samuel 15. Atithophel chose to back Absalom’s revolt, a tragic and bloody episode that fulfilled Nathan’s prophesy that “the sword shall never depart” from David’s family as a consequence of his sin (2 Samuel 12:10). It is no great stretch to imagine that David's attack on Bathsheba and Uriah should give birth to her grandfather Atithopel’s desire for revenge against the king who dishonored his family. It’s a twist of deliciously Shakespearean proportions, a tragic example of the consequences of David’s sin bleeding far past the edges of his personal life.
If David can rape Bathsheba – and make no mistake, his position left her with no choice other than to do what was required to survive, and choosing survival does nothing to make the act consensual – how then does one reconcile such an unflinchingly honest portrayal of David at his worst with the psalmist and penitent, from whose lineage came the promised redeemer? Within these pages Hunt explores the concepts of forgiveness and redemption, wrought to an extent far beyond that which this reader’s finite understanding can only hope to understand. For out of David’s worst choice and Bathsheba’s worst day, God in His infinite mercy brought redemption the form of Solomon, the son who would fulfill his father’s dream of building a permanent house of worship, and Jesus, the Davidic messiah who would fulfill the promise of seeing David’s throne established forever (2 Samuel 7:16).
I’ve long loved biblical fiction for its potential to illuminate familiar scriptures in fresh ways, but rarely have I ever been quite as moved by a retelling as with this novel. David’s attack against Bathsheba seems insurmountable, but despite the sin, despite the reality that sin has consequences, woven throughout this tale of violence and heartbreak is an unmistakable thread of forgiveness birthed by a holy grace. David is redeemed and forgiven not simply because he was discovered and repented, but through Bathsheba’s forgiveness – and thus he loved her most “’because…[she] forgave the most.’” As Nathan reminds Bathsheba, “’no pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort.’” Living out one’s faith when life is easy is an entirely different proposition from living it out when life cuts to the quick. Reluctant Beauty is a gorgeously-rendered reminder that God can bring forth breathtaking beauty as He births redemption from the ashes of our failings. Bathsheba’s story is a crowning achievement for Hunt, that rare novel that not only entertains and informs but challenges and edifies, cutting to the raw, hidden places where we hide our worst secret selves and reminding us that even there, even then, redemption is possible.
November 26, 2021
The story of David and Bathsheba is brought to life in this vivid retelling that doesn’t gloss over the ugly edges to the beginning of one of the Bible’s most renowned love stories. Israel’s beloved King David is shown as both a strong leader and a man of the flesh who struggled with sin and often failed. The Bible tells us that despite David’s many sins God forgave him because of a repentant heart and a spirit that truly sought the will of the Lord.
This book takes the reader from the start of David’s pursuit of Bathsheba through his death and Solomon’s ascension to king. Sandwiched in between, the author shares the turmoil that plagued David’s reign. From rape, incest, murder, family upheaval, political machinations, and attempted coups, the characters, time period, and setting are all portrayed with striking clarity. The message of forgiveness and God’s grace is abundantly clear. During his darkest times, David turned to the Lord for solace and trusted in His promises and guidance.
I really liked the way the author shared Bathsheba’s point of view, and also that of Nathan the prophet. The book stayed with me long after finishing it, and I would highly recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy fictional retellings of the Old Testament.
This book takes the reader from the start of David’s pursuit of Bathsheba through his death and Solomon’s ascension to king. Sandwiched in between, the author shares the turmoil that plagued David’s reign. From rape, incest, murder, family upheaval, political machinations, and attempted coups, the characters, time period, and setting are all portrayed with striking clarity. The message of forgiveness and God’s grace is abundantly clear. During his darkest times, David turned to the Lord for solace and trusted in His promises and guidance.
I really liked the way the author shared Bathsheba’s point of view, and also that of Nathan the prophet. The book stayed with me long after finishing it, and I would highly recommend it, especially to readers who enjoy fictional retellings of the Old Testament.
September 6, 2019
I’ve read the first book in this series as well, and came away with much the same impression.
Angela Hunt does an amazing job of taking these biblical stories and weaving credible stories and characters around them. Her research is impeccable, and she stays faithful to the bibilical text whilst using the scope given by the many gaps to fill these in.
