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Courtship #1
Arms of Love
Enter the world of Joanie Collins and Brandon Vaughn…
Joanie, a strong Catholic woman, setting out in a new career as a journalist, must face one of the greatest challenges of her young life . . . romance. Committed to the values of Christian courtship, Joanie finds herself attracted to the handsome young commercial producer, Brandon - a man living a very worldly lifestyle. Brandon makes every effort to draw the attractive young reporter into his charms and into his world. Meanwhile, Joanie is battling to resist his advances, as she earnestly seeks to bring Jesus into Brandon's life.
Joanie, a strong Catholic woman, setting out in a new career as a journalist, must face one of the greatest challenges of her young life . . . romance. Committed to the values of Christian courtship, Joanie finds herself attracted to the handsome young commercial producer, Brandon - a man living a very worldly lifestyle. Brandon makes every effort to draw the attractive young reporter into his charms and into his world. Meanwhile, Joanie is battling to resist his advances, as she earnestly seeks to bring Jesus into Brandon's life.
396 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2001
19 people are currently reading
276 people want to read
About the author
Carmen Marcoux
3 books30 followersCarmen was born and raised in Saskatoon, the sixth child in a family of seven. In 1988 she obtained
a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband, James, now have seven children of their own, whom they homeschool. They are expecting number eight, due in
December 2006. They belong to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish where they are actively involved in youth, family and music ministries. In January of 2002 Carmen was inspired to write a novel about courtship and chastity. Following
the publishing of Arms of Love, the Marcoux family embarked on a ministry of promoting purity, chastity and courtship. This has led them to organize an annual Purity Rally in their home-town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — where attendance has more than tripled over the past five years!
Carmen has spoken at a number of events including
• as a key-note speaker at a Catholic Family
Conference in Nova Scotia, Canada
• a Pure Fashion Show
• various chastity events
• a Dead Theologian Society
• Pro-Life rallies
• Pro-Life banquets
• high schools
• parent groups
• 100 Huntley Street Television Program
(with Rhonda Glenn)
• EWTN Radio (Next Wave Faithful with
Stephanie Wood)
• Detroit Catholic Radio (Live from the
Shrine with Mary Dudley)
• St. Louis Catholic Radio (Splendor of You
with Deby Schlapprizzi)
• Relevant Radio (Catholic Bookmarks with
Frank Morrock)
• Carmen has also appeared on EWTN’s
ever-popular show Life on the Rock with
Fr Francis.
Young people are truly responding to the message
of Christian Courtship. Having seen the
a B.Ed. from the University of Saskatchewan. She and her husband, James, now have seven children of their own, whom they homeschool. They are expecting number eight, due in
December 2006. They belong to Our Lady of Lourdes Parish where they are actively involved in youth, family and music ministries. In January of 2002 Carmen was inspired to write a novel about courtship and chastity. Following
the publishing of Arms of Love, the Marcoux family embarked on a ministry of promoting purity, chastity and courtship. This has led them to organize an annual Purity Rally in their home-town of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan — where attendance has more than tripled over the past five years!
Carmen has spoken at a number of events including
• as a key-note speaker at a Catholic Family
Conference in Nova Scotia, Canada
• a Pure Fashion Show
• various chastity events
• a Dead Theologian Society
• Pro-Life rallies
• Pro-Life banquets
• high schools
• parent groups
• 100 Huntley Street Television Program
(with Rhonda Glenn)
• EWTN Radio (Next Wave Faithful with
Stephanie Wood)
• Detroit Catholic Radio (Live from the
Shrine with Mary Dudley)
• St. Louis Catholic Radio (Splendor of You
with Deby Schlapprizzi)
• Relevant Radio (Catholic Bookmarks with
Frank Morrock)
• Carmen has also appeared on EWTN’s
ever-popular show Life on the Rock with
Fr Francis.
Young people are truly responding to the message
of Christian Courtship. Having seen the
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
August 18, 2015
This is the kind of book that I knew what would happen even before I cracked open the cover.
First of all, the main characters are too perfect. Although Brandon is initially flawed, after his conversion he begins to fill the role of Dream Man: he's tan, muscular, charming, good-looking, is "superlative" at guitar, has a magnetic personality, is a natural public speaker, was captain and MVP of his high school football team, is great at his job, etc. Joanie is even more cloyingly perfect. She "smiles sweetly" a lot, and apparently—by her own admission—nothing ever bothers her (91). In addition, she's excellent at her job, a talented musician and singer, has lovely handwriting, is very beautiful, kids love her, and is great at sports. I want to like her, but she just never feels real. In fact, the only thing that Joanie might lack is fashion sense: overall shorts and a dress worn over a t-shirt are mentioned as two of her style choices (47). I guess this does take place in 1996, though. That's another thing . . . I wonder why the author set the book in 1996 if she wrote it in 2002?
Joanie's family also feels unrealistic. The author seems to purposely play up the big-homeschooling-family stereotypes. They are very into music, spend a lot of time playing cards, and are all talented, beautiful, and/or adorable. They come across as mostly very nice, but it's just too idealized. Even the few moments of family friction seem tacked on and disingenuous.
At times, the writing style is very heavy-handed. Even simple things like getting out of bed are construed with dramatic philosophical meaning: “She was fighting an interior battle against the temptation to stay in her warm bed” (20). Even though I agree with the worldview and religious beliefs of the characters, the teachable elements don't exactly come across seamlessly. One incident I found particularly hard to swallow was Maggie's supernatural knowledge of Brandon's spiritual attack. But, well, maybe I'm just too cynical.
There are also some parts of the book that seem very out of place and left me wondering why the author included them. For example, there's a random paragraph or two about the Collins children expecting a thunderstorm (352). Was that supposed to be a metaphor for something?
