I am a huge gymnastics fan, and Shawn Johnson is one of my top favorite gymnasts. I follow her YouTube channel which is how I was first introduced to Mallory Ervin, one of her best friends. I looked up Ervin’s podcast Living Fully and really enjoyed the positive and inspiring episodes. When I saw her book was completed after hearing about it through her podcast, I was excited to finally get my hands on it.

Ervin writes a very personal and vulnerable self-help book meant to motivate and spark you to “live fully”. Rather than numbing out or settling for fine, which she describes as the new rock bottom, she encourages you to make the most of the only life you get to live. Her book is split into three parts: The Wake-Up Call, Staying Awake, and Living Fully.

In the first part of the book she discusses her drug addiction to prescription painkillers, as well as her obsession with perfectionism and achievements. She entered treatment but she describes how she had to work at what caused her substance abuse not just the abuse itself. I think this is true for anyone; you have to work at your core issues regardless of what your version of numbing out or addiction may be.

Each chapter has a different message, such as “Living in Legacy Mode”, “Keeping the Faith”, and “Ignoring the Noise”. She ties personal family stories to each theme, so the book is really part memoir and part self-help. Some self-help books may motivate you in the moment but don’t leave you with anything to make actual change. But I took action in my own life before I was even finished reading. I just love Ervin’s positive and relatable messages. I truly feel like she cares about spreading her message. Her book was very genuine and I thought her writing was very impressive and easy to read.

I saved many quotes while reading and rereading them makes me feel hopeful all over again. I was already a fan of Ervin but I would encourage anyone to read her book. What she preaches is far from drastic. She provides simple changes you can make to adjust your attitude and perspective on life. I think everyone should embrace living fully!

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for an ARC of this book.

Inspirational and motivating. Mallory didn’t hold back with this! I really enjoyed her life stories and hearing how she overcame issues.

☀️Hi friends☀️
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I come to you with a very out of character genre for me… and that is self-help.

Standout Quote: “I didn’t create you to numb out and get by, constantly hustling to try and accomplish the external things the world says are significant but that will never fill your soul. I created you to be a living expression of beauty and goodness and joy.”
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My thoughts:
✨Inspirational and full of perspective. She incorporates stories that coincide with her perspectives and demonstrates these are lessons she’s learned first hand and not just lessons that sound good in theory.
✨A good mix of faith based content, as well as a mixture of other tools such a manifestation, the power of saying no, and a positive mindset.
✨A perfect mixture of glitz and glam with a side of country. You have bits from her tv and influencer days but also bits from family reunions and growing up with her family in Kentucky.

Overall: I have followed Mallory since before her youtube days. I have watched her family grow (and continue to grow with this new bub on the way), tried a bunch of her recipes, listen to Kyle react to the Bachelor (lol), and have seen this natural progression from beauty influencer to more of an intentional lifestyle brand.

I think her writing a book just makes sense. I truly think she is such a light and she really put her heart and soul into this book. While some of the stories were familiar to me, I feel like there was added depth that almost ever further stripped back her life and experiences in a very vulnerable way in hopes to truly connect and share her wisdom. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommended. It felt like a friend or an older sister just sitting and having a real conversation with you rather than preachy like other self help books can come across at times. This book serves as the perfect read with the new year, but also the perfect read whenever you need a reminder that even though you’ll have good days and bad days, everyday you deserve to live fully🤍

📖Comes out: February 8th, 2022

Thank you @netgalley @malloryervin @penguinrandomhouse for the arc!

i literally read this entire book today and couldn’t wait to tell everyone about it. i didn’t even know i needed motivation to live fully but i so did. i have been a follower/subscriber of @malloryervin for years. that’s why i wanted to read this. i did not expect to be inspired and in awe within the first few pages.

this book reminded me to focus on the things that bring me joy, not to let fear get in the way of living, wake up in the morning optimistic and grateful, that it’s not okay to just be “fine.” Mallory so perfectly points out all of the tiny things we do (and think) that stop us from living fully and inspires readers to make changes that work with their own life. i don’t like preachy books and somehow this didn’t land at all preachy. she shared her wisdom and lessons learned while still acknowledging that our struggles and lives are all different.

