I heard so many people rave about this book, which ultimately fell a little flat for me unfortunately. Something is definitely lacking in it, sometimes it felt practical and then sometimes too based on personal examples but missing the why moms get grumpy.

I enjoyed her honesty and related to her struggles with raising children, being a wife and mother. Not a fan of the title or the use of The Messsage for Bible translation, per se, however, she shares biblical scripture that was helpful for her and made some wonderful points that are easy to apply. I would have liked to see more depth, but this is great for a new mom or Christian. This is one of the better mothering books out there, as many of them point to self. I am a big fan of her prayer journal products and thankful for the courage she has to share her story.

I was not familiar with the author or her blog before reading this book. While I am Christian, there was just too much of a religious bent to this book to allow me to connect with the author. Frankly, the author lost me when she wrote a chapter about her vice --- a chocolate bar -- and how she needed to reconnect with God to understand that she should not need to have a chocolate bar every day. It might be me, but I found it difficult to relate to someone whose vice is a chocolate bar. If the heavy religious bent does not bother you, the book could be helpful in that it provides action items to help you achieve the goals set forth in the book.

"As you journey with Valerie, you'll be inspired and equipped to banish the lies the world tells us about motherhood and replace it with God's truth to find energy in the most unlikely places, pursue your own dreams, be set free from mom guilt, feel content despite unfinished to-do lists, spend purposeful time with God amid the daily chaos, and discover more joyous moments of motherhood."

This book was SUCH a breath of fresh air. Mom guilt is real, exhaustion is daily and grumpy mom shows her ugly face WAY too often in my home. Valerie's words are heartfelt and filled with grace and truth. I absolutely loved this book and I KNOW you will too!