Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin

Book Review: Ransomed Love by Kate Goodwin 

5 Stars 

Book 2 in the Hatcher Hollow Series 

Wow, Kate does it again. This book was so layered, in depth and beautiful. We have a modern day biblical retelling of Samson and Delilah, with a little bit of Hosea elements tied in too. We are in Nashville, Tennessee with Greyson and Dahlia. Dahlia is sent from her controlling father to take down Greyson at his investment firm company. Dahlia is used to getting what she needs to for her father so she will do everything she can to try and earn his love, even though it's not really there to have. So she takes the job to work for Greyson. She doesn't expect to fall for the town, his family, the church....him. 

The Lord pursues her and Greyson in this book so heavily. While this is a more gritty Christian Fiction book with some mature themes, it was REAL and raw and powerful.  I know I loved Reckless Love by Kate last year and this one is yet another, favorite book of 2025. 

There's something about how she revealed bit by bit God to our characters all at the right time. I loved seeing them go to church. She took the story of Samson and Delilah with the betrayal and heartache and turned it into a story FULL of redemption in Jesus. I have so many favorite quotes that tie back to the Gospel too. 

It was hard to see Dahlia go through all she went through with her mother and father, she was just looking for acceptance and love into the family. But what she finds in the end is the true LOVE of our Father. Our Savior. Our King. He can fulfill every need we have. No matter our past, God sees you and He is the one to save us from our mistakes. Dahlia sees that here.

Greyson's character really stands out too in spiritually growth. At first, he is super behind on his Bible reading (as we can all relate to) and lets life and work get in the way. Soon, we see his growth and return back to the Lord. I loved that. 

I think the Biblical Retelling aspect is very well done here as readers will be able to clearly see the depiction of Samson and Delilah's story from the Bible tied in here, just with a bit of a twist on the ending of course.

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a gritty, real, Christian Fiction romance story. 

Thank you to the author for a complimentary copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Content warnings:

- no language 

- no explicit sexual content, but mentions of seduction, seductive actions, toxic/abusive relationship with her father and passive mother, female dancers/dance club descriptions forced to dance by her father

- mentions of cancer 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7836860281
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mPJW1A

*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.

 

Reckless Love - Kate Goodwin

Reckless Love by Kate Goodwin - 5 Stars 
Wow, what a story. Beautiful. Redemptive. 

This book is a Hagar and Sarah inspired story with a contemporary spin. Amina (Amy) finds herself a single woman, pregnant with no where to go. Melissa has always wanted a son to carry on her husband's family legacy. When Melissa is told she is going through Menopause and her pregnancy test is negative, she feels her entire hope of having a family has gone. As barrenness pushes her to a breaking point, God seemingly drops the answer on their doorstop - or so they think. Amina and Melissa's arrangement doesn't go to plan and they are both put to the test. And Melissa's thoughts of what's to come gets changed by the true plans of the Lord.

I was thoroughly impressed with this biblical retelling. I love how Kate put this contemporary spin on it and you really felt empathy with the characters and the heartbreak they were going through. The grace and mercy given in the end of this book was absolutely beautiful. 

Seeing Amina's story and her coming to Jesus was very impactful. I loved Loretta and Tom as they were the hands and feet of Jesus in the moments Amina needed it most. Seeing how the Lord worked in these families lives in the end made me cry - such a beautiful, emotional ending. Absolutely lovely faith content.

If you like biblical retellings or contemporary stories by Francine Rivers, this would be a perfect read for you. 

Thank you to the author for providing a copy to honestly read and review. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6867497223
Amazon:
https://amzn.to/3Y9Fql1
*Amazon links are affiliate links and a commission may be earned on items purchased from these links.