"...in the hands of Jesus, lemons on Friday will turn into lemonade on Sunday…"
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This hope-filled testimony is saturated with Jesus, my friends!!! Getting personal with her own grief story, Mattie Jackson Selecman reminds us of the Truth - pain + hurt do NOT negate the presence + love of God!! Mattie is honest, vulnerable, & points us back to the Gospel with every word. Her story is breathtaking, in both the hurt of her husband’s death and the holiness of the Father’s heart. This is a book for those who have ever experienced grief themselves or know somebody else who has…AKA everyone! Rather than disregarding your sadness, this book instead chooses to MAGNIFY the grace of God!! Amen!
[Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson for the advanced e-copy that I was given access to, in order to read/freely review!]

The author walks though some of the deepest pain in here life with authenticity and hope. The format of this book though net galley was my biggest complaint as it did not transfer to kindle well.

Lemons on Friday is a wonderful new memoir by Mattie Jackson Selecman, the daughter of country music legend Alan Jackson. In the book, Mattie chronicles the tragedy of she endured with the death of her husband in a water accident. She shares the pain of loss and heartache, but also shares how she was able to endure because of her deep faith in the Lord. This would be a great resource to encourage someone going through a similar situation. I would highly recommend.

This was a pleasant read, the format was hard to navigate but this won’t be an issue once the book is published. Cute and witty, it gives us simple reminders and spiritual guidance on overcoming unhealthy eating habits

5 stars. I listened to this in one day. It was a great and emotional novel that prompted me to reflect and think. I took away a lot from this novel and will definitely be returning to it in the future. Review to come.

Mattie shares the unimaginable loss of her husband less than a year after they married and all the ways God met her in her suffering. This book is encouraging not only for those who have lost people they love, but for anyone who has experienced pain and sorrow (everyone!). I appreciate that she didn’t overdo the positivity as other Christian authors have done when sharing their own difficult stories. The only criticism I might have is that many of the stories were vague, but this may have been intentional in order for the book to connect with people facing many different hardships. She chronicles the aftermath of her tragedy with hope and honesty, pointing out the complexity of grief: “The ugliness of our circumstances is 100 percent real, yet the beauty of God’s redemptive promises to us in the midst of those circumstances is just as real.” Through each chapter, she points us to Jesus as the One who heals all wounds.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The author of this book did a great job of conveying the emotions of losing her husband. I don't normally get very emotional while reading books, but I did during this one.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book to review. All thought are my own. I didn't know what to expect when I first started reading this book, it was sad yet uplifting. The authors ability to write in such a way that made the reader feel see the circumstances in a different light. The faith and inspiration that this young woman has is amazing. Losing the love of her life in a freak accident where he slips on a boat dock. Life was good for Mattie and her family and in an instant everything changed forever. I love her ability to not be mad at God - after all she prayed for her husbands recovery and some would say God didn't listen. Every parent should want someone like Mattie as their daughter - such a courageous woman, who makes you yearn for Jesus. Loved her stories about the turkeys.....I could go on. I am going to buy copies for my friends.

Trusting God Through my Greatest Heartbreak

Mattie Jackson Selecman was just 28 years old when her worst nightmare came to pass. Widowed after less than a year of marriage, her world fell apart. In this book, she records her journey over the last 3 years and how she is learning and growing through her grief. Normally, reading a book doesn't really affect me and I can read and go straight to sleep, but I finished this book at bedtime and it took me a bit to fall asleep. I think it was mostly because my mind played the what-ifs game and I needed to commit my family to God. This book is raw, but also hopeful as well.

"We do all we can to not live in the fear of Friday or Saturday, but to hoard, herald and hold captive the joy of Sunday. Why wouldn't we? We long for Sunday just as we long for lemonade."

"What I can tell you is that in the middle of my worst nightmare come true, even when I didn't know how to talk to God or trust God, God continued to show me he was good." I love this quote. It is so true, but so hard to grasp sometimes.

And one last quote: "But in a holy place of rest, the Lord slowly and meticulously brings back life, not by eliminating sorrow buy by empowering peace to overcome it - by meeting fruitless coping mechanisms with faithful community; and by filling emptiness in loss back to fullness in Christ."

I really enjoyed this book if you can enjoy a book full of such raw feelings, but as I said previously it was also full of hope and that is what made the book readable.

I received this book from Thomas Nelson via NetGalley and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Lemons on Friday is a book that will help anyone struggling with the loss of a loved one. The book is an inspirational read. Mattie Jackson Selecman opens her heart and offers encouragement to her readers.

Mattie takes us along on her journey through losing her husband, three weeks before their first anniversary, through the decision of life support, burying her husband, and the grief that followed. The struggles she faced, the firsts things, and the awakening of finding God again. She shared it all, the pain, the tears, the first time she went to church alone, and finding she had different labels besides Ben's wife or widow.
Mattie writes about her life and all she has been through. As a reader, I could see where someone going through such a loss, will find hope and courage, that they won't feel the way they do at a moment they are in now.
I received an ARC from Thomas Nelson--W Publishing through NetGalley.

