When He Found Me

by Victoria Bylin

There are a lot of reasons why I’m a fan of Victoria Bylin. One, she writes contemporary Christian romance. Two, she isn’t afraid to tackle real-life issues. Finally, she artfully shows how sin leads to very dire consequences, but even in the darkest moments we have hope when we have Jesus.

When He Found Me deals with abortion, sexually transmitted disease, and abuse. These are not the typical Christian fiction topics, which is the reason Bylin had to publish this book independently. I find this sad, but I admire her courage to go for it because I think she does a superb job with this very heavy material.

It’s a love story that covers every kind of love imaginable. There’s romantic love between Shane Riley and Melissa “MJ” Townsend. There’s familial love that doesn’t always look pretty; Shane’s relationship with his sister Daisy, and MJ’s relationship with her mother Olivia. There’s friendship love exemplified by Lyn Grant, who is protective and caring for both MJ and Daisy. And finally there’s the love only God can give us that sustains us through the worst moments in life.

One thing I believe readers will say at the end of the book is they cared what happened to the characters. There are many tender moments and many dark moments. But, ultimately Bylin simply weaves a story that shows us how we need a savior.

When He Found Me paints a realistic picture of the consequences of sexual promiscuity. Nothing about this book glorifies pre-marital sex or sex outside of marriage. There isn’t anything glorious about contracting a sexually transmitted disease. The CDC estimates 79 million Americans currently are infected with HPV and 14 million are newly infected each year. It’s thought almost every person who is sexually active will get HPV because unless both partners completely celibate until marriage there is a risk of contracting it. As a society we’ve forgotten God created sex to be between a husband and wife only, and we’re seeing the consequences in epic proportions.

So, kudos to Victoria Bylin for tackling these very real and heartbreaking topics. When He Found Me gets five-stars.

What's your reaction to topics like STDs and abortion in Christian fiction?