What I Read for Book Club

When I saw that this is what we would be reading for book club I was in disbelief! I thought the library had made some sort of mistake.

This can't be the book we're reading... can it?

I mean check out this cover... It has sappy romance novel written all over it. It was a romance novel, but not at all sappy and not at all what you would expect. First of all, it was a Christian romance novel.

I once had a roommate who kept a very prolific collection of trashy romance novels and would frequently make me read excepts and chapters out loud. While it was good for a laugh, I never really got into the whole "romance novel thing". I just didn't see the point. She, on the other hand, didn't understand what I saw in Emma, so to each her own...

Oh, and the idea of a Christian romance novel... How would that even work?

It's not a book I would have chosen to read on my own, because, yes I do judge books by their cover. Giving in to peer pressure (in this case, "my book club made me do it"), I read it anyway and was glad I did...

I could not put it down! I hadn't stayed up all night to finish a book since I read Gone With the Wind and its lesser sequel, Scarlett in seventh grade and that was a looooong time ago. I kept turning page after page just to see what happened!

Does she ever go back? Why won't Michael go look for her? What can't she just let him LOVE HER? Ahhh, why am I still awake reading this?

Redeeming Love retells the Biblical account of the prophet Hosea and Gomer, a prostitute God called him to marry. The story takes place in the midst of the excitement and bustle of the California Gold Rush. The heroine, Angel, is a stunning, high-dollar prostitute in one of the many mining towns sprouting up on the left coast. Michael Hosea is sent into Angel's life to draw her closer to God's redeeming love. Sold into prostitution as a young girl, it was difficult for her to accept Michael's unconditional love and tenderness, which prevails even when she turns back to her old life... multiple times.

It's a good summer read. You don't have to be bible scholar to enjoy it. I certainly am not. It can be frivolous and fun, but has some heavy reflections should you choose to take them to heart.

By the way, this book club is a new one that just started with some ladies I know through church. As I mentioned before, the mommy book club was dull and I didn't care for the books they chose. This one was very lively and I'm actually looking forward to reading our book for next month!