Member Reviews

“Get your life together,” is the catch phrase of Peloton instructor, Cody Rigsby, and he did exactly that. From California to North Carolina to New York City, Rigsby exposes his difficult childhood growing up gay with a single, drug-addicted mother with mental health issues. They were broke and housing was always unstable, but Rigsby always dreamed there were better things for him.

Arriving in NYC, and sometimes working three jobs, Rigsby created a family of friends and a career and stability he can be proud of. From the lows of losing family and friends to addiction, to the highs of competing on Dancing with the Stars and learning to have a relationship with his mother as an adult, Rigsby is opinionated and brash, while being open about who he is. While his tone will tell you that his opinion counts the most, this is an intimate look at working hard to be successful and learning to love yourself along the way.

If you are a Peloton rider or if you watched season 30 of Dancing With the Stars in 2021, you probably know who Cody Rigsby is. He often has a smile during his rides and always has an opinion on the hot topic of the day. If you ever wondered how he got involved with Peloton or are interested in other areas of his life, then this book would be for you.

This is review is certainly not meant as a review on Rigsby’s life, but on the writing and flow of this autobiography. It’s an interesting story of his troubled and unstable childhood and his path to find something better for himself. Even though his mother was a root cause of many of the issues that plagued his younger days, Rigsby has managed to have a relationship with her and one of his top priorities is being able to provide for her. He’s open with his story, but the writing felt more surface level rather than deep and intense as he describes traumatic stories of his past.

In between his life story, there are pages of advice in a question-and-answer style. This is something that Rigsby is known for on social media and the theme of one of his Peloton series, but it didn’t translate too well for me into a novel. Rigsby is opinionated, it says so right there on the cover, and while he says he’s not judging others, it still feels like he most definitely is. While he might never want to see something from a reader’s point of view, he comes across as secure in who he is and what he believes. The writing definitely feels like his voice, but it does come across as a list at times.

While I felt there was room for improvement on the craft of writing, if you ever wondered what is behind the Cody Rigsby persona, this book will take you behind the scenes.

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Happy pub day to @codyrigsby and his book, XOXO, Cody. It’s no secret that Cody Rigsby is one of my favorite Peloton instructors, so I was ecstatic when I was approved for his new book via @netgalley .

This book’s subtitle is perfect: An Opinionated Homosexual’s Guide to Self-Love, Relationships, and Tactful Pettiness. If this sounds good to you, then I definitely recommend picking this one up!

Cody gets real in his book. He was poor growing up and his struggles with his mom then and now took courage to share. I’m all the more respectful of him for what he’s been through. It’s also because of these struggles that makes Rigsby all the more thankful and grateful for where he is.

Don’t get me wrong, dude has made some poor decisions in his life. But, haven’t we all? And he’s gone to therapy and owned up to his mistakes, taking full responsibility.

I laughed numerous times in this book and appreciated Rigsby’s brutal honesty in others. Is some of his advice going to be for everyone? No. But, if you’d like to hear advice from a man in his position, then it’ll more than likely fit you perfectly. Like he says in this book, there is a reason middle-aged straight woman are attracted to having a gay man as their bestie.

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If you're picking this book up, you probably are already familiar with Cody Rigsby, and a lot of what you'll find in this is what you'll expect- his opinionated commentary on dating, life, and everything else, including some XOXO Cody sections similar to the Peloton rides of the same name. There are also some personal, moving stories from his life. Cody generally keeps it light in his commentary on the bike ("it's not that deep, boo"), but he talks about some of the harder things he's dealt with in this book, and the things that have helped shape him. We've been blessed with a bunch of books by Peloton instructors this year, and it's so fun and interesting to see how their personalities that I know and enjoy translate to the page.

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I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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Thank you to Ballantine Books for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my unbiased review!

This was a great, quick, read. I’ve been a Peloton rider since 2021 and have enjoyed Cody’s classes so I was excited to have a chance to read his book and get to know a little more about the person behind the classes. I loved the honesty and learning about Cody’s past and how he got to where he is.

This book feels like a friend giving you advice in all areas of life with some fun tidbits thrown in there. Also like his xoxo Cody classes he threw in some questions submitted by followers, and I love his answers to these as well.

The book also has some “self help” type stuff thrown in, but it felt genuine and it fit with the book itself. It wasn’t something that felt like it was shoehorned in or that it was disingenuous.

