How many words is redeeming love

It is not easy to listen to in the beginning, but carry on listening and it may affect your heart and life as it did mine. Francine Rivers, a humongous thank you for writing this amazing amazing book! I read it years ago but felt to listen to it again.. How our Lord Jesus keeps pursuing us!!!! I could feel His Presence as I listened to it.. Thank you again! I loved listening to this book, I found it absolutely riveting. I've not heard it on other books and feel it took away from my listening pleasure.

Good thing it that it was more noticeable at the beginning of the book so I was completely hooked already. Shows perfectly the extravagant love God has for us. Beautifully read. Recommend it to anyone. I throughly enjoyed having this book read to me ,I have got all of this authors books and enjoyed them so much ,that I hope to have more of her books read tome ,.

If you're looking for a story that's wholesome and inspiring, but not boring, you should give this one a crack. Loved this story, going to re read Hosea, so grateful for the Lord in my life. Story, writing, narrator - it was all together just amazing! The narrator really put in the effort to make it enjoyable, kudos! This is the 3rd book of Francine's that I've read and, again, I was captivated until the end.

Redeeming Love spoke to the deepest parts of me. It has given me the courage, I previously lacked, to speak up about some of the most hurtful times in my life.

I have also found that my awareness to the internal dialogue of the enemy has been heightened. Angel's self talk so closely reflects mine that by reading this book I was able to commence articulating my own pain to my husband. I absolutely adored the representation of true love depicted in Redeeming love; God's love for us, a husband's love for his wife, a wife's love for her husband and a parent's love for their children. That, encapsulated in the subtle undertone of the need to speak our hearts truth, made for a very captivating read.

A wonderful story that I am sure to listen to again. One of Francine Rivers' best. Thank you for what you do Francine, please put all of your books on audible : Raquel. I have listened to this story twice in a short amount of time. We all need the redeeming love epitomised in this book. Even if we haven't been prostitutes in the literal sense of the word, we all have shame and brokenness that we bare.

Some of us have experienced abandonment and rejection as children. Some abuse and trauma. Some have lived in the world and it's ways for many years. Some can raise their hands for the lot. I know I can. And along the journey of this book I found some healing; even if only in the reminder that God offers a constant and faithful love.. It's up to us in the end if we will accept it and let it transform us from the inside out. I loved this book and enjoyed every moment. It was great to hear some bible scripture throughout and helped you ponder with yr own thoughts.

I see why everyone reviewed this book highly. Get Your Free Audiobook. Add to cart failed. Please try again later. Add to wishlist failed. Remove from wishlist failed. Follow podcast failed. Unfollow podcast failed. Free with day trial. Listen to anything from the Plus Catalogue—thousands of Audible Originals, podcasts and audiobooks. Download titles to your library and listen offline.

Redeeming Love Written by: Francine Rivers. Narrated by: Kate Forbes. No valid payment method on file. Add payment method. Switch payment method. We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method. Pay using card ending in. Publisher's Summary Francine Rivers is one of America's favorite romance writers and a best-selling inspirational author. Her many heartfelt novels have won awards and the adoration of fans accross the country. In Redeeming Love , she retells the Biblical story of Hosea, setting it in the s, amidst California's gold country.

Historical Romance Historical Romance. Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews. Amazon Reviews. No Reviews are Available.

Sort by:. Most Helpful Most Recent. Filter by:. If she cried, Mama might guess she had been eavesdropping and then she would be angry too. We will. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God!

Which scene do you feel best shows how Angel was resigned to relying on no one but herself? What events caused her to do so? Why do you think she never cried out to God? He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them.

He will save them from oppression and from violence, for their lives are precious to him. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies!

Your power will save me. And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept.

When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins. So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and in his good time he will honor you. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about what happens to you.

God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. After you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it…. By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.

Arabic, Ophir Printers and Publishers. Chinese Complex Taiwan , Spring International. Croatian, Znanje. Danish, Scandinavia Publishing House. Dutch, Uitgeverij KOK. German, Gerth Medien. Indonesian, Penerbit Gandum Mas.

Italian, BE Edizioni. Korean, Gimm-Young Publishers. Macedonian, Matica Makedonska. Norwegian, Lunde Forlag. Polish, Szaron. Portuguese Brazil , Verus Editora. Romanian, Editura Scriptum. Serbian, Laguna. Slovak, Kumran. Slovene, Drustvo Mohorjeva druzba. Redeeming Love. Movie Tie-In Edition. Paperback Edition. Order the Book. Audiobook Apple Books Audible Audiobooks. About the Book. Prologue The prince of darkness is a gentleman. Alex glanced toward the foyer. She knows how to find Cleo, I would imagine.

