My thoughts:

Old Fashioned is a beautiful story of God's redemptive power. This was not what I expected. I thought it was going to be a romantic depiction of what old-fashioned courting can look like today. In a way, it was, but it was more.The focus was more on the how of getting past our past even after it's been covered by the blood of Jesus and forgiven. Our memories have a lot of power over us.

It has some very dramatic, intense scenes that were not included in detail in the movie when I watched it. It was pretty graphic for this gal, but I'm sure many readers may not think so. I think that the book definitely earns the movie's PG 13 rating. I will not allow my daughters to read this. Yes, my elder daughter is 17, but she hasn't been exposed to the type of behavior referenced in Clay's past. I see no reason to expose her to it at this time. After reading this book, which I did prior to watching the movie, I knew I needed to prescreen the movie. I'm glad I did. I found that the scenes I worried about were handled as benignly as possible. It might be good for a senior to read this book if they are planning to go away to school just to show them a possible pitfall of college.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book was excellent! It certainly opened my eyes on how a relationship with a woman should be by respecting her physically and emotionally, that its more than just the sex (as a lot of people nowadays think). Its about sharing love, not just a husband and wife love, but the kind of love God has for us all. They start as two different people getting to know each other and their likes and dislikes, whether or not they believe in God. If things work out, they marry and become one instead of two.

A former playboy named Clay Walsh meets a free-spirited woman named Amber. They become attracted to one another, but its not easy. Clay seems to be wrapped up in his own little world of trying to do the right thing and is suffering from the guilt of his previous lifestyle. He now runs an antique shop and repairs furniture; he only has a few friends left who dont understand him or understand his newfound faith in God. Then Amber comes along with only a car, stuffed with all her belongings (including her cat Mr. Joe). They become attracted to one another, but Clay wants to play it safe while Amber wants his attention, believing she has found the man of her dreams. She rents the apartment above Clays shop and starts breaking the appliances like the refrigerator and stove to get him to come see her. Clay finally relents and asks her out, but its hard for them to enjoy each others company because it seems neither can let go of their past and move on. Its not until after they seek God with their hearts that they admit how deeply they are in love with each other and how it was divine intervention that brought them together. The story ends when Clay proposes to Amber and she accepts, beginning a new life together in a God-honoring way.

Many lessons can be drawn from this book such as love is not to build walls around ourselves, but to let people in. If we worry about sinning and causing destruction in our relationships, then all we have to do is ask God for guidance and remember that we believe and follow His ways and not those of the world. If things dont work, then we should take heart and always remember that God has a plan for all of us. If we remember that, then we can realize that maybe God has someone special in store for us. If not, then we should know that maybe God is calling some of us to be single and fulfill the great plan that He has for us. Another lesson can be that men are called upon to be leaders and that their relationships with women should involve a lot more than physical needs and should include spiritual needs. Clay was a playboy until God rescued him from his sinful life. He struggled in his relationship with Amber, but remained steadfast in his newfound belief; this helps Amber to find God.

We may not always get what we want in this world, but we must always hope in the Lord for he will never forsake us and always has a plan for us. God has created men to be the spiritual leaders of the family. It is up to them to lead their wives and children in their walk with God, because women are created to be weaker than men and children are innocent until they grow up. As long as we pray and ask for Gods guidance then everything will work out alright in His time. Even as we stumble and fall, God will not abandon us nor forsake us. For love is patient, kind, hopeful, and old fashioned.

In the novelization of Old Fashioned by Rene Gutteridge and based on the screenplay by Rik Swartzwelder, we follow the stories of Clay Walsh and Amber Hewson who have made some mistakes in their past which has moved them into their current situations on how they each view relationships from vastly different perspectives, in this case polar opposites. Clay was your stereotypical frat boy who found women were just part of the college experience and didn't care for feelings or emotions as he went through his experiences with women. Amber was severely abused physically, emotionally and mentally for not living up to the standards of the last guy she dated and now has a different view of what love looks like. Now they both are struggling to find something that works and in Clay's case a complete 180 degree of relationships when he forms boundaries that Amber sees as old fashioned in a contemporary world.

I received Old Fashioned the novelization by Rene Gutteridge compliments of Propeller LLC and Tyndale House Publishers for my honest review of these wonderful books. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review outside of a free copy of the book for my honest opinion. This is a must have for anyone considering dating, parenting and relationships from a Christian and biblical perspective. It offers an alternative to what the world would view offers society today and in keeping with the biblical and moral standards found in the Bible. For me, this was well worth all 5 out of 5 stars especially when parents are looking for an alternative way to keeping purity before marriage and a biblical view on relationships and courtship! Chivalry is definitely not dead!!

Old Fashioned took me by surprise. I was expecting a light hearted romance and instead received something different. Our two main characters, Clay Walsh and Amber Hewson, are attracted to each other and go about courting in an interesting way. Amber has just rented the room above Clays antique shop, and is not one who sticks around when things get tough. Clay is an enigma to her and she finds herself drawn to him despite his odd ways of dealing with women. For example, Clay insisting she waits outside while he does a repair in her apartment. As the story progresses and we witness their courting we begin to learn about their pasts that have put them both on the roads they were traveling in their lives before they intersected. Besides our two main characters, we also meet a host of secondary ones that are just as broken and mixed up as the couple they cant figure out. At times very heartwarming and heartbreaking, this story also made me laugh out loud and I really enjoyed the last chapter. It was well done and very romantic. This book is a novelization of the screenplay by Rik Swartzwelder. I look forward to watching the movie by the same name when it is available on DVD. I received my review copy from The Book Club Network, Inc. and the opinions are my own.

The novel Old Fashioned by Rene Gutteridge is based on the screenplay by the same name by Rik Swartzwelder. I usually like reading a novel better than watching the movie; however, this novel left me wanting to see the movie. The first two chapters hooked me. There are some really funny parts and you will find some real characters populating this small college town. The story takes a deep look into the two main characters. I like that this is a Christian novel but not perhaps what one would expect. Clay is a Christian but doesnt know how to really trust God; Amber does not know anything about the Bible or the Christian life; both have a lifetime of hurts to overcome. Eventually they both come to a right relationship with God before they can come into a romantic relationship with each other. I received a copy from the publisher by way of The Book Club Network (bookfun.org) in exchange for an honest review.