Watching my (now) husband with his two little girls made it all too easy to fall in love with him.  Of course, early on, I only saw the girls at their soccer games and at fun excursions like afternoons at the roller rink.  Then, I got to retreat to my little apartment, where I could daydream about my wonderful new boyfriend while soaking in the tub.

Once we got engaged, and I gave up my apartment, retreat became a little tougher.  As the realization that I would be a stepmom sank in, I also realized that I was the only soon-to-be-stepmom I knew.  None of my friends had sage advice and wisdom to offer.  Searching for some compassion and insight, I started googling.  I found several online discussion groups, which only made me realize 1.) my life wasn’t that bad and 2.) it was statistically impossible for every bio-mom to be as evil as they were depicted on those boards.  I was a little disappointed and still lonely.  Then I found Stepmother’s Milk.  The author, Izzy Rose, is funny, witty, and not afraid to drown occasional sorrows in a martini.  I read every post and realized that I could both love my new family AND retreat to the bathroom from time to time.  Izzy’s hilarious bathroom-mirror confessionals gave me confidence to make a private space to vent my own fears and worries.

Shortly after I found her blog, Izzy Rose announced that she’d soon release her book, The Package Deal: My (not-so) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom. I always love to support bloggers turned authors, so I quickly placed my order.

If you’re struggling with life as an instant mom or any major transition, Rose’s memoir will surely boost your spirits.  She’s taken some of her best blog posts and fleshed them into a witty, entertaining read.  She’s also filled in some of the back story so that her situation makes more sense.  Sometimes, bloggers’ books don’t pan out.  It seems that the talent for writing short posts doesn’t always transfer when writers try to develop longer works.  However, Rose’s is one of the best of the genre, and I highly recommend it!

Any stepmoms out there?  What books would you recommend?