Fireproof

by Eric Wilson

INSIDE BURNING BUILDINGS, Captain Caleb Holt lives by the firefighter's adage: NEVER LEAVE YOUR PARTNER. Yet at home, in the cooling embers of his marriage, he lives by his own rules.

Growing up, his wife Catherine always dreamed of marrying a loving, brave firefighter . . . just like her father.Now, after seven years of marriage, she wonders when she stopped being "good enough."Countless arguments and anger have them wanting to move on to something with more sparks.

As they prepare for divorce, Caleb's father challenges him to commit to a 40-day experiment: "The Love Dare." Wondering if it's even worth the effort, Caleb reluctantly agrees, not realizing how it will change his world forever.

Surprised by what he discovers about the meaning of love, Caleb begins to see his wife and marriage as worth fighting for.But is it too late? His job is to rescue others.Now Captain Holt must face his toughest job ever. . . rescuing his wife's heart."

Genres: Christian, Christian Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Marriage, Faith, Inspirational

284 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

Eric Wilson is a retired NY Times bestselling author with 21 published books in over a dozen languages. He wrote fiction (suspense, mystery, supernatural), film novelizations, and nonfiction (biography, memoir, travel).

Eric's books, in order of publication:

Shattered Nerves
(unpublished--written in high school)

Something Suspicious in Bear Flag
(unpublished--written in college)

Dark to Mortal Eyes
Expiration Date
The Best of Evil
A Shred of Truth
Facing the Giants
Flywheel
Fireproof
Field of Blood
Haunt of Jackals
Valley of Bones
One Step Away
Two Seconds Late
Three Fatal Blows (cancelled)
October Baby
The Eagle's Nest (cancelled)
Amelia's Last Secret
Alice Goes the Way of the Maya
Taming the Beast: The Untold Story of Team Tyson
Minutes Before Midnight (cancelled)
Samson
From Chains to Change
American Leftovers
What Are You Going to Do?
Confessions of a Former Prosecutor
Come Back Stronger (date not set)
Through the Storms We Faced (never found publisher)

Reviews

[Mischenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down. One of my favorites. 5 stars from beginning to end.

[Elisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. A super easy read that made me realize how good my relationship with my fiance already is. Possibly, because of us meeting later in life, or because we appreciate and respect each other so much. Either way, this is a good one to keep on the shelf for reference and to share with your significant other.

[Sunshine Rodgers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading a book written by Eric Wilson. I enjoyed watching the movie Fireproof, so I was excited to read the book! Eric Wilson is a terrific writer!!

Part One: Sparks (May 1998)
Part Two: Smoke (April 2008)
Part Three: Ashes (May 2008)
Part Four: Fire (June 2008)
Part Five: Flames (July-August 2008)

"If there's a God out there somewhere, He's not interested in me and my problems."
"I disagree. I'd say He's very interested." (pg. 85).

The novel includes subplots, character backgrounds, family history, the thoughts & POV from characters, more details and backstory not included in the movie. Also, more pranks and jokes from the camaraderie of the firemen. (The scene when the teammates yelled "Don't quit" to Eric as he climbed a one-hundred-foot aerial ladder reminded me of a scene from the other Sherwood Pictures movie: Facing the Giants).
🢂 Some of these extra chapters can be found in the Deleted Scenes of the movie.

Extras/ Differences include:
🔻 Joy Campbell is in a better state of health in the book, even becoming a contestant on the TV show: Wheel of Fortune... and winning Caleb his coveted boat!
🔻 Terrell's marriage is in trouble, and he gets handed "The Love Dare"
🔻 The different beginnings. In the book, a young Caleb Holt saves Captain Campbell (Catherine's father) in a fire.
🔻 The origins of Caleb & Catherine's love story.

"Don't trust your feelings or your fear. Lead your heart" (pg. 181).

In a 2004 Interview with CBN, Kirk Cameron credits his form of evangelism using the 'Way of the Master' technique, asking such questions as:
🔻 Would you consider yourself to be a good person?
🔻 Do you think that you have kept the Commandments?
🔻 If God judged you according to those Commandments, would you be found innocent or guilty?
🔻 Do you think you would go to heaven or to hell?
🢂 It is clear that this method was used in Fireproof concerning Caleb's conversion to Christ.
⭐ Fun Fact: Kirk Cameron gave his sister, Candace Cameron Bure, a copy of Ray Comfort’s book “The Way of the Master” which shares the biblical gospel, and that's how she accepted Christ!

