Healthy Southern Food with a side of real marriage

*I received these books complimentary for my honest review from Tyndale Publishers and Blogging For Books. 

You guys know that I am a through and through book worm. And I absolutely LOVE to review books. I've been fortunate to find a couple of companies that offer books for reviews, and this is honestly one of the best perks of being a blogger! They give you options of books, and you pick one. Sometimes it's a little out of your comfort zone, and you may not like the books, or sometimes, it's new and different and you end up loving it!

Last week, I received these two books- Lighten Up Y'all (*Affiliate Link) by Virginia Willis and The Unveiled Wife: Embracing Intimacy with God and Your Husband(*Affiliate Link)by Jennifer Smith.

Now, let's jump into my reviews!

"A collection of classic Southern comfort food recipes--including seven-layer dip, chicken and gravy, and strawberry shortcake--made lighter, healthier, and completely guilt-free.
  
Virginia Willis is not only an authority on Southern cooking, a French-trained chef, and a veteran cookbook author; she is also a proud Southerner who adores eating and cooking for family and friends. So when she needed to drop a few pounds and generally lighten up her diet, the most important criterion for her new lifestyle was that all the food had to taste delicious.

The result is Lighten Up, Y’all, a soul-satisfying and deeply personal collection of Virginia’s new favorite recipes. All the classics are covered—from a comforting Southern Style Shepherd’s Pie with Grits to warm, melting Broccoli Mac and Cheese to Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Pie. Each dish is packed with real Southern flavor, but made with healthier, more wholesome ingredients and techniques. Wherever you are on your health and wellness journey, Lighten Up, Y’all has the recipes, tools, and inspiration you need to make the nourishing, down-home Southern food you love."

MY THOUGHTS:

  This cookbook is amazing! I often feel torn because I want to cook good ole southern food, but I am trying to get the Mr. and I into a clean diet, and y'all, it's soooo hard to choose between the two! This book solves the problem! 

   It's a nice, sturdy book, the photos are amazing, and I can't wait to try each and every one of these recipes! There isn't any weird, exotic, or expensive ingredients, so it's mostly things you already have in your kitchen. I feel like these recipes could've easily been passed down through the generations. 

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The Unveiled Wife: Embracing Intimacy with God and Your Husband(*Affiliate Link) by Jennifer Smith.

"As a young bride, Jennifer Smith couldn't wait to build her life with the man she adored. She dreamed of closeness, of being fully known and loved by her husband. But the first years of marriage were nothing like she'd imagined. Instead, they were marked by disappointment and pain. Trapped by fear and insecurity, and feeling totally alone, Jennifer cried out to God: What am I doing wrong? Why is this happening to us? It was as if a veil had descended between her and her husband, and between her and God—one that kept her from experiencing the fullness of love. How did Jennifer and her husband survive the painful times? What did they do when they were tempted to call it quits? How did God miraculously step in during the darkest hour to rescue and redeem them, tearing down the veil once and for all? The Unveiled Wife is a real-life love story; one couple’s refreshingly raw, transparent journey touching the deep places in a marriage that only God can reach. If you are feeling disappointment or even despair about your marriage, the heart-cry of this book is: You are not alone. Discover through Jennifer’s story how God can bring you through it all to a place of transformation."

MY THOUGHTS: 

Honestly, I was skeptical about this book. I've heard of The Unveiled Wife website, and seen tons of pins on Pinterest, but to actually sit down, and devote myself to this book was tough for me. It wasn't long, or hard to understand, but it did make you get real with yourself and your relationships with God and your husband. That's the tough part, and Jennifer walks you through it by telling you what she went through, showing you that you can overcome the rough patches of a marriage with God. It has changed my views on many different things. She includes questions at the end of the chapter to really force you to hear what she's said and apply it to your life. I would recommend this book for anyone looking to reinforce their marriage!