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She Makes It Look Easy
Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.
A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, “I want what she has,” She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that “perfection” isn’t always what it seems to be.
A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, “I want what she has,” She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.
335 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
93 people are currently reading
884 people want to read
About the author
Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
20 books1,073 followersMarybeth Mayhew Whalen is the author of When We Were Worthy, The Things We Wish Were True and five previous novels. She speaks to women's groups around the US. She is the co-founder of the popular women's fiction site, She Reads www.shereads.org. Marybeth and her husband Curt have been married for 26 years and are the parents of six children. The family lives in North Carolina. Marybeth spends most of her time in the grocery store but occasionally escapes long enough to scribble some words. She is always at work on her next novel. You can find her at www.marybethwhalen.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
September 24, 2011
If you're avoid "Christian fiction" because you worry it'll be a sermon rather than an engrossing narrative, read "She Makes It Look Easy," which takes on the age-old theme of other people's grass being greener in a fresh and unflinching way. Justine and Ariel are two very different women whose lives intertwine when they become neighbors. Their accidental and uneven friendship illustrates the winding path that our choices can take--and how faith influences those choices in surprisingly subtle ways. Without spoiling the plot, I will say that the scene that gave "She Makes It Look Easy" its name illustrates what a gifted writer Whalen is; I never saw it coming. Highly recommended, including for non-Christian readers.
June 10, 2011
MY REVIEW:
This is a fascinating storyline that gives you one story from multiple angles. It took me a moment to get used to the story going back and forth between the perspectives of the two main characters, but after the first few chapters I really enjoyed it. This back-and-forth format brought to life the depth of each character in a way that was so easy to relate to and I found myself sympathizing with various emotions from each person. She Makes It Look Easy expertly uncovers and opens for all to see that someone's life as we see it may not be at all what it appears to be.
While I really enjoyed the way this book approached an all too common occurrence in our world today, I also walked away feeling quite unsettled. Such a raw and close up look at the slow fade to adultery was border-line scary. I do believe that there can be a healthy fear that leads to better self - and in this case marital - examination, but I am just not sure that this book is the proper tool use. The lack of hope through the daily impact of the gospel made me set the book down feeling like I had been standing just a little too close to a fire and was now left with singed hair. There were multiple lessons to be learned from this book but they were not drawn out to the depth that not only should have been done, but needed to be done, nor were they attached to the hope we have in Christ.
Marybeth is an excellent writer, but I highly recommend discernment in making the choice to read this book.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that "perfection" isn’t always what it seems to be.
A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, "I want what she has," She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.
* * * * *
This review copy was provided courtesy of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance but the opinion expressed was strictly my own.
This is a fascinating storyline that gives you one story from multiple angles. It took me a moment to get used to the story going back and forth between the perspectives of the two main characters, but after the first few chapters I really enjoyed it. This back-and-forth format brought to life the depth of each character in a way that was so easy to relate to and I found myself sympathizing with various emotions from each person. She Makes It Look Easy expertly uncovers and opens for all to see that someone's life as we see it may not be at all what it appears to be.
While I really enjoyed the way this book approached an all too common occurrence in our world today, I also walked away feeling quite unsettled. Such a raw and close up look at the slow fade to adultery was border-line scary. I do believe that there can be a healthy fear that leads to better self - and in this case marital - examination, but I am just not sure that this book is the proper tool use. The lack of hope through the daily impact of the gospel made me set the book down feeling like I had been standing just a little too close to a fire and was now left with singed hair. There were multiple lessons to be learned from this book but they were not drawn out to the depth that not only should have been done, but needed to be done, nor were they attached to the hope we have in Christ.
Marybeth is an excellent writer, but I highly recommend discernment in making the choice to read this book.
BOOK OVERVIEW:
Ariel Baxter has just moved into the neighborhood of her dreams. The chaos of domestic life and the loneliness of motherhood, however, moved with her. Then she meets her neighbor, Justine Miller. Justine ushers Ariel into a world of clutter-free houses, fresh-baked bread, homemade crafts, neighborhood playdates, and organization techniques designed to make marriage better and parenting manageable.
Soon Ariel realizes there is hope for peace, friendship, and clean kitchen counters. But when rumors start to circulate about Justine’s real home life, Ariel must choose whether to believe the best about the friend she admires or consider the possibility that "perfection" isn’t always what it seems to be.
A novel for every woman who has looked at another woman’s life and said, "I want what she has," She Makes It Look Easy reminds us of the danger of pedestals and the beauty of authentic friendship.
* * * * *
This review copy was provided courtesy of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance but the opinion expressed was strictly my own.
January 10, 2022
This was a relatable type story with many of us Mothers seem to wonder how others who have it all together actually do manage? This sheds light and makes the readers think about other's lives may be an illusion in reality....Thought provoking.
June 7, 2011
It’s a picture straight of Southern Living, but with a plot straight out of the heart of America’s hometown.
Ariel and Justine are two women living in the same neighborhood and as I read their parallel and intersecting story threads I found my heart thoroughly entrenched in the “behind the scenes” details of these two women’s lives.
We become who we truly are behind closed doors, where no one can observe us. There is such a complexity of that in “She Makes it Look Easy”. I crawled deep into the characters and what made them tick. I think Ariel so perfectly encompasses our own personal demands to be more “perfect” or what seems a thin veneer of “perfect”.
Justine has so many problems, but once I really dug into her as a character I saw where her actions were leading.
This is a powerful story. The ending gives hope, but also shows what happens when we stray into the path of temptation. There wasn’t a thread of preachy promises through any of the story, but merely a thoroughly captivating story of two women. I could not put this book down. The writing is superb, the characters deep and the plot wide and full.
Women’s fiction fans are going to love the voice and story by Marybeth Whalen.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review through CFBA.
Ariel and Justine are two women living in the same neighborhood and as I read their parallel and intersecting story threads I found my heart thoroughly entrenched in the “behind the scenes” details of these two women’s lives.
We become who we truly are behind closed doors, where no one can observe us. There is such a complexity of that in “She Makes it Look Easy”. I crawled deep into the characters and what made them tick. I think Ariel so perfectly encompasses our own personal demands to be more “perfect” or what seems a thin veneer of “perfect”.