this was an easy five star rating and i knew it about halfway through. i know i will read this book and return to things i highlighted (so many highlights) throughout different phases of my life because this motivation that’s sparked will fade away and need to be brought back.

i truly think this book could be impactful for anyone at any stage of life. it’s not a book that is just for when you feel at rock bottom. i am generally happy with my life and this book was still so impactful. it’s not about living a certain way, it’s about living with and embracing the things that spark joy and passion. 10/10 recommend!

I hadn’t heard of Mallory Ervin before reading Living Fully but I loved the sound of her book and was keen to read it. I found it to be a really thought provoking read beginning with Mallory obsessively collecting antiques and junk and realising there was a deeper problem she needed to address. Among the things she discusses in the book are mum guilt, visualisation and signs, facing and letting go of fear and in a very moving chapter we hear how her family dealt with loss. I loved her chatty writing style and this book has acted as a reminder to me to seize more opportunities and let go of fear. The publication of this book comes at a time when many of us are adapting to getting back out in the world after the lockdowns and restrictions from Covid. It’s an uplifting and inspiring read and thank you to the NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to review.

This book was like sitting down with a friend and chatting about how to better ourselves. There was no guilt about where I am in life vs. the next girl. I took away so many great ideas and can already tell 2022 is going to be a great year personally. I highly recommend!!

I have finally been able to finish Living Fully.
I am not a huge book reader but I must say this one held my attention!
The vulnerability Mallory had to submit is like nothing I ever imagined. She shares so many of her trials in hopes to save others from making some of the mistakes she made.
I recommend this book 100%

This book was just what I needed. I spent the last several months knowing that I needed to read more motivating/self help non fiction books, but the weight of the year kept me fully in fiction. Living Fully was just the right amount of personal and light to help get me back into reading the stuff that fills me up and ready to take on the year.

Mallory's personal stories and homey feel to her writing make it easy to sink right into the lessons and learning in the book without feeling too heavy. If you are a fan of personal triumphs, motivation, and inspiration, this book is very much for you.

I could not recommend this book enough! It's packed with inspiring stories from Mallory's life experiences and she shares the real and raw details of each one. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it.

I have been a fan of Mallory for years and listen to her podcast every chance I get so I was so excited to get an advanced copy of this book. I had no doubt that her words would resonate with me, but while traveling through one of my darkest seasons in life, this book found me and forever changed me.
Living Fully gave me the warmest hug and the biggest kick in the butt. Reminding me that when things are hard and difficult to grab hold of the things that matter and that there is always joy int eh darkest moments.
I will forever go back to this book as reference and a guide to help remind me to constantly live as fully as I can.

Review
I love Mallory Ervin and was so excited to read her book. Her positivity and vibrance is so contagious and I couldn’t wait to learn more of her story and how I could tap into her practice of positivity. I loved reading her story of overcoming addiction and appreciated the raw look at something I’ve never heard her discuss in depth openly. It was raw, honest, relatable and inspiring. Same for her story about the loss of her nephew Blaise, which you likely know about if you follow her but was heartbreaking to read more about. Those stories at the beginning and end were so powerful, and I wish we got more of them throughout the middle. I was expecting Mallory to dive deeper into her experiences on Miss America and The Amazing Race, and was a little disappointed she didn’t spend more time on those. I also would’ve loved hearing more about her relationship with her family and their retreats and her husband Kyle and their breakup/coming back together + marriage advice. The more in-depth stories she told are the ones that will stick with me, not so much the surface-level overviews of experiences tied to perspective and fear. I’m not sure I totally understand how to start “living fully” tomorrow, but I did find this book inspiring and relatable and am looking forward to what she writes next.

Mallory Ervin brings us into her life in Living Fully, her debut nonfiction book. Ervin starts with anecdotal tales from her life that swirl into her lowest lows in rehab. Throughout the book, she recounts the lessons she's learned along her way in life and how we as the reader can apply it to our own lives.