Where do I start. I was reading and realized I couldn't see the print anymore. I was reading through tears. I couldn't take it anymore. I bought the audio book to finish it. I could relate to Maddie so much through loss.. This book will bring you back to Jesus. It will help you answer why me Lord. I cant take anymore. This read will help bring strenghth in your steps as you recover loss. Maddie Jackson-Selecman has brought her loss to us as she recovers as much as she can day by day. I total must reach for everyone whether you've lost someone special or not.

Having recently finished “Lemons on Friday” by Mattie Jackson Selecman, I am happy to have had the chance to read the e-book copy; thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson Publishing!

This heartfelt account of grief and comfort through scripture was one I am glad to have selected to preview.
There are many words of wisdom between these pages and I am sure they will help others as they helped me. (ROMANS 5:3-4)
To have kept a journal during her time of grief and healing is something I think could help any in the same situation. The healing moments with nature speak to me as they do Mattie. Surrounded with the beauty of the outdoors is my favorite way to believe and experience faith and hope; whether it be turkeys, the shoreline of Lake Huron or the soon to be returning... gently falling snow.
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"These words are stained with my tears that I pray will help dry a few of yours."

I usually do not read non fiction but when I do I want a book that will knock my socks off. This book did that for me. While some books I can knock out in one setting this is a book you will want to take your time and saver the authors words and her journey through the loss of her husband. This story is definitely is a book you may want to grab of a box of tissues. I think no matter where you are in your journey with grief I found this author had a new perspective of grief. I also feel that this is not just about loss of a spouse but really anyone who you love and care about. Its about meeting God every step of the way and finding his peace in your journey. Some of the stories the author shared about the signs she felt God give her about the dreams all those just left me with chills and made me stop and really thank God for the signs he has give me even though I had not seen them so clear at the time. Over all this book is worth the read not matter where you are its insightful and has away of getting you in the heart right where you need it.

This is a book everybody needs to read. It's a raw heartbreaking story of a wife dealing with grief over her husbands death. I just lost my daughter in October and this book was a great help for me. At this time my grief is so raw that I feel like I can't give this book the review it deserves. Thank you so much Mattie Jackson Selecman for sharing your heartbreaking journey through grief, it will help so many people. This book would make a wonderful gift for anyone dealing with grief.
I received a complimentary copy from Thomas Nelson--W Publishing via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This is such an important book written out of the pain of tragedy yet with the backdrop of God's goodness and sovereignty. Mattie Selecman lost her husband Ben after less than a year of marriage due to an accident. She writes "It's not fair that I lost Ben the way I did. But it's also not fair that, through jesus, God pours out unending grace and forgiveness over me every single time I sin and fall short. Grace isn't fair; it's a gift." This memoir is her documented journey through the pain of grief and loss and life afterwards. Written with raw honesty Mattie takes us along in the process of wrestling with her thoughts and emotions. One of my favorite quotes from her book is "A big God can handle big prayers. If we believe in an almighty, all-powerful God, which I do, we are selling ourselves short and underestimating His divine nature when we don't pray bold prayers for healing. But if we don't couple His ability to answer our prayers with His authority to choose how He will do so, we diminish who He is as Lord and are left, at best, disappointed and at worst, determined He can't be as good as He says He is." We will all experience some pain, loss, grief, tragedy at some point - if we are not now, we will, because we live in a fallen world. Because Mattie has already gone there and is brave enough to write about all that God has taught her, this is a very important work, worth your time and support. If you don't need it now, you may one day and it will help you on your own journey. An advance copy was made available to me through NetGalley without any commitment of a positive review.

This was a heartbreaking yet honest story of Mattie's grief following the tragic death of her husband. I would recommend this book to everyone and especially those who are dealing with grief of any sort. Her insight into the grieving process from the view of someone in deep grief over not just her husband's death but all the dreams that died along with him really hits on a lot of things that are often overlooked. Mattie relies strongly on her faith and includes bible passages that she has used to help her through each day.
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this wonderfully informative book.

Mattie, a young widow, writes about the first two years of life after her husband passed away -- less than one year after they married. There's something to be said for writing this story in the moment and sharing right away, but as a reader, I wonder what she would say if she gave it more time before publishing. There were a few moments and sentences that moved me, but there were also statements that don't align with Scripture (which matters, based on the publisher and the author's faith being mentioned continuously throughout). I think this would have been stronger with a closer editorial eye, and it does seem like she got a book deal based on her popularity, but nonetheless it will likely be an impactful book if you are a young widow.

So much wisdom coming from a young woman. Beautiful book.

Thanks to author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.