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Better Than Okay: Finding Hope and Healing After Your Marriage Ends
Divorce is not the end of your story
Some seasons of life can seem far more difficult than one human should have to endure. For Brandi Wilson, that was the year her husband--and a megachurch pastor--walked away from her and her family. Suddenly, her church community dissolved, and her dreams and identity were shattered.
Yet God transformed this heartbreaking time into an invaluable lesson on the gift of healing.
And now, Brandi beautifully tells her courageous story of confronting grief and heartache head-on and learning how to rise from the pain. Filled with aha moments and laugh-out-loud humor, this book reminds you that your story is always evolving and that you can move forward with hope after divorce. Brandi helps
· rely on and find comfort in the promises of God
· begin a new journey toward healing
· find freedom in your new identity
While your life looks drastically different now, there is hope for renewed joy and redemption. Your pain doesn't get the final say. Through God's grace and healing power, you will be better than okay .
"A worthy guide on a journey you never thought you'd have to take. "--HOLLY FURTICK, Elevation Church
"A fresh perspective on healing from heartbreak." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Some seasons of life can seem far more difficult than one human should have to endure. For Brandi Wilson, that was the year her husband--and a megachurch pastor--walked away from her and her family. Suddenly, her church community dissolved, and her dreams and identity were shattered.
Yet God transformed this heartbreaking time into an invaluable lesson on the gift of healing.
And now, Brandi beautifully tells her courageous story of confronting grief and heartache head-on and learning how to rise from the pain. Filled with aha moments and laugh-out-loud humor, this book reminds you that your story is always evolving and that you can move forward with hope after divorce. Brandi helps
· rely on and find comfort in the promises of God
· begin a new journey toward healing
· find freedom in your new identity
While your life looks drastically different now, there is hope for renewed joy and redemption. Your pain doesn't get the final say. Through God's grace and healing power, you will be better than okay .
"A worthy guide on a journey you never thought you'd have to take. "--HOLLY FURTICK, Elevation Church
"A fresh perspective on healing from heartbreak." -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
- GenresDivorce
208 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2023
32 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
July 13, 2023
This was a personal read for me. Brandi is my ex pastor’s ex wife. She went through so much more than anyone knew, went through a very public divorce, and came out on the other side an even more amazing woman. My respect for her has grown so much.
July 14, 2023
An incredible read! Witty and warm, raw and authentic, Brandi shares the walk no one wants to make - life after tragedy. There’s hope and life can be better than okay!
December 18, 2023
Funny, wise, practical, and encouraging. A must-read after divorce.
October 7, 2025
I needed this so bad. I feel like I can take a deep breath after hearing about a woman six years post divorce with sons who is better than okay. What a relief to hear that the discarded feeling and grief will melt away the more I lean into Jesus with me unknown. Thank God for this book forreal.
August 23, 2023
It is like Brandi was reading my mind. Exactly what I needed to hear right now and I left feeling hopeful about my future.
June 24, 2024
Great book for those walking through a divorce
December 2, 2023
As a pastor’s wife, many of the times I have had to work with women who are dealing with infidelity in their marriage. I have also seen an uptick in this area in unhealthy cultures or ministries. I read this book as a resource, to be able to provide insight because I DO NOT have experience in this area. It has devastated my husband and I to see so many prominent ministers fail in this area, and we’ve also watched the husband reclaim his ministry and his life without ANY repercussion (and often he was the unfaithful one) and I’m so grateful for voices like Brandi Wilson! The church as a whole is better for it. This is a great resource!
July 24, 2023
I’ve read many divorce books and this is a fresh first hand perspective. I wish I had had this in the immediate aftermath of my divorce but being almost 3 years post it still gave me plenty to think about and plenty to hope for. Lots of tears were shed but I throughly enjoyed it!
September 16, 2023
In Better Than Okay, Brandi Wilson has written her personal story about her openly divorce to mega church pastor, Pete Wilson. He was the pastor of Cross Point in Nashville. In 2016, he decided to end their marriage after being together for a total of 23 years. He also made the decision to quit his church after 14 years and he told everyone publicly that it was because he was tired and burned out. This led to her losing her church family and her entire family dynamically changed dramatically overnight. She explained how her story was being written as a to be continued after her divorce. It has taken her 6 years for her to be ready to write a book to help others who are going through a divorce and provides them with hope for the future.
