Quiet as It's Kept Paperback – July 1, 2011

NOTE: At the time of the posting of this review, another book/author reviews had been listed. This review is of Monique Miller's book QUIET AS IT'S KEPT published by Urban Christian.This is the first story I've read from a male perspective concerning an abusive relationships. Miller does an outstanding job adding to the suspense, developing the characters and weaving prayer and faith into the storyline. Ok, let me back up...Will (the main character) prayed in church for a clean heart and God fearing wife when he opened his eyes he saw Morgan. An afternoon of conversation led to a quick courtship even though Morgan didn't reveal much about her past. Will and Morgan had a fairy tale wedding that completed their fast race to the altar. It didn't take long for them to have a baby and fall into the picture perfect life. Things changed when Will was laid off from his job and Morgan had to pick up the slack. A series of unfortunate events led Will to question his wife and lean on his best friend, Phillip and his wife Shelby.I applaud Miller for stepping out of the box and creating a story about Domestic Violence from the male perspective. The male voice is strong and has a Godly conviction. Will speaks on the abuse he saw as a child never thinking that he would experience the same type of abuse as a married man. The male supporting cast proves that there are God fearing men willing to help each other and treat women with respect, honesty and love. I will definitely add this book to the Domestic Violence awareness reading list at our local college as it speaks so clearly to the various types of abuse and how to seek help. Even though we still keep abuse hush hush...thank you Monique Miller from bringing this taboo issue to light. AS QUIET AS IT'S KEPT is certainly one of my top 5 summer reads.Additional Note: I purchased this book for my kindle upon the recommendation of my friends on goodreads. I have written this review on my own with hopes to encourage others to read it so we can know a different perspective about Domestic Violence.

"Quiet As It's Kept," by Monique Miller is a very engaging read. It tackles a popular subject in an unpopular manner. Spousal abuse is nothing new. It happens every day in almost every neighborhood, and few people put on a surprise face when they see a picture of a battered woman on the local news with the culprit being her very own husband. But how many times have we heard or seen stories of the husband being the recipient of the mistreatment? Very rarely; but not because it's not prevalent. Not all abuse brings along with it physical scars that can be seen by the naked eye, and it's that quiet "hush-hush" domestic abuse that is addressed in "Quiet As It's Kept."Will Tracy is a man who loves the Lord. He is a doting father to his son, Isaiah, and he's a husband who adores his wife, Morgan, to a fault. When Morgan walks into Will's life, she seems to be the answer to his prayers. Will is an exceptional man; one who actually saved himself for marriage and is under the impression that his dream bride is just a virtuous. Little did he know that when he said, "I do," he was marrying a virtual stranger - a woman who was a far cry from what he envisioned. As the real Morgan is revealed, Will finds himself entangled in the mess of his life . . . or maybe even his death."Quiet As It's Kept" was the selected September read for the Pages of Grace Book Club in Atlanta, GA. We had a wonderful time discussing this well-developed tale of love and deception. Collectively, the book club agreed that this one deserved five stars, and we definitely recommend it to other reading groups who enjoy unpredictable drama-filled stories.Kendra Norman-Bellamyon behalf ofPages of Grace Book Club

Quiet As It's Kept by Monique Miller is an exceptionally well written book. It touches on a taboo topic that is often over looked and under reported. Monique Miller did a wonderful job keeping the reader turning the pages.Will Tracy and his wife Morgan appears to be a typical family who has hit a rough patch. With the downsizing of his job and a new baby to take care of Will steps up and do what he has to do by taking care of the household and the baby until he is able to find a new job. Will is a praying man and believes that God will provide what his family needs to survive. There is nothing that Will would not do for his son. Things start to get complicated when several `accidents' start happing and Will must decide who he can trust.Monique Miller wrote this story from a male's perspective giving the readers an insight on what goes through a man's mind when there is abuse involved in a relationship. If you were in an abusive situation would you know what to do? Could you recognize psychological or mental abuse? This is a must read for all, males and females.I thoroughly enjoyed Quiet As It's Kept and will recommend it to all my friends. This book was a true page turner. I found myself talking back to the characters of the book telling them what to do and what not to do. I can't wait to see what Monique Miller writes next.Reviewed by Janette Malcolm for Urban Christian Fiction TodayA copy of this book was provided by the author for the purposes of review.