Justine has so many problems, but once I really dug into her as a character I saw where her actions were leading.
This is a powerful story. The ending gives hope, but also shows what happens when we stray into the path of temptation. There wasn’t a thread of preachy promises through any of the story, but merely a thoroughly captivating story of two women. I could not put this book down. The writing is superb, the characters deep and the plot wide and full.
Women’s fiction fans are going to love the voice and story by Marybeth Whalen.
This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review through CFBA.
April 2, 2013
I read several of Marybeth Whalens blog posts at Proverbs 31 Ministries blog. I remember that it was one of her posts that sensitized me on the usage of the 'i' and 'I' in sentences although in that blog she didn't actually giving an English lesson.
She makes it look easy is a story of two women. One of them seems to have everything under control. She is the woman whose house is organised, the woman who wears make up to go swimming, the woman who is in perfect shape, the woman who her kids are well behaved, the woman who bakes perfect breads, the woman who every other woman in the neighbourhood envies and wants to be like. The other woman is a complete opposite and she stresses over the fact that she can't get anything to be perfect.
As a woman who has tried a hand on organisation and failed, I identify with the second woman. But would it really matter if I was acting perfect on the inside while in real sense I am hiding some grave sins in my life that are eating me up? This is what this novel is about.
I have come to embrace the fact that I am myself and can't be anybody else. I am unique in my imperfections and can't hate myself for that.
She makes it look easy is a story of two women. One of them seems to have everything under control. She is the woman whose house is organised, the woman who wears make up to go swimming, the woman who is in perfect shape, the woman who her kids are well behaved, the woman who bakes perfect breads, the woman who every other woman in the neighbourhood envies and wants to be like. The other woman is a complete opposite and she stresses over the fact that she can't get anything to be perfect.
As a woman who has tried a hand on organisation and failed, I identify with the second woman. But would it really matter if I was acting perfect on the inside while in real sense I am hiding some grave sins in my life that are eating me up? This is what this novel is about.
I have come to embrace the fact that I am myself and can't be anybody else. I am unique in my imperfections and can't hate myself for that.
Read
April 13, 2019*I do really discuss this. DON’T read if you don’t want to know the ending*
This is a difficult book to rate so I’d rather just review it. On the one hand, it is very readable and the premise is easy to relate to. It features a mother with three young boys and a husband who travels a lot who moves into a nicer neighborhood and suddenly has a ‘perfect’ neighbor - a woman called Justine who is beautiful, trim and has a spotless house, quiet girls, a handsome husband and is even a leader at the local church. Of course Ariel, the mother with three boys, has a house that gets untidy and often she feels like she struggles to get things done (no prizes for which one I relate to!).
But essentially this is a book about how easy it is to
slip into adultery and is meant to be a warning against that. And even perhaps a cautionary tale that Christian leaders can fall into sexual sin too - don’t stick your head in the sand if you see things that seem wrong.
I believe the author means for all this to be eye-opening and so that we will all consider our ways and recognize that flirting can quickly escalate into more - this was well shown.
On the whole, the main difficulty with this book is this - it is written in both Ariel and Justine’s voice. Ariel is actually very passive. She just wants to be better at the whole wife/mother thing and is also longing to find a good new friend in Justine and to be like her.
Justine is the active character who drives the plot. Since she hungers for a guy who is not her husband, this put me in an almost uncomfortable position as a reader (incidentally I do usually avoid ‘adultery books’). Justine’s excitement about her ex-finance appearing and her scheming to meet him are what creates interest. Will she meet him? How? How will she meet him secretly and stay the night? What will she do next? I guess at the end of the day I didn’t like being inside the head of someone plotting to cheat on her husband, making it happen and then justifying her reactions till the very end. Did she have any real remorse? One guesses she does but this is only hinted at.
I do understand the author was inspired by true events that impacted her. However, I feel like this book only works as a ‘Christian’ book if you are like Ariel, horrified that someone who claims to be Christian could have a secret affair.,(Yet Ariel hides the full details of her own indiscretion from her husband, afraid of what he’ll say.)
If you are a ‘Justine’, longing for more than your husband can give you, I’m not at all sure this book is healthy for you. The focus is squarely on all the thrill, passion and excitement of an illicit affair and all the ways to justify it. (We don’t really see the impact of Justine’s decisions on Mark and the impact on her and her daughters is only hinted at.)
This is a difficult book to rate so I’d rather just review it. On the one hand, it is very readable and the premise is easy to relate to. It features a mother with three young boys and a husband who travels a lot who moves into a nicer neighborhood and suddenly has a ‘perfect’ neighbor - a woman called Justine who is beautiful, trim and has a spotless house, quiet girls, a handsome husband and is even a leader at the local church. Of course Ariel, the mother with three boys, has a house that gets untidy and often she feels like she struggles to get things done (no prizes for which one I relate to!).
But essentially this is a book about how easy it is to
slip into adultery and is meant to be a warning against that. And even perhaps a cautionary tale that Christian leaders can fall into sexual sin too - don’t stick your head in the sand if you see things that seem wrong.
I believe the author means for all this to be eye-opening and so that we will all consider our ways and recognize that flirting can quickly escalate into more - this was well shown.
On the whole, the main difficulty with this book is this - it is written in both Ariel and Justine’s voice. Ariel is actually very passive. She just wants to be better at the whole wife/mother thing and is also longing to find a good new friend in Justine and to be like her.
Justine is the active character who drives the plot. Since she hungers for a guy who is not her husband, this put me in an almost uncomfortable position as a reader (incidentally I do usually avoid ‘adultery books’). Justine’s excitement about her ex-finance appearing and her scheming to meet him are what creates interest. Will she meet him? How? How will she meet him secretly and stay the night? What will she do next? I guess at the end of the day I didn’t like being inside the head of someone plotting to cheat on her husband, making it happen and then justifying her reactions till the very end. Did she have any real remorse? One guesses she does but this is only hinted at.
I do understand the author was inspired by true events that impacted her. However, I feel like this book only works as a ‘Christian’ book if you are like Ariel, horrified that someone who claims to be Christian could have a secret affair.,(Yet Ariel hides the full details of her own indiscretion from her husband, afraid of what he’ll say.)
