Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital ARC. This review is my own opinion. Mama Love seems to have written this book from the heart. She was addicted to opiates and lost part of her life to them. In reading this book I felt the truth in it. She hurt herself, her children, her friends and her neighbors. People may read this book and think that could never happen to them or their loved ones. I have lived on the outskirts of this world and I have seen people being taken by drugs and sincerely not be able to think past their next dose. The saying "but for the grace of God, go I" should be forefront in everyones mind when they read this book. Mama Love should be proud of getting out of that life. The book was a hard look at addiction, California jails and "drug court." To Mama Love I say there will always be haters--don't let it drag you back down.

The Many Lives of Mama Love is an honest and unflinching memoir about a woman who appeared to be living a typical suburban mom life but was really living on the edge, addicted to drugs and stealing from neighbors to support her habit. She chronicles her time in jail and after, as she worked tirelessly to rebuild her life and regain custody of her son.

I really appreciated her honesty about the roadblocks she encountered as she reentered life after incarceration. I am so grateful to authors like @laralovehardin and @keriblakinger for sharing their experiences and shining a light on all the ways the judicial system operates to keep people stuck inside.

Once an affluent suburban soccer mom, Lara (aka Mama Love) was convicted of 32 felonies for stealing credit cards to fund her opioid addiction. She recounts her harrowing time in prison and the incredible second chance at life she reclaimed upon her release. With wit and tenderness, Mama Love explores themes of shame and forgiveness, as well as a commentary on the criminal legal system. You will root for Mama Love as she becomes a best-selling author/ghostwriter and proves that stories have the power to heal and that we are all more than our worst mistake.

READ THIS IF:
You read The Sun Does Shine (Lara was a co-writer with Anthony Ray Hinton)
You believe we’re more than the worst thing we’ve ever done
Getting a window into a women’s prison intrigues you

Wow! What a stunning, emotional, and raw memoir. This tugged at my mama heart in so many ways. Brutal honesty and true vulnerability as she shares a story of healing & overcoming. Definitely recommend and will not forget this one!

Super compelling, fast and interesting read! I heard about this book on the podcast Sarah's Bookshelves, and am glad I was able to get to be an early reader. I'll definitely recommend it to people when it comes out!

I could just not get into this book at all. While I felt some sympathy, I just really couldn't understand how this intelligent woman ended up in this situation. I'm sure it is an uplifting story eventually, but I just didn't care enough to go further. DNF at 25%

The Many Lives of Mama Love was such an emotional read. As a mother myself I felt for Lara and am so proud of how she turned her life around and did "the next right thing" in order to get her son back. I also thought she did a great job of showing how broken the system is and how difficult life after prison can be for anyone, let alone a single mother. This was an inspiring and reflective read! I am interested in reading other books she helped write.

The best part about memoirs is honesty and reflection. Hardin serves both!

This is quite the honest, heart-rending account of her climb from literal rock bottom to a successful literary agent and ghostwriter. It's one of those success narrative books that's uplifting whole also shining a light on issues like the criminal justice system and the urgent need for reform, as well as diving into an honest, raw account about a mother fighting for custody of her children and becoming clean from an opiate addiction.

Hardin's honesty is a huge plus for me. She spares no expense and the writing of it in present tense, so the experience feels raw and visceral -- in terms of technical writer jargon, this book feels very "lived in." The downward spiral that Hardin tracks and the veneer of soccer mom, HOA drag that she put on to maintain deniability is really well tracked and honestly, quite heartbreaking to read. I felt the love (pun intended) pouring out of this book -- from her interactions with her fellow inmates, to the way I, as the reader, felt like a confidant throughout the memoir. For me it was just the writing that didn't make this book entirely stand out to me, as I felt quite a lot of descriptions and even the chronology at times could've been beefed up by writing it the past tense or offering just some more measurable distance from the events portrayed.

Thank you endlessly to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for this opportunity!

Well written and an interesting story. Could have delved more into the work done to overcome the trauma that led to the addiction but overall a very good memoir of addiction and redemption sprinkled with systemic issues around incarceration and reentry. .

