I chose this book because of the brightly colored cover and because the title implied it would help me with my anxiety. In truth, this book was like most personal growth books I've read recently. The advice is good, but it mostly comes from various other sources (Julia Cameron, Elizabeth Gilbert, Seth Godin, Oprah Winfrey, Brene Brown, etc.) and is compiled in one place.

I did not know Amber Rae before choosing this book. The cover is beautifully eye catching and will no doubt gain attention on any shelf. She seems to have quite a social media following and hopefully they will find what they are looking for in this book. I however did not.

There were some things that I loved, She quotes a ton of brilliant thinkers, her wonderventions and journal into wonder ideas were great and made the book a lot of fun. I didn't think that was enough to get past the "everything is about me" tone to the book. She tried so hard to make this an engaging read, and she might have almost got there with a few more rewrites.

The book felt choppy, it was not well written. She is likely an incredible blogger-- and that's what this felt like. It seemed like it could have been a blog with a journal to purchase! There isn't a ton of new information in here, but it might be helpful for teenagers. I couldn't exactly put my finger on what was missing, but it's likely some life experience and a little humility.

The publisher made this book available via netgalley. The thoughts and opinions expressed here are my honest review.

This book seemed as if it was tailored to me. There was so much wisdom within these pages. I am so excited to share this beautiful book with others!

Amber Rae has a very engaging voice, using personal stories to illustrate her message. Very thoughtful and inspiring.

I think for most of us there is a very, and I mean VERY thin line between wondering and worrying? Am I right? When does that wonder turn to worry? This book is easy to follow and I think it outlines things wonderfully.

I have not heard of Amber Rae before reading this book however now I want to search her out and learn more. Choose Wonder Over Worry is an easy to read book - although feels like a collection of mini essays on topics such as Imposter Syndrome, Addiction, and Anxiety. Each chapter is only about 5 minutes to read (bite-sized) but packs a punch. Its my favorite way to read the genre. Personal story - check, explanation of issue- check, simple strategy to help - check. I could see coming back to this one in the future when a specific topic is nagging away.

I was given an advanced copy through Netgalley for my review. I would highly recommend this book to family and friends and will buy a copy for myself.

The only thing I would say that really stood out to me negatively is that there was a lot of repetition. It really came off to me as "you don't understand, so let me dumb it down for you."

Choose Wonder Over Worry, written by Amber Rae, offers a collection of essays on various topics from anxiety, avoidance, fear, uncertainty, self-doubt and many others with a unique autobiographical twist. The key message is quite simple: Choose wonder over worry, but there are plenty other take-away notes you can derive from it. Amber Rae has a great, raw and relatable voice that will take you for a spin and show you things about yourself you used to conceal and areas of your life where you desperately wanted to make a change. 

The book is written in a very approachable and easy going manner, but this doesn't make it all "sweet". Rae is honest, absolutely and deeply honest with herself and her own life and this takes an enormous amount of courage. She's not showing you only the good parts or the parts that are less embarrassing, she bares her heart and soul into writing this book and it pours down through every page. It would be a bit difficult to separate the concepts discussed in the book from the excerpts of her life, but this is the special ingredient that makes it so good. This is her story and it deserves to be written and shared with the rest of the world. 

Regardless of whether you've read a little or a ton on the subject of personal development, self-discovery and inner healing, Choose Wonder Over Worry offers you something new and different, refreshing and real.

Rae's agent was right - girl can definitely right and so she goes for it. She is the whisperer of her generation.

I have kindly received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange of a fair review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is a memoir-meets-self-help that is great for both a quick boost of inspiration and an entertaining collection of Amber Rae's personal tales in life and creativity. I knew nothing about the author before I started this book and so came in with no preconceived notions -- that is probably the best way to read this one. While you're not getting a step by step action plan to fix every single thing in your life (which, how much self-help that has a non-negotiable action plan is actually helpful, I wonder?) but you will get some words of wisdom, some really insightful journaling prompts and advice from someone who has been there in more ways than one (if you have relationship and addiction issues, there are chapters for you here too among the more general career/creative advice). If you enjoy memoir and self-help, you'll probably like this one.