If you are a ‘Justine’, longing for more than your husband can give you, I’m not at all sure this book is healthy for you. The focus is squarely on all the thrill, passion and excitement of an illicit affair and all the ways to justify it. (We don’t really see the impact of Justine’s decisions on Mark and the impact on her and her daughters is only hinted at.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2011
This was a very disappointing book! At the beginning I thought Justine was a little off, it was like she wanted Ariel to be her little protege` with all the organizational, being a better Mom skills, and recipes. It turned out that Ariel and her husband David were actually the better grounded couple and Justine had the nerve to use that against her when her husband lost his job, because they were swimming in debt. What annoyed me the most about this book is that adultery was not put in it's proper place. It was not called a sin, nor was it looked at as a bad thing. This is a Christian book, written by a Christian author and in the course of the story she did not have one person stick up for the woman in the neighborhood that Justine had been maliciously gossiping about, whose husband had cheated on her. There was no show of Christ's love or grace towards any of the ladies outside of Justine's circle. The book ended abruptly with no real show of a conclusion. Having been Betsy, Tom's wife the one cheated on, I would've liked to have seen some kind of remorse or at least Justine being honest with herself at the end. None of that happened. It was all swept under the rug, just like it is done in the day to day world.I can't in all good conscious recommend this book because it doesn't line up with anything that I believe or what God says about adultery.
July 30, 2011
One of the words that can cause a person more discontent than any other is “comparison.” Especially in women we see this so often as we compare children’s behavior, organization skills, exercise routines – even Bible study habits. But this book points out that “the grass is NOT always greener on the other side of the fence” and that “what you see isn’t always what it appears.”
When Ariel moves into a new neighborhood she is flattered and thrilled when the her neighbor, the woman who is so together, befriends her. Justine invites Ariel to her church to listen to a talk she’s giving on organization skills and Ariel thinks she is on the right path for what her family needs.
She soon suspects that “all that glitters is not gold” in the life of Justine and the story goes on from there.
This is easily one of my favorite books of the year as Mary Beth Whalen’s writing style is superb. I found myself doing the typical reader “just one more chapter” each time I was reading.
This book does a great job of showing women’s friendships, even the side that isn’t so desirable, and how easily we allow ourselves to be led.
When Ariel moves into a new neighborhood she is flattered and thrilled when the her neighbor, the woman who is so together, befriends her. Justine invites Ariel to her church to listen to a talk she’s giving on organization skills and Ariel thinks she is on the right path for what her family needs.
She soon suspects that “all that glitters is not gold” in the life of Justine and the story goes on from there.
This is easily one of my favorite books of the year as Mary Beth Whalen’s writing style is superb. I found myself doing the typical reader “just one more chapter” each time I was reading.
This book does a great job of showing women’s friendships, even the side that isn’t so desirable, and how easily we allow ourselves to be led.
January 15, 2013
Free book and it was just okay.
March 15, 2017
The writing underwhelmed me but the characters and the theme of suburban angst were compelling enough to keep me reading the book to the end.
June 21, 2011
Two very different lives and both wishing to have some aspect of another's. Yet how very true is the saying, "The grass isn't always greener on the other side."
Take Ariel Baxter, busy mother of three boys and a wandering labrador named Lucky. Her schedule involves so much that Ariel can barely stay on top of things, like getting organized, remembering to not only have dinner on the table by the time her husband David gets home, but to make sure she has gone shopping so she has the ingredients. Now that she has moved into her "dream neighborhood" she vows that she will change and become a better wife and mom.
It will be easy for Ariel now thanks to her new neighbor, Justine Miller, the mom and wife who has it all together. From making bread from scratch, to the perfectly cleaned and organized home at all times, to the husband that takes about their first date with love in his eyes. Can she be too perfect? She provides classes at church to help other women organize and manage their lives more efficiently and Ariel wishes she could be half the woman, Justine is.
However, neither woman really sees the true picture, just the facade each of them has on the outside, what everyone else sees. Yet what lies underneath all the chaos and perfection will teach them something about themselves that they didn't see coming.
In the second novel by MaryBeth Whalen, She Makes It Look Easy, we get a chance to see things from two entirely different lives of married moms/wives. For me I could relate to Ariel because I am always trying to achieve that perfection I believe I need in order to be happy, thus making my family and home a happy place to be. What I am missing out on is life that is happening all around me, that moments of time are slipping away while I try to find a place for them. I can also see parts of myself in Justine, in being able to see that a perfect home is not what makes you happy inside.
I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and think this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars. I think all of us try in many ways to be someone we are not, this book shows you what happens when we stretch those boundaries a little to far before we realize just how far we have come. A must read with a very clear message and a fantastic summer read for super, busy moms!
Take Ariel Baxter, busy mother of three boys and a wandering labrador named Lucky. Her schedule involves so much that Ariel can barely stay on top of things, like getting organized, remembering to not only have dinner on the table by the time her husband David gets home, but to make sure she has gone shopping so she has the ingredients. Now that she has moved into her "dream neighborhood" she vows that she will change and become a better wife and mom.
It will be easy for Ariel now thanks to her new neighbor, Justine Miller, the mom and wife who has it all together. From making bread from scratch, to the perfectly cleaned and organized home at all times, to the husband that takes about their first date with love in his eyes. Can she be too perfect? She provides classes at church to help other women organize and manage their lives more efficiently and Ariel wishes she could be half the woman, Justine is.
However, neither woman really sees the true picture, just the facade each of them has on the outside, what everyone else sees. Yet what lies underneath all the chaos and perfection will teach them something about themselves that they didn't see coming.
In the second novel by MaryBeth Whalen, She Makes It Look Easy, we get a chance to see things from two entirely different lives of married moms/wives. For me I could relate to Ariel because I am always trying to achieve that perfection I believe I need in order to be happy, thus making my family and home a happy place to be. What I am missing out on is life that is happening all around me, that moments of time are slipping away while I try to find a place for them. I can also see parts of myself in Justine, in being able to see that a perfect home is not what makes you happy inside.
I received this book compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review and think this one rates a 5 out of 5 stars. I think all of us try in many ways to be someone we are not, this book shows you what happens when we stretch those boundaries a little to far before we realize just how far we have come. A must read with a very clear message and a fantastic summer read for super, busy moms!
