The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers Publisher: Tyndale ISBN: 978-1-4964-0790-0 Every year when I come back to Minnesota I join my old book club for their book of the month! It's one of my favorite things to do when I come home. Spending an evening with friends like we always did once a month, what could be better? I found out they were doing Francine Rivers' book The Masterpiece and was SO excited. If you've ever read a book by Francine Rivers, you know why I was so excited. If you haven't, then you're missing out. I reached out to Tyndale House hoping I could do a review of the book, and they agreed! Summary: 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. My Review: When my friend told me once I started reading The Masterpiece I wouldn't want to put it down, I thought she might be exaggerating slightly. I couldn't have been more wrong, and she couldn't have been more right! From page one, I was hooked! Francine Rivers' writing draws the reader in and holds on to them until the very end. Actually this book in many respects reminded me of Bridge to Haven, which I read not too long ago. The characters have so much depth and realness. Roman was easy to dislike at the start of the story. He was living a very worldly life and only concerned for himself. Then there was Grace, a broken woman trying to find a way to make ends meet and figure out if she was keeping her son or giving him up for adoption. Two people who have been hurt tend to have walls built. Grace and Roman are no exception. Book club was fun discussing the book. One gal thought Roman was a jerk. We all got a chuckle out of her response. Our hearts all went out to Grace. Our discussion was wonderful and insightful. The questions at the end of the book helped with our chat. Be sure to give them some thought after you read the book! We agreed that we like how Francine wrote chapters specific to flashbacks of Grace & Roman's individual pasts. It gave us insights to how they became the people we meet in the story. Those chapters made them relatable, and I think helps us as readers to remember that the people we meet have a story. Be prepared when you start this book to stay up late and to tell yourself, "Just one more chapter!" About the Author:
New York Times bestselling author Francine Rivers had a successful writing career in the general market for several years before becoming a born-again Christian. As her statement of faith, she wrote Redeeming Love, a retelling of the biblical story of Gomer and Hosea set during the time of the California Gold Rush. Redeeming Love is now considered by many to be a classic work of Christian fiction and it continues to be one of the industry's top-selling titles year after year.
Since Redeeming Love, Francine has published numerous novels with Christian themes—all bestsellers—and she has continued to win both industry acclaim and reader loyalty around the world. Her Christian novels have been awarded or nominated for many honors, and in 1997, after winning her third RITA Award for Inspirational Fiction, Francine was inducted into the Romance Writers of America's Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW). Francine's novels have been translated into over thirty different languages, and she enjoys bestseller status in many foreign countries.
Francine and her husband live in northern California and enjoy time spent with their grown children and grandchildren. She uses her writing to draw closer to the Lord, and she desires that through her work she might worship and praise Jesus for all He has done and is doing in her life.
What do you think of when you hear the company, Precious Moments? I think of how beloved their figurines are and how meaningful they are to the people who have them. The little faces of the sweet characters, whether they're from the birthday train, celebrating a wedding, or just because, they just warm the heart. I was so delighted to be able to share my memories of having them and collecting them since the early 1990s for this review.
The year I was married to my first husband, we found a wonderful tree topper that was a Precious Moments angel. We used her for years until I passed her on to my daughter. My mom got in on the action and started doing a collection of yearly mini plates, bells, and figurines for each of my daughters. Let me just say, they have quite the collection. Then my former mother-in-law started collecting them for me and giving me a new figurine every Christmas!
This is the Precious Moments BIG 40th Anniversary! I feel like they've been around for a lot longer. They're such collectors items that you'd think they were celebrating 100 yrs. It's wonderful being able to celebrate such a wonderful anniversary with them!
See what I mean? Everyone knows how sweet these figurines are and they make the sweetest gift! When I had the opportunity to do a review, I wasn't sure what I wanted to review, that would be meaningful to me. At first I was going to do this adorable wedding figurine for my daughter's upcoming wedding, but since I already had a gift for her, I decided to get something for myself.
I love my garden. It's my place of peacefulness and relaxation. I spend most of my time in the garden reflecting and talking to the Lord. Sometimes I try to solve all of the problems in my life as I pull the weeds in my garden.
One thing lacking in my garden is anything decorative. Up until now I didn't have any statues or garden decor. If I was going to add something, I wanted it to "add" to it, not distract from it. Yea I'm a bit picky about my flower garden. HA! After searching for the perfect way to start, I found the "Faithful and Feathered Feeder", Bird Feeder.
The bird feeder has just the right spot at the corner of the garden. Earlier this spring I had to pull out a plant that didn't make it this year. That left the corner of my garden open with just dirt. There wasn't a good transition and this filled that spot wonderfully!
Watching birds come to a feeder is incredibly relaxing so having this sweet feeder included in my garden brings a smile to my face every time I see it. Now, the only thing I have to do is add sand so that it'll be sturdy in case some rogue squirrels try to get to the bird seed.
We'll have to figure out a way to drain any water that might collect from rain. I was talking to the hubby about it and he has some ideas on how to do that. All I need is seed all over the ground. lol I'm looking forward to enjoying this bird feeder in the years to come!
