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4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
I remember my friends reading this book in high school but I never read it. With the movie coming out I thought it was time. Oh my goodness my heartstrings. What a great love story!
A God fearing man falls in love with a prostitute, God tells him to go for her and marries but… can she be happy? Will her past allow her to give herself to him?
A very moving read. It was a long story, but never boring. Quite an emotional rollercoaster ride.
Summary: A retelling of the Book of Hosea. Angel was sold into prostitution and has little hope of another life. Michael Hosea is a godly man who can't believe God wants him to marry Angel. But he obeys and she has to grapple with his unconditional love and the truth of God...
Why I Read: My Bible study had looked at a few passages from Hosea and some friends had raved about this book so I wanted to check it out too. I was a little uncertain about the setting (1850s California) because I tend to prefer Regency romance novels.
Thoughts: This was such a powerful book. I cried basically from halfway through the book to the end (in a good way!) My favorite scene (not a spoiler if you know the Bible book) is when Michael goes and fights for Angel which of course makes me imagine God fighting for me against all of my sin. I may not be a prostitute in the accepted sense but I sometimes worship TV and other things and ignore God. It is also a good lesson in forgiveness. As I was reading, I was thinking mean things about the character Paul (because he's a BIG jerk) and at first I didn't want to forgive him but then I realized that's SO stupid and completely against this book and THE book (that would be the Bible)
Overall: 5/5 I loved this book! I used to read secular romance novels but lately they have not held much appeal. I would definitely recommend this to new Christians who like the romance genre. I would not give it to non-Christians as I think they would find it overwhelming.
Why I Read: My Bible study had looked at a few passages from Hosea and some friends had raved about this book so I wanted to check it out too. I was a little uncertain about the setting (1850s California) because I tend to prefer Regency romance novels.
Thoughts: This was such a powerful book. I cried basically from halfway through the book to the end (in a good way!) My favorite scene (not a spoiler if you know the Bible book) is when Michael goes and fights for Angel which of course makes me imagine God fighting for me against all of my sin. I may not be a prostitute in the accepted sense but I sometimes worship TV and other things and ignore God. It is also a good lesson in forgiveness. As I was reading, I was thinking mean things about the character Paul (because he's a BIG jerk) and at first I didn't want to forgive him but then I realized that's SO stupid and completely against this book and THE book (that would be the Bible)
Overall: 5/5 I loved this book! I used to read secular romance novels but lately they have not held much appeal. I would definitely recommend this to new Christians who like the romance genre. I would not give it to non-Christians as I think they would find it overwhelming.
I know that I am in the minority here, but I absolutely despised this book. I just could not get past the horrific child abuse. I would never recommend this book to anyone. I still cringe when I think about this book.
The message of this book deserves 5 stars but the writing was pretty trite in spots. The Biblical allegory was handled nicely but it read too much like a romance novel for my taste. The second half of the story was better than the first.
This was a reread because I had read a few interesting reviews recently . I Had a very different opinion of this book when I first read it in 2007 (even then it wasn’t my favorite, but I remember thinking it was romantic). Reading this through a 2020 lens is pretty mind blowing.
"My love isn't a weapon, it's a lifeline, reach out and take hold, and don't let go!”
Wow, this was masterfully written and fully achieved it's purpose of giving a sort of "life"/new found understanding to the book of Hosea within the Bible. As a believer, this story was so special and paralleled God's unending pursuit of our hearts and his "Reedeming Love" for us. Rivers did a wonderful job making typically "unlikable" characters relatable and writing in a tactful way to preserve the dignity of Angel. One of the things I liked most about this book was the prologue, which set the scene into the childhood of Angel which set her up for a life of hardship. Without that insight, she would have been a tough character to relate to or empathize with.
Although this is a Christian novel I really think this is one that anyone looking for a romance novel would enjoy. Would recommend.
Wow, this was masterfully written and fully achieved it's purpose of giving a sort of "life"/new found understanding to the book of Hosea within the Bible. As a believer, this story was so special and paralleled God's unending pursuit of our hearts and his "Reedeming Love" for us. Rivers did a wonderful job making typically "unlikable" characters relatable and writing in a tactful way to preserve the dignity of Angel. One of the things I liked most about this book was the prologue, which set the scene into the childhood of Angel which set her up for a life of hardship. Without that insight, she would have been a tough character to relate to or empathize with.
Although this is a Christian novel I really think this is one that anyone looking for a romance novel would enjoy. Would recommend.
so beautiful to read a book so real and full of emotions. GOD IS SO GOOD.