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Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage
One woman undertakes a worldwide search to learn the secrets of a great marriage--and finds one foundational truth that could change everything. Fawn Weaver was a happily married woman running a successful business--and then something happened. Maybe it was divorce rate reports on the evening news, The Real Housewives of Orange County , or any daytime talk show where husbands and wives dramatically reveal their betrayals. Everywhere she looked, Fawn saw negative portrayals of marriage dominating the airwaves and dooming everyone to failure.
Looking at Keith, the love of her life, she knew that wasn't true. She was determined to find and connect with women just like her--happy and optimistic about marriage, deeply in love with her spouse, and committed to building a strong marriage that stands the test of time.
On a whim, she started the blog HappyWivesClub.com and sent the link to a few of her friends. What started as a casual invitation to five women exploded into an international community with close to 400,000 women in more than 100 countries.
Happy Wives Club is Fawn's journey across the world to meet new friends and discover what makes their marriages great. Join her on this exciting, exotic trip across six continents and through more than eighteen cities. Walk the streets of Mauritius, the historic ruins in Italy, and the vistas of New Zealand and Australia. Go from Cape Town to London, Manila to Buenos Aires, Winnipeg to Zagreb.
Along the way, you will meet everyday women whose marriage secrets span cultures. You will hear their stories, witness their love, and be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages do exist--and yours can be one of them!
It turns out great marriages are all around us--when we look for them. Go on a trip with Fawn and learn the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.
Looking at Keith, the love of her life, she knew that wasn't true. She was determined to find and connect with women just like her--happy and optimistic about marriage, deeply in love with her spouse, and committed to building a strong marriage that stands the test of time.
On a whim, she started the blog HappyWivesClub.com and sent the link to a few of her friends. What started as a casual invitation to five women exploded into an international community with close to 400,000 women in more than 100 countries.
Happy Wives Club is Fawn's journey across the world to meet new friends and discover what makes their marriages great. Join her on this exciting, exotic trip across six continents and through more than eighteen cities. Walk the streets of Mauritius, the historic ruins in Italy, and the vistas of New Zealand and Australia. Go from Cape Town to London, Manila to Buenos Aires, Winnipeg to Zagreb.
Along the way, you will meet everyday women whose marriage secrets span cultures. You will hear their stories, witness their love, and be inspired by the proof that happy, healthy marriages do exist--and yours can be one of them!
It turns out great marriages are all around us--when we look for them. Go on a trip with Fawn and learn the best marriage secrets the world has to offer.
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 24, 2013
104 people are currently reading
1014 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 166 reviews
February 21, 2018
I was excited about the premise of this book. Unfortunately, the overall execution of the book was a huge miss for me. I do not enjoy leaving a bad review, and I am very happy that so many people have really enjoyed this book, but I was never able to connect with the writing. Most of the book read like a travel memoir and it felt very smug. The interviews with married couples were so random that it left me feeling underwhelmed, to say the least. I didn't feel like it had any heart or any real depth. However, many people have really enjoyed this book, and maybe you will too, but for me, it just didn't work.
January 3, 2014
Fawn Weaver is on a personal quest of discovery: to figure out what makes a happy marriage.
She's got a great marriage, but everywhere she goes she's bombarded with messages about how lousy marriage is. And so she decided to fight back, and made it her life's mission to show people that happy marriages are common, they are possible, and they are FUN!
This book isn't a self-help book. It's more like a memoir, a travel book as she circles the globe gleaning from couples who have been married for 25 years or more, trying to find the commonalities.
And in her voyages she discovers painful truths about herself, and discovers the courage to make some changes of her own to make sure her marriage is always a happy one, too!
When you read it, you'll feel like you're chatting with these couples, too, and the encouragement you'll get from hearing their stories will make you want to get up from what you're doing and give your husband a hug. Because there's nothing like a Happy Marriage!
She's got a great marriage, but everywhere she goes she's bombarded with messages about how lousy marriage is. And so she decided to fight back, and made it her life's mission to show people that happy marriages are common, they are possible, and they are FUN!
This book isn't a self-help book. It's more like a memoir, a travel book as she circles the globe gleaning from couples who have been married for 25 years or more, trying to find the commonalities.
And in her voyages she discovers painful truths about herself, and discovers the courage to make some changes of her own to make sure her marriage is always a happy one, too!
When you read it, you'll feel like you're chatting with these couples, too, and the encouragement you'll get from hearing their stories will make you want to get up from what you're doing and give your husband a hug. Because there's nothing like a Happy Marriage!
