Rachel Marie Martin clearly has a passion and calling to speak life into struggling mothers. Through this book, she opened the doors and let me in to hear the darkest parts of her own life, which made me feel less alone in my motherhood struggles.
This book is a great guide for identifying the areas of struggle when it comes to change, getting rid of excuses holding us back, and moving on to better things.
It gave me hope that I am not alone and that other moms are going through the same fears, hardships, and bad days as I am. There is a way forward and I can be confident that I have what it takes.

Overall this was the kick I needed right now in my life (especially the cleaning out the garage part!). Thanks to Rachel Martin for writing down her thoughts in the effort to help others. This is a book that I will keep on hand and refer back to for when I need little reminders about that I am doing the best that I can and that is ok. and for the motivation I need to get things done Yes, there is a lot of repetition throughout but there are a lot of points to be made too. I think it is a great reminder as well for us not to mom shame any one else because behind that smile could be a world that is crumbling and she's just barely keeping it together. Take time to love yourself but then once you set that goal, get to it.

I can hardly remember my life as a mother, without Rachel's inspiring words of wisdom! She is an author who makes me feel like she knows me. I grew as a person while I read through this book! Rachel's resilient strength is admirable and I am so thankful that she wrote this book! I will read it again and again and will definitely share with my friends! My children get to be nurtured by my best self because Rachel helped me become who I really am meant to be.

This book was different than I expected. I am a midlife woman who has a 19-year-old Daughter. Would this relate to me? Surprisingly it did to an extent. Mid Lifers go through periods pondering the If’s, Why’s, and How’s. When the empty nest syndrome sets in are when we really begin to shift tides and in retrospect, wonder how we can achieve our own dreams. I enjoyed the book and ideas that Rachel Martin provides. She talks about her own struggles, as well as conversations with Moms in similar situations. I recommend this book for mothers of all ages. It doesn’t matter how old we get, we can still make changes for the better. One step at a time.

I received a DIGITAL Advance Reader Copy of this book from #NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book isn't really much about motherhood, but about achieving your dreams and creating an identity outside of motherhood. I have to admit that not much of it was actually helpful for me because I am already pretty happy in motherhood and in life, and I have already gone after my dreams while I've raised my five children.

That said, there there was a lot of helpful advice. I read my fifteen year-old son one little story about not getting caught up in what others label us with, and I appreciated the advice about cleaning out your garage (metaphorically and literally) instead of hiding your embarrassing parts. There were a few other areas I highlighted and made a mental note to adopt, such as the point that survival should only be a short term solution in the sense of just making it, and pushing through that stuff should be the ultimate goal.

I didn't relate an awful lot with the author, despite the fact that we have so much in common on the outside. She is a mother of 7 who was a stay-at-home, homeschooling mother from Minnesota. I am a homeschooling mom of 5 in Minnesota and stay home with them (though I am a writer so I consider myself a work-at-home mother, too). She felt stifled in her marriage and in motherhood, though, and I feel supported and whole. She was in financial ruins and we get by on very little but do it well. She ended up divorcing her husband and sending her kids to public school out of necessity, eventually fulfilling a lot of her dreams and making a lot of money. I don't have monetary dreams, am still madly in love with my husband, and love homeschooling and being home with my kids. I tell my kids all the time "this is my happily ever after" -- not that I don't yell it sometimes and storm out of the room. ;) I don't feel the need to get unstuck and I already feel pretty whole and empowered, though there are certainly areas in life where I struggle.

I enjoyed this book much more than the similar themed (mommy blogger self help motivational) "Girl Wash Your Face" that also came out this year, though. While both books aim to help mothers achieve their goals outside of motherhood, this one had some good advice to get there and I found the author much more real and likeable.

This will be an immensely helpful book for a lot of women, primarily those who have lost themselves in their roles as wives and mothers or put aside their dreams. I don't think you have to be a mother to get a lot out of it. Martin gives great advice about how to be real and push yourself to do scary things. She uses a lot of her own life experiences to teach the lessons, and she makes a good cheerleader.

My rating system:
1 star = hated it
2 stars = it was ok
3 stars = liked it
4 stars = really liked it
5 stars = I plan to buy a copy for myself (or I'd buy another if I lost it)

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book for the purpose of review.

A REVIEW OF A BOOK THAT WILL TAKE YOU ON AN AMAZING JOURNEY THROUGH YOUR LIFE.
The basic premise of this book is to not lose yourself as you strive to be a good mother to your children. Showing them a mom who balances her life’s obligations with her passions will teach the children what a real-life mom looks like.

This book embodies and puts specifics to that myth of the Pinterest-perfect mom. Instead the author refers to these as the dots that we (and others) place on us. We think they are what define us as mothers. But we are so wrong!

Do you feel overwhelmed? You are not alone!

