Love In A Broken Vessel

Title: Love In A Broken Vessel
Author: Mesu Andrews
Publisher: Revell
Published: March 1, 2013
Pages: 448
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Hosea has been given a difficult command from God, marry a prostitute in order to show God’s people the nature and depth of His love for Israel. He goes to Israel to proclaim the Lord’s message to them, he meets his childhood friend, who is now a prostitute. He’s determined to follow God’s command even if it means that he has to marry a woman that will only bring him heartache.

Gomer was sold at twelve to advance her father’s political position and has spent next years bitter and unwilling to trust anyone. After an almost deadly incident with the commander of Israel’s army, Gomer is broken and useless as a prostitute. When Hosea’s proposal becomes her only means of escape, she does what she does best, she survives.

As the tension thickens between Israel and its enemies so does the marriage of Hosea and Gomer. Hosea wants to follow the Lord but what He’s asking seems impossible. Gomer struggles with trust and wanting to escape and in her desire to escape a husband who’s never there and a God that seems too cruel, she does the unthinkable, goes back to prostitution.

Will Hosea be able to keep the Lord’s commas or will he fail his hardest task? Will Gomer ever be able to trust and love or are whores really beyond redemption? Can Hosea show Goner that God isn’t a God of punishment but of love or will he lose her to a piece of clay? Will Gomer realize that love isn’t found in the arms of many men but the God who created her?
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I’ve read this author’s previous book and loved it bittersweet ending and all. So, I was extremely excited to get to review this one as well, but I never expected to get the kind of book that I got. Her previous was emotional and you felt for Arielah as she struggled with sharing her husband. This one is slightly different. In this one you feel for Hosea as he struggles with loving someone who doesn’t want to be loved and keeps throwing that love in his face. This book was so much more emotional than the last and I loved it so much.

The romance in this book is more of a progression of Gomer learning that love exists and isn’t what she thinks. It isn’t a pretty romance and definitely isn’t one that makes girls swoon, but it is one that has purpose and shows clearly the unconditional of God. I know this author struggled with making it seem realistic and let me tell you, she succeeded. This book broke my heart and lifted it too. I don’t think I’ll ever forget about Gomer ever again.

The storyline of this book is a mixture of Scripture, history and plain imagination. It’s a concept that is hard to swallow yet believable somehow. I found myself thinking the entire book “I wonder if that happened like that or is she even close.” Not in a bad way though. I want it to have happened like that but I don’t know. What I do know though, is that this book is amazing and so much better than her previous and that or was fantastic. This author should be greatly proud of this one.

The characters of this book are lovely. I loved the side characters and their insight and love of someone with a less than sparkling past. I found myself wanting Yuval to exist and I wanted her to be in my life with her wit and wisdom. I felt great compassion for Hosea because I know no man would have been able to overcome an adulterous wife without the Lord’s help. For the majority of the book I didn’t like Gomer at all but a little after halfway through the book my viewpoint changed to one of pity and about three chapters from the end changed to complete happiness and wonder. Gomer, despite her flaws and awful antics throughout the book, is the one who grows the most in this book and is, believe it or not, my favorite character, after Yuval.

This author captured my heart with Arielah and Solomon story (not to mention gave me my new favorite female name) and she recaptured me with Hosea and Gomer’s tale. I love
how her romances aren’t the usual and are filled with drama and spiritual growth. I have found my new favorite biblical fiction writer and it looks like she’s going to stay there for a long time. This book and author come with the highest recommendation.

Overall, an incredible book that is filled with drama and wonder and grace. It’s not an easy or light read but one worth reading and I can guarantee that you can find some of yourself in Gomer. This book is perfect for biblical fiction lovers or for those who want a romance of a different nature. I think this one is best kept for the adults. I give this book a five out of five.

* I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed are my own.*