The Masterpiece: A Novel

I love the novel. Roman Velasco is a mesmerizing figure from the beginning. A “bad boy” who needs right the kind of love to heal the graffiti artist’s wounded soul. Grace Moore, his new office manager, whose hidden talents include include listening, cooking, organizing and taking care of Samuel, her unknown fatherless child. Roman is interested in the pretty. Christian woman for a possible 1- nighter- no questions asked, no commitment. Grace is not. Between a proficient use of 4-letter words he lets one too many vulgarities permeate the air and Grace says— no more and threatens to leave. Roman doesn’t want her to. He says sorry. And they move on. All others in the novel are trying to help Roman and Grace heal from childhood traumas. Neither want to commit until…. The landscape is beautiful, the storytelling superb and we, the reader, gets a lesson in everyday life gone wrong until…! Definitely worth the reading. Couldn’t pot down without a sigh of regret. 🙏♥️🌺

This a great book! Amazing story! You definitely need to purchase this and read it! I purchased this book about 2 years ago and I have read this book about 3 times! And I will most likely read this book again!!! This is amazing story of God's grace, His protection, and His love! You won't regret reading this book!

fantastic book!! a lovely Christian text with a clear lesson on Gods love, call for patience and forgiveness. The author does a great job giving you pieces of the characters that slowly come together in an emotional and heartfelt way, most definitely a page turner couldn’t put it down! highly recommend

I gobbled this book up—read it in 2 days (and neglected all my chores to do so!) I loved the characters—I ached for Roman and for Grace especially in their childhood flashbacks. Roman really took a special place in my heart and I was rooting for him the whole book. I loved the people that supported him and saw worth in him and of course I loved the theme of God’s mercy and redemption throughout the story. The reason I didn’t give 5 stars is because I felt that after being such a page turner it left me with so many unanswered questions at the end of the book that even the epilogue failed to discuss. It kind of fell flat at the end.... *SPOILER* for example I was very intrigued by if Roman was Samuel’s real father...I felt that his was a HUGE mystery that could have been quite the dramatic ending but there was never any true resolution besides a little mention of it in the last few pages. That bothered me so much! There were little clues about this from the very beginning of the book (Roman mentioning a blonde girl and headlights after a one night stand and then Shanice mentioning that Grace had blonde hair and went to a club, etc.) Other things that felt weird for me—Aunt Elizabeth’s very sudden change of personality, Nicole and her boss (uh what happened), and that we only got half of page of Roman and Grace deciding to commit and get married! What a bummer after so much anticipation. I would have loved to read more about their engagement and re-getting to know each other as followers of Christ and their life as newlyweds. Also--am I the only one who wondered who the random man was that replaced Grace to give Roman CPR? Grace mentioned him several times saying he suddenly showed up and then she couldn't find him...I thought there would be some answer to that...was it her angel? Last thing--I thought that the last 100 pages got a little too cheesy and felt very out of character for Roman (I understand he is basically a new person being born in Christ but still....he was so different and kind of corny?) I giggled out loud at him yelling at the crowd at the church and then Jesus sitting on a white stallion...I couldn't help it! And I love Jesus! It just didn't seem believable. Still a great book, better than Bridge to Haven, but not as good as Redeeming Love (aka the best book of all time!)

Another winner from Francine Rivers. Captivating writing style. Clean content with a Christian message of redemption.

This bin was so good. Deep! Makes you think. You feel all the emotions!!

The Masterpiece was absolutely dynamite. The character development was top-notch, and I loved how both main characters continued to grow and evolve as the story unfolded. While I’m not usually a fan of flashbacks, Rivers handled them beautifully. The chapters that gave us glimpses into the protagonists’ earlier lives were woven seamlessly into the story and shed powerful light on what shaped them into who they are. Instead of interrupting the flow, they deepened it. What stood out most to me was how real the characters felt. Both Grace and Roman carry painful pasts, which makes them relatable and deeply human. I loved the contrast between them—Grace, who was saved as a child but still struggles with people-pleasing, confidence, and understanding her worth; and Roman, who has rejected God altogether and must experience a major life-altering event before he’s even willing to consider faith. Watching Roman’s journey toward understanding what it truly means to follow God was especially moving. The ending was perfect, and the tie-in with the title was incredibly meaningful. This book kept pulling me back—I genuinely didn’t want to put it down. Beautifully written, emotionally rich, realistic, and deeply inspirational, The Masterpiece tugs at your heart while expanding your mind. One of those stories that stays with you long after the last page.

Loved every page and could hardly put it down! I am already looking forward to my next Francine Rivers book adventure!