This was such a powerful read that I truly enjoyed and took away so much from. It helped me so much in my marriage and other aspects

Jessica Ronnie’s writing style is one that invites the reader in and sits them down with a cup of tea to have a chat. I love all the nuggets of wisdom, along with personal stories that are laced throughout the book.

I did enjoy this book for the most part...it was easy to read & kept me coming back for more. I feel that the author was real & transparent & I appreciate that.

That being said, I feel like she didn't always have much to say that was new or life-changing....a lot of what she said wasn't edifying (so much negativity...) A lot of the book felt like she was just trying to fill a book/meet a quota. When I was finished reading it, I didn't feel like I had "learned" or "gained" anything specific or of note.

Being a caregiver myself (my husband is a disabled veteran, I also deal with chronic health issues, have 8 kids & several kids have chronic health issues) & all things considered, I can definitely relate with the author on many health/stress/chronic illness type issues &cthe stress that adds to your marriage.

Thanks to Netgalley & the Publisher. I was able to preview this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Abilene Christian University Press and Leafwood Publishers for allowing me to read this ARC of Lovin' With Grit and Grace. Lovin' with Grit and Grace released February 14, 2023. My thoughts are my own.

I like to hear the stories of women who are living out their faith. I was drawn to Ronne's book because of the title and the description. While I am not in a blended relationship, I do think we can take away important lessons from others around us who take the bold leap of sharing the raw and emotional elements of their lives.

A talented blogger turned published author, Ronne speaks from her heart and encourages women and men alike to "love with grit and grace". Jessica and Ryan both lost their first spouses to brain cancer over ten years ago. They then blended their families together and have since built a beautiful life together.

Ronne speaks candidly about her shortcomings, the anger she feels, how she approaches her husband, what it's like to build a life together with the PTSD that they both struggled with after the deaths of their first spouses and so much more.

It's down to earth, approachable, never judgmental or condescending...Ronne shows what it's like to live in the trenches of life, As the mother to a special needs child, she tenderly wraps words of encouragement around the mother who feels overburdened in the same position. As the wife of someone who has struggled with sexual sin, her words are a balm to the soul of the wife who endures the same.

I love how she provides action steps at the end of each chapter, and I love how Ryan pops in from time to time to provide his perspective and point of view. I'm not very familiar with this publisher, but as a Christian publishing house, Abilene and Leafwood should have suggested additional Scriptures throughout the book. I think it's oftentimes to easy to write our life stories and fail to point it all back to the Bible. So if any criticism, that's it!

I would recommend this book to blended marriages, but again, I feel like there is so much in this book that all marriages can relate to. We all struggle with tendencies to be selfish or to take a passive approach when it comes to communication. We can all long for deeper and more passionate intimacy with our spouse or an understanding friend who understands where we are.

Ronne offers a study guide that she and her husband Ryan co-authored together. You can find it on their website.

Lovin’ with Grit & Grace is one of those books that feels like more of a conversation with a friend than a book per se. And so, if you can’t connect with the author on a personal level, weeellll, you might not enjoy the book very much.

Although the book covers several topics in a refreshing and encouraging way (more on this in a bit!), the writing style felt a little unrefined, somehow rushed, more of a draft than a final, edited version – at times Lovin’ with Grit & Grace reads like the transcript of a podcast, at other times it feels like disjointed personal notes from a close friend with just enough explanation in between for you to make sense of them. All potentially very enjoyable characteristics if you connect with Jessica Ronne’s story on a personal level, which I, perhaps due to being of a different generation and different cultural background, did not.

Nonetheless, there were several aspects I did appreciate about the book. Most significantly, Jessica’s refreshing honesty about the demands of being a caregiver for a child with profound special needs, including violence on the child's part. The 5 mins self-care suggestions for carers felt realistic and practical and were paired with the very real, but unfortunately rarely voiced reflection that stress exists in so many different, yet persistent forms for caregivers, and often there are no solutions, let alone easy ones.

As has become consistent across the Christian self-reflection genre, there is exploration of how to find beauty and grace in the mundane and the difficult, with vivid examples of the work required to take care of a family.

Throughout the book, there is a healthy dose of self-reflection on the part of the author (and, at times, her husband), as well as useful questions at the end of each chapter that would work well as both self-reflection and discussion starters with your spouse.

Towards the end of the book, Jessica describes herself as “someone who sees the world through a black-and-white lens” and this is when it clicked for me why the tone of the book, the moments of preaching did not resonate with me – I find it difficult to box my lived reality into black and white and instead find meaning and joy in the endless shades of grey.

Overall, a very subjective 3/5 for me!

Jess Ronne gives us an honest perspective of life in a blended family, with special needs children, and marriage and so much more. She and her husband, yes her husband, share their perspectives on sex marriage, household chores, and every topic or most every topic that revolves and cycles in a marriage. She gave me hope and inspiration, especially the chapter on sex. I was able to see what I have been missing and what my marriage needs, and it is not sex....you have to read the book to find your own answers.

“Just keep livin’.” is a statement made throughout this book. Simple, right? Well, yes and no. Jessica Ronne honestly and candidly shares about her life. Marriage, widowed, remarried, blended family, special needs. So many things that can shake a relationship to its core. Ronne shares insight about what works (and didn’t work) in her marriage. She offers pragmatic resolutions for tough times. Sharing with a truth and vulnerability, her story of pain and fear and how she has found redemption in her marriage and in her life.

“Lovin’ With Grit & Grace” is written for any marriage. Whether you are engaged, newlywed, widowed, or in for the long haul, there is a narrative for you between these pages.

“‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’”
‭‭Numbers‬ ‭6‬:‭26‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Lovin' With Grit & Grace: Straight-Talk about Romance, Sex, Fun, and the Tough Stuff Too

As a fellow special needs mom with a teenager, reading this book, I felt like Jess was speaking my own words, thoughts, and feelings. I'm similarly wired, and there was so much I could relate to in the book. It's vulnerable, authentic, funny, but also hopeful. She gives practical advice, but at the same time, you know the struggles are real, and who better to give advice than one who has lived through difficult things?

There aren't enough books out there on marriage and the special needs family, and I'm so grateful she wrote this (both of them), and were willing to put themselves out there. I would recommend this book NOT only to special needs families, but church leaders, family and friends because you truly get a glimpse of what the inner workings of a special needs family is like.

My favorite chapter is the one at the end when she talks about Good Friday and caring for her son. It's excellent. Don't miss this book.

I had not heard of Jessica Ronne, so I am unsure if she is a name in the Christian circles. This book is part long-form blog posts which combines bible verses from Corinthians, recipes, and insights on how to be a married Christian woman in today's America. I could easily envision this being gifted to young ladies when they graduate high school or part of a cotillion curriculum.

A practical book about some tough marriage topics by an author who has experienced more than her share of ups & downs in life. The author was a widower with 4 young children and within a year, remarries another widower with his own children. Over the next 10+ years, they find strength in each other, their blended family and God to persevere and overcome, all that comes along their newly forged paths together.

This book covers 7 different marriage topics that generally cause struggles for most couples (health, intimacy, household chores, romance, sex, excitement, and spirituality) and intertwines stories from the author's and her husbands points of view.

As a bonus it even includes some family favorite recipes, which although at times seemed like an odd inclusion in this book, some of the recipes did sound intriguing. It also include end of chapter questions to help spark discussions between partners around these sometimes challenging marriage topics.

Overall, I'd recommend this well-written book to couple's with a spiritual/religious belief, who are looking for conversation starter to help try and strengthen their marital relationship.