Redemption [Hardcover]

Jacquelin Thomas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 2007

The new novel from the masterful national bestselling author of Defining Moments.

Jacquelin Thomas has embraced the power of love and forgiveness in her award-winning novels. Now she explores the rewards of Redemption as a woman's desperate choices threaten to destroy her.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jacquelin Thomas is the Essence bestselling author of The Prodigal Husband and Defining Moments. She lives with her husband and children. Author website: jacquelinthomas.com.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: NAL Hardcover (March 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0451217640
• ISBN-13: 978-0451217646
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (51 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #417,630 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jacquelin Thomas is an award winning, best selling author with twenty-nine titles in print. Her books have garnered several awards, including two EMMA awards, the Romance In Color Reviewers Award, Readers Choice Award and the Atlanta Choice Award in the Religious & Spiritual category. Jacquelin was a 2005 honoree at the Houston Black Film Festival for the movie adaptation of her novel, Hidden Blessings. She was the first recipient to receive the Writers Achievement Award at the North Carolina Book Festival in Winston-Salem.

Although Jacquelin initially published in the romance genre, she decided to follow the call on her heart to write Christian fiction because she seeks to write books that will touch your heart and uplift your spirits with tales of characters who yearn to have an intimate relationship with God. Committed to writing books that glorify God and her growing teen audience, Jacquelin published the first of her Young Adult Inspirational Fiction series titled Simply Divine in October 2006. Her second book in the series, Divine Confidential was nominated for a 2008 NAACP Image Award. She has since gone on to publish two more books in the series.

When asked why she is so passionate about writing teen novels, Thomas shares that teens are confronted with so much--sex, drugs, violence and abuse, physically and mentally. They need to not only listen to what the world says about these things but also to what the Bible says.

Jacquelin is a member of the National Writers Union, Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She is happily married to her best friend and is the proud mother of three children. Jacquelin and her family live in North Carolina.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unconditional love has no boundaries, April 18, 2007

By 

J.C. Wallington "jnettefrommi" (Detroit, MI) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Redemption (Hardcover)

In the Bible, there is a story of a prophet who was ordered by the Lord to marry a prostitute and he did. For a while, they were happy. They had two children and things seemed to be going well. As time went by, she became bored and wanted to return to her homeland and she ran away. After a while, the prophet went and got her back; she was with a child that was not his. She stayed for a while, then ran away again. He again went to get his wife and she was with child. This is the story of Hosea and Gomer. In Jacquelin Thomas' novel, Redemption, when a well-known televangelist and pastor sees a beautiful actress, he knows she is sent by God to be his wife. This is the story of Reverend Warner Brice and Marin Alexander.

After a brief courtship, Warner and Marin marry, much to the chagrin of his sister, Chenille, who felt he could have picked from any of the single females of the church. However, Warner knew what God told him to do. The couple, with some disagreements, appear to be pretty happy. They have two little boys and when the boys become school age, Marin becomes bored and wants to return to the acting industry. In her efforts to research an upcoming movie role, Marin tries a line of cocaine, then another and then another. Absorbed with getting high, she quickly is on a downward spiral into the world of drugs. When she finally reaches out for help, Warner is right there, to forgive and get her treatment. After treatment everything seems good. Yes, there is still conflict with Warner`s sister, and Marin and her mother do not get along, but she can make it as long as she has Warner and her boys. Until, the cocaine monster hits her again. This time her addiction is so debilitating that she loses everything. When she hits rock bottom, she phones Warner. Warner has always forgiven Marin for her trespasses, can he again?

This was an enjoyable love story. The unconditional love that Warner had for Marin was encouraging in a world where people so easily give up on their marriage at the first sign of trouble. While I could feel the love between the couple, for me, there was something about Marin, I just could not like or feel for her. Nevertheless, it does not take anything away from the story. Fans of Christian Fiction will like this one. You might want to keep a hankie nearby for tears are surely to fall.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub
Motown Review BookClub

.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars LISTEN TO THE VOICE...., March 22, 2007

By 

Y. Stovall "BOOK LOVER!" (LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redemption (Hardcover)

Warner: The Lord has placed a call oh his hear to marry none other than famous Marin-the actress. As always everything in perfect in the beginning. Two children later and bored staying home and craving the lights and actions of Hollywood; Marin goes back...or at least tries. Soon after the parts and roles she receives isn't enough and once again she craves more which leads her to the wrong place meeting t he wrong people; in time she tries drugs for the first time and it ends up destroying not only her but her family as well.

With a husband so strong and following the voice of the Lord he forgives Miran (even though its hard) and welcomes her back with open arms.

JT gives us a better understanding of the story of Hosea and Gomer...

You're laugh and cry as you follow this remarkable story.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars (RAW Rating: 4.5) - Unconditional Love, March 20, 2007

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Redemption (Hardcover)

Jacquelin Thomas's latest novel, REDEMPTION, is a compelling story about unconditional love that closely mirrors the biblical story of Hosea. In short, REDEMPTION is a love story about Warner and Marin. Warner is the pastor of a prestigious church whose weekly sermons are televised throughout the world. More than anything, Warner desires to live his life according to God's will. Warner is a single man, and he asks God to lead him to his wife. You can only imagine the response he gets when he announces his future wife will be an insecure actress named Marin Alexander, a woman who in the view of most is hardly cut out to be a first lady. Nonetheless, the couple marry and begin their life together. But just as in the Bible story, Marin struggles with her new life. She has difficulty balancing her career with her roles as a wife, first lady, and eventually mother. Further, her insecurities make it hard for her to accept Warner's responsibilities as a pastor and his commitment to God. As the story unfolds, Marin's life takes numerous critical turns, but it is Warner's unconditional love that allows her to see the unconditional love of God and become the woman she is destined to be.

REDEMPTION is a story that is sure to touch the hearts of readers. The character development is thoughtful and thorough, allowing readers to "step inside" the heads and hearts of Marin and Warner and really understand who they are and why they make certain choices. It is easy to empathize with Marin's insecurities and to relate to her "I can do it on my own" mentality. Warner's unconditional love for Marin was inspiring, but because readers were privy to his inner thoughts he never comes across as naive. It is clear that despite his resolve to honor his wife and God's will, he had doubts, pain, and anger to cope with as well. The supporting characters added depth and a sense of realism to the story, and I especially liked how Thomas wove the actual Bible story into the plot. All in all, REDEMPTION is a powerful tale about life, love, and forgiveness.

Reviewed by Stacey Seay
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers