This book spoke to me and was very encouraging. I would recommend this book to others, and I plan on referring back to it when I need to be reminded to take care of myself. My children deserve an example of a whole and healthy mother, and I want them to be happy and healthy adults by following my example.

What keeps me interested in a self-development read are the following: stories, reflective questions, quotes, and a bit of encouragement. More Than A Mom offered all of the above with heavy Christian influence and a focus on how God can play a vital role in the journey of motherhood. If Christianity beliefs do not apply to you - I found the questions and thought process relatable - for example, "Do you believe hard times serve a purpose? Has God ever comforted you in your troubles so you can comfort others?"
As a first time Mom, I had poured all my energy into Austin and this is a good reminder to remember to pour into my cup as well so I can continue to thrive in being a Mom.

More Than a Mom: How Prioritizing Your Wellness Helps You (and Your Family) Thrive by Kari Kampakis is a book that all moms need to read. I am so glad that this publisher put this book into publication. This message is not often pursued in Christian circles. This is a Christian perspective on self care and what it looks like. It is a gem to read again and again. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher with no obligations. These opinions are entirely my own.

This book wasn’t for me. It was a lot of ‘God has a plan for you’ and ‘let go of control and let god have control.’ If those are your beliefs, then this would be a great book for you. Unfortunately, it was a miss for me.

I found this book to be surprisingly encouraging. Personally, I don't struggle with feeling like I'm "just a mom" so I wasn't sure there would be much for me to gain from reading this, but I was wrong. There was so much more to this book than just fighting feelings of loneliness, etc. as a mom.

Kari talked a lot about patterns of work and rest and creating healthy work-life balances and fostering lives that don't require us to take "breaks from". I love how down-to-earth and realistic Kari is in her writing. She makes everything very easy to understand and shares principles rather than a strict list of do's and don'ts.

Most importantly, everything she said was Biblically accurate and theologically sound. This book would make a great gift to new moms, old moms, and everyone in between!

Thank you so much to Thomas Nelson and Netgalley for the ARC. This book is out now!

Is it possible to bookmark more pages than not in a book? If so, More Than a Mom is that book. Each chapter goes further beyond the ways you can be a better, more fulfilled mother with examples of how your actions are examples to your children for their future development. I LOVED that! It's hard to excuse self-care in a vacuum and it was so encouraging to see how a healthy mom really should be a priority for the family as a whole.

In addition, each chapter also included reflection questions, encouraging the reader to really get involved with her own development and come to peace with the knowledge of her worth. Filled with love and advice that jumps off the page to give the reader a warm hug and a spiritual boost, this should be on everyone's "buy for myself and a friend" list.

Self care for moms with a Christian perspective! A really thought provoking read, definitely got some good takeaways and food for thought. Easily accessible chapters, well organized. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy.