Customer Rating:  
Summary: "Unbelievable"
Comment: Redeeming Love, is a hard story to read and very unbelievable that any person would forgive a spouse the rank sins committed against themselves and their relationship. But this is a mirrored story of our relationship with a loving, forgiving and redeeming God who continues to love us while we are unfaithful to his mercy, grace and forgivness.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not for me
Comment: **This review contains spoilers**
I'm not into romance novels, but the person who gave this to me assured me this was a different type of romance and that it would be spiritually uplifting. I'm truly glad that so many people have benefitted from the book. I'm particularly glad to know that some women with abuse in their past have been helped by this book.
I'm fortunate to have not suffered abuse and therefore maybe I just can't relate to this. The book was very hard to get through. It's long and tedious to read, and the subject matter is very grim. Hearing about children being raped and prostitutes being abused does not make for pleasant reading. But these horrors are indeed part of life for some people, so maybe it's good to bring these matters in the open. But this book didn't feel realistic to me. Most of the characters were all-good or all-bad and not credible.
The novel makes frequent mention of the characters' sexual urges and longings. Rippled muscles under shirts, pulses pounding as bodies melt together, a warm curling in the belly (I could go on and on). In particular, I object to expressions like "she had brought him to the edge of heaven" (p. 156) and "she flew, Michael with her, into the heavens." (p. 285) I find it distasteful and irreverent for sex to be described in religious terms. While the sexual references in this book weren't explicit or obscene, they were nonetheless plentiful and, in my opinion, inappropriate for a book that's meant to be spiritual. Certainly sex between a husband and wife is a beautiful thing, but it's also a *private* thing, and I don't care to read about it.
Like everyone else, I was relieved that Angel returned to her wonderful husband at the end of the story. But why did she need to do it in such a bizarre manner? He hadn't seen her in 3 years, then out of the blue, he sees her walking across the field toward him *totally nude*! I don't care if this was symbolic of her shedding her sins and burdens and finally revealing her true self to her husband, it's still an over-the-top, weird, inappropriate thing to do. This is the type of content which took away from the spiritual aspects of the book and made me want to roll my eyes. For those who were helped by the book, I'm glad--but I'm not in that group.
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you haven't read it, READ IT NOW!!!
Comment: I absolutely LOVED this book. If I didn't have to go to work during the week I would have finished it in a matter of hours (not to say that I didn't read a bunch while sitting at my desk -lol). Reading this book was like looking in a mirror. Every time I wanted to lash out at Angel when she ran away, I heard that still small voice saying, "You've done the same." It was a very sobering, yet exhilerating read. Francine Rivers has officially become my favorite author (and this is the first book of hers I've read). I'm now reading the Atonement Child, and am already captivated. I'd say go out and get ALL of her books cuz that's what I'm on the verge of doing myself! :)
Customer Rating:
Summary: Good book
Comment: My favorite book is "Hadassah: One Night with the King." I was looking for something spiritual to read that would be as good.
This was close. It's a fast read. It helps you to be more tolerant of others, because you don't know what has shaped them to become what they are.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, But Predictable
Comment: I enjoyed this book, but it was quite predictable (especially if you know your Bible stories). The characters were well drawn, but it all was a bit melodramatic for me. It bogged down a bit in the middle to end, but was an incredibly fast read up until then. I enjoyed the journey to God and redemption that is played out in the novel and would recommend the book for that reason.
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