Distortion by Terri Blackstock

Distortion is not a new plotline by any stretch: husband is murdered, and in the aftermath his devoted wife and children discover the horrible secret life he had been leading and find their own lives in danger. The story follows both the mysteries those left behind face as they try to unravel the nightmare in a race against the clock to keep from being murdered themselves, and the human elements of betrayal and forgiveness. 

It has been about a decade since I last read a Terri Blackstock novel, but I was pleased to find that her writing style has remained consistent. Quick, easy-to-read chapters, with engaging and realistic characters. I very much enjoyed the fast pace of the book, and found all of the characters easy to like but also fairly realistic. The main character’s faith was tested and, although there were Bible verses and prayers, they too remained in the realm of practical reality and never strayed into the “perfect Christian” or too-many-miraculous-answers-in-the-nick-of-time territory. This was a great, pleasant read and something that is likely to please a wide variety of readers.

Shepherd's Pie & Pot Roast

There hasn't been a lot of time for recipe experimentation around here, but I tried and loved two new recipes last month that I wanted to share:

Pub Style Shepherd's Pie from Tide and Thyme

and

Stout Pot Roast from The Beeroness


Both of these were amazing, and I highly recommend them!

Happy Wives Club (book review)

Fed up with negative attitudes towards marriage in the media and popular culture, and portrayals of “desperate”, cheating, or otherwise miserable wives as the norm, Fawn Weaver set out both to prove that happy, lasting marriages are far more common than we’re led to believe and to help couples capture the basic secrets to building a strong marriage themselves. 

I loved this book! As a happily married woman myself, I frequently share the author’s frustration over the pervasive attitude that married people are miserable or cheating (and if they aren’t now, they will be soon). It was deeply refreshing to hear the stories of incredibly diverse and very successful couples, and I felt like positive energy and encouragement just radiated out of these pages – a rare find! The “secrets” the author finds along the way are not rocket science, that’s part of the point. Building a good marriage isn’t complicated, it just requires choosing to hold to (and live out) core principles every day. Weaver does an excellent job of illustrating how those same principles play out across very different personalities and marriages, and makes them very accessible to readers. 

PS - Check out the Happy Wives Club website for more good content and regular encouragement!