I was very excited to receive the advanced e-copy of this book!  I am about half way thru as I wanted this one to last a little longer than usual to allow Jen's message to sink in.  I love Jen's teaching and have not been disappointed in this book.  She brings her whole self and gives the real deal story. Period.  Women are fed so many things everywhere we turn - we need more truth tellers like Jen to listen to and learn from!

I flew through this book in two days. My expectations were lowered because I dislike the title and cover, but I was pleasantly overjoyed to find the same writing that I have loved in her past books. I love Jen's openness and honesty, as well as her faithfulness to what is true and good.

I love reading. It is one of life’s great pleasures. I especially love reading non fiction, and if a book gives you pause and makes you think, it is, in my opinion a good book and reading it was time well spent. Since I’m a huge Jen Hatmaker fan, and have read every one of her books, I’ve spent many hours ‘well’ devouring her words. This one doesn’t disappoint- in fact I’d go as far as to say it tops everything. 

When a book sets your mind and heart on fire and makes you want to share it with the world, when you want to highlight the pages and get the book into the hands of every woman you know and love, when you want to meet the author and be her friend, when the whole world goes through a pandemic after you’ve finished the book and you decide to read it again and it feeds your soul and lights your fire again, that is a great book!  

I was incredibly lucky to be on the launch team for this book. Jen Hatmaker is funny, insightful and speaks truth and life into what so often become topics of great frustration and pain and self doubt. 

Perceptions and expectations have made such a huge impression on most women, and we’ve come to believe so many things that do not serve us at all - it helps to have a voice in the wilderness leading the way and it is especially great in uncertain times such as these.

Fierce, Free and Full of Fire is an inspirational self help book about finding (or rediscovering) your true self.

I wanted to read this book because the description was very appealing. I tend to be a people-pleaser and liked that this book addresses that.  I also liked the emphasis on choosing your own path.

Fierce, Free and Full of Fire is divided into five sections:

Who I Am
What I Need
What I Want
What I Believe
How I Connect

The book starts out with an instantly relateable sentence:  "I grew up around well-behaved women." The author then goes on to explain how being well behaved and people pleasing often subverts our own goals and plans.  She writes:

"Understanding and embracing who we are, how we've been created, is the launching pad for living a fearlessly genuine life, where we're no longer pretending or trying to be something other than what we are on the inside" (Kindle location 133).

She talks about labels that we all have -- sometimes from parents, or teachers, or even from ourselves in the past.  I found this a very eye opening discussion.  I think we all (and most especially women) have some of these labels.

I found the idea of seeking our authentic self and doing what we really want to - our goals, our plans - very exciting and liberating.

I especially loved some of her writing about dealing with other people.  "I Want To Connect Without Drama" was something I really related to and appreciated.

I recommend Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire to anyone who is looking for a fresh, unique Christian self help book about living an authentic life and choosing your own dream.

The author has a fresh, sassy voice.  This is my first book by Jen Hatfield, but she has a unique style that makes for a compelling, thoughtful, and fun read!

Great book that covers  5 areas of our lives: Who I am, What I Need, What I Want, What I Believe, and How I Connect and how we can learn to be Fierce, Free and Full of Fire in them. 
I feel like there is a chapter in this book that everybody can relate to. The writer is really open and honest and tells the story in a fun relatable way.

I love reading Jen’s books—it’s as though we are getting together over a cup of coffee and having a heart to heart between friends.
This book has transformed the way I think about my life-who I am and who God created me to be, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Most importantly, Jen has reminded me that I am not bound by my past or my circumstances or by others’ expectations. I’m FREE to be me

I was so happy and honored to be on Jen Hatmaker's launch team for Fierce, Free and Full of Fire.  This is a book that not only have we always needed but never more so than right now.  Jen talks about how to live to the full of what God made you to be.  How can you bring out the fire that we all, but especially women, have deep in our souls but have been told by others to keep pushed down.  Those of us that have been told we are "too much", "not enough", "too bold", "too bossy", etc.  God made us in his image so none of this is wrong.  I read this first on the digital version but have the hardback copy now that I will be going back and re reading.  This is the important book of the year!