Is your house a big mess often times and your laundry never seems to get finished? Yes, me too.

As the author explains, all this can lead to you feeling like you have no worth. You are just a mom and perhaps just a housewife.

All the other moms in your church or neighborhood seem to have the perfect life? Guess what, they don’t.

With help from Rachel Marie Martin and the advice she provides in this amazing book, you can find your center, own your imperfect life with pride, experience the true joy or motherhood, and provide an example for other moms who are still pretending everything is picture perfect.

The Brave Art of Motherhood completely blew me away! I can not say enough good things about this book! The author uses her own experiences to demonstrate how difficult life as a parent can be sometimes and how we can all rise above and show up for our children. As a mother I often found myself tearing up with the beautiful words that hit so close to home. There are so many poignant passages that I know I will come to reference again and again, and have already found myself quoting words to my mom friends. It was like sitting with a friend and having a conversation over a cup of coffee. This book is a must read for any mom who has ever had one of the days where she needed a friend to encourage her and say, "It's ok, Mama. Me too."

I originally received the ebook ARC via NetGalley and I never got around to reading it. I am a huge fan of Rachel Marie Martin's blog, FindingJoy.net and was so excited that my husband bought this for me for XMas. As a working mom I do appreciate books like the Brave Art of Motherhood because it helps to know there are other mothers out there who struggle as much as I do. This one was reads more like a memoir about Rachel Marie Martin's struggle to find herself in the midst of a divorce and a move to a new state versus a book of tips like Rachel Hollis's book, Girl Wash Your Face. I did highlight something from every chapter to take away and reflect on so with that I do consider this a success.

First I need to say that I've been extremely busy in my personal life. *I'm planning and executing a joint birthday party for my one year old and three year old. I'm cleaning house in all of my free time and when I'm not cleaning house I've been working on a side project. That's left me very little time to read. And while this isn't a fault of the book itself, it does factor into my experience of the book, I fell asleep almost every time I finally got a chance to pick this book up. It wasn't that the information wasn't interesting. But the slow speed I made progress was really dragging me down. Again the book isn't really to fault for this--real life got in the way.

I will say that the beginning of this book was a struggle to me. Rachel Marie Martin spends the beginning of the book setting up her struggles so that she can through the rest of the book show her personal transformation and how far she's come. And I knew that was likely the case, but as is the case with fictional characters, when they're struggling it can be a challenge for me as a reader to go through the struggles with them. She also discusses her assumptions made upon others and the church which turned out to be false assumptions, but this wasn't easy for me to read either. While I might not always remember that what we see isn't always all there is to other people, I do try not to assume that others have it all together or have a perfect life that I don't have. It does help that the spiritual family I'm a part of is very open with each other about our struggles. But what she was seeing--or assuming that she saw--of ofthers and the church hit some nerves with me. Thankfully the point of this section is exactly to show the error in her thinking.

I ended up highlighting quite a few passages from The Brave Art of Motherhood. Here are a few of my favorites:
-"Be brave," says my spirit. "Wait," says fear. "Have courage," says my soul. "Not yet," says worry. "Dare," says my heart.

-Do you know what is on the other side of hiding? Freedom.

-... the heart, left unchecked, can easily override the brain's logic and accept irrational, unwise, and incorrect agreements about self, beauty, worth, and ability.

-No one can create agreements in our hearts without our approval.

-Worry will never change a situation.

-...when it is harvest time, you focus on the harvest, not on the barn.

The biggest complaint--if you can call it that--is that I don't know how to quantify this book. It isn't really a Christian book, it isn't really self-help, it isn't really a book about motherhood, it isn't really a book about friendship... I'm just not sure how to categorize this book. It is all of these things and none of them at the same time.

I enjoyed The Brave Art of Motherhood even though it took me so long to finish it. I couldn't quite figure out how to categorize this book, but that didn't stop me from soaking up each part of it. Rachel Marie Martin was both inspiring and relateable. The Brave Art of Motherhood gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read The Brave Art of Motherhood? What did you think? Let me know!

Rachel is sweet, honest, and direct. As she discusses motherhood she gently pushes you to live the best self you can. She is like that special friend that kindly whispers, Girl wear your big girl panties.

You have probably seen her. The woman. The mom. The warrior. The one who suffers but does not quit. The one who works hard every single day. We all know one, and som of us are one of that kind.

If you have been following Rachel you have seen working so hard through the years. Bleeding through her keyboard. Sharing. Hoping. Daring. Nothings comes easy or free. I bet you know that. She knows that. I've cried while reading her journey through the years, her raw emotions and shared vulnerability. Not all of us would do that. I've prayed for her.

Today is a great day because I saw her baby, it is her birthday, her book was born today. And we are thrilled about it. Celebrating and seeing her first days through the world. As you read the pages you can see her soul.