She looked at Anna who was a prophetess in the Bible and not many are probably familiar with her story. She had been married for seven years and a widow for 84 years. She would stay at the temple and worship God regularly. She explained how she choose worship over feeling bitterness from losing her husband. She was hopeful for the future and she recognized the Son of God right away. We can learn a deal in our suffering and rediscover our hope.
She also shared how she was able to see her scar after her failed marriage but she was still able to re-heal and move forward after her divorce. She compared the beauty to the scar when she recently had two skin cancers removed from her bicep and her doctor decided to stitch her up in the shape of a cross where it would become a beautiful scar. The book also looked at the grief she felt and knowing that she wouldn’t get to keep her three boy’s full time. She would have to share every other weekend and holidays. One of my favorite quotes was, “part of the grief process is grieving how you allowed yourself to be treated.”
She also chooses to discuss dating again after a divorce. She shared a complete list of green flags to look for in a relationship. She did it a little different than others. She wants us to focus on what we are wanting in a relationship and not making a list of just red flags. She enclosed some tips she has learned in her own dating experiences with dating apps since they are become more of the norm of meeting people. I really like how she clarified how important it is to be honest and that we don’t need to ghost people. If we aren’t feeling it kindly tell then ahead of time and don’t waste their time. She also shared how we need to have the preceptive that they are lucky to get to spend time with us and learning to love yourself. It took her about five years to start dating again exclusively. So even after many failed first dates, she was able to keep trying and she revealed how she dates with a family first dating mindset.
I would recommend this awesome book about finding hope again after a divorce. I’m not married and I’m currently still single but there were still helpful lessons I can learn by reading this book. It is more written for divorced readers but everyone can benefit from reading this book. I have heard of her husband being a pastor and was curious to read her side of the divorce. It was inspiring to read about her story. It liked the chapter on gratitude and how her choosing to display gratitude it helped her to have resilience and find happiness’s again. I really connected with her sharing that she had a choice to make to either be “humbly grateful or grumbly hateful”. She chose the path to freedom. This book will assist you in re-finding joy after a divorce and healing from the heartache.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
She looked at Anna who was a prophetess in the Bible and not many are probably familiar with her story. She had been married for seven years and a widow for 84 years. She would stay at the temple and worship God regularly. She explained how she choose worship over feeling bitterness from losing her husband. She was hopeful for the future and she recognized the Son of God right away. We can learn a deal in our suffering and rediscover our hope.
She also shared how she was able to see her scar after her failed marriage but she was still able to re-heal and move forward after her divorce. She compared the beauty to the scar when she recently had two skin cancers removed from her bicep and her doctor decided to stitch her up in the shape of a cross where it would become a beautiful scar. The book also looked at the grief she felt and knowing that she wouldn’t get to keep her three boy’s full time. She would have to share every other weekend and holidays. One of my favorite quotes was, “part of the grief process is grieving how you allowed yourself to be treated.”
She also chooses to discuss dating again after a divorce. She shared a complete list of green flags to look for in a relationship. She did it a little different than others. She wants us to focus on what we are wanting in a relationship and not making a list of just red flags. She enclosed some tips she has learned in her own dating experiences with dating apps since they are become more of the norm of meeting people. I really like how she clarified how important it is to be honest and that we don’t need to ghost people. If we aren’t feeling it kindly tell then ahead of time and don’t waste their time. She also shared how we need to have the preceptive that they are lucky to get to spend time with us and learning to love yourself. It took her about five years to start dating again exclusively. So even after many failed first dates, she was able to keep trying and she revealed how she dates with a family first dating mindset.
I would recommend this awesome book about finding hope again after a divorce. I’m not married and I’m currently still single but there were still helpful lessons I can learn by reading this book. It is more written for divorced readers but everyone can benefit from reading this book. I have heard of her husband being a pastor and was curious to read her side of the divorce. It was inspiring to read about her story. It liked the chapter on gratitude and how her choosing to display gratitude it helped her to have resilience and find happiness’s again. I really connected with her sharing that she had a choice to make to either be “humbly grateful or grumbly hateful”. She chose the path to freedom. This book will assist you in re-finding joy after a divorce and healing from the heartache.
"I received this book free from the publisher, Bethany House/ Chosen for my honest review.”
