I normally don't mention the aesthetics of a book however I have to begin by saying whoever said you can't judge a book by its cover was wrong. The front cover and title of "Lord I'm Ready to Be a Wife" alone will stop prospective readers in their tracks and compel them to pluck the book off the booksellers' shelves. I also love the pocketbook friendly shape and size. Did I mention the cover is just plain pretty?
Now, about the content between the covers... Christine Pembleton has penned an absolute must-have for women who want to exchange their bride's maid's dresses for wedding gowns - and aren't ashamed to admit it! "Lord I'm Ready to Be a Wife" begins with Pembleton's confession that she was once stubborn, narrow-minded, and selfish. In addition to her personality flaws, Pembleton further discloses that she was clueless about how to behave in the presence of men and how to attractively adorn her self-described ample curves.
The Introduction describes how Christine Pembleton wisely bonded with an older woman who mentored her and "showed her the ropes" of attracting the right man for her. After two years of painstaking persistence on both their parts, Pembleton's gruff, devil-may-care attitude gradually gave way to kindness, patience and love-worthiness. Her "spiritual mother" also taught her how to embrace the woman God created her to be - resulting in a total makeover from the inside out, head to toe...and then she met and married the man of her dreams.
Pembleton uses the biblical recounts of Ruth, Rebekah, Queen Esther and the poetic caricature of the Proverbs 31 Woman as templates for modern women seeking blissful marriage. I would caution women who have a history of making poor relationship decisions not to discard the practical advice given throughout the book.
There is one chapter where Pembleton's intent seems to be to help women distinguish the benefits married women reap, from a girlfriend's investment which may not pay rewarding dividends. I am concerned that overly eager women might view this segment as "confirmation" that they should pursue marriage to a man who has a proven track record of being irresponsible; believing that their virtues will make up for deficiencies in his character. "Lord I'm Ready to Be a Wife" is filled with sound, prudent advice. I highly recommend it for single women and single women's groups.
