Redeeming Love Paperback – May 9, 1997

I had read this book when it first came out. While I have known God's redeeming love personally for more than 40 years, I needed to read this book again as a reminder.Great book - while fictional - it shares God's love for people and how He wants us in relationship with Him.

This book is an absolute must-read for everyone. Its profound and heartwarming message will captivate you, making it impossible to put down. Get ready for a night of insightful reading that you won't soon forget!

This book was my first ever Christian fiction novel and oh my I had no idea they could be so beautiful. It was so engaging and I loved the writing. Will definitely be reading more from her!

Great fiction book. I recently got back to reading as I used to love it and be such a bookworm. Came across this book and figured I'd give it a shot. Loved every moment of it and didn't want to end. What a beautiful book of redemption and a modern (maybe not if it's based in the early 1900's :)), day Hosea.

Great novel!

So a good friend recommended this book to me for my wife. There were themes that she would relate to, and it would likely help her process a lot of her life.Well, for her protection, I thought I'd read it myself first. Yes, a late 30s male reading a 'romance' novel. I don't even like novels outside of Westerns. In any case, before the prologue was even finished, I was wrecked-- in a good way. God used this book, and is still using this book, on SO many levels for me. I was sober at home for a good week. My wife kept wondering what was wrong. Well, nothing was wrong. God was just plowing my heart in so many ways. And while I was embarrassed a little being moved by fiction and the characters, I recognized there are, and have been, many, many Angels, and Luckys, and Michaels in the world. There are real people in these situations. Probably not all situations at once, but each situation, there is a man, woman, or child who knows exactly the feeling of the scene. And that is painful, but necessary to realize. God uses it to change us to action.A few examples, this book immediately awakened my position as a father, especially to my daughter. I desire to love her so much better and be much more careful of my words and actions.The book also destroyed so many walls in my heart, specifically concerning relationships, bitterness, anger, forgiveness, marriage, and worth before Jesus. I don't think there's an area of my life it has not touched. Thus, I'm reading it again, only slower this time, and journaling it. The first time I could rarely put it down and even read it at work!The biggest impact this book made was on my marriage. It really helped me realize I was not loving my wife well at all, when I self-righteously thought I had been. In reality, in tension, I would digress and escape, instead of embracing and affirming her. While my bride does not have a history is a similar career, there were countless times when the life of Angel mirrored my wife's life exactly. Comments Angel makes, situations she is caught in, abuses she receives, lies she was taught. Therefore, I was able to identify with my wife and it has lead to me beginning to love her much more like Christ loves His bride, and not above her as if holier. Likewise, Michael Hosea puts me to shame, though he is a flawed, but faithful husband who wrestles with God, and accepts God's plan and sovereignty over all. He is patient and godly. He walks with Jesus well, while confessing his struggles. He helps her see he is just as wicked and undeserving before God.I also fell in love with Angel, and had compassion throughout. It was not what I expected. There is reader frustration seeing her run, but I also understood every single time. She never ran because she loved other men. I saw her past, youth, wounds, hardness, pain, self-sufficiency. And I had compassion throughout. I think it's what the Lord wants us to feel. I've tended to have a harshness towards the 'adult' themes of life. And of course it's an area for caution. But this book has led me to call out for liberation of those held captive. I believe very few caught in lifestyles of any realm of the sex industry or trafficking likely do NOT wish to be there, but have found themselves there nonetheless. So I am crying out for God to liberate the trapped, helpless girls who face this brutal gauntlet. Man's selfishness runs deep and without regard for the devastation it causes on others.The other characters of the book are simply fascinating, and each has a personality. Again, this is brilliant writing. But it also adds significant sub-stories to the already great book. I also love how Francine uses the latter portions of the book to reveal unknowns in the beginning. Normal I'm sure in novels, but since I don't read them, I'm not used to it! Fascinating from start to finish, and absolutely saturated in scripture and the gospel of Jesus. If I could, I would give Francine a huge hug. She, by the Spirit, has written a masterpiece, albeit 20 years ago now. And Praise God, it has changed my life.I'd like to buy this book in bulk from the publisher. I'd like to give it away. I think it can impact almost anyone. At the same time, as in my wife, I need to talk with her before having her read it. It is a heavy and beautiful book, which is amazing. But it can also be too heavy, if a person is not at a good place to absorb the emotion. As one reviewer put it, this book was clearly an anointing on Francine Rivers. Only God above could create such a story through his own people. So be ready for God to dig deep into your life, male or female, and bring to the surface emotions and judgments that needs exposed, rooted, or healed. I'm praying God never allows me to stop feeling the truth He has shown me in this book.

I ordered this book because I seen on TikTok it was recommended as clean Christian fiction, and the book itself is based off the story of Hosea in the Bible. I've never read a book with a storyline like Redeeming Love so I was intrigued and it was definitely a bonus it was Christian fiction without having a Pilgrim on the cover (although no hate to those books either.)I received this book on Sunday afternoon and finished it Tuesday afternoon. It was gripping, fast paced, and I consumed the 464 pages without losing interest along the way. It was well written although slightly repetitive at times (many muscles jerked in jaws; many rich, deep voices...) but not too bad.There were no cuss words, no vulgarity. My only reason for giving 4 stars was for me personally, it skimmed perilously close to themes I wouldn't expect to find in Christian fiction. I understand Francine Rivers was trying to stay true to elements of the main character's profession and how said character healed from her new healthy relationships, and no explicit details are given, but I wonder at the necessity of including certain scenes in the book. The book is more descriptive of the physical and mental feelings of the parties involved as opposed to the actual actions performed, but it still seemed to cut a little close in my opinion.That being said, most of those scenes are over closer to the end of the book, and the overall message Redeeming Love delivers is powerful and no doubt healing for those who have pasts similar to that of Angel's. I appreciate the work Francine put into this book, however I likely wouldn't had read this had I known the extent of its content.

It’s addicting. I loved every page of it and its so detailed makes you feel like you are in the story.