In Jen Hatmakers newest book she goes over 5 areas of our lives: Who I am, What I Need, What I Want, What I Believe, and How I Connect and how we can learn to be Fierce, Free and Full of Fire in them. Not every chapter is going to be for everyone. Personally I sped through a couple of them but others I had to reread and keep going back because it hit so hard. What I love about her writing is how real she is but also how funny!! Honestly you learn so much and are so entertained at the same time.

Where do I begin?...I am blown away! As usual, Jen brings humor and insight to the issues that touch our hearts and lives. Her introduction feel like sitting on a comfortable sofa (or porch swing) and chatting with a dear friend. I immediately wanted MORE! I ugly cried my way through Chapter 3 and have vowed NEVER again to take my body for granted or under appreciate what SHE has done, is doing, and will do in the way of service to the Lord, my family, my community and my own well-being. If you have ever felt guilty for (or passionate about) questioning, dissecting, or even re-building your faith......THIS BOOK (and Chapter 9) IS FOR YOU! You may not align yourself with every one of Jen's thoughts, but her observations and honest truth INSPIRES me to be more HONEST and INTENTIONAL during this amazingly complicated journey of life and faith that we are all on together!

I thoroughly enjoyed Fierce, Free and Full of Fire. It helped me focus on being those three F’s, which I aspire to be. I have been a Christian for almost 30 years and, like the author, I’ve come to the realization that “any ‘obedience to God’ that results in dehumanization could not possibly be holy.” I’ve felt a growing dis-ease in the western church culture as I’ve re-examined my faith in the last few years and de-constructed my faith of things that don’t seem to support the overall message of what Jesus represented.  I’m now in the re-construction phase of my faith and am thankful to have found a new progressive Christian church that looks at scripture in its ancient context to see the implied meaning, which had much to do with the culture of the time it was written in. I’m less interested in making everything literal in meaning and trying to hear what the authors were trying to teach us about this God of the Bible. I loved her mother-in-laws quote: “Original texts in the original languages do not say what we’re reading and interpreting within our our context in our culture.” 

So it was refreshing to hear someone else share the insights I’ve been coming to. I’ve been a fan of Jen Hatmaker for awhile now, listening to her podcasts, so I already knew her book would include a lot of humor, it’s one of her trademarks, but also her sincerity and passion. I resonated with her story of her own tribe and reminding me “deep calls to deep”, when referring to the power of one or two deeply authentic relationships being needed to feel connected and grounded in this currently very divisive and scary world. “Developing eyes to see loneliness and hands to reach out is one of the greatest gifts to the world...Creating safe spaces for others to be seen and loved and known and celebrated is the height of goodness and the solution to so much sadness.” We all struggle with loneliness at times, whether you are a single mom like me, married, college student, professional or otherwise. We need each other, we need connections and safe places to connect. 
On the chapter on “I Am Exactly Enough”, she writes how our culture is rabid to tell women how much oxygen they can use, space they can take, tables they can join, opinions they are allowed.....It is hard to put a price on being seen and valued as you are. When you don’t have to ratchet down or falsely inflate but are welcomed with your contents exactly intact, this is where we thrive....When the command aimed at women is “be less”, the tactics include insulting, condescending, bullying, and manipulating.” All these things can silence our voices, and I can so relate as my voice felt silenced, muffled for a very long time. “Some responses that don’t require your dancing like a monkey for approval: I am enough here. I am content with who I am. I am content with what I have. I am content with how I live....We need more women comfortable in their own skin. The constant scurrying up and down the scales to hit some imaginary target is exhausting. Know who you are, know how you thrive, know your own volume, and live unapologetically in that lane.....don’t be a glutton for your own punishment.”

