Can her marriage be saved? Today is Jocelyn Johnson’s forty-fifth birthday. Unhappy with her marriage of twenty-two years, she has planned a noonday tryst with her talk-show cohost. A phone call from her college daughter, a peek into her teenaged son’s journal, a sick preschooler, a Goth daughter’s identity crisis, a middle-school son’s prank, and her husband’s inflamed suspicions, not only … inflamed suspicions, not only interfere with her hopeful birthday plans but throw her family into more chaos than a circus on steroids.
In desperate need of counsel, Jocelyn invites a Christian, her guest from her morning talk-show segment, to dinner. However, the evening holds little promise of calm. In the midst of bedlam, a forgotten faith rekindles causing Jocelyn to rethink her life and her marriage.
You will laugh and you will cry from the first page to the last as you journey through the day’s events and Jocelyn’s search for Second Helpings.
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After reading this story I feel like I have run a marathon. The author takes us on a whirlwind look inside a family that is in chaos. Jocelyn is the type that wants her children to still need her even though some are becoming adults. I was exhausted reading everything she tried to accomplish in a day. What I realized is that Jocelyn is unhappy with her stagnant marriage and tries to find other ways to make herself still feel needed.
Larsen is busy with his practice as a psychiatrist. He sees clients everyday with problems, yet he doesn’t seem to grasp the dysfunction his family is in. Each child seems to have some conflict going on but for me I thought it was Jocelyn overreacting to everything. Larsen does his best as a father but lacking in the husband department. The author demonstrates how we get complacent in our marriage and start to have wandering thoughts. Not everyone will fall for that trap but the enemy knows our weakness.
I found it very interesting that Jocelyn worked at a radio station and had a talk show. It was no accident the day she has a special guest who happens to be just what Jocelyn needs. Naomi is endearing, patient and is gifted with words that speak directly to your heart. I was a little upset when Jocelyn invited her over for dinner and then ignored her most of the evening. While Jocelyn bounced between kids and their problems, Naomi has divine appointments with members of the family. The story is fast paced but it has a great message.
I loved how the author shows us what happens when we leave God out of our lives. A marriage can be in danger of dissolving, a child could feel unloved or a rumor could destroy trust. The book mentions that there is humor in the book, but I didn’t find any humor at all. What I did find was a story that shows us to accept each other, never give up and above everything else invite God to be part of your life.
I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my opinion.
Second Helpings is the first book I have ever read by Linda Wood Rondeau. I thought it was a quick and fun read. It was full of humor that made me laugh out loud quite a bit. It covers some topics that I believe many readers would be able to relate to. There were some valuable lessons that all of us could learn from, as well. It was great entertainment and fun throughout. It was a quick read that took me no time to finish in one sitting.
I am giving Second Helpings four and a half stars. I would be interested in reading more like this one by Linda Wood Rondeau in the near future. I recommend this one for readers who enjoy humorous books with the emphasis of faith and inspiration.
I received this book from the publisher. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
I have to say I can relate to the harried what is going on with my life feelings of this story. Though I will be 35 next month instead of 45 I do have a lot of these issues with my vast array of children. Lucky for me no one is pregnant though! And I don’t have a parenting talk show!
This is a book that I enjoyed. It did have an almost affair, but I like how it brought that around. Really this book has a lot going on. It’s almost too packed with things and ideas that can get jumbled up. I think this might have been better as a more fleshed out maybe more relaxed read. I can relate to life being hectic and crazy, but this seems like a very intense life going on in their household.
Though I can relate to some of the crazy and hectic life of a large family I can’t relate to wanting out of my marriage in this way, and I can’t relate to regretting why I married or even marrying in the first place.
While I did enjoy reading this book I don’t think it is one that I would pick up again and read for pleasure. I did enjoy the cover so I might have picked it up on my own to read. I’m not sure if I would have continued and finished this book if reading on my own though. A fun fact though is the cover reminded me of a skit we did on mission trips once and that was what intrigued me about the cover.
I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.