January 7, 2018
Great premise; terrible execution. There is very little content about marriage. The interviews themselves are bland, generic, and not in-depth enough to be meaningful. The book turned out to be a travelogue, and not an entertaining or well-written one. I read 90 pages, briefly skimmed the rest of the book, and gave up on it.
March 17, 2016
I was so excited to read this book. I love the idea of someone standing up against the societal negative stigma of marriage. I agree with the author, that marriages can and should be happy and that we shouldn't allow society and negative people to make us believe otherwise. I consider myself to be very happily married and therefore have some idea of how to make that happen, but I was looking forward to hearing what others had to say about the key to a great marriage.
Unfortunately, I did not find that in this book. The majority of the book talks about the author's travels around the world, the history of the places she visited, the people who drove her around and the food she ate. That's all well and good, but that's not what I wanted to read about. The only advice about marriage that I got from this book was respect and trust. While that's very good advice, it hardly takes reading a book to figure that out. It certainly doesn't take a trip around the world.
Unfortunately, I did not find that in this book. The majority of the book talks about the author's travels around the world, the history of the places she visited, the people who drove her around and the food she ate. That's all well and good, but that's not what I wanted to read about. The only advice about marriage that I got from this book was respect and trust. While that's very good advice, it hardly takes reading a book to figure that out. It certainly doesn't take a trip around the world.
September 28, 2015
This book frustrated me from start to when I closed it with no intention to open ever again. What a smug, self important pile of drivel. The author is very self righteous in her role as the person to judge other relationships and lifestyles. Her interview pool is all the same kind of person and she seems more interested in what she ate on her trips and how to avoid contact with any other men, even store clerks that I just can't take anything she says seriously. Don't waste your time, money or energy here.
July 27, 2019
I’m not a fan of the travelogue style interspersed with interviews that felt random. But more importantly the author’s tone felt smug to me, and I kept thinking I wouldn’t hand this book to wives I know who are struggling in marriage. The book highlights successful marriages where the wives seem to claim ease/an amazing man/other random ingredient is their secret to success. Instead I would hand struggling couples a Gary Thomas book.
February 3, 2020
I really enjoyed this! It was refreshing to hear stories of marriages built on mutual respect and trust. Selflessness and sacrifice are so heavily discouraged in today’s society, it was encouraging to read of other’s who worked to serve and love their spouses.
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November 18, 2019Charming writing style. Fawn Weaver pulls you in and whimsically makes you want to know more about marriage secrets from around the globe. At the same time she makes you feel like you know her personally and you want to hear about her personal story and cheer for her happy ending.
December 29, 2014
I read this a few weeks ago and forgot about it until I was going through my Kindle this morning and saw the book on my shelves. Oops! This was a different book for me especially since I am not married or even engaged right now so you wouldn't think this book would work/pertain to me. But I stumbled across Fawn's website a few months back and I was intrigued by it. How many websites are devoted to happy marriages? Um, none. So I liked that and I liked the entries I read and when I saw that this book was available for 99 cents, I had to buy it.
This book is about Fawn traveling to different countries to interview women and men who have been married for (usually) 25, 30, 40+ years. These are people from different cultures, circumstances and ways of life but al l seem to be in love with their partner and their life and so Fawn traveled to meet them in order to unravel the secret of a happy marriage. It's been a few weeks so I can't exactly recall the message that Fawn ended up getting from all these couples but I think trust and respect was a big part of making marriage work (also laughter, you want someone that you generally LIKE laughing and spending life with). But trust and respect was important as well as supporting each other and never talking down to the other person or saying hurtful things because you can't take them back.
This book isn't perfect. Sometimes the author spends too much time talking about her travels or herself or what she ate for lunch when I wished she would just do more chapters on her interviews with all the different couples. Also she has a tendency to talk about God which might throw a few people off but still overall it's pretty good in it's own right and something I can see myself re-reading in a few years because trust and respect, yeah that's important to have/hold onto in a relationship.
This book is about Fawn traveling to different countries to interview women and men who have been married for (usually) 25, 30, 40+ years. These are people from different cultures, circumstances and ways of life but al l seem to be in love with their partner and their life and so Fawn traveled to meet them in order to unravel the secret of a happy marriage. It's been a few weeks so I can't exactly recall the message that Fawn ended up getting from all these couples but I think trust and respect was a big part of making marriage work (also laughter, you want someone that you generally LIKE laughing and spending life with). But trust and respect was important as well as supporting each other and never talking down to the other person or saying hurtful things because you can't take them back.
