Romance – One of Life’s Greatest Disappointments by Varina Denman

As I began dating, my peers and the media convinced me a romantic relationship would bring happiness, and I searched for the perfect man to “complete me,” someone who could erase my peer-pressure-induced feelings of inadequacy. By the time I met my husband, I had bought into the fairy tale mentality that once I married, my life mate would help me be everything I ought to be, and that we would live happily ever after … Prince Charming and me.
Of course, things didn’t work out that way.

After several years, I discovered I still had a huge problem with insecurity. This baffled me because I had everything—the husband, the children, the house in the suburbs—and I was supposed to have the self-esteem to go along with it. My logical mind searched for a reason to explain my disappointment, and the obvious explanation came to me: my husband wasn’t Prince Charming after all.

Well … of course he wasn’t.

He was a human being, not a fictional character, and it took me hitting rock bottom to notice. Instead of a prince, I had a strong Christian man—full of faults, mind you—but also full of love, determination, and noble intentions. Fortunately, I was able to let go of my unrealistic expectations and replace them with a realistic happy-ever-after.

In Jilted, book three in the Mended Hearts series, Lynda Turner has put way too much emphasis on finding her prince, and since she was jilted by more than one man, she allowed her life circumstances to pull her into a state of depression. Clyde Felton, the local ex-convict, is aware of Lynda’s past romances as well as her tendency to idealize men, and he wants nothing more than to show her that a real man is capable of leading her to happiness … if only she’ll admit that she doesn’t need Prince Charming.

Varina Denman writes stories about the unique struggles women face. Her three-book Mended Hearts series, which revolves around church hurt, is a compelling blend of women’s fiction and inspirational romance. A native Texan, Varina lives near Fort Worth with her husband and five mostly grown children. Her passion is helping others make peace with their life situations. Connect with Varina on her website or one of the social media hangouts.

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Thank you to Varina for being my guest today. What do you think? Do you believe in a real prince charming?

Melony Teague is a Freelance Writer, Ghost writer and Columnist.

She is also a co-author of As the Ink Flows: Devotions for Christian Writers & Speakers