November 2, 2023
Why would someone who has never been married, and therefore never been divorced, read a book about finding hope and healing after your marriage ends? I'm glad you asked. I heard the author on a podcast and decided to read her book, and I'm happy I did. While the author's POV is from a marriage ending, there was a lot in this book that I could relate to. Grief...loss...feeling like you don't fit in your world anymore. Anyone who has gone through a major life shift or change (for me it was my job and my church) can relate to this book. The author talks about the importance of a support system and how to embrace your new life instead of pining for what was lost. I could definitely relate to that. I recommend this book to anyone who just needs to feel like they aren't alone in whatever they have lost.
August 3, 2023
Audio.
I’m not yet at the point where I believe life after divorce will be “better than okay.” I didn’t fully trust the author when she said she’s never had a day of missing her husband she was married to for over 20 years, though she does miss the church they planted. This this book challenged and triggered me at times.
And yet this was a helpful book that fed me truth. Will I honestly self reflect and lean into the hard parts of life I just want to deny? Will I choose to nurse my internal scars and heal?
I appreciated the vulnerability of the author’s journey and the ending chapters on how God redeems and restores all. There’s a lot of hope in that.
I’m not yet at the point where I believe life after divorce will be “better than okay.” I didn’t fully trust the author when she said she’s never had a day of missing her husband she was married to for over 20 years, though she does miss the church they planted. This this book challenged and triggered me at times.
And yet this was a helpful book that fed me truth. Will I honestly self reflect and lean into the hard parts of life I just want to deny? Will I choose to nurse my internal scars and heal?
I appreciated the vulnerability of the author’s journey and the ending chapters on how God redeems and restores all. There’s a lot of hope in that.
July 25, 2023
Brandi’s authenticity shines as bright through her words as the love of the Lord shines through her journey. Compassion for others, seeing others, and holding space for others can be felt by anyone reading this book. It’s a book for everyone-Not just those on divorce paths. We all know people that have walked through the agony of divorce and betrayal, this book can serve as and empathetic aide. Life can be challenging, and this book shares ways to armor up and find that right team to help-focusing of the love of Jesus and the amazing worm of the Holy Spirit.
May 24, 2025
This book is filled with honesty and hope. I loved it and will love passing it on to others in need of Brandi’s wisdom, grace, truth, and commiseration. As a therapist learning to walk with women enduring divorces they don’t want, I wish I could thank her in-person for this rich yet accessible resource!
At one point, she references wanting her suffering to become a survival guide for others. That’s exactly what this book is. If you are going through divorce or love someone who is, this may be your best way to spend $10 on Amazon Prime. Thank you, Brandi!
At one point, she references wanting her suffering to become a survival guide for others. That’s exactly what this book is. If you are going through divorce or love someone who is, this may be your best way to spend $10 on Amazon Prime. Thank you, Brandi!
May 2, 2025
I wanted to like this better. I appreciate the author’s vulnerability and applaud her heart posture through a horrible messy divorce in the church. I think this can be a resource to remind women in a similar situation that there is hope and that hope is in Jesus Christ.
God alone can restore the years the locusts have eaten. As we forgive those who have wounded us and surrender our failures and futures to the LORD, God will take what Satan meant for evil and use it for good.
God alone can restore the years the locusts have eaten. As we forgive those who have wounded us and surrender our failures and futures to the LORD, God will take what Satan meant for evil and use it for good.
July 17, 2023
I could really relate to this book
I could really relate to this book. Gives you encouragement and strength that you are not alone. Someone else feels what you have felt. Really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend
I could really relate to this book. Gives you encouragement and strength that you are not alone. Someone else feels what you have felt. Really enjoyed this book. Highly recommend
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May 8, 2024This book was very helpful if you struggle with any type of trauma. It does not have to be a divorce, but if you have experienced any trauma in your life this book is so helpful in navigating that hurt and maintaining a relationship with God.
December 17, 2023
Wish I would have had this book when I walked through my divorce. Very helpful book for anyone recovering from a divorce resulting from infidelity.
April 23, 2024
I am not going through a divorce, but I am pastor’s wife who ministers to women who are/have. This is a wonderful, Christ centered resource to help me help them.
September 14, 2024
This book was such an encouragement to me and I'm thankful for Brandi's wisdom. I pretty much lived her story as well, sadly, so it was great to read such encouraging words and scripture.
October 28, 2025
5 stars
July 14, 2023
Great book for anyone healing from a divorce
Read
November 20, 2023Was curious to read this as I knew them from a distance. Appreciated Brandi’s honesty and courage.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews