Thursday, January 15, 2015

Varina Denman's Jaded ~ Reviewed


Jaded
By: Varina Denman
More in Mended Hearts Series
Format: Paperback
Number of Pages: 336
Vendor: David C. Cook
Publication Date: 2015
ISBN: 1434708373




Description

Ruthie Turner resents the Christians in her small Texas town, but when she falls for the new preacher, she must release her bitterness, and learn to love.
On the surface, nothing seems to change in this dull town--yet God always works beneath the surface. As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation after a scandal involving her parents. 
Thirteen years later, her interest in an attractive single minister is bitterly opposed--unearthing a string of secrets which threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside down.
Review:
Jaded is an intriguing and slightly convicting novel full of small town drama, religious misuse and abuse, broken hearts and crushed dreams. And it's a novel full of the promise of redemption, imperfect people who know the perfect God and hope. 

I appreciated the realism Denman captured in her characters and small town life. She also managed to portray bitterness and unforgiveness in a way that I was able to fully understand the struggles and have hope for the characters to pull out of the cycle they were caught in. 

Of note, some readers might not appreciate a relationship that develops between a believer and one who is struggling to understand exactly how to feel about the Lord. So if unequally yoked is an area of struggle or concern for you be warned. I had to look inward a bit to assess my own level of religiosity. I think that fiction that makes a reader consider their own life, the world and God is great fiction indeed. 

Reviewed by: Kelly Klepfer


3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Kelly and Ane,

I was hoping to send this via email but can't see your contact info on your blog, so I hope you don't mind me leaving this in the comments.

I was wondering if you'd be willing to review my novella, an inspirational romance on Amazon called A Chance for Moonlight:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00S3EFXL6

I would be willing to provide a complimentary review copy in exchange for an honest review (or, if you have kindle unlimited you can download it directly for free). Let me know if you're interested! The book blurb is below:

Spring brings change, especially in bustling Manhattan. Downtown, a cheerful pastry cook charms the reticent soldier next door. Uptown, a young heiress with a complicated past weighs a courtship with a handsome baseball player. In Midtown, a married couple learns the sparks that come with building a life together. One city and three couples bind this sweet novella together.

Thanks so much! If you do decide to read it, I can't wait to hear what you think!

Ella

Scrambled Dregs said...

Ella, contact me at kelly(dot)klepfer(at)gmail(dot)com and I'll chat with you. One of my local gals would read and review it for Noel Reviews.

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