When I originally read this book, I was surprised by mentions of guitar playing at Mass and young adult praise and worship events. At the time, I wasn't very familiar with charismatic Catholicism, but that seems to be what their church is. I have no problem with the charismatic movement (my interaction with it has actually been overwhelmingly positive), but when I first read the book I was confused by these aspects.
There is a bit of coarse language in this—not very much, but more than I would expect in a Catholic book. Some of the words may not even be considered swearing, but I'm not sure they were necessary.
It seemed like all the conversions in this happened too fast. Of course God can work in whatever timing He wishes, but it's unrealistic that so many characters would completely change after their single "aha" moment and from then on never really falter. I also wonder what would have happened if Joanie and Brandon's relationship hadn't worked out. Would Brandon stay Catholic? So much of his faith was intertwined with his attachment to Joanie.
I think books like this might cause people to expect too much from a relationship. As mentioned above, Brandon and Joanie are portrayed as pretty near perfect. The story would be more realistic and helpful if it showed the couple working through legitimate challenges together. Of course there is Brandon’s past, but he is so clearly over that now, it’s almost a non-struggle for him. It's not that I think people should lower their standards—I definitely don't think that—but, well, there has only ever been one perfect person on this earth, and He was God. This article does a better job at conveying what I'm trying to say!
I don't really understand the need to change the name of dating to "courtship." I think it's very possible to have a pure and Christ-centered dating experience. I like the idea of spending lots of time with families and groups, but I think anyone could incorporate that into their relationship if they wanted to. I don't think what it's called is really that important. I did like a lot of the ideas presented in this book, in regard to courtship/dating/whatever-you-call-it, even if the way it was presented wasn't always the most natural. I admire the foundation of friendship and respect, and that is something I definitely want to base my own relationships on. I also appreciated that the couple kept Jesus at the center of their love, and that they fostered a spontaneous relationship with Him throughout the day. To "pray without ceasing" is something that I need to get better at. I often forget to ask God's help or seek His will as I go about my everyday routine. I also liked that they brought up the whole theme of loving someone enough to let him/her go, to truly want what is best for the other person (340). My two favorite quotes from the book were: "By uniting our sufferings to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, Satan is robbed of the power of sin” (342) and “Sometimes to live out love is even harder than to die for love” (343). So there were some good thoughts in the book, but I just found the overall characterization and writing style to be a bit too idealized and preachy.
{Edited: 08/18/15}
First of all, the main characters are too perfect. Although Brandon is initially flawed, after his conversion he begins to fill the role of Dream Man: he's tan, muscular, charming, good-looking, is "superlative" at guitar, has a magnetic personality, is a natural public speaker, was captain and MVP of his high school football team, is great at his job, etc. Joanie is even more cloyingly perfect. She "smiles sweetly" a lot, and apparently—by her own admission—nothing ever bothers her (91). In addition, she's excellent at her job, a talented musician and singer, has lovely handwriting, is very beautiful, kids love her, and is great at sports. I want to like her, but she just never feels real. In fact, the only thing that Joanie might lack is fashion sense: overall shorts and a dress worn over a t-shirt are mentioned as two of her style choices (47). I guess this does take place in 1996, though. That's another thing . . . I wonder why the author set the book in 1996 if she wrote it in 2002?
Joanie's family also feels unrealistic. The author seems to purposely play up the big-homeschooling-family stereotypes. They are very into music, spend a lot of time playing cards, and are all talented, beautiful, and/or adorable. They come across as mostly very nice, but it's just too idealized. Even the few moments of family friction seem tacked on and disingenuous.
At times, the writing style is very heavy-handed. Even simple things like getting out of bed are construed with dramatic philosophical meaning: “She was fighting an interior battle against the temptation to stay in her warm bed” (20). Even though I agree with the worldview and religious beliefs of the characters, the teachable elements don't exactly come across seamlessly. One incident I found particularly hard to swallow was Maggie's supernatural knowledge of Brandon's spiritual attack. But, well, maybe I'm just too cynical.
There are also some parts of the book that seem very out of place and left me wondering why the author included them. For example, there's a random paragraph or two about the Collins children expecting a thunderstorm (352). Was that supposed to be a metaphor for something?
When I originally read this book, I was surprised by mentions of guitar playing at Mass and young adult praise and worship events. At the time, I wasn't very familiar with charismatic Catholicism, but that seems to be what their church is. I have no problem with the charismatic movement (my interaction with it has actually been overwhelmingly positive), but when I first read the book I was confused by these aspects.
There is a bit of coarse language in this—not very much, but more than I would expect in a Catholic book. Some of the words may not even be considered swearing, but I'm not sure they were necessary.
It seemed like all the conversions in this happened too fast. Of course God can work in whatever timing He wishes, but it's unrealistic that so many characters would completely change after their single "aha" moment and from then on never really falter. I also wonder what would have happened if Joanie and Brandon's relationship hadn't worked out. Would Brandon stay Catholic? So much of his faith was intertwined with his attachment to Joanie.
I think books like this might cause people to expect too much from a relationship. As mentioned above, Brandon and Joanie are portrayed as pretty near perfect. The story would be more realistic and helpful if it showed the couple working through legitimate challenges together. Of course there is Brandon’s past, but he is so clearly over that now, it’s almost a non-struggle for him. It's not that I think people should lower their standards—I definitely don't think that—but, well, there has only ever been one perfect person on this earth, and He was God. This article does a better job at conveying what I'm trying to say!