Here, for example, she takes the widely held view of Bathsheba as a scheming temptress and turns it on its head. The biblical story tells us that she bathed on her rooftop in view of the king’s palace; Hunt contends that this was nothing unusual. Houses had no indoor plumbing; most women would have bathed in a courtyard. She goes further than this, and Uriah is fleshed out as a character, we see him as a loving husband, an honourable man and a loyal servant to David. His tragedy is felt, and eloquently summed up in the parable of the rich man coveting the poor man’s lamb, by which method the prophet reveals David’s sin to the court.
At the best of times, I find David a challenging character. This novel explores the themes of justice and forgiveness, and David finds both. His faults, which aren’t glossed over, one way or another lead to the messy outcome we know from the biblical story, with his sons turning on each other and on him. But we see the other side to him as well, his abiding love for the Lord, his repentance and his sincere desire to listen and to do what’s right. Whether or not the scales are balanced is for the reader to decide. At the end he says to Bathsheba:
Like the earlier book, the story is told from dual viewpoints - this time Bathsheba, and the prophet Nathan. The two criticisms I have are that the story covers so many years that at times it feels like things are skimmed over. This isn’t true of the early part of the story, but certainly of the latter years.
The other thing I find difficult is Hunt’s style. I don’t think she gives her characters enough of a voice. She uses the first person, but rather than draw me into a character’s viewpoint I sometimes feel as if I’m reading a diary someone’s written to catalogue events, without wanting to give too much emotion away. Hence I don’t feel engaged by the characters, however much I might like them, or however admirable they may be. And I do like Bathsheba as a character.
In summary this is still a worthwhile read. Hunt does a masterful job of writing this era, and breathing life into such a well-known biblical story.
Angela Hunt does an amazing job of taking these biblical stories and weaving credible stories and characters around them. Her research is impeccable, and she stays faithful to the bibilical text whilst using the scope given by the many gaps to fill these in.
Here, for example, she takes the widely held view of Bathsheba as a scheming temptress and turns it on its head. The biblical story tells us that she bathed on her rooftop in view of the king’s palace; Hunt contends that this was nothing unusual. Houses had no indoor plumbing; most women would have bathed in a courtyard. She goes further than this, and Uriah is fleshed out as a character, we see him as a loving husband, an honourable man and a loyal servant to David. His tragedy is felt, and eloquently summed up in the parable of the rich man coveting the poor man’s lamb, by which method the prophet reveals David’s sin to the court.
At the best of times, I find David a challenging character. This novel explores the themes of justice and forgiveness, and David finds both. His faults, which aren’t glossed over, one way or another lead to the messy outcome we know from the biblical story, with his sons turning on each other and on him. But we see the other side to him as well, his abiding love for the Lord, his repentance and his sincere desire to listen and to do what’s right. Whether or not the scales are balanced is for the reader to decide. At the end he says to Bathsheba:
Like the earlier book, the story is told from dual viewpoints - this time Bathsheba, and the prophet Nathan. The two criticisms I have are that the story covers so many years that at times it feels like things are skimmed over. This isn’t true of the early part of the story, but certainly of the latter years.
The other thing I find difficult is Hunt’s style. I don’t think she gives her characters enough of a voice. She uses the first person, but rather than draw me into a character’s viewpoint I sometimes feel as if I’m reading a diary someone’s written to catalogue events, without wanting to give too much emotion away. Hence I don’t feel engaged by the characters, however much I might like them, or however admirable they may be. And I do like Bathsheba as a character.
In summary this is still a worthwhile read. Hunt does a masterful job of writing this era, and breathing life into such a well-known biblical story.
August 31, 2015
I've often said that I normally give Biblical fiction a wide berth, but if it's written by Angela Hunt, I know it is steeped in research and Biblical truth. The first of her Dangerous Beauty novels, Esther: Royal Beauty, captivated me, and I was intrigued by the concept of tob beauty as Angela Hunt explained it when I interviewed her last summer. This new novel is just as compelling. Much of the story of David and Bathsheba in the Bible focuses on David, and Hunt's portrayal of Bathsheba's persepective fascinated me. Bathsheba and Uriah's deep love for one another and Uriah's steadfast loyalty to the king he served make David's actions even more reprehensible. Hunt's commitment to accuracy combines with her gift of story as she depicts Bathsheba's life before and after she entered palace life. I ached for Bathsheba as she was plucked from her home in the midst of her grief and placed among the unwelcoming concubines and wives. Her strength and reliance on HaShem and his promises inspired and reminded me of God's sovereignty and ability to redeem the worst of man's sins. Angela Hunt remains firmly among the top five of my must-read author list, and I can't wait to read the final novel about Delilah, coming in 2016! Don't miss Bathsheba: Reluctant Beauty.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of this book free from Bethany House Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
September 8, 2015
Many people like to avoid biblical fiction because they don’t want to add to the bible. For myself, I read a biblical fiction book like Angela Hunt’s and it drives me to the bible. I especially loved all the footnotes in the end, references, and notes on the research behind this book.
