~ About the Book ~
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers returns to her romance roots with this unexpected and redemptive love story, a probing tale that reminds us that mercy can shape even the most broken among us into an imperfect yet stunning masterpiece.
A successful LA artist, Roman Velasco appears to have everything he could possibly want—money, women, fame. Only Grace Moore, his reluctant, newly hired personal assistant, knows how little he truly has. The demons of Roman’s past seem to echo through the halls of his empty mansion and out across his breathtaking Topanga Canyon view. But Grace doesn’t know how her boss secretly wrestles with those demons: by tagging buildings as the Bird, a notorious but unidentified graffiti artist—an alter ego that could destroy his career and land him in prison.
Like Roman, Grace is wrestling with ghosts and secrets of her own. After a disastrous marriage threw her life completely off course, she vowed never to let love steal her dreams again. But as she gets to know the enigmatic man behind the reputation, it’s as if the jagged pieces of both of their pasts slowly begin to fit together . . . until something so unexpected happens that it changes the course of their relationship—and both their lives—forever.
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release date: 6 February 2018
Pages: 433
Publisher: Tyndale
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~ Excerpt ~
Pulling on sweats, Roman grabbed a wrinkled T-shirt off the carpet and headed barefoot down the hall. Whoever stood on the other side of his front door was going to wish they’d never set foot on his property. The chimes started in again just as he yanked open the door. A young woman glanced up in surprise and then backed away when he stepped over the threshold.
“Can’t you read?” He jabbed a finger at the sign posted next to the front door. “No solicitors!”
Brown eyes wide, she put her hands up in a conciliatory gesture.
Her dark, curly hair was cropped short, and her black blazer, white blouse, and pearls screamed office worker. A faint recollection flickered in his mind, but Roman dismissed it. “Get lost!” He stepped back and slammed the door. He hadn’t gotten far when she knocked lightly. Yanking the door open again, he glared at her. “What is wrong with you?”
She looked scared enough to run, but stood her ground. “I’m here on your orders, Mr. Velasco.”
His orders? “Like I want a woman on my doorstep first thing in the morning.”
“Mrs. Sandoval said nine o’clock. I’m Grace Moore. From the temp agency.”
He spit a four-letter word. Her eyes flickered, and her cheeks filled with color. His anger dissolved like salt in water. Great. Just great. “I forgot you were coming.”
She looked like she’d rather be any place but here, not that he could blame her. He debated telling her to come back tomorrow, but knew she wouldn’t. He was up now. He might as well stay up. Jerking his head, he let the door drift open. “Come on in.”
He’d gone through four temps in the last month. Mrs. Sandoval was losing patience faster than he was. “I’ll send you one more, Mr. Velasco, and if she doesn’t work out, I’ll give you the name of my competitor.”
He was looking for someone to field calls and handle the mundane details of correspondence, bills, scheduling. He didn’t want a drill sergeant, a maiden aunt, or an amateur psychologist to analyze his artist’s psyche. Nor did he need a curvy blonde in a low-cut blouse who pushed papers around, but didn’t have a clue where to file them. She had ideas about what an artist might want besides a woman with office skills. He might have taken her up on her offer it he hadn’t had enough experience with women like her. She lasted three days.
Not hearing any footsteps behind him, Roman paused and looked back. The girl was still standing outside. “What’re you waiting for? An engraved invitation?”
She entered and closed the door quietly behind her. She looked ready to bolt.
He offered an apologetic smile. “Long night.”
Taken from “The Masterpiece” by Francine Rivers. Copyright © 2018.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
~ Review ~
It’s kind of daunting to consider what to say in this review, knowing that many readers have been disappointed in Ms. Rivers’ latest offering from both a craft and a theological perspective. Because the honest truth is, I couldn’t put it down. It’s our book club pick this month, and book club was last Friday. I picked it up on Tuesday to give myself plenty of time to read it and put it down at 1am Wednesday morning, having been unable to put it aside except to carry out the absolute necessities.
I feel I should say that I picked this up without any prior experience of this author’s novels. Shocking, I know! It hasn’t been a conscious decision on my behalf, and I certainly want to read her much-lauded titles like Redeeming Love and the Mark of the Lion series; I just don’t seem to have gotten around to it yet. So whereas readers have mentioned the characters and writing not being up to par with her previous stories, I had no comparison to make.
Personally, I found Roman and Grace to be fascinating characters whose life experiences were so far removed from mine that I didn’t feel qualified to question whether they were ‘believable’. There’s a part of me that rather wishes they hadn’t been, because their stories aren’t pretty, but that was part of what made them so compelling—and had me in tears on occasion. And if some of their traits occasionally came across as a little stereotypical (bad boy/good girl comparisons), their characters were actually far more complex than these occasional outward manifestations suggested. And to be honest, stereotypes exist for a reason, and in this case, these characteristics seemed true to the characters.
Having read several reviews of this book when it initially released, I was already aware of some of the theological objections readers have made to parts of the story. And fair warning, I can’t talk about this without it being a bit of a spoiler, so if you absolutely hate knowing anything about the story before you read, you’ll want to skip to the last paragraph. However, I will keep my references to the plot as general as possible.
** SPOILER ALERT **
One of the characters in the novel has a near-death experience (which, contrary to its name, often involves the character being clinically dead for a short period of time, not just “near death”). During that near-death experience, this character is accosted by demons and dragged toward hell, but is then saved (in a purely physical sense) by calling on the name of Jesus. My initial reaction was the same as many—doubt as to whether this was a theologically accurate, or even a theologically responsible, plot device. And talk about deus ex machina! However, I kept reading. One, because I was far too invested to stop by then, and two, because it became apparent that, while the character had been physically saved, there was still quite a journey to go before the character was spiritually saved. And it must be said, the character’s journey after this pivotal moment completely overturned any idea that this was a dramatic but ultimately shallow plot device.
Once I had finished the novel, I read the author’s notes and was interested to discover that research had showed her that there are many reports of near-death experiences that are not full of light and joy (which are the experiences more often reported), but are instead horrific and terrifying, just as this character’s had been. I did a bit of my own research, and while I hardly know what to make of it all, it cannot be denied that there are people out there who have turned their lives around (including leaving an active homosexual lifestyle) as the result of an experience such as the one depicted in this book.
Whatever the explanation may be behind these kinds of experiences, they are obviously very real to the people who have had them. Many theories have been put forth, from simple scientific explanations to dreams or visions right through to a metaphysical experience that we can’t even begin to understand. So putting aside for the moment the question of what causes the phenomenon we call a “near-death experience”, I am left with the following observations:
- The near-death experience in this novel is inline with the Bible’s teaching that we have a soul that is separate to our physical body.
- The near-death experience in this novel confirms the Bible’s teaching that hell exists and that there is a penalty for sin.
- Through this near-death experience, the character learns two foundational Biblical truths: only calling on the name of Christ can save one from eternal punishment, and the character had done nothing to warrant such mercy and grace.
- Though the character was physically saved from death, spiritual salvation required a deliberate decision by the character to “get right with God” and become a Christ follower—something which took the character time to work through and also formed part of the story.
** END SPOILER ALERT **
I know this has been a lengthy review, but I wanted to acknowledge that I have grappled with the same issues as many other readers, but ultimately given this book a higher rating because (a) I really and truly could not put it down; (b) it challenged me intellectually and spiritually; and (c) it is a powerful story of unmerited grace and the healing and wholeness that can only be found in Christ.
~ About the Author ~
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers continues to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the globe. Her numerous bestsellers include Redeeming Love, A Voice in the Wind, and Bridge to Haven, and her work has been translated into more than thirty different languages. She is a member of Romance Writers of America’s coveted Hall of Fame as well as a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW).
An excellent review! Thank you.
Thank you!
Your review explained The Masterpiece very well. I loved the book.
Thank you!