About two years ago, I found out Kevin and Melissa Fredricks were publishing their first book, Marriage Be Hard: 12 Conversations to Keep You Laughing, Loving, and Learning with Your Partner. I was so excited, because this couple got a book deal with Penguin Random House, which is a major publisher. I won’t claim to be a Day One KevOnStage and MrsKevOnStage fan, but their win felt like a win for the culture. Having listened to the book, neither address the hardships of marriage from a racial perspective. Yes, this is a product of black love, but that doesn’t mean the lessons here exclude others. That being said, I was proud of them for this accomplishment. Let’s fast forward, their book hits shelves September 2022. I can’t find it anywhere. In fact, I ended up buying Romancing Mister Bridgerton on a treat me day instead.
Believe it or not, my monetary treat me days are few and far between. It’s on of those mom habits that I’ve applied to books, because I rarely reread books. So, spending money on them is wasteful to me. Yet, I am the same person that’ll get age appropriate books for my children. You see how that doesn’t make sense. That’s why I love Libby. I can read the latest books and manga without putting a dent in my budget. On a whim, I decided to search for Marriage Be Hard. After periodically checking with my local library for over a year, I didn’t expect Libby to have the audiobook. Since Libby has an app, I was able to listen to the book without downloading a third party app. You’re probably wondering what’s Marriage Be Hard? Just kidding. The title is pretty self explanatory. Still, what’s the harm in a brief breakdown?
Audiobook Content Break Down
There are twelve key conversations within Marriage Be Hard. These main topics help Kevin and Melissa Fredricks provide insightful advice with examples and thought provoking questions for readers to contemplate with their partners. Be advised, some of the discussion point will blend into each other. They are as follows:
- Expectations Be Hard
- Communication Be Hard
- Sex Be Hard
- Jealousy Be Hard
- Martial Roles Be Hard
- Fidelity Be Hard
- Fighting Be Hard
- Patenting Be Hard
- Quarantine Be Hard
- Divorce Be Hard
- Self-Worth Be Hard: A Love Letter From Melissa To You
- Lessons From Eighteen Years of Marriage
My Impression of Marriage Be Hard
I’m glad that I had the opportunity to listen to the book versus reading it for a few reasons. One, the marriage help book was voiced by Kevin and Melissa Fredericks. Since I engage with their content on a weekly basis, I was able to hear how some of these chapters impacted them without a visual. Two, Kev and Liss play off of each other. So, you get both sides of the story. Throughout the audiobook, the couple comes to their partners defense, acknowledges their headspace at the time, and the outcome of their actions. It’s not a tit for tat experience.
Four, they don’t shy away from topics that haven’t directly occured in their relationship. Chapters like Divorce or Infidelity won’t have first person experiences, but sound advice is shared none the less. Lastly, they cite professionals. This isn’t a common practice for non-fiction self help books. So it’s like there is sound advice beyond this book for readers that want to take the journey a step further.
Overall, the 6-hours of audio went by quickly. I’ll definitely run it back within the 21 days of my loan. This was my first audiobook experience as an adult. I definitely plan to listen to more books this way.
Where To Find More Advice From Melissa and Kevin
As a forever student, Melissa is constantly learning. Instead of holding on to that knowledge, she shared it in a way that is palatable to others. A majority of her YouTube page caters to having meaningful conversations that viewers can apply to their lives. If your not familiar with her content, I suggest checking out The Love Hour and Marriage Be Hard Conversations on YouTube. Melissa has a dating show and a marriage game show on the KevOnStage Studio Streaming Service as well.
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