Bathsheba was a beautiful woman. Her beauty to her, seemed as if a curse. This story is told in first person from two points of view, Bathsheba and Nathan, the prophet. It fully will make you dig into the bible and see, perhaps for the first time, how this lovely woman has been maligned and harshly judged throughout history. You will see that, perhaps for the first time, God’s heart in this sad state of affairs.
I loved the quote that was found near the end… David says he loved Bathsheba the most because she forgave the most.
As we see in our lives today, when men in roles of leadership sin, it affects not just him and his family, it affects the others in the church around him. David repented for his sin, but it still followed him the rest of his days. He had to live with the consequences even though he repented sincerely. I feel like we often want to say “He repented, it means what he did was not that bad. Let’s push it under the chair now.” We forget about the maligned, the hurting, in our effort to protect the reputation of the church. In this, we have even taken the story of Bathsheba and done victim blaming, because we don’t want to think the worst of David.
Bathsheba was a beautiful woman. Her beauty to her, seemed as if a curse. This story is told in first person from two points of view, Bathsheba and Nathan, the prophet. It fully will make you dig into the bible and see, perhaps for the first time, how this lovely woman has been maligned and harshly judged throughout history. You will see that, perhaps for the first time, God’s heart in this sad state of affairs.
I loved the quote that was found near the end… David says he loved Bathsheba the most because she forgave the most.
As we see in our lives today, when men in roles of leadership sin, it affects not just him and his family, it affects the others in the church around him. David repented for his sin, but it still followed him the rest of his days. He had to live with the consequences even though he repented sincerely. I feel like we often want to say “He repented, it means what he did was not that bad. Let’s push it under the chair now.” We forget about the maligned, the hurting, in our effort to protect the reputation of the church. In this, we have even taken the story of Bathsheba and done victim blaming, because we don’t want to think the worst of David.
August 20, 2015
This is the second in the Dangerous Beauty Series from Angela Elwell Hunt and she just keeps getting better!! This is the story of another ravishing beauty from the Bible, Bathsheba. As with Ms. Hunt’s previous novel, Esther, it once again proves that beauty can be both a blessing and a curse.
Ms. Hunt has done an outstanding job bringing the story of David and Bathsheba to life! Although she has followed the Old Testament story of these two, she fills in the details of how their life could have been beautifully and believably. You get a glimpse into Bathsheba’s pain over the loss of her husband and her concern for the lives of her children. You realize that King David, although very human, is not an ogre who just takes what he wants. You also get a taste of what the life of a prophet is like.
Even if you are not interested in Bible stories, pick this book up because it is so much more!!! This is not only a story from the Bible, it is a timeless story about the consequences of wanting what you can’t have that will keep you reading. It is tastefully written and can be enjoyed by all ages.
Ms. Hunt has done an outstanding job bringing the story of David and Bathsheba to life! Although she has followed the Old Testament story of these two, she fills in the details of how their life could have been beautifully and believably. You get a glimpse into Bathsheba’s pain over the loss of her husband and her concern for the lives of her children. You realize that King David, although very human, is not an ogre who just takes what he wants. You also get a taste of what the life of a prophet is like.
Even if you are not interested in Bible stories, pick this book up because it is so much more!!! This is not only a story from the Bible, it is a timeless story about the consequences of wanting what you can’t have that will keep you reading. It is tastefully written and can be enjoyed by all ages.
December 17, 2019
This was the first book I read of author Angela Hunt, since then if I see any of her books I buy them! I loved this book, it got sad at times but the reader sees a different side of the life of Bathsheba, the reader learns to love her. What a great book!! I will definitely recommend it.
