This book is so necessary for today's women. Each and every single one of us. Jen has a way of sharing her experiences, observations, and growth in a way that everyone will relate. I'm not saying each chapter will ring true in your life -- or more than likely, ring true right now, but you will find valuable takeaways. You will leave this book feeling welcomed in the world, you'll want to cry with Jen, cook with Jen, and tell sarcastic jokes with her. She is pure love and acceptance. It will also help you understand your sisters -- the moments that make you go "huh, I never knew that's how she might feel" will help you have a broader understanding of those around you. If you are feeling like your insides don't match your outsides -- if you are feeling like the person you are is trying to fit some norm you see around you and this is exhausting -- this book is for you. You will find acceptance for the place you are at, you will find encouragement to step into your own space, and you will find inspiration that is in the power of being your true authentic self.

So, it has been a few minutes since my last book post and my quest to read 2,020 pages in 2020, but I plan to get back on track!  Book 31 of 2020 was “Fierce Free and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You” by Jen Hatmaker.  This book is/was an Advanced Reader Copy from HarperCollins.  What a privilege it has been to be a part of this Launch Team!!  This is my THIRD Jen Hatmaker book in 2020 and this book is full of everything to guide you into accepting yourself for who you are and use the gifts you were given to live out your purpose.  Accept your flaws, claim your dreams, admit your imperfections, establish boundaries and be brave as YOU live your life the way you were meant to live your life.  This book lit my heart on fire and I finished it at just the right time in the midst of this COVID chaos.  I encourage you to pre-order a copy on Amazon or wherever you order your books—- cause, well, it is NOT in the stores yet and if you are like me, you don’t want to go to the store and be around a million strangers!  (Release Date:  April 21, 2020). Oh, if you pre-order, you get to join an exclusive webcast on 4/30 Jen, Brene Brown and Anjelah Johnson PLUS other goodies.  Check it out at JenHatmaker.com I promise you will not be disappointed.  (Pages 231) #FierceFreeFire #FierceFreeAndFullOfFire

Wow, this book really spoke to me! Some parts made me sob uncontrollably (the chapter on loving our bodies and being kind to them), some made me want to shout "amen!", and some made me want to immediately share with everyone I know. Jen Hatmaker's writing is always funny and honest, and this book is no different. I highly recommend to all women, and men too!

This book really blew me away! In typical Jen fashion, she uses her magic of words and humor to spin a delightful book that will definitely make you think. The chapter about how women treat their bodies made me tear up and made me think about how I treat my own body in actions and thoughts. The chapter about the power of yes and how telling the truth to people is actually truly loving them. These really resonated with me and my current situation in life. Highly recommend reading this book!

Absolutely, unquestionably, balm for my weary heart. Jen has given us not only the message that we need to hear, but the bold encouragement that we do not need to wait for permission to carry our own dreams loudly, passionately and FIERCELY into fruition! Every single woman should have a copy of this book in hand the second she possibly can!

You may not be ready for fierce. You may not feel fiery. But who doesn't want to be free?

Free from feeling like you aren't enough, even as others expect you to meet their needs. Free from feeling like you don't belong. Free to speak up or speak out. Free to push back on expectations and free to ask for help. Free to be exactly who God created you to be.

In her new book, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You, Jen Hatmaker, explains how it is possible to belong and be you without apology. I read an advance copy supplied by the publisher, and there was hardly a page that didn't open my eyes to the ways I have shrunk back, over-apologized, or sat on my hands for fear of rejection or disapproval.

Jen speaks to the loneliness that can accompany child-rearing and the ways women buy into other people's judgment or kick ourselves when we are down. I particularly appreciated her insight into being an effective advocate and the way to stay in the moment and connect to others without all the drama.

Jen is not only a counselor and friend in Fierce, Free and Full of Fire, she also provides a rallying cry for women who feel defeated: We Absolutely Can!!

I've just finished reading a digital advance copy of Jen Hatmaker's terrific new book. When my print copy arrives, I know I'll read it again, with my highlighter in hand.

