Huggin', Kissin', Prayin': The Christian Romance Novel
By Laura Sheahen
So you're standing in the bookstore and are torn between two covers--
two romance novels set in the Old West. Both promise sympathetic characters,
exciting action scenes, and tender interludes. Indeed, the chief difference
would seem
to be that one novel---Lori Copeland's popular "Hope: Brides of the
West 1872"--is
published by a Christian press. How to choose between "Hope" and Lorraine Heath's
equally popular "Never Love a Cowboy"? Beliefnet investigates.
| Hope | Never Love a Cowboy |
| Jacket blurb describes heroine as | feisty | sassy |
| Jacket blurb describes hero as | disarmingly kind | devil-may-care |
| Real identity of hero | government agent | British earl's son |
| Heroine's drawback | can't memorize Bible well | illegitimate child |
| Bible verses recited | at least once per chapter | never |
| Predatory animal attacks | cougar | rattlesnake |
| Domesticated animal challenge | get wily pig out of mud hole | get lazy bull out of mud hole |
| Token oldster calls God | the Boss | Gawd Almighty |
| References to God | Innumerable: usually prayers | Infrequent: along the lines of "My God, you're beautiful" |
| Memorable religious moment | couple confesses love; heavenly Father smiles down and says "I love you, too." | heroine sings hymns to soothe restless steer |
| While protecting heroine, hero wounded | in arm | in leg |
| Hero recovers from wounds | with God's help. Takes 3 days | without prayers. Takes 3 months |
| Heroine feels fulfilled when | she helps an outlaw find Jesus | she has second baby |
| Hero's rival | marries another pretty, God-fearing woman | is killed by heroine |
| Author has won | HOLT romance novel award | RITA award (Romance Writers of America) |
| Amazon.com sales rank | 23,894 | 17,221 |
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