September 2, 2018
Plot
This story is all about Bathsheba and David. I really enjoyed Angela Hunt's first book, Esther, in the Dangerous Beauty trilogy and this book was even better. Esther is my favorite book of the Bible but, I love King David's devotion to God. He was by no means a perfect man with no sin but no one is. Every day we sin but with God's forgiveness we are made new and King David understood that as well as Bathsheba. Their life and how their paths crossed was not easy but God had a plan in life and overtime they were restored. Of course, not everything in this book is factual but Hunt creates a tragically beautiful story of Bathsheba and David. What I really liked was that the point of views was that of Bathsheba and Nathan, a prophet who saw visions and heard from God. This gave us a view of David that is a bit deeper then I would have expected. I really loved this book a lot and when I one day return my father in heaven I hope to meet these three incredible people.
Writing
I enjoy Hunt's writing so much because of how accurate it is. I always feel like I am really transported back into the Bible ages. They spoke so differently in their time it is a miracle when authors can accurately portray that. I love how vivid the writing was because it felt so real as if I closed my eyes I would be standing in the kingdom of David or in the streets of Judah. The stunning prose and beautiful descriptions of the palace or clothes entrapped me. The story itself blended the perfect balance of Bible accuracy and alluring storytelling that made for a magical novel. Hunt was able to weave this wonderful tale about these three while also keeping to the truth of what life was like in that time period. I enjoyed her story very much.
Characters
Bathsheba is an incredibly strong woman. She is one of my favorite women in the Bible. She had been through something so traumatic but she rose up and lived the life God had planned for her. She was truly always a queen. I commend her for the forgiveness she was able to give to David and how she held onto her faith in God. My favorite thing about her was how real she felt because she questioned God, she had a hard time forgiving, and she grew angry with God. This happens to many Christians when life is not easy but in the end, she prevailed. David is one of my favorite Kings to read about. He made grave sins that affected his household for generations but after God gave him his verdict David refound himself in God. He was a changed man after that and he became a better one. My favorite thing about David was his everlasting faith and love in God. God's command was harsh and many people would have cursed or given up on God. But, even after everything, David excepted his punishment and whenever it was dealt he always proclaimed his love for God. Nathan the prophet was a man of God who really cared for the things of God. He took care in speaking about the Lord. I loved his point of view and how much he cared for both Bathsheba and David. He was one of my favorite characters.
Favorite Quotes
I had become flesh of this man's flesh. I finally understood how it felt to utterly belong to a beloved man.
"I came to your home and to your bed willingly. Even happily." His eyes remained fixed on mine a long moment. Then he tapped the tip of my nose. "I wouldn't have a wife who came to me in any other way."
My feelings of love deepened as the weeks passed. I would've given anything to marry her and if called upon I would've happily sacrificed my life for her. She was no mere afterthought. She was one of HaShem's most beautiful creations.
A complacent man would eventually neglect the Lord because he would depend upon HaShem's promise and not HaShem himself.
"By all that is holy, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
"You are more than a tob woman Bathsheba. You are Adonai's blessing to me."
"You have been more than David's wife. You have been his consolation, his joy, and his one love. Your forgiveness redeemed him. Don't ever forget that."
This story is all about Bathsheba and David. I really enjoyed Angela Hunt's first book, Esther, in the Dangerous Beauty trilogy and this book was even better. Esther is my favorite book of the Bible but, I love King David's devotion to God. He was by no means a perfect man with no sin but no one is. Every day we sin but with God's forgiveness we are made new and King David understood that as well as Bathsheba. Their life and how their paths crossed was not easy but God had a plan in life and overtime they were restored. Of course, not everything in this book is factual but Hunt creates a tragically beautiful story of Bathsheba and David. What I really liked was that the point of views was that of Bathsheba and Nathan, a prophet who saw visions and heard from God. This gave us a view of David that is a bit deeper then I would have expected. I really loved this book a lot and when I one day return my father in heaven I hope to meet these three incredible people.
Writing
I enjoy Hunt's writing so much because of how accurate it is. I always feel like I am really transported back into the Bible ages. They spoke so differently in their time it is a miracle when authors can accurately portray that. I love how vivid the writing was because it felt so real as if I closed my eyes I would be standing in the kingdom of David or in the streets of Judah. The stunning prose and beautiful descriptions of the palace or clothes entrapped me. The story itself blended the perfect balance of Bible accuracy and alluring storytelling that made for a magical novel. Hunt was able to weave this wonderful tale about these three while also keeping to the truth of what life was like in that time period. I enjoyed her story very much.
