I haven’t shared a book review in a while so I thought I share with you about Spouse in The House. With a lot of us working from home and our spouses right there with us, I thought this would be the perfect time to read this book and share my thoughts with you.
Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest opinion. No other compensation was exchanged and all thoughts are my own.
About The Book: Spouse in the House.
A frank and funny look at what to do when together is too close
Two’s company, especially for those who love each other. So what happens when–due to retirement, working from home, or even running a business together–spouses find that being in the same space all the time is awkward, complex, annoying, and just plain challenging?
How can partners coexist without co-exhausting each other?
Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby know all too well how to adjust to a new, all-the-time closeness can cause the bliss of marriage to form blisters. Drawing from their experiences, and from men and women across the country in the same situation, the authors take a deep breath and dive into the root causes.
They dig into the ways God’s Word has to say, and they offer practical tips for learning the spiritual, emotional, relational, and even physical steps that can help readers replace irritation with peace.
For any Christian who wants their home to be a refuge of peace and serenity for all–not just themselves–and who wants to know they aren’t alone in the mental and physical claustrophobia of too much togetherness, Spouse in the House is a vulnerable, charming, and pragmatic breath of hope.
My Review and Thoughts on the Book
I jumped at the opportunity to review this book when given the chance because I knew I’d be able to relate to both of these authors on this subject. You see out of the 15 years that my husband and I have been married we have both been working from home for about 11 of those years. Even when I did work for companies, other than my own, I have worked remotely, from home, with him also working from home.
So yep, I get it lol, but I also love it and having so much time with him. Of course we, like everyone, have days when we get on each other’s nerves and in each other’s way, but love conquers all and with a little work, we will hopefully always enjoy being each other’s Spouse In The House.
With that being said, let’s talk about what I thought about this book from Cynthia Ruchti and Becky Melby. I love books like this one, where there are two writers, and each shares their perspectives in the chapters. In each chapter, the ladies take turns sharing the topic of that chapter. I love to see how they both learned to adjust to their husbands landing at home full time.
The ladies had some cute humor mixed in with their stories and tips for working through this new phase where both spouses were home all day every day. Over this past year, a lot of employers opted to send workers home to keep them safe, so that means this book is especially relatable now to the tons of couples that have found themselves working from home together.
They suggest tips and tools that we as couples can learn from and even apply to our relationships when together a lot. A couple of my favorite quotes from the book hit home with me. Here they are below.
“In my house, most of our issues arise because I think I know what my husband is thinking. I rarely do.”
“We don’t necessarily need to rearrange furniture to make room for each other. Sometimes we need to rearrange our attitudes and reactions.”
I’m a little uncomfortable admitting it but it’s true, I could have been the one to have said these. In fact, these are two things I struggle with. Especially the trying to know what my husband is thinking when I should just ask and it would save a lot of miscommunication lol.
I think this book would be a great read or even a good gift to those that are new to remotely working at home with their spouses, someone thinking about their future retirement, or even those that have been home together for a while needing a new perspective on how to balance all the togetherness.
If you are looking for a humorous, and lighthearted “self-help” type of reading, then I definitely suggest picking this one up soon. Oh and don’t forget to register for your chance to win a copy. I’m not hosting this giveaway, so if you win, the publishers will contact you and arrange for your book to be delivered.
About The Authors: Cynthia Ruchti & Becky Melby
Cynthia Ruchti
Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in Hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction, and through speaking for women’s events/retreats and writers’ conferences/workshops. She draws from 33 years of experience writing and producing the 15-minute daily radio broadcast, “The Heartbeat of the Home.”
Her books have received recognition from RT Reviewers’ Choice Book of the Year, PW Starred Reviews, Selah Awards, Christian Retailing’s BEST Awards, Golden Scroll Awards and Novel of the Year, The Carol Award, two Christy finalists, and more. She serves as Professional Relations Liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers is a founding board member of the Deliver Hope ministry, and is part of the worship team at her church.
She’s also a literary agent with Books & Such Literary Management. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and six grandchildren.
Learn more about Cynthia Ruchti and her writing at cynthiaruchti.comor by following her on Facebook (@CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage), Instagram (@cynthiaruchtiauthor), and Twitter (@cynthiaruchti).
Becky Melby
Becky Melby is an author and speaker, with more than twenty books to her name, including four cozy mysteries for Guideposts’ Secrets of Wayfarers Inn series. She makes her home in the heart of Wisconsin with her husband and is a long-time BFF with co-author Cynthia Ruchti. Find out more at beckymelby.com.
Find out more about Becky Melby’s books at beckymelby.com or follow her on Facebook (becky.melby.9) and Instagram (@beckymelbybooks). She also shares short blog posts each Friday on the Fill My Cup, Lord page on Facebook.
I am a southern girl through and through that loves to laugh, cook, read and spend time with family. My passions outside of home schooling my son are ministering to those in need and creating art in the kitchen! Every day is an adventure in our little house and I wouldn’t trade it or the chance to share here with you for anything!
Leave a Reply