This book isn't perfect. Sometimes the author spends too much time talking about her travels or herself or what she ate for lunch when I wished she would just do more chapters on her interviews with all the different couples. Also she has a tendency to talk about God which might throw a few people off but still overall it's pretty good in it's own right and something I can see myself re-reading in a few years because trust and respect, yeah that's important to have/hold onto in a relationship.
January 27, 2014
In an age of seemingly constant attacks on marriage today, this book was a wonderful breath of fresh air. It was interesting to read through each individual woman's story and see her marriage through her words. The stories weren't all happy, happy, happy. In fact most of them had struggles, but the difference was the way they allowed those struggles to make them better and stronger.
It was fascinating to read about women across the world that loved being married. There were stories from places that you kind of get the impression that they just exist and stay married because that's just what you do. But that wasn't the case. They intentionally worked at being happily married.
The main thing that I took away from this book was that we shouldn't believe the lie that being married and being happy could not go together. It can and it does. If you are happily married you are going to enjoy reading about others that share your joy. If you are unhappily married I think this book will be encouraging to you that with a little work and a change in attitude can make all the difference.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
It was fascinating to read about women across the world that loved being married. There were stories from places that you kind of get the impression that they just exist and stay married because that's just what you do. But that wasn't the case. They intentionally worked at being happily married.
The main thing that I took away from this book was that we shouldn't believe the lie that being married and being happy could not go together. It can and it does. If you are happily married you are going to enjoy reading about others that share your joy. If you are unhappily married I think this book will be encouraging to you that with a little work and a change in attitude can make all the difference.
I received a copy of this book to facilitate my review.
June 27, 2016
Very interesting book. It's not necessarily marriage advice - it's marriage observations. Weaver had an interesting premise of traveling the globe to learn how husbands and wives make their marriages the best they can be. I really enjoyed the book but felt at times there was a little too much about her personal journey and not enough about the marriages. Although I think it's great that she got to eat all sorts of good food and was able to see great sights, sometimes I felt like it was a little braggy since it was not needed to make her points about great marriage. I did however appreciate her introspections and personal stories to frame how she felt as she talked to married couples around the world. I think the most important lesson a person can learn from this book is that having a great marriage is a choice much like having a life of happiness. Every marriage must be based on trust, respect, love, friendship and support. Definitely a good read - I'm glad I read it but this is not one of those books that I will be rereading over and over again. Pretty much any age but there's no need to read it until you are engaged or already married.
January 7, 2014
This book was incredible! I've only been married for 2 years and run into people who constantly reminded me that my husband and I are only happy because we are still in the "honeymoon phase." It gave me such motivation, inspiration, and a feeling of sisterhood to know that not only were happy wives and happy marriages a real thing, but that I have one and can continue to have one for as long as I am willing to keep it that way!
Fawn traveled the world to meet couples, just like us, who loved and truly liked each other, and who lived for each other, making their lives' journey a true mission to have a happy marriage.
If you're married, engaged, seriously dating, or want to be one day, I couldn't possibly recommend this book more! It's full of the beauty of all the potential a happy wife brings to a happy marriage and spreads that beauty to the happy husband and illuminates a happy world. No one is perfect in any relationship, but we can all have a perfect love.
This book is literary proof that happy marriages do exist and it shares the secrets to what makes them reality!
Fawn traveled the world to meet couples, just like us, who loved and truly liked each other, and who lived for each other, making their lives' journey a true mission to have a happy marriage.
If you're married, engaged, seriously dating, or want to be one day, I couldn't possibly recommend this book more! It's full of the beauty of all the potential a happy wife brings to a happy marriage and spreads that beauty to the happy husband and illuminates a happy world. No one is perfect in any relationship, but we can all have a perfect love.
This book is literary proof that happy marriages do exist and it shares the secrets to what makes them reality!
January 6, 2014
Fawn's book is like a travel guide to finding the secret to a lasting and happy marriage. There are common threads shared with couples around the globe, and each conversation is personal and heartfelt. Reading this book was like traveling alongside a good friend on a quest to find what inspires successful marriage, and I enjoyed every word on every page. It was a book I didn't want to end, and when it did I felt inspired to go and do likewise in my own marriage.
I cried. I laughed. And most of all I grew in my gratefulness for what God has done in my 35 years married to my best friend. What a joy to discover that marriage is alive and prospering all over the world. And my hats off to Fawn for capturing it so well in her 260 page book.
I cried. I laughed. And most of all I grew in my gratefulness for what God has done in my 35 years married to my best friend. What a joy to discover that marriage is alive and prospering all over the world. And my hats off to Fawn for capturing it so well in her 260 page book.
