My two star review does not reflect the value of the book. It was just two stars (Goodreads says two stars means "okay") for me personally. This was my fault for not reading the description more carefully. I expected this book from supposedly famous home designers Syd and Shea McGee to be about home design, but it is not. There are no photographs in the book, and it didn't really seem to be about making life beautiful except for the authors' lives. Instead, it is part love story/memoir, part inspirational self-help/build-your-business guide. The authors seem like lovely people but I was not familiar with them or their supposedly super successful business and I wasn't really driven to read about how they met and built their family and business.

Those who are fans of the couple and their style or who are enjoy stories of how entrepreneurs built their businesses and "brands" will surely enjoy it a great deal.

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

Make Life Beautiful is an openly and honestly written memoir by Syd & Shea McGee. Due out 27th Oct 2020 from Harper-Collins on their Harper Horizon imprint, it's 224 pages and will be available in hardcover, audio, and ebook formats.

This is not a tutorial guide or coffee table book full of lush photos for readers to copy. Instead it's a look at the background of the creative and business sides of the couple who make up the design duo behind Studio McGee. I found the story of how they met, became a couple, fell in love, made a relationship and burgeoning business work despite long distance, financial and business challenges, and grew their design business into the Instagram juggernaut it is today to be charming and surprisingly genuine.

The memoir itself is written more or less chronologically with some design principles and aesthetics imparted along the way. The story is told in alternating first person viewpoints from Syd and Shea themselves talking about (and interpreting) the same occurences from their own points of view.

I enjoyed reading their story a lot.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

This book was received as an ARC from Harper Horizon in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was so intrigued by the approach Syd and Shea McGee decided to go with this book in comparison with designing a room in your home. I am familiar with their work and it is so breathtaking. Anyone can live the life they want and if there are cluttered thoughts, unorganized actions and unplanned problems, their is always a solution and in this case, clean it up. Organize your thoughts with positivity and structure and you'll be set on your way. I know this book will circulate very well in our collection.

We will consider adding this title to our Self-Help collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Originally I thought "Make Life Beautiful" would be a beautiful coffee table book, chock-full of pretty pictures. Just like the ones you see on the Studio McGee's Instagram.

Boy, was I wrong.

This is part memoir, detailing their rags to riches rise, and a whole lotta inspirational business and marketing strategy. With some self-help and motivation tossed in.

As someone who loves home design as a hobby, and run marketing and PR programs for my clients, this book was a phenomenal case study. I was inspired to want to grow my own business, and I learned plenty along the way.

Syd and Shea are very honest in the telling of their story of how they met, fell in love, started individual careers, and then started Studio McGee. It's clearly not easy working with your spouse and they definitely talk about the ups and downs.

As they started out, they were deep in debt. With no formal design certifications, and a case of imposter complex, Shea and Syd were told "NO" many times. But they pressed forward and kept reinventing and pushing boundaries in an archaic industry. We've seen how they've broken the mold by leveraging social media, selling products online (before opening up a brick and mortar store), creating a lifestyle brand, and getting into Target.

The end result is a multi-passionate couple who've built a multimillion-dollar empire. And really they're just starting out! Hello Chip and Joe Gaines, you've got competition!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. I highly recommend this book.

This book lets us in on how the couple started insterest in this business.
We go on the journey of their start up and passion. We get glimpes into how suggestions and a hobby grew into the business it is today. As they take you through it you can kinda get ideas for yourself. I think the book would do alot more with photos along the way and I would love more personal heartwarming or humourous stories along the way as well as more tips. I still really enjoyed the book and following their journey. It did remind me of other designing books by couples such as chip and Joanne Gaines. I hope the book is published with photos that would raise my rating on it.
4

Shea and Syd McGee introduce their path to success in interior design world.

From early ideas to finally Studio McGee with all the challenges that family business brings into marriage and family dynamics.

Their story is full of enthusiasm and is a delight to read. I've missed photographs of their projects but I assume that they will be presented in final book copy.

It is a pleasure to get to know Shea and Syd McGee in their heartwarming memoir, MAKE LIFE BEAUTIFUL.

This delightful couple reveals how they met, launched and grew a family AND their famous design business, Studio McGee, which attracts 1.2 million followers on Instagram. They share success principles, too, that you can apply to your own life.

They remind me of another famous design couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, who also started small and grew an empire.

MAKE LIFE BEAUTIFUL is missing one element: Photos of the McGee’s gorgeous design projects, which would add beauty and luster to their story.

Nonetheless, I highly recommend this engaging book to Studio McGee fans, interior design buffs, and entrepreneurs who want to achieve success in the age of social media.

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 27 Oct 2020

Thanks to the authors, Harper Horizon, and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#MakeLifeBeautiful #NetGalley