In a post-pandemic world with instagram serving a constant stream of picture perfect parties, hosting can seem like an insurmountable task. And this book came at the perfect time. Even though I love hosting, but have been caught up in all the reasons I shouldn’t - my house isn’t clean enough, my tables setting aren’t cute enough, what if the food doesn’t turn out just right. Abby Kuykendall encourage us to reframe our excuses and even embrace the chaos. Why worry about perfection when you can b present? The difference between entertaining and hospitality really struck a chord with me and immediately made hosting seem more doable.

Overall, this book left me feeling so cozy and hopeful and I’m excited to use what I learned

This was an excellent book. It was well-written. I would highly recommend this book. It's very easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This book is a good resource for Christians with important reminders about hospitality. It encourages Christians to be like Mary, not Martha, and to prioritize intentional connection over hosting perfection. For all that, I felt it was a bit harsh in its wording and tone in some places (e.g., in dismissing “excuses” for not hosting regularly). Overall though, it is a really thoughtful book full of compassion and specific, practical tips to build community through hospitality. I give it 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for the free eARC. I post this review with my honest opinions.

This review is cross-posted on Goodreads. It will be posted on Amazon and Instagram within one week of publication.