I so enjoy Jen Hatmaker’s witty, honest and engaging writing. The timeline of this book jumps around a bit from events from her childhood to her more recent discovery of her husband’s affair and subsequent divorce. Her stories are raw and vulnerable, hilarious and relatable. They also speak to a journey of introspection and finding herself again. Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the eARC.

Well, this is the good stuff right here. I don't know how she did it, but Jen Hatmaker somehow managed to take the worst, most gut-wrenching year of her life and turn it into something tender and nourishing for the rest of us. She doesn't shy away from the messy bits but along the way she teaches us how to treat ourselves kindly, how to love every imperfect version of us that we've ever been (and ever will be), and how to offer that same grace to others who are hurting.

Since I apparently live under a rock, I was unfamiliar with her work (although I had heard her name mentioned recently in a context that I can't remember to save my life) but I have already subscribed to her podcast and her IG page. Can't wait to hear more from her (and to buy this book for several friends who will enjoy it as much as I did).

What a gift.

I sincerely appreciate NetGalley, the publisher, and Ms. Hatmaker for access to a digital ARC. My honest review is my own opinion.

I've followed Jen's work for over a decade now, and very rarely has her writing or online presence exuded the amount of raw authenticity as this memoir. (This is the downside of having to hustle to make ends meet when your husband destroys your career, but I digress). The vignette-like chapters told in the active present allow the ready to feel the chaos, despair, and fear of this time in her life and career. I wouldn't wish this experience on anyone, but I do feel that when Christian ministry women break free (or, are PUSHED free) of the constraints of politeness and quiet spirits, we are all the better for it.

Jen Hatmaker's finest work yet. Having been a longtime fan of Jen and her literary works, this memoir is exceptional--to say the least. Her candor, vulnerability, humility, while all the while maintaining her moxie and becoming a newer version of herself is spellbinding. Jen tells the story of the last several years of her life (the dissolution of her marriage, the deconstruction of her traditional faith views, etc) with such a beautiful lens you can't help but turn page after page, wondering what she will say next. I have loved Jen from the beginning, but Jen's new beginning is captivating to say the least.

This book was everything you'd expect from Jen Hatmaker: honest, raw, beautiful, funny, open, and well worth your time. The way she examines a difficult time in her life and lets the reader into what she was feeling is incredible. We all gain from her experience, her insights.

I don't always agree with everything Jen Hatmaker says but I read this book in one day. The short chapters are interesting. Some are funny; some are serious; all our meaningful and give good advice to learn from.

This book is so beautifully written. It was like walking a mile in Jen’s shoes. When she triumphed, so did I. When she struggled, I felt the depths of her. This book reads like a narrative but with self help undertones. To walk a mile in her shoes and see the arc she went through after her divorce is such an inspiration and I am so grateful for her articulate and jovial accounts of her rally back to herself.

I give this book 3.75 stars out of 5. Jen Hatmaker is relatable and this memoir is an easy read. It is centered around her divorce from her husband and what came before and since.

A part of me didn’t love the way the timeline jumped backward and forward with no real pattern, but another part of me enjoyed it- it’s very much the way we talk to people in real life, so it felt like a conversation with a friend.

I think this book would be a good read whether a person knows or follows Jen, or have never even heard of her. I have known of her for years, but don’t follow her closely.

Thanks to Jen Hatmaker and Avid Reader Press for providing this digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I've been a longtime fan of Jen Hatmaker - I was beyond thrilled to be able to read this book before its official release, and it did not at all disappoint. This is some of her greatest work so far - it's incredibly vulnerable, honest, and insightful. Her voice and her wisdom are a gift to us all, and I'm so glad she was brave enough to share her story with all of us. Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

I opened my Advanced Reader Copy of this book thinking I was just going to skim the first chapter, but was immediately drawn in and ended up reading the whole book in 24 hours! I went to the same undergrad as Jen Hatmaker (though I did not meet my spouse there) so I especially felt myself nodding along as I related to her college experience and how it shaped her and her young marriage.

I’ve been reading Jen Hatmaker’s writing and following her career for many years so I knew a lot of the story she’s here to tell in this memoir, but certainly not all of it. She handled a difficult subject with her trademark wit, hard-won wisdom and insight, and lots and lots of grace.

I know I will return to this book again later, this time to savor it more slowly, and let Hatmaker’s story continue to teach me about my own.

Admittedly I don't know much about Jen Hatmaker. She has randomly appeared in my newsfeed on social media a couple of times. When I was offered an ARC of this book I decided to grab it and see what she was all about.

This isn't a traditional memoir. It is a book about her divorce with other random things thrown in. I thought the book was a bit all over the place with her life post-split from husband, their time together, and random bits and pieces from her childhood. I thought I might end up with whiplash the way she was so sporadic in her storytelling. All we really know about her divorce is that her husband was cheating on her. Do we need to know more? No, it's not really our business but if you are promoting a book about your divorce and life after then most people expect to know more detail. She mentions her kids but doesn't delve too much into their life post-divorce and that is ok because we don't need to know how they handled it unless they want us to know. We are taken through her thoughts and despair after the end of her marriage and some of her discoveries through therapy.