He was so handsome, just like Mama said. She was proud to have a father like him. Deny it, Papa! Deny it! Legitimate children. How can you not love your own flesh and blood?

Do you think I planned to have her? I give you all the money you could possibly need. Discussion Guide. What experience did Michael have with rejection or betrayal?

Who else in the story suffered from rejection or betrayal, and how did they cope? Which character do you identify with the most and why? Describe a time when you were rejected or betrayed.

To whom did you turn and why? How does that make you feel? What else do you learn about God from these verses? How would you relate these verses to Angel? Relate these same verses to yourself. What good was He working in her life? When you have faced rejection or betrayal, was God calling you? What good has He worked in your life in relation to those circumstances?

Contrast Michael with Angel in regard to authority. On whom do you rely and why? What holds you back? Discuss the characters in light of these verses. What good was He working? In what ways has God been calling you, regardless of whom you rely on? How is He working good for you through that process? In what ways was he rescued? Angel repeatedly tried to escape her circumstances.

Describe the various plans. Contrast Hosea, the slave who helped Michael, with the slave dealer Duke. Why do you think Angel returned to her former ways? From what or whom are you trying to escape and why?

What causes you to return to old habits? According to these verses, why had she never cried out to God? Who was responsible? What keeps you from crying out to God? Parts of the book just tore me up inside, and I had to take frequent breaks to wipe my tears. I loved the broken and bitter prostitute heroine, Angel, and the saintly, patient too good to be true farmer hero, Michael. But to categorize them that way seems so unfair, because they were so much more than that. I guess this book could be called religious fiction, or inspirational romance, but don't let that scare you.

It's based on the bible story of Hosea and Gomer, but you don't have to be up on your bible studies to enjoy this one. And it gets just slightly preachy at the end, but you won't care because you'll be too wrapped up in Angel and Michael. The book deals with some really horrible and heartbreaking stuff child rape, prostitution, incest but not in real explicit terms and just when you think you've read the worst, something else is revealed that will break your heart all over again.

But please try to get through those moments, because there is a beautifully written romance, too, about unconditional love, faith, and hope. I must have cried buckets while reading the last pages, but it was worth it. I don't think I'll forget this story for quite a while stars! View all 72 comments.

Jessica Gugliuzza Great review! I wish I would of read this book years ago! Auntee Thank you! Shelves: favorites , emotional , teeth-clenching , wonderful-secondary-characters , thought-provoking , tear-jerker , audiobook , amazing-narrator , historical-romance , christian-fiction.

I'm soooo happy!! Where's a box of tissues when you need them?? I have to listen to the end again. Oh my, I can't stop crying!! No review I could ever do, would give this book the justice it is so deserving of! You have to experience it to understand all the meaning that it holds. Thank you to KarLyn who was the first to tell me about this book, and then all my other friends who encouraged me to read it.

View all 76 comments. May 16, Kristin KC rated it it was amazing Shelves: historical-romance , abuse , favorites , powerful , christian-fiction , epic-profound. Utterly heart wrenching. I could go on and on and still not justify the magnitude of this story's brilliance— what it means, what it stands for, and how deeply it has affected me. Reading Redeeming Love was an intensely humbling and inspirational experience.

It isn't about drama or angst or sexy loves scenes It's about the u Utterly heart wrenching. It's about the unparalleled ways love and faith can conquer all, and I could not have been more pleased with this loving and fulfilling journey. Sarah, aka, Angel is a beautiful, damaged woman who remains a prisoner of a past that heartlessly sold her into prostitution as a child. She was abandoned, abused, and alone, and my heart shattered for her. Selling her body was all she'd ever known Angel had a quiet strength and I was completely blown away by her transformation.

Her quest for freedom was relentless and she easily became one of my most beloved heroines. Michael, in my opinion, was saint-like. His patience and love for Angel was astonishing, and his faith in himself and in God--inspiring. I've never before felt such a strong sense of love and acceptance through a character. Angel and Michael's connection stands as a pure example of love in its most honest and unconditional state The writing simply wow'd me.

It was eloquent and its grace brought this story to life. I felt every pain and heartache displayed within these broken characters, as well as every rejoice.

