Authenticity. Honesty. Imperfections.

How do we embrace our true selves, especially in modern times, when it is so easy to hide behind a screen? MK brings us into her circle of friends and then asks us to look at the messy parts of our lives and embrace the mess. I loved reading this book - I laughed out loud, I felt heartache when she pulled on my heartstrings, I felt kinship.

Charmingly relatable, yet intensely challenging, this book is a must read for any woman who has felt that she is being held back by her imperfections, when all we must realize is that God speaks to us through and over the mess.

Thank you to NetGalley and Worthy Publishing for this free advance reader copy. The opinions here are my own.

Mk is the most down to earth Christian I've ever known. She is wholesome, authentic, and genuinely a kind human who is just trying her best everyday despite her own demons. She shows that noone is perfect and she doesn't try to be either. She understands God will accept you for who you are regardless.

This is a beautifully written book that switches back and forth from a distant memory that explains an inside story to the present and how it applies now in her life. She explains that she writes about the past because she has had time to process and understand better God's purpose for those scenarios and where he fits in.

She strives for her readers to feel more comfortable in sharing their messes and understanding we will find our people someday if we have not already. By being genuine we will find where we fit in.

I absolutely adore MK. I've followed her on social media for some time now. She is so real and funny. This book was delightful, I expected nothing less!

Holy Hot Mess has been such a joy to read. Mary Katherine explains parenting and womanhood all wrapped up with it’s complexities, joys, trials and tribulations, and even the “messy stuff” but she explains it in such a way that you see God weaving his way through their lives, through all the good stuff, but for all the messy stuff too. #HolyHotMess has been my favorite read this summer!!

Holy Hot Mess, by Mary Katherine Backstrom, is definitely a book I will recommend to friends, and that I will be reading over and over again. She is witty, funny, honest, and so relatable. She speaks her truth, and shares a small glimpse of herself and her life through this book. Highly recommend!

Oh my goodness, Holy Hot Mess described my life! I felt like I was sitting with MK and chatting over coffee. The personal stories, relatability over feelings, and being validated as a mom/woman are just… a breath of fresh air. Who knew that we were created to BE a hot mess?!

What a good surprise this book was. I loved the author´s sense of humor on telling to the reader about all the situations and experiences Shes has lived through, and seeing How God is still by our side, even when We think that We are alone and abandoned. good job!

Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. I laughed, then cried, then laughed again, and then cried again, all while sharing passages with my best friend and my husband, who impertinently asked me if we were reading this book together. Of course we are dear man!. You'll want to share this book with everyone you love. I'll certainly never look at a rat or a hamster again and not think of this book. Mary Katherine Backstrom is authentic, funny and inspiring, and proves once again that showing up as we really are in a world that loves it when we sparkle is a super power. My favorite part by far was towards the end: "AndBy sharing your story, you are sharing the gospel. Don’t you dare water it down. How beautiful that God has embraced our worst and presented it as His best. He loves us, adores us, and has a plan

Holy Hot Mess is a must read. From the first page I was engaged with the amazingly written stories that are so touching and make you laugh and that many people can relate to. I absolutely love her honesty and I feel comforted hearing her stories. I do not normally read books but this one is hard to put down. I just love it!!

I finished the whole.ding.dang.thing in less than 24 hours. It was so good. Reading each page felt like conversing with your BFF - laughter, encouragement and insight. This book helped clarify so many feelings and I'm still.processing how much it has changed my perspective on everyday moments.
I love MK. She is real and authentic no matter what. She embraces her messiness and encourages others to do the same. She welcomes EVERYONE at her table with no judgment. She is so funny and puts it all out there. She is my best friend in my head (shhhhh...she might think I'm crazy lol).

Order this book yall. It's awesome and you need a copy. FOR REALZ!!!!!

This book hits so close to home for me! It has made me laugh while waiting at the doctors and having to explain why. So many of the patients were interested in the book and can’t wait for it to come out.

MK Backstrom knows how to tell a story. I can relate to so many things that she shares. How she brings God into the situation to help you know that you are not by yourself, but He is with you throughout everything is awesome! Her stories of family are funny and so true to real life. She makes you feel like you could be best friends with her because you go through the same things that she is going through! I absolutely love this book and would recommend it to everyone!

Mary Katherine is a phenomenal writer. This book speaks to me. Her stories are authentic and relatable. She speaks from the heart. She let's you know that that every "mess" is a learning experience and something to grow from. I can't tell you how much I am loving this book! Thank you MK for this masterpiece!

I just love this woman!!! Mary Katherine's story(ies) will make you laugh and feel like you have found a friend!! She writes so effortlessly about her struggles, her faith and her victories and does so with honesty and humor. Flew through this book in just a little over a day and it really gave me a sense of peace!!! Pick this one up!

I will confess that I started off in good cheer with Mary Katherine Backstrom's "Holy Hot Mess: Finding God in the Details of this Weird and Wonderful Life," a Worthy Publishing release in which Backstrom explores with heart and humor and remarkable transparency her own stories about how God has taken the holy hot messes of her own life and turned them into something weird and wonderful.

Backstrom is a relentlessly engaging author. She's quick and easy with sharing her own stories, whether it's that collegiate period where past traumas rose to the surface and influenced her behaviors or her increasing awareness of parenting, marital, and faith struggles.

While Backstrom grounds "Holy Hot Mess" in faith and vulnerability, she mixes in an abundance of humor, insight, and her own journey toward accepting the entire journey warts and all.

"Holy Hot Mess" is filled with stories about growing up, making choices, motherhood, parenting, marriage, and even depression. It's a breezy, engaging read and the kind of book that will likely have you running over to social media to look up Backstrom if you're no already familiar with her active social media presence.

I enjoyed virtually every moment of "Holy Hot Mess," though I'll also admit there were moments when I found myself wanting just a bit more.

For example, at times it found like I was getting to know Backstrom's story more than Backstrom herself. There's a fine line here, of course, but at times it felt like humor was being used as a defense rather than as a healthy mechanism for sharing the story. In these moments, I felt like the story only skimmed the surface of what was really going on.

Similarly, a late "Holy Hot Mess" discussion about her marriage felt just a tad jarring almost to a "Glennon" degree. While it certainly doesn't manifest the same way, it almost felt like when a Marvel Comics Universe movie gives you a glimpse of future films. This felt like "This is what I'm going to write about next." It just felt weird.

These are minor quibbles, really, for a book that I truly enjoyed and appreciated. I mean, seriously, it's hard not to absolutely love someone named Mary Katherine (though I'll confess I was a little bit surprised when Baptist was mentioned rather than Catholic. I mean, c'mon. Mary Katherine practically screams out being a Catholic name).

Backstrom is an up-and-coming author whose works I will undoubtedly continue to follow. With honesty, humor, and vulnerability, Backstrom takes us into her own challenges in trusting God's presence in the details of our lives and reminds us that through it all we're truly not alone.

Mary Katherine Backstrom may be a holy hot mess, but she's certainly a warm, funny, and talented writer as well.

Mary Katherine is speaking the truth in her book, Holy Hot Mess. She is real, and she isn't holding back. Her stories in this book not only are totally relatable but ones that we all have been through. I love how she doesn't hold back and shoes the hot mess side of herself. We all are hot messes, but Jesus and God love us. Hot messes and all!