Customer Reviews

My Son's Wife (Urban Christian)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

In My Son's Wife penned by Shelia Lipsey, we meet the Graham family. Beloved Pastor Chauncey Graham, his wife, First Lady Audrey Graham, and their two children, the troubled Francesca Graham and, her half-brother, Stiles Graham. We also meet Francesca's best-friend, Rena Jackson.

Audrey adores Rena and thinks she would be the perfect fit for her son, Stiles, who is on the path to becoming a pastor just like his step-father, Pastor Chauncey Graham. Little does anyone know, aside from Francesca (Frankie) and Rena, that their "friendship" is much more than meets the eye. Home from school, Stiles has the chance to meet the much older Rena. Instantly, he is captivated by her and soon after begins to court her. But, when Frankie gets wind of their relationship, she becomes livid and destructive to herself and all those who love her.

Wow, Shelia Lipsey takes it there with My Son's Wife. She masterfully wraps the subject content of religion around that of molestation, homosexuality and skepticism. The quotes at the beginning of each chapter set the mood for what will occur, often times I found myself nodding and in full agreement with what they represented. I do wish the title of this book was different because the story, more so than anything, focused on Francesca and her actions which affected everyone. This book was a great read and one I recommend to everyone.

Reviewed by Chantay,
APOOO BookClub

Pastor Chauncey Graham and his wife, First Lady Audrey Graham have two children, Francesca and Stiles. Stiles' is following in his father's footsteps in the ministry. All he needs now is a good woman by his side. First Lady Audrey believes that woman is Francesca's best friend, Rena Jackson. But there may be more to Rena than meets the eye. Once secrets from her past are exposed, will she still fit into the First Family?

I loved Shelia Lipsey's "My Son's Wife." Five stars are simply not enough. In addition to the drama, it was an eye opener about Christianity. If there's one lesson to be learned, it's that people shouldn't be so judgmental. I didn't like how it ended and I am hoping it's because there will be a sequel. "My Son's Wife" is good reading and I recommend it.

Reviewed by: Marcella

Rena Jackson has always been a friend of the Graham family. Francesca, aka "Frankie", befriended Rena during their childhood and the two became fast friends. However, after being taken advantage of by others, Frankie's faith and trust, in God and man, falters. Frankie's outward appearance drastically changes and it becomes a source of embarrassment to her mother, First Lady Audrey Graham. To make matters worse, Frankie and Rena change the parameters of their friendship, unbeknownst to those around them, an act that will eventually lead to their downfall.

As the years go by and the girls mature, Frankie and Rena pursue different interests. Though their friendship remains intact, it does so under a tremendous amount of stress and strain. But it changes more when Frankie's big brother, Stiles, returns home from divinity school.

Stiles is immediately smitten with Rena, now that she is all grown up and no longer just his little sister's best friend. Stiles sweeps Rena off of her feet and they soon marry. Frankie does not accept Rena and Stiles's marriage and gives Rena an ultimatum - disclose the truth about their relationship to Stiles or else Frankie will. Rena refuses to comply with Frankie's demands. When the truth is finally exposed, the Grahams will find their family ties stretched beyond repair.

Though the underlying storyline of MY SON'S WIFE was good, I found myself struggling to finish it because of the manner in which the story was told. The title of the book seems to suggest that the story will be told from First Lady Audrey's perspective. However, it was not until the book's end that readers learn more about the innermost thoughts and despicable acts of First Lady Audrey . I thought that the book ended somewhat abruptly and that more was needed to wrap up all of the loose ends.

Reviewed by Hope Murphy
for The RAWISTAZ Reviewers

Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. Psalm 127:3

This is a scripture that every parent should heed, but few do. Inside the pages of My Son's Wife, the latest page-turner from author Shelia Lipsey, readers will come face-to-face with the bi-product of parental neglect.

For First Lady Audrey Graham keeping up appearances is her ministry. If they can see it they can achieve it seems to be her personal mantra. For all intense and purposes she is the consummate first lady in every sense of the word, or is she. As you are given a look inside the private life of the Graham family, the façade of perfection begins to lose its luster.

Stiles has followed in his father's footsteps and will soon ascend to the pastoral throne. His sister Francesca is a mystery no one, but her best friend Rena understands. When Rena and Stiles become engaged, the lid on the pot of Francesca's questionable past and present threatens all that their mother holds dear.

