Redeeming Love

Probablemente algunos me odien por ponerle un puntaje tan bajo, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta que casi todos los que conozco me han estado animando a leer este libro, pero en mi defensa diré que lo intenté...

Aunque no soy amante del romance, sé apreciar una buena historia cuando la tengo en frente; por desgracia, este romance no me gustó, tampoco la historia ni los personajes.

Luché el 90% del libro, intentando obligarme a mí misma a engancharme con la historia, pero no pude. Le hubiese dado 1 estrella si no fuese por el final. Las últimas escenas fueron las únicas que realmente me gustaron, así que le doy crédito por mostrar la redención en su máximo esplendor.

Algo que tampoco me gustó fue el exceso de escenas para adultos. Y aunque no me creo conservadora, me hubiese gustado que haya algún tipo de advertencia. Sobre todo porque este libro iba a ser leído por una menor de edad, pero me alegro de haberlo leído antes que ella y evitar momentos incómodos.

Reconozco que la autora hizo un estupendo trabajo al meterse en la cabeza de los personajes y trasladar la historia de Oseas de la Biblia y hacerla más actual. Aunque la narración no me gustó del todo, creo que es por la traducción. A lo mejor si lo hubiese leído en el idioma original, habría disfrutado más la lectura.

En fin, creo que este libro es para personas que les encanta el romance y disfrutan el género.

I feel like my heart has just been put through the wringer. Wow.

There are two versions of Redeeming Love: the original 1991 version, and the 1997 version that was sanitized to remove the coarse language and (very) mild love scenes to make it fit for the Inspirational market. I bought the original 1991 version, but even with it being the original, the story still has a strong religious bent, and the love scenes are not explicit but more implied.

To be honest, I put off reading this for a very long time, thinking I wouldn't enjoy it as I don't normally read Inspirational. You have only to browse my bookshelves to know I prefer books with a bit more...spice. ;-) But after reading a friend's review, and learning about the 1991 version, I became interested enough to click buy. I have to say, I'm so glad I took a chance on this one! It's such a beautiful, angst-filled, heart-wrenching love story, and I know it will stay in my memory for a very long time.

Angel has known nothing but a life of pain from the day she was born. At a very young age, she was sold into prostitution, and from that point on, lives through unspeakable horrors, at times barely surviving and often asking herself why. “Why was I even born?” is a question that often goes through her mind, and after reading about the unspeakable things and situations she's forced into time and time again, I honestly couldn't blame her.

Enter Michael Hosea.

From the moment Michael sees the beautiful golden-haired angel walking by, he knows she's the one. The one that would be his wife. How is he so certain? God tells him so.

Michael is a man of faith, and his faith is what carries him through during the duration of this story and his heartbreaking relationship with Angel. And it's his faith and steadfastness through betrayal after betrayal and hurt after hurt that finally shows Angel that he's unlike all of the other men she's known before him. He doesn't want to use her, hurt her, or take advantage of her...he only wants to love her, and have her love him back.

Having never known the true love of any man, it takes Angel a very long time to believe Michael's love is real, and even longer for her to feel she's worthy of it.

Redeeming Love is a deeply emotional roller coaster. Just when you think it can't get any worse...it does. Be prepared for some hard-core angst. Be prepared to cry. But in the end, my tears of pain turned to tears of joy as Michael and Angel walked through fire and came out strong on the other side.

The first one of many I'm sure of Francine Rivers to enter into my library. Such a good book with so many topics that girls face but don't always want to discuss. This book delves into the life of a girl who is not perfect, and shows her how much in life she really does deserve all because she is a child of God. It's a good read for those who are slightly or entirely depressed and need some encouragement. Because he loves and died for even the least of these.