I don't really understand the need to change the name of dating to "courtship." I think it's very possible to have a pure and Christ-centered dating experience. I like the idea of spending lots of time with families and groups, but I think anyone could incorporate that into their relationship if they wanted to. I don't think what it's called is really that important. I did like a lot of the ideas presented in this book, in regard to courtship/dating/whatever-you-call-it, even if the way it was presented wasn't always the most natural. I admire the foundation of friendship and respect, and that is something I definitely want to base my own relationships on. I also appreciated that the couple kept Jesus at the center of their love, and that they fostered a spontaneous relationship with Him throughout the day. To "pray without ceasing" is something that I need to get better at. I often forget to ask God's help or seek His will as I go about my everyday routine. I also liked that they brought up the whole theme of loving someone enough to let him/her go, to truly want what is best for the other person (340). My two favorite quotes from the book were: "By uniting our sufferings to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, Satan is robbed of the power of sin” (342) and “Sometimes to live out love is even harder than to die for love” (343). So there were some good thoughts in the book, but I just found the overall characterization and writing style to be a bit too idealized and preachy.
{Edited: 08/18/15}
September 10, 2017
I was a conservative home schooled Catholic girl of about 15 when I read this book, and even then I couldn't help but find it repulsive. First of all, the writing quality is inferior. I've been more grammatically educated by Safeway paperbacks.
Something that really bothered me about this book was how petty it was. Joanie's thoughts are constantly for Jesus. She prays to Jesus for every single little thing, including helping her get out of bed in the morning and knowing what to say next in a conversation with an attractive member of the opposite sex, as if she has no idea how to do it on her own (great reinforcement of the theory that home schooling your kids is a perfectly healthy way of breaking them into social culture). I personally don't know how anyone could ever find her attractive or admirable, especially a smart, well-liked and flirtatious guy like Brandon. In my experience, girls who wear their faith on their sleeve put guys off.
But nothing tops how simply wrong the message of the story is. The WORST idea you can plant in the mind of a girl is that converting and marrying a "bad boy" like Brandon is perfectly achievable. Every girl - Catholic or not - DREAMS of gaining access to the heart of a bad boy and bringing him to the realization that her love is everything he needs. The mere thought is porn for women, and it's about as realistic as porn too. A beautiful woman ripping her clothes off the moment a strange dude shoves his hand down her pants is about as likely to happen as a tormented guy converting to Catholicism when he sees a girl say grace in the break room.
"Arms of Love" is a shallow, petty, unrealistic, and ultimately misleading waste of time. Don't even bother with it.
Something that really bothered me about this book was how petty it was. Joanie's thoughts are constantly for Jesus. She prays to Jesus for every single little thing, including helping her get out of bed in the morning and knowing what to say next in a conversation with an attractive member of the opposite sex, as if she has no idea how to do it on her own (great reinforcement of the theory that home schooling your kids is a perfectly healthy way of breaking them into social culture). I personally don't know how anyone could ever find her attractive or admirable, especially a smart, well-liked and flirtatious guy like Brandon. In my experience, girls who wear their faith on their sleeve put guys off.
But nothing tops how simply wrong the message of the story is. The WORST idea you can plant in the mind of a girl is that converting and marrying a "bad boy" like Brandon is perfectly achievable. Every girl - Catholic or not - DREAMS of gaining access to the heart of a bad boy and bringing him to the realization that her love is everything he needs. The mere thought is porn for women, and it's about as realistic as porn too. A beautiful woman ripping her clothes off the moment a strange dude shoves his hand down her pants is about as likely to happen as a tormented guy converting to Catholicism when he sees a girl say grace in the break room.
"Arms of Love" is a shallow, petty, unrealistic, and ultimately misleading waste of time. Don't even bother with it.
June 6, 2018
I realize that mine is the unpopular opinion, but I read this book when I was in high school and loved it, thought it was so romantic, didn't kiss my first boyfriend because of it, etc etc.
I recently reread it, as a happily married adult, and realized that, though well intentioned, this book is pure propaganda aimed at teens, very clearly pushing a very conservative agenda. And frankly, I didn't like the unrealistic lengths it went to in order to realize that agenda.
Everyone who Joanie meets IMMEDIATELY converts or reconverts to Catholicism with no backsliding to their previous "hedonistic" lifestyles whatsoever.
The one girl who meets Joanie and immediately informs her boyfriend not only that she's moving back in with her parents (despite being a grown woman who can afford to live alone) but that she refuses to use contraception anymore? Despite absolutely no previous indication that she had any problem with it? Give me a break.
I'm all for loving Jesus and for living a chaste lifestyle, but this book is clearly trying to push a message on teenagers and impressionable young women that there is only one acceptable lifestyle, period, and deviating from it will make you miserable until you meet someone who gets you back on the correct path. I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's true.
I did give it one extra star for Joanie's family, especially the scene exemplifying "Love is a choice, not a feeling." I think that's the right message to take away from the book.
*Review based on reread in September 2015
I recently reread it, as a happily married adult, and realized that, though well intentioned, this book is pure propaganda aimed at teens, very clearly pushing a very conservative agenda. And frankly, I didn't like the unrealistic lengths it went to in order to realize that agenda.
Everyone who Joanie meets IMMEDIATELY converts or reconverts to Catholicism with no backsliding to their previous "hedonistic" lifestyles whatsoever.
The one girl who meets Joanie and immediately informs her boyfriend not only that she's moving back in with her parents (despite being a grown woman who can afford to live alone) but that she refuses to use contraception anymore? Despite absolutely no previous indication that she had any problem with it? Give me a break.
I'm all for loving Jesus and for living a chaste lifestyle, but this book is clearly trying to push a message on teenagers and impressionable young women that there is only one acceptable lifestyle, period, and deviating from it will make you miserable until you meet someone who gets you back on the correct path. I'm sorry, but I just don't think that's true.
I did give it one extra star for Joanie's family, especially the scene exemplifying "Love is a choice, not a feeling." I think that's the right message to take away from the book.
*Review based on reread in September 2015
July 14, 2010
This is a book from a Catholic point of view. As I am extremely Catholic and conservative myself, this was totally natural for me. It was a book set in my world. But for people of other beliefs, it might seem a little bit pushy.