August 7, 2018
It was fun and refreshing. Nothing life changing for me. An easy listen on audiobook.
February 23, 2020
Genre: Non-Fiction, Self-Help
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Thank you to a family friend who gifted this book to me back in December as a Christmas Gift. For me as someone who has never married this was an ok book for me even tho it mainly surrounds couples who have been married 1-50 years.
It was good insight on Friendships and Relationships tho, alot of do's and don'ts were mentioned!!
I liked how the author's writing style is tho, so i will definately read more by her in the future!!
Rating: 5 Stars
Review:
Thank you to a family friend who gifted this book to me back in December as a Christmas Gift. For me as someone who has never married this was an ok book for me even tho it mainly surrounds couples who have been married 1-50 years.
It was good insight on Friendships and Relationships tho, alot of do's and don'ts were mentioned!!
I liked how the author's writing style is tho, so i will definately read more by her in the future!!
May 1, 2022
This book was interesting and fun, however, it focused a bit more on the author’s travels around the world (as she interviewed married couples to glean wisdom) than I had expected.
December 29, 2014
I received a copy of this book free from the publishing company at BEA14 and fell in love with this book the minute I started reading the first page.
This is a non fiction, faith based book that focuses solely on happy wives who have been married more than 25 years. Why did Fawn focuses on this group? Well, Fawn is a happy wive and she was troubled by the overwhelming negative view people and the media have about marriage. Yes there is such a person and this book is filled with their stories from all over the world. The author Fawn Weaver went on a mission to find out why they are still married and what makes them happy in their marriages. Some of the stories include the husbands perspectives as well.
This is a book full of real and tangible love that I think most people forget to acknowledge in relationships. Honestly, how many couples do you know who are happily married? Or look on the outside to be happily married? President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama count but I mean personally know.
On my mother's side of the family there are very, very few couples who have been divorced. I think there are two people out of a lot who have been divorced. But there are only 3 total who I would say are HAPPILY married. The others are not unhappily married but more like "just" married. I see this more than anything else. Couples who have been together for decades and decades who are just together.
I think this book should be a must read for anyone in a relationship and /or anyone planning to get into a relationship. I mean why not be happy in the relationship. This isn't a self help book with exercises and daily things to do. The Happy Wives Club is more of a collection of inspirational stories told to Fawn on her travels. Some of these stories are funny but most of all the word touching is the most common thread.
I honestly learned a few things from this book and I think you will too. This book will be a re-read for me and a stable in my personal library.
Have you ever told yourself to stop reading because you didn't want to finish it? It is so good that you never want it to end? But the end of this book is the best.
Get it!
This is a non fiction, faith based book that focuses solely on happy wives who have been married more than 25 years. Why did Fawn focuses on this group? Well, Fawn is a happy wive and she was troubled by the overwhelming negative view people and the media have about marriage. Yes there is such a person and this book is filled with their stories from all over the world. The author Fawn Weaver went on a mission to find out why they are still married and what makes them happy in their marriages. Some of the stories include the husbands perspectives as well.
This is a book full of real and tangible love that I think most people forget to acknowledge in relationships. Honestly, how many couples do you know who are happily married? Or look on the outside to be happily married? President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama count but I mean personally know.
On my mother's side of the family there are very, very few couples who have been divorced. I think there are two people out of a lot who have been divorced. But there are only 3 total who I would say are HAPPILY married. The others are not unhappily married but more like "just" married. I see this more than anything else. Couples who have been together for decades and decades who are just together.
I think this book should be a must read for anyone in a relationship and /or anyone planning to get into a relationship. I mean why not be happy in the relationship. This isn't a self help book with exercises and daily things to do. The Happy Wives Club is more of a collection of inspirational stories told to Fawn on her travels. Some of these stories are funny but most of all the word touching is the most common thread.
I honestly learned a few things from this book and I think you will too. This book will be a re-read for me and a stable in my personal library.
Have you ever told yourself to stop reading because you didn't want to finish it? It is so good that you never want it to end? But the end of this book is the best.
Get it!
January 1, 2019
I was looking forward to reading this book! I had seen the author talking about her book on Priscilla Shirer's show, The Chat. Unfortunately, I got more out of the 20-minute interview than the book. It should have been subtitled "A Travelogue." Starting on page 247, Weaver lists "Twelve Secrets of a Great Marriage." These are actually really great. It would have been better if she'd built the book around the secrets, rather than her trip. She said these were themes she found throughout the couples she interviewed. However, it is unclear where some of the 'secrets' came from as they are not mentioned previously.
