So far I am absolutely loving this book, I have read the first half. Jo writes in a way that makes me feel like she it talking directly to me. I can relate to so much about what she has said and what she has worked through. It is such great help and inspiration on how to embrace your gifts and be confident in yourself.
I highly recommend this book for every woman to read.

I received an advance reader copy of the book, which did not influence my review.

I read another book by this author last fall (The Dream of You) and fell in love with her ability to tell a story and encourage the reader to take action. Therefore, when I discovered she had a new book coming out, I jumped at the chance to read it.

Ready to Rise is a book for women. It's meant specifically to encourage, instruct, and inspire leaders. I am not in a leadership role in any capacity currently, so there is much that I didn't feel was meant for me. However, as I read, I found myself connecting with a lot the author said, such as, "Disempowerment is not every woman's experience, nor is leadership and influence every woman's desire. Yet when any human being, male or female, is denied the opportunity to realize his or her God-given potential and make the contribution to society he or she was designed to make, we all miss out on the impact that person could make on the world." I realized there are times when I have something to say and I hold back, for reasons she mentions in this book.

The author has some great re-tellings of Biblical women and how they contributed to their worlds. I especially loved the way she expanded on the verses tucked into Numbers 21:1-7 about Zeplophehad's daughters. In previous readings of the book of Numbers, I have never thought about them before; they were just names in a list. Now I will consider their story and how important community was to them.

Each chapter has a title, a fun subtitle, and an inspirational quote related to the topic. The chapters include such titles as "The Surprising Answer to 'What Would Jesus Do?' (And Why Pedicures Are Not Required)" and "Say Yes to Who You Are (And Why We Don't Leave Good Gifts Unwrapped)." I was especially encouraged by the gifts chapter in which she writes, "God is the gift giver. God is our gift giver. And all too often we are like hesitant, nervous children, questioning the gifts under the tree. We leave them lying idle, gathering dust."

Throughout the book, the author refers back to a group of women in leadership with whom she met to discuss challenges and inspiration, to bring some of the lessons in the book to life. I was encouraged to read about these ladies and found it helpful to understanding what the author wanted me to learn.

Ready to Rise is a book that you can read quickly, but it's designed to be picked apart, truths reflected upon and question prompts responded to. There is a call to action, a sense of urgency: Reader, don't miss what God has planned for you. I know I don't want to miss it either.

NOTE: I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review. All opinions and words are mine. (less)

This book is so good! I love the powerful message for women that is so often lacking in the church! I have passed on to several women who will get so much out of this book.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.⁣
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In Ready To Rise, Jo Saxton brings light to the issues (eg. sexism, insecurities, finances and such) that discourage women in leadership. She encourages us to own our voices, to build our communities and to step into our influence.⁣
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Written from a faith-based perspective, Jo shares stories of female leaders from the Bible such as Deborah and Priscilla. Jo uses Scripture to affirm that God created women for leadership.⁣
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𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳, 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳, 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘎𝘰𝘥'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶. 𝘏𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦.⁣
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Jo Saxton is one of my favorite women to learn from. I've had the privilege of hearing her speak twice and have now read three of her books. I always appreciate her voice and thoughts.

This book tackles women's empowerment. The author relates our issues to the women in the Bible. I can relate to some of the book. I feel the author kept repeating things throughout the book but just paraphrasing. The book touches on sexism, low self-esteem, financial issues, and workplace harassment. I recommend this book to all women. I give this book 5 stars.

I did so much highlighting for this book. So much is great about it. I own another one of Jo's books but have yet to read it but after this, will be moving it up on my TBR. I like the way she phrases our relationship with God in a way that makes the relationship feel more attainable and familial.