The Masterpiece: A Novel

by Francine Rivers

Paperback, 2019

Status

Checked out

Due 9 October 2022

Call number

813.54

Genres

Publication

Tyndale House Publishers (2019), Edition: Reprint, 512 pages

Description

Fiction. Literature. 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.… (more)

User reviews

LibraryThing member BeautyintheBinding

Grace Moore is a single mother, desperate to be independent again. When she takes a temp job as Roman Velasco's personal assistant, she almost quits on the first day. But the desire to support herself financially and care for her young son keeps her coming back daily to work for the temperamental

artist. Grace quickly learns how alone Roman is, despite his career successes. As their working relationship improves, Grace and Roman are drawn to each other, but their beliefs and traumas of the past keep them far apart. Will they ever be more to each other than boss and assistant? Can God create a beautful masterpiece from two broken lives? Read more in The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers.

I read The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers twice before writing this review and I thoroughly enjoyed it both times. Francine Rivers is a master storyteller and has been my favorite author since I first read her Mark of the Lion series about ten years ago. Rivers uses romantic tension, mysterious histories, and authentic characters with questions and issues to weave a story that captivates the reader's attention.

Throughout The Masterpiece, Grace and Roman's pasts are slowly revealed and circumstances force them to deal with the separate traumas they experienced in childhood. Rivers' characters are throroughly developed, with the reader seeing exactly what makes these characters the way they are. Even as temperamental and rude as Roman was, I had no problem liking him as well as every other primary character in the book.

I recommend The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers to everyone – man, woman, adult, or teenager. It's gripping, gritty, and full of God's grace.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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LibraryThing member arielfl

I don't read a lot of Christian Fiction. It tends to be sappy or preachy. A Francine Rivers novel is anything but. It manages to distill a Christian message into one that can be applied to anyone's life. Redeeming Love remains one of the best books I have ever read, Christian or not. I also loved

her Mark of the Lion series. I tend to enjoy her historical novels more than some of the other books she's written but when I saw this new book coming out I really wanted to read it.

Roman is a broken person, a product of the foster care system. Grace is equally broken, she is fresh off a divorce with a son not fathered by her husband. Her upbringing was a loveless mess too as she was raised by a cold aunt after her father murdered her mother. Roman hires Grace to be a personal assistant. At first they are like oil and water but gradually they realize they have more in common than they first thought. Roman is agnostic and Grace has faith that God has a plan for her life. Will faith be the thing that brings them together or will it drive them apart forever?

I loved the message of this book. Roman has everything material that a person could want but he is empty inside. Grace knows that there is more to a relationship that a physical spark. It is easy to want the physical but it takes more than that to weather the ugly and the broken parts of a marriage. As grace and Roman learn more about each other they also learn what it will take to make a successful partnership, one where God is right in the middle of it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, both the romance aspects as well as it's message. It was the perfect book for Valentine's Day.

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LibraryThing member kenagurl

A fabulous new read from popular christian fiction author, Francine Rivers. This novel drew me in from the start and won't let me go, long after I've finished reading it. A powerfully redemptive story that reminds me how God pursues each one of us and masterfully orchestrates life so we search for

Him. Touching on difficult topics such as childhood trauma, foster care, adultery, one-night stands, anger, and depression, I recommend this title for adults.

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LibraryThing member vintagebeckie

Francine Rivers is hands down my book club’s favorite author. We were hooked by Redeeming Love, and have worked our way through most of her books as a group. Whenever a new novel comes out, we are there! Unfortunately, Rivers doesn’t produce a book (or two) a year, so we usually have to wait

awhile. Fortunately, Rivers doesn’t produce a book (or two) a year, so the long-awaited novel is a carefully crafted masterpiece! That is what I have to call her latest book, because The Masterpiece really is a work of art that touched my heart in many ways. As always, this book is a very highly recommended read!

In The Masterpiece, the reader finds two very complex characters in Grace and Roman. Shaped in childhood by those closest to them and the traumas they experienced, the two have broken places that they have worked hard to overcome, while zealously guarding their hearts. Rivers tells their stories through a present day narrative periodically interrupted by flashbacks that reveal just who the two really are deep down. The technique was a bit jarring at first, but I soon waited expectantly for more to come. Grace and Roman are drawn to each other almost immediately, but their faith differences keep them apart. Grace will not start a relationship with an unbeliever, and Roman sees no need to pursue a God that, if He truly exists, is either uncaring or cruel. Then it happens . . . . I won’t spoil it for you, but Roman’s experience is one of the most profound I have ever read. I listened to the audio version of The Masterpiece during my morning walks. When that scene played out, I had to stifle my gasps and quickly wipe away tears before the neighbors enquired what was wrong. 😉 I challenge you not to be moved by what Roman goes through. It is a scene I have thought about over and over. And while it was probably the pivotal point of the novel, there was much more to come for Grace and Roman. This book is a chunkster, and I loved every minute of it!

There is plenty to discuss in The Masterpiece, making it perfect for book clubs. Often my group never gets past whether we liked a book or not without further discussion. But I anticipate a very lively conversation when we meet. Now we have to impatiently wait for another from Rivers.

Very Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: adults.

