I had high hopes for this book, and while it was good, it wasn't quite as great as I expected. I found myself frequently wishing the author would go a little deeper, but it just stayed on the surface level and there was a lot of repetition. That said, it was good and practical and helpful, and I did like the spiritual component a lot.

I received a complimentary electronic copy of this book from NetGalley.

I have read about 40% of this book and I just don't think I want to read any further. The idea and premise sounded great when I originally requested the book, but each chapter just seems way to simplistic. I was hoping for a more devotional type book, with a easy cleaning schedule each day to go along. Unfortunately, it's just too surface-y and not really a devotional at all. One verse at the end of the chapter with no mention of it throughout the reading just missed the mark for me. I thought the author just took simple blog posts and turned it into a book, which sometimes works, but in this case it just didn't. Because I didn't complete the whole book, I won't be posting this review on any other sites but just wanted to leave some feedback so you would know that I gave it a try!

My house is nice and clean, although I have to confess that I didn't always read everything, just skipped around.

This is a thirty-one-day cleaning devotional is based on the Biblical story of sisters, Mary and Martha. In case you aren't familiar with this reference, Jesus comes to visit this family and while he is sitting in their "living room" chatting, Martha is busy cooking and cleaning, getting the house presentable while Mary is sitting at the feet of Jesus, socializing. So the premise of this book is learning the delicate balance between living a full life and keeping a warm and comforting home.

The book is split up into thirty-one chapters, each devoted to a day. There is a Scripture passage to read and reflect on along with some questions to journal your thoughts or answers to. This is the "Mary" part of the devotional. Then there is the "Martha" part - little cleaning tasks to help you get your home in a presentable form and make it more comfortable for your family and guests. These are paired up with a story from the author where she goes a little more in-depth in the Scripture passage for that day and gives other verses that also help in your study.

This book is such a great idea because there are many women who are busy with kids and work and life and church and feel like they have no time to tackle chores around the house. Throughout the book, you learn about grace and how to be easy on yourself when life happens and you can't get the laundry folded as soon as it comes out of the dryer. I would recommend this for any woman who is looking for a realistic faith-based devotional that incorporates practical ideas for keeping a comfortable home.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*