Divorce Sucks by Mary Jo Eustace Book Review

About the author: Born and raised in Toronto, Mary Jo Eustace is an author, actress, singer, chef, and mother to Jack and Lola. Mary Jo was married to Dean McDermott for thirteen years before Dean met Tori Spelling on the set of the Lifetime made-for-tv-movie Mind Over Murder. Dean admitted to having an affair and promptly informed Mary Jo that he was indeed leaving her for Tori Spelling.

After her highly publicized divorce, Mary Jo returned to her native Canada with her son and newly adopted daughter to film her cooking show, He Said She Said with Ken and Mary Jo. Mary is the author of the bestselling cookbook By my Side, and the bestselling anthology The Other Woman. Mary Jo has been featured on Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and the Today Show.

About the Book: The complete title of the book is Divorce Sucks -what to do when irreconcilable differences, lawyers fees, and your ex’s Hollywood Wife make you miserable. In Divorce Sucks, Mary Jo gives the reader a complete perspective of her highly publicized divorce, providing not only a tell-all but a divorce survival guide.

The Review: I am not divorced, nor am I even slightly considering it. It was comical when my husband saw my copy of the book. “What is that you’re reading?” he said.

I have a friend who is separated and about to enter the divorce phase, and my hope in reading this book was to gain a better perspective of divorce and recommend it to her as a valuable read.

The author tells her story with complete and at times painful honesty, but she offers the reader much more than just her story. She presents information and thoughtful advice regarding child support, alimony, lawyers and their hefty fees, to name a few.

Despite the fact that her now ex-husband dropped the bomb on her that he was leaving her for Tori Spelling, the author amazingly maintains rational and is wise in her recommendations to try and “dialogue with your husband. You don’t want to go through a horrible divorce and be destitute on the other end.” Don’t spend all of your savings going to court, she warns.

She describes having to step up and be the parent to restore “dignity and discretion” back into her family unit. She advises forming a civil relationship with your ex. - It helps when shuffling and reshuffling schedules. In the throws of divorce, this common sense advice can be difficult to follow, but it is for the benefit of the children, who need a rational parent now more than ever.

The author tells her story with honest humor, making light of her meeting with Tori Spelling, she says, “You’ve now become a member of a worldwide club, a franchise if you will, called 'Dumped While Married.' Congratulations!” Also showing her class, the author indicates that, “In good conscience, I really couldn’t say anything bad about my ex. This was a no win situation and I had way more important issues at my door…..”

The author explores life after divorce in chapters like Back on the Market and Rules of Engagement. I laughed when I read her Top Ten Problems with Dating a Younger Man. I especially liked –“7. After you make love he asks for a juice box. and 8. His final exams coincide with your first day of menopause.”

Regarding a future marriage, she informs that people are always telling you exactly who they are, and that the key is to read the signs. “If you are dedicated and hopeful and you’ve found a man who is really worthy of your love, then things are, or will be exactly as they should. "

Most importantly, she urges the reader to reincorporate the things that mattered and made (us) happy before the divorce, whether it’s write, dance, draw, jump from planes, whatever it is. “Take care of yourself and be authentic to yourself.”

I have one criticism! This book has a handful of typos. I have edited manuscripts in the past and seeing these kinds of typos in a published book is amaeturish. (Shame on editor Joanne Kimes.) However, the author tells her story with humor, honesty and class and based on that, I would recommend this book to my friend with confidence.

Divorce Sucks hard cover book sells for $19.95. It is currently available on Amazon.com for $13.57. Thank you to FSB Associates for the opportunity to read this book.