Okay, what an absolutely beautiful book. Lara Love Hardin is brilliant. She wrote the struggles of addiction, parenting, and just life in general so well. It's raw, painful, tender, and so needed. This book is going to help people be seen and heard. I'm so grateful to get to read writing like this.

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to review this beautiful book.

Honestly I loveddd this book. I recently read Orange is the New Black and felt like the book was lacking in a lot of aspects…. Everything I didn’t get from one book I got from this one! This is what I wanted when reading a memoir of someone who was incarcerated. She really did things so she really had a story to tell and I was here for every bit of it. The story kept me on my toes especially just when you thought things were going good for Mama Love BOOM another obstacle. This book did a great job in framing her life, nodding to the corrupt police structure and giving praises to people who helped along the way, I mean what more could you ask for. Mama Love story is definitely one that deserved a book, I’d watch the show or movie. I feel like I know Mama Love and after reading a memoir you’d want that.!

I will be posting my review to my tiktok the day before the publication date.

My goal to read more memoirs in 2023 continues. This was such a fascinating story about a woman with addiction issues that persevered against all odds. While she did some terrible things, I still found myself rooting for her throughout, as she hit rock bottom and fought her way back to the top. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

WOW! WOW! WOW! What a story - Lara Love Hardin tells her story of going from soccer mom to drug addict to prison inmate to successful author and advocate with such raw honesty & humility. This is a beautifully told story - as a reader I could feel the all the emotion - love, the lies, the guilt, the shame, the terror and the forgiveness - radiating off the page.

Hardin tells her story such a way that I was wholly invested and riveted and could not put this book down. Her story really opened my eyes to certain aspects of the justice system and how broken and hard it is - especially for non-violent offenders - to get out and be successful in rebuilding their life. I greatly appreciated that she mentioned on numerous occasions that even though her situation was incredibly difficult, it would have been much worse and different had she not been a white woman.

Her story is difficult, frustrating, uplifting, inspiring and filled with so much hope and love. If you are a fan of Orange is the New Black and The Sun Does Shine (she co-wrote that one!) - you will absolutely love this book.

Thank you to Netgalley & Simon and Schuster for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

One thing I love about being a Simon Books Buddy is that the list of featured books for the month includes so many options that help me step out of my comfort zone. I usually only pick up memoirs when I am familiar with the person who wrote it, which means in my case, they’re often celebrity memoirs of actors or singers. Guilty, but it’s true!

Before reading this one, I had no idea who Lara Love Hardin was, but the synopsis left me wanting to know more about her journey. It was humorous, while covering some very serious topics. And it looked like a story of sadness and shame that turned into one of forgiveness and redemption.

Turns out, it was all that and then some! Our society is one that easily judges others and doesn’t like the ugly parts of life. We are often quick to cast aside those who have fallen on hard times and deem them unworthy or a lost cause rather than actually asking if they are okay and how we can help. On the flip side, those struggling are often too ashamed to ask for the help they need and are caught in a toxic cycle that takes tremendous strength (and luck) to break out of it.

This book brought to light how little I knew about our justice and punitive system. I read the book and watched the show, Orange Is The New Black, but I quickly learned from Lara's book that federal prison is very different than your local jail. Either way, they are both filled with many people who have hit rock bottom in a system that is set up to make it nearly impossible to break free even when they’re released.

Lara is one of the exceptions. While her focus wavered and she relapsed several times, she defied the odds, got clean and found a way to forgive herself to be the best mom she could be and provide for her family as a successful writer/editor. The irony is not lost on her that she was sentenced to 32 counts of fraud/stealing/identity left and ended up being a New York Times Best-Selling ghostwriter, assuming identities (legally!) of others to help tell their stories.

It’s an enlightening, redemptive read that I think teaches us that our past worst moments don’t have to define our present and future. There can be forgiveness for others, but more importantly, for ourselves. Even when we don’t think we deserve it. I think we can all learn a lot from a woman who says the best thing that ever happened to her was going to jail. It completely turned her life’s trajectory around, and now, Mama Love leads a life with love and light at its center.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review! I will be sharing the review above to Goodreads and my Instagram account later this week, a little closer to pub date.

