Fiancé Finale

“But maybe God’s reckless love is the exact opposite of that. He values people over appearances to a degree that confuses us mere mortals.” Angela Ruth Strong writes powerful stories of redemption sprinkled with well-timed comedic scenes. To call her stories rom-com doesn’t do justice to the depth of soul-searching and emotional epiphany that exists in her books. Don’t get me wrong - I laughed out loud plenty at Charlie’s antics and chuckled through all the scenes where his roommates do life together. But the scorching pain in Nicole’s heart and the need for forgiveness and grace stood out more than the well-scripted fun. God’s reckless love is indeed powerful, persuasive, and transformative and it was a delight to see Charlie and Nicole transform. Though I enjoyed the story, I actually didn’t fully understand Charlie nor Nicole. Charlie’s obtuseness in relationships confounded me and Nicole’s inability to see her own selfishness confused me. Despite not completely connecting with the characters, I was still committed to seeing them to the end. And the ending was more delightful than I could have imagined. I received a complimentary copy courtesy of Kregel Publications via JustRead Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Thanks to author Angela Ruth Strong and Kregal Publications for an advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own. This is the third and final novel in the 3-book “Love Off Script” series, and I’ve now read them all. Happily, each works as a stand-alone. The characters from the other novels appear in this one, but each story focuses on a different couple. I have read many Christian novels, from romances to mysteries to family dramas, but the term “Christian” or “faith-based” can sometimes be ambiguous. Not here! All of the primary characters are sincere Christians, and faith plays a major role in the events and characters’ decisions. Despite the focus on faith, the story is neither sappy nor predictable. The plot contains the type of real-world heartache, relationship concerns, communication issues and other life happenings that readers can relate to. It is refreshing that main character Charlie Newberg wants to follow God’s directive and marry Nicole Lemaire. Unfortunately, after he left her the day before their wedding in order to travel overseas to make a documentary, she’s not willing to risk another rejection. And that’s where this novel begins. As a reader, I supported Charlie’s desire to make it right this time, and also understood Nicole’s fear of being hurt again. The novel alternates between Charlie and Nicole’s point of view. With humor and witty dialogue, this is a feel-good second chance romance of hope, forgiveness, and redemption.