Jen's books are fun and easy to read. Her style is charming. Her stories are laugh out loud funny and relatable. AND, she has something to say. She has a lot to say, so don't you dare underestimate her content. Depth, insight and truths. Preach, Jen!

This book is full of empowerment. Have you been ignored, let down, diminished, forgotten, scared, lonely, uncertain? The messages are here. You are who you are. Go forth and design/redesign your life as you see fit. Whether you are needing some change or are confident in your path, this book is a great shot in the arm. Anyone can benefit from it. 

I have three grown daughters. I'll be giving this book to all of them and I know they'll like it as much as I did. 

We all find ourselves at home right now. Even if you're extra busy with the kids at home all day, this is the kind of book that you can pick up for a few quick pages of laughter, warmth and confidence. If you're already a Jen Hatmaker fan, you will enjoy this. If you're new to Jen, you'll enjoy this and probably go back to read a few of her other books.

This was a great read for right now. What better time to work on ourselves than in the middle of a pandemic when we are stuck home?!? I really appreciated the portions on self-compassion and setting boundaries in relationships. This was the first book I have read by this author and I enjoyed her humorous anecdotes and insight into her own personal struggles. Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for granting access to this book. I will post this review today to my Bookstagram and companion Facebook page, @thatreadingrealtor.

I've been a fan of Jen Hatmaker for a long time, but this is by far the best book yet! This is not a book that you speed-read through, just about every paragraph requires thought and time for the emotions that it brings up.  Jen finds a way to reach into the secret worries, sadness, and "not enough" areas of your heart and brings them to the surface - then holds your hand as you face them together. She reminds us all that we are enough and that our dreams and thoughts have value.  

If you've felt lost from the church, unseen in the world, or simply as if you need a friend who understands what is happening in your space and wants to talk it over with you and accept you where you are right now - this is your book.  It could be an amazing book club discussion, if you're looking to find a way to really learn how to open up to each other, be a better support system, and encourage and accept one another.  This book was written for women, but the early readers have been advised that there is meaning within for men as well!  I'd also recommend this book as a graduation, shower, Mother's Day, or other gift.

Not surprisingly this is another great step in Jen Hatmaker's story of helping women of all ages and experiences learn to love and trust themselves. It's a little like Of Mess & Moxie in that she sprinkles in funny and self-deprecating stories but it's alot deeper. It's alot harder. She expects us to work on ourselves because, as she says, we're worth it. Sure, we've heard it before but for the first time I actually believed it. I find it amazing that she can affect so many women on so many different levels with one book but it's happening. How you read this and absorb it will be different than how I did. Personally, it was life changing for me and there's no going back. Thanks to JH for making me believe in myself again!!

I was very excited to get my hands on the newest book from Jen Hatmaker, but I am sad to say that my excitement fizzled rather quickly.  This book was not what I was expecting at all.  I have never read any of Jen Hatmaker's other books, nor have I listened to her podcast, so I came into it with no expectations.

The book as a whole felt flat to me, with not many personal stories to draw me in, and nothing that really grabbed me.  If anything I felt like a lot of the writing was forced, like I was wrong if I didn't agree with her or something.  I do like that the author is trying to empower women, and helping them find their own voice, but felt it could've been handled in a different way.  I could not read this book cover to cover as it felt off after a few chapters, so I chose to cherry-pick what I felt was relevant, and even in doing that I still did not feel like I got much out of this book.

If you've followed my reviews for any length of time you know that I hate giving such a low review, but this is me being true to myself, and giving my honest opinion.  Jen Hatmaker has a lot of fans, and I'm sure if you're one of them you're going to love this book, but for me Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire was little more than a spark.

I'm so happy to have picked up this book at this point in my life. As you read this, sit with each chapter and reflect on what it can mean in your life. Each chapter has a wonderful life lesson and I've learned so much from reading it. In true Jen fashion, she adds her humor throughout important topics. Highly recommend!!

