Sunday, July 10, 2011

Contentment by Margaret Ethridge






















Contentment

By Margaret Ethridge
Review by Guest Reviewer - Julie  Doner

Book Blurb:
Tracy Sullivan seems to have it all, a handsome, devoted husband, three beautiful children, a steady career, and the perfect suburban home; but she isn't happy.

The petty resentments that have built over fifteen years of marriage surface when Tracy tells her husband, Sean, that she is no longer interested in sex, and their marriage threatens to implode.

For the sake of their children, Tracy and Sean agree to lead separate lives under the same roof. With the help of a healthy dose of adult-rated fiction and some gentle prodding from a good friend, Tracy begins to rediscover who she is, what she wants, and the reasons she fell for Sean once upon a time.

After two years of soul-searching, Tracy is finally ready to embrace her happily ever after having learned that while happiness may be fleeting, contentment can last a lifetime.



It all begins and ends with the sexy red shoes.

Tracy Sullivan, the woman with the plan, finds herself married with children years before she intended. She had dreams of climbing the corporate ladder. She yearned to return to school and take the courses necessary in order to make it happen. But when she meets Sean, the man with the yellow hard hat, everything changes.

Their whirlwind romance results in a proposal she can’t possibly refuse. He is a force she can’t stop, and she won’t stop. Though the life she longed for is altered, it isn’t until the strip turns blue that she begins to question her choices.

She finds herself wondering if she ever truly loved him at all.

One thing I loved most about Contentment was the flashbacks. We get to meet the young and hopeful Sean and Tracy and watch in complete rapture as their courtship blossoms into love. Then we flash forward to their life as a married couple, while their family grows but so too does the gnawing uncertainty, aching unhappiness, and nagging doubt.

All the issues and missed opportunities plague Tracy, smothering her like the endless piles of laundry she sorts through each night.

She tells Sean she’s not interested in sex anymore, and though it kills him, he stands by her and gives her the time and space she needs. To family and friends, they try desperately to portray the portrait of a perfect family, but inside the walls of their flawless suburban home, everything’s falling apart.

The supporting cast in Contentment is wonderful. Sean’s Uncle, George, and his brother, Tom, provide comedic relief when it’s needed most, and they’re Sean’s greatest confidants. The kids, Patrick, Erin, and Kevin, are all charming and superbly described, and you’ll fall in love with each and every one of them. And Tracy’s closest friend, Maggie, is totally my new fictional best friend.

Two years of soul-searching later, Tracy finally starts to see what was there all along. She’d always fantasized about the perfect Hollywood life, but she realizes that nobody truly has that, and what she does have is perfect for her. She begins to cherish precious family moments she once took for granted.

The ups and downs of married life are like a roller coaster. This story is touching and poignant in every way because it’s real.

Fueled by her sexy red shoes, a swift kick from Maggie, and a much-needed dose of adult-rated fiction, Tracy plots her biggest plan of all: the seduction of her husband.



I could not put this book down. I laughed, I cried, and I pulled for Sean and Tracy right from the start. I’m so glad I found Contentment. It is truly the best book I have ever read!


4 comments:

Unknown said...

I am putting this book on my list at Amazon in the event I do not win. I had better win! You won the copy of Treasure Me on my blog giveaway. Congrats! I'll be sending Christine your email to contact you. Wanted to let you know I tweeted and face booked your giveaway and this review. (I don't know how to do URL for Tweet) Awesome sounding book. Thanks Donna.

Unknown said...

Thanks Donna! I love to win books! Woot.

You will not regret reading Contentment. As a married woman of 17 yrs, let me tell you I could relate to these character so much. Enjoy!

Gena Robertson said...

I've had my eye on this book for about a week, and now I know I MUST read it! After being married for 25 years, I can totally relate to this story line, and your review tells me that I'm going to love this book just as much as I suspected I might =)

Thank you so much for taking the time to post a review!!

Gena Robertson
robertsongena@hotmail.com

Lexie@BookBug said...

I think this book is very relatable for married women. I'm a stay at home mom and sometimes I feel like thats all I am. Thanks for the introduction to a great book!