May 6, 2011
When I read The Mailbox, I raved about it for days. Loved the whole idea! Then I couldn't believe it when I found out Marybeth was coming out with a second book! How awesome is that I ask you!
She Makes It Look Easy is a bit more thought provoking and really hits home in a lot of areas. Especially for women I think. We all think each other has it so much easier or at least I think everyone else has it easier and does it so much better than I do. However, appearances aren't always what they seem. Someone might have it so put together on the outside but might be falling apart on the inside.
Ariel has just moved with her husband David and 3 rowdy boys to her dream neighborhood, Essex Falls. She wants everything to be perfect. When she meets Justine, the neighbor that lives behind them, she sees a potential friend. However, something always seems out of place. Ariel doesn't listen to this nagging feeling though, she tries her hardest to impress and befriend Justine.
Justine is up to no good though, an affair-in-the-making on the skirts and I don't think Justine knows the word friend as it really means to be a friend. It is all too true that even though people like Justine get up in front of ladies at church, and speak and seem to have it all, they really don't.
I loved Ariel, she had such a heart and even though things were hectic in her home, she knew the one person to go to, our Lord. Even better were Betsy's words at the end. We have to make sure we don't fall into that trap of wanting what other people have, being content with what WE have. What He has given us, indeed is what WE need.
I loved this book, it went by way too fast. What more can you ask for? Marybeth hit the nail on the head with this one! We all need a wake-up call sometimes to be careful what and who we idolize and follow.
She Makes It Look Easy is a bit more thought provoking and really hits home in a lot of areas. Especially for women I think. We all think each other has it so much easier or at least I think everyone else has it easier and does it so much better than I do. However, appearances aren't always what they seem. Someone might have it so put together on the outside but might be falling apart on the inside.
Ariel has just moved with her husband David and 3 rowdy boys to her dream neighborhood, Essex Falls. She wants everything to be perfect. When she meets Justine, the neighbor that lives behind them, she sees a potential friend. However, something always seems out of place. Ariel doesn't listen to this nagging feeling though, she tries her hardest to impress and befriend Justine.
Justine is up to no good though, an affair-in-the-making on the skirts and I don't think Justine knows the word friend as it really means to be a friend. It is all too true that even though people like Justine get up in front of ladies at church, and speak and seem to have it all, they really don't.
I loved Ariel, she had such a heart and even though things were hectic in her home, she knew the one person to go to, our Lord. Even better were Betsy's words at the end. We have to make sure we don't fall into that trap of wanting what other people have, being content with what WE have. What He has given us, indeed is what WE need.
I loved this book, it went by way too fast. What more can you ask for? Marybeth hit the nail on the head with this one! We all need a wake-up call sometimes to be careful what and who we idolize and follow.
December 12, 2012
My negative impression of this book is on a personal level. I love the author's writing style! It's humorous(laugh out loud funny) at times, despite the seriousness of the topics. I am really excited to someday read her first book, The Mailbox.
I never thought that saying I connected with a character could be a bad thing, but unfortunately it was in this case. While some women struggle with reading romance books, this is the kind of book I struggle with. I have to work really hard at keeping negative thoughts out of my head. It's entirely too easy for them to creep in! The first part of the book is about a woman who is struggling with negative thoughts concerning her husband and three kids...all boys(although she does love them!). She has a serious case of baby girl fever, but thankfully, I'm pretty happy with my 3 boys, so I can't say I connected completely with her there. She dreams of perfection and wants to prove her worth by attempting to be the perfect mom. Of course there's a great moral to the story, but by the time that comes along, I've allowed myself to get so far into my little pity party of negativity that I had a HARD time pulling myself out of the crazy thing. No. I don't blame that on this book. I blame it on pregnancy depression! I can't help but connect it all with this book, though, as a trigger. It's not a book I'd ever even think about re-reading out of fear it would put me in that dark place again. Sad, but true!
That said, I do think this is an awesome book for single ladies especially, or those of you who don't struggle with negativity like me. :)
I never thought that saying I connected with a character could be a bad thing, but unfortunately it was in this case. While some women struggle with reading romance books, this is the kind of book I struggle with. I have to work really hard at keeping negative thoughts out of my head. It's entirely too easy for them to creep in! The first part of the book is about a woman who is struggling with negative thoughts concerning her husband and three kids...all boys(although she does love them!). She has a serious case of baby girl fever, but thankfully, I'm pretty happy with my 3 boys, so I can't say I connected completely with her there. She dreams of perfection and wants to prove her worth by attempting to be the perfect mom. Of course there's a great moral to the story, but by the time that comes along, I've allowed myself to get so far into my little pity party of negativity that I had a HARD time pulling myself out of the crazy thing. No. I don't blame that on this book. I blame it on pregnancy depression! I can't help but connect it all with this book, though, as a trigger. It's not a book I'd ever even think about re-reading out of fear it would put me in that dark place again. Sad, but true!
That said, I do think this is an awesome book for single ladies especially, or those of you who don't struggle with negativity like me. :)
August 30, 2013
Ariel is the harried mother of three active little boys. Her husband's job keeps him away often and she tends to feel as if she's barely holding things together on the home front. She can't help feeling her disorganisation and casual, eclectic lifestyle is inferior to that of her beautiful neighbour, Justine, who seems to manage her young family with a finesse Ariel could never pull off. Little does she realise, Justine is harboring a secret and nothing is as it appears.
The author did well at helping readers to understand that assessing our own lives, which we know inside out, to those of others, which we only see the surface of, is pointless. Ariel's life with her three lovely sons and husband, David, was shown to have everything that made life worthwhile.
I was disappointed that a character I'd come to feel compassion for was swept aside by the author as if his feelings were of no consequence at all. This was Justine's husband, Mark. He never reappeared in the story when his wife's choice was revealed, as if he didn't matter. And Tom Dean, the catalyst of her bad decision, irked me too. If I could've seen something in him similar to what Justine saw, her dilemma would have been easier to understand. As it was, his character just seemed sleazy and predatory, making it more of a shallow read than it might have been if we'd been able to understand her quandary.
However, it was an easy read which I got through quite quickly.
The author did well at helping readers to understand that assessing our own lives, which we know inside out, to those of others, which we only see the surface of, is pointless. Ariel's life with her three lovely sons and husband, David, was shown to have everything that made life worthwhile.
