Review: Not Your Fluffy Christian Romance
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 22, 2014
This is a well written, thoughtful and thought-provoking Christian romance. A young woman, with a substantial faith, is wondering if she'll ever find someone for a life partner. She's in her early thirties and her former fiancé has gone back to his previous girlfriend. A pastor about her age is someone who grew up with and she has now moved to the community where he's pastoring. Everyone seems to think this is the man she should pursue, but she's not really attracted to him. The one man she finds to be in harmony with, the man she can't stop thinking about, the man she's in danger of losing her heart to... is all wrong for her. He is not a believer, he has a history of womanizing, and he's pursuing her as a conquest; a notch to put on his bedpost. Her love for God must be put before any romantic love, but that conviction is a painful one, as she pours out her heart to her diary.I loved this book, but am still troubled at how this young Christian woman of conviction and courage could be so reluctant to openly share her faith with a man she claims to love. Rather than attempt to win him over, she would walk away from him, leaving him miserable and destined for destruction in his unbelief. Almost as troubling is the Pastor he turns to for spiritual guidance when he's thinking about a relationship with God, who'd pass him off to someone else and speaks disparagingly of his value, all because the pastor wants to seek a relationship with the girl he loves. But the book is deep, complex and beautiful in exploring issues of the faith and the sacrifices one will make to remain faithful to God. The diary passages were especially beautiful and inspirational. This is no superficial treatment of faith nor of romance.