A father’s love is unbreakable. But sometimes, it takes everything to prove it.
Discover the HALF AGONY, HALF HOPE Prologue –
Book One of the Half Agony, Half Hope Series by Joy Michelle Austin
A dark yet redemptive Christian romantic thriller, by Joy Michelle Austin, about unimaginable trauma, resilient love, and the kind of faith that endures even in silence.
About Half Agony, Half Hope
Loosely inspired by the steadfast Captain Wentworth of Persuasion, Joy Michelle Austin’s Half Agony, Half Hope reimagines Austen’s enduring themes through a gripping, faith-rooted thriller set in modern times. At its heart is the soul-deep bond between two men who become family in all but name, as one survivor’s path through unspeakable pain leads toward healing, courage, and unwavering love. – Readers’ Favorite 5-Star Review
- Genre: Christian Fiction | Psychological Suspense | Clean Romance
- Series: Half Agony, Half Hope, Book 1
- Also available: Half Agony, Half Hope: Dear Lily Edition — a father’s letters, a daughter’s missing memories, and the quiet return of hope
Read the Half Agony, Half Hope Prologue
Before you turn the first page, step into the agony Rick has lived in for years — a darkness he never asked for, and a hope he dared to believe in.
Rick Wentworth had learned to survive the cold, the hunger, the suffocating darkness. He had endured a decade of chains, of nights spent in restless agony while the weight of captivity pressed against his ribs. But nothing had prepared him for this.
His daughter was slipping through his fingers.
She lay in his lap, her frail body wrapped in every blanket he had, but she still shivered violently. Sweat dampened her curls, her face pale beneath the fever’s flush. Each cough rattled her tiny chest as if every inhale was a question and every exhale was an answer slipping further away.
Rick rocked her gently, whispering against her curls, “Stay with me, Sweetheart. Just hold on.”
She barely stirred.
His throat burned. He tilted his head toward the small red light in the corner—its unblinking glow the only sign that someone, somewhere, was watching.
She had to be watching.
Rick swallowed hard. His voice, hoarse but firm, cut through the silence. “She’s dying.” His grip on Lily tightened. “You want me broken? You won. But please, don’t let her die.”
Nothing.
His breath turned ragged. Desperation sharpened the edges of his control.
“Damn it,” he ground out, his voice cracking. “She’s just a little girl. Do whatever you want to me. But help her.”
The silence stretched, thick and unmoving.
Then, a shift.
A click.
Rick’s entire body went rigid as the steel door groaned open.
The sharp echo of footsteps followed—measured, deliberate. He braced himself, adjusting Lily in his arms, and forced his voice to remain steady.
“She needs a doctor,” he said, swallowing the tremor that had crept beneath his words. “She won’t last the night.”
A sigh. The kind meant for inconveniences, for spilled drinks and interrupted conversations—not for life or death.
Then, “You always exaggerate, Ricky.”
Rick clenched his jaw. “Look at her.”
A pause. He felt her gaze shifting, appraising, weighing the moment as if Lily’s life was just another decision to be made.
Then, another sigh. “Fine. I’ll call someone. But don’t think for a second that this changes anything.”
The footsteps retreated.
The door swung shut.
Rick stayed frozen, the weight of Lily pressing against his chest.
He wanted to believe that help was coming.
But he knew better than to hope.
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What Readers Are Saying
“The hook was captivating. It made me want to read more. I felt all the emotions, especially when the kids were involved.” — Goodreads Review
“If you love suspense with meaning and heart, this one stays with you long after the last page.” — Amazon Review
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More to Read
- Joy Michelle Austin’s Books
- Half Agony, Half Hope Playlist: 10 Songs That Inspired Rick Wentworth’s Journey
- Half Agony, Half Hope – Dear Lily Edition
- Half Agony, Half Hope – Dear Lily Edition Playlist | 11 Songs That Captured the Novel’s Heart
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