Customer Reviews

Happily Even After (Sassy Sistahood, Book 3) (Life, Faith & Getting It Right #22) (Steeple Hill Cafe)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

For those who have read Made of Honor and If the Shoe Fits you will want to read about Ryan and Tracey's story in Happily Ever After. This is well-written and hard to put down. Even after reading the book the characters are still with me making me care, even though they are "People on Paper."

We see the struggles of a married couple as they deal with past issues, in-law dilemmas, low self esteem and general living. Through the Grace of God they are able to overcome some obstacles, but Griffith illustrates that the road to Happily Every After does come with a price.

I would like to encourage readers of all races to take a look at Marilynn's work. Marilynn's characters are not all Black women. I would like to think that women who are saved can find some nuggets of truth in any woman's story regardless of color. As we are made in His image and likeness, we need to know that we as woman have more in common than we might think. Our experiences and perspective can certainly be a blessing to each other.

We are more alike than we might think.

N. Willis

Chicago, IL

"Happily Even After" is the best book that I have read in awhile. I don't want to put it down. Church-going, married women with children can identify to the main character in the book. I had checked the book out from the library; but I had to buy it because the way Mrs. Griffith writes makes you feel like you are apart of the story. I felt like the characters where with me. I have been telling all my "sisters" about the book. Several of them will be reading it. I can't wait so we can start a book club. I can't wait to read the other books by Mrs. Griffith.

I loved this book. It is the third book in this series by Marilyn Griffith. As always with her books there was a message and it came together wonderfully in the end. Ms. Marilyn Griffith' book reminds you so much of how God sometimes moves in our lives. We just don't know or understand while we are in it but eventually it all becomes clear. Loved the book and hope there will be more coming.

Marilynn Griffith does an excellent job of exposing the good and the ugly realities of marriage, all while maintaining her unbridled hope in the power of love. And the power of Jesus' love. Tracey is a character who feels and sounds like me. She's flawed, she's honest (to herself), and she's overwhelmed with marriage and motherhood. I'm hard-pressed to find a mother who wouldn't relate to this novel. I like the tie-ins to her other Sassy Sistahood characters. But this is no sequel. The novel stands alone, and you'd be able to enjoy and understand it even if you hadn't read the other two. The novel also contains Ms. Griffith's trademark humor and "sassiness." Her novels don't read with a heavy-handed Christian message. But I finish her books knowing a little more about God and feeling that if he can forgive/love/bless that flawed main character, maybe there's hope for me. And that's what I love most about Marilynn Griffith's novels. The overwhelming sense of hope they give me.

The mother-in-law from hell was no joke. Tracey finds herself against a wall when her husband Ryan will not speak up every time Queen Elizabeth be little her at any time or place. It didn't matter how hard she tired to do the right thing Queen always looks for the bad in it. It takes Tracey to walk out many times for her husband to pay attention and to defend her to his mother. Tracey finds herself making friends with women in the cry baby room (Daycare) of the church. But who really sets it off is Mother Redding of the church to tell everyone about themselves. This is when Tracey wakes up and starts to smell the coffee. Tracey starts to put people in their places, as you start to think it's all good. All hell brakes when Ryan finds himself losing his business,wife pregnant again and Tracey brings in money from her business that he don't want to except because his mother says so.

The author show the readers that Christian people makes mistakes and have to repent for their sins sooner or later. You can feel the pain that Tracey is going through with her mother-in-law,husband and the church. You will find, abuse, cheating, secrets and friendship. The twist that the author puts on this book is amazing. So get your copy and enjoy.

This book was great! I felt so connected with Tracey. Within the first few chapters I just cried for the pain she was feeling, it was like I felt it right along with her. I liked this novel because it wasn't your everyday Christian fiction which is overly romanticized. It was very real, and as a single young woman that is what I want to read about. I encourage everyone to read this book: single or married, it's a great read.

My mom always said, "When you marry you marry the WHOLE family!" This book illustrates that fact quite well!

In her energetic and humorous style, Marilynn Griffith turns back the wedding veil to realistically reveal a woman`s search for "happy even after" balancing motherhood and a career, her husband' s unscrupulous business dealings, body images, a controlling mother-in-law from hell, and church politics that could rival any presidential race.

I particularly liked the sneak-peek into the cliques in some churches. The eye-opening experience made me all the happier to sit "anonymously" in the middle of the church.

Readers, married or single, will find some aspect of Tracey's life that they can relate. This eye-opening story packs quite a punch in a few pages and should not be missed.

Great mom lit! Marilynn knows how to keep a story moving. I loved this sassy tale of friendship and church ladies, love and despair, hope and frailty, forgiveness and commitment. Great stuff! I felt so bad for Tracey for the first two thirds of the book. I truly felt her pain. But I also enjoyed the drama and the tension between her and her man over his mother. Great stuff. Wait - I already said that. Anyway, this book is engrossing and entertaining and has enough twists to crimp your hair, but not your style. Okay, so that was a bit corny. Seriously, if you love sassy sistah lit with a smattering of spiritual nourishment, this book is one you'll enjoy. And the humor about her weight was pretty hilarious and realistic, too. Did I mention the romantic element was divine? I loved it!

There were 15 minutes to Oprah (5:00 PM EST) on a Wednesday (Bible study night). I had every intention of reading only the first few pages of the book in that precious 15 minutes, and closing it when Oprah came on.

But 177 pages later, I hadn't watched Oprah, and I'd only put the book (HAPPILY EVEN AFTER) down to attend the 1-hour midweek Bible study. My husband drove, and I even read it to and from church in the car at night with a flashlight on.

It was that good, full of humor, love, several realistic faux pas moments, and a lesson on page 178 that is bound to stick with me for the rest of my life.

Somehow, even as a new reader of author Marilynn Griffith's inspirational blog, Rhythms of Grace, I didn't make the connection that HAPPILY EVEN AFTER was part of the Sassy Sistahood series--the same series where we watched Happily's main character, Tracey Blackman, interact (sort of) with her friend Dana from Griffith's equally uplifting novel, MADE OF HONOR.

Actually, I missed reading about one of the most important life changes that happens to Tracey in the novel, IF THE SHOE FITS, which features Rochelle, another member of the Sassy Sistahood.

HAPPILY EVEN AFTER is so good that both newcomers and returning readers can enjoy it first and read the others next.

Griffith handled "reminding" us of the other characters in such a graceful way, that new readers come to know who all the other characters (like Dana, Adrien, Rochelle, and even Austin, the newbie we met in MADE OF HONOR), without feeling bogged down.

Oh, and about page 178. A passage about Tracey's husband, Ryan, teaches a most important lesson in the whole story. The passage is: "He hasn't learned that sometimes failure is the option that keeps you alive to fight another battle on another day."

You have to read all 296 of the 304 pages to see that the things that go wrong in the Blackman family are ALL part of God's greater plan.

Only 7 1/2 hours after the whole "I'm going to start this for 15 minutes ruse," I finished the book, very uplifted, and ready to read more Christian fiction.

Happily Even After grabbed me from page one, when the main character, Tracey, stepped on the scale. This is a woman seeking God in order to find her place in an imperfect family and in a new church. This is a woman dealing with insecurities that everyone faces in one form or another. Happily Even After is filled with moments of humor, but also moments of genuine heartache and getting real with God. And don't let the pink cover fool you: this book has a little bit of edge that made me sit back and say, "Wow, this is so true to life, I can't believe they printed it!" Very good read!