My Review

Reviewed by Laura Fabiani

Okay, I'll admit it. I read this book mainly out of curiosity when it landed on my desk for promotion. I've been married for 24 years and don't need a guide on love or I wouldn't be happily married for so long. The author, who is now happily married for 15 years and the mother of  3 children, has had a lot of experience dating, calling herself a MANizer. While I don't agree with all the advice in this book, I did get insight into the psychology of relationships in the dating part of this book.

The author is brutally honest about her past mistakes and conquests and it's clear that her advice is for the happiness and protection of women. Her advice empowers women, especially women who lack self-esteem and confidence and get themselves in destructive relationships. Bunevacz states, "No gift in the world is worth your dignity or self-respect." I liked her message of empowerment for women.

Part memoir and part self-help, the book is divided into two parts with the first part focused on rules for dating and the second rules for a successful marriage. The author explains the rules and gives her advice on how to apply them. The format allows for easy reading and the reader can decide what they wish to apply or not. Her description of the different types of men was comical because we all know of such types, making me happy I'm married and no longer need to date! However, as a Christian, my view of dating is very different from the author's so while I appreciated rules such as "Never date a married man." there were others I disagreed with.

When it came to the rules on marriage I was pleasantly surprised that the author nailed many of them right. Most of her advice is sound and makes sense because, whether she knows it or not, they are actually Bible-based. Newly-weds may not get some of these rules but the longer you're married the more they apply. For example, the author states not to deprive one's mate of sexual relations (1 Cor 7:3-5), to respect your husband (Eph 5:33), not to nag (Judges 16:16) not to gossip about your mate (Prov 12:18), to keep the lines of communication open (Eph 4:26-27), not to spend too much time away from each other, for a woman to take care of herself (I wholeheartedly agree) and to keep passion and playfulness in your lovemaking (Prov 5: 18-20).

I do think that sex is important in showing your husband how much you love him, but I disagree with some of the explicit sex advice in this book and the crude terminology used to express it. Such things can demean the sanctity of marriage. I admired the author, however, for fiercely protecting her marriage, recognizing her faults and putting the effort to make it work, which is in line with the principle outlined in 1 Cor 7:10-11.

Overall, this book is about how a woman can learn to respect herself and how valuable her efforts are in making her marriage work. Barring the acceptance of pre-marital sex and the sex advice that could have been given in a more polished manner, the author does succeed in dispensing some valuable principles that if applied in marriage can lead to success and happiness.

Disclosure: Thanks to the author for sending me this book for review. I was not told how to rate or review this product.

To read more reviews, please visit Jessica R Bunevacz page on iRead Book Tours.





What do you get when you mix a strict Catholic upbringing, a strong curiosity for the opposite sex, and the need to grow up quickly? If you're lucky you get an outcome like Jessica Bunevacz, the vivacious and outspoken first time author behindDate Like a Girl, Marry Like a Woman: The Polished Woman's Guide to Love, Romance, and Sex.

Born Jessica Rodriguez in the Philippines and raised by her grandparents after the separation of her mother and father, Bunevacz was thrust into the role of provider after the murder of her mother when she was fifteen. With four siblings relying on her she began work early, first as a live mannequin and later as a model, actress, talent manager and television host. The jobs not only helped her to support her siblings, but also her first two children. One of her proudest moments while working in entertainment was as the force behind a project called “Miss Ugly No More” where women were showed how they could feel and look their best. Juggling family and work Bunevacz was not content to simply sit on the sidelines while life passed her by, and dating became her favorite contact sport.

​Traveling frequently for work and fascinated by men it wasn't long before she developed a set of rules to snag them, and guidelines for how she could remain at her best without being bested by the games others were playing. It wasn't long before she became a self-proclaimed MANnizer, capable of capturing and holding the attention of whoever interested her, while also continuing to do what was in her best interest as both a mother and entrepreneur with both family and a business to protect.

A romantic at heart however she soon stopped her pursuit of “Mr. Right Now” when she met the man who was “Mr. Right”, the man who became her husband. Newly married, she found herself rethinking everything she knew and realized that the same qualities that made a woman an amazing girlfriend didn't necessarily work for a wife. Rather than wait for someone else to write a marriage manual, she retooled her dating rules for herself to apply for a life after marriage. Jessica Bunevacz is now a happily married wife and mother of three currently residing in California.

While her life has been unconventional she has no regrets, and lives with the understanding that we all have the same basic desire: to feel loved, whether it's just for one night or for an entire lifetime. Using her own life experiences as a basis she develop real-world relationship advice to help women feel more confident and comfortable whether they're dating or have already said "I do".

Connect with the author:   Website    Website - book   Twitter   Facebook   Pinterest    YouTube

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