I was in my mid 30's when I got married. Before and after our wedding, one thing I have found to be true is that many faith communities I engage with do not really now how to honor single women. We can often feel unseen, unheard, unloved.... and sometimes even shamed.

Joy Beth Smith see's, hears and loves and she wants our churches to as well.

I think this book is easy to connect with and relate to. It is well written and the thoughts are organized well. She tells personal stories filled with wit and purpose. She includes stories from others as they have been related to her and those stories match so any i have heard from my friends over the years-- and some mirror stories I have told as well.

I didn't agree with everything Joy said, but I didn't need to. She is living out her faith and I am living out mine -- those displays are going to look different based on the differences in our values.

I think this book is pretty wonderful if you are looking for laugh, cry and feel loved.
The publisher provided an ARC through Netgalley. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts

Interesting point of view when it comes to single women within the Christian religion.

The premise of the book was interesting enough to make me want to read it. I'm not into books that talk about life through the religion stand point but I gave this book a fare chance because I'm single, I'm part of the demographic the author talks about in this and I was curious.

I have to admit I liked this book but I didn't enjoy it much. I did agree with the experiences and most of the things mentioned about single women within the Christian religion and even in regular society but I didn't enjoy the way the author express herself about the religion itself and about God.

I'm a Christian but I don't like the reminder being shove down my eyes at least 5 times on each page that I'm a Christian. That's being said, I felt this book a little preachy. I believe that even when you talk about your religion, there's a way to do it so it doesn't sound like you're preaching.

Now, when you go down to the basics of the book I think it was well done and for the right audience it can be a great hit. You can see the author put a lot of hard work into this and also the experiences she mentioned are very real. Some things may seem obvious at times but it's pretty down to earth, real and raw.

I would recommend this book to those readers that like the religion aspect in self-help books. I'm not exactly one of them but I can say I did got a lot of highlights and "that sounds about right" comments from this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by Netgalley. The opinions expressed are my own.

Party of one was written raw and open. It was written in the up most honesty about her believes that we should all stand by. not stating shes write or wrong but that we should learn to be as bold for God.

I am a single woman. I have been single the majority of my life. I’ve dated one person and it didn’t go well. And now, as I am breathing my way towards the end of my 27th year of life I have wondered if maybe marriage is not one of the things that God has for me. I have also wondered, aloud with some of my also single friends and internally with myself, why I want to get married and what if I don’t get married.

Well, aside from not doing the physical things that married people get to do, I get to be a part of community (because God has brought some pretty amazing people into my life--married and single) so the being known part is there as well as the iron sharpening iron part. If I take into the account my fear of being alone...well, community takes that fear away too. God continues to provide people even as seasons change and take other dear people away.

With “A Party of One” I found myself agreeing aloud with many of Joy Beth’s (and I feel like I can call her Joy Beht now, not “Smith”) thoughts and explanations. She walks through thinking about what being single in the church looks like, how to crush the expectations of those around us--and more importantly those expectations that I, as a single person, wonder about myself. She also spends a large portion of the book talking about what does “sexuality” mean, in general, as well as specifically as a single person.

I would not suggest that this book is for every person, only because in one section she talks about masterbastion and the camps of people that while believing God is who He says that He is also believe that masterbastion could be a way to glorify the Lord. Now, she is only bringing both sides up … but this is my review and I for this portion alone I would filter who I suggest this book be read by.

I appreciate the vulnerability that she brings, this is not a book that bashes the church or the married friends in single people’s lives. She breaks the tension on, “this is just my fear of singleness” by holding round table conversations with single women across the country. She brings up a lot of truth, truth that single people need to read and filter their expectations through.

No, you are not weird if you are almost 28 and not married, but that doesn’t mean that if XYZ happens you will find a husband. No, you do not have to “be” a certain way to find a husband… broken people find spouses everyday...but God doesn’t promise marriage. Also, you don’t have to wait to walk into what God has for you because you need to wait to see if that fits into some future spouse’s plan too.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review, and this is it.

If you think the target audience for this books is only single women, think again. The first few chapters alone had timely counsel for single people, yes, but also for everyone from parents and fellow church members, to married friends and pastors. I thought I had a good grasp on my single status and what I should be doing in this stage, but this book is blowing that idea out of the water.

A husband is NOT a promise, nor is it the next level of spiritual maturity. I can be as spiritually mature, and even more so, than my married friends. Bombshell: the apostle Paul was single, and he became one of the hugest forces for the gospel, AND wrote about marriage extensively in the epistles. God's wisdom is sound wisdom, whether it is being dispensed by a married or single person.

Let no man despise thy [marital status], but be an example of the believers.

This is book every single woman needs to read. I also want to give it to all my close friends who are supporting and loving me. Joy Beth puts into words so many of my thoughts and emotions. I especially needed the section on sexuality. Give this to all your single friends like yesterday.

This. This book right here is so important. Joy Beth Smith asks so many questions and opens doors for conversations that many churches refuse to have. If you want an honest look at being single, feeling hard feelings, and thinking about creating your own boundaries with your sexuality.

I recommend this book to everyone who interacts with single people (aka everyone).

Thanks, NetGalley, for the read.

"Party of One" offers us, the Church that our Savior loves and purchased, a much needed conversation about singleness. A book on singleness can cover an array of topics, which this book touches on a lot of them.

While I disagreed with Joy Beth on many fronts, I respected her vulnerability. She warns us in advance, that this book will be outside of our comfort zone. And, it definitely was for me. I wrestled with a lot of things, but found comfort in others. I honestly don't know how I felt about it all together yet.

Thankfully for me, this book is more like a memoir - so it makes for an easier grade | review. It earns four stars, because it is mostly listening in on conversations between Joy Beth and many others.

While I wanted to love this book, looked forward to its release, and the opportunity to read it, I honestly just did not love it. I thought it would leave me feeling closer to the Lord and armed in my singleness, but it had a different affect on me. I hope those who struggle with singleness will read it and make up their own mind about "Party of One".

Bottom line: it opens the door to help us talk about singleness and how to better follow Him as His Church. We may disagree on various fronts as we listen into these table talks through this book, but it gets the conversations started. Which is the purpose for the book.

Party of One

Truth, Longing, and the Subtle Art of Singleness

by Joy Beth Smith

Thomas Nelson

Christian , Self-Help

Pub Date 06 Feb 2018

I am reviewing a copy of Party of One through Thomas Nelson and Netgalley:

We often become adults thinking marriage will find us without us really having to put any effort into it, and by the time we are thirty we start to wonder if single life is the best, but Joy Beth Smith says that the single life does not have to be a runner up version of God’s best.

We are reminded that we don’t have to be married in order to be wise. We are reminded that we don’t have own a home in order to show in hospitality. We are reminded that singleness is not meant to be pitied, shamed, fixed or even ignored. Singleness is meant to be celebrated.

We are reminded that God doesn’t promise you a husband, but he promises comfort and intimacy in satisfaction.

I give Party of One five out of five stars!

Happy Reading

Embrace your singleness....God does have a plan for your life. Enjoy your journey.

While I did not agree with every word in the book , I certainly enjoyed the read and would recommend it. This is a conversation missing in our church today that both singleness and marriage are God's design. God used this book to help me work through some warped thinking and to bring freedom trusting his goodness.

This book is amazing. I think I highlighted at least 2 dozen quotes. Joy Beth Smith is so straightforward about the struggles of being a single woman in the church. The writing felt more like an open conversation than just reading someone else's words. There's also a lot of insight for women who are already married and anyone looking to minister to singles.

Pulling from her own life, round table discussions with single Christian women in different stages of their lives, as well as written sources such as Matthew Henry's Commentary, Joy Beth Smith offers a great deal of food for thought. These and her own deep contemplation of the issues facing single women (as this is very much about and for single women) go places that might feel both familiar and uncomfortable.

Though written for single women, it has important points for those who are not single to contemplate as well. She doesn't shrink from calling out the church and their lack of support and connection for singles, as well as the advice and platitudes that are often given as comfort or encouragement to singles when really they are more of a comfort to the speakers, along with their unscriptural nature.

The writing is personable and one subject flows easily into the next, leading the reader to contemplate why and how it is that we are made to feel less as single women in the church and what we and others can do about it. Ending with a call for community and a direct message churches, the tone is challenging and encouraging without prescribing a set of rigid solutions.

I found myself highlighting whole paragraphs and multiple times per page on an e-galley which, by it's nature, I can't keep. This is a smart, hopeful, sympathetic, and insightful discussion of being a single Christian woman. Some of the biggest takeaways include what it means when your date finds you intimidating and the deep need for community. Highly recommended.

This review refers to an e-galley read through NetGalley thanks to the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.