REVIEW:

Okay… just hear me out! Audiobook review.

Yes, this is a book written by impossibly beautiful internet-famous white people distributed by a Christian publisher. It is also a book that is so. darn. engaging.

Kim and Penn Holderness came to notoriety after they made a video Christmas card (“Xmas Jammies”) that went viral. They decided to make parody vlogs a full-time career after that, so they now find themselves living and working together 24 hours a day. (Raise your hand if you can relate to that after 2020!)

They’ve written Everybody Fights to share some of their tips for couples to better communicate during the trying times. While they readily admit they’re not counselors or professional experts, they ARE two people who genuinely seem to love - and like - each other. Throughout the reading of the audiobook, they crack each other up, burst into spontaneous (and funny) songs, cry a little, and support each other a lot.

It was a true joy spending a few hours in the company of the Holdernesses, and it seems many people agree. Everybody Fights currently has a 4.8 rating on Amazon and a 4.9 rating on Audible. I was sad when this audiobook ended but uplifted by their example. (If they end up separating at any point down the line, all hope is lost.)

On a personal note, my spouse reads my reviews. Rest assured, dear husband, I am not going to make you read this book now. ;)

PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:

We take our cars in for oil changes. We mow our lawns and pull weeds. Why don’t we do maintenance on our marriages? This relationship is the most important one we will ever have, so why not get better at it?

For the last several years, Penn and Kim Holderness of The Holderness Family have done the hard maintenance and the research to learn how to fight better. With the help of their marriage coach Dr. Christopher Edmonston, they break down their biggest (and in some cases, funniest) fights. How did a question about chicken wings turn into a bra fight (no, not a bar fight; a bra fight)? How did a roll of toilet paper lead to tears, resentment, and a stint in the guest bedroom?

With their trademark sense of humor and complete vulnerability, Penn and Kim share their ten most common Fight Fails and how to combat them. Throughout the book, they offer scripts for how to start, continue, and wrap up hard conversations. Couples will emerge equipped to engage and understand, not do battle—and maybe laugh a little more along the way.

In Everybody Fights, couples will learn how to

use “magic words” to navigate conflict
break free of secret contracts
banish the three Ds — distraction, denial, and delay
carry their own individual baggage while helping each other deal with theirs
Penn and Kim want you to know you’re not alone. Everybody fights. Marriage is messy. Marriage is work. But marriage is worth it. Fight for it.