Rachel Hollis knows how to keep it real. She puts things in perspective and is establishing greatness in all of us. Definitely the motivation I needed

I can see why do many people like this book, but some of the advice is dangerous. I didn't hate or love it, but with all the things that have come out about the author lately, I'm not super keen to listen to her advice.

This was not for me sadly.
Found it hard to relate. Didn’t get on with the style.
Parked it and tried several times but it’s a very unusual did not finish for me sorry

I had heard so much about this author and book for months. I was lucky that I was able to get my hands on the e-book version from this site. I wanted to read for myself what everyone was talking about and the "hype" of this book.

Each chapter is on a different topic. I like how you get life stories from her as well as tips to help things into action. Honestly I thought this book was going to be very religious because most bookstores put this in their Religion non-fiction section, but I didn't get that vibe from this at all. I am not sure where I would categorize this--maybe self help, but the religion aspect is just what her own beliefs are and minimally putting them into this book.

I highly recommend this book! Thank you for providing this e-book to me so I could finally read this book and introduce me to this author.

I wanted to read this book after all of the hype I had heard. If I was a fresh, twenty-something, I think I would have valued the book and its advice more. A lot of the advice is the same stuff we've heard repetitively throughout our lives. Also, a lot of the love and relationship advice was a little sour with the recent news of Hollis' divorce. But, all in all, I think a lot of people in the right demographic could get so much from this book.

I loved most parts of this - just the kind of self-help book I love with a warm and witty writer. But a few other parts were kind of straight-up crazy.

I was provided an e-arc from netgalley to read and review

Very motivational self help , highly recommend

I loved the straightforward writing style contained within this book. It almost felt like I was having a direct conversation with the author at times. Good stuff!

Very uplifting and inspirational. A good read! Also,I listened to the audiobook, it was great to hear her own voice read the book to us. She is very expressive!

I don’t know what happened, but the formatting in the digital copy I received was completely messed up. There were random words and even full sentences in the wrong places - therefore, I couldn’t properly read it and can’t give my full feedback. From what I could read, it seemed to be a really good book, I just wish the text formatting wasn’t all jumbled. :(

Giving this 4-stars based on what I could make out, it seemed like it would have been great.

There were definitely parts of this book that weren't right. The people giving 1-star reviews highlight that and changed my perspective of the book.

BUT! I still liked it. Rachel Hollis has a great writing style, it felt like one of my friends was talking to me. I also felt amped up when I read this book, which is what I want to feel when I read a book like this.

This book has become a phenomenon. I am not very familiar with Rachel Hollis, but she seems to have a message that connects with women. I read it and gave it to my wife and daughters to read. The messages in the book are relevant and inspiring.

For the past 2 years I've been hearing about how LIFE CHANGING and INSPIRING this book is, so I had to see for myself. Thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to see what it was finally all about.
I did not find it life changing. I was not inspired to change my life.
What I did learn is that all you have to do to have a better life is change all the things that you don't like about it. Feeling sad? Be happy! Overweight? Get your lazy butt off the couch and eat healthier! I could go on, but I won't.
This book was basically recycled advice and confessions (humble brags) from the author to make her relatable. So you'll buy her fiction books and read her blog and buy tickets to hear her speak.

I take notes on books when I read them to review and the notes I had for this one were:
- How many different ways can you say "it's your life, live it your way"
- If your facebook feed and t-shirt drawer are full of "wine o'clock" and "I love Jesus but I cuss a little," and you believe that MLMs are not pyramid schemes then you'll love this.

I'm divided about this book. The writing is fine, it even has some good insights, but it comes from a very specific point of view that is hard to see past when you come from another (perhaps wider) background. Some stories resonated, others seemed overblown and dramatic. I found the author very hard to relate to, and felt like she was trying very hard to sound relatable. Hollis describes herself and one point as a "conservative good girl," and another as a "good Christian girl," then she talks about virginal good girls; the implication seems to be that other types of girls, with other types of backgrounds and choices, are not "good girls."

The rating of 1 star isn't toward the book necessarily, but toward the format of the copy I was reading from NetGalley. It was absolutely horrible, I could not read the book for the "do not copy" every other sentence.

