Anytime I watch or read anything by Joanna Gaines I always feel a little richer, a little more like I got a great hug or had a great conversation. I appreciate how she shares a look into her life and stories shared within her family that may make someone else feel seen, a different perspective or just lighter and happier. This is a good one to go back to time and again.

This was interesting but I expected way more. I was hoping to love this but it fell a little flat for me

First off, I love anything Joanna Gaines. I appreciate her vulnerability in writing this book and sharing her story. I really enjoyed the little glimpses into her life that she spoke on. I wasn’t aware that this book was going to be more of a self-help type book when I first began reading. With all that being said, it felt extremely repetitive. Every chapter was basically saying the same thing over and over, so it made it a little difficult to get through.

Thank you to Joanna Gaines, the publisher and NetGalley for my free copy in exchange for my honest review.

I've always been impressed and amazed by the person Joanna Gaines appears to be. She seems quite genuine, which is very rare these days. I enjoyed reading about her childhood journey and, indeed, her journey to the person she is. Well written and a treat.

Oh gosh. I just absolutely adore Joanna Gaines and I would probably pay to read her shopping list on a napkin. Goals!!! I grew up watching her and Chip on HGTV’s Fixer Upper and it’s amazing to think about how far they’ve both come from renovating homes on a successful show, home furnishing lines at Target, interior design books, business and entrepreneur books, cooking books, and so much more! So wildly diverse, talented, and very successful. It was so great to read this memoir and for what feels like the first time, really get the unadulterated version of who Joanna is and how she came to be who I’ve known her as.

I picked up a hardcopy of this at Barnes & Noble on Black Friday because I loved it!

Thank you so much to Harper Select, Joanna, and NetGalley for the honor of getting to read and review an early copy of this title!!!

Thank you to the publisher for my copy - all opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this memoir/self help/inspirational book from Joanna Gaines. I am a fan of the Gaines work, and this was a nice little peek behind the curtain into the less polished side of Joanna's world.

While this does skew a little more to inspirational/self help, there is still much to enjoy with the book. One that is nice to have around to peruse when you need a little boost.

Joanna Gaines has been such an inspiration to me and I was ecstatic when I got the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of her book. I loved learning more about her thought this book. Its written well and keeps you engaged thought the book. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I was super excited to get approved for this book! I am a huge fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines and have followed their careers for years. So when I saw this book, I couldn’t wait to learn more about Joanna’s life.

This book is being marketed wrong. If you picked this book up expecting to read an autobiography, you are in for disappointment. While, Joanna does share some brief stories from her life, it primarily a faith based approach to Godly living.

*I must admit that I did not finish reading this book. I stopped reading roughly 25% of the way through.

While I did not read the book in its entirety, I would like to thank Harper Select and Netgalley for approving me to read this book.

I am admittedly a fan on The Gaines family so of course this is a must read for me. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Jo’s stories and her experiences. This book was wonderful

Let me preface this by saying that I adore Joanna Gaines. But The Stories We Tell..... was not what I expected. There were parts of the book that I really enjoyed and found fascinating, but it read mostly like a kind of self-help book. And I love self-help books, I just didn't find this one particularly helpful. Maybe I should have read more about the book before I dove in so I wouldn't have been as surprised. It was an okay read, and I still adore Joanna, but I just didn't love this book.

Thank you #Netgalley!

I learned so much about Joanna during this read. She shared her experiences growing up and how children treated her, to when she met Chip and then had the children. We learn about how their life had progressed so quickly, while they each struggled with how to deal with the cameras and their now fast moving life. I was not expecting the advice/self help portion of this book. I would have enjoyed more essays and learning about Joanna then looping in the advice.

If you're coming to this book expecting a behind the scenes look into the Gaines Family and their many successes, keep looking. This book is more Joanna talking aloud to a friend. She is well-spoken but I found it really hard to connect with this book.

This book was really insightful. It was different than anything I've read in the past. It really did impact my reading life in a positive way.

I have read all of Joanna Gaines books in the past and was excited to read this book. Unfortunately this book I just couldn't get into. I do understand the book and where it was coming from, how to write your own stories on your own lives, but I just couldn't. After attempting to read further past the 4th chapter, I just had to stop. As much as I love all of her other books that she has written including her cookbooks, this is the one and only book I didn't enjoy. I enjoyed reading her stories and understanding who she was a person and how she grew up. I respect that in all aspects. But this was just not the book for me this go round.

I’ve been a long time fan of Fixer Upper, Magnolia and the Gaines Family. I was expecting more of a memoir from Joanna, and was hoping this would possibly be more of a behind the scenes look into her life, her work and her family. While there are some nods to that, this book is more of an introspection and inspirational tale of her finding self-acceptance.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for providing access to a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Well written and thought out. Love the way she looks at life, her love for her family and her thoughts on where she is to date.

I once read another book reviewer say that she has a hard time giving any memoir less than five stars, unless the content really was just that bad. And I totally agree with her statement. If someone has taken the time to put their thoughts to paper and tell their life story, who are we give it a rating? Who are we to judge their life story and say it deserves any less than 5 stars? For that reason, I've given this book 5 stars. However, don't let that make you think I didn't enjoy this book. I really loved every minute of this book. But there are some things to know before starting.

It's important to know that this book is not the story of Magnolia. This is a collection of stories from Joanna Gaines' life. If you want to read more about the company, you should read The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines. The Stories We Tell is more a collection of stories that have shaped who Joanna Gaines has become as a person.

I will say this has moments where it feels kind of self-helpish. However, Joanna Gaines is a very well spoken woman and her words are very wise. I received a digital copy of this book prior to publication, but I ended up listening to the audiobook after the book released. And I am so glad I listened to this book. Hearing the words from Joanna's mouth adds so much more power to what she says. I wanted to highlight so much of this book, but listening to it in the car made that impossible. I'll probably still go through the book and highlight a lot. She has some very perceptive thoughts throughout the book.

I would highly recommend this book, but make sure you come at it with the right intention and understanding of what this book includes. Whether you're a fan of Fixer Upper or not, I think there is something in this book for everyone to hear.

Most of us know Joanna Gaines, famed Fixer Upper. But do we really *know* Joanna Gaines? Definitely not before this book. Joanna takes us deep - deep into the pages of her diary. She walks us through his story linearly, a she herself is working through her story. She picks out traumas and joys, formative experiences and urges us to think through similar times in our lives. It is tough work and deeply thought provoking. I'd recommend taking time with this book - letting it sit with you and mull it over.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own!

While not at all what I was expecting, this book was encouraging, uplifting, and got better toward the end. I love the Gaines’ rags to riches stories, but this was NOT that. It’s much deeper and unveiled our human vulnerabilities and struggles. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not what I expected at all. I'm a huge fan of Joanna Gaines, Fixer Upper, Magnolia, etc... & I was SO excited when I saw she had written a "memoir" & grateful for the opportunity to preview this book that I had been looking forward to reading.(Thank you Harper Select!)

However, that being said... if you're looking for a book about her, with details of her life, this isn't it.

It is a raw, vulnerable glimpse into her insecurities due to being bullied for being different, how she overcame them, & an invitation to do the same. It is well written. It is encouraging, uplifting & motivating. I did enjoy the book & wanted to finish it to see how it turned out. I found several quotes helpful & even shared a clip with someone struggling with a stressful situation.

Will I read it again? Yes.

Will I recommend it to others? Yes...but with the caveat that it's not a true memoir, but more of an encouraging/self-help type book.

(I was able to preview this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.)