As someone who grew up in the Bible belt, this book was hilarious and heart warming. Mellissa Radke writes about the women in her life, who are stereotypical southern Church ladies. They are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, always ready to deliver a casserole to a new mom or a grieving household, but also not afraid to tell it like it is. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Melissa’s book is funny, witty, and so relatable. Chicken Fried Women, much like her first book, Eat Cake Be Brave, is an inspiration for all women. Melissa is a talented writer and entertainer!!

Melissa is HILARIOUS! I highly recommend this book. It has love, heartache, hilarity, and much more. If you are a woman, a daughter, a friend, or a mom, you will enjoy this book. I am someone that's typically lonely. I have a wonderful mom and husband, but my dad and brother have passed away, so my village is tiny. I have such a hard time making new friends in my late 30's, so this book makes me long for that harder, but also shows me what joy will come when I have my village.

I first found Melissa Radke when her video rant about red ribbon week went viral. I enjoyed her first book recounting her troubled marriage and how she learned to love David and herself again. However, in recent years I have not followed her social media very closely and was unsure if I'd enjoy this new book. I am so glad I gave it a chance. The sweet tales of her relationships with women in her life were enchanting. The best was her chapter that focused on her mother. Radke writes like she talks and I am all for it. If you have wonderful, difficult women in your life, you might enjoy this as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC. Melissa Radke is a television star, public speaker, podcaster, and bestselling author. This book is a love letter to all the strong women who made her her. I loved this book!

Oh my goodness! I loved this book! I am NOT a reader, but I read this in NO TIME! I love Melissa Radke and have followed her since her Red Ribbon Week video days, she does not disappoint with this book. I laughed, cried & felt like I knew the women she was writing about. Some of them I have met in real life and others I follow on social media, but man the stories from real life were a joy to read. Add this to your list of summer reads!

Yes! This was my introduction to Melissa Radke and her band of babes. These women live among each other with unfiltered boldness but also tenderness and love. We should all have these women. We should all BE these women! Great job, Melissa. I'm going to go find your other book.

Thank you to Melissa Radke, Worthy Publishing, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a laugh out loud kind of book. I wasn't familiar with the author, but the premise was interesting. After reading this, yes, I have my own Chicken-Fried Women. Do yourself a favor, find a comfy spot and spend some time laughing with Melissa.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

BOOK: Chicken Fried Women: Friendship, Kinship, and the Women Who Made Us This Way
AUTHOR: Melissa Radke
PUB DATE: April 22, 205, by Worthy Books
PAGES: 256
RATING: 4.5 stars
GENRE: Biography/Families Humor

A special Thank You to Taylor Peterson at @WorthyBooks for reaching out to me directly. I also thank @netgalley and the author for gifting me an advanced digital in exchange for my honest review!

ACCOLADES: Melissa Radke is a television star, public speaker, podcaster, and bestselling author of Eat Cake. Be Brave

QUICK & SPOILER-FREE REVIEW: I can’t begin to explain how much I loved this book! It was nostalgic for me as it reminded me so much of my grandmother and mom. Each chapter had me eagerly flipping the pages, as she dedicated many chapters to specific women in her family, and in her beautiful writing, she had a magical way of introducing you to them. I laughed AND cried several times. This gem is full of comedy AND heart! I plan to gift this to the special women in my life.

#ChickenFriedWomen #MelissaRadke #WorthyBooks #Memoir #Comedy

I picked up this book without any prior knowledge of the author, and I must say, it turned out to be a nice surprise. The book offers a mix of humor and warmth, with some chapters being truly funny while others are simply wholesome. This balance kept me engaged and entertained throughout.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its broader theme, which centers around the significant women in our lives and the impact they have had on us in various ways. This theme is not only relatable but also invites deeper reflection on our own experiences and the influential women who have shaped our journeys.

Overall, I enjoyed the book a fair amount. It provides a thoughtful and heartwarming exploration of relationships and personal growth, making it a worthwhile read for anyone looking to reflect on the important figures in their life.

Hilarious!

Melissa Radke does an amazing job of telling the ins and outs of life with the women she loves most in life, her dear friends and family, which she affectionately calls her “chicken-fried women.” It’s hard to write an all encompassing book of stories that highlight the best (and worst) of the people who have meant the most to you for your whole life, but Melissa captures them beautifully. I feel like I know Melissa and her family personally now. I wonder if we’re related? I related to so much of what she shared. Gotta love Southern women! Surely we’d be friends!

