From their small apartment beginning through the building of their animal sanctuary. Esther has touched so many peoples (and animals) lives! This book goes deep into the lives of the 2 men who saved her, and brings you inside their home.

Now go follow Esther the wonder pig on Facebook and I guarantee it'll be the best decision you make today.

This was entertaining. The message I got is that even when you think you are living the life you want, there will still be hurdles to overcome. Never give up on your dreams!

I received this book from Grand Central Publishing via Netgalley.

[This review will go live on my blog - link below - on Sept 7, 2018, 8 am ET.]

Two men adopt a pig and move to a farm that they convert into an animal sanctuary. How could I resist this book? In Happily Ever Esther, Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter write about their misadventures in starting up the Happily Ever Esther Farm Sanctuary, which include: realizing they don't have a vehicle to transport a pig to a vet, seeing the male sheep on their farm fighting for dominance, confronting rabbit rights activists who think their outdoor enclosure for their rabbit is animal cruelty, Esther's rebellious teenage years, and so on.

The book is told in Steve's voice, who admits he can get a bit dramatic over the animals in his care. As a somewhat dramatic cat mom myself, I can totally relate to the emotional roller coaster he goes through whenever one of the animals (especially Esther!) gets sick or hurt. One chapter where he stays overnight at a vet clinic while Derek drives home to care for the other animals at the farm really hit home, and I love how much he and Derek clearly love the animals on their farm.

The book talks about how steep their learning curve was, and how they've sometimes had to make difficult choices, such as letting go of a wonderful volunteer whose disregard for instructions led to potential tragedy. They also talk about their visit to a place touted as pig paradise, and how difficult it was for them to see the reality of the circumstances the pigs were in. There was no shelter, so the pigs were pretty much in the hot sun all day, and some had moles and spots that looked cancerous. And in a horrifying scene, visitors are given hot dogs to feed the pigs -- thankfully, they turned out to be made of chicken, not pork, but still!

They also talk about the cruel conditions that animals in commercial farms are often subjected to. Like how cows are artificially kept pregnant so they can keep lactating and giving milk, and how chickens are kept in tiny cages and kept fat and inactive so their meat is tasty. Both Steve and Derek are vegan, and I can see how knowing all these things can make one choose that lifestyle. The book also includes lots of great recipes that are 'Esther approved', including meat-free bacon (made out of rice paper and spices) and eggz on toast (using wheat and stuff to mimic egg yolk).

The book as a whole is charming and sweet but the chapters feel a bit random, and the narrative thread tying it all together isn't that strong. As a result, it feels a bit slow at times, and despite being a fairly short book, it took me a while to get through it. I'd personally love a Netflix series about the Happily Ever Esther Farm and the animals who live on it. I'd totally binge on that. 

+

Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Steve Jenkins and Derek Walter are back. Yet, they are not the only ones. Esther is back as well and she has a new home. I fell in love with Steve, Derek, and Esther in Esther the Wonder Pig. Boy oh boy did Steve and Derek find themselves in for a "huge" surprise when they got Esther.

In this book, I got to see Esther in her new home as a sanctuary. She as well as Steve and Derek are helping to save other animals like a horse, donkey, cows, pigs, cat, and goats. The place is really going to the animals. I loved meeting all of the new additions to the family. I got so close to the animals that I even got sad when William the goat had to be put down.

Animal lovers will enjoy this book as well a those who are fans of Esther. I didn't want to leave this group. Steve is the main voice in this book. He is a great narrator and presence for this book. I hope to revisit Steve, Derek, and Esther again.

Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. No, its not a thriller, but it is an honest and frank inside look at one of social media's biggest stars (and pink beauty) Esther the Wonder Pig. With over 1.3 million followers, there is little doubt that Esther is loved and the message that comes through loud and clear from Esther's celebrity (and her two dads) is that love comes in every shape and size.


In fact, this is the central message in all of Esther's various platforms, be it book or internet (Facebook page). She has launched a movement to gently engaged people in looking at their eating habits and even their lifestyles, encouraging everyone to see animals as more than a convenience to humans.


Having said all of this, Happily Ever Esther is the continuing story from the first book, where dads and Esther write about their settling into their new home, which is also a Sanctuary for abused or abandoned farm animals.


Told by one of the dads - Steve - this is a surprisingly honest look at their life, which was completely turned around when they met Esther as a piglet and decided they were never going to let her go. Throughout the book, Steve details the very ups and downs of their decision to put their old lives behind them and embark on creating a comfortable and happy life for animals that are at their sanctuary.


Steve makes it clear that the learning curve was high and that both he and Derek questioned their decisions at times, feeling overwhelmed and trying to find their way in this new challenge.


Also present are funny stories about Esther and sanctuary life. We get more of a backstory on some of the animals at the farm, but we also discover that, at times, sweet Esther can be a challenge, especially when she wants to be the boss. Its hard to re conciliate the sweet Esther we regularly see on FB to the one who throws occasional tantrums, especially when is facing her "teen" years.


Told always with a loving voice, Steve comes clean with a lot of things and honestly, he gave answers to some of the questions that I have had for several months.


No matter what is happening, Steve and Derek and their love for Esther and all the animals at the farm is obvious.


Thank you to these two wonderful people who put the needs of Esther and her friends before their own.


Wonderful, wonderful read that makes me tear up (something I rarely do when reading a book). I want to hug both of them for being their true selves and to Esther who is capturing the world one heart at a time.