What If Love Is the Point?

Review by Sarah Lozier from Inkster, Michigan, a Professional Writing student at Taylor
University in Upland, IN.

REVIEW INTRODUCTION

Title:
What If Love Is the Point?
Author:
Carlos and Alexa PenaVega
Publisher:
Thomas Nelson
Publication Date:
June 28,2022
Format:
Print book
Length:
240 pages

OVERVIEW
What If Love Is the Point discusses the harsh realities of the entertainment industry and how through that pain, Carlos and Alexa found solace and love in each other and in God. It discusses things ranging from their early life and the hardships of that to beginning a relationship to starting their married life to finding Jesus through it all. The PenaVegas have had a rough life but discovering the love Jesus has for them makes it all worth it.

Carlos Pena played Carlos Garcia in Big Time Rush and also sang with the band. He struggled with drugs, loneliness, self-worth issues, and sexual immorality. Alexa, who played Carmen Cortez in Spy Kids, struggled with a divorce, an eating disorder, and body image struggles that come from the entertainment industry. Both were childhood stars that many kids looked up to and adored. Through discovering the love of God, they found solace and comfort in the One who was in control of it all and love and solace in each other as they struggled to get where they are now, happily married with three kids.

“And together we have learned the hard way that if God’s not in it, we don’t want to be either. Whether it’s a house we want to buy, a job we want to take, or a child we want to make, we’ve discovered that when we bullheadedly push ahead—and by we, I mean me—without God’s leading we regret it. And because Lex does seem to have this direct line to the Almighty (my words, not hers), I know that if she’s hesitant, I don’t want to move forward. It has become so important to us to be on the same page with our goals and dreams.” Carlos says on page 163. But they didn’t get to that point without the countless hardships and challenges that come from just general life but also the movie industry. Their love for God will continue to push them in the right direction closer and closer to God.

ASSESSMENT
Rating: Five Stars
Suggested Audience:
I would suggest this for younger adults to older adults. It does detail some sexual things (not
going into too much detail, but it does discuss them.) These two people grew up in non-Christian backgrounds and so have had tough lives and talk about them in detail. They discuss some deeply sad and real things that would not be good for younger eyes but would be helpful in later years to hear. It talks about the harsh realities of the entertainment industry and how that can ruin a person mentally and physically.
Christian Impact
This was a great reminder how powerful and kind our God truly is. He took two broken people and used them for something good. It was a great reminder that you can come to God as you are, divorced, struggling from an eating disorder, sleeping around, whatever. God doesn’t judge, he just welcomes anyone with open arms. The book showed that God puts hardships in our life for a reason, to make us stronger and so that something good comes out of it.

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