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire by Jen Hatmaker is another in a long line of books by Jen that could be classified as a new genre called life-changing.  Every time I read one of her books, I am left feeling like I've had a wonderful conversation with a best friend or a favorite sister. This book is no different. "I laughed, I cried, it's. better than Cats!" Throughout my life, I have struggled with certain feelings about who I am, some days I know I am too much. Other days, especially as a wife and mother, I feel like I am not enough.  No matter where you may fall on this spectrum, #fiercefreefire has enough grace for all points in between. This book has helped me realize, "I am exactly enough," I am taking up the exact right amount of space. Jen touches on faith, friendships, family and gives you all the feels along the way. It will help you unleash your "fierce," embrace your freedom, and light your fire!

This is Jen’s best work yet. It’s so honest, vulnerable and important, but it is trademarked by her humor and wit. As a mom of girls, this is a book I want to put into their hands. It’s a book I wish I had many years ago and it’s a book I want every woman to read. You will be inspired and encouraged to find your true, authentic self and to own her! Go bravely into the world, just as you were created to do - go out fierce, free and full of fire! 🔥🙌🏻

Every chapter of this book spoke to me. Who I Am, What I Need, What I Want, What I Believe, and How I Connect...those chapters form a blend of introspection, encouragement, and affirmation.  It is everything I want my daughter to read and everything I wish I had read when I was her age. Jen Hatmaker is real; she is funny, relatable, and so full of wisdom. Her words make you say, “yes...exactly...that’s exactly what I think but didn’t have the ability to verbalize”. She makes you laugh and cry and reflect; you want to make a resolution to search for the fierce, free, and full of fire life you know you want and deserve. Make sure you get a written copy of this one so you can highlight just about every page. My digital copy shows over 100 highlights. Read this book...read it slowly and mindfully!

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire is an unapologetic push forward. If you are a fan of Jen Hatmaker already, you know that she has a gift for combining humor, insight and spiritual truth. Where “For the Love” encourages us to build our community and champion each other, FFFF says get up, go out and show the world who you are! This book is filled with humor and also raw truths. This is for women and anyone with women in their life who are just starting out, starting over, or who just need more. Over the 12 chapters, Jen Hatmaker gives us all the playbook to take back the lead role in our daily lives.

I had the privilege to read this book early. Fierce, Free and full of fire is a game changer for women and how we transform our lives into being who we are meant to be. No matter your age this book will help you determine next steps, decision making, your own power in relationships with others and yourself and knowing your worth. This book is fun, will make you laugh and is must read for all women (and men).

I am a big Jen Hatmaker fan, but this was by far the most applicable and beautifully written book she has scripted yet.
I appreciate her authenticity and courage to write these words, as they will be life changers for many readers. 
The content can hit you in deeply personal ways,  but also encourages readers to live their lives fierce, free, and full of fire! 
These pages will bring you laughter, tears, and raw emotion. It brought me to places I have walked through, am walking through presently, and some areas that are not specific relevant now, but may be down the road (at the very least I can relate to others walking through those situations). 
This will be a book that I share with my daughter someday, and want to share with all of my friends. It is marked up, highlighted and has notes in the margins. I am thankful for these life-giving words for faith, wisdom, and courage.

Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire
The Guide to Being Glorious You
by Jen Hatmaker
 Listen to an Audio Excerpt
Nelson Books
 You Like Them
Thomas Nelson
Christian
Pub Date 21 Apr 2020   |   Archive Date Not set

Not my favorite Jen Hatmaker book.  It felt disjointed and it was not fun to read.  Thanks to Net Galley and Thomas Nelson for my ARC.

I’ve probably said this elsewhere in these pages, but I am not part of Jen Hatmaker’s target audience of readers. She exclusively writes for Christian women, and her latest book — Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire — is no exception to this rule. The book is a little different from past Hatmaker tomes, though. For one, there are no food recipes in this volume (waahhh!). Secondly, while she tells stories about her life here, this is not a memoir in the way that previous books might have been. No, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire is a book all about you — your wants, your needs, your dreams, your core being, your truths. Perhaps this is a sign of Hatmaker maturing as a writer, but Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire is not your typical Jen Hatmaker book, for better or for worse.

No matter what she writes, I’ll be on the sidelines acting as a cheerleader — even if I’m not really the type of person that she might want to attract to her writing. There are a few reasons for this, even thought I own a penis and am thus not a part of the Hatmaker cohort. First, Jen Hatmaker is an extremely funny writer. The comedy is a bit more muted in this book, and she has an annoying tendency to slip into sarcasm when talking about her five kids (three biological, two adopted). Still, if you’re looking for an honest-to-goodness belly laugh, you need to pick up a Hatmaker book. Secondly, despite having ties to the conservative Evangelical world, Hatmaker came out in support of the LGBTQ community four years ago and was severely burned for it (as recounted briefly in this book). Anyone who has the conviction to fight for what’s right is cool in my book, and if you feel that gay people don’t deserve God’s love, you can go fuck off right now. (Oh, by the way, in what might be a Hatmaker first, there is light swearing in Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire.)

However, I’m probably meandering around how I feel about this book. My feelings are complicated. For one, I think there’s useful information in this book that can help meek women stand up and be strong for themselves. On the other hand, I felt that Hatmaker sometimes slipped into generalizations and stereotypes about women from time to time that might make this book not resonate with its intended audience. If I could offer a further critique — and this is something she directly acknowledges in her own work here — she sometimes comes off as unfocused, and starts writing about whatever tickles her fancy at any given point in time, although it might not have much of a point to it. To wit, I found the final two chapters, which had something to do with honesty, to drone on and on without much in the way of a reason for existing other than to pad this book out to more than 200 pages.

I also have a question that perhaps may seem to be a critique of Hatmaker’s work, but I do want to pose it as a question and nothing more — I’m just trying to understand Hatmaker’s impetus for writing to and for women. The thing is, she notes her frustration at being viewed as a lesser preacher and public speaker in evangelical churches, where women can be taken less seriously for their views than men. However, she writes books for a categorically female audience. Isn’t this just lowering the bar and playing into the very thing that she rails against? Wouldn’t men have something to gain from reading this book and other works by Hatmaker as well? If she was serious about her intent in fostering women to dream big and have a voice, wouldn’t she try to take the lead on this by writing for everyone in the room? These are just questions and observations I have. I don’t know the answers to them — I would probably pose them to the author, instead — but I think they’re valid because they seem to have something to say about the venues that Hatmaker chooses and how they might rub against the very thing that she’s trying to say.

In the end, I had a lot of questions after reading Fierce, Free and Full of Fire. I’m mostly wondering about the change in tone in Hatmaker’s writing. In her past books, her funny and candid tone worked in spades, so shifting the spotlight from her to the reader deflects a lot of Hatmakers key strengths and it’s awkward when she talks about herself here because she goes to great lengths to put less emphasis on herself as a character. I do appreciate that Hatmaker is candid — at times, she notes in the book that she’s still working on whatever topic she’s writing about at hand. On the other hand, this just draws attention to the fact that the book is not being written by an expert. Certainly, it draws upon other works, which leads me to conclude that Hatmaker might have been better served by posting the titles of these books on her website and asking readers to go there.

As much as Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire didn’t work as well with me as other books by Jen Hatmaker, I do appreciate her voice and her sordid wit. She’s an easy read and reading one of her books is like pulling up a chair beside a long-awaited friend. Hatmaker is chatty and personable. As much as I wish she would write with a male audience in mind, I appreciate that her choice in audience might allow her to be more of herself — a trait that’s appreciated, even if I have mixed thoughts about it. Basically, no matter what Hatmaker writes, you can’t go wrong reading one of her books, and while Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire might be more Hatmaker-Lite, it is still worth reading for the love, guys, for the love. That’s all I need to say.