This was my first Christian Fiction novel and I was initially unsure what to expect. Although faith in God plays a big role in this story, having faith in oneself is an equally apparent theme—one to which anyone can relate. The element of religion was heavily pronounced, but I didn't find it to be preachy — in fact, I found it comforting and enlightening. It wasn't over-the-top; it was delicate and its message seemed to transcend the structures of organized religion.

Freedom does not come from without, but is instead brought forth from within. My song for Sarah Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these broken wings and learn to fly All your life You were only waiting for this moment to arise. Blackbird singing in the dead of night Take these sunken eyes and learn to see All your life You were only waiting for this moment to be free Beautifully evolves. Patient, kind, loving hero. Tragically broken, but lovable heroine.

Substantial depth. Inspiring narrative. View all 96 comments. Mar 25, Natalie Vellacott rated it did not like it Shelves: francine-rivers , christian-fiction. I didn't get very far into this before realising that it was R rated.

Luckily I got it free so haven't wasted any money and can happily throw it away. One of the most troubling things about this book is that there are a number of reviews from non-Christians commenting on the graphic nature of this book and stating that they wouldn't have thought the writer was a Christian. That alone explains why Christian authors need to be careful with their content, they are representing Jesus.

I am aware that I didn't get very far into this before realising that it was R rated. I am aware that this is meant to be based on the book of Hosea in the Bible. However, Rivers presents her main character as a prostitute prior to her marriage It appears best to see Gomer as chaste at the time of marriage to Hosea, only later having become an immoral woman. An immoral woman could not serve as a picture of Israel coming out of Egypt ; , who then later wandered away from God Chapter 3 describes Hosea taking back his wife, who had been rejected because of adultery, a rejection that was unjustifiable if Hosea had married a prostitute with full knowledge of her character.

The first few chapters dealt with child rape, child trafficking, brothels, drunkenness, adultery, death If Rivers was trying to relay events in Hosea, I don't understand why she felt the need to include child rape and trafficking in her narrative. It just makes a tragic story even more depraved.

The point of Hosea is God's love towards unfaithful Israel despite their waywardness. It is not focused on the graphic exploits of Gomer. I don't recommend this book which is full of graphic detail for shock value.

For those who will no doubt comment that the book of Hosea also contains graphic scenes of a similar nature. It doesn't. The whole focus is on Israel's unfaithfulness and God's pending judgement. It is not on the details of Gomer's sin. The popularity of this book and some of the comments are representative of the "God as love" or some kind of "divine romancer" beliefs that are prevalent, as if God needs us and is desperate for us, rather than the other way around.

The author writes that God says, "Though you deny me, I love you with an everlasting love. God hates sin and sinners and demands obedience. Yes, God loves us and forgives us when we sin if we approach Him through trust in Jesus, but that doesn't give us a licence to sin or to presume upon His grace.

Redemption the supposed theme of this book should lead to a complete transformation of heart and life. Check out my Francine Rivers shelf! View all comments. Jul 14, Kathy rated it did not like it Shelves: drama , historical-american , rated-r , married-couple , abuse , christian-fiction. I think the purpose of this book was overshadowed by the very dark subject matter. A lot of people have called this a Christian Romance, I find that very hard to believe.

The story is about a young girl sold into prostitution at the age of eight who later is rescued by a man named Michael. The books goes into shocking, disturbing detail of the sad life she led.

The whole thing was very depressing and I only continued to I think the purpose of this book was overshadowed by the very dark subject matter. The whole thing was very depressing and I only continued to read hoping it would get better.

If he really had respect for her and what she had been through he would have waited until she was ready. The book was way too long and way too gloomy. For the subject matter and details given, I would give it an R rating.

View all 35 comments. Sep 26, Lexie rated it did not like it. I recieved this as a part of the First Reads program. I was repulsed by this book. It's supposed to be a Christian romance novel. Full disclosure, I'm an atheist, so I wasn't expecting to exactly fall in love with the book. But I found the concept of the story of Hosea being retold during the Gold Rush interesting, or else I wouldn't have picked it up. So you may ask, why was I so repulsed by this book?

Looking past the forced marriage, rape, beatings and child rape described in the book. Also look I recieved this as a part of the First Reads program. Also looking past the flat, one dimensional characters, that are by the way, stunning and physically beautiful how boring is that. Not to mention, looking past the horrible source material that is the Old Testament. I'm repulsed by the ideas that this book reinforces for women. I'm disgusted that this drivel was written by a woman.

