Must-read inspy romance: 'Jaded,' 'Mist of Midnight'
Jaded by Varina Denman
What it's about (from publisher David C. Cook):
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.
Why you should read it: Varina Denman's Jaded, book one in her Mended Hearts series, showcases the talent of an author who is unafraid to inflict truth upon her characters as they journey from prejudice and naiveté toward acceptance and the rawness of knowledge gained through pain. Relevant and real, this emotive debut subtly strikes at the heart of what keeps so many people at arm's length from God and provides a satisfying romance that keeps the pages turning toward its hoped-for happy ever after.
Anyone who has ever been damaged by small town rumors or hurt by hypocritical people of faith will empathize with Ruthie, a young woman who has hardened her heart against God due to the behavior of those who claim to belong to him. Don't miss this impressive debut!
Mist of Midnight by Sandra Byrd
What it's about (from publisher Howard Books):
Rebecca Ravenshaw, daughter of missionaries, spent most of her life in India. Following the death of her family in the Indian Mutiny, Rebecca returns to claim her family estate in Hampshire, England. Upon her return, people are surprised to see her ... and highly suspicious. Less than a year earlier, an imposter had arrived with an Indian servant and assumed not only Rebecca's name, but her home and incomes.
That pretender died within months of her arrival; the servant fled to London as the young woman was hastily buried at midnight. The locals believe that perhaps she, Rebecca, is the real imposter. Her home and her father's investments reverted to a distant relative, the darkly charming Captain Luke Whitfield, who quickly took over. Against her best intentions, Rebecca begins to fall in love with Luke, but she is forced to question his motives — does he love her or does he just want Headbourne House? If Luke is simply after the property, as everyone suspects, will she suffer a similar fate as the first "Rebecca"?
A captivating Gothic love story set against a backdrop of intrigue and danger, Mist of Midnight will leave you breathless.
Why you should read it: Previously known for lighthearted contemporary novels, the 2011 release of To Die For: A Novel of Anne Boleyn (Ladies in Waiting book one) revealed Sandra Byrd as a serious and trustworthy voice among the esteemed ranks of Tudor fiction authors — a reputation that continued to grow with the release of each subsequent book in that series. Now she further expands her impressive storytelling range with Mist of Midnight, book one in the Daughters of Hampshire series, inviting readers into a different era and captivating them with ethereal touches of the supernatural in this superbly crafted Victorian Gothic romance.
Sandra Byrd's trademark attention to historical accuracy combines with an eerily building intrigue to envelope readers in a sense of dark foreboding that hinges precariously between hope and desperation. Mist of Midnight is a subtly haunting, beautifully atmospheric, and decadently romantic story that will find a comfortable home among the best Gothic romances of days gone by. What are you waiting for? Click this title into your cart and fall into the mists!
Behind the scenes of Mist of Midnight with author Sandra Byrd …
On your research trip to England, did you discover any objects that found their way into the novel in an unexpected way?
Sandra: When I visited the School of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London I was given permission to read the letters to and from the missionaries in India in this era. The paper was so thin, and once they wrote on them horizontally, they turned them sideways and overwrote them diagonally. This saved paper but also showed how infrequently they wrote and received letters. I could see how long it would take to verify anything about Rebecca … months and months … and that was under the best conditions
Among the minor characters found at Headbourne, who is your favorite?
Sandra: Michelene was the most fun to write. Men are so straightforward in their malice, but a woman knows how to twist the knife while French-twisting the hair. Not someone you'd want as a friend, but enjoyable to create!
How to Catch a Prince by Rachel Hauck
What it's about (from publisher Zondervan):
American heiress Corina Del Rey caught her prince once. But the tragedy of war kept her too long in a fog of grief. Now she's shifting her life forward, reigniting her career as a journalist. Still, nothing can relieve her of the secret and the love she carries in her soul.
Prince Stephen of Brighton is one of the world's most eligible bachelors and a star rugby player, trying to make sense of his life. His days in Afghanistan with the Royal Air Command will mark him forever. And he can't shake their dark shadow.
But when his brother, King Nathaniel, confronts him with a document the prince thought long buried and forgotten, Stephen is forced to face the pain of his past and the love he left behind.
With a little heavenly help, Prince Stephen and Corina embark on a journey of truth. But when the secrets are revealed, can they overcome, move forward, and find love again?
Why you should read it: As if the whole royal romance thing wasn't enough to draw us back to Brighton Kingdom, now author Rachel Hauck introduces us to King Nathaniel's little brother — a Prince Harry-like rebel type who is also a war hero and a professional athlete. One bad-boy celebrity prince, coming up! Consider me all-in ... and then some!
Stephen's heart is encased in shadows of the past, but those shadows are hidden by popularity's bright star. A life of privilege gives him an air of entitlement, but that arrogance is contrasted by memories of war and the deep regret that makes him unwilling to admit he still carries a Statue of Liberty-sized torch for American heiress Cora, from whom he hides a potentially dangerous-to-the-crown secret.
Cora is trying to piece her life back together after tragedy ripped out the heart of her formerly close and loving family. The last thing she needs is to have her wounds reopened by being forced to relive a chapter of her life she thought over. But the truth is, she is still desperately in love with Prince Stephen ... and now that he's back in her life, she's not sure she can let him go.
With subtly comic moments and magical sparkles of mysterious divine intervention, this romance is a touching and beautiful testament to the power of love melting the chains we put around our hearts. Put How to Catch a Prince, No. 3 in the Royal Wedding series, on your must-read shelf!
MORE ON HEA: Check out Serena's recs of Once Upon a Prince and Princess Ever After, and don't miss Rachel Hauck's HEA feature about our fascination with royals.
A writer, performer and accomplished partaker of dark chocolate, Serena Chase lives in Iowa with her husband and two daughters. Her Eyes of E'veria series — The Ryn, The Remedy and The Seahorse Legacy — is out now. You can find out more about her at serenachase.com.