I was disappointed that a character I'd come to feel compassion for was swept aside by the author as if his feelings were of no consequence at all. This was Justine's husband, Mark. He never reappeared in the story when his wife's choice was revealed, as if he didn't matter. And Tom Dean, the catalyst of her bad decision, irked me too. If I could've seen something in him similar to what Justine saw, her dilemma would have been easier to understand. As it was, his character just seemed sleazy and predatory, making it more of a shallow read than it might have been if we'd been able to understand her quandary.
However, it was an easy read which I got through quite quickly.
July 3, 2011
Marybeth Whalen’s second book intrigued me from the moment I learned of the premise: Women who compare their lives to other women. It’s human nature at its most basic level, at least for suburban housewives today and perhaps it’s always been so. Ariel has three sons, a husband who travels, and has just moved into the home of her dreams in an upscale neighborhood. Between the antics of her sons and running a home, she can’t even seem to get the unpacking done.
When her neighbor Justine—practically perfect in every way—enters her life, Ariel latches onto her in hopes that she can learn to be like Justine—efficient, organized, and flawless. What becomes apparent rather soon, though, is that Justine is not who and what she seems.
She Makes It Look Easy is a light, quick read—perfect for summertime reading—but don’t let the easy going writing style fool you. This book will make you think about your own life and friendships. It’s uncannily “real” and may make you uncomfortable, especially with the unresolved ending. That bit of irresolution, though, may prompt you to take a closer look at your relationships and decide if you’re doing the right thing by ignoring obvious breaches of conduct and morality if they exist.
I applaud Marybeth for tackling this uncomfortable subject and keeping it real. Well done.
When her neighbor Justine—practically perfect in every way—enters her life, Ariel latches onto her in hopes that she can learn to be like Justine—efficient, organized, and flawless. What becomes apparent rather soon, though, is that Justine is not who and what she seems.
She Makes It Look Easy is a light, quick read—perfect for summertime reading—but don’t let the easy going writing style fool you. This book will make you think about your own life and friendships. It’s uncannily “real” and may make you uncomfortable, especially with the unresolved ending. That bit of irresolution, though, may prompt you to take a closer look at your relationships and decide if you’re doing the right thing by ignoring obvious breaches of conduct and morality if they exist.
I applaud Marybeth for tackling this uncomfortable subject and keeping it real. Well done.
November 11, 2016
3.5 Stars
She Makes it Look Easy is a simple cautionary tale that the grass is definitely not greener on the other side. Using alternating voices between two friends, Ariel and Justine, the reader gets to see both sides, but I wondered if this novel would have had a stronger narrative punch if the reader hadn't been privy to both sides. When Ariel moves into a new upscale neighborhood, she immediately meets the impeccable Justine and while Ariel instantly feels both inferior and frumpy, she can't help being drawn to Justine's image controlled world. Again, as much as I was happy to read Justine's point of view and get her angle on things, I really thought that I should only know Ariel's point of view which would have left more room for speculation on the reader and possibly making it a tad less obvious.
She Makes it Look Easy is a simple cautionary tale that the grass is definitely not greener on the other side. Using alternating voices between two friends, Ariel and Justine, the reader gets to see both sides, but I wondered if this novel would have had a stronger narrative punch if the reader hadn't been privy to both sides. When Ariel moves into a new upscale neighborhood, she immediately meets the impeccable Justine and while Ariel instantly feels both inferior and frumpy, she can't help being drawn to Justine's image controlled world. Again, as much as I was happy to read Justine's point of view and get her angle on things, I really thought that I should only know Ariel's point of view which would have left more room for speculation on the reader and possibly making it a tad less obvious.
January 11, 2013
"She makes it look easy" not sure where the title fit in, in this book. But i did enjoy it, the beginning was inviting as i was trying to find the scope of the story, who was where and what.....the middle was boring but the last chapters i found interesting. The book was written almost like a play which was different for me, i was going back forth between the characters. I think the book would been a better twist if it was written from Justine's point and not Ariel's.It would change the ending, maybe with a little payback.
Over all it was a well written book....it teaches that no one know what is going on in a marriage besides those that are in it. A little be of Christianity is dropped in here and there but i would have loved more of it which will hence the lesson in the book.
Over all it was a well written book....it teaches that no one know what is going on in a marriage besides those that are in it. A little be of Christianity is dropped in here and there but i would have loved more of it which will hence the lesson in the book.
January 21, 2013
I've discovered I'm not a fan of multiple first person points of view.
This book did draw me in, the author did well showing how women think and how our desire to look put-together can trap us. Our value is deeper than the outside.
A great message and really made me think. Though, the big "sin" Justine had was more vanilla than I assumed it would be, but that's just me.
The end was a little abrupt, I would have liked to see more of what happened with Tom and Justine in order for it to come full circle and line up with the picture we're given of her at the beginning.
Worth a read.
This book did draw me in, the author did well showing how women think and how our desire to look put-together can trap us. Our value is deeper than the outside.
A great message and really made me think. Though, the big "sin" Justine had was more vanilla than I assumed it would be, but that's just me.
The end was a little abrupt, I would have liked to see more of what happened with Tom and Justine in order for it to come full circle and line up with the picture we're given of her at the beginning.
Worth a read.
December 14, 2012
I was surprised by the quality of this free novel - a very realistic look into what happens when housewives (or really just wives in general) take their eyes off of what's truly important and put them on trying to seem "perfect".
I only gave it 4 stars because I could never imagine a grown woman with 3 kids being THAT naive.
I only gave it 4 stars because I could never imagine a grown woman with 3 kids being THAT naive.
March 27, 2019
In the novel She Makes It Look Easy by Marybeth Whalen, Ariel Baxter is a stay-at-home mom and photographer. Her photography side business has taken off to such a degree that she and her husband can afford a nice new home in a neighborhood she has dreamed of living in for years. Though Ariel has her gifts, her life and home are disorganized and chaotic.
Ariel’s neighbor, Justine is one of those women who has it all together. She’s pretty, fit, perfectly made up for a pool party, her daughters wear matching outfits. She’s organized – she even has an organizing notebook! And she’s creative and speaks to her church’s ladies’ group.