Weaver seems like a really nice lady. I am glad she is so happy with her husband but the continual feedback about him and their relationship felt like a bit too much. (I am happily married, too, but I don't rave about Sweet Hubby 24/7.) She gives some advice I consider dubious: Cutting off all friendships with the opposite sex upon marriage. (Apparently, you can't be friends without sex getting involved.) She also recommends a book called The Surrendered Wife. In my humble opinion, any recommendations of that book should come with caveats: While it's true you shouldn't be a controlling witch, you probably shouldn't be married to a man whose ego is so fragile he can't handle being told he's headed in the wrong direction on the highway.
If you enjoy travelogues, you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for solid marriage advice, check out page 247 and skim through the stories of the interviews.
Oh, yeah. Take 'secrets' 11 and 12 with appropriate caution.
11: No Plan B. 'Divorce is never an option' is not true in cases of the "Three As of abuse, adultery, addiction" (in my ever-so-humble opinion).
12: Choose Your Friends Wisely. I absolutely agree that you should choose your friends wisely. But embedded within this advice is a directive not to be around ANY woman who ever says anything negative about her husband. This may allow abuse to be perpetuated. I have seen more than one abused wife stay in a dangerous relationship because when she reached out, she was told she shouldn't speak negatively about her husband.
Weaver seems like a really nice lady. I am glad she is so happy with her husband but the continual feedback about him and their relationship felt like a bit too much. (I am happily married, too, but I don't rave about Sweet Hubby 24/7.) She gives some advice I consider dubious: Cutting off all friendships with the opposite sex upon marriage. (Apparently, you can't be friends without sex getting involved.) She also recommends a book called The Surrendered Wife. In my humble opinion, any recommendations of that book should come with caveats: While it's true you shouldn't be a controlling witch, you probably shouldn't be married to a man whose ego is so fragile he can't handle being told he's headed in the wrong direction on the highway.
If you enjoy travelogues, you might enjoy this book. If you are looking for solid marriage advice, check out page 247 and skim through the stories of the interviews.
Oh, yeah. Take 'secrets' 11 and 12 with appropriate caution.
11: No Plan B. 'Divorce is never an option' is not true in cases of the "Three As of abuse, adultery, addiction" (in my ever-so-humble opinion).
12: Choose Your Friends Wisely. I absolutely agree that you should choose your friends wisely. But embedded within this advice is a directive not to be around ANY woman who ever says anything negative about her husband. This may allow abuse to be perpetuated. I have seen more than one abused wife stay in a dangerous relationship because when she reached out, she was told she shouldn't speak negatively about her husband.
July 17, 2019
I wanted to like this book, I really did. The premise was wonderful and I thought the idea of seeing what relationships are in different cultures would be amazing, unfortunately what the book actually was and what it claimed to be were very different.
There was very little time dedicated to each “wife” with the majority of the book focusing on the authors travels. The interviews aren’t quite interviews either, it is the author sharing how she got there, what was going around, and background information that could have been obtained in an email rather than traveling to these peoples homes. The interviews do nothing to add to why these individuals are happy and their culture, it has everything to do with the author cherry picking quotes and situations to fit into what her idea of marriage should be.
Three was also just so much irrelevant and stupid information about the authors travels that it made me immediately lose interest. There was no reason for 5+ pages to revolve around walking around England and shopping for lingerie. Additionally the author claims to love traveling and learning about new cultures but also spends several pages sharing a story of trying to leave a restaurant in England because it had typically English foods and her explanation of Croatia is just downright rude as she complains that everything was in Croatian rather than English.
If anything though, I guess it did obtain its goal of making me and my husband happy, as reading this book began to turn into me reading ridiculously selfish, rude, and unnecessary quotes before bed and us continuously laughing trying and making faces at what was happening. For the first time ever I can honestly say I understand why a book was in the $3 bargain bin.
There was very little time dedicated to each “wife” with the majority of the book focusing on the authors travels. The interviews aren’t quite interviews either, it is the author sharing how she got there, what was going around, and background information that could have been obtained in an email rather than traveling to these peoples homes. The interviews do nothing to add to why these individuals are happy and their culture, it has everything to do with the author cherry picking quotes and situations to fit into what her idea of marriage should be.
Three was also just so much irrelevant and stupid information about the authors travels that it made me immediately lose interest. There was no reason for 5+ pages to revolve around walking around England and shopping for lingerie. Additionally the author claims to love traveling and learning about new cultures but also spends several pages sharing a story of trying to leave a restaurant in England because it had typically English foods and her explanation of Croatia is just downright rude as she complains that everything was in Croatian rather than English.