Living Fully isn't the book I was expecting. I have been following Mallory for several years; I was expecting a lifestyle book, not a self-help book. Mallory creates the life, and the content comes from the life. I don't remember her talking about her brand, website, or blog. She creates quality content. I get many ideas from buying things for my toddler, date night, recipes, gardening, places to visit. The book I was expecting was about building a full life and making things memorable for my family and those around me. Not Tony Robbins quotes and manifesting.

I struggled to rate this book because I really did enjoy this book. The book's first half was hard to get through, but the later chapters had me in tears. Mascara all over my face, Mallory is a masterful storyteller. Ultimately I went with a 3-star rating because I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone not already following Mallory. I don't think they would make it through the book's first half to get to the good stuff.

The influencer self-help book market is rapidly becoming oversaturated. Any influencer that can write or knows how to hire a ghostwriter on Fivvr is coming out with a book. Micro-influencers are pumping out eBooks every day. I hope Mallory writes a second book, but I hope it's not self-help. I would love to read a coffee table book with lots of styled photos.

Topics of interest: a holiday book, a travel book where Mallory revisits her Amazing Race stops, a cookbook with family stories sprinkled throughout food photos.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS. I didn't follow Mallory beforehand, but as a Catholic mom I really connected with her while reading this, which surprised me because I am not one to be intrigued by influenster culture. She writes as someone who can balance the fine line of humor and taking oneself seriously enough. For someone who seemed to be interested in that pop fame of life, she is so rooted and refreshing.

Thank you NetGalley for the pre-release of Living Fully.

I absolutely, positively loved this book! Her transparency and honesty in telling her story made it relatable, and the take-home lessons and messages were exactly what I needed to hear in my season of life. I definitely plan to recommend this book to my friends and book club!

Mallory’s book is an absolute must have! Each chapter in the book provides insight to Mallory’s past life, how she’s created her current life, and how others can adopt the Living Fully lifestyle. I devoured these pages because it felt like I was having a conversation with a good friend. She beautifully touches on topics that we try to hide not only from others, but from ourselves. I was called out, I was brought to tears, I was reassured, and I was encouraged through the journey of Mallory’s words. This book should be celebrated & it will be discussed in book clubs across America. Buy a copy for yourself, your mother, your sister, and all of your friends.

I follow Mallory on Instagram and just love her energy! She is always very straightforward but also carefree and fun. I understand her wanting to title this book 'Living Fully' as her life reflects that passion. However, as much as I enjoy her and her family, this book was not it for me. I read through it so fast because I felt it held no substance or interesting information. The book had some great stories about her experiences and I understood the message she was conveying but it felt too flat and repetitive.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have read it and hope it speaks to others who read it.

In Living Fully, Mallory takes life experiences she has had and shares her life lessons on it. It's not neccessarily a self-help book, but it helps you to look at yoyr life and see if you are living your life fully. She has some interesting life experiences which were more interesting to read about more than the life lessons she writes about.

I typically do not read a lot of "self help' Books because they feel very preachy and often make you feel bad for not being able to achieve something. Mallory does an amazing job of humanizing herself and giving the feeling of having life changing conversations with your bestfriend. She does not claim that their is some simple fix to our lives problems, but truly gives tangible advice for how to make long lasting changes to your life to live MORE FULLY. Mallory is a fantastic story teller and has a great background of adversity and perseverance that really just drags you into the story. There is something in this book everyone could use to make their life one that they are truly proud of everyday.

“To live a life is a gift we are given.
To live a full live is a gift we give ourselves.”
Although I appreciated the message in this book and the various stories, I was hoping for bold quotes, action steps, reflection questions, and other ways to see the connection in my own life.

What an inspiring tale about encountering challenges and trials in life only to dig into faith and find some perseverance. Mallory is a great writer, and I felt like she was writing this for her best friend. Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for a copy of this book for an honest review.