However, this book presents Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body very thoroughly. It shows the importance of chastity, the beauty of courtship, etc etc. I learned a bunch, and I know people from other faiths can too.
The writing style isn't exactly great. But if you stop thinking of it as a book, and think of it as a story your grandma or somebody is telling you about real people, then it's a little easier to take. And it really is a sweet story, sweet as in "awwwwwww". I'd recommend it to girls looking for love - since no guy could never get past all the lovey-dovey stuff, and the guys I know could never get past the sub-par writing. :)
October 2, 2007
This book was cheesecake on two cheese crackers, but I loved the message and the inspiration behind it. I had to really get over my cynicism to get through the dialogue, but once I viewed it as more of a very light spiritual reading, it became a much better read. I agree with other reviewers that the book doesn't really deal with internal struggles of conversion and living the faith. The author gives only a few situations where the people are not saints, and even then they aren't really bad. And I think it was a tad unrealistic that none of the converted ever fell back into "evil ways", but when you look past that, it is a great way to introduce the idea of courtship which I thought was great.
May 10, 2012
My Dad gave me this book. I was offended at first, thinking he thought of me as some kind of hussy. The more I read it the more I enjoy it and realized that anyone struggling with dating/love/life could enjoy this book and get something out of it
July 10, 2013
All of these ratings are on a 1-10 scale.
Writing Quality: 2
This is a terribly written book. Comma usage is often incorrect (unless it's a Canadian style I don't know about?). Besides that, it's super cheesy. (when out canoeing, "They were about to get really wet!" Really. I was wondering.) The style is overall immature and forced casual - lie saying "best of pals." I hated how certain elements (the fact that Brandon is a great public speaker) were just thrown in for the sake of making either character more perfect. But it did have some good quips or cute lines occasionally, which spared it a 1.
Pace: 4
This book lingers and plods along, dragging out certain moments that were very similar to moments seen before. However, it does maintain a distinct timeline which is easy to follow. I appreciated that.
Plot Development: 4
The plot was very easy to follow and straightforward: Boy meets girl. Girl converts boy to Christianity. They fall in love and convert the world. But that's just it: it's unrealistic. No one converts that quickly. Well, in the book no one was strongly atheist to begin with. I'd like Joanie to meet some hardcore liberals and see what happens. Also, the two plots (romance and Christianity) were so intertwined as to leave you with only one plot. This could be a good thing (if you favor one-plot stories) or a bad thing (if you prefer epics and subplots like me).
Characters: 7
Though unrealistic for the most part, I felt like I knew the characters extremely well by the end. If Joanie walked in the room, I would feel comfortable talking to her. Not Brandon so much, as I was viewing the story from his perspective (so he was me). I could visualize Caroline and James without difficulty. While I didn't fully distinguish the Collins family, I enjoyed Grandpa, Grandma, and Jessie especially and I wish I could be at their family parties.
Enjoyability: 5
It's very difficult to get past the horrible writing quality for this book. Yet if you peer into the message, it becomes very powerful. And like I said, the reader knows the characters. That makes it enjoyable, but every time one picks it up one must absorb the bad writing.
Insightfulness: 9
I was impressed with some of the truths this book presented. Like the idea that waiting until marriage for sex would deepen respect in a relationship: not only respect for a person, but respect for their boundaries. I appreciated the opportunity to grow in my faith alongside Brandon. The one thing I will critique on: they keep saying "becoming a Christian," but then suddenly everyone is Catholic. Believing Jesus as your Lord only makes you Baptist; I would have liked to have more emphasis on the Eucharist since they are Catholic.
Ease of reading: 9
There aren't any secrets in this book. Every word on the page is exactly what is meant. Combine that with low-intelligence-friendly phrases like "best of pals," and this book is 100% readable. Except for the terrible writing quality, which prevents a 10 rating.
All this averages to a 5.7, making a 2.9 on a 5/5 scale, rounding off to a 3.
Writing Quality: 2
This is a terribly written book. Comma usage is often incorrect (unless it's a Canadian style I don't know about?). Besides that, it's super cheesy. (when out canoeing, "They were about to get really wet!" Really. I was wondering.) The style is overall immature and forced casual - lie saying "best of pals." I hated how certain elements (the fact that Brandon is a great public speaker) were just thrown in for the sake of making either character more perfect. But it did have some good quips or cute lines occasionally, which spared it a 1.
Pace: 4
This book lingers and plods along, dragging out certain moments that were very similar to moments seen before. However, it does maintain a distinct timeline which is easy to follow. I appreciated that.
Plot Development: 4
The plot was very easy to follow and straightforward: Boy meets girl. Girl converts boy to Christianity. They fall in love and convert the world. But that's just it: it's unrealistic. No one converts that quickly. Well, in the book no one was strongly atheist to begin with. I'd like Joanie to meet some hardcore liberals and see what happens. Also, the two plots (romance and Christianity) were so intertwined as to leave you with only one plot. This could be a good thing (if you favor one-plot stories) or a bad thing (if you prefer epics and subplots like me).
Characters: 7
Though unrealistic for the most part, I felt like I knew the characters extremely well by the end. If Joanie walked in the room, I would feel comfortable talking to her. Not Brandon so much, as I was viewing the story from his perspective (so he was me). I could visualize Caroline and James without difficulty. While I didn't fully distinguish the Collins family, I enjoyed Grandpa, Grandma, and Jessie especially and I wish I could be at their family parties.
Enjoyability: 5
It's very difficult to get past the horrible writing quality for this book. Yet if you peer into the message, it becomes very powerful. And like I said, the reader knows the characters. That makes it enjoyable, but every time one picks it up one must absorb the bad writing.