Ariel is delighted that Justine deigns to befriend her and help her start organizing and exercising. As they spend more time together, Ariel is sometimes frustrated that Justine calls the shots in what they do. But she doesn’t want to jeopardize the friendship, so she goes along. She even acquiesces when Justine steers her away from another neighbor, Erica, whom Ariel actually likes.
As events unfold, we see that Justine’ life is not as perfect as everyone else thinks. She may be organized, but her happiness, marriage, and spiritual life are facades.
The not-so-subtle theme of the book is that no one is perfect and we shouldn’t put people up on pedestals. No matter how great everything looks on the outside, we all have our issues. While I think this is an important point, and we get into a lot of trouble comparing ourselves to each other, I felt the author took the theme and characters to extremes. I don’t think she’s saying that organized, put-together people are not genuine and disorganized people with messy lives are on the right track, but it almost looks that way in the book.
Another theme is the contrast between healthy and toxic friendships. Justine is the suburban equivalent of the “queen bee” at school whose favor almost everyone seeks and who decides who is “in” and “out.” Ariel’s just glad to be “in” at first and she’s entirely too trusting. Slowly and painfully her eyes are opened to the truth.
Motivations are another key factor. Justine seems to be primarily motivated by finding “happiness,” even if it takes her on a path that she knows is wrong. Her organization, ministries, and everything else were not for God and His glory or to benefit her family and others. They were her personal search for significance.
Some readers would want to know that a couple of characters engage in adultery, but there are no explicit scenes.
Overall, this story uncovers important truths to consider in our friendships, motivations, our evaluation of ourselves, and our walk with the Lord.
Through my lens I watched the dynamic of friendship play out among Heather and her friends: the familiarity laced with timidity, the chance to open up paired with the fear of being exposed, the awkward dance of really knowing another person. . . somehow the girls always found a way to come back together, to find what made them stick and hold on to that. I envied their natural rapport, the ease that can only come with time together. How ironic, I thought as I focused and clicked, that these girls already had what I couldn’t seem to find.
Ariel’s neighbor, Justine is one of those women who has it all together. She’s pretty, fit, perfectly made up for a pool party, her daughters wear matching outfits. She’s organized – she even has an organizing notebook! And she’s creative and speaks to her church’s ladies’ group.
Ariel is delighted that Justine deigns to befriend her and help her start organizing and exercising. As they spend more time together, Ariel is sometimes frustrated that Justine calls the shots in what they do. But she doesn’t want to jeopardize the friendship, so she goes along. She even acquiesces when Justine steers her away from another neighbor, Erica, whom Ariel actually likes.
As events unfold, we see that Justine’ life is not as perfect as everyone else thinks. She may be organized, but her happiness, marriage, and spiritual life are facades.
We had been living in denial for months, fooling ourselves into thinking that we were safe if we stayed inside the bubble of our affluent neighborhood, not realizing that’s the problem with bubbles: They shimmer and shine, but they burst easily.
I think we all have a little bit of Eve in us. She had perfection and everything she could ever want and still she reached for more.
I fell asleep praying for the strength to do what was right and for God to guard me from situations that could land me in the same situation Justine had gotten herself into. I was learning we all need protection from ourselves.
The not-so-subtle theme of the book is that no one is perfect and we shouldn’t put people up on pedestals. No matter how great everything looks on the outside, we all have our issues. While I think this is an important point, and we get into a lot of trouble comparing ourselves to each other, I felt the author took the theme and characters to extremes. I don’t think she’s saying that organized, put-together people are not genuine and disorganized people with messy lives are on the right track, but it almost looks that way in the book.
Another theme is the contrast between healthy and toxic friendships. Justine is the suburban equivalent of the “queen bee” at school whose favor almost everyone seeks and who decides who is “in” and “out.” Ariel’s just glad to be “in” at first and she’s entirely too trusting. Slowly and painfully her eyes are opened to the truth.
Motivations are another key factor. Justine seems to be primarily motivated by finding “happiness,” even if it takes her on a path that she knows is wrong. Her organization, ministries, and everything else were not for God and His glory or to benefit her family and others. They were her personal search for significance.
Some readers would want to know that a couple of characters engage in adultery, but there are no explicit scenes.
Overall, this story uncovers important truths to consider in our friendships, motivations, our evaluation of ourselves, and our walk with the Lord.
August 24, 2011
When Ariel and her family move into a new neighborhood across town, she’s hopeful that great friendships, new opportunities and a new life are just around the corner, but life with three boys and a husband who’s constantly traveling has her more than frazzled. That’s why she’s so excited to be welcomed into the neighborhood and taken under the wing of the community’s most “together” woman, Justine. Justine is not only a great mom and wife but she’s super organized and creative, the woman that all the other women strive to be. Ariel finds Justine’s tutelage to be just what she needs, and she begins to relish her new life and Justine’s place in it. But something is niggling at Ariel, for Justine isn’t always as open and friendly as she could be, and although she’s chosen Ariel to be her protégée, it seems there’s an underlying struggle for the women to really bridge the distance between them and become the close friends that Ariel wishes them to be. It turns out that Justine has a secret she’s trying to keep from Ariel and the other neighbors, and this secret is destined to change the lives of all those around her. But Justine won’t heed any warnings and determinedly rushes towards a fate that will shock everyone and destroy several lives. Will Ariel stay quiet and protect Justine and their faltering friendship, or will she have to do a very difficult thing and expose the woman who she so desires to emulate, a woman who makes it look so easy?
Last year at SIBA, when I had the awesome opportunity to meet Marybeth Whalen, one of the things we discussed was the book she was currently working on called She Makes It Look Easy. When I heard the premise and how the book came to be, I was really excited and added it to my mental list of books to watch for in the new year. Well, okay, that’s not exactly true. This book was THE book that I was most excited to read in the coming year, and luckily for me, it was just as page-turning as I had hoped it would be. In its intricate plot and realistic female protagonists, this is a book that bent my mind around the delicate issues of female friendships and the secrets we keep hidden from those who we love, even when they destroy us.