On the chapter of our bodies, I laughed out loud when she talked about body ideals are a trend, but not real. She writes: “They are invented, then exploited by billion dollar industries that profit from our self-loathing to abuse our bodies into shapes and sizes they were never designed to be. I have bad news for the women who purchased butt implants recently: the next trend will probably be Second-Grade Boy/Alien and your new butts will need to be vacuumed out and repurposed into feet implants.....So hear, grab my hand. Let’s walk away from our screens and cover models and chemical peels and A-listers and go outside. Let’s sit on the porch where sanity lives and talk about what is real.” This next part is one of my favorite long quotes from her book, which she also shared with her Instagram followers: “Your body walked with you all the way through childhood- climbed the trees and rode the bikes and walked you into the first day of high school. ....How else would you have learned to love the smell of brownies, toasted bagels, onions and garlic sizzling in olive oil? Your body perfectly delivered the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, and Bon Jovi right into your memories. She gave you your first kiss, which you felt you felt on your lips and in your stomach, a coordinated body venture....She watched Steel Magnolias and knew right when to let the tears fall. ...Your body might have incubated, nourished, and delivered a whole human life, maybe even two or three. She is how you cherish the smell of those babies, the feel of their cheeks, the sound of them calling your name. How else are you going to taste deep-dish pizza and French onion soup? You have your body to thank for every good thing you have ever experienced. She has been so good to you. And to others. ...Your body delivered you to people who needed you the exact moment you showed up. She kissed away little tears and patched up skinned knees. Your body nurtures minds and souls with her presence. With her lovely eyes, she looks deliberately at people who so deeply need to be seen. Sat with sad, sick, and suffering friends. Her face has been a comfort,. Her hands will be remembered fondly - how they looked, how they loved. Her voice is the sound of home....You May hate her, but no one else does.....Maybe it’s time to stop hating her and just love her back.”

 I love how she encouraged me in “If you have a secret dream, a private desire, and you are refusing to bring it into the light of day, we actually need you.” What if I let fear and disapproval keep me side-lined? I felt like I was being cheer-leaded on to continue to search to use my gifts and talents in a fulfilling way that the world needed. Pursue your dreams, purposes, and desires, she says. For me, it encouraged me to do it for myself, to live a fulfilling life with no regrets. Do it for my boys, who are watching, for my community, for Jesus, for the people my work will serve, encourage, inspire, and include. Do it for justice, beauty, truth, or freedom on the other side. 

The chapter on Truth also hit home. “More relationships drift into in-difference than capsize from conflict. Truth is the epicenter of everything good. From it flows courage, kindness, maturity, humility, and happiness. It leaves nothing on the table and thus purges our lives of regret, or just as bad, resentment. It dethrones toxic trends from reigning in our relationships: pretending, faking, lying-the most terrible enemies of flourishing lives. Trust truth....God can do immeasurable work with your honesty......Truth is a faithful defender against the lies meant to break us; it is ever on our side....Truth values every human equally, it favors no hierarchies.”

Jen Hatmaker makes me want to dance, laugh, give canoers champagne and take the world by the storm. I LOVE THIS WOMAN. Someone find her so I can give her a hug.

"Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire." Fearless, feminist and fervent. And pretty freaking funny. This book is one of the best self-help book I have ever read, and I am slightly obsessed with this genre. As we read, Jen becomes our best friend and mentor who is not afraid to speak her truth about how to be unapologetically ourselves. She helps us articulate who we are, what we need, what we want, what we believe and how we connect. This involves tackling such difficult topics are self-esteem, body image, compassion, human connections, asking for help and asking questions about our faith.

The best part about this book is that Jen is so relatable. She is a female Christian leader and talks about loving Jesus a lot, which was very important to me; however, this book definitely isn't just for Christians.

Also, people, please do yourselves a favor and get the audiobook! We literally hear Jen laugh, chuckle, cry and make silly side jokes throughout this thing which can't be read with your eyeballs. She is so random, God bless her.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An absolute must read! Jen is so inspiring, gets to the truth of what matters in life. This book is a must-read for women, share it with your loved ones! Full of self-reflectiion in these categories—who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect.

I was so inspired by this I gifted 4 copies to my small group of mentor friends. Added bonus if you do the audiobook, lots of extra commentary from Jen herself!

In both the opening and closing of Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, Hatmaker states that most readers will find some of the chapters to be exactly what they need, while others won't apply at all. That pretty well sums up my experience with this book. Some chapters really hit me. Like, how on earth could she speak to exactly some of the things I'm struggling with at work? Other parts (literally all of the marriage and mom stuff) did not apply in the least. And some parts felt very familiar, like they came out of some of her other books.

