My Bookshelf: Justified by Varina Denman

A rebellious young woman seeks redemption for her sins, but can she forgive herself?

        In a small Texas town ruled by gossip, Fawn Blaylock believes other are justified in condemning her untimely pregnancy. Stifled by guilt, she yearns for the grace she has never been willing to bestow on others. Hope begins to stir when the local football coach offers gentle strength to help Fawn reawaken her heart and redeem her past.

        Justified perfectly captures the rhythm and romance of life in a small town, chronicling the life of a woman searching for renewal, a man looking beyond what others see, and a community torn between judgement and love. It is the unforgettable story of broken dreams, second chances, and relentless hope.

      Justified is the second book in Varina Denman’s Mended Hearts series, coming after Jaded. I read Jaded about a month ago and absolutely loved it—I cannot even describe to you how much I loved that book but it definitely made me a lifelong fan of Varina’s—and this book was just as good. It has just the perfect amount of sweet moments, parts full of the love and presence of God, and spine-chilling situations that kept me captivated from page one, which I fully expected. Have I already mentioned that I love Varina’s writing? Because I do, very, very much!

      Fawn Blaylock wasn’t my favorite character when I first met her back in book one. She was mean to Ruthie, with basically no real explanation, and I found it very hard to forgive her. However, once the whole awful situation with Tyler began, my opinion of her very quickly made a turnaround. And as soon as I started this novel, I knew I would end up loving her just as much as Ruthie. She’s been through so much in her short life, partly at the hands of her own father, and it helped me to sympathize with her from day one.

     When I first read the description of this book, I was so, so excited to find out who it was about. No, not Fawn, but the “local football coach” whose identity is very clear to anyone who has read Jaded—JohnScott. If you’ve read my review of Jaded, you know that I loved Ruthie’s cousin from the very first moment I was introduced to him, so I was thrilled when I found out this book would focus on him. And as I got to know him better, I realized even more that JohnScott is by far the sweetest man to ever grace the face of the earth. The way he cared for Fawn blew me away, and I couldn’t help loving him even more.

       All in all, I really, really loved this book, and I already cannot wait to read it again. I’m so glad I now own the whole entire series, because you can be sure I will be reading it again and again, and lending it to all my reader friends. As you’ve probably already guessed, I cannot help but give Justified all five bookshelves, and a permanent place on my all-time favorites list. It captivated me, touched my heart, and has left me unable to stop thinking about it, so I would definitely say Varina hit it out of the park again with this one.

        Happy reading!

I received a copy of this book through the Litfuse Publicity Group in exchange for only my honest review.

To see where I’m linking up, check out my Where I Party page.

All credit for the italicized synopsis goes to Varina Denman and David C. Cook Publishing.