Donna Barton is just the cheerleader I needed to get me started on this new adventure of ‘midlife!’ Dawn didn’t preach at me, but affirmed everything I felt about being an empty nester, caring for my elderly parents while still finding time to take care of myself. Thanks for helping me find a new normal with humor and grace and just enough Southern girl sass!

Love the humor she brings to this midlife season that seems like a “crisis”. Despite the crazy times that come with it, she shines the light on the fact that we can “cherish this season we are in and be ready for God’s blessings that are coming our way”. There’s lots to discover in God’s Word to help us in our daily struggles, especially with our weight. Grab your girlfriends and schedule a book club with this one, you won’t regret it!

The beautiful colorful cover drew me to this book! Well, that and the content. I've been on a mission to find my Zen, what fulfills me and, how I can help others. To let go of what no longer serves me. To move forward and embrace this next chapter. This book is about all of those things and more. I found myself nodding and agreeing out loud, highlighting sections that resonated with me. Part memoir, part Self help, part Cristian inspiration. Told with touching honesty and good humor. Truly enjoyable, helpful, and inspiring.

Midlife Battle Cry is a reminder to the middle age woman that while her life is changing, it can be for the better. The themes of loving your body, accept empty nesting and how to make the second half of life count will resonate and provide wisdom for all women!
This was my first book by Dawn Barton. She shares a testimony that even though her life hasn't been easy, she has never given up and won't as she ages. She gives the reader a good foundation of her beliefs in God's faithfulness. I think all readers will gain a nugget of truth from her.
I received a complimentary copy of Midlife Battle Cry from NetGalley, but all opinions are my own.

While I am not familiar with this author, I am definitely her target audience so I was intrigued by the cover and happy to say it didn’t disappoint.
As women, we tend to focus all of our selves on others in our early adult lives and then when we get to the next phase we think, now what? When we have an empty nest we often feel like we aren’t useful or valuable anymore, but that’s far from the truth. God sees our value! And the world around us is starting to see that we represent more than just the blue haired granny in the rocking chair-we can offer wisdom and we can spend money!
The author writes as though she’s talking to a friend over coffee and I liked that. There was no pretense of being holier than thou. There’s biblical references to go along with all of her stories, which I also liked because it confirmed that what she was teaching wasn’t just from her but spirit filled.
I don’t love the title because I don’t feel like it accurately reflects what the book is about but I do like the book.
Thanks to Thomas Nelson and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

MidLife Battlecry was okay. I was expecting more instructions on how to go through midlife, but some of it wasn't practical application.

I was attracted to this book by the sheer exuberance of the body language expressed in the colorful photograph on the cover. However, I also approached it with some hesitancy since the summary was heavily weighted with the word God and I am not a big fan of Christian literature that promotes religious dogma rather than spiritual principles. I am happy to say that the author’s message, while couched in the terms she embraces, shines through with inspiration and a glorious sense of humor that I found refreshing and engaging.

This is Dawn Barton’s second book (I have not read the first) and I was impressed with her conversational style that felt more like sitting down with a friend than a prescriptive recipe for shifting a limiting viewpoint of midlife. I appreciated her candor about her own journey and how it led her to changing careers and finding deeper meaning as she reached a half century of life. Her message of joy and possibility is directed to women, but I believe men would benefit from reading it to better understand and appreciate the issues and challenges women face.

The chapters cover a wide range of topics with characteristically humorous titles. I especially found the 21-day exercise labeled the “I Love Me” challenge and the reflections on forgiveness insightful and supportive. My only criticism is the use of the term “Battle Cry” in the title. With all the conflict in the world right now, I would have appreciated one embodying a reference to metamorphosis rather than war.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

As a woman over 50, I could resonate with what Dawn writes about. So many of us women have raised families for the first half of our lives. Now that those families are grown, what are we going to do for our second half?

She writes very well as a southern friend I’d like to know. How to lean into what you have always enjoyed, what is your calling? Do you have one deep inside?

This is not the usual book I choose to read, but it was a great change of pace and I would recommend to anyone who has questions about how to love themselves as much as we love others. It does give you questions to answer about what you want for your second half!

A very well done book that will speak to women of any age really. The author writes in the voice of an older woman but her words are for everyone.