Mama Love's story is amazing. She was in such a low spot in her life, but fought and clawed her way up. Along the way, she tried to help out the others she met along the way. She knew she couldn't stop her "roomates" from coming and going from jail, but she tried to assist in supporting them while in and participating/volunteering in ways that would positively impact them while they were in county jail.

My husband and I were foster parents for a few years and this book made me think of a few of the parents we had in our extended families. One set of parents in particular fought and clawed their way up, as well, I am going to purchase a book for their Momma to read. I would also love for this to be on the continued education list for foster parents to see the parents side of view. Parents can love their kids and want what is best for this for years, but addiction isn't allowing them to be the best they can be. This would be a great read for foster parents to have empathy for the parents.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this fantastic story.
As Oprah said she would hand out copies of The Sun Does Shine, that is exactly how I feel about The Many Lives of Mama Love. It is a must-read for everyone. I read this book in one sitting - it really and truly is a page-turner from page one on.
The one word I can use to describe this book is COURAGEOUS. There is no sugar coating any of what Lara shares with us, and it is done with Grace and class, tenderness and honesty. I felt like I really knew each and every person in the story. Lara shows us how life can change in a moment (literally).
One important piece of this book for me was in the Acknowledgement to Doug - "If "thank you" is the most powerful prayer there is, then I offier it up to you, Doug.". That really says a lot about Lara's journey and it is a life lesson I take from the book, to always remember that.
Thank you for writing one of the best books I have read. Many blessings.

Lara Love Hardin works at a literary agency and has helped some pretty big writers finish their books, in including The Sun Does Shine, an Oprah book club pick and a five star read for me. I was dubious when I first picked up this book but I didn’t need to be. Lara talks about her drug addiction, her time in jail and navigating the criminal justice system and learning to forgive herself enough to be honest about her experiences. First of all, this book is well written and engaging. Once I started, I could not put it down. It is also honest and heart wrenching and an unflinching account of the criminal justice system.

I received a digital advanced review copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

The Many Lives of Mama Love is Lara Love Hardin’s memoir of “lying, stealing, writing and healing”. In one of the first chapters, Lara recounts checking into a hotel with her youngest son by using a stolen credit card. Of course, her actions were wrong, but wow, the stress induced just reading this early scene! Lara and her husband were funding their heroin addiction through stolen credit cards and are eventually caught.

Lara is found guilty of committing 32 felonies. She spent a year in jail and upon her release, worked diligently to redeem herself, regain custody of her youngest son, and be the mother she wanted to be to all of her boys. She faced numerous obstacles with finances, some probation requirements, and her exes. Lara began working at a literary agency and despite making great strides, also had to battle her constant companion, shame, for her past behavior and resulting reputation through the neighborhood.

Today, Lara is a successful ghostwriter. I have read and enjoyed The Book of Joy and The Sun Does Shine, two excellent books she worked on. This memoir is only further proof she can write. I am a big believer in righting wrongs including paying consequences. That said, I also believe people can change when they truly want to, and work to. The Many Lives of Mama Love is the ultimate redemption story.

This book is such a beautiful story of trying... trying to overcome addiction, trying to keep a life together and trying to be a parent. The parts about her youngest son when she went to jail makes me want to claw back time. That sweet little boy being scared is a reminder how the affects of addiction on kids. Ugh it's so not fair. Really well written and I'm really grateful I got to read this memoir!

Never judge a book by its title--when I first saw this one I wondered what I was getting myself into. And then I couldn't put it down! Lara Love was a mom of 4 boys, living the dream life, but hiding a heroin habit, funded by stealing her neighbors' credit cards, among other things. She ends up in jail, convicted of 32 felonies. This is the story of her journey back to life on the outside. While she was able to successfully bank on her talent as a writer, nothing else was easy. This was probably the best memoir I've read in a long time. It's also a powerful statement on our criminal justice system and the lack of resources for convicted felons to return to society. You might find yourself judging her at times--I did--and it will also make you evaluate your own feelings. Her writing is so powerful! i can't recommend this one enough.