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This is a difficult book to rate because at times it’s a 1 and then a 3 and I can even see how readers could give it a 5 star rating. It’s an inspirational romance that at times is quite heavy on the religious aspect in my opinion. If the idea of a kind of self-sacrifice to the extreme that doesn’t seem to benefit anyone apart from God (but even then that’s debatable) appeals to you, then you’ll probably like this book. I didn’t particularly enjoy it, but I could appreciate it.

It’s not the greatest writing in the world. It’s very simple in style and reminded me of something like the Good News Bible where Biblical verse is written in a more modern, accessible way with a simplistic approach to what is otherwise complicated religious dogma when you really look at it. The relationship between the two frontier families is a bit too utopian but fits in with this striving-to-be- like-God ideal and there’s nothing wrong with that, but I think you have to like reading about that sort of “wholesomeness�. There’s a note from the publisher that says it’s a PG 13 novel and maybe for people who read inspirational romances it is but I didn’t think so. There was one very brief disgusting scene but given the situation and the period I thought that was misleading to brand it PG 13. There is virtually no physical intimacy in this book, apart from the odd kiss, and any sex is glossed over leaving you wondering if they had sex or not. The violence in the novel is treated the same way and I think it’s a disservice not to “show� the reader what the author is seeing. You get these one liners about horrific beatings, great sex on a very spiritual level but no detail. The author shows a lot about God but not enough about the h/h together as a married couple. Emotional, spiritual and physical intimacy make for better rounded characters I think and I felt short changed not to get all that. The book could probably be a good 4 ½ stars if this aspect of the writing had been developed.

The hero and the heroine are very well-drawn. Michael is a true saint and if you took away his devout belief in God he’d make one of the best romance heroes around. He gets kicked in the teeth so many times but he still keeps coming back for more. He reminded me of poor Job at times. His self-sacrifice skirts the incredulous and I still can’t see what he got out of it during those years of waiting. His character’s endless patience reminds me of Sarah McCarty’s Asa in Promises Linger. As for Angel/Sarah, she is such an irritating/stupid woman. She has heaven in hand and she keeps throwing it away. Her life is a nightmare and it’s a wonder she never killed herself to get out of it, but I had a hard time understanding that after so much unconditional love from Michael that she felt too she ended up leaving him.

It was difficult to believe all this love at first sight and God speaking to these people in mysterious ways. It’s the Old Testament mysterious mean God in this story at times who takes everything away and you get to live in emotional hell. Why I don’t know and that’s what I really didn’t like about this book from a romance perspective. Michael’s a good guy why keep testing him? Angel has been through hell and back why have her leave her haven incessantly? I guess you could say that they both had things to do first before they could be together but I think they really wasted some very valuable time that they could’ve been better spent together.

The epilogue is quite moving and God finally decides to give something back apart from just his love which is supposed to be the true reason for living, but I didn’t really see what kind of happiness it brought these people because without each other they were horribly sad and lost.

If you take the novel as a retelling of the Book Hosea(what little I know about it) it’s pretty good, but if you read it as a romance you may be disappointed. So two stars for romance, four for the retelling of the Book of Hosea for me.

FYI: If devout believers who see God in everything as well as true faith being the only way to find happiness in life bother you, you may want to pass on this book.