Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press and Cy Wakeman for an audio ARC of this book. I was not familiar with Cy Wakeman before I saw this book available on NetGalley. I am glad I took a chance on an unfamiliar author as the book contains useful and practical advice. The author is a motivational speaker and business consultant with many years of experience. The main premise of this book is the idea that life experiences can not always be controlled but individuals can be happy regardless of what life throws at them. The author narrates the book which I think really adds to the listening experience, making it similar to attending an in-person presentation. Her voice is pleasant and the book flows very well with just the right amount of time between chapters. Readers looking for an uplifting and motivating book will enjoy this.

Overall, an enjoyable self-help book. What really kept my interest was how the author interspersed many of her own personal stories in conjunction with her advice, so you essentially got to see how she came about her epiphanies on happiness! And there really was a lot of food for thought.

However, as the book went on, I felt like it switched from teaching you how to find happiness and joy in life interspersed with life stories to just an autobiography. Advice and life lessons kind of screeched to a halt and it became just stories about the author's life and the self-help portion kind of went off the rails

Life's Messy, Live Happy gives you a bit of insight to alternative ways of looking at your life experiences - to not just see the negative but finding a bigger view that includes some brightness. It is structured like a memoir of the author's life experiences - the good and the bad. It really is more of a personal journey book. She does include her thought processes and the thought pathways that helped to changed her perceptions of her experiences. It is up to the reader to flush out the ways to use these in their own lives. I like the concept and the title - Life's Messy - Live Happy - look for light when life gets messy!

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I do read a lot of personal development books in general, and this one just felt a bit lacking in the nuances of daily life. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

I didn't care for this book at all. I was disappointed by the format. I wasn't expecting it to read like a biography. I wanted information, facts and tips, not a story. Readers who like their non-fiction to read like fiction, would definitely enjoy this book.

Not knowing much about the author, the title and premise of the book were what caught my attention. And, over the past couple of weeks, I’ve tried to give this title a number of chances. Managed to get through Part I of the audiobook, and though there were some worthwhile nuggets of info and I hate “not finishing” books, I’m throwing in the towel. It might be that the author is not the best narrator. It might be that the book and the stories are super disjointed. But, as compelling as the premise is, I am sure I cannot handle another 5.5hrs of this audiobook. With gratitude to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC, I’m going to have to pass on the rest of Life’s Messy, Live Happy. There are more compelling authors with similar messages. I’d pass (at least on the audiobook), if I were you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review a copy of this book. I'm sad to say I am not the audience for this book. The idea is one I can totally get behind. However, this book came off really holier than thou and as if you can just think your way out of poor mental health. I liked some of the strategies for changing your mindset, but by the end I just could not stand this lady. I'm sure she's great in person but this book wasn't for me.

I couldn’t really find nbd the rhythm of this audiobook, and, ultimately, didn’t finish this one. The author reads this one at a speed that feels stilted at normal speed, but, too fast at one and a quarter speed.