Insightfulness: 9
I was impressed with some of the truths this book presented. Like the idea that waiting until marriage for sex would deepen respect in a relationship: not only respect for a person, but respect for their boundaries. I appreciated the opportunity to grow in my faith alongside Brandon. The one thing I will critique on: they keep saying "becoming a Christian," but then suddenly everyone is Catholic. Believing Jesus as your Lord only makes you Baptist; I would have liked to have more emphasis on the Eucharist since they are Catholic.
Ease of reading: 9
There aren't any secrets in this book. Every word on the page is exactly what is meant. Combine that with low-intelligence-friendly phrases like "best of pals," and this book is 100% readable. Except for the terrible writing quality, which prevents a 10 rating.
All this averages to a 5.7, making a 2.9 on a 5/5 scale, rounding off to a 3.
January 26, 2008
A thoroughly Roman Catholic homeschool affirming, pro-life romance novel espousing the teachings of the Church regarding love, family life, courtship, conversion, and vocations. A beautifully written and moving story, this is an excellent book for youth discerning married life and for the rest of us who sometimes forget that it is the Lord after all who is at the heart of all romance.
August 5, 2016
This was incredible heart wrenching book for me. What beautiful truth wrapped in a lovely, romantic tale. It makes me want to be a better wife and mother but most importantly gives great advice/ideas for raising strong catholic children for Christ who will hold on to their purity until the Christ-chosen spouse comes along!
April 21, 2017
This book started out great....and then took a turn for the worse. I'll start with what I liked in this book.
-It had some good morals (pro-life, pro-abstinence)
-It had a captivating beginning
Sadly, my pro list is small. What I didn't like is below.
-Arms of Love had characters that were unconnectable to, and acted unrealistically. In what way? They had thought processes and lives that most people their age don't have, which were certainly foreign to me. When I tried to put myself in the shoes of the main characters, not only did they almost always do the opposite of what I would have done, but their rationalizations didn't seem real. The rationalizations seemed like they were quoting a religion book (they probably were!)
Let me give an example. The main character, Jonie, on page 92, decides, after being given an 11:30 curfew,
" She might be twenty two, but she was still living under her parent's roof. And she loved them for giving her guidelines. She would honor them with her obedience.
Excuse me?! Average 22 year olds do NOT love their parents for giving them rules. The author writes as though she is a mother transcribing a book for her children, hoping that through creating the protagonist to be her version of the perfect daughter, some of that perfection will rub off on the reader. Arms of Love reads like it has sacrificed the authenticity of the characters, ignoring the realistic nature and feelings of persons their age, in favor of impressing readers into desiring obedience and other virtues the author admires. Lines like that were a huge turn off for me.
-The book was incredibly preachy. It was in context, because Jonie was converting Brandon, but readers got more than a hint that the Jesus lectures were just as much aimed at them as at Brandon.
-Brandon was impossibly infatuated with Jonie. It just doesn't happen. Sure, in a paranormal novel, it's not only normal, but expected. But Brandon isn't some paranormal man with the superpower to be the believable perfect guy, who just happens to be infatuated with the main girl. He is a normal human guy, and so his 'love at first sight' affair totally bored me. Yeah, girls can bring guys that like them to Jesus. But it doesn't happen as Arms of Love tells it.
-The middle was entirely dull in my experience.
-You wait the whole book for the first real kiss...and then you don't get it. Grrrr.
-The manner in which Jonie is almost scared to be attracted to a guy was bizarre, given no reasons are presented which would explain this reaction, and for me it ruined the book's potential to create an enjoyable, romance novel.
Hope you find this helpful!
-It had some good morals (pro-life, pro-abstinence)
-It had a captivating beginning
Sadly, my pro list is small. What I didn't like is below.
-Arms of Love had characters that were unconnectable to, and acted unrealistically. In what way? They had thought processes and lives that most people their age don't have, which were certainly foreign to me. When I tried to put myself in the shoes of the main characters, not only did they almost always do the opposite of what I would have done, but their rationalizations didn't seem real. The rationalizations seemed like they were quoting a religion book (they probably were!)
Let me give an example. The main character, Jonie, on page 92, decides, after being given an 11:30 curfew,
" She might be twenty two, but she was still living under her parent's roof. And she loved them for giving her guidelines. She would honor them with her obedience.
Excuse me?! Average 22 year olds do NOT love their parents for giving them rules. The author writes as though she is a mother transcribing a book for her children, hoping that through creating the protagonist to be her version of the perfect daughter, some of that perfection will rub off on the reader. Arms of Love reads like it has sacrificed the authenticity of the characters, ignoring the realistic nature and feelings of persons their age, in favor of impressing readers into desiring obedience and other virtues the author admires. Lines like that were a huge turn off for me.
-The book was incredibly preachy. It was in context, because Jonie was converting Brandon, but readers got more than a hint that the Jesus lectures were just as much aimed at them as at Brandon.
-Brandon was impossibly infatuated with Jonie. It just doesn't happen. Sure, in a paranormal novel, it's not only normal, but expected. But Brandon isn't some paranormal man with the superpower to be the believable perfect guy, who just happens to be infatuated with the main girl. He is a normal human guy, and so his 'love at first sight' affair totally bored me. Yeah, girls can bring guys that like them to Jesus. But it doesn't happen as Arms of Love tells it.
-The middle was entirely dull in my experience.
-You wait the whole book for the first real kiss...and then you don't get it. Grrrr.
-The manner in which Jonie is almost scared to be attracted to a guy was bizarre, given no reasons are presented which would explain this reaction, and for me it ruined the book's potential to create an enjoyable, romance novel.
Hope you find this helpful!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 22, 2015
FIRST OFF THIS IS HANDS DOWN ONE OF MY FAVOURITE BOOKS .
Now back to the review, i was given this book a few years back by a friend. I can honestly say, the story and the plot were amazing, but i was more connected to the characters.
This love story, about how a beautiful lady falling in love with this man, who at the time wasn't good for her.. End found himself in Christ and became her perfect man with the help of the Lord.
They fought over temptations, and ugh just so touching.
This was a amazing read, and i'm definitely keeping this one, for a very long time; it gives me hope.
Thanks for a amazing novel, I'm surprised not much people have read this.
It deserves to be read, a total life changer for me. I saw love, a bit more differently after this novel.
With the Lord.. he can change all things, and people.
Thank you once again Carmen
Now back to the review, i was given this book a few years back by a friend. I can honestly say, the story and the plot were amazing, but i was more connected to the characters.
This love story, about how a beautiful lady falling in love with this man, who at the time wasn't good for her.. End found himself in Christ and became her perfect man with the help of the Lord.
They fought over temptations, and ugh just so touching.
This was a amazing read, and i'm definitely keeping this one, for a very long time; it gives me hope.
Thanks for a amazing novel, I'm surprised not much people have read this.
It deserves to be read, a total life changer for me. I saw love, a bit more differently after this novel.
With the Lord.. he can change all things, and people.
Thank you once again Carmen
April 4, 2022
I read this as a young teenage girl and even then it honestly drove me insane for a few different reasons. I don’t think that it’s a great message that girls should go out and convert a “bad boy,” and that he’ll be completely transformed by how wonderful you are. I just didn’t find the book genuine or well written. I think it could even have some harmful messages.
I definitely think there was good intention behind it, though. I kind of feel bad writing this review because I’m sure the woman who wrote this is a wonderful person with the greatest of intentions. But I remember when I read it (when it was first written) having a lot of frustrations with it, and I still agree with my young teenage self…
I definitely think there was good intention behind it, though. I kind of feel bad writing this review because I’m sure the woman who wrote this is a wonderful person with the greatest of intentions. But I remember when I read it (when it was first written) having a lot of frustrations with it, and I still agree with my young teenage self…
March 19, 2019
It's so hard to write a review for this...because there are so many things I didn't like about it. I really didn't like how the author wrote, and to me the characters felt really fake. There were many times in the book were I had to take a break from reading because I was just like ugghghhhhhh!!!!
I could say a lot more, but I'll just leave it at that so I don't write a huge paragraph. XD
On the positive side, I learned about what courting is, and I feel like I have a better understanding of marriage. Also, while reading this I started to want to grow in my faith more, which is great! Overall, I got something out of reading this, despite all of the things that annoyed me.
I could say a lot more, but I'll just leave it at that so I don't write a huge paragraph. XD
On the positive side, I learned about what courting is, and I feel like I have a better understanding of marriage. Also, while reading this I started to want to grow in my faith more, which is great! Overall, I got something out of reading this, despite all of the things that annoyed me.
June 2, 2008
I read this book when it first came out several years ago. I've lent it out multiple times and just got it back again. I re-read it this week to decide if my 15 yo was ready to read this book and officially passed it on to her yesterday.
This is a story of a Catholic family, living a life of faith and the 'coming of age" of their teens as they explore the concepts of dating and chastity. This book does a wonderful job of exploring the tenets of Theology of the Body.
This is a story of a Catholic family, living a life of faith and the 'coming of age" of their teens as they explore the concepts of dating and chastity. This book does a wonderful job of exploring the tenets of Theology of the Body.
January 29, 2010
This book is downright AMAZING. The story of Christian courtship in modern world is just astounding. The characters are very real to me; very inspiring. This a book that needs to be put out there, for all to read. Kudos to Mrs. Marcoux for putting out such a beautiful message of marriage and purity through her writing!!
January 27, 2009
Recommended by several friends. This is a good story however I could have done without the author's moments of lengthy soapbox catechesis. Definitely agree that some areas are over the top, but overall it was still a good read.
November 21, 2007
A very amazing book outlining a set of ideals not seen in today's society. Occasionally the style can be lacking, but the content makes up for it.
January 5, 2008
This is an amazing story about love and courtship. It does have it's corny moments, but the love they have for each other is so inspiring to others who want more from life.
March 3, 2009
Excellent model of a Christian family.
September 11, 2009
A little corny with too many "perfect" situations, but still a good book with a great message.
July 15, 2015
This book was great! I really enjoyed it! :) A nice outlook on courting and why it's a good idea. :D
Definitely a must read for young Catholics!
Definitely a must read for young Catholics!
January 17, 2024
for context, this is a book i had to read for school. the book already had that” they are making me read this” factor going for it, but the actual content of the book made it worse. DISCLAIMER⚠️: i do not mean to defile this author or her livelihood. i am just sharing my honest opinion about a book i read.
this book follows a story of a mid twenties woman named Joanie. she is an EXTREMELY devout Catholic, and lives with her parents and numerous siblings. the story also follows playboy Brandon. it is a basic bad boy-good girl trope, but unlike other books, it had no umph added to it. as an avid reader i engulf myself in many tropes and have my favorite. this trope being my second favorite, the book really upsetted me in many ways. i go to a catholic school and am a devout catholic also. i have a love for God, but this book took it to another level. here are the reasons of my dislike for the book…
1) this story is a very strung out book. the events in this book have a 4/10 ratio of importance in the story.
the family aspect was the only reason it received one star, but i still couldn’t remember all of the kids’ names. i was often times found confused over which character was which in the terms of their importance.
2) the actual fmc (female main character) was a 23 year old woman who recently started a new job, when she meets a coworker who constantly has a new woman in his bed. the immediate second he sees her he wants her. the thing is, the minute he hears her say grace over her meal, he converts to catholicism. that is the most unrealistic concept i have ever heard, seen, or read. these things take time. there is no instance that someone immediately devotes their life into something. the person needs to build themself up to the task. that was a first red flag for me.
