This was a most anticipated read for me but unfortunately it turned out to be less of a memoir about Sophie's life experiences and more of a philosophical self-help kind of book that I honestly found quite boring. I struggled to care as Sophie talks to a variety of experts on topics that frankly didn't interest me and I ultimately ended up DNFing at around 25%. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy but this one was not for me.

In Canada, ‘First Ladies’ don’t have an official office, and sadly everyday Canadians don’t know the national causes they champion. For me that changed in 2015, when Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau stood with her children and her husband the newly elected Prime Minister of Canada, I was intrigued.

When I first met Sophie she was attentive, encouraging, and kind. Those memorable qualities, transfer easily in her new book ‘Closer Together’.

In ‘Closer Together’, readers get to meet and hear from Sophie in her own words. We learn her struggles, insecurities, and how she handles overwhelming stressors. Throughout the book, Sophie interviews numerous experts from various fields of studies. At times, the book felt like a university textbook: rich with information ready to assist readers/students filled with questions. However, the book also provides readers unexpected moments of quiet self reflection. Much needed in our fast paced disconnected world (especially for young people).
As a reader I learned valuable lessons, some that I can transfer now into my everyday life.

Thank you Netgalley and Penguin Random House Canada for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for my thoughts.

I was looking forward to this one but just couldn't get into it. There is a lot of great information in it and some access to professionals that readers may not always have access to, but it was a pretty standard self-help book that didn't have enough interesting additional content to keep me interested. I'm sure it will sell by her name alone, but I'm not sure how liked it will be.

Sophie Grégoire uses an anecdotal style to talk about her childhood, motherhood, marriage and professional career. During each stage of her life she reveals challenges that she faced and how she dealt with them, either successfully -- or not. After each of these personal pieces, she brings in a professional and interviews them about strategies to cope with such challenges. The professionals run the gamut, from psychologists, nutritionists, sports and mental health experts. The beauty of this book is that a reader who wouldn't normally pick up a self-health book gets the benefit of one anyway. The book will have a wide audience and will do a lot of good.

A beautiful insight to an inspiring woman. I was always fascinated to know more about Sophie Trudeau and I found it to be so interesting to learn of her background and her life and I know readers will be interested and inspired as well. It’s so interesting to me to learn what makes them “them” and all the experiences that shape them into the icons they have become.