Ariel is a woman like many others. Her life is one big to-do list that keeps stretching further and further into infinity. She’s stressed in her attempts to raise three young boys and in her marriage with a husband who’s mildly reproving that she can’t get it all together. She’s a lot like me and, I’m sure, a lot like many women out there today. Ariel is waiting for the day things become manageable, but it doesn’t seem like that day will ever come. Enter Justine, the queen of the neighborhood. Justine is poised, elegant, and has every aspect of her life under control. She teaches a class on organization at the church, where women all over the neighborhood come to stare and admire. She irons her shorts. Need I say more? When Justine picks Ariel as her new project, Ariel is flattered and overcome with thoughts that she may have just found her new best friend. But Ariel has put Justine on a pedestal and doesn’t see the real Justine behind the facade. In her struggles to conform to Justine’s ideals, Ariel is unsure of herself and has some issues with her self-esteem. She feels grateful, but also somehow oddly detached from Justine. This is a situation that bothers her greatly, because wasn’t her friendship with Justine supposed to be fulfilling and edifying?
Justine, on the other hand, is a woman who looks out for number one and only number one. Her friendship with Ariel is much like some of the other friendships she’s had in the neighborhood, some of which have ended very badly. She has delusions of a greater life just waiting for her somewhere else, and her relationship with her husband is a nadir of hurt feelings and rejection. She has a definite feeling of superiority that she hides with a big smile and a patina of false concern for others. Justine is a walking contradiction. She cares what others think of her and her life, but underneath it all, she couldn’t care less if she hurts an innocent person who gets caught up in her quest for fulfillment. She was scary at times and could be overwhelmingly cold and calculating. But under it all, I think Justine was confused and had really bought into the idea that she was the center of everything. She believed in her grandeur and believed that her desires were more important than others and their feelings. It was hard not to feel sorry for her because her life was a big masquerade that she constantly fooled herself into believing was all about her.
When Justine decides to take matters into her own hands, Ariel discovers the real reason Justine has been grooming her, and it breaks her heart. Where Whalen excels is in the tense and realistic push/pull between these two very different women. There is hurt and confusion on one side, balanced with manipulation and secrecy on the other. Whalen gets the complex chemistry of female relationships just right in this very tightly paced book. Themes of rejection and of subsuming oneself for another are just the beginning of the story in this complex and portentous relationship between Justine and Ariel. And though misinterpretation and misunderstandings abound, I could really feel the struggle in Ariel’s heart for a woman whom she so admired and wanted to love. I could also feel the disillusionment and hopelessness that Justine was going through, and the combination of these two very different protagonists living within each other’s worlds was accompanied by my breathless anticipation for how things would turn out for both of them. It was a complex balance of longed-for intimacy and shifted expectations, and turning the last page, I discovered that, like real life, these situations can be messy and at times painful.
I was totally enthralled with this book and had no trouble shirking other obligations so I could spend more time with it. The emotional complexity and the perfectly imagined friendship between the two women was something that I quite literally couldn’t put down. Justine’s decision to take her life into another direction, despite all warnings and the fact that she destroyed the lives of others, was also something I read with more than a little schadenfreude, and with the talent of Whalen’s plotting and character creation, I was even able to sympathize with her at times. This was a great book that I hope gets lots of attention because it tells a story that’s not only believable, but intense. A great read and highly recommended!
Last year at SIBA, when I had the awesome opportunity to meet Marybeth Whalen, one of the things we discussed was the book she was currently working on called She Makes It Look Easy. When I heard the premise and how the book came to be, I was really excited and added it to my mental list of books to watch for in the new year. Well, okay, that’s not exactly true. This book was THE book that I was most excited to read in the coming year, and luckily for me, it was just as page-turning as I had hoped it would be. In its intricate plot and realistic female protagonists, this is a book that bent my mind around the delicate issues of female friendships and the secrets we keep hidden from those who we love, even when they destroy us.
Ariel is a woman like many others. Her life is one big to-do list that keeps stretching further and further into infinity. She’s stressed in her attempts to raise three young boys and in her marriage with a husband who’s mildly reproving that she can’t get it all together. She’s a lot like me and, I’m sure, a lot like many women out there today. Ariel is waiting for the day things become manageable, but it doesn’t seem like that day will ever come. Enter Justine, the queen of the neighborhood. Justine is poised, elegant, and has every aspect of her life under control. She teaches a class on organization at the church, where women all over the neighborhood come to stare and admire. She irons her shorts. Need I say more? When Justine picks Ariel as her new project, Ariel is flattered and overcome with thoughts that she may have just found her new best friend. But Ariel has put Justine on a pedestal and doesn’t see the real Justine behind the facade. In her struggles to conform to Justine’s ideals, Ariel is unsure of herself and has some issues with her self-esteem. She feels grateful, but also somehow oddly detached from Justine. This is a situation that bothers her greatly, because wasn’t her friendship with Justine supposed to be fulfilling and edifying?
Justine, on the other hand, is a woman who looks out for number one and only number one. Her friendship with Ariel is much like some of the other friendships she’s had in the neighborhood, some of which have ended very badly. She has delusions of a greater life just waiting for her somewhere else, and her relationship with her husband is a nadir of hurt feelings and rejection. She has a definite feeling of superiority that she hides with a big smile and a patina of false concern for others. Justine is a walking contradiction. She cares what others think of her and her life, but underneath it all, she couldn’t care less if she hurts an innocent person who gets caught up in her quest for fulfillment. She was scary at times and could be overwhelmingly cold and calculating. But under it all, I think Justine was confused and had really bought into the idea that she was the center of everything. She believed in her grandeur and believed that her desires were more important than others and their feelings. It was hard not to feel sorry for her because her life was a big masquerade that she constantly fooled herself into believing was all about her.
When Justine decides to take matters into her own hands, Ariel discovers the real reason Justine has been grooming her, and it breaks her heart. Where Whalen excels is in the tense and realistic push/pull between these two very different women. There is hurt and confusion on one side, balanced with manipulation and secrecy on the other. Whalen gets the complex chemistry of female relationships just right in this very tightly paced book. Themes of rejection and of subsuming oneself for another are just the beginning of the story in this complex and portentous relationship between Justine and Ariel. And though misinterpretation and misunderstandings abound, I could really feel the struggle in Ariel’s heart for a woman whom she so admired and wanted to love. I could also feel the disillusionment and hopelessness that Justine was going through, and the combination of these two very different protagonists living within each other’s worlds was accompanied by my breathless anticipation for how things would turn out for both of them. It was a complex balance of longed-for intimacy and shifted expectations, and turning the last page, I discovered that, like real life, these situations can be messy and at times painful.