I very much appreciated that she champions all women and encourages them to be their best selves. The body image chapter is on point, and the chapter on friendship/connection should be required reading. But there's a balance that's missing in this book—amid all the calls to be your authentic self and pursue your passions, I kept thinking, "But what if my passions are sinful?" There is zero mention of sin or our fallen nature or our need for God's grace in this book. For a self-help book, that's fine, but for a book that's supposed to be about Christian living (the category listed on the back cover), it's missing something. 

The best way to read this book would be chapter by chapter, discussing with a friend or book club as you go along. Probably the worst way is the way I read it, all in one afternoon. The perspective that would come from discussion with other people would be very valuable in informing how you ultimately perceive this book and how it challenges you. In the end, this book is one that I feel "meh" about: parts were great, parts were boring, and parts I could've done without.

This book spoke to the inner parts of me. Just like the author said there were some chapters that hit harder snd connected more than others, but all of them were good. Jen's writing is down to earth, fierce, honest, vulnerable, and in your face. Run to your nearest bookstore and get a copy it will have a huge impact on your life if you actually do the work.

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for the advanced copy and the opportunity to read and review this book!

Fierce, Free and Full of Fire is Jen Hatmaker doing what she does best. Hatmaker is honest to a fault and despite the serious content, she's seriously funny. Like the world's best therapist this book will make you laugh while you work through your stuff. The book is loosely organized into sections designed to help women in "five self-reflective areas: who I am, what I need, what I want, what I believe, and how I connect" (Hatmaker). Dividing the work into areas may make parts of the book less relevant to you personally, but please take my advice and read the whole thing. The parts that don't specifically apply to you will almost certainly apply to someone you know. By helping us all address the areas where we struggle and identify the areas where we're strong Hatmaker is equipping us to be the strong women the world needs today and to raise the strong women the world will need in the future.

I was so grateful to get and advanced copy of this book and let me tell you, this book was exactly what I needed at exactly this moment. I knew I was going to love it because let's face it, I have loved every single one of Jen’s books I have read but I never knew how much it was going to touch me. I was in tears and highlighting and laughing out loud throughout the entirety of the book. I also never knew I was going to be in the middle of a global pandemic and her words would fuel my soul for such a time as this. The body chapter was so amazing and everything I needed to hear. Jen always asks on her podcast, What is saving your life right now? Jen Hatmaker is what is saving my life. Her podcast, her book and her humor and inspiration on facebook each day. Thank you for helping us all get through life when it is mundane and when the world is going crazy

This is such a difficult book to review...I received this for review with no knowledge of the author or her views on certain subjects, so I was very surprised when I started reading and came across a plethora of curse words and content that I found offensive.

I liked how the author wasn't afraid to speak her mind or share her true viewpoints on things; I'd rather know what someone believes then them hide their true feelings, even if we don't agree, and I definitely don't agree with most of what was said in this book - both theologically and otherwise. 

All in all, sorry to say that I didn't like this book and I can't recommend it either, because of the content.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

This book has so much valuable insight in it! Handling adult friendships, families, loving your body, finding your passion, speaking your truth, and so much more. This is a quick read, but one that you will find a lot of value in regardless of where you are in your life journey.  Jen Hatmaker is amazing at speaking wise words to her audience and guiding the reader to be the best form of themselves.

In a world of books challenging you to be like "someone" and telling you that if you do "these" things you will be able to live as a fairly decent version of someone else, Jen's work cuts through the noise shouting instead, "BE YOURSELF! THAT'S IT! THAT'S THE CHALLENGE!" An eloquent advocate for readers to cultivate their own selves, Hatmaker believes in your ability to be who you are … even if that means risking relationships with those who have already made decisions about you on your behalf. Reading her work is like getting the greatest, and sometimes hardest, pep talk of your life. Between her charming wit and charismatic call to rise above the *bs*, your new best friend Jen leaves you more confident about even your quirkiest truths and then enthusiastically hands over a set of pom poms inviting you to join the squad so you can cheer on others!

This book is for every women.  It was uplifting and inspiritional.  I would recommend this book to everyone to read to look inside themselves and know how fierce, free and full of fire you can be.