Review and Q&A: The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers

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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 Thoughts:

If you have ever read a story by author Francine Rivers, you already know what kind of story to expect. This is a gritty, true to life story of two hurting individuals who have both gone through traumatizing and damaging childhoods. Neither Roman nor Grace has especially made the right decisions in their adult lives either. The difference between them is that Grace is a believer in Christ and Roman is not.

I enjoyed the contrast of their walks through life, the decisions that they made both in the ups and downs. Both are afraid to get hurt and pursue a love that could change them. The conversations they had about Grace’s faith and why she believed were not preachy and showed how for believers, faith is the reason that makes our lives understandable and bearable. That no matter what befalls us, we have a heavenly Father who cares for us and will pick us up time and again.

Grace’s Christian friends are people that she can rely on and goes to, to help her walk through life. I liked how the author showed that they were just ordinary people trying to follow the Way themselves, and not one of them was perfect.

This story took many turns that I was not expecting and as the author fit the puzzle pieces together I was awed at where the story was going. This is a 500 page book. I read it in less than two days. I was glued to it and often thought about it when not reading. My favorite book by her is Redeeming Love, this one has now tied with it.   If you’re looking for a strong redemption story with imperfect people and an adult romance, this is a read for you.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel. I was not required to post a positive review and all views and opinions stated are my own.

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.

Visit her website at www.francinerivers.com and connect with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/FrancineRivers) and Twitter (@FrancineRivers).

Author Q&A

The main characters of The Masterpiece, edgy artist Roman Velasco and his new personal assistant, single mom Grace Moore, might not receive a warm welcome in every church across the country. What do you want readers to see in these characters—and in themselves—as they read?

Never judge by outward appearances. It takes courage for people to come into a new church—or enter a church for the first time. Christians are, after all, “aliens,” very different from the world—or should be. Visitors and newcomers may look different than we do. They may come from different places. If people seem unapproachable, offer a smile and nod of greeting. Give them space. Give them time. Extend courtesy and welcome to all. And when the door opens, talk with them about Jesus—not just inside the walls of a church, but anywhere.

Roman Velasco is unlike any other male character you’ve written. What was most challenging about crafting the character of a rebel graffiti artist? Why did you choose this character?

I thought the hardest part in writing about Bobby Ray Dean/the Bird/Roman Velasco was going to be learning about the art form, challenges in doing it and getting away with it, terms and materials. But the real challenge was figuring out what drove this boy/man to paint graffiti—and the kind of graffiti pieces he did.

We have crews in town that go out and buff (cover) graffiti as soon as possible. Many times, graffiti is a territorial marker, a challenge, evidence of war going on in your community. I wanted Bobby Ray Dean to have other motivations which evolve as he grows up and into the persona of Roman Velasco. He feels illegitimate as the Bird, but strives for legitimacy through Roman Velasco. The graffiti and the canvas work he does show the war going on inside him. It takes God to bring the two sides together and blend the mediums into a new, unique art quest and passion.

Did memories of your writing career “before Christ” inspire how you wrote the art career of Roman Velasco?

In some ways, yes. Before I became a Christian, I wrote steamy historical romances in the general market. Those books and the years of working on them taught me a lot about the craft of writing. When I gave my life to Christ, God used all that training for His good purpose when I began writing Redeeming Love. Certain elements stayed the same: the setting—early California history—and a passionate love story. The difference was the focus of the novel. It was all about how high, deep, and wide God’s love is for each of us. Jesus was a central “character” in the story, whispering to Michael, who strove to live out his faith in front of Angel, a broken child of God whose soul had been deeply damaged by the abuse of others. Brokenness, healing, and redemption are consistent themes in my work.

The names of your characters often carry special significance—can you tell us how you have gone about naming characters in the past and, without giving too much away, tell us a little about how you chose the names of the characters in The Masterpiece? 

Grace’s full name tells her life story. I admit there is no great spiritual meaning to Roman’s names. I liked the sound of Bobby Ray Dean. His initials—BRD—and where he did his graffiti work created the second name: the Bird. And secondary characters in the story came up with the name Roman Velasco. They were joking about it, but Bobby Ray takes on the name and uses it to launch a new life.

What does The Masterpiece have in common with your other novels? How is it unique?

Every story I’ve written contains a love story. This book has that in common with all my others. However, in other stories, I’ve had one main character be strong in faith. The difference in this novel, both people are broken and struggling. Grace is the Christian, but she has fallen several times, and suffered greatly for it. Her faith is an uphill, arduous climb. Roman adds to that battle. They both come from traumatic childhood experiences that have shaped their lives. The strong Christian voices in this story come from secondary characters.

What do you hope your readers come to know about God through this story?

I want readers to know that no matter who you are, where you come from, what you’ve done, when you accept Jesus, God will make you into His masterpiece.