"In the old storybooks... the knight fought for the fair maiden. He won her favor. And the credits rolled as the lights came up.
Real life was so much more complicated" (pg. 226).

Full-circle moment: Catherine wore the red summer dress to reunite with her husband - the same outfit and at the exact same spot where they first met all those years ago.
⭐ Fun Fact: Kirk Cameron will not kiss any woman who is not his wife. So, his wife put on a wig that matched the actress’s hair in the movie, and she wore that same dress. The scene was shot in a silhouette so you couldn’t tell... when Kirk's kissing his wife in the movie, he's actually kissing his wife, Chelsea.

"This love is worth fighting for" (pg. 202).

Chapter 38 (not in the movie) is definitely spicy. 🔥 A closed-door romance scene.

Reader's Rant:
🔻 I skipped over pages 63- 72: the train track scene. (I fast-forward through this part in the movie as well)
🔻 Caleb depleted his entire savings to buy his mother-in-law medical equipment on the exact same morning that Catherine serves him divorce papers?!
🔻 I think if I completed the tasks in the entire "Love Dare" and still didn't see results, I would feel beyond discouraged... (Caleb went to Day 43 out of 40).
🔻 I learned from the Acknowledgements section that the character names are derived from the Kendrick kids, using their names as inspiration (pg. 290).
🔻 I like how the book describes a 'new normal.' It's acceptable -normal, even - to divorce, but the new normal is to work things out (pg. 245) and that a relationship with the Almighty is the key to it all (pg. 253).

My book comes with 'A Personal Message from the Kendrick Brothers', Fireproof Discussion Questions and 'The Making of Fireproof' which includes movie and production stills.

This book will leave you feeling inspired and challenged! 📚

Is the Book "Fireproof" better than the Movie version?
Find out on my Blog Series titled Book Vs Movie:
👉 https://www.sunshinerodgers.com/movie...

[Abby Burrus · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This actually turned out better than I thought it would.
I've watched the movie at least twice, and appreciated the amazing message it brings, though I am not married. It's not that terribly cheesy romance that is oh so common nowadays. But it does deal with all that a marriage can experience and go through. (I have to admit, the arguments they had seemed very childish, like arguments my siblings have had. But I can easily see it occurring in real life.)
Now, I've read books that have been adapted (and in many cases murdered in the process) into movies. But I've never read books that were based on successful movies.
However, this worked out well, at least for this book. With a book, you can go into so much more detail, flesh things out. For example, a lot of things that are only hinted at in the movie are explored in fuller detail here. I appreciate that. And I also enjoy getting inside the character's heads, hearing their thoughts and perspectives on the situation.
Overall, I don't regret buying this book from the library, and I'll probably keep it. In an odd turn of the way things usually are, I'd recommend watching the movie before the book ;) But I think the book could easily be read and enjoyed even if you haven't watched the movie.

[Lorrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was simple, and even a little predictable, but the message was profound. I had a hard time putting it down.

[Tandie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a heart of stone and no soul. This book was so terrible, so cheesy, that It made a tiny part of me shrivel and die. I enjoy Christian fiction. GOOD Christian fiction. This was barftastic! I can’t believe that I listened to the whole thing without stabbing myself!

How can this book have such a high star rating? Lies. Lies! This is a perfect example of how readers rate Christian fiction on the MESSAGE and not on the STORY. Good message. Death by cheese story.

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

My excuse for reading this book is that the Verizon store is right next to a Christian bookstore, and it took Scott two hours to decide which Blackberry he wanted to purchase. I was already halfway through with it by then and wanted to see how it ended. That said, it wasn't as bad as I thought. There is a lot of proselytizing in the second half as the main character finds God, but he seriously needed to find God. The main character, Caleb, is this firefighter who is a complete bastard to his wife until she wants a divorce. On his dad's advice he starts this Love Dare book that requires him to be nice to his wife in different ways everyday. It was kind of fascinating to me because, having gone through a divorce, the emotions of grief and frustration came through with a vengeance. Unfortunately, I think the book proves that marriages have to be fixed by the clueless and mean partner if they're to be fixed at all. The ending was touching because he realized how to find real meaning and value in his relationship, instead of being miserable all the time and expecting his wife to do all the work. Still, not great, but a quick and interesting read for a Christian soap opera.

[Hannah M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firefighter Captain Caleb Holt has always been good at his job, he never leaves a man behind, but his marriage is another story. After seven years of marriage Caleb and Catherine just aren’t feeling it anymore. Constantly arguing or simply not talking to each other the two are ready to divorce. When Caleb talks to his father about what’s going on he asks his son to wait forty days, because he’s got something to try.

The Love Dare enters the picture. Each day there is a task to try, simple things like don’t say anything mean to your significant other for the day. Caleb half-asses it until about halfway through when he realizes that there is so much more to winning his wife back then he realized.

In the end of course the two live happily ever after and such.

Before anything else I have to say this. I did not realize that this book was considered christian fiction until after I had started reading it. If I had known I might have avoided the book. Funny how things work out. While I tend to shy away from religious books unless I’m trying to learn about them from an academic standpoint, I actually really enjoyed Fireproof. I didn’t feel like I was being told that I need to start going to church and accepting god on the church’s terms in my life. That is what has a tendency to scare me away from religious fiction.

As far as Caleb and Catherine’s relationship goes, it was very believable. So many marriage’s these days take the exact path that theirs was on and seeing a couple trying to salvage their marriage was nice. While I found myself really bothered by Catherine’s actions and doubts and the way that she let her friends talk her into believing something that was completely untrue, it shows that her husband really did love her, especially after he gave up something huge. A point in the win column for Catherine’s character is certainly in order for the devotion she shows to her parents.

There’s some good firefighter action in the book as well as lots of family problems and dealing with said problems. The religious aspect of the book didn’t overpower everything else which is good. All and all, an enjoyable book and certainly something I see myself going back to for a rainy day read.

[Hark Herald Sarmiento · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good book indeed. Not only it helps save marriage at the brink of divorce, it also gives tips on how to make it stronger... Everybody, including those who aren't in a marriage relationship, can relate to the lessons it brings...

This will kinda be a spoiler but at least you may have a glimpse of the contents...

"You never leave your partner! Especially in a fire!"

"Caleb Holt: Marriage isn't fireproof.
Michael Simmons: Fireproof doesn't mean the fire will never come. It means when the fire comes that you will be able to withstand it."

Well those are for marriage... as for friendship, or loving God, or salvation, or faith??? take this:

"Caleb Holt: I care about people. I am those things.
John Holt: Sometimes. But have you loved God? The one who gave you life? His standards are so high, He considers hatred to be murder, and lust to be adultery.
Caleb Holt: Dad, what about all the good I've done?
John Holt: Son, saving someone from a fire doesn't make you right with God. You've broken His commandments. And one day, you'll answer to Him for that."

God truly is the foundation of every relationship... of everybody.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched and enjoyed the movie Fireproof at some point in the last year or two. My sister-in-law loaned me the novelization of the movie. Sometimes novelizations of movies are more miss than hit, but this novelization was definitely a winner.

Caleb Holt is a fireman and is captain of his team. While he is a fantastic firefighter and leader, his life at home is falling apart. Caleb and his wife Catherine do nothing but fight or avoid each other. It has gotten to the brink of divorce. Caleb’s father challenges him to try a 40-day Love Dare project. Caleb’s parents had used this project to repair their marriage. Caleb is skeptical at first, but finds himself changing and truly understanding the meaning of love.

I actually enjoyed Fireproof the novel even more then the movie. The novel had added scenes and background that really added to the overall story. The book was a very quick read and was highly enjoyable. It is a great book about relationships and what it takes to keep them going.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The ward book group read this, so I looked into it. I read it really fast. It was a case of having a fascination with how terrible it was. Every stereotype of men and women and marriage and born-again Christians is made to be fact in this book. Read it if you want a good laugh, but you will get frustrated with the stupidity.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book teaches you the importance of holding on and doing what is right although it may be extremely hard. If you need ispiration or help with any problem in your life you should definitely pick up a copy of this book and get reading....

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️
Caleb and his wife Catherines marriage is going down hill fast until her father gives him a book to help save his marriage. The love dare. 40 days of challenges to help build your relationship with your wife and with God.

Caleb is also a fire chief so we get alot of fire fighting and station action which I love to read about.

This book was really good. It felt very real. Like these characters were pulled out of real life.

[Nora St Laurent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Caleb is a hero - a hero, that is, to everyone but his wife.

What has happened lately? Things were so great! When did things start
to change? Now his wife wants out - "fine" he thinks. I'll give her
out!! He seems to be the only one doing anything in this marriage
anyway. He never gets any respect from his wife. Doesn't she see all
he pays for and does in their marriage? She just doesn't get it!!
Caleb's thoughts begin to turn to divorce.

When Caleb tells his father that he has been thinking of a divorce,
his father asks him to hold off on the divorce for 40 days. His dad
says that there is a book that he wants Caleb to read -- and follow
what it tells him to do. Out of respect for his father, he honors this
request. The book arrives in the mail - the front cover reads "LOVE
DARE". Caleb starts to read this book "Man, can dad be serious? Why
does he have to do this?" Caleb starts out doing this dare
half-heartedly. He does what he can to get by!! He skips over all
the scripture verses (that's his dad's thing not his), but he does the
practical things mentioned in the book -- nothing more.

Caleb and Katherine get into a huge fight one day. She definitely
wants out and after the fight he is willing to let her go. This "Love
Dare" thing is a joke. He calls his father and informs him that the
dare is off. His father asks if he could just talk to him before he
makes up his mind about anything. Caleb agrees. Caleb's father shares
with him how life can be challenging and how he almost gave up on his
marriage too! Caleb is surprised, but then again knowing his mother,
he isn't. The discussion goes ok until his father starts talking about
his relationship with Jesus. Caleb didn't need a crutch - he didn't
need any help -- thank you very much!! But in a scary way, his father
was starting to make sense. Caleb agrees that the choices he's made
in life have gotten him this far,but it wasn't pretty to look at. What
to do?? This was really tough stuff!

The author, Eric Wilson, had his work cut out for him when he turned
the movie "Fire Proof" into a book. It is a powerful story.
Although I had seen the movie two times before reading the book, it did not spoil the experience for me; it actually filled in the missing pieces the movie didn't cover. The book helped answer the questions I had in my mind while watching the movie. Questions like: How did Catherine and Caleb meet? What was their marriage like before it went bad? It kind of eludes to why their marriage was very strained in the movie, but what did Caleb really think about what he was doing on the internet? How did
Catherine feel about it all? Who was Gavin? This book also includes
pictures from the movie, information on the making of the movie, and
a great letter from Stephen Kendrick about his experience with "Fire
Proof" from his point of view. This book has it all -- it even
includes discussion questions for your book club meeting.

This book takes the movie a little deeper for you with the action,
funny scenes and romance. Eric Wilson does a great job of telling the
rest of the story that the movie didn't have time to tell. I enjoyed
the book so much, I was compelled to do a search for other books that
Eric Wilson has written. Eric has written other novelizations' such
as "Fly Wheel" and "Facing the Giants". Some of his other books
include "Dark to Mortal Eyes", "Expriration Date" and his newest book
"Field of Blood". You'll definitely want to check them out! In Eric's
other books, he is not limited creatively and really comes alive in
his story telling - you definitely won't be disappointed -- I know I
wasn't!!!.


Disclosure of Material Connection:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher. 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”

Nora St.Laurent
The Book Club Network www.bookfun.org
The Book Club Network blog www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Book Fun Magazine www.bookfunmagazine.com

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good, I enjoyed this. It's been too long since I've seen the movie.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a Christian Romance novel, though it's not typical of the category. The romance is portrayed accurate to real life and is mainly from the male point-of-view. I think men would find the book as interesting as women would.

The book isn't terribly preachy and is more a "this character happens to become a Christian" than a "listen up, readers--if you aren't Christian, you ought to be and here's how!" Unless you are vehemently anti-Christian, the Christian content probably won't annoy you.

Because the novel is based on a movie, the novel isn't as deep as it could be. However, it's a lot better than I expected. The pacing was very good. The world-building (of the fire house and hospital) was good. The main characters were interesting. They acted and changed in realistic ways. This book is about loving when the other person rejects you and acknowledges that repairing a broken marriage isn't an easy deal.

[Alicia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have a personal etiquette that I go by: I won't read a book if I've already seen the movie. I feel that it takes something away from the imagination. I opted to go agianst this since this book was written after the movie was released. I had forced myself to read a little more that 100 pages when decided I couldn't read it anymore. It is written pretty much word for word as the movie. I found myself nodding to sleep as I was reading it.

I LOVED the movie enough that I bought it. I feel the author could have done MORE with the book (gone further into the beginning of their relationship of Caleb and Catherine, and as the marriage started to fail). The book may have been okay if I hadn't already seen the movie. However to me, I felt as if I were reading a screenplay. I just couldn't get into it.

[Brent Soderstrum · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was hard for me to rate. I gave it three stars because the story is awesome but it is a "novelization" of a movie. Unlike most book/movies, the movie was done first.

That being said the story is awesome. It is a story about a marriage in which the couple had become strangers in the same house. Really hit home for me. Like the couple in the book I was married seven years and things got tough. Caleb listens to his Dad and accepts the "Love Dare" in which he does various things to give sacrifical love to his wife for 40 days. It seems Caleb's parents had gone through a rough patch also and this had worked for them. There are a couple of twists in the story that bring tears to your eyes.

Either see the movie or read the book. They are the same.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was absolutely amazing. It was well-written, the characters were relatable, and it really made you feel a part of the book. I felt angry, sad, frustrated, happy throughout this whole book with the characters. Being Christian, I especially loved the touch of faith brought into the story. It wasn't overwhelming, yet at the same time, it was the foundation of the entire story. It was real & it was beautiful. It's hard for a book to make me tear up, but this one did it! Highly recommend, especially for serious relationships/marriages...whether it be you want to remind yourself of how blessed you are to be with your partner or need to mend some wounds in your relationship. Very inspiring & uplifting!

[Talleyfamily6 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Several people recommended the movie to me but the book was at the library so I picked it up. It was ok - nothing hard to read. It was thought provoking as the husband began to take the love dare and do things for his wife to demonstrate his committment to their marriage and her friends at work caused her to question his motives. A reminder that sometimes our friends don't give us godly advice and to always compare the advice people give us to what the Bible says.Fireproof

[Natalie Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off, I want to say that I had watched the movie many times before reading the book. I picked up the book expecting for it to be exactly like the movie. At first, I wasn't sure if I would like the book as much since I already knew the story, but I was surprised to find that there are extra scenes in the book that are not in the movie. (Like, that disappearing scene with Wayne was hilarious. And Wayne's sandwich revenge! Lol!)

While I was halfway through reading the story, my brother noticed what book I was engrossed in and started playing the movie. So... of course, I had to watch it again. As I watched the film, I kind of realized that, while the book was well-written, it was easier for me to picture everything after watching the movie.

So yeah, book and movie are both really good. (And the bonus features on the DVD are great, too.)

My only reservation on the book would be that fact that it goes into a bit more detail on some issues than the film does. (I was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable at times.) So while I think the film is fine for family viewing, I don't feel that I can suggest the book as a family read. I would recommend the book to 18+

[Kayleigh Stahl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Shriya Koneru · Rating 1 out of 5]

first time reading a book based on a movie (i think) and it definitely reads like that. I didn’t like it, it felt like reading a screen play. it had no details which made it hard to picture and connect to

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was just a novel about a firefighter when I picked it up, and only as I got well into it did I realize it's actually Christian fiction, which I normally avoid like the plague. The book was indeed a story of a top flight firefighter, having trouble in his marriage, and the challenge his father sets to him to try to sort things out before he pulls the plug and files for divorce.

While the "Love Dare" is based in Christian theology, the message it sends, about how to really take care of and treat your partner well, is universal. The process it introduces should also be universal, but somehow we've lost track of these basics.

You don't have to believe in Jesus to realize that the advice given is clearly very good - and you don't have to even believe in God. It's so important to be able to accept a message wherever it comes from if the point is valid. Edit the theology to suit as needed.

At the end of the day, Fireproof is very much a love story - and a tale of hope for those who are in troubled relationships, complete with a blueprint for how to sort out your issues together, even if only one party is willing to actually do anything. I was so moved by the whole thing that I actually bought The Love Dare itself. Which I haven't yet finished because it was too painful on the heels of a bad breakup of my own, but I will eventually get to it. The truth is that the steps introduced could be used to heal any troubled relationship, with modifications - and be used as a guide for making sure the next one you get into doesn't get into trouble to start with.

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book for my women's bible study. The book was written AFTER the movie "Fireproof" was a success (I never heard of it before, but I guess it's sort of a cult classic with the church groups). I didn't think it was well written, and the background of the characters wasn't developed at all in my opinion, and I know from others who have seen the movie (I haven't) that the emotion from the characters was much more evident in the movie than the book. The story and message is good: A firefighter named Caleb and his wife Catherine begin to have problems in their marriage after 7 years and as they prepare to divorce, Caleb's father convinces him to do a 40-day exercise he calls "The Love Dare". "The Love Dare" challenges Caleb to do something different and positive for his marriage and partner every day for 40 days. He does this without telling Catherine, and slowly she sees changes in him and realizes he is the man she fell in love with. There's some religion thrown in there, but not too much really, because that's another aspect that's not fully developed in my opinion. Which is wierd because it's a Christian movie/book. "The Love Dare" is available as a separate book, and one of the members of our bible study got it and shared it with us, and I thought that was actually really worthwhile.

[Deena · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved this book. One of the main things I loved about it was that it followed the movie almost to a T. That's so incredibly rare and I usually feel let down if the movies and books don't coincide. While there were some really cheesy parts, I found myself unable to put it down towards the end of the book.

One of the negative sides was that I really didn't feel Catherine's emotions as much as I felt Caleb's. To me it felt as though she was whiny and frigid mostly. There was one conversation between her and her mother that I really got a glimpse of what she felt. Otherwise she felt like a bratty teenager. What with her whole pushing her husband away, then cursing him in her mind for leaving. Then when he came back, she got mad that he came back. She was unable to please and I really didn't like her too much.

Caleb on the other hand was more identifiable. I could feel his heart being ripped out.

Overall I would still recommend this book in a heartbeat to anyone.
Five stars for sure.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found out after I started reading this book that it was written after the screenplay for the movie, rather than before. The book does kind of read like a movie. It doesn't have the deepest dialogue and the characters are not as fleshed out as they normally are in books I read. Normally I don't even enjoy Christian fiction that much because they just seem a little light and don't ring quite true for me. On that note I would have given this book, which was a really quick read, only three stars. The reason I didn't and why I did enjoy this book so much? This book has a powerful message, much more powerful than, for instance, "The Shack." I could relate to this book so much having felt like I have had these same feelings and been through some of these same situations. I don't think the book was overly "preachy" either. I know it made me stop and think about my marriage commitment. Make sure you have a box of tissues nearby. I got a little weepy reading it.

[Gabrielle Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fireproof is a strong work of God. Christianity works through every sentence and leeks through every page. A love story with some comedy, that also has a religious message that does not over power the book. Proven stronly the message is shared in a most heart touching way.
For me this book earned a 5 out of 5 stars. The text is not heard to read and you stay sucked into the book. It is possible that this book will change the way we look at marraige these days. It is not a gender bias through all of Caleb and Catherine's problems it shows how each is eqaully responsible for what is happening in their lives together. This book makes us want to challenge our own relationships. It shows us what we have, and that we need to realize the truly special and wonderful things in our lives before we have to lose( or almost lose ) them to find out. This book is not about the love dare, it is a bout love one man dare for his marriage.

[Jerry (Rebel With a Massive Media Library) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Quickie Review

Most people say that the book is always better than the movie, but I'm not sure in this case.  Though there are some great extra details, including how Caleb and Catherine ended up married in the first place, one plot thread not seen in the film messed things up.  (SPOILER WARNING!) Catherine's mom goes on a special version of Wheel of Fortune and wins a boat for Caleb, which didn't sit well with me.  Too many times, I see stories where a hero gives up something only to get immediately rewarded in return.  I don't like that, because that's not how real life works.  Caleb not getting the boat, yet still being happy, shows a true sacrifice.  (END SPOILERS!) If that doesn't bother you, then you should read this, unless you didn't like the film.



Score: 3.75/5

[Shane Embury · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Now Emily's gonna come for me since I always refuse to read romance (and this one didn't even have any sex scenes (so like what was it all for??)))

I'm shocked by how much I liked this. The firefighting action was seriously so good and tbh I'm almost embarrassed by how quickly I got emotionally invested in the characters. You don't have to be religious to gain something from this, it can still show you what love looks like and what forgiveness looks like and what communication (and miscommunication) looks like and if you accept the Christian angle on it all then I guess that's just a bonus.

Also I can't explain how but you can just tell that it was adapted from a movie, like some scenes are almost written like a screenplay or something, sometimes it's cringey or sorta slapstick but sometimes it really worked to help you visualize what's going on. Cool approach.