3) this woman,23 years old mind you, lives in her parents house. that is not the only problem. she also asks her father permission to have a courtship with this other individual. i am a 15 year old, but i have never heard of a courtship. maybe that’s just the society we live in, but the lack of respect joanie seems to have for herself is unrespectable. it’s not that she doesn’t want to date Brandon, it just looks from the outside as if she just doesn’t want to make a decision. she looks like she doesn’t want to be the one that says no, so that she can say “my dad says no” as if she is a child. i may have an obscure opinion on this matter, but it is one i believe in.
4) she prays to Jesus over everything. whether it is getting up in the morning, to her decisions on lunch, to having to talk to the other sex about WORK! i dedicate 5 minutes a day to a conversation with Jesus, but i trust myself to make those decisions. i ask for guidance yes, but not for Jesus to do it for me.
5) they don’t even kiss until their wedding day. this is not the worst thing about the book, but it confuses me. this book is listed as a contemporary romance. so why is their a lack of romance. the words used of endearment are cheesy at best, and the loving words they throw at eachother are very cringy. when you fall in love, you fall in love with the touch of that person, their scent, their words, their constant being. when there is a lack of any of those, it seems off. i 100% understand their celibacy. that is a personal choice you make with your significant other, but not even having a kiss before your wedding day is a little odd to me.
all in all, this book was not the finest that has been printed. please don’t waste your time with this one, because there are very controversial takes in it that not all agree with. it was corny, cheesy, and overall unrealistic in all aspects. please take this information as you will and be aware of the topics that are discussed in the book.
xo,
sophie
this book follows a story of a mid twenties woman named Joanie. she is an EXTREMELY devout Catholic, and lives with her parents and numerous siblings. the story also follows playboy Brandon. it is a basic bad boy-good girl trope, but unlike other books, it had no umph added to it. as an avid reader i engulf myself in many tropes and have my favorite. this trope being my second favorite, the book really upsetted me in many ways. i go to a catholic school and am a devout catholic also. i have a love for God, but this book took it to another level. here are the reasons of my dislike for the book…
1) this story is a very strung out book. the events in this book have a 4/10 ratio of importance in the story.
the family aspect was the only reason it received one star, but i still couldn’t remember all of the kids’ names. i was often times found confused over which character was which in the terms of their importance.
2) the actual fmc (female main character) was a 23 year old woman who recently started a new job, when she meets a coworker who constantly has a new woman in his bed. the immediate second he sees her he wants her. the thing is, the minute he hears her say grace over her meal, he converts to catholicism. that is the most unrealistic concept i have ever heard, seen, or read. these things take time. there is no instance that someone immediately devotes their life into something. the person needs to build themself up to the task. that was a first red flag for me.
3) this woman,23 years old mind you, lives in her parents house. that is not the only problem. she also asks her father permission to have a courtship with this other individual. i am a 15 year old, but i have never heard of a courtship. maybe that’s just the society we live in, but the lack of respect joanie seems to have for herself is unrespectable. it’s not that she doesn’t want to date Brandon, it just looks from the outside as if she just doesn’t want to make a decision. she looks like she doesn’t want to be the one that says no, so that she can say “my dad says no” as if she is a child. i may have an obscure opinion on this matter, but it is one i believe in.
4) she prays to Jesus over everything. whether it is getting up in the morning, to her decisions on lunch, to having to talk to the other sex about WORK! i dedicate 5 minutes a day to a conversation with Jesus, but i trust myself to make those decisions. i ask for guidance yes, but not for Jesus to do it for me.
5) they don’t even kiss until their wedding day. this is not the worst thing about the book, but it confuses me. this book is listed as a contemporary romance. so why is their a lack of romance. the words used of endearment are cheesy at best, and the loving words they throw at eachother are very cringy. when you fall in love, you fall in love with the touch of that person, their scent, their words, their constant being. when there is a lack of any of those, it seems off. i 100% understand their celibacy. that is a personal choice you make with your significant other, but not even having a kiss before your wedding day is a little odd to me.
all in all, this book was not the finest that has been printed. please don’t waste your time with this one, because there are very controversial takes in it that not all agree with. it was corny, cheesy, and overall unrealistic in all aspects. please take this information as you will and be aware of the topics that are discussed in the book.
xo,
sophie
January 3, 2026
A book so repulsive it haunts me 4 years later. It’s as if someone wrote Catholic fanfiction about A Walk to Remember.
Only fond memory was getting a 100 on an essay I wrote about the unrealistic depiction of conversion and the awful view on abuse. Made that case to my school and guess what… it’s still taught to freshmen!
Back in the day we’d play a game where we’d flip the book to a random part and try to find the worst sentence on the page. *gasp* the main male character goes to HOOTERS and things doing the sign of the cross before lunch is so (sexy) EXOTIC.
Remember kids… footsie will lead to sexual temptation and sexual temptation leads to hell. Hide those ankles!
Only fond memory was getting a 100 on an essay I wrote about the unrealistic depiction of conversion and the awful view on abuse. Made that case to my school and guess what… it’s still taught to freshmen!
Back in the day we’d play a game where we’d flip the book to a random part and try to find the worst sentence on the page. *gasp* the main male character goes to HOOTERS and things doing the sign of the cross before lunch is so (sexy) EXOTIC.
Remember kids… footsie will lead to sexual temptation and sexual temptation leads to hell. Hide those ankles!
March 19, 2017
Really awesome book!
November 30, 2020
I read this at the age of 20, while actively participating in a courtship that on the surface was very similar to the one depicted. Even so, I thought it was one of the most poorly written, dangerously naive books I'd ever read, and 7 years of marriage later, I only feel more strongly about how terrible this book is.
It's poorly written: Every character is a cardboard cutout; grammar is frequently ignored. The book could have been a tenth of its length with a good editor. Whole chapters go by in which nothing happens to develop characters or further the storyline.