Characters
Bathsheba is an incredibly strong woman. She is one of my favorite women in the Bible. She had been through something so traumatic but she rose up and lived the life God had planned for her. She was truly always a queen. I commend her for the forgiveness she was able to give to David and how she held onto her faith in God. My favorite thing about her was how real she felt because she questioned God, she had a hard time forgiving, and she grew angry with God. This happens to many Christians when life is not easy but in the end, she prevailed. David is one of my favorite Kings to read about. He made grave sins that affected his household for generations but after God gave him his verdict David refound himself in God. He was a changed man after that and he became a better one. My favorite thing about David was his everlasting faith and love in God. God's command was harsh and many people would have cursed or given up on God. But, even after everything, David excepted his punishment and whenever it was dealt he always proclaimed his love for God. Nathan the prophet was a man of God who really cared for the things of God. He took care in speaking about the Lord. I loved his point of view and how much he cared for both Bathsheba and David. He was one of my favorite characters.
Favorite Quotes
I had become flesh of this man's flesh. I finally understood how it felt to utterly belong to a beloved man.
"I came to your home and to your bed willingly. Even happily." His eyes remained fixed on mine a long moment. Then he tapped the tip of my nose. "I wouldn't have a wife who came to me in any other way."
My feelings of love deepened as the weeks passed. I would've given anything to marry her and if called upon I would've happily sacrificed my life for her. She was no mere afterthought. She was one of HaShem's most beautiful creations.
A complacent man would eventually neglect the Lord because he would depend upon HaShem's promise and not HaShem himself.
"By all that is holy, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
"You are more than a tob woman Bathsheba. You are Adonai's blessing to me."
"You have been more than David's wife. You have been his consolation, his joy, and his one love. Your forgiveness redeemed him. Don't ever forget that."
July 13, 2020
Of the entire trilogy this is definitely my favorite and the only one to get a 5 star rating. Thoroughly enjoyed this!!
Full review to come!
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Full review written 7/13/20
This was an amazing read! I've read the entire trilogy of Dangerous Beauty and of the three books this was the only one to get a full 5 star rating which it's well deserving of. Angela Hunt didn't stray away from the humanness of the story of Bathsheba and King David. We all know that David took her and killed her husband and normally we don't think about how it played out. Angela Hunt did a beautiful job of keeping to the scripture while giving us some feels of the culture and time. I cried and laugh when reading this beauty.
Bathsheba is a tob woman that attracts the attention of all men. Her beauty goes beyond bounds and sadly gets her into a situation she never thought would happen. She was a strong woman with all that she endured. Yes, her story doesn't start out pretty and yes she begins to doubt and question God. You got to see more of what she could have been like during those hard seasons. I enjoyed her.
King David is a man after God's own heart, a king of kings, but also a flawed man that made many mistakes. I enjoyed see the flawed side of David be explored. His ruthlessness, pride and how he succumbed to lust. The way He didn't really interact with his children.
The romance was all over, but also real and had issues. I wasn't into the story for the romance though as I felt the point of the story for me was more so getting into the minds of Bathsheba and King David as individuals after the various situations occurred.
Nathan, the prophet, was an amazing man. He was always attentive to what God was saying and showing him. He may have been scared to reveal somethings, but he never ran from what God needed him to do. I enjoyed him.
Uriah was such a humble man -- I cried for him in the end. He didn't deserve it! Solomon was such a kind soul. King David's sons from his other wives and concubines were all a hot mess just like in the scriptures. The scene with Tamar and her brother made me cry as well. Bathsheba's grandfather annoyed me from start to finish.
Overall, I enjoyed this book from start to finish and highly recommend it!
SN: when reading this please be mindful this a biblical FICTION!!!! Yes it does dive deep into rape, sex, denial and shaming, but considering the times and what was "normal" this book shows it. If you are sensitive to Christian fiction of any sort having sex then this may not be the book for you to read.
Full review to come!
-----------------------
Full review written 7/13/20
This was an amazing read! I've read the entire trilogy of Dangerous Beauty and of the three books this was the only one to get a full 5 star rating which it's well deserving of. Angela Hunt didn't stray away from the humanness of the story of Bathsheba and King David. We all know that David took her and killed her husband and normally we don't think about how it played out. Angela Hunt did a beautiful job of keeping to the scripture while giving us some feels of the culture and time. I cried and laugh when reading this beauty.
