A Man's Strength Is Determined By His Faith

Christian author Jacquelin Thomas has crafted a new novel with a contemporary twist on the love story of the Biblical characters, Samson and Delilah. Her modern day Sampson is the Assistant Pastor of Hillside Baptist Church in North Carolina where his uncle Zachariah is the senior pastor. Samson Taylor was born into a family of pastors beginning with his great grandfather who founded the church. He indeed had some big shoes to fill.

He had tried to run from his calling while he was in college but found that he could not escape the plans that God had for him. Tall, muscular and very handsome, Samson has a weakness for beautiful women. His late father Elijah was forced out of the church as Pastor when he allowed his wanton ways to replace his love for ministry. Samson was determined that he would not repeat his father's fate.

Raised by his uncle and aunt after his parents are killed in a tragic accident; Samson has finally reached the pinnacle of success and they are very proud of him. Yet, they too worry that he is his father's son. He is a single man in ministry and already the congregation wants him to take a wife.

Samson meets and marries the lovely Savannah Keys after a brief courtship despite the fact that Savannah is a practicing Buddhist. And here is where the drama begins. Samson falls hard for Savannah, a lawyer who is just as intelligent and accomplished, as she is poised and beautiful. He feels that once he captures her heart, she will give up being a Buddhist. They are certainly unequally yoked. Although both their families and friends are against this union; he and Savannah marry anyway.

What I like about this author's work is her ability to take Biblical characters and Christian themes creating modern-day story-lines that appeal to all readers. She uses real problems that Christians struggle with that are both timely and believable. There are no "pie-in-the-sky" story-lines in her novels and her latest release is no different.

It doesn't take long before troubles begin to befall the newlyweds. Savannah leaves him for his childhood best friend. He is both hurt and angry and in his anger, he spirals into a downward spin. He plans his revenge against Savannah. He finds comfort in other women. Samson gives in to each and every temptation that he is presented with. Although Samson loves God; he allows himself to be controlled by his lust. He is forced to walk away from the church. After a very tragic encounter with the husband of one of these women, Samson is a broken man. He has no other alternative than to turn to God.

This book was a very engaging read. The storyline was well paced and full of emotion. The plot was complex with a great deal of action. The characters were just like everyday people with everyday issues; yet they were unique and interesting.

As Sampson finds his way down the winding road to redemption, I felt like I knew this man and had come to care about what would ultimately happen to him. Jacquelin Thomas receives another feather in her cap for this book. I highly recommend it.