Genre: Romantic Suspense
You’ll like this if you like: The Left Behind series, Rapture-Related Stories, Reignited Romances, or Assassination Attempts.
Cleanliness: The main character, Angel, works at a bar, and it’s mentioned there are women dressed as mermaids and wearing bikinis. Her boss keeps asking her to sleep with him. The hero and heroine have slept together a few times in their younger years before the hero decided it was wrong. The school children are given condoms at 10. The hero and heroine kiss.
None of this is graphic, and much of it is to demonstrate the pre-rapture world they live in.
Hero Type: Mr. Charisma
Ha. Yes, I just made that one up, since none of the other categories quite fit him.
Favorite Profound Quote:
“Yet when she had made her case before God, heaven remained silent.
Or maybe she just didn’t want to hear the answer.”
I can so relate.
Favorite Descriptive Quote:
“Ribbons of crimson and gold curled across the horizon as if they were wrapping a beautiful blue present. And in the middle, a bow of golden sunlight rose like a king ascending to his throne.”
In the not too distant future…
Wars, plagues, and famines ravage the world, immorality and violence are rampant, and the Bible is outlawed.
Angelica Smoke, a single mother and cocktail waitress, ascends the steps of a megachurch to deliver a message from God to the one man she hoped to never see again.
That message thrusts world-famous pastor Daniel Cain into a whirlwind of confusion, causing him to seek out Angelica and demand an explanation. But the woman broke his heart once and is now involved in a fanatical cult. Even being seen with her could damage his career. Still, he cannot stay away, and the more time he spends with her, the more he begins to doubt everything he believes.
Angelica is a seer. God grants her visions of the future, but she has no idea what to do with them. Her top priority is protecting her son—from the world, the culture, the devil, and especially from Daniel. But God keeps throwing them together, causing her fears to rise and reopening old wounds that threaten to tear her soul apart.
Angels watch over the couple, protecting and hoping they will make the right choices. But the angels are limited in what they can do as the end of the age comes to a close and the spiritual battles intensify, not only for Angelica and Daniel, but for all humanity.
I love Mary Lu Tyndall’s books. In fact, she’s one of the few authors I’ll buy anything from, which is why I bought this book, though it’s a massive deviation from what she typically writes.
I enjoyed this story. One of the best parts is that it makes you think about the rapture and question what you really know about it. She has some articles at the end of the book that I found fascinating. That’s not to say that I agree with everything she says, but I can tell she’s thought deeply about the beliefs presented in this book.
A few snippets of the story are presented from the perspective of angels. It kind of reminds me of Screwtape Letters. I like these, simply for the spiritual perspective they provide. We get to see both the physical and spiritual sides of the story. I wish I could do that better in real life.
As far as the characters go, the hero is so self-righteous, but I guess that’s the point. He has a tender spot for Angel that redeems him as a likable character. Seriously, he’s just the sweetest when it comes to her. And then of course, there’s his history with her, which makes the romance that much more complex. As far as the romance is concerned, it’s ends kind of unfulfilled, since it is near the end times.
Angel is a very likable, very relatable character. She has this one point, where what she loved most is about to be taken from her, even though she’s done the right thing. Man, girl, I can so relate. I had a strong flashback of my own trials while reading this.
Though I do prefer her historicals, ultimately this is a story of faith and romance that will inspire you to think more deeply about the end times.
Other books by Mary Lu Tyndall:
Get a Free Sample of When Angels Cry
Have you ever thought about the Rapture? What have you heard about it?
MaryLu Tyndall
April 25, 2017 - 12:59 am ·Thank you, Elizabeth! What a lovely review.
Elizabeth Newsom
April 25, 2017 - 8:39 pm ·My pleasure! 🙂