Not Null Book Review: The Marriage Debt
It’s not just about sex
The Marriage Debt by Christina Consolino is a women’s fiction book about the life of a perimenopausal woman—and how she works to deal with her lacking libido.
Why did I read it?
Christina is a friend, an amazing writer, and a good human. These qualities are all infused into her work, which makes me want to read any stories she writes. I did receive a free copy of this book.
What’s it about?
Nika Stewart has it all—a loving family, fulfilling job as an elementary school librarian, a wonderful bestie, and a hot hubby. But as a busy, perimenopausal woman, Nika has no desire to have sex with her hunky hubs. Is it just her stage in life? Is it something else?
What’s the longer review?
First, I want to say I love that there are more and more books about women in the perimenopausal and menopausal stages of life. And talking about the issues that come up in this stage of life is becoming less and less taboo. This stage of life can be as wonky as puberty, and talking about what goes on helps everyone involved.
Consolino covers this topic well through Nika, with her hot flashes, low sex drive, and all the other fun stuff perimenopause brings. She also shows how past experiences can affect attitudes toward sex and our bodies by providing short screenplays of Nika’s past experiences, like comments from teachers or boys in school.
Also through Nika, Consolino shows how just being busy and feeling the pressure of juggling a variety of responsibilities can make things worse. Nika knows there’s a problem with the sexual relationship between her and her husband, Ethan, but things keep popping up that have to be dealt with, causing her to put off any conversation about it with him.
Not to give anything away, Nika ends up dealing with troubles at work and with her family, in addition to the issues going on with Ethan. Consolino does a good job of piling on the problems in a way that makes you actually feel Nika’s life falling apart around her.
A teacher at heart, Consolino’s passion for guiding students and making sure people feel seen shines through in Nika as a school librarian. Nika has a genuine love for the students and a desire to let them know they belong.
I greatly enjoyed reading The Marriage Debt, and feel that Nika is like the everywoman for perimenopausal working moms. Anyone in this same stage of life will find something they can relate to in her character, and anyone who reads this book will enjoy the honesty and realistic feel of the story.
Any additional information?
As of writing this review, The Marriage Debt is also available on Kindle Unlimited. Also, you can get to know Christina Consolino by reading her bio.
What did you think?
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