Jaded

This book was really enjoyable and surprisingly moving. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book - from the synopsis it really could have been a historical for all I knew. Well, it's actually a well-written contemporary that is beautiful, transporting and hopeful.

Let me tell you about Ruthie. Living in the small town of Trapp has both its good sides, like her cousin, who is more like a brother and best friend in one, and its hardships, working two jobs to stay afloat and the ever-present rejection from the church and it's members. Ever since she and her mother were asked to leave the congregation, Ruthie hasn't wanted to have anything to do with the church or the disapproval of its members. But a new family in town, a young pastor, his younger brother and mother, has the small community of Trapp abuzz. Ruthie is determined to keep her distance - all Christians are alike in her mind, not to be trusted thank you very much - but Dodd, the pastor, is captivated from the moment he sees Ruthie. As Dodd and his brother work their way into the fabric of Ruthie's life, they promise to challenge all of Ruthie's protective walls and maybe even her beliefs about God's role in her life.

I enjoyed Ruthie's strength, resilience and wit. I loved her relationship and banter with her cousin. And the romance - so sweet and yet realistic as Ruthie and Dodd face many challenges. The storyline is very relatable, the harm caused by the church is so very diverse and widespread, yet the book is hopeful and healing. The setting is perfect, I could almost taste the Texan dust, and the story kept me captive enough that I read it in one sitting. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, which will follow one of the secondary characters.

The publishers provided a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Review written by Madison Dearnaley

This book was a wonderful debut offering from Varina Denman. I very much enjoyed the depth and intensity that she brought to this poignant story. The characters had sweet deepness to each of them. I gave this four stars only because I did not agree that a preacher should be pursuing a non believer.

I felt that this book shines light on a very sad reality about hurt, shame and scars people carry toward the church. This is a new author for me and I enjoyed the differences of her writing style, the realness of her story and the heartfelt connection to her characters.

This story will dig up the "What would you do?" question and cause you to think about the people who live around you with deep, strong stories of their own.

I appreciated the focus being on a relationship with God and why that leads us to fellowship with other believers. And the knowing that ALL believers have sinned and need the grace freely offered from our Savior.

Having lived in a small town, I understood immediately the power of gossip. Ruthie's story is powerful statement on the way gossip can changed one's life. At first the reader might mistake it as an overreaction by Ruthie's family. But as the book continues, you realize that it is not as first seems. It was an engrossing book that I really liked and couldn't put down.

I was very lucky to be given a free copy of Jaded to read, thanks to Net Galley and Varina’s lovely publisher, David C. Cook.

First impressions:
At first glimpse, I was instantly attracted to this book. The cover is both beautiful and enticing and the blurb left me desperately wanting more, which is always a good sign.

The Blurb:
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.

And resonate it did, I was hooked on this book from the very first page and devoured it so fast that I was relieved to know that I had a second another of Varina’s books on standby, ready to go.

Varian is an amazing author who builds not only realistic characters, but ones that make us think, question and ponder the way we consider and see things around us.

It reminds us that what we think we know isn’t always accurate and that often there is more going on than meets the eye.

I loved this book I really did and she reminded me of Francine Rivers, of who I am a massive fan, because like Francie, Varina was able to open my eyes and make me consider things that previously I had tried to ignore, in a way that was both absorbing and well written.

Although I did receive this book as a free book in Kindle format, I enjoyed it so much I will be going out and buying it in paperback also.

So if you love a bit of good Christian fiction, are a fan of Francine Rivers or are just looking for something to make you think and make you smile. Then Jaded is the book for you.

Also reviewed on Goodreads.

This is Varina Denman's first novel and it is such a wonderful way to enter the world of writing and fiction! I was very intrigued by the description of this novel as I was a pastor's wife in several small towns, one in Texas and two in North Carolina. I, too, have been injured by one of those churches and it caused my heart a great deal of pain until I was able to forgive the people and accept that God still loved me no matter what some of "His children" did to me and my family. I think the author handled the issues beautifully. It is about judging others, gossip and rumors and how they can hurt others. They truly do hurt others and this book also addresses an issue that I refer to as "churches shooting their wounded". The new young pastor does not believe that it is acceptable to shoot the wounded and reaches out to the "sinners" in the small town. Many of the church leaders do not appreciate his doing so. Jesus himself ate with the sinners and tax collectors. Dodd is following in Jesus' example. He does much to lead the town and congregation to forgiveness and healing. I do not know how Ruthie and her mother stayed in the little town after being "ex-communicated" from the Christian church for rumors and gossip! I think I would have had to move away. I know that is what I did when I was hurt by the church we pastored. I simply could not remain when rumors were flying and people were reporting them to me at my job as a local teacher. It hurt me too, just as it hurt Ruthie and her mother. But there is forgiveness and that is what "Jaded" is all about. I rate this book 5 stars and am anxious to read the second book in the series, "Justified". I received a free ebook format of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Wow! This is a deep feeling story of life in the small town of Trapp with the church congregation and all its flaws. Ruthie and Dodd are very believable in their roles. The author has done a very nice job with this easy to read book. It held my interest to the end. Good Job Varina Denman.

4.5 Stars!
Jaded isn’t your typical love story. It goes so much deeper to encompass love between man and woman, God and His Church, and the Church and its people. This story of love, second chances, and forgiveness stretches us to see the areas where the Church and people in the Church have left us Jaded. As I read the story I found myself longing for reconciliation for the characters but also for a chance for God’s love to manifest in the town, church, and individuals in the story.

