Jonathon Danforth has checked out of life. Stinging from an unimaginable loss, he has withdrawn from life, wanting only to live out his existence with as little interference as possible. However, when his sister talks him into auditing an English Literature class at the local community college, he reluctantly accepts the invitation to abandon his lonely apartment. Intent upon making an appearance … appearance for his sister’s sake and then disappearing for his own, Jonathon sulks into class. But when he meets Elizabeth Forester, the professor, Jonathon learns there is more to life and to love than he ever could have imagined.
“Staci Stallings’ books are Christian romance at its best!”
IF YOU BELIEVED IN LOVE is a fascinating mix of literature and faith. A Contemporary Christian romance, the novel explores life, love, death, and redemption. It will surely find its way into your romance novels and inspirational books collections.
~ EXCERPT ~
“Turn to Appearances, page 31.” Without more than a second’s time, she continued without reading her book. “And so you found that poor room dull,/Dark, hardly to your taste, my dear?/Its features seemed unbeautiful;/But this I know—‘twas there, not here,/You plighted troth to me, the word/Which—ask that poor room how it heard.
“And this rich room obtains your praise/Unqualified—so bright, so fair,/So all whereat perfection stays?/Aye, but remember—here, not there,/The other word was spoken!—Ask/This rich room how you dropped the mask!
“Browning uses the metaphor of a house again in this one, a structure of some kind with different rooms. And what’s the story with this house?”
“The guy likes one room but not the other.”
Quiet depth filled her eyes. “Why?” She turned, and her gaze caught a raised hand. “Mr. Hansen?”
“Because in one room he was trying to be something he wasn’t, and in the other, he dropped the mask.”
“And the first room, where he was wearing the mask was…?”
“Unbeautiful,” Susana said. “Dull and dark.”
Ms. Forester seemed lost in the thought. “And the second room? What was it like?”
“Unqualified,” someone down front said, “so bright, so fair.”
“He’s saying the same thing in both poems, is he not?” She turned on the toe of her boot and gazed at the whole of her students. “Be who you are. Drop the mask. Be brave enough to show the world, and far from losing yourself and being criticized like a finite clod, you may be immortalized like Shakespeare, or at the very least, the room you’re standing in might just seem a little brighter than the one where you were before.” Her attention jumped up to the clock. “Oh, look at the time. Be sure to read the last selections for Thursday’s class. See you then.”
It was like snapping awake from a dream and not being at all able to shake it. Jonathon stood as the others did as well. His mind spun trying to think of something, some reason that could keep him here with her for one more minute. He checked his things, gathering them slowly, watching her down front the whole time. One of the other students stepped up to her, and she bent to listen. What could he ask her? What question would be good enough to go to the front?
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I loved how she worked the storyline and the characters together with the books and characters within them.
I wish Staci Stallings had been my English Lit. prof. This is a thoroughly enjoyable story. I’m planning on reading Jane Austen again and feel much better prepared to understand and enjoy the books.
However, given my interest in grammar, I am disappointed with the very aggravating mistakes made throughout the book. Just really terrible editing.
This book tells its story along side the telling of Jane Austen’s “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice”. It is a very interesting parallel and I really was impressed by the author’s insight into the telling of these 2 classics and how they relate to real-life situations now. Brilliant and a good read!
I was pulled into this story, and loved the way the characters were built up and the way they got to know one another. Gread read!!
Lets just admit Staci Stalling has me hooked. I just thoroughly enjoy her books.
Stacie is a great writer. She incorporates Christian theology seamlessly in her books and leaves you thinking about a closer relationship with God without being preachy. Her characters are well developed and from the first page until the last you are pulled into the story living life through her characters sometimes at lifes messiesttrials but with hope.
I couldn’t get into the book, not a big poetry fam!
Loved this book.
An enjoyable read.
This is one of the books you have to read to the end. The characters are unique and the plot totally different. The only reason I didn’t give it a 5 star was that it spent so much time comparing characters from other books. And the ending was super.
Original storyline, great character development and dialogue. Just missing a bit more conflict and tension.
I really liked it, however, I didn’t think it was ever going to end!!!
Very enjoyable book but I wouldn’t call it a Christian story. God was mentioned a few times but nothing about His redeeming love and grace. Jonathan did change but glory was not given to God the Father for His salvation. Again, I enjoyed reading the story.
I did. It like this book, very boring and predictable
Great book! It talks about great literary works and was a fascinating read.