Bathsheba is a tob woman that attracts the attention of all men. Her beauty goes beyond bounds and sadly gets her into a situation she never thought would happen. She was a strong woman with all that she endured. Yes, her story doesn't start out pretty and yes she begins to doubt and question God. You got to see more of what she could have been like during those hard seasons. I enjoyed her.
King David is a man after God's own heart, a king of kings, but also a flawed man that made many mistakes. I enjoyed see the flawed side of David be explored. His ruthlessness, pride and how he succumbed to lust. The way He didn't really interact with his children.
The romance was all over, but also real and had issues. I wasn't into the story for the romance though as I felt the point of the story for me was more so getting into the minds of Bathsheba and King David as individuals after the various situations occurred.
Nathan, the prophet, was an amazing man. He was always attentive to what God was saying and showing him. He may have been scared to reveal somethings, but he never ran from what God needed him to do. I enjoyed him.
Uriah was such a humble man -- I cried for him in the end. He didn't deserve it! Solomon was such a kind soul. King David's sons from his other wives and concubines were all a hot mess just like in the scriptures. The scene with Tamar and her brother made me cry as well. Bathsheba's grandfather annoyed me from start to finish.
Overall, I enjoyed this book from start to finish and highly recommend it!
SN: when reading this please be mindful this a biblical FICTION!!!! Yes it does dive deep into rape, sex, denial and shaming, but considering the times and what was "normal" this book shows it. If you are sensitive to Christian fiction of any sort having sex then this may not be the book for you to read.
April 7, 2019
I loved this! The author took a few scriptures and dreamed up what could have been the rest of the story. She doesn't contradict scripture and uses historical and cultural facts of the Jewish people. Her afterward explains her reasoning and choices, as well as citing scripture and other sources, while pointing out parts that are true and parts that are fiction. I like that this paints Bathsheba in a good light, and not as though she was the evil seductress of David. This book made the story of David, Joab, Bathsheba, Uriah, Nathan, Solomon, Absalom, Amnon, Tamar, Ahithophel and Michal come alive. I highly recommend this book, not as part of a biblical study, but for anyone wanting a richer story of what could have been, for what life was like in those times, or for sheer entertainment value.
#anovelbasedonatruestory
#anovelbasedonatruestory
January 19, 2020
Another great book from Angela Hunt. She really gets you to think about the people in the bible as real people with all the same hurts, joys and dreams as us. Clearly you need to read her books as fiction though.
May 1, 2024
4.5⭐️ Beautiful, detailed, and moving. I really enjoyed this, and I hope this is more like how it actually happened in Biblical history. This touched my heart in a lasting and encouraging way.
July 12, 2022
Angela Hunt combines historical facts with fiction in this excellent book covering the life of Bathsheba. This book was one of three of her Dangerous Beauty Novels.
January 6, 2017
Such a shame that one of the most beautiful book covers I've ever seen contains one of the ugliest stories ever told.
If you're a Jesus person, which you probably are if you're checking out reviews of a Christian historical fic, you know the Bible story: King David sees Bathsheba bathing outside in her courtyard cause, y'know, they didn't have indoor plumbing in Biblical times and people bathed in the animals' drinking troughs, was overcome by lust and had a messenger summon her. Then he "lay with her", which is just fancy Bible-speak for saying HE RAPED HER. I never understood David or this story or why Old Testament dudes had 50 wives and hundreds of concubines and God was cool with it. No teacher I ever had could make me understand why it was okay for David rape & impregnate this woman and then have her husband killed yet still be favored by God. (Of course, the most frequent response to my questions on the subject was “because God said!” or “don’t ask questions, just believe!”) I don’t get it and I doubt I ever will.
But! But! But! I can hear you fundies yelling….David confessed his sin and God forgave him!!! Yes, he did, but his child with Bathsheba had to die as punishment "for David's sin"…but it seems to me, this is punishment that affects Bathsheba more. David still got to be Jesus's ancestor and God's #1 fave. Meanwhile, Bathsheba isn't only raped by the King but she's slut-shamed for centuries for "inciting lust in David" and "enticing David" WHEN IT WAS DAVID WHO COULDN'T KEEP IT IN HIS TUNIC.