If anything though, I guess it did obtain its goal of making me and my husband happy, as reading this book began to turn into me reading ridiculously selfish, rude, and unnecessary quotes before bed and us continuously laughing trying and making faces at what was happening. For the first time ever I can honestly say I understand why a book was in the $3 bargain bin.
March 16, 2014
I really enjoyed reading Mrs Weavers book ‘The Happy Wives Club’. This book is not a how to book, but experiences and stories from couples all over the world on how they have kept their marriages happy.
There is so much negativity on television and in the world today about marriage. I hear women say all the time “that’s just like a man” or “that is marriage”. If you are not careful you can buy into the same thoughts.
In all the countries that Mrs Weaver traveled to and talked to couples the theme throughout seemed to be that ‘happiness is a choice’ and ‘divorce was not part of the equation’.
While reading each chapter I found myself comparing my marriage to all the couples. This book made me look at my relationship with my husband in a new light.
At the end of the book Mrs Weaver list 12 Secrets of a Great Marriage, and a Note to Newlyweds. I think out of all 12 Secrets that she list I think trust, respect and laughter are the most important.
I recommend this book to men, women, married couples and those thinking of marriage. You will enjoy reading others experiences and secrets. This book will make you smile, and possible look at marriage in a new light.
*I received a free copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers program on behalf of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
There is so much negativity on television and in the world today about marriage. I hear women say all the time “that’s just like a man” or “that is marriage”. If you are not careful you can buy into the same thoughts.
In all the countries that Mrs Weaver traveled to and talked to couples the theme throughout seemed to be that ‘happiness is a choice’ and ‘divorce was not part of the equation’.
While reading each chapter I found myself comparing my marriage to all the couples. This book made me look at my relationship with my husband in a new light.
At the end of the book Mrs Weaver list 12 Secrets of a Great Marriage, and a Note to Newlyweds. I think out of all 12 Secrets that she list I think trust, respect and laughter are the most important.
I recommend this book to men, women, married couples and those thinking of marriage. You will enjoy reading others experiences and secrets. This book will make you smile, and possible look at marriage in a new light.
*I received a free copy of this book from the BookLook Bloggers program on behalf of the publisher in exchange for my honest review.
January 8, 2014
I love how Fawn has taken us on this journey. Everywhere she traveled she made me feel like I was there with her. Not only did I feel like I was seeing the places she was seeing, I also felt like I was meeting the people she met. I loved all the advice on marriage that the people gave. Some of them will stick with me for the rest of my life as I share the same ideas with other couples. But the thing that surprised me the most and really blessed me was how Fawn took me on her own spiritual and emotional journey. As her experiences touched her life, this book has also touched my life. I am so grateful to have read this.
Janet @ Redeeming Marriages
Janet @ Redeeming Marriages
August 20, 2020
I loved how Fawn talked to different couples of different backgrounds about how to have a successful marriage. It ultimately made me realize that marriage has the same concept no matter what. I could do without knowing how she constantly has to travel. The book reminded me more of a diary of some sort. If she would have the focus on couples and their history and basically let them to their story instead of inserting herself in the middle I would have enjoyed it more. Frankly, I think she should have included the list for a successful marriage in the beginning and then go from there. Not really my favorite.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 5, 2016
This definitely is a different book about marriage that is so unique. The author actually travels to several different countries to meet and talk to couples and learn their secrets to a happy, long-lasting marriage. With each trip, she learns something new about not only the country she's visiting but also the genuinely happy couples who have a deep love, admiration and respect for one another. I enjoyed traveling around the world with her. There's definitely some wonderful, solid advice about how married couples can stay that way for life. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
December 31, 2019
This book is the adventures and journey of Fawn Weaver out to discover the secrets to a truly happy marriage.
Opening the pages of the book, I was immediately drawn into Fawn's descriptions and easy way with words. She wastes no time getting to the heart of things and I was soon swept away with the different places she went, the wives she met and their stories. Along the way, not only do we get to know wives all over the world, but we get to know Fawn and about her relationship with her husband and their own happy marriage. I enjoyed reading about her, her life, and all her hopes and dreams.
Throughout each chapter, each country visited, and each wife interviewed, I was able to take something away about marriage. I learned that every marriage is different, every marriage takes work, and every marriage has it's own unique secret to staying healthy and happy.