Author Lipsey is to be commended for presenting a work with subject matter most do not touch beyond superficial means. With skill she opens eyes to that which statistics is showing as growing at an alarming rate within the Christian community. Equal skill is applied to addressing the subject in a way that will provoke readers to thought and possibly reassessing how they may have or are currently treating those considered to be - not the norm.

It is this reviewer's hope that there will be more authors stepping out of the shadows to present works of standards that speak to the social ills most refuse to touch.

Dr. Linda F. Beed
On Assignment Reviews

"My Son's Wife" is full of real-life drama and the kind of stuff that makes a reader's blood pressure spike. The way the author wrote everything from an omniscient point of view worked for the story well, otherwise it would have been difficult to know some of their internal struggles in the heat of the moment. I could hardly turn the pages fast enough to see how things would turn out. The romance was smoking hot, the characters were well-motivated in all of their dysfunctional behaviors, and the plot really grabbed my heart and held on tight. Each situation kept escalating until the deeds done in secret blew up in a number of characters' faces. When the truth finally came out, it really messed up their lives. The fallout was very well done.

The author did a great job at showing how turning a deaf ear and a blind eye to abuse because of how it might make you look (if discovered) ends up damaging the people you love most and ultimately hurting everything and everyone in your life. The author made a great point showing how parents blaming a child out of fear will not only make the child feel like they have no one safe they can turn to, but it also causes such deep pain that it can lead to destructive behavior. On top of all that, the author showed that self-righteousness and pride are uglier sins than even sexual sin because it blocks forgiveness, healing, and the ability to show mercy. God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble, right?

I loved Rena. She was my favorite character because she was afraid, but she did love her husband. She wasn't what everyone assumed. I think she got pulled into an abusive relationship at a vulnerable time in her life and then she felt like she couldn't get out of it. I don't believe that was who she was meant to be. I wanted to hurt some people when the situation was revealed because those self-rightteous, judgmental people showed no mercy, and honestly, if they'd listened long enough to hear the whole story, they may have come away with a different perspective. Because I didn't know how things would ultimately turn out, I kept thinking about the story when I was forced to put it down. Life tends to get in the way of my reading time.

In the end, I was a bit bummed how things turned out, but at the same time it was very realistic. The author set the stage for more drama, and I can't help being curious about how things will turn out in "My Son's Next Wife." If the sequal is half as entertaining as the first book, I'll have a tough time putting it down. The author does drama well and she made me care about the lives of the characters. I zipped right through this book and can't wait to see how the next story will turn out.

I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Lipsey (Love her)at a friend's book club meeting. She did a reading from her new book My Son's Next Wife. I wanted to ask her would she please keep reading. I rushed home to purchase her 1st book (My Son's Wife) on kindle. This book captures you from the first chapter. THE FIRST CHAPTER! I read this book in less than three days, only because I had to work. I just started My Son's Next Wife and can not wait to finish this one to leave another EXCELLENT review for this outstanding author. I don't know if Ms. Lipsey reads these reviews but just in case she does, YOU HAVE A FAN FOR LIFE. Readers this is not your ordinary Christian Fiction, Ms. Lipsey dares to speak about issues the church dare not mention, such as, homosexuality, abuse, drug addiction, molestations and this is just the first book. So readers if you are looking for drama filled christian reading, stop reading my post and download this book NOW!

This is a great book ........... the series is just awesome! I couldn't stop reading the books so that I could find out what would happen next! Great story line, great characters .................Sharon Lipsey is an excellent writer! This my first with this author! Can't wait to read more from her! My Son's Wife, My Son's Ex-Wife and My Son's Next Wife, WOW!!! Was trying to find something to get my book club started back up and this will get us going!

Oh my! This is a story set to take you on an emotional 'roller coaster'. Sheila is an amazing storyteller outling the truth and consequences for the decisions made in each character's life. I finished this book in a day..... OOOOOH WEE!

We read this book for my book club & loved it. Lots of drama & interesting twists. I highly recommend!

This was my first time reading a book by this author and I really enoyed it. It had a good plot and I could relate to the characters. I am excited about reading part 2.