Redeeming Love

I finally read the book, folks. After years of people gushing about it and me snobbishly avoiding it, I found it at Goodwill for $1. I thought, "hey, if I am going to read it, these are the conditions I want to do it in." So I bought the book. I read it in a week and half, which to my understanding is about 8 days longer than it takes most people. Sorry, I have a job now.
I didn't hate it like I thought I would (it was only 3/4 as cheesy as I thought it would be). As a novel and a piece of fiction, I enjoyed reading it. I was able to relate to characters and enjoyed the setting of the book. However, certain parts made me very uncomfortable. For those of you who know me, that is probably not surprising. There was great emotional and physical detail that I was surprised to be reading in a piece of Christian fiction. At times I thought I was reading one of those novels with Fabio on the front. But I guess I am far more modest than most, so I just give this warning: careful, ladies, careful...emotional pornography ahead.
Here are my issues with the book. First of all, Angel was far too a sympathetic character to be a picture of Gomer or the church. As I read the book I realized that it was not so much a retelling of Hosea (which is what all those who suggested I read it told me), as it was a totally fictional story with a similar plot basics and points. But, Angel's character is still Gomer/God's people and let's be honest, folks, we are not sympathetic. We are sinners, we live in rebellion. We have no excuse. That doesn't make for a very compelling novel, though. Next, Hosea just didn't seem realistic enough to me. To an extent, sure, but where are his quirks and flaws? Where is his sin? The reader does see him struggle with faith and what God is doing in his life and with relationships, but what sin do we see him struggle with? Last time I checked we all had that little (and by little I mean astronomical) problem. This book spans years of time and all we get is a mention of an occasional struggle with lust. Even his anger is righteous. I'm just saying...can I marry a man like that--one who will never fail in pursuing me and loving me and never sins against me? I know that is what we all want, but biblically unless we marry Jesus then we will be marrying a sinner.
The book was okay, but its danger is that it walks a line of biblical accuracy and artistic freedom that blurs to the point of not knowing where one begins and the other ends. Some of the liberties it takes can definitely sway the reader's understanding of Scripture and that is really dangerous, not to mention that the story plays with emotions, specifically women's. That makes me nervous, because then we set expectations for men that are not only unrealistic, but unbiblical and cause us to set standards for men that are unattainable, ultimately causing us to not respect them.

p.s.-Please don't hate me for critiquing the book.