(I purchased this book Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)

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LibraryThing member HeatherLINC

I have struggled with some of this author's recent offerings (Bridge to Haven and the Marta's Legacy series) but, thankfully "The Masterpiece" showcased Francine Rivers at her brilliant best and reminded me why I love her novels.

"The Masterpiece" was a compelling read about Grace and Roman, both

flawed and broken characters struggling to find who they are. Their back stories were fascinating, showing their traumatic childhoods, their loss of parents at a young age and growing up in loveless homes.

I loved Grace's gentleness. Despite being a recently divorced mother with a young son, struggling to make ends meet, she always saw the good in people and treated them with kindness. Roman, on the other hand, was a former gang member and graffiti tagger who had become a successful artist but was disenchanted with his life. His story was so sad and I had a real soft spot for him in my heart. The secondary characters - Brian, Sharnice, Jasper, Aunt Elizabeth and the others were also complex and interesting and I loved how they supported and stood by Grace and Roman.

Although seemingly opposite, I loved how Grace and Roman's stories intertwined. I was captured from the beginning and totally engrossed following their journey. My only disappointment was with the epilogue. I don't think it finished the book satisfactorily. I wanted more. However, I loved the front cover and the author’s explanation for it, at the end of the book, was fascinating.

A beautiful story of love and forgiveness, "The Masterpiece" had me from the first page. It was gritty and gripping, heart-breaking and touching, and a wonderful read.

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LibraryThing member MaryAnnB1964

In her latest novel, Francine Rivers brings us Roman Velasco a well to do artist who could have anything money can buy, except peace and contentment. Using graffiti to deal with his hurt and emotions, running from foster home to foster home as a child, Roman aka Bobby Ray Dean (the bird) is haunted

by his past as a graffiti tagger.

Roman hires Grace as his personal assistant to help free up his time so he can concentrate on painting, but little does she know about Romans alter ego Bobby Ray Dean. Grace s dealing with her own secrets. Recovering from a bad marriage, Grace vows never to let a man hurt her again, but as they get to know one another the pieces begin to come together that alter the course of their lives.

Francine Rivers has done a superb job writing this novel. She has created intriguing characters that every reader can relate to. The author has run with an idea of how a childhood trauma can impact adult life; how two broken individuals can find completeness together. The author also brings out the issues of how we as persons can fall into traps and be thrown into the worldly ways, only to suffer the consequences of our actions.

She also points out that we are saved by Grace and that God loves us, and sometimes some of us have to realize there is a hell in order to hear and understand the truth.

A wonderful novel that the reader will not be able to put down. Well written and keeps the reader wanting more.
I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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LibraryThing member sarahemmm

Is it a thing that nice Christian girls only like pastels and twee stuff? And that an (supposedly good) artist will change style to sweet pics of Jesus when he finds God?

LibraryThing member Stroudley

I have read some of Francine Rivers' stories of Biblical characters, and have found them convincing and well-written, opening up a window in the lives of those characters, and their environment. I was far less convinced by this novel. It seemed to me that the whole story could have been told in 250

pages instead of 480! Although the difficult backgrounds of the main characters were well-told, the end result (conversion and the finding of true love) seemed to be totally predictable from the word go. So a little disappointing - I'll stick with the Biblical characters in future.

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LibraryThing member CoverLoverBookReview

This is a unique story and includes topics that aren't typical in Christian fiction stories, but I like the real life, believable aspects and the growth and healing characters experience with mercy and forgiveness. A sure way to my heart is through a redemption story.

I like Roman and Grace. It's

easy to connect with their struggles. They are unique and flawed, but aren't we all?
As with all Francine Rivers's stories, I was entertained, inspired, and touched deeply. Heartbreaking, redemptive, and satisfying.

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LibraryThing member NatalieRiley

I am completely unfamiliar with Francine Rivers and the books she has written, so I was not prepared for the heavy emphasis on religion. I am not a religious person; I practice spirituality (Buddhism and Hinduism.) I was drawn to this book for the subject of art. The artist, Roman Velasco, a main

character, reminded me of Bansky in the beginning. During his developmental years, Roman started out painting graffiti with a few friends and learned parkour to escape capture by the police. He later becomes a famous painter while still painting graffiti, alone, in the dark of night. Roman is quite an interesting character. Grace Moore, a single mother, is hired as Roman’s personal assistant. Grace is committed to her religious faith and Roman’s is non-existent. The pair weave an interesting working relationship that naturally grows into them wanting to learn more about each other. Roman experiences a life changing event that has him evaluating the quality of his lifestyle. Both have pasts they are trying to escape and yet make sense of too. The latter part of the book is contains a lot of religious application (i.e., the Bible, church attendance, and prayer.) While I’m not able to relate to the religious aspects of this story, I definitely applaud Roman and Grace for the efforts they put forth to evaluate their personal decisions, responses to trauma, and willingness to forgive themselves and others.

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LibraryThing member Okies

There's something remarkable about Francine Rivers' novels - if this, my second listen, is anything to go by.

As much as I'm impatient with flashback, it does work here. We get fortunately fairly short flashbacks of both Grace and Roman's formative years. These flashbacks are full of drama and

pathos and narrated beautifully by Susan Bennett.

This was published in audio in 2018.

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