But I had hope for this book when I read the writer's notes at the end before beginning the novel itself: she expressed surprise that her readers/Christians blamed Bathsheba for what happened to her. I thought the author might give a more fair and sensible treatment of Bathsheba but I was sorely disappointed. She's slut shamed by all of David's other wives/concubines, she slut shames herself, her nursemaid/friend tells her "it could've been worse", her grandfather refers to her rapist as her "LOVER" and on and on and on. AND SHE HAS BATHSHEBA FALL IN LOVE WITH DAVID. Yes, she falls in love with her rapist who also murdered her husband then commanded her to marry him and basically held her captive in his harem. THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC. THIS IS GROSS. THIS IS WHY RAPE CULTURE IS SO PREVELANT IN OUR SOCIETY (AND I NOTICE IT A LOT AMONG YOUNG "CHRISTIAN BOYS" I HAVE THE DISPLEASURE TO BE AROUND IN MY DAILY LIFE…SERIOUSLY, FOLLOW SOME CHRISTIAN YOUTHS ON TWITTER OR GO TO A YOUTH GROUP MEETING). THIS IS WHY FUNDIE EVANGELICALS DON'T RESPECT WOMEN. (Oh and bonus rape! David's son rapes David's daughter and a character refers to her as "spoiled meat".)
I would give this book NO STARS if I could, but I need it to register towards my books read for the year. It's the least I should get out of it since I read the disgusting thing. So the one star goes for the pretty cover and the fact that this author does do her historical research.
This book did shock me in its explicitness. Not that I haven’t read explicit stuff before and was clutching at my pearls (I usually read only secular novels), but I was shocked that Bethany House published this for its fundie audience. Descriptions of love-making, men feeling “stirrings in their loins”, a prophet of the Lord lusting after Bathsheba and fantasizing about her when having sex with his wife, etc. I’m surprised OneDozen Million Moms didn’t send a pitchfork-wielding mob after the author!
The third book in this series (Delilah) had better be less messy & gross than this one! (Could it be worse…? I probably shouldn't ask. Never underestimate evangelicals in their disgusting attitudes towards women.)
If you're a Jesus person, which you probably are if you're checking out reviews of a Christian historical fic, you know the Bible story: King David sees Bathsheba bathing outside in her courtyard cause, y'know, they didn't have indoor plumbing in Biblical times and people bathed in the animals' drinking troughs, was overcome by lust and had a messenger summon her. Then he "lay with her", which is just fancy Bible-speak for saying HE RAPED HER. I never understood David or this story or why Old Testament dudes had 50 wives and hundreds of concubines and God was cool with it. No teacher I ever had could make me understand why it was okay for David rape & impregnate this woman and then have her husband killed yet still be favored by God. (Of course, the most frequent response to my questions on the subject was “because God said!” or “don’t ask questions, just believe!”) I don’t get it and I doubt I ever will.
But! But! But! I can hear you fundies yelling….David confessed his sin and God forgave him!!! Yes, he did, but his child with Bathsheba had to die as punishment "for David's sin"…but it seems to me, this is punishment that affects Bathsheba more. David still got to be Jesus's ancestor and God's #1 fave. Meanwhile, Bathsheba isn't only raped by the King but she's slut-shamed for centuries for "inciting lust in David" and "enticing David" WHEN IT WAS DAVID WHO COULDN'T KEEP IT IN HIS TUNIC.
But I had hope for this book when I read the writer's notes at the end before beginning the novel itself: she expressed surprise that her readers/Christians blamed Bathsheba for what happened to her. I thought the author might give a more fair and sensible treatment of Bathsheba but I was sorely disappointed. She's slut shamed by all of David's other wives/concubines, she slut shames herself, her nursemaid/friend tells her "it could've been worse", her grandfather refers to her rapist as her "LOVER" and on and on and on. AND SHE HAS BATHSHEBA FALL IN LOVE WITH DAVID. Yes, she falls in love with her rapist who also murdered her husband then commanded her to marry him and basically held her captive in his harem. THIS IS NOT ROMANTIC. THIS IS GROSS. THIS IS WHY RAPE CULTURE IS SO PREVELANT IN OUR SOCIETY (AND I NOTICE IT A LOT AMONG YOUNG "CHRISTIAN BOYS" I HAVE THE DISPLEASURE TO BE AROUND IN MY DAILY LIFE…SERIOUSLY, FOLLOW SOME CHRISTIAN YOUTHS ON TWITTER OR GO TO A YOUTH GROUP MEETING). THIS IS WHY FUNDIE EVANGELICALS DON'T RESPECT WOMEN. (Oh and bonus rape! David's son rapes David's daughter and a character refers to her as "spoiled meat".)
I would give this book NO STARS if I could, but I need it to register towards my books read for the year. It's the least I should get out of it since I read the disgusting thing. So the one star goes for the pretty cover and the fact that this author does do her historical research.
This book did shock me in its explicitness. Not that I haven’t read explicit stuff before and was clutching at my pearls (I usually read only secular novels), but I was shocked that Bethany House published this for its fundie audience. Descriptions of love-making, men feeling “stirrings in their loins”, a prophet of the Lord lusting after Bathsheba and fantasizing about her when having sex with his wife, etc. I’m surprised One
The third book in this series (Delilah) had better be less messy & gross than this one! (Could it be worse…? I probably shouldn't ask. Never underestimate evangelicals in their disgusting attitudes towards women.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2015
What a beautiful retelling of the biblical story of Bathsheba! It is remarkable how much research and love went into writing this book. Kudos to Angela Hunt for the care she puts into her craft. History, imbued with the author’s imagination, binds this story into a powerful, emotive, and memorable novel.
Bathsheba…Reluctant Beauty is the second book in the three-part novel series, A Dangerous Beauty. After reading this can’t-put-it-down novel, I look forward to reading the others in the series. (#1 Esther, released in 2014, and #3 Delilah, to be released in 2016.)
The author’s representation of these Biblical figures and historical era is outstanding. Ms. Hunt has developed the characters suitably and the scenes so vividly they feel familiar. Though the story takes place during Old Testament times, the choice of wording is clear and easy to understand, using only minimal language from that era when necessary.
I’ll never think of Bathsheba, David, Solomon, and the prophet Nathan (among others) the same way again. This story allowed me see what they saw, feel what they felt, and walk the paths they trod. To put it more simply, they became human, rather than characters from the Bible. I mean no disrespect—it’s just that sometimes the Biblical figures I read about in my Bible seem almost mythical, or super-human, rather than mortal men and women, like you and me. They had faults, failures, doubts, insecurities, etc.
After reading this book, I not only gained a deeper understanding of the tob woman, Bathsheba, but also a deeper understanding of my God’s undying love.
5 Stars!
Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 384
Pace: Steady/Fast
First Lines: The first time I saw King David, I was sixteen and he was behaving like a man possessed. The procession carrying the holy Ark of the Covenant was moving slowly down the street where we lived, and the pageantry of the parade mesmerized me.
I received a Review Copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the options I have expressed are my own.
“When pleasant days are hard to find, pull out your memories and live in them until happiness returns.” ~Quote from the book
Bathsheba…Reluctant Beauty is the second book in the three-part novel series, A Dangerous Beauty. After reading this can’t-put-it-down novel, I look forward to reading the others in the series. (#1 Esther, released in 2014, and #3 Delilah, to be released in 2016.)
The author’s representation of these Biblical figures and historical era is outstanding. Ms. Hunt has developed the characters suitably and the scenes so vividly they feel familiar. Though the story takes place during Old Testament times, the choice of wording is clear and easy to understand, using only minimal language from that era when necessary.
“No pain exists without purpose, no grief without comfort.” ~Quote from the book
I’ll never think of Bathsheba, David, Solomon, and the prophet Nathan (among others) the same way again. This story allowed me see what they saw, feel what they felt, and walk the paths they trod. To put it more simply, they became human, rather than characters from the Bible. I mean no disrespect—it’s just that sometimes the Biblical figures I read about in my Bible seem almost mythical, or super-human, rather than mortal men and women, like you and me. They had faults, failures, doubts, insecurities, etc.
After reading this book, I not only gained a deeper understanding of the tob woman, Bathsheba, but also a deeper understanding of my God’s undying love.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. ~ Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)
5 Stars!
Cover: Love
Title: Love
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Pages: 384
Pace: Steady/Fast
First Lines: The first time I saw King David, I was sixteen and he was behaving like a man possessed. The procession carrying the holy Ark of the Covenant was moving slowly down the street where we lived, and the pageantry of the parade mesmerized me.
I received a Review Copy from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the options I have expressed are my own.
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