I Wanted to Be Wonderful by Lihi Lapid, is a unique perspective of 'real' life getting in the way. Two women whose lives are supposed to be a fairy tale, meet the right person, create the perfect family and from that the life emerges into the amazing. There were many relatable moments of when you feel beat down with the day to day. Becoming a mother and wanting to appear as you have it all together plus so much more. Picture perfect dreams of a life curated from a vision board. Lapid reminds us how life gets in the way, but also that seeing the beauty in the broken is sometimes what holds it all together. I enjoyed the different telling of this story through two separate women's struggles and the lives they lead.

Thank you to Zibby Publishing for the advanced reader copy via Net Galley in exchange for my honest review.

I was intrigued by the latest book by Lihi Lapid, I Wanted to be Wonderful, primarily due to the adorable cover and secondarily by the description. Unfortunately, I was extremely disappointed by the story and by the writing style. The author used various points of view, which really made the text choppy, difficult to follow and unappealing. The “Prince and Princess” references were totally unnecessary and added to this reader’s disappointment.

This book should be required reading for all men about to embark on fatherhood, and for all women deep in the trenches of motherhood to feel like they’re not alone.

I Wanted to Be Wonderful braids together a story of two women in the first years of marriage and motherhood. One is a fictional character trying to live the standard happily-ever-after we see in portrayed in society; the second woman is inspired by the author herself, relating intimate moments from her own life.

Both start idyllic, filled with happy marriages and the spark of young love. Over time, we see both go from independent working women to mothers and the sacrifices each make to live up to the idealized image of motherhood.

I found this book to be so on point with how I have felt – and still feel many times – about the standards we set for ourselves to be wonderful mothers. At times, I felt that I was reading my own story in beautiful, thoughtful prose, and it made me feel both seen and saddened that we feel such modern pressures to be good mothers. This book will resonate with me, and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to Lihi Lapid, Zibby Books and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book for an honest review.

I wanted to love this book, but I will admit to having mixed feelings going into it--feelings that were not allayed by the story.
Two parallel stories--one realistic, one a fairy tale--track one woman's daily struggle with the overwhelming demands of being a worker, wife, and mother to a special-needs child. Other than the fairy tale counterpoint, I felt this is ground that has been covered many times before. Does that make the book un-worthwhile? No. But for me, the novelty of the fairy-tale character and her story did not add enough new perspective or insight. Most distressing of all, to me, was where the "real" character ended up: without significant change to the core difficulties of her life. Yes, we need to challenge the fairy-tale version of female adult married life--but this seemed more like a character giving herself a talking-to telling herself to not stress so much and be more grateful, then having a vacation into wild single-life, and then--what?

Love the eye catching cover. Lihi Lapid is a wonderful author has written an emotional moving look at motherhood.She brought me back to the newborn haze struggling to adjust so protective of my child.Told from the point off view of two women this is a gem of a novel.

I adore this cover art and colors. It made me want to learn more about the girls featured. I was very impressed with Lapid’s story. Reading about moms, wives, and daughters is one of my favorite genres—the author crafts rich and authentic characters. The story captivates and moves at a good pace - you won’t want to put it down. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I Wanted to be Wonderful took me back to the hazy newborn days. The sleepless nights, the demands I put on myself and the pressure I felt to be the perfect mother/human in general while I became an empty shell, pouring from a cup that was bone dry.

Lihi Lapid is brutally honest in her novel, which is told from two different perspectives. One ‘fairytale’ point of view of motherhood, and another based on her own personal experiences. I think this would be a great book for new mums who feel the heavy weight of expectation.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. What a beautiful book. The way it’s written and narrated is so unique and poetic. It’s a creative way to showcase the stories of 2 women out of so many that struggle and endure as they navigate life as women, mothers, and wives. This book felt magic and emotional to read. This is a timeless tale and again so so relatable for every woman.