I unfortunately was not a fan of this book. I think the topic intrigued me but the way it was presented was not my style.

This book really hit home for me. As someone who is part of a blended family, it was incredibly cathartic to read about someone else’s struggles with the situation, and to get some relief that I’m not the only one going through it.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This... this is the book every person needs to read! Ms. Eckler tells her story about dating after divorce and what it was like blending their families together.

She touches all the issues from step parents, to ex's, to pregnancy, dating. etc. She keeps it real and lets it all out on the table.

I could relate to this story so much and it was nice to read about somebody else going through the same thing.

A laugh out loud story. If you can relate you sure will enjoy!

I had thought this would be more "finding hope in the trenches" and less "the trenches are really, really awful." As a single parent who will someday be part of a blended home, it seemed neither wholly accurate nor helpful.

This is an honest and humorous account of what it is like when you are part of a blended family. The author didn't hold back on her accounts of how everyone, including the family dog, were impacted when she merged her family with her partner's.

Received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


The book started out somewhat funny, but then it turned to being 90% about complaining about the authors boyfriend, and not about a “blended” family. I’m not a fan of the book

While this book is definitely interesting and very immersively written, you also have to keep in mind that essentially, it’s a book about how a relationship doesn’t quite work out. So you go through stages of falling out of love, conflicts and breakup with the author. That can be truly emotionally draining, so I’m warning you.

However, if you’re struggling in a blended family yourself, or are looking for similar experiences to your own from the past, then you will definitely find this book a wonderful source of info. The book is very emotional, easy to relate to and the author’s way of presenting her own past choices in a way where you shake your head along with her is very easy to read and follow. She doesn’t refrain from using humor at her own expense either, so you won’t find it a boring read by any means.

But like I said, it’s a painful read all the same. I am one of those people that easily identifies with other people’s emotions, so I found myself often anxious or stressed out while reading this, because it talked about how spouses mistreat each other, how vindictive people can be or how essentially most relationships are doomed to fail because of the rosy glasses we wear when we fall in love. Overall, I’d say it’s a great read for someone who is looking for relatable stories about blended families, or just anyone who’s struggling in a relationship, really. It can help you understand that the problems you’re going through aren’t unique to you, and help you feel better about it being relatively normal to encounter those. It might also help see the things you don’t see in your own relationship because you lack the necessary distance or a point of comparison to see them. It’s definitely a good book, but before reading it, you need to know whether you’re at a place emotionally where it won’t bring you down.

I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy for review through NetGalley in exchange to my honest review. This has not affected my opinion.

This was an entertaining and surprisingly poignant memoir - but also one that felt repetitive quite a lot and wore on me more than I expected as a result.

Don't get me wrong - there are hilarious moments, as well as ones that bright tears to me eyes and those that made me want to jump out of my chair yelling "YES!!" I am the proud and happy step-parent of two Bonus Children myself, and even though much of the book didn't apply since I did not bring children of my own to the marriage, we did have a subsequent child together so some bits did with startling clarity. (I'm pleased to report we are not now, nor have we ever, experienced the difficulties Eckler describes with the children bonding together or with us - thank goodness.)

The book feels utterly authentic in its confusion, pain, and emotions - so much so perhaps that it caught me off guard to repeatedly see this clearly strong and smart woman fall prey to so much self doubt and inertia and willingness to accept - over and over again - behavior that she clearly recognized as unproductive, unhealthy, and unsatisfying. Then again, maybe those are the moments that made the book ring most true... How many of us have done (or not done) similar things in similar situations, after all? Hindsight is 20/20, as they say - if all of life was, our choices would likely be very different in the moment, after all.

This wasn't the light-hearted read I expected, and I can't say for sure that I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it, but I am glad I read it.

This review will run on my blog in late May 2019.

As someone in a blended family, I appreciated Eckler's humorous approach with this book. I read this book as a bit of a "what to expect when you're blending families," because she tackles a lot of the big and small questions -- dealing with exes, connecting with step-children, finances, etc. She holds no punches, even those that don't portray her in the best light. Her input from friends provide unique perspectives of those with varied expereinces. This isn't just a book about Eckler, but about the range of blended family experiences.

In describing the start of her relationship and how it developed, she tackles common "issues" that arise for parents as they date and join families. She didn't sugarcoat any of it, and she presents her experience without judging others. She covers not the logistics of dating as a parent, but also the emotional angst that comes with it. It's important to note that she doesn't hold anything back. She's graphic to a fault (didn't need the visual for how she conceived her "Mid Life Crisis Baby") which may not be everyone's cup of tea. Nonetheless, that fits the theme - divorce, coparenting, and blending families isn't pretty and neat. It's messy and crass and beautiful, too.


While Eckler's experience certainly doesn't mirror my own with blending a family, the issues are similar. For that, I think it's a valuable contribution to the books available to those having to navigate such important, yet sensitive, changes to their family. I absolutely recommend it to those embarking on, in the midst of, or cruising through blending their bullshit. It's full of insight and more than a few laughs.

This is a humorous book written by Rebecca Eckler about when she got began dating after her divorce and met a guy. Things progressed quickly and before they knew it they were love, she was expecting and they were moving in together. She decided to write about her experience with blended families. She was surprised at how many people it actually affected, how nerved up she was when it took place, and how much crap her guy showed up with!

She has a great, irreverent way of recounting how it all went down that I enjoyed. Especially her take on her guy’s ex when her shrink suggested that she call his ex up and let her know that: 1. she’s pregnant, and 2. he’s moving in with her so her (his ex's) two kids will be living at her place 50% of the time in the near future. Ballsy move.  And not well accepted either. This one is for humorous memoir lovers. A fairly quick read that was eye-opening and fun in places, sad in others and pointed throughout. Advance electronic review copy was provided by NetGalley, author Rebecca Eckler, and the publisher.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley.

refreshing and funny book.
a real look at blended families with a dash of humor.

Honest open behind the doors look at the truth of blending families and adding a new baby.This is a wonderful read entertaining real the truth about joining families really lays it all out not a fairytale real life living .#netgalley#dundurnbooks,

Hilarious but oh so true blended family story. Will help anyone in this type of situation. True life at its best.

Thanks to author, of 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.

Blissfully Blended Bullshit is a witty, engaging, refreshingly candid chronicle of a modern family’s journey as they blend households. We follow Eckler as her partner and two children move in with her and her daughter. Then, they add another baby to the mix, thanks to a reverse vasectomy. Readers go along for the ride in this poignant, often hilarious tale as everyone attempts to navigate their new roles: the children, in-laws, exes, ex-in-laws, and even the dog.

Lighthearted and intimate, this is an indispensable story of a family determined to make blended splendid, and the juicy truth of what it’s really like behind the closed doors, in this rapidly-growing family makeup.

WOW. It was an enlighted book on blended families and the chaos and crazy it all brings. It had some funny moments and some that made me think, "what were they even thinking!". A good solid read.
Thanks to the Publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.