More than anything I celebrate the grace of God helping her while she fights fear. Launching books may be a scary thing, but she did. And I'm glad.

I want to remind and to remind you every day, that motherhood is an art and that it requires to be brave. If God entrusted me with this lovely bundles of joy, He will walk with us through the battle.

Join the fun, the bravery & the tribe! order today #TheBraveArtOfMotherhood

Description
"Full-time FindingJoy.net blogger, speaker, marketer, podcaster, and single mom of seven, Rachel Marie Martin presents a rallying cry to anyone who believes the lie that she is "just a mom." Over the years, you willingly pour everything you have into your family, but in the process, you lose the essence of who you are. In her characteristic raw and visceral style, Rachel teaches you how to rewrite the pages of your story, follow your passion, and discover the beauty of who you are. Drawing on lessons from her own incredible journey--together with insight from conversations with thousands of other women--Rachel encourages moms to break cycles, take off masks, and prevent fear from taking control. She balances her "no excuses" approach with breathing room and grace for those messy moments in life and mothering. Rachel reminds you there is always a reason to hope, to move forward, and to dare the impossible. You can make changes. You can pursue dreams, find yourself, and live a life of deep happiness and boundless joy. Stop waiting for "someday." Take hold of the moment, and say yes to your dreams." #NetGalley

The Brave Art of Motherhood by Rachel Marie Martin is a remarkably honest book. In it, the author is so very vulnerable in sharing her story so that readers can learn from it. Ms Martin is transparent and real in her story and in telling how she moved through some very big obstacles. She encourages mothers in the trenches of motherhood to aspire to greatness in both motherhood and in following their dreams. I was not sure what to expect when I picked up this book. However, I found a book that resonated deeply with me and encouraged me to follow the dreams that God has given me. The author has many words of wisdom to share, and I think this would be a wonderful book for book clubs to read and discuss. This is a book to read and re-read as needed. I highly recommend it. Pick it up when it comes out on October 9th! I received a copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. I was delighted to participate in this book's launch team. These opinions are entirely my own.

3.5 starts but I’ll give 4 because there is so much heart in this book. I was given an advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I previously had not heard of the author or her blog, Finding Joy. I would have benefited from getting more of an introduction to her, to give me a background as to what her credentials were to be writing a self-help book. We get to know the author as the book goes on, but she is guarded. I get the feeling she is a big fan of Brene Brown based on some of her thoughts on being brave, embracing joy, and abundance over scarcity.

Maybe I read too many self-help books because I didn’t personally find anything new in the book. That being said, it was all helpful advice, and I absolutely love the focus of the book being moms and all the stress we put on ourselves. A quick read with a strong message.

I have been working on this book for a few weeks. Filled with wisdom for stressed out, downtrodden moms everywhere, this book is a lifeline. Where I typically read my books as fast as possible, this one I purposely slowed down and read it a little at a time to digest the truths Rachel is trying to teach us. This is one I will chew on for weeks and months to come, trying to make the changes my life needs to become the best mom and person I can be. Not only for my kids, my husband and those around me, but most importantly for ME! I love my kids but life gets hard and messy. I am in that space right now and it's not the funnest. BUT I have hope that it will get better again, and I know what I need to do in part by reading this book. If you are a mama, or have a friend that is a mama, read this book!

Motherhood can be a tough job. It can also be isolating at times. But it can also be a beautiful joy, and is a journey best traveled with encouraging companions. Rachel Martin felt like one of these companions as I read her book "The Brave Art of Motherhood". Rachel has 7 children, went through a divorce, and financial hardship, and yet she was able to pull herself up and now motivate other mothers to do the same throughout their struggles. I have never gone through what Rachel has, but her book still inspired me in my own daily challenges. Some quotes that really stood out to me include:

"Bravery doesn't get awarded during the smooth-sailing times of life but rather is unearthed in the times when our tears fall, when our strength gives out, when we push beyond what we think we are capable of."

"Choosing to mutter 'It's no big deal.' or 'I'm fine' is choosing to stay stuck."

"Today is not defined by the past. It is your clean slate, your start. Be fearless and tomorrow will be different."

"If you want to break whatever unending and hopeless cycle you're in, you have to start with you."

"But you don't get to a mile until you decide that you are worth fighting for the first inch."

"We can easily see the negative and miss the good. We just have to retrain our brains to focus on particular parts of our lives."

"You are worth a life vibrantly alive."

I appreciated how Rachel was transparent and honest. She shared stories from her life, as well as offered encouragement for all mothers. I would highly recommend this book for any mother who needs a boost.

I'll admit, I don't like reading self-help books. They just aren't my thing. I really only read this, because I am familiar with the author and I think she's an engaging writer. However, I love biographies and memoirs, and this book had enough of Rachel's personal story to be interesting and engaging, even for a self-help book.

The Brave Art of Motherhood presents a lot of ideas for getting "unstuck." Rachel uses her own stories to illustrate her ideas and to motivate and inspire the reader to move past the places where they feel stuck in life. It really does feel like a message from a motivational speaker, and if you are stuck in any of the places Rachel was stuck, you'll likely get excited at the opportunity to move past those places in your own life. It's a lot of "pull up your bootstraps and just do it" instruction, but in an empowering sort of way. I couldn't personally relate to many of the situations Rachel struggled to escape, but I could still see the logic in the message and thought of other applications for different situations.

Some other reviewers have mentioned their disappointment in a lack of faith-based encouragement and instruction, since Rachel is a Christian and the publisher sells Christian material. It is true, this book does not mention God's working as much as it does perseverance and personal striving, but it seemed to be a deliberate choice by the author. She made it clear that she was a Christian, but perhaps, she was hoping that writing in this format would allow women who don't share her faith to benefit from the instruction.

This book was written and formatted well, and I believe it will empower women to make those changes necessary to bring deliverance from unnecessary trials, stresses, burdens and other seemingly impossible situations. Good job, Rachel!

This book was based around an interesting concept, but I didn't love it. At times, I found this book boring and that it lacked practical and spiritual steps. Its not a book I would recommend to moms. I did however enjoy Rachel's transparency and story of hope.

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm not normally a big one for self-help books; I dislike being talked down to, being told that if I subscribe to XYZ philosophy, all my troubles will be over (and I'll be thin, rich and so on).

But the Brave Art of Motherhood is different; part autobiography, part self-help guide to introspection, the Brave Art of Motherhood is a motivating book to inspire mothers, women, anyone, to get out of their rut of tolerating life and start chasing their dreams.

Rachel has been there. She's been in the Motherhood trenches, she's dealt with phenomenal hardships, overcome them through grit and hard work and is sharing how she did it. How she unstuck her life and reclaimed her sense of self.

This book is like the friend you talk to at dark-o'clock, when your whole world feels like it's become four walls and a feeding baby. This book - Rachel - is the friend you talk to when you're done in but need to keep going. These are the words you tell your mum-friends when they're in crisis but forget to apply to yourself. Although you may have traveled a different path to her, Rachel's story is eminently relatable, and there are so many aspects that resonate deeply within me.

I want to share this book with so many of my friends. Read it.

"Faith is confidence in a future that doesn't match the present reality." That quote from the book sums up, for me anyway, the basic premise of the book.

Rachel finds herself the mom of seven kids and I would say she also finds herself stuck, stuck in financial bondage and stuck in a repeating cycle. It takes courage to break free from that and embark on a new journey and Rachel provides encouragement to moms to do that hard thing. But she also encourages us not to do it alone. Welcoming others into our circle is the brave thing to do. It can seem so easy, but letting other people see who we really are can be really, really hard. Rachel went through a time in her life when she wouldn't let people inside her house, when she kept the garage door closed because of the stuff inside that she was afraid to let others see. Doing that just lets the cycle keep repeating.

Rachel encourages us to name that thing we've always wanted to do, write it down, set an end date and get past the excuses. The excuses are there, and she gave us a huge list of the common ones, but we have to overcome them to fulfill our dreams. Reading this book came at an opportune time in my life as my husband and I are working hard toward our dream of buying our dream house. And yes, the word dream is mentioned a lot, but it's been a crazy summer of busyness and exhaustion, but it comes with being able to see that what we want is possible, Lord willing. But I had to be willing to step out of my comfort zone and be willing to work hard.

Rachel doesn't give us a lot of details on her marriage and why it failed and I can respect her for that and yet it also made it hard for me because I can't fully grasp the reason for the divorce. It feels like there are some big missing pieces to the story. And as someone who believes that marriage is for life, this messes with me and my ability to fully embrace her story. That is not to say that I don't believe that what she has to say is true. I know there are many things I can learn from this book and be encouraged and challenged by.

Probably my biggest negative for this book is I feel there was one key point missed in this book. To me, the brave art of motherhood will never be accomplished to the fullest potential unless I first place my trust and confidence in God. Again, I don't know where Rachel stands on this, but for me, personally, that is the first thing I need to have in place before I attempt to do anything else mentioned in the book.

I did enjoy the book. Like I said, there are good things to be learned from it, but there were also a few things that did bother me as well.

I received this book from Multnomah and was not required to write a positive review. For further information on this book or author, Rachel Martin go here

As a new mother I was greatly,able to relate to this. I think every mother who is working hard and doing their best to raise their child deserves praise and appreciation. I couldn't totally relate to all this mother has been through but I love that she was open about her story.