In this book, you will both laugh and cry as you are swept up in the stories of women all over their world and read about their secrets to a happy marriage. This book is truly life-changing, and I hope it changes the world.
Some favorite quotes from the book:
"Creating a happy marriage begins with choosing the right spouse."
"If you can figure out how to choose happiness in your marriage daily, and stop sweating the small stuff, it'll take ten years off your life."
"Like most complicated things where it's easy to get derailed, their marriage was successful because they mastered the basics. From that mastery, they could weather anything."
"Happy marriages are alive and well. The cries of their demise have been highly overrated, and couples happily married do indeed exist."
Opening the pages of the book, I was immediately drawn into Fawn's descriptions and easy way with words. She wastes no time getting to the heart of things and I was soon swept away with the different places she went, the wives she met and their stories. Along the way, not only do we get to know wives all over the world, but we get to know Fawn and about her relationship with her husband and their own happy marriage. I enjoyed reading about her, her life, and all her hopes and dreams.
Throughout each chapter, each country visited, and each wife interviewed, I was able to take something away about marriage. I learned that every marriage is different, every marriage takes work, and every marriage has it's own unique secret to staying healthy and happy.
In this book, you will both laugh and cry as you are swept up in the stories of women all over their world and read about their secrets to a happy marriage. This book is truly life-changing, and I hope it changes the world.
Some favorite quotes from the book:
"Creating a happy marriage begins with choosing the right spouse."
"If you can figure out how to choose happiness in your marriage daily, and stop sweating the small stuff, it'll take ten years off your life."
"Like most complicated things where it's easy to get derailed, their marriage was successful because they mastered the basics. From that mastery, they could weather anything."
"Happy marriages are alive and well. The cries of their demise have been highly overrated, and couples happily married do indeed exist."
August 9, 2018
I first heard about this book from a dear friend of mine, who shared a video and a link to the book for me to read. The video was of an interview with the author, Fawn Weaver, and evangelist, Priscilla Shirer on her talk show, The Chat. Ms. Weaver was frustrated by the constant negative portrayal of marriage in the movies, television shows, the media, etc, so she decided to start a website for women who felt happy in their marriages, and thus Happy Wives Club was birthed. As soon as it picked up steam, she received the opportunity to write a book about it, so she went to 6 different continents (excluding Antarctica), to interview couples who were in happy marriages to get the secrets and share them with women who may be looking for ways to be happy in their marriages.
I found the audiobook on Hoopla, and started listening to it and couldn't stop. I found it so encouraging to hear such positive stories of couples who had been married for so many years and were still in love with their spouses. They had weathered so many storms and remained committed to each other. It would be great if there were more positive portrayals of marriages on tv, in movies, the media, etc, but as she correctly points out, there's not much drama in that. >_< I would highly recommend this title to anyone because it's definitely uplifting and helpful to know that there are quite a few married couples out there who genuinely enjoy being married and aren't afraid to share it.
I found the audiobook on Hoopla, and started listening to it and couldn't stop. I found it so encouraging to hear such positive stories of couples who had been married for so many years and were still in love with their spouses. They had weathered so many storms and remained committed to each other. It would be great if there were more positive portrayals of marriages on tv, in movies, the media, etc, but as she correctly points out, there's not much drama in that. >_< I would highly recommend this title to anyone because it's definitely uplifting and helpful to know that there are quite a few married couples out there who genuinely enjoy being married and aren't afraid to share it.
September 5, 2024
I read this book years ago, probably 10 years into my 18 year marriage. Yes it may come off a bit cheesy and a celebration of happy marriages but SPOILER ALERT Happy Marriages (or happily married people) are often cheesy as they bask in the glow of their happiness.
In a world so embittered and jaded, consider it a refreshing and light hearted step outside of the incessant negativity around marriage. Yes, marriage is hard. Anyone who has been married for a minute can attest. But I remember a book someone gave me when I got married. It was titled “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” That’s probably the best marriage advice I ever received along with “resist thinking badly about your partner. What you think becomes what you believe and then what you say.”
This book is sort of like that. It’s a buffet of happy stories from the authors point of view. Isn’t that what writing is all about? Take from it what looks delicious and healthful and leave what doesn’t. I applaud Fawn for trying to drop a little bit of light on this topic that is usually addressed through the lens of misery. Some people are happy. Let’s be happy for them. And for those who are not, there are lots more helpful books out there.
In a world so embittered and jaded, consider it a refreshing and light hearted step outside of the incessant negativity around marriage. Yes, marriage is hard. Anyone who has been married for a minute can attest. But I remember a book someone gave me when I got married. It was titled “Don’t sweat the small stuff.” That’s probably the best marriage advice I ever received along with “resist thinking badly about your partner. What you think becomes what you believe and then what you say.”
