The Bride Experiment by Mimi Jefferson asks the reader to ponder: “What happens when single women get fed up?” The novel picks up where The Single Sister Experiment left off. In The Single Sister Experiment, a group of single women have been inspired to give up clubbing, partying, drinking, and having sex out-of-wedlock in order to more fully devote themselves to the Lord. Through the process, they are forced to face the demons of their pasts and come to terms with the many mistakes that they have made. In The Bride Experiment, some time has passed and the ladies have been blessed for their faithfulness to the Lord.
Despite their progress, the women are not immune from the setbacks that any Christian faces when trying to give up the ways of the world. In addition, The Bride Experiment introduces James, a single man who has a strong distrust from Christians. Readers may remember James from Mimi Jefferson’s first book. He was introduced as the man who Joan was desperately in love with and who also happened to be the father of her son. Male and female readers will be able to relate to James’ story. He comes from a troubled past and has dealt with many of his issues by using women. In The Bride Experiment, readers learn more about what it’s like to a single man to face obstacles while trying to change his life, raise his children, and date, all while figuring out his relationship with the Lord.
I enjoyed reading this book because it had many twists and turns. Besides learning more about James, the reader also learns more about Raquel, the woman who James chose over Joan in the first novel. It becomes evident that Raquel is dealing with pain from a troubled past. All of the characters come together to deal with a tragedy that threatens to change all of their lives. The author also further develops Tisha, Lila, and Janet’s characters and catches the readers up on their triumphs and struggles in trying to maintain an existence as Godly women. The author explores struggle to remain celibate, the difficulty letting go of an ex, and the way that Christians are often viewed as hypocritical. Throughout the 270-page novel, I believe every reader will find an element that he or she can relate to.
I really enjoyed the book and I would highly suggest it to any single Christian looking for stories of other Christian singles to relate to. Married Christians and those who are curious about the faith will enjoy the book as well. It can help those wishing to minister to singles better understand the challenges that singles face. Instead of making it seem easy to remain celibate and resist the temptation to party, Mimi Jefferson presents realistic characters who sometimes fail.
It is not necessary to have read Mimi Jefferson’s first book, The Single Sister Experiment, to enjoy this one. However, if you are just starting out on your journey, I would suggest that book as well. The Single Sister Experiment was the first Christian Fiction book that I read and it lead me on a journey that allowed me to better understand my relationship with God through the characters presented in various Christian novels. I also had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Jefferson a few years ago and experiencing her teaching first-hand. (I did, however, pay for this book and was not asked to provide a review.) You can read more about Mimi Jefferson’s ministry and learn how to purchase the book by visiting her website. If you check it out, please come back and let me know what you thought of it.
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