Starving Hearts by Janine Mendenhall

About the Book:

Starving Hearts (Heritage Beacon Fiction, May 2016)

Since her assault, Miss Annette Chetwynd has been plagued by nightmares and worries about an arranged marriage.

She yearns to find her anonymous rescuer. Unfortunately, her health and intellect prevent it. Both repel suitors and cause Annette to doubt God’s existence, at least until He answers her prayers in an unusual way. . . .

Mr. Peter Adsley is joining the clergy, and he desires a godly wife by his side. After a failed attempt to obtain one, he engages in a clandestine meeting with the bewitching young woman who keeps crossing his path. But she is so unsettling.

Destined for disappointments, Peter and Annette both endure disgraceful situations. Will Peter’s faith sustain him through overwhelming setbacks? Can Annette overcome her doubts? Or will their starving hearts yield to the machinations of a mad man?

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About the Author:

Janine Mendenhall teaches teens English, of all things! Sometimes she sleeps, but most nights she reads, writes, or watches movies like Pride and Prejudice and claims she’s researching her next book. “Splickety Love” and “Splickety Prime” have published her flash fiction. She and her husband, Tom, live in North Carolina where they and their two golden retrievers help gratify the needs of their five children and two cats.

Margie’s Comments:

Janine Mendenhall is a new author to me, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from Starving Hearts. But I was pleasantly surprised by a fresh approach to a pre-Regency romance—a time period I’m interested in and have done a certain amount of research into. The story is captivating, and the characters are real and appropriate to carry the story for the most part. If I have any criticism is that no one but the main characters seems to see people as they truly are. Some of the villainy seems a little over the top. For example, while Peter’s brother’s demise adds a twist that Peter doesn’t want to deal with, it also seems inevitable. Overall, however, Starving Hearts is a pleasurable and satisfying read.