Until about a year ago, I had a strict policy about not mixing my religion and my literature. I had judged that most Christian books were cliched and poorly written, and I used Angela Morrison's Taken by Storm as a defense. It turns out that I'm an idiot and Taken by Storm is just a really bad novel like any other.

Redeeming Love is a fantastic Christian romance novel. Heck, it is a fantastic romance novel period. Take God out of the equation altogether, you still have an honorable mad trying desperately to love and take care of a women so haunted and broken by her past in Gold Rush California. How does that not scream amazing love story? Adding God back into the equation, you have an incredibly moving story about God's love and the various ways it saves, both when we want it and when we don't. Based on the Book of Hosea in the Old Testament, Redeeming Love beautifully interprets its source material. It's the story of a man loving a women even when she leaves him and hurts him, and it is also the story of God loving even when his children reject it or scoff at it. Angel's whole backstory made me want to wrap her up and never let her go. Oh man, do I hope I can find a Michael Hosea one day. What a man. Redeeming Love did a rare thing to me. It clenched my heart. I just wanted it to end well. I wanted Angel to decide to stay with Michael once and for all, and each time she left I took it just as hard as Michael did. I loved the detail put into the historical setting of the story. I loved all the supporting characters: Miriam, her mother, and even Paul by the end. I'll admit the ending was a little bit cheesy, but it didn't bother me too much. I wanted that happiness for Angel and Michael. I wanted them to have a family together.

Redeeming Love is a story I'll reread again and again. I hope it becomes one you will too.