Marybeth Whalen's She Makes It Look Easy ~ Reviewed

She Makes It Look Easy
By Marybeth Whalen
Published by David C. Cook, June 2011
ISBN: 978-0-7814-0370-2

Description:

Is perfection ever what it seems to be? 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.

My thoughts:

Deceptively light, this story delivers surprising truths about friendship and temptation. I fell in love with Ariel and her delightful brood of little boys, who did what little boys do. They made me laugh out loud. I've known women like Justine and Whalen captured her perfectly. She Makes It Look Easy is a perfect summer read. Novel Journey and I give it a high recommendation.

Reviewed by: Ane Mulligan, editor
Novel Journey


Bonus Review:

The first thing I'd like to point out is regarding the title of this book, She Makes It Look Easy, the first letter of each word put together spells....smile. But this book presents the question, just because someone is smiling, does it mean that they are really ok? Is everything as wonderful...or awful as it appears? Appearances can be deceiving and friendships...relationships, for that matter, based on them often turn out to be shallow. But from all appearances Justine has it all together, making her more normal down to earth next door neighbor feel that she is...well...NOT. But time will tell what is true. This book really intigued me from the front cover to the last page. The story is told from alternating voices of Ariel (ie the normal wife/mom) and Justine (the Barbie); this keeps things interesting, especially as we find out how each perceives and either emulates...or uses the other. A real wake up call and consolation to any woman who feels like someone else has it all together. This book also highlights that true "perfection" and contentment can only be found by fully relying on the Creator...Heart Knower....Savior....the one true God, Enjoy!

Reviewed by: Rachael Schnitker