I love Rachel Hollis! After following her on Instagram for quite a few years, of course I had to read her book! I am so glad I did. She is a woman for women, 100%. She puts your brain and your heart into high gear and it makes you ask yourself the hard questions. She describes her life, daily past and present. You find a friend in her. I was pumped after reading and her motivation gets me motivated. Every woman with or without kids should read her book! I have no kids and thought well, I'm not gonna relate to this at all! Boy was I SO WRONG! Thanks Rachel for opening my eyes to things that are right in front of me but I was too lazy see. Would love to go to her speaking events. RISE would be amazing! Read this book gals!

First, I fully recognize that I should have done my research prior to reading this. But, I'd heard so many good things about this book, that I thought I would have value for me. However, it turns out that a lifestyle blogger who quotes the Bible while discussing pre-marital sex is not the book for me. What she has to say isn't bad, necessarily, but it comes from the place of upper class/ successful ignorance that her advice falls extremely flat. OH WELL.

I sat down and read this book in a day, sadly it wasn't because I loved it. It was because I wanted to be done with it so I could review it and move on to a book I hopefully enjoy more. I had heard so many good things about this book and I wanted to like it, I love the idea of this book, and I know a lot of people who loved it. It just wasn’t for me. There were some really great parts about it but overall it was underwhelming.

I really enjoyed the chapter on not making yourself small, I found the author's way of encouraging women to take up space was relatable. I could relate to some of the action points/takeaways at the end of each chapter; but I also found myself often thinking how completely unhelpful a lot of it would be for women who don't have access to the same resources as the author. This book's target audience is very clearly upper-middle class, white women of a certain age and although I fit into the target demographic I still found much of the books content to be alienating. The content about her family's foster care journey for example, this part of the book was so off-putting. There seemed to be a lot judgment for the children's biological families and outright disgust at those parent's attempts at rebuilding their families, in spite of the fact that the book contains an entire chapter on not judging. The part that got me the most was the author calling one of the mothers of the children an "addict" and immediately following that sentiment up with the sentence "If you're like me, you find a way. But at night, when no one is looking, you drink, and when it gets really bad, you take a Xanax too." The hypocrisy in this paragraph was such a huge turn off.

If I am being completely truthful the author lost me in chapter five where she dedicates almost the entire chapter to chronicling her emotionally abusive relationship with an older man only to reveal near the end of the chapter that this man is now her husband, and that somehow the prospect of losing her made him magically change overnight into someone entirely different. Not only did this chapter not ring true or genuine to me but it also felt like it set a dangerous precedent for young women who may find themselves in this sort of negative relationship.

In conclusion, the book has some strong themes of resilience and encouragement. I commend the author for keeping it real and fun in those areas and for having some sound advice for pushing forward in life and focusing on your goals. As for all the other areas, I highly suggest she do some work unpacking her socioeconomic privilege and put a bit more, well thought into her thoughts. She wrote this book to encourage her readers to be true to themselves and to not hold back, yet it feels like she was anything but in the writing of this book.

After recently escaping an abusive relationship, my self esteem was at rock bottom. Through the recommendation of friends I read this book. Although it is not geared towards abuse itself, it gave me a fresh outlook on my life and added a positive impact on my mental health.

The author writes through personal stories and experiences that every woman has or will experience at some point in their lives. I am thankful for this book and would recommend any woman looking for friendly advice from someone who can relate. She brings humor and understanding to some very real and sometimes embarrassing moments in life.

Thanks for the great read.

“Nothing is wasted. Every single moment is preparing you for the next. But whether or not you choose to see this time as something wonderful—the time when God is stretching you and growing you or maybe forging you in fires hotter than you think you can withstand—all of it is growing you for the person you’re becoming, for a future you can’t even imagine.”

While Rachel Hollis may not have provided any new insight to this thing we call life, this was an upbeat and light read. I enjoy motivational and empowering books and this definitely falls into that category. Does she come across as a bit preachy from a place of privilege? Yes. Does she give life to words that make you want to live your best life? Yes. Ultimately, the latter makes this a worthwhile read. I want to thank Nelson Books for gifting me with a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

"You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for who you become and how happy you are."