This book is sort of like that. It’s a buffet of happy stories from the authors point of view. Isn’t that what writing is all about? Take from it what looks delicious and healthful and leave what doesn’t. I applaud Fawn for trying to drop a little bit of light on this topic that is usually addressed through the lens of misery. Some people are happy. Let’s be happy for them. And for those who are not, there are lots more helpful books out there.
November 18, 2022
This is what the world needs more of! Marriages are meant to be a place of joy and trust. While the world tells us happy marriages don't last Fawn proves that notion untrue. Through the story of her own marriage, friends and family, and those she meet across the world she proves happy evidence for the case of joyful marriages. I recommend this book.
Overall the basic takeaways are:
have trust and respect,
choose your spose everyday,
have a faith in God,
stay friends and continue to treat each other in such a way,
have fun together laugh and don't take things too seriously,
keep outside interest to avoid both smothering and boredom,
make time to connect daily,
date each other and strive to impress one another,
support each other.
Nurture your marriage, make it the most important thing in your life.
Do not accept divorce as an option.
Choose your friends wisely.
Choose happiness, choose to be happy together.
Overall the basic takeaways are:
have trust and respect,
choose your spose everyday,
have a faith in God,
stay friends and continue to treat each other in such a way,
have fun together laugh and don't take things too seriously,
keep outside interest to avoid both smothering and boredom,
make time to connect daily,
date each other and strive to impress one another,
support each other.
Nurture your marriage, make it the most important thing in your life.
Do not accept divorce as an option.
Choose your friends wisely.
Choose happiness, choose to be happy together.
August 25, 2024
When you get engaged, everyone seems to think it's open season to provide any marriage advice, whether they know you and your partner or not. I found myself so frustrated with the fact that everyone was telling me how hard marriage is and how much work it's going to be...before I was even married and arguably in the most joyous and exciting part of marriage!
Everyone knows being married isn't a walk in the park and sunshine and rainbows everyday. But it's also not the worst thing ever either. There is so much joy and blessing in getting to do life with your best friend every day. It made me sad that so many newlyweds aren't being told that message.
Fawn has captured that essence. This is the book I wish I could have read while I was engaged or we were newlyweds!! I loved hearing the stories of successful marriages from around the world and taking note of the common threads.
Everyone knows being married isn't a walk in the park and sunshine and rainbows everyday. But it's also not the worst thing ever either. There is so much joy and blessing in getting to do life with your best friend every day. It made me sad that so many newlyweds aren't being told that message.
Fawn has captured that essence. This is the book I wish I could have read while I was engaged or we were newlyweds!! I loved hearing the stories of successful marriages from around the world and taking note of the common threads.
June 17, 2018
A happy wife to be...
I'm not engaged at the moment, neither do I have a boyfriend but I did find this book a breath of fresh air! It's such a hopefilled book and I now know I'm not in a naive bubble to think that marriage can be a good thing for a long time. I hear, " yeah marriage is great during the honeymoon phase, but after that ll bets are off!"
A lot of what Ms. Fawn has included in learning what the secrects of a great marriage are, I have already decided I wanted to include when I get married, only one was new to me and that is having a daily ritual that spouses should do together.
This book is awesome and if you can just keep the naysayers out of your ears you'll be just fine!
I'm not engaged at the moment, neither do I have a boyfriend but I did find this book a breath of fresh air! It's such a hopefilled book and I now know I'm not in a naive bubble to think that marriage can be a good thing for a long time. I hear, " yeah marriage is great during the honeymoon phase, but after that ll bets are off!"
A lot of what Ms. Fawn has included in learning what the secrects of a great marriage are, I have already decided I wanted to include when I get married, only one was new to me and that is having a daily ritual that spouses should do together.
This book is awesome and if you can just keep the naysayers out of your ears you'll be just fine!
May 29, 2024
I'm not typically a non-fiction reader, but was intrigued by a copy of this I found near my wedding anniversary and gave it a spin. To echo other reviewers, all of these "interviews" could have been done within a 5 mile radius of the authors house in L.A. There was nothing unique about the experiences from other countries, and most interviews aren't dictated for more than a couple of paragraphs. This is more of a travelogue of all the places this woman went to and what she ate/who drove her around. Everytime she tried to speak with someone candidly in public and they didn't immediately agree with her idealogy, she just said "God didn't want me to interview this person" and moved on. A very self-serving narrative
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