Allison Chamberlain is a 40-something woman who's lived her Christianity behind stained glass. She's never had any interest in riding a Harley, certainly not in buying one, but one morning at church, she feels a divine "Nudge" to do exactly that. With no idea why God could possibly be asking this of her, Allison obeys. The purchase puts her on a road to meet new people. Her life changes, both instantly and slowly, as for the first time she is faced with the plight of "the least of these."

Ms. Rue's first person voice and dialogue are engaging as always. I really love her deep-point-of-view style. In fact, this might be the main reason I've never missed one of her adult novels (until this series; I realize all three are out and I'm just now getting to the first one). Her craft is truly excellent. This is a stellar example of a character-driven novel. If you're a reader who defines "plot" as high-speed action, then this book will move slowly for you. The story is about people, their interactions and reactions. Its fuel is more tension than suspense. But when the characters are well-drawn, this apparently works for me.

In the first chapter, Allison downright irritated me. I wanted to keep reading to discover if I'd ever like her. (I do, of course.) She's a complicated character--sardonic and sincere, tough and vulnerable, uncertain and determined, relationship-impaired in her own eyes yet constantly forging new connections with people who need her help.

Then there's Desmond, a fatherless twelve-year-old whose mother is slowly destroying both of them with her drug addiction and prostitution. Desmond is nearly as layered as Allison herself, swaggering and sweet-talking his way out of trouble, swearing and stealing because he's never been taught not to, yet also an artist with surprising insight into the people he draws. Another unexpectedly nuanced character is Bonner, the annoying-like-a-brother guy Allison knows from church who'd ask her out if she'd say yes. I didn't expect him to come through in such great ways by the end.

The Sacrament House "sisters," women rescued from prostitution and turning their lives around with the help of Allison and God, are more a collective character than individuals. Though each has her own broad personality type, they aren't given the details that would breathe them to life. The same goes for Allison's small group at church. However, I can't really consider this a flaw. The book has quite a large cast. Not everyone can be as deep as Allison and Desmond.

One character I hope will be developed a lot more deeply in future books is Chief. He's pretty awesome already (Harley-riding lawyer with piercing "eagle eyes" and an unflappable personality), but I know almost nothing about him at this point. I want details on his skepticism toward God, his friendship with Hank and how it began, his family (does he even have one?) ... etc. Yes, I'm most definitely going to be reading [b:Unexpected Dismounts|10302295|Unexpected Dismounts (The Reluctant Prophet, #2)|Nancy Rue|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328763056s/10302295.jpg|15204283], and curiosity about Chief is a big reason for that.

And now, a word (or ten) about the theme, since that's clearly where this novel's creation started. I could do with a little more subtlety. In fact, I was surprised how close the author came to preaching, since that isn't her usual tendency. Her message is two-pronged. First, legalism is not what Jesus taught and, as such, is not true Christianity. (With this, I agree entirely.) Second, love is what Jesus did teach and, as such, is what true Christians will spread and teach.

With this one, I agree, too. But Allison (and thus the author) often seems to believe that love equals acceptance. Period. It's a thin line to walk, I know, but it is a line. The scene that most bothered me is between Allison and her soon-to-be-former pastor. Now, to this point, Allison's church has not in any way supported her efforts with sheltering and rehabilitating these women. Her fellow church members (including her pastor) are all in favor of checking the women into rehab and doing other things from a distance. But up close and personal with hookers is a little too dirty-hands for them, and Allison's involvement is making them uncomfortable. Reverend Garry shows up to try to bring her back into the fold of the prim and proper. Thing is, his theology isn't wrong, merely his application of it. But Allison condemns both. From page 403:

[Garry]: "I just don't want to see you water down the gospel. We can't call someone a Christian just because she's stopped using drugs."

[Allison]: "Our trouble is that we're not talking about the same gospel. The gospel I know is the one where Jesus preached and lived the unconditional love of salvation. You know--the one where he ate at the same table with the hookers and the drug addicts and the victims of injustice and poverty--that one. The one you're talking about is the one I haven't read--where only the right kind of people get into the closed club and get saved."

The implication is that the Gospel is simply unconditionally loving people. End of story. Yes, Jesus ate with "tax collectors and sinners." He also called them out on their sin and told them to repent. There's not a single scene of repentance in this novel.

Interestingly, however, there are moments in which one or another of the rescued women seems to be behaving post-repentance. They're studying the Bible. They're telling others about Jesus. They're taking communion and seem to understand and embrace its meaning. Near the end, Allison describes salvation as embracing Jesus "as our personal savior" and describes one of the women as "on her way to a life of discipleship." So I guess the Gospel is present here, on the whole, but some parts of it are definitely glossed over. Which would likely bother me less if the book didn't fervently want me to agree with everything Allison says.

For the overtness of the themes and some truth blurring, I've got to deduct a star. However, I fully intend to read and enjoy this series. Nancy Rue has penned some of the best literary Christian fiction I've read. Her dialogue is clever and genuine and contains just enough humor. Her prose is unobtrusive yet artful. And her point of view is delightfully deep. I'm still a fan, and I look forward to the next book and, hopefully, finding out who Chief is on the inside, and why. ( )

Nancy Rue’s character, Allison Chamberlain, is a real as it gets in Christian fiction. Allison gets her hands dirty trying to live her Christian faith and makes everyone uncomfortable in the process. 7 years after becoming a Christian, Allison feels a “nudge” from God telling her to buy a Harley, even though she has never ridden a motorcycle before: she tries to ignore the nudge, but God is persistent. When she follows the nudge it leads her into dark places in a bad neighborhood filled with people she would have never associated with, and she also meets other people who will help her navigate this scary world. As she reaches out to help the unlovable, she’s given a new name; a name she doesn’t want, a name that’s undeniable, the name is Prophet. This is a heart-racing, action packed, contemporary novel. I’m so happy someone recommended it to me, so I’m passing on the recommendation. All ages, including teens, will enjoy it. I hope there’s a sequel, because I want to find out what happens next. 5 stars. ( )

llison Chamberlain has received "The Nudge". This voice in her head has told her she needs to buy a Harley. Then the Nudge sends her on a mission to reach out to those most of us would not go near. We travel with her as she begins to collect what the world would consider "undesirables". You know the type, drug addicts, prostitutes, the ones that we would not give the time of day. The main message or theme is "don't judge a book by its cover". How many times do we look at someone and make a decision about that person without knowing them on their story. This is a reminder of what can happen if we truly listen to and follow God's calling. I would definitely recommend this book. ( )