Well, this was more of an autobiography than anything else, from two different perspectives, husband and wife, with an interior design background noise. Can't say it inspired me in any direction, but after reading almost half of it I decided to put it down and try something else. It wasn't very interesting and even if I were following Shea on Instagram, I'm still not sure anything can explain writing this book. It felt purposeless, I'm afraid.

I really enjoyed this book! This book was generously provided to me through NetGalley. Highly Recommended!

This was a bit more memoir than I expected, but I actually really enjoyed it! I was vaguely familiar of the tv famous couple and their show, but I enjoyed learning more about them in this book.

I gave this book two stars because it was just okay for me. I adore Syd and Shea, but this fell flat. There are no photographs and it felt like it lacked content. While I do find them both interesting people, it was monotonous to read every detail about their life up until now. It felt like it was part love story and part memoir, part self-help and believing in yourself, and part business advice.

I do think that some people who are big followers of their self-made brand would enjoy this read. As a person who is aware of them, but don't religiously follow them, this fell flat.

This is more a story of the couple that their decorating/designing philosophy. If you are interested in learning their personal stories, this is the book for you. If you are looking for more design inspiration, this isn't the ultimate focus of the book.

This book has great design and very easy to read. I love décor books and when the author writes small incites its even better! I highly recommend this book to add to anyone's collection of books.

An interesting memoir told in alternating viewpoints between Syd and Shae. Honestly, I had no idea who these two people were, so it was interesting to learn about them and read their story, along with the advice for making your own life beautiful. An interesting and entertaining read.

Presentation of this book strongly conveys a book of photos showing authors' creations in decorating. A large format book like this would not be expected to be primarily text.

Oh, if you like Magnolia, you'll like this book! This is an amazing book. I love learning about their lives, and how they got to where they're at.

It's real. It's down to earth. It's not your typical "coffee table" book. No pictures, but a beautiful recounting of their life, and how they do life, how they climbed out of debt and. how their journey has led them to where they're at.

This book is like sitting on the couch and talking to friends. It's part love story, part design manual, part follow your dreams and make it happen. It was just the balm I needed. The writing is lovely.

First off, this is a business book, not a design book. I didn’t read the description. Since the authors run and interior design firm, I had expected a glossy, photo-filled book with design tips similar to the content they present on their Instagram account. Instead I was treated to a behind the scenes look at they’re journey as a family owned small business. It was utterly fascinating.

I’ve followed their Instagram account for years, so I loved hearing about the thought process behind certain design choices as well as the choices they made as their business grew. The final chapter seemed tacked on as an afterthought to include recent changes due to COVID and their new line with Target. I recommend this book to fans of their social media accounts and to new fans from their Netflix series. I also recommend it to young people interested in interior design or ecommerce. I don’t know if I would recommend it to anyone outside of those parameters.

This book wasn’t the design guide I anticipated. While I wish there had been more pictures, I enjoyed learning more about Syd and Shea and their path to success. I’m familiar with their design work and watched the Netflix show, but I think even those who haven’t would be able to find value in their story.

This is one couples memoir and involvement through their relationship, career, and family. From the cover I really thought it would of housed more pictures since the first chapter is about a bookshelf but no pictures. A memoir, and story about their life.... even biographies have pictures. The book really involves their work/ life balance and what they did to creat a beautiful life. Interesting but different from what I thought it would be. I’d recommend it to people interested in this couples life to fame of having a beautiful life. I’ve never seen their show on Netflix so I’m not really a fan.

This was an unexpected revelation of Syd and Shea McGee's rise to influencer status. I was expecting more photo evidence--more of a coffee book of beautifully curated photos. However, this was a great memoir that will inspire people to take a risk and find a way to create a much-beloved brand.

Thank you to the publisher, authors and Netgalley for a copy of this memoir in exchange for an honest review

There’s a lot I enjoyed about this books one being that it felt like we were at dinner with Syd & Shea with the great rapport they had throughout the book. I loved all the stories & memories they shared throughout & over all it was an easy read. What I felt was missing were pictures...I really wish they included some photos throughout & if they would that would have definitely upped my impression & rating of this book.

I’ve long been a fan of Studio McGee, and often spend entirely too long perusing their Instagram account. So naturally, I absolutely loved having a book full of their stunning photography. They have such an ease about their decorating style that’s both aspirational and attainable. I’ll be buying a physical copy for my coffee table.

Make Life Beautiful is more memoir than style guide - if you are inspired by Syd and Shea McGee's life and are interested in finding out about how they grew their business this is the book for you.

Make Life Beautiful was not quite what I was expecting. I was hoping for some photos and design tips, but it is purely biographical. It is the story of their lives and how they built their design business. I think it will be a great book for their followers but I am not that interested in their life story. I think it will be inspiring for many people but it was just not my cup of tea.

I misunderstood what to expect from this book. I thought it would have shown more decorative photos and tips. It was actually a story about their lives. It was good but I couldn’t get past what I expected this to be.

I really thought this book was about decorating/styling, I mean the thing that they are known for.
I received an ARC of this book through Netgalley and was really disappointed to see that it had no beautiful pictures inside.
This is more about their personal life, which to be honest, I’m not that interested in. I’m sure some of their followers might find it really interesting. I follow them for their design.