Review - Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

California's gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep.

Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.

Then she meets Michael Hosea. A man who seeks his Father's heart in everything, Michael obeys God's call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel's every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.

But with her unexpected softening come overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband's pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does...the One who will never let her go.

A powerful retelling of the book of Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God's unconditional, redemptive, all consuming love.

I read Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers back in 2008. But I think it deserves a review.

Angel is beautiful. The type of woman that any man would consider himself lucky to have known. But Angel is a prostitute. And has been since she was very young - and named Sarah - thanks to the death of her mother.

When Michael Hosea is in town for supplies he sees Angel walking around with her body guard. Michael feels God telling him that Angel is the woman that he's supposed to marry. But Angel is angry and has zero self confidence despite her beauty. She's damaged and broken and can't even fathom someone loving her without strings attached.

But that's just what Michael does.

And Angel runs.

More than once. It makes me want to walk up to her and slap her and shout "WHAT IS YOUR PROBLEM!" Well, her problem is she doesn't feel like she deserves a man like Michael. Someone who loves her despite her past and occupation.

This story is a retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea. And it's a wonderful romance novel full of compassion and the ups and downs of love. It's a great story of hope and redemption and God's unfailing love.

Being that Angel is of questionable past, there may be sections that aren't really suitable for... younger readers... but other than that I recommend this book to anyone. Christian fiction fans or not.