Would definitely recommend the book, especially if you’re a fan of Cody’s peloton rides!

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Like many others, I discovered Cody Rigsby during Covid lockdowns and he quickly became my favorite Peloton instructor. His book, like his rides, is full of his life stories, humor, and heart. I knew bits and pieces of his life with his mom, Cindy, but I had no idea how much they struggled and how it shaped him into who he is now. I loved learning more about his career as a dancer, his journey with Peloton, and his time on Dancing With Stars. He also shares about his past and current relationships and offers advice on all kinds of relationships- including the one you have with yourself. This is a quick, fun read for Cody Rigsby fans.

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I thought his personal stories and memoir chapters were the best parts of this book, I glossed over some of the dating and money advice. He hasn't lived a life in the spotlight for too long, so the personal stories center around growing up with a parent with a substance abuse disorder. He's open about it all and it's written from the perspective of someone who has done the work in therapy. The book was well written and has a lot of heart. I'm not sure nonfans would appreciate the non-memoir parts of this book, but they are very true to who Cody is and why so many people gravitate to him and his rides.

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Thank you NetGalley, Ballantine Books, and Cody Rigsby for the advanced copy of XOXO, Cody in exchange for my honest review!

Full disclosure, I am a diehard Cody Rigsby fan. And truthfully all this book did was make me love him even more. I really appreciated how vulnerable he allowed himself to be while also being unequivocally himself.

Cody's voice and sense of humor that millions of us have come to know and love shine through throughout the entire book. (If you have a chance to listen to the audio, highly recommend that as well since Cody himself narrates it).

I laughed out loud *so* many times as I was reading. In true XOXO, Cody fashion, there was also some really great advice. One of my favorite tidbits was this:

"The way we treat our friends sets the foundation for the way we treat ourselves, so if we aren't hyping up our friends when they succeed and forgiving them when they mess up, then it's going to be hard to do that for ourselves."

I cannot recommend this book enough to my fellow members of the Boo Crew. I'll finish my review with a quote that made me laugh out loud and is very fitting for this time of year:

"DON'T be trying to bring in fall at Labor Day. It's early September! I am still at the beach. Do not come at me with your PSL and your apple picking and your knee-high boots."

Bye, boo!

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This felt like… Cody! What people love about him is how funny he is, yes, but also how real he is, while having the best sense of humor. This book is the same. And because of that, it’s perfect.

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Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Having been a fan of Cody Rigsby and his incredible peloton classes, I was very excited to read his book, even though I don’t normally read or really enjoy nonfiction! This book was hilarious and authentic and true to his voice as a person we’ve all come to love through our peloton screens. I really enjoyed it!

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As a longtime Peloton member and Cody fan, I really enjoyed this book! I was afraid this book would read like it was written by a ghostwriter, but you can clearly "hear" Cody's voice as you read it.

Cody discloses a lot about his tough childhood as well as his rise to fame at Peloton, and it gave me a greater appreciation for his tenacity. I liked the relationship Q&A chapters interspersed throughout the book. The light tone of those chapters helped to break up some fairly heavy content and were reminiscent of Cody's popular "XOXO, Cody" advice-laden Peloton rides.

My only criticism is that I thought the book could've been longer; I'm sure Cody has lots of entertaining stories about working at Peloton. I'm hoping for a follow-up book one day!

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If you're a Cody fan already, this is a deep dive into references you've likely heard before. I gravitate towards Cody's rides because they make me laugh and the time goes quickly, and this book was similar. There are certainly deeper moments throughout, but what I most enjoyed was that this book was exactly Cody's voice that I've grown so familiar with on the Peloton platform, just way more in depth than we normally get. Really enjoyed it!

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Really enjoyed reading this memoir. I think his voice comes through really strongly and I think his story and insights were really interesting. Good advice that applies for everyone. But I just thought it was a fun and entertaining read!

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As someone who has a, shall we say, sporadic relationship with our household Peloton, there is one instructor that I keep coming back for, and that is Cody Rigsby. He's the kind of instructor that is funny enough to keep me entertained during a ride (which makes the time go faster), while also being encouraging and affirming. Whether it's him going off about pop culture topics or giving romance advice, he always manages to make me laugh when I'm in a Peloton phase. So I was very interested to read his memoir if only because I knew it would be entertaining. And not only is he entertaining, he also makes himself pretty vulnerable when talking about aspects of his life that were harder or challenging. I found it to be a real hoot and a fast read, and very similar to why I jump on the bike even after falling off of it for awhile. In fact, I've jumped back into an 'on' phase, as this book has reminded me of how fun Rigsby is.

