The Masterpiece

Title: The Masterpiece
Author: Francine Waters
Publisher: Tyndale Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-4964-0790-0

“All his assumptions about Grace Moore had been wrong. He hadn’t expected to share common roots: devastating loss, fear, pain, no love,” Roman acknowledges in Francine Rivers’s novel, The Masterpiece.

~ What ~
This five-hundred-and-twelve-page hardbound targets those who enjoy a Christian romantic fiction about coming to grips with one’s past with art as a backdrop. Containing mild profanity, the topics of alcoholism, drug use, premarital sex, adultery, and death may not be appropriate for immature readers. The ending includes a note from the author, fifteen discussion questions, the book’s cover information, author’s biography, and advertisements.

Set in the Los Angeles area, thirty-four-year-old Roman Velasco may appear to have it all as an upcoming artist: wealth, woman, and whatever he wants, but the eclectic painter has dark secrets of his past that he refuses to deal with until he hires Grace Moore, a divorced woman with an infant son. Also wanting to rid herself of her past mistakes, Grace enjoys working for the prior gang tagger but finds herself frantically calling on God to keep herself from falling back into the same sinful patterns. It is only when the two damaged individuals start with blank canvases can they experience wholeness as they rely on only God to paint their paths.

~ Why
Since I have read several of the author’s books, I love how she shows the brokenness, pain, and redemption in her complicated characters. In this one, she reinforces how God is always there for us, especially when we have reached our lowest point and call to Him for salvation and peace. Through the two main characters, the book promotes dealing with the past to find love and contentedness. Having been born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, I appreciated the details of the area, its streets, and characteristics. With my degree in art, I found the many explanations of painting and its techniques accurate.

~ Why Not ~
Those who do not like stories that include Jesus Christ and His eternal plan of salvation may not approve of the Christian aspects of this read. Others may not like a story of heartbreak from childhood trauma and the long-lasting impression it havocs on adults.

~ Wish ~
I wish all pronouns of God were capitalized for reverence and the mild profanities such as darn, ass, and hell were omitted.

~ Want ~
If you want to read a fast-paced but soul-searching story about love and forgiveness of the past, this masterpiece that artistically connects two broken individuals will be painted on your heart.

Thanks to Tyndale for this complimentary book that I am not obligated to review.

This book can be purchased at https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-masterpiece-francine-rivers/1126701400