Their small-town church wants them apart, but God has other plans.

Jaded by Varina Denman

About this book: (from the publisher) As a child, Ruthie was shunned by the local congregation. Thirteen years later, Ruthie’s heart begins to stir when an attractive single preacher arrives. But their relationship is bitterly opposed—unearthing a string of secrets which threaten to turn the church, the town, and her world upside-down.

Jaded is the rare novel that is both love story between a woman and man … and God and His church. Plunging deep into the waters of shame, forgiveness and restoration, it will resonate with every woman who’s experienced a loss of heart … and a thirst for hope.

About the author: (from her website) An avid reader and blogger, Varina Denman enjoys writing fiction about Christian women and the unique struggles they face. She seems to have a knack for describing small town life, and is currently working on the three-book Mended Heart Series. The first book in the series, Jaded, won the 2013 ACFW Genesis contest for romance.

Varina attended three Texas universities over a span of five years, majoring in four subjects and earning zero degrees. However, she can now boast sixteen years as a home educator, volunteering in the local cooperative where she has taught numerous subjects including creative writing and literature.

Even though Varina has spoken at ladies’ retreats and taught women’s Bible classes, she finds the greatest fulfillment facilitating prayer groups. She lives in Burleson, Texas, where she helps with Family Ministry in her home congregation. Varina is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and North Texas Christian Writers.

She is represented by Jessica Kirkland of The Blythe Daniel Agency.

For more random trivia, check out this post: Fascinating Facts About V.V. Denman

Genre: Fiction/Christian/Romance

Why I read this book: As a Blog Spot reviewer

If this book were a movie, I would rate it: G

Reminds me of… shades of The Outcast

Will especially appeal to… those familiar with the idiosyncrasies of small-town life

This story matters because…it reminds us that God offers hope for healing, no matter what the hurt.

My take: Award-winning Jaded is the first in Varina Denman’s Mended Hearts series, introducing us to complex characters grappling with real-life issues. Denman’s prose is unadorned, her message quite explicit. I appreciated her treatment of a sensitive subject (wounding by the church) that hits home for many–far too many, unfortunately, both inside and outside the church. It’s an important and very real topic, and I’m happy to see it addressed fairly in novels like this one.

I personally prefer more nuance in my fiction–more subtlety of dialogue and turns of plot, more implicit messaging–and also a faster pace. This one’s pretty thick (400 pages–definitely on the long side for inspirational fiction), and by the time I finished, I concluded that about a quarter might have been trimmed for a tighter story. My opinion, of course.

I did find this a somewhat difficult read in that I spent most of the last half wanting to smack a someone or two. A few of these someones were meant to elicit that reaction. But others were the good guys who just weren’t listening. Either that, or they were being exceptionally tunnel-visioned or naive. Which, on the one hand, built tension–as it was supposed to. But it was to such a degree that it frustrated me and made me sympathize less with those characters, bringing them down in my estimation.

I will say that those who have actually lived in small towns (I have not) may not have the same issues with this book that I did. It could be that since I can’t deeply relate to some of the issues, certain idiosyncrasies stretched my credibility. I have a hard time accepting that so many honest, good-hearted people would actually behave in such narrow-minded ways. Would an entire church really allow itself to be so thoroughly ruled by the ill-informed decisions of only three men? I suppose so. I found it hard to swallow–but then, maybe I’m the one being naive.

All in all, I believe Jaded–with its appealing characters and small-town setting–will find its most enthusiastic readers among those who like inspirational fiction that contains strong, overt messages. Who don’t mind a bit of preaching mixed in with their fiction.

[Tweet “What happens when a small-town church is set on keeping a couple apart? #Jaded @VarinaDenman”]

Thanks to The Blog Spot and David C. Cook for providing me a free copy to review. All opinions are mine.

After words: Have you been hurt by the church? You don’t have to answer that question here. But I want you to know that if you would answer yes, you’re not alone. I will also tell you that I count myself among that number. On her website, Varina Denman blogs beautifully about this sensitive subject, recognizing the hurt and offering hope for healing. I encourage you to check out her Church Hurt blog posts here.