Marriage Matters by Cynthia Ellingsen

Weddings are pretty stressful affairs, especially considering it's supposed to be the best day of a woman's life... Imagine walking down the aisle, however, with your mother and grandmother! All three of you getting married on the same day!

Chloe is the granddaughter and she's engaged to a man who just may want her around solely to take care of his daughter...hum. Kristine has been married 25 years and it's going stale (he'd rather go hunting with his buddies than go to Italy with her!), but she's expected to renew her vows. Does she want to spend another 25 years with him? June swore off men since she was widowed, but she has this love/hate thing with her neighbor.

The story is funny with bits of humor here and there as all three women prepare to walk to down the aisle and plan their triple wedding. I laughed out loud at June's antics at destroying Charley's garden and her old lady friends competing for the same man. Chloe...I had a harder time with her. I was like "Are you blind???" Kristine--I totally got her. Her story had the most effect on me. She's tired, feels like her husband doesn't love her anymore, and is tempted by another man. It's a rut I imagine most marriage face at some point. And the way the author handled this was fantastic. At no point was this subplot distasteful or dirty.

I especially loved watching June and Charley move on from widowhood and into each other's arms while at the same time, maintaining the sweetest respect for their dead spouses. The family time between the three women warmed my heart too.

What was especially wonderful about this book though besides the laughs, was the theme: you always have your family.

Yea, they  meddle, but sometimes meddling is necessary.

Quibble: There really wasn't enough Ben considering how important he was to the story.

LOL moment:

June: "If I end up missing, he's buried my body in the garden."

Chloe: "You always say he doesn't know how to buy a decent fertilizer."

Four bikes. I received this from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Whole Package by Cynthia Ellingsen

What a great idea... and one that many of us women would whole heartily endorse: a "Hooters" for women, a restaurant where women can go and be served delectable dishes by scantily dressed men and see a strip show every 15 minutes.

And that is what Jackie, Cheryl, and Doris set out to do. The BFFs start a restaurant together, The Whole Package. Whether their business survives or fails is up to them. And while interviewing sexy models, shopping with gay men, and dealing with picketers, each woman is dealing with turmoil and betrayal in her personal life. Cheryl is dealing with job loss, a potential new love affair that betrays her all in the name of advancing his own career, and possibly a more personal surprise. Jackie has lived like a pampered princess for so long that she doesn't know how to really work for anything and besides coming to terms with that, she must also deal with her guilt over her growing friendship with her dead husband's best bud. Doris is dealing with a teenage daughter, her weight and self esteem, and well, her husband has decided he wants to be like the guy's in the movie, Wild Hogs.


I love this. I was thoroughly entertained and laughed out loud A LOT. The women aren't perfect and they are easy to relate to. They face everyday problems that we all face (except Jackie.. Not many of us can say we were married to a very wealthy man and spent all his money in Paris..) My only quibble: I didn't like the ending for Doris. I don't wish to reveal too much of the story so I'm just going to say, "I would so not have taken him back." 


Nevertheless, five stars. Really enjoyed this one, breezed through it despite the fact that I was traveling, visiting family, and it is 400 pages. 


I received this as part of a blog tour.