I'm a chronic worrier! So when I saw this book, I just knew I had to read it. Amber really helps put your life into perspective and take a new look at things. Fantastic for all the worriers out there!

Positive and uplifting, the writing style of this book felt like a conversation with an encouraging friend.

This is a warm and encouraging book. This is not a dry how-to book: rather, if you need to feel like someone is walking along side you with encouragement and motivation, pick this book up. This is one of the few books where the journal entries don't seem out of place. Rae tells us about her life and wants to encourage others and allow them to feel some self compassion. She does have original perspectives on common human conditions. I especially like her emphasis on hope and wonder.
Her stories are candid and funny and I really enjoyed her voice. No, this is not a step by step book but if you want to feel less alone in the world, read Rae's book.

I loved the book. I especially loved how it called to each of our fear/insecurity and ask us to leave it behind. That shit takes courage.

The writing style was very conversational, very engaging. The stories were very relevant and not used as filler fluff.

My favourite quote, however, came from a chapter where the author was quoting Naval Ravikant - "Desire is the contract that you make with yourself to be unhappy until you get what you want." Whoa, it blew my mind. I am that person who is unhappy till she gets what she wants and then she wants more.

The book gave me several revelations, all good and to be worked on.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free reader copy.

I really enjoyed this book, it gave me a lot to think about and take away! There's some really great advice in it!

This is the kind of book I would recommend for someone who needs the reminder that they're worthy, capable, and should get out of their own way to make magic happen (so basically everyone). I appreciated the supportive tone and journaling exercises. I'm easily bored with journaling exercises in most self-help books because they frequently come across as contrived. This book is different, and the prompts and graphics were simple, powerful, and focused. Two exercises readers will find especially helpful are making a list of ways to love yourself (who doesn't need more of that?) and learning how to act upon your anger instead of acting out of anger.

The author did a nice job of weaving her personal story into the book, and it illustrates how easily things can go wrong and how we can own our authentic selves and face tough situations. This book would make a great weekend read for anyone looking to get back on track with who they are and what they want out of life.

I received an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So, thanks to some personal stuff in my life lately, I've been on a self-help kick, so when I saw this one and read the blurb (and saw that it wasn't too long), I asked for an ARC. And I'm glad I did. While this book isn't extremely life-changing or chock full of advice, it was engaging and thought-provoking and really drives home the point that our perspective drives our happiness, our success, our lives. She uses personal stories to let the reader know she's been there, done that, got the tee shirt. She aims not to preach, but to connect.

All in all, a fun read that'll make you think and tweak the way you process and see the world/others. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to make some changes in how they live, as it's an easy read and brimming with encouragement.

3.5 stars rounded up. :)

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I had to force myself to finish this book. I had a hard time reading it. The author had her heart in a place of happiness, when she wrote this and ultimately...the mindset is too essay like, too positive to appreciate. No real substance to the book. If I was thirteen years old I might appreciate the many anecdotes and inspirational quotes. But as a woman, this did not resonate with me. I didn't learn anything new or meaningful, the author did not fully engage me or her other readers. Ultimately I'm more worried how many people will read this book than in awe or wonder of it. A solid effort that fell flat. 2/5 stars.

This book was a lot of essays from the authors life attempting to describe how to implement the ideas being taught. I enjoyed reading about the authors life and feel that it added to the book. However, I did feel that I've heard much of it before.

Thank you netgalley and publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I had a hard time finishing this book. The author has her heart in the right place but the book didn't seem to have much substance to it and wasn't very helpful. Maybe for a younger (teenage) audience it would do better. I didn't feel like I learned anything new to help me and the information was covered in a more engaging way in other self help books.