Characters: It took me a little bit to feel like I could connect with Ruthie in this novel. By the end though, I was sad to end my time with her. Some of the other characters in the book, especially the Cunninghams, were people that I enjoyed seeing their names come across the page. Overall, this novel had very well developed characters that were dealing with some very complex problems.

Storyline: I loved this novel because of some of the hard truths that it dealt with. More often that not, Christians tend to act the least Christ-like--and this novel definitely portrayed that. From the prologue it was clear that this town, and specifically a church had some secrets and a lie that wouldn't lay dormant. Curiosity drove me forward, and in doing so, made me question my own heart and how I would have acted in the same situation.

My Thoughts: By the time I finished this story, I was impressed. There were some humorous moments sprinkled throughout that I enjoyed, but I also really enjoyed the larger message this book has to offer. This is a book that I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys Christian fiction with a strong message within the pages.

**I received a copy of this book from David C. Cook and NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.**

I read the second book in this series first and reviewed it here. Last night I finished the first book in the series with many of the same characters and it makes the reader feel like part of a family, or in this case, part of a small town. Varina Denman has a way of writing that involves the reader in the thick of the plot and makes the reader feel what the characters are feeling.

Ruthie graduated from high school in Trapp two years ago, and because of her mother's inabilities to hold a job, Ruthie works at two jobs. When Dodd Cunningham and his family move into town, he is immediately taken with Ruthie and he would like to know her better. He is not only the new math teacher at the high school, he is also the new preacher of the church where all the movers and shakers go. Ruthie is reluctant to allow him into her heart and mind, and with good reason. Years before, when her father left, someone told the elders of the church that Ruthie's mother had committed adultery and that's why her husband left. That's when the church withdrew their fellowship--and literally ex-communicated Ruthie's mother, Lynda. Ruthie has a healthy mistrust of the church and its members.

Part of the plot of the book revolves around the secrets people carry around with them. Neil Blaylock hides that he lied about Lynda's adultery, and even hides other things as well. Clyde Felton has recently come back to the town after serving twenty years for statutory rape; he hides what really happened in that situation. Lynda hides her previous relationship with Neil and the lies he told that caused her husband to leave. As secrets unfold, it allows some healing to occur, but it also allows bitterness to blossom and bear fruit.

While this story is somewhat of a romance, it is also a cautionary tale of the abuse of power within a church and the depth of damage secrets in the church can do. Jaded is an accurate title for those reasons. Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and healing for the soul.

My thanks to David C Cook for allowing me to read and review this book.

Having spent most of my life in rural communities and small churches, the story told by Jaded rings true to me. I personally have never witnessed a situation quite like the one experienced by Ruthie and her mother but I can recognize the potential of something similar happening if circumstances played out just right.

Jaded is beautifully written and I immediately connected with its characters. It is a sobering tale of how much destruction and pain that gossip and lies can cause. It is also a glorious story of the beauty and freedom gained by the truth and forgiveness.

I very much enjoyed my first book by Varina Denman and am looking forward to reading more of her work.

I almost missed out on reading this book. First, I couldn't tell by the cover if it was a modern contemporary or a historical, and anyone who's been reading my reviews for any length of time knows I'm not a fan of historical fiction.

One more reason I almost didn't pick this book up: I'm all too familiar with being wounded by the church. In fact, I'm in the middle of a very hurtful situation right now. But then I started seeing reviews, and I had to see for myself.

"Jaded" is one of the most spectacular novels I've read this year (and I've read over 50 thus far). Varina taps into the heart and soul of both a woman and a man and draws out every drop of powerful emotion, lavishing the story in tenderness, fear, love and all the emotions we long to have following resolution of conflict,

Ruthie is me. She is you. She is every woman who's every been judge and found wanting unfairly. And Dodd...excuse me for saying it this way, but he is Jesus in skin and bone. Oh, he's flawed. Oh, he's not perfect. But for Ruthie and that little church that can't forgive...

Yeah, he's Jesus with skin and bone. This story will capture you with its emotion and truth and longing for hope and peace. It will speak to the broken and damaged areas of your soul. And it just might work a miracle of healing in your tender heart.

My thanks to my friends at David C. Cook Publishing for my complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review. I cannot recommend "Jaded" highly enough. Don't miss one of the best novels of the year.

I’ve never read a book by Varina Denman, however she is an author that I will look for in the future. Published by David Cook, the company did a great job in designing a cover that appealed to me. In a way, it reminded me of the painting “Christina” by Andrew Wyeth.

The story is about a young woman in her 20’s, who has faced life with her mom, shunned by the local church. Ruthie, has grown up knowing that something happened to expell them from the congregation, but she has no idea what it was being as she was only seven at the time. Her mother, refuses to talk about and becomes extremely angry when faced with challenges in life. But things change with the arrival of a new, young pastor in town. Plus, he’s single.

Eventually things happen and eventually Ruthie does find out what went down so many years before. The question now, is forgiveness a possibility.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book. It was a different perspective on the normal books I read. It kept me pulled into the story, so much, that I didn’t want to put it down when it came time to return to work. That in my mind, is an indication of a good book. I enjoyed the way you saw things thru Ruthie’s mind when she came upon obstacles in life and how they were eventually resolved.

I received this book as an eBook from Netgalley in exchange for a honest interview.