This book is 320 pages but is a quick read. The chapters are very short and the author has a way of writing that keeps the reader engaged. While this book is about life after divorce it wasn't a heavy read in any way. It was more like sitting down and sharing a cup of coffee while someone told you their story.

If you are a fan of Jen Hatmaker I'm sure you will enjoy this book. If you are like me and don't know who she is you may find this book enjoyable. I didn't find it a fascinating read but it wasn't all that bad.

Jen Hatmaker weaves her story with threads of humor, self-effacement, empowerment, and grace. This was a homerun book for me and will be for my customers, too.

I loved this book. I have followed Jen for years and have read a few of her books. As always, Jen was candid and funny in this memoir filled with memories, hopes, and inspiration. The chapters were short making this a speedy read.

This book is beautiful and emotional and honest and relatable and all the things you hope a memoir will be. Putting your life out into the world like this requires vulnerability, especially when it involves sharing pain. I'm so glad this book exists and can give voice to these feelings and experiences. While it does have pain, it also has reflection and joy, too, and it's just a spectacular read. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the look at this September 2025 release.

A thoughtfully written memoir. I really enjoy Jen Hatmaker's writing style and she makes it easy to feel a connection with her. This was a very personal story, but I think it will resonate with a lot of women.

Once again Jen Hatmaker as done it.

She comes to readers with open arms and shows us all that we are all going to deal with struggles and hard things and she did it and now she shows us some of the behind the scenes. She doesn't sugar coat her emotional roller coaster and she shares the pieces that really helped her and how her people showed up for her. But this isn't done in a chapter my chapter run down. She delves deeper and gives us the background of how she got to where she is. Some of the foundations we are all built on are crumbling and there is evidence why that might be. That nudge, that feeling, intuition. Let yourself be trusted by you! I cannot say enough good about this book and I have been through the different writings over the years She doesn't hide her growth She's proud to admit where she is still learning and we all can too. Grab a copy and just wake up!

Jen Hatmaker is an excellent communicator. Her writing is smart, fun, sarcastic, and honest. And that, in spite of the difficult subject matter. I have read several of her books and I think this might be my favorite. I read it in 2 days, which is a rare accomplishment for me.

Everyone should be as fortunate as to experience friendship as loyal, thoughtful and loving as those who comprise Jen’s circle of friends. Her people showed up for her in every way during her unexpected divorce. We need each other. Her family surrounded her on a daily basis, making she she was not alone until she was ready for it. Other times her friends’ husbands showed up outside, just to be available should Jen need them when she was talking through difficult things with her ex. People met her for lunches out, refinished her porch, offered vacation rentals free of charge so she could take time away to rejuvenate, etc. This is a tribute to the kind of friend she must be.

Through her difficult experiences, Jen has chosen the high road. She doesn’t blame her husband for anything where she may have some responsibility in the matter, but she also doesn’t excuse him either. She walks that fine line very well and with integrity. She expressly shares that the woman he married was not the one who took part in the infidelities: magnanimous. She has done some very hard work on herself with the help of therapists. Good on her for putting in all the effort to face things in her heart, allowing growth. May we all rise up to the circumstances should we face anything so catastrophic in our own lives.

I understand the need to take time away from church. It isn’t always the most welcoming place to heal. I feel sorrow for how other Christians have treated her. It sucks when Christians essentially crucify other Christians so to speak. I myself have taken time away from church in a season or two of my life, but I am thankful I found a church where I can be real in the midst of struggles. A place where I can admit my need for God on a regular basis, it’s not weird to ask for prayer support, go forward to the altar in response to a message, or to offer prayer on someone else’s behalf even if you aren’t in a great place yourself. I hope she is able to find such a church.

Jen is a live life to the fullest girl for sure. I am not aligned with some of her opinions or theology, but that doesn’t mean I throw out a great book. I wasn’t too hip on some of the practices suggested by her “woo woo” friends as she calls them. The practices sounded a bit new age-y to me. Mixing any other spirituality practices outside of God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are nothing I would mess with. Still, I would highly recommend Awake.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.

I loved learning more about Jen Hatmaker in her new memoir, Awake. I started following her not long after she and her husband split up, so getting more background info on her, especially her relationship to religion, was really insightful. I found myself highlighting a lot throughout the book! Highly recommend.

Emotional, thought-provoking and relatable are the three words that I used to describe this book to a friend. I devoured it in a day. I follow Jen Hatmaker on Instagram and couldn't wait to get my hands on this memoir, and it didn't disappoint!

Although I read a few of Jen Haymaker's viral parenting blog posts years ago, when my kids were young, I wasn't familiar with her work or life until one of her posts randomly crossed my Instagram dash several months into the pandemic. The events in this book, which primarily covers her divorce and its aftermath, primarily take place before and during the pandemic. The short chapters read like long Instagram or blog posts, which I think is effective for her style of writing, but occasionally felt like they lacked depth.

On Instagram, I think Hatmaker shines most when writing about her kids, her family, and her new relationship. Understandably, this book that delves into the aftermath of her divorce is focused on her own experience rather than her kids' experience. This was the right choice to protect their privacy, but I found myself missing the heart and humor with which she writes about her people. I do think many readers will find Hatmaker's experiences relatable, especially those who have gone through divorce or come to similar later-in-life revelations about their religion's teachings.