And after reading some reviews prior to recieving the book, I'm appaled that some people found this book moving, positive and uplifting. The plot device of using these characters to represent god and his unconditional love that he supposedly has for his children was weak.

This was represented by the two main character's and Angel. So god talks to him I'll leave that one alone and tells him to marry her. He has a priest marry the two of them while she's pretty much unconsious. She runs away after being forced to work for and take care of him. I wonder why she would run away. So she finally meets a family who is willing to take care of her.

She's in a good place. And then he comes back for her. She for some unknown reason, goes back to him. The worst part is the ending, because she wants nothing more than to please him and bear him a son. This book does nothing more than subjugate women. In my own opionion, so do gods and religions, but that's a different story for a differnt time. What positive message is there in this for anyone? Be a good wife and devote all your time to making babies.

I think we all know there is more to life than that. Please don't waste your time reading this book, get something else that will celebrate life and the worth of an individual, or something that you will learn something from. I'll be trading mine in at the local book mine, to get something of more worth. View all 20 comments. Aug 21, Christy rated it it was amazing Shelves: audio , five-stars , new-to-me-author. It doesn't beat you down. It doesn't cast blame. My love isn't a weapon.

It's a lifeline. Reach out and take hold, and don't let go. I saw this on my libraries page and it had been recommended to me in the past, so I picked up the audiobook. This book was fantastic and I loved it so much! This book takes place in California in 5 stars "Love cleanses, beloved. She is a prostitute who has been owned by others since a young age.

Michael treats Angel well and shows her what real love and partnership is. No matter what, though, Michael never gives up on her. Redeeming Love is, above all, a story of unconditional love. Though fallen low, God raised her up, an angel. View all 18 comments. Please note: I read the Kindle version which apparently is the clean Christian version.

The original paperback is what I should have read. This book quotes a lot of scripture and the story itself is based on the Bible story of Hosea and Gomer. She catches the eye of a farmer named Michael. Michael sets out to wed the closed off Angel and offers her a home and freedom.

Nonetheless the writing was strong and it is a nice story of redemption and spiritual rebirth. Jun 12, Jill rated it really liked it Shelves: stars , romantic-historical-fiction. This is a review of the original version.

The version is basically the same as the original, but was edited to remove any descriptions of the love scenes and any coarse language to make it suitable for the Christian market. Based on the Book of Hosea from the Bible, where God told the prophet, Hosea to marry the prostitute, Gomer - "Go marry a prostitute 4. Based on the Book of Hosea from the Bible, where God told the prophet, Hosea to marry the prostitute, Gomer - "Go marry a prostitute and have children with her.

Author Francine Rivers wrote historical romances and historical fiction before she became a Christian. Redeeming Love written in , bridges the writing of her original romances and her later Christian fiction, illustrating well the old and new Francine Rivers in the one book. The original does contain some coarse language eg son of a bitch, damn, bastard, etc and some descriptive love scenes, not contained in the second version.

The original holds up better in my opinion as a romance than the revised version, with more emphasis on their relationship and the physicality of it. Nevertheless, both versions contain the same plot.

For those who prefer a clean read, then the edited, or Christian version, is preferable. Although it is peppered throughout with Bible verses I don't think they're intrusive. It is afterall, a Christian story, based on a book of the Bible and written by a Christian. My only real complaint is that often it lends itself to cheesiness, but that's my complaint about most, if not all, romances.

He felt her loosen and melt in his arms and he sent her up again in to the heavens, joining her there and holding on to the moment as long as he could before the slow descent back to earth. Oh, to You be the glory, Lord, Lord Um, okay.

On my fourth read of this story over the years, I don't view it with the same wide-eyed romantic wonder as I first did. The prose is average at best, the historical setting adequate. The stubbornness of Angel in refusing to accept Michael's love and her consequent running off was overdone and tiresome. Michael himself often forces Angel to do his bidding, believing as he does that it's for her best, and so their relationship comes across as patronising and paternalistic at times.

Some of his thoughts and reactions are not those of a Godly man. Some of the tragedies that beset Angel's wretched life, seem gratuitous. Francine Rivers seemingly wanted to heap mankind's collective sin onto the head of this poor woman. Some of the scenes are unnecessarily explicit. The conclusion is way too neat with its fairy-tale ending. Yet Redeeming Love still holds up as an allegory of God's love for humankind. Love, forgiveness and redemption. It is one of those rare novels that though based on a story from the Bible, manages to captivate an audience who may not claim any Christian beliefs.