The book took me longer to get through than a typical novel might as each chapter can stand on its own. It was really easy to read a chapter at a time as I was able and enjoy what was shared, then come back for another story later. There’s definitely a cohesive thread, but I didn’t have to plow through it. I think I would love this on audio! Sometimes I really wanted to get to hear Melissa telling me these stories in her own voice.

Some of the stories had me literally laughing out loud! Lots of smiles and giggles along the way. But I also cried real tears with some of what was shared. Melissa keeps it real. It’s obvious that this book comes from her heart. There’s a great balance of wit and wisdom - it’s funny but heartfelt, heartbreaking and heartwarming, entertaining and enlightening. And I loved that threaded throughout every aspect was a deep faith. It’s nothing pushy, but just a constant truth that Melissa’s unwavering Christian faith is a part of every event in her life (no matter how crazy the event might be.)

I loved this book! It might not be considered literary greatness; but I think it accomplishes its goal. 5⭐️ as a light, fun, heartwarming Christian reflection on uplifting relationships. I have seen bits of Melissa online, but didn’t approach this book as a fan or with much context. Now I’m a big fan and am looking forward to seeing more from her.


* Thank you to Worthy Publishing via Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book! I was honored to read it. All thoughts here are my honest review given on my own accord.

I loved this book. I have pre-purchased it for a mother's day gift. It was laugh out loud funny at times but also sad but very human.

Chicken-Fried Women is a love story to the bawdy, ballbuster women of the south.

"Lucy and Ethel. Laverne and Shirley. Dorothy, Sophia, Blanche, and Rose. Chicken-Fried Women is a celebration of them: the women who raised us, taught us to cook and clap back. The ones who prayed for us, raged at us and humbled us a notch or two when we needed it. These are the women who have encouraged us, teased us, chastised us, and mortified us. And as they fill up the seats around our table, we realize we wouldn’t have it any other way."

Melissa Radke shares a series of moments from her life-- across all ages-- that help illustrate the nature of these women and how they nurture their' families and friends.

It's both hilarious and heartwarming. A great read that will make you want to go hug your elders and maybe let loose a little more.

Reading Chicken-Fried Women by Melissa Radke felt like sitting down with an old friend, swapping stories and laughing until my sides hurt. I loved how the book celebrated the fierce, loving, and often hilarious women who have shaped so many of us, offering a mix of humor and heartfelt reflection on family, faith, and strength. It left me feeling both uplifted and deeply grateful for the complex, unbreakable bonds that define the women in my life.

This was so much fun..I recognized alot of things Melissa would talk about associated with a small town. I loved her grandmother and I loved her stories of family and sisterhood among the women in her family.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by Worthy Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for honest book review/feedback.

Reading "Chicken Fried Women" will leave you feeling like you just spent the weekend on a girls getaway with your funniest, no-filter friend!

Author Melissa Radke tells it like it is as she talks feisty female family & friendship, the importance of sexy yet ladylike hair and the value of an empathetic casserole delivered right to your doorstep.

If you're the kind of woman who enjoys chips & queso first thing in the morning but thinks that people who fist-bump each other after a 5 AM gym session are total psychopaths, this book will have you in stitches from the very first page.

Any gal with an ounce of humor and appreciation for quality shapewear will find this book totally relatable and laugh-out-loud funny from start to finish.

Melissa Radke has done it again. I find her incredibly relatable. Every time I pick up her books I feel like I'm having a conversation with an old friend. I'm not reading a book, I simply catching up. I envision every single chapter like a conversation in a beauty salon. The curlers on the cover truly make you feel like you are right next to her in the blowout machine. Melissas first book found me in a pivotal moment of my life, when I truly needed a friend to understand what i was dealing with...and this book feels the same.
I think it is worth noting that Melissas faith is very obvious in all of her books, however don't let that stop you from enjoying. I, myself, do not identify as a Christian woman, however I have not once ever felt uncomfortable or patronized when reading her books. I don't feel preached to or like I can't relate to the book.

This was so funny! I had a good laugh throughout most of this book and could really relate Melissa Radke's family to some of my own "chicken fried women." I almost want to be part of this family after reading this - this book was a great mix of wisdom and humor wrapped up in a short, but sweet, package.

This book did it all. I laughed and cried. I felt seen in so many chapters. Melissa really understands what it means to have a village behind you. I found myself figuring out which female in my life matched with the ones in her life.