Let me begin by saying I'm a big fan of Rickey Smiley. Not only is he a talented man, he does a lot for the community and for that I admire him a lot. So when I found out he had a book, I could not wait to read it. Based on the title and the cover, I went into this book believing I would be receiving a large dose of wisdom with a side of laughs. I had high hopes for this read. But Stand by Your Truth was not what I expected at all. While Rickey shared a lot about his experiences with parenting, offering advice to both parents and children alike, I thought his words were a bit preachy and judgmental. I love that he is a stand-up guy that works hard for his family. I respect that he's so philanthropic and gives much to the community, but those shining parts of his personality I've seen at his live shows and on his comedy specials just did not translate in this book. I would have loved to have seen more insight and humor in this read.

**Thank you to Gallery, Threshold, Pocket Books via Netgalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.**

I wanted to really like this book. But, it fell flat for me. I respect Rickey Smiley for his beliefs and the way he is raising his family, but it just didn't come across in this book. The book was an ok read. Maybe I expected more about Rickey the man. The book comes across as a very honest book but it just didnt have that wow factor for me. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.