It can be at times depressing, heart-wrenching, horrifying and preachy. Yet it is also uplifting, glorifying, hope-filled and romantic. Despite some reservations, Redeeming Love is still a worthy read for lovers of Christian fiction and for lovers of romance.

Even if you don't end up loving it, it is so popular, so highly rated and reviewed that it's worth reading just the once. Because despite its flaws for me it still manages to resonate with the ideal of true love and the romantic notions of love conquers all.

Steam: 2. Hm, hard review to write! I appreciate the story of redemption Rivers set out to tell, but I didn't like how she went about it. The story was riveting at first, drawing me in, so that I read the first pages without even setting it aside. But I had to lay the book down to complete a task, and as I did it, I realized that I was feeling Truly, a great deal of the book is focused on sordid and dirty details. Even after we are away from the subjects of child rape, human trafficking, auct Hm, hard review to write!

Even after we are away from the subjects of child rape, human trafficking, auctioning of women, and seduction, it talks a great deal about nakedness and marital relations. I didn't like what I'd gotten into, frankly.

I also didn't like how Michael tried to control her every thought and action in an attempt to hold onto her and not let her go. It wasn't a strict retelling of the story of Hosea, but I felt that choosing to give Michael the name of Hosea was too forced.

Yes, we have him losing her three times. We don't have her doing so because of wanting to return to the life she knew. Her situation is portrayed as very bad, and instead of having Michael a bright light of God still chasing her like the hound of Heaven, we have a very flawed man not fully understanding who she is past her protective walls, a man letting her run back into independence because he labors under a misconception of what she's gone to do. This isn't an illustration of the redemptive side of marriage, where the man is to show what Christ is willing to do for the church Michael failed her at the end.

He gave up on her and stayed on his farm in discouragement, instead of chasing after her and making sure she is safe. The real, biblical Hosea kept after his wife, chasing her down and dragging her out of sin even when she made the choice to go back into it.

Hosea was a picture of God reaching out to sinning Israel and dragging her back to a clean life. Sarah's story is a powerful one.

I felt that it often went too far into the descriptions of what she was feeling We didn't have to go down into the depths to feel how revolting her life was. We didn't have to spend two chapters on her being sold at the age of eight and raped by a monster, over and over again, over the next number of years.

So, in the end, it fails as an allegory; Michael doesn't chase after her quite as the real Hosea did; Sarah isn't wanting to return to a life of sensual fulfillment as Gomer was. Also, it tipped over the edge more than once into sensationalism, ending in being more like a soap opera than like a story focused only on the redemption of a soul and a lifestyle.

I welcome thoughtful comments I'm quite willing to explain my thoughts further, but don't want to spend too much time on the review. View all 43 comments. Jun 15, Amy Foxy Blogs rated it it was amazing Shelves: headphones , books , audible , stars , buddy-reads , stars , books. Still my all-time favorite book. I'm excited that next year there will be a movie of this book releasing. Re-reading it now! March 14th, I finished and this book is still my all-time favorite book!

Deserves more than 5 stars. Gomer is a prostitute and Hosea is a Godly man told to marry her. It's their struggle she finds it hard to turn away from the life she has always known and basically born into. This is the ultimate love story!

There were so many things I wanted to highlight throughout this book. One of my favorite lines was: "Hello, Sarah. I'm very pleased to meet you. The song Amazing Grace reminds me of this book: Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now am found, Was blind, but now I see. Michael is definitely my book husband. He isn't someone you just date. He is someone you marry. View all 47 comments. Aug 16, Lilith rated it did not like it. There are many things, good and bad, that could be said about this book, but I have only one thing to say.

Forced sex is rape. Every time. When her brother in law drives her through the wilderness and commands her to have sex with him or he will abandon her there, he is using physical and emotional force. That is pure rape. What makes me sick is that she has to "find forgiveness" for this, that he never repents, that the book never recognizes rape for what it is. Especially after all the rape and There are many things, good and bad, that could be said about this book, but I have only one thing to say.

Especially after all the rape and systematic sexual abuse this woman grew up with. This sounds like rape in the real world, where the victim is blamed and the real sin goes unnoticed and unaddressed. It's time to wake up and call it what it is. It also deeply disturbs me that so many people read this book and do not see this sickness. View all 17 comments.

Dec 16, Karen rated it it was amazing Shelves: favorites. It had cleansed her, never casting blame. But that had been only the beginning. It was loving him in return that had brought her up out of the darkness. So much to say about this book. The emotions incited were overwhelming. My chest still hurts from the feelings I have.