As it turns out, it fit my needs perfectly. Each chapter is short and introduces new material in a clear, concise manner. Enough to learn, but not so much as to overwhelm. The accompanying Language Lab app that I downloaded on my phone provides flashcards for each chapter along with audio exercises and reviews.
Which leads me to one issue. When it comes to language, the spoken language has always come first. It existed long before someone decided it was time to record observations and history on some type of permanent medium, whether it be pictures or the lines we call letters. Children learn the spoken language before they learn to read. When the time does comes for them to learn the written form of language, they do so through word and letter recognition already knowing how words are pronounced, and with phonics--that is, associating the sound of the letter with what they see.
When one learns a language later in life, one often does it backwards. We start by learning the written word in a textbook with an instructor explaining language elements to us in our own language. This can lead to mispronunciations, especially when one is self-teaching. While I do have audio lessons at my disposal with the help of the two apps I'm using, I'm reading more than I'm listening. Consequently, I don't have a clue how to properly pronounce many words, especially those that contain one of the three different accent marks in the French language. I guess until I happen on it during an audio exercise.
One cause of this is the fact that neither of my main resources have taught me the French alphabet. Learning the alphabet is crucial because the sound of the letter is included in its name. Granted, there are exceptions, but if I want to pronounce these words properly, I need to stop what I'm doing and learn the French alphabet.
That's my first goal for the month of February. After that, I'll begin the next group of chapters in Duolingo and in my workbook.