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It is always challenging to review a memoir because who am I to judge Cody's story. His sense of humor definitely comes out which I found to be most enjoyable. His relationship stories were raw but at some points, hard to read (in my opinion).

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Who else is a proud member of The Boo Crew?! I love Cody Rigsby’s peloton classes and enjoy sweating my butt off while listening to his silly antics! ⁣
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⁣In his memoir, Cody Rigsby shares his own story of growing up with a struggling single mom, coming to terms with his sexuality, and his eventual rise to fame. Along the way, he sprinkles in fun pieces of advice and pop culture. It’s a fun, honest read that made me feel like I was talking to an old friend over a glass of wine! ⁣
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⁣I highly recommend this one to Cody fans! I think I will probably listen to this audiobook sometime in the future. Four stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⁣
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⁣XOXO, Cody publishes September 12, 2023. I received an ARC in return for my honest review.

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Name of the publication/blog/outlet where your review will be published/posted:
Bookstagram Account: @coffees_and_enchantments
Run date for Review: 31 August, 2023
Link: https://www.instagram.com/coffees_and_enchantments/

I’m a Peloton girl, so these books are like catnip for me. I’ve tried other “branded” fitness classes, like Orange Theory, but ultimately Peloton gets it right when it comes to cultivating instructors who bring unique blends of personalities and histories to the table. If you’re in fitness classes upwards of 7 hours a week, there’s only so many clichés and fitness “pep talks” you can sweat through before you get bored and decide you’d rather lie down on the yoga mat with you cat than do another lunge.
I’ve always appreciated that Cody brings 100% to his classes. His XOXO, Cody series are such a bright spot, the equivalent of a workout AND post-sweat gossip brunch with your friend rolled into one. His memoir is in the same vein. Cody’s honest look back at the struggles of growing up with an mentally ill addict as a loving, if troubled, mother and his constant cycle of guilt and resentment at their relationship gives weight to an otherwise light book.
I also appreciated how honest he was about the parts of himself that don’t lend themselves to being a beloved public figure. He’s upfront about being unfaithful in relationships, and doesn’t try to hand-wave it away with an “I was young and I know better now.” Things like that prevent this from being just another fitness celeb book, and ultimately do get us a little closer to knowing him, as much as anyone can know a public figure.
All of these Peloton memoirs are ghostwritten or heavily assisted by professional writers, and that’s fine! Kudos to Cody for crediting his.

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🪩 XOXO, Cody 🪩

“It’s not that deep, boo.”

Already a fan of Peloton and Cody Rigsby, I was so excited to receive an advanced copy of XOXO, Cody. Cody shares his story, from his childhood experiences, relationships and journey to where he is now as a Peloton instructor and fitness influencer. He also shares his opinions on life, relationships and loving your damn self. The topics he covers are both fun and more serious. While I always loved him, my respect for Cody has grown through learning more about him. I love his perspective that life is meant to be fun. You can enjoy yourself and love yourself, even when life can be tough. As he says - it’s not that deep, boo.

Highly recommend this one! The voice is apparent and it’s a fun read. You’ll laugh your way through and it’ll fly by.

Thanks to Ballentine books and Netgalley for this ARC! XOXO, Cody is on shelves September 12, 2023. My opinions are my own.

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A few things: 1) I absolutely love Peloton and 2) I typically hate non-fiction books. When I heard Cody was writing a book - I knew I was going to need to read it. His book did not disappoint. It was part autobiography, part Cody wisdom that we all love and so much more. I really loved that he did not try to change himself to fit a mold while writing this. It's still the same Cody everyone loves; just in book form. I could literally hear his voice saying the text as I was reading. It was a quick read and was interesting learning deeper about Cody than what he shares in his rides. Read the book Boo.

I was given an Advanced Reader Copy by NetGalley for an honest review.

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As a peleton enthusiast, I knew I needed to read this book. It was very enlightening and gave some story to some of Cody's past experiences. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to read this one. Thank you so much!

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