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 Stinging from an unimaginable loss, he has withdrawn from life, wanting only to live out his existence with as little interference as possible.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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This is an extremely well written book with very well developed characters and plot. Just try it!
Staci Stalling’s book are so hard to put down and this one is wonderful , truly a great book
I loved this book because the characters were authentic with each other! It’s not the typical romance. It made me want to read the classics with a different view! I highly recommend this book!
I love all Staci Stallings books. She is ne if not my favorite female Christian writer.
As a Jane Austin fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I’ve read many Austin books but had never heard a discussion of any of them. It was intwined with a modern, sweet, totally believable, love story.
Not your typical romance. An English teacher and someone who almost gave up on life. There is so much depth in this book, as she writes not only the story, but how literature relates to life. Then she writes essays about life and the teachers response. Then how each one if feeling. The insights to life and the hope it brings is so rich. I highly recommend this book.
This is a great bopk. If you like Jane Austen, you’ll love it. She used characters from Austen’s novels to have her character s explore the. meaning in her books. S. Stallings is now among my favorites.
Enjoyed….a nice relaxing read.
Great book for those who love English lit.
Learned about British Literature. I didn’t even know I wanted to know about it.
I liked the references to Browning and Austin works and how they related to the characters experiences in this story.
This is a very thoughtful book. I so want to be in the English 103 class! The insights from Browning,s poems and Jane Austin’s novels were amazing. The characters were wonderful and the plot was a great setting for all the life insights I gained!
One of the best books I’ve read lately. The characters, both past and present, were fully developed and engaging. I think I learned how I should be engaging with the characters of all books. Definitely a thumbs up!
Extremely well written story that taught me some things about interpreting literature/poetry in relation to personal life story. Wonderful ending.
It was like I was once again in English Lit. Very informative about the Brownings and Jane Austen. Read it in 2 days and had a friend read it too.
Stacy Stallings aleways writes with just the right amount of complexity to maintain the reader’s interest. However, this time the characters themselves analyzed literature and applied principles. Certainly higher order thinking and very interesting!
High praises for this book. Thank you.
Very much enjoyed this book. Recommend this book for Jane Austin book lovers!
Fascinating novel within a novel. Wonderfully romantic but not mushy.
It was beautifully written in the development of the two characters. I loved how quotes from classical literature were interwoven with great insight and into the unique lives falling in love. Quite a unique piece of fiction, a real standout.
This story made me want to go back and read all the classics again. It teaches about love and learning at the same time.