I was totally enthralled with this book and had no trouble shirking other obligations so I could spend more time with it. The emotional complexity and the perfectly imagined friendship between the two women was something that I quite literally couldn’t put down. Justine’s decision to take her life into another direction, despite all warnings and the fact that she destroyed the lives of others, was also something I read with more than a little schadenfreude, and with the talent of Whalen’s plotting and character creation, I was even able to sympathize with her at times. This was a great book that I hope gets lots of attention because it tells a story that’s not only believable, but intense. A great read and highly recommended!
October 25, 2020
I do not like religious theme books of any kind, so I was annoyed to discover about half-way through that this was a Christian novel (there were hardly any reviews here when I initially downloaded this). However, for being a Christian novel, it was very light on the whole 'God' thing (great for me, but not so for people who are reading this for that reason). When you remove the religious side of it, it was an okay book.
I won't summarize this since it's been done here already, but I found some of the characters to be pretty shallow. I liked Ariel, and Justine wasn't too bad, though you could see right through her 'perfect life.' I'm not sure why her husband, Mark, was even in the book. He was completely cardboard. No feelings, no emotions. He lost his job and was losing his wife, but we never hear how this affects him; he rarely speaks. Ariel's husband is a little more filled out, but not by much.
As for the ending, it seemed very rushed and absolutely not what I would expect to find in a Christian novel. Christians reading this will be very disappointed in the message this book sends out. Justine does a horrible thing, but how did it turn out? How are her children? How's her husband handling it? We never find out. Justine is never held accountable for her actions in any way, and I thought that made the ending pretty lazy.
This was my first book from this author and, while I won't be rushing out to read any of her other stuff, I wouldn't write her off completely. Basically, this makes for a good weekend read...something you're sure to forget by Wednesday of the following week.
I won't summarize this since it's been done here already, but I found some of the characters to be pretty shallow. I liked Ariel, and Justine wasn't too bad, though you could see right through her 'perfect life.' I'm not sure why her husband, Mark, was even in the book. He was completely cardboard. No feelings, no emotions. He lost his job and was losing his wife, but we never hear how this affects him; he rarely speaks. Ariel's husband is a little more filled out, but not by much.
As for the ending, it seemed very rushed and absolutely not what I would expect to find in a Christian novel. Christians reading this will be very disappointed in the message this book sends out. Justine does a horrible thing, but how did it turn out? How are her children? How's her husband handling it? We never find out. Justine is never held accountable for her actions in any way, and I thought that made the ending pretty lazy.
This was my first book from this author and, while I won't be rushing out to read any of her other stuff, I wouldn't write her off completely. Basically, this makes for a good weekend read...something you're sure to forget by Wednesday of the following week.
January 18, 2018
She Makes It Look Easy is a very satisfying story with an excellent message and a perfect ending. About halfway through the book, I got a little impatient with the story progression, but so glad I kept reading. The characters who I disliked at first ended up being my favorites, except for one-- Justine. I bet she'll have trouble sleeping every night for the rest of her life. This is the second book I have read by NC author Marybeth Mayhew Whalen, the first being The Things We Wish Were True. She is my new favorite author and I can't wait to dive into her other novels, especially the Sunset Beach series!
July 17, 2019
I was surprised by how much I really enjoyed this book. The storyline dealt with a difficult situation and was a little uncomfortable to read at times, life can be that way. The main character, Ariel, reminded me of myself especially as a younger woman. Always trying to be someone I thought I was supposed to be. Trying to get it right. God didnt call me to be that. He created me to be me and to grow in Him. I only wish I had discovered my contentment in Him sooner. Reading a story with a character that I could relate so closely with is rare yet so refreshing.
October 24, 2018
Because of time restrictions, I was a little slow getting into this book. The characters were so very realistic & as I read, I could sort of anticipate what was coming. This made me, at times, want to shake Ariel. My husband was the spouse that had been cheated upon (not by me), so I could understand the hurt that was getting ready to happen. This morning, I finally gave up on sleep & finished the last half in just a few hours! So very good!
March 26, 2018
Comparison among women is a very real thing, and this book explores how the people we admire may not be all they seem to be.
Ariel looks up to her new neighbor Justine, and eagerly latches on to the lessons Justine tries to teach her about being a good wife and mother, only to find out that Justine is not quite the person she appears to be.
Ariel looks up to her new neighbor Justine, and eagerly latches on to the lessons Justine tries to teach her about being a good wife and mother, only to find out that Justine is not quite the person she appears to be.
July 6, 2020
She Makes It Look Easy tells the story of a neighborhood where lies and wrong perceptions come to light. I wanted Justine to make the right choice but that doesn't always happen in real life. Even though I wish it had turned out differently, it was thought-provoking, well-written and a page-turner.
August 1, 2021
This was a good read about a woman who admires another woman without knowing the whole story. Told in different perspectives, Ariel is new in a neighborhood and admires Justine, who seems to have it all. Ariel tries to be more like Justine with organizing her life, only to find out that things aren't always as they seem.
When I picked up this book, I didn't realize it was Christian fiction. I generally avoid the genre because I don't want to be preached at. This wasn't the case with this novel. It handles Christianity similarly to Lisa Wingate's novels where the religion is featured, but it's not so "in your face." I really enjoyed this novel and would read more by this author in the future.
When I picked up this book, I didn't realize it was Christian fiction. I generally avoid the genre because I don't want to be preached at. This wasn't the case with this novel. It handles Christianity similarly to Lisa Wingate's novels where the religion is featured, but it's not so "in your face." I really enjoyed this novel and would read more by this author in the future.
May 16, 2017
I enjoyed both main characters - Ariel and Justine. The narrative kind of lagged throughout but since I did like the characters, I kept going. This was an easy read and had some good lines about leaning on God during hard times.
July 14, 2017
Interesting story about how we often think we're not enough and grass is greener on the other side, leading to sometimes poor decision making. It was interesting character study. fyi, this is a Christian-based novel which I was not aware of when I started the book.
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