My review of The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

About the book:

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:

The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, though I suspected that I would given the author is one of my favorites. I haven't read a novel by Francine Rivers in the past four years, though, so it's been awhile. This story was engaging and well-written. Then again, all of her novels are easy to digest and enjoy. This story was set during the present day and in California. One of the main characters went from rags to riches and discovered both poverty and wealth bred discontent. The other main character lived under a cloud of shame for past mistakes as many women do. Of course, her choices came from a life of insecurity that started when she was a young child. She had lost her parents and was resented by the person tasked to take care of her. The characters had intense backgrounds and shared a trauma bond of sorts, though they didn't even realize that was one of the things that attracted them to each other in the first place.

I tend to enjoy historical novels the most, but I did enjoy this story for the redemption theme and example of how waiting on God's timing is always best. Jumping ahead will only get us hurt. Often our impulsive behavior interferes with God's greater plan. The message was clear. God can save anyone, but we have to trust Him and not try to change the person ourselves. We know this is true (those of us that believe) but this story shows how that process could ideally happen. Good story.

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