Dangerously naive, this book subscribes to the magical thinking usually found in a sheltered twelve year old: "if I follow all the rules, my life will be amazing, and I will fix other people's problems so they will also follow the rules." Brandon is not just "worldly" - he shows signs of sex addiction. This problem vanishes without a trace when he meets the impossibly perfect Joanie; he never again experiences any kind of repercussions or temptations from his wild behavior. Joanie, for her part, barely shows any concern about Brandon's past; she never asks the questions St. Ignatius (or a good therapist) would have asked "What is it in me that attracts me to this person? Why has God brought us, specifically, together? What is there that God would have ME learn from this?"
She doesn't ask because Joanie is an object, not a person, to Marcoux; she is merely a tool to fix Brandon. This is a very dangerous idea to the book's target audience, young, sheltered Catholics with no idea what a healthy relationship looks like, and no sense of themselves as worthy people in their own right. The idea that a woman can fix a man - and the more subtle brushing aside of Joanie's own personal needs - is even more dangerous.
Please don't let your impressionable teens read this book. Have them read The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius instead. Pair it with "Boundaries" by Townsend and "Why Does He Do That?" by Bancroft. This will give them a much better base on which to build a courtship, and hopefully a marriage.
It's poorly written: Every character is a cardboard cutout; grammar is frequently ignored. The book could have been a tenth of its length with a good editor. Whole chapters go by in which nothing happens to develop characters or further the storyline.
Dangerously naive, this book subscribes to the magical thinking usually found in a sheltered twelve year old: "if I follow all the rules, my life will be amazing, and I will fix other people's problems so they will also follow the rules." Brandon is not just "worldly" - he shows signs of sex addiction. This problem vanishes without a trace when he meets the impossibly perfect Joanie; he never again experiences any kind of repercussions or temptations from his wild behavior. Joanie, for her part, barely shows any concern about Brandon's past; she never asks the questions St. Ignatius (or a good therapist) would have asked "What is it in me that attracts me to this person? Why has God brought us, specifically, together? What is there that God would have ME learn from this?"
She doesn't ask because Joanie is an object, not a person, to Marcoux; she is merely a tool to fix Brandon. This is a very dangerous idea to the book's target audience, young, sheltered Catholics with no idea what a healthy relationship looks like, and no sense of themselves as worthy people in their own right. The idea that a woman can fix a man - and the more subtle brushing aside of Joanie's own personal needs - is even more dangerous.
Please don't let your impressionable teens read this book. Have them read The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius instead. Pair it with "Boundaries" by Townsend and "Why Does He Do That?" by Bancroft. This will give them a much better base on which to build a courtship, and hopefully a marriage.
March 14, 2010
This was a nice read, and the concept of a chaste courtship was refreshing.
I found the way the friends all suddenly seemed to see the light of Church teaching entirely unrealistic.
I also found a lot of the direct presentation of Church teaching, however accurate, to be a bit much. It was like someone was cutting-and-pasting between the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a romance novel.
And I was disappointed to see the Unity Candle included in an otherwise lovely Wedding Mass. (Warning: Liturgist had firmly in place!) The candle is superfluous to the rite itself. What could be more symbolic of two families joining together than two people pledging their love, lives, and bodies to each other for eternity?
I found the way the friends all suddenly seemed to see the light of Church teaching entirely unrealistic.
I also found a lot of the direct presentation of Church teaching, however accurate, to be a bit much. It was like someone was cutting-and-pasting between the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and a romance novel.
And I was disappointed to see the Unity Candle included in an otherwise lovely Wedding Mass. (Warning: Liturgist had firmly in place!) The candle is superfluous to the rite itself. What could be more symbolic of two families joining together than two people pledging their love, lives, and bodies to each other for eternity?
September 1, 2007
This book was a wonderful Christmas gift given to me by a friend. It truly exemplifies what Christian dating should be like, and it was the first great Catholic leisure read I've found. I only wish it were part of a series so I could follow up on how Joanie and Brandon are doing.
I didn't put it as a five star simply because I felt it aimed at high Christian standards and actually attained them, instead of showing the internal struggles involved. It was hard to relate to Joanie because she was just so darn saintly. But in retrospect, I guess that's what also made her character appealing.
I didn't put it as a five star simply because I felt it aimed at high Christian standards and actually attained them, instead of showing the internal struggles involved. It was hard to relate to Joanie because she was just so darn saintly. But in retrospect, I guess that's what also made her character appealing.
March 30, 2015
This book was sorta simple but it definitely got its message across of how true Catholics should act in their dating life. The characters go through struggles like we all do but they always look back to God for prayer and guidance much like we should all do in our lives. Even those who think there is no going back can see the light again and turn their lives around.
Overall, this book was very cute and I loved the entire theme of it. All the little details that were included really made it special. I would recommend this for any teenager or even dating adults to help remind them what it means to be part of a Godly relationship.
Overall, this book was very cute and I loved the entire theme of it. All the little details that were included really made it special. I would recommend this for any teenager or even dating adults to help remind them what it means to be part of a Godly relationship.
December 24, 2016
Truest, purest love story I've ever read! I personally thought it was a very realistic plot. the characters were relatable (even though I have to agree, they were very close to perfect) I think every young Catholic should read this. Male or female, anyone can learn from it! The one thing was that through the middle/end it started to drag on a bit.. I love to read and I enjoyed the story very much so it didn't bother me but everyone is different.
January 28, 2010
I appreciate the author's story and template of a family trying to live the Catholic identity and their resistence to secular influences. It is not without challenges, conflicts or temptations. Each have conclusions that may be too simple and sweet for some. I happen to appreciate the belief that if we submit our free will to the perfect will of God we will be blessed.
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