Beautiful life. That’s what this book helps us see. The beauty in the everyday. The beauty in going against
The grain. The beauty of finding one’s self. Grab a copy. Put it on your TBR!

I didn’t know who Alexis Jones was prior to reading this book. There were some parts that made me feel like she was incredibly entitled and braggy, but I think by the end of the book you can see a bit of difference in how she’s approaching life. Maybe I would have been more sympathetic and empathic to her situation had I known her and followed her career, so it could involve a bit of reader error but overall I give it a 2.75 stars

At first I thought I was picking up another book by a privileged author who told stories that didn’t really mean anything. But as I read on I realized that Alexis Jones is able to piece words together that evoked feelings that triggered me or provided glimmers. There were moments I had to put the book down because of my own fears of losing my family, especially my parents, as I live 1000 miles away and they grow older.

I was able to identify with some of her story points well because I grew up going to a high school that is rival to the one she went to. I can also resonate with marrying the nice guy after a line of frogs.

My own husband and I moved to a place we loved because of hardship. I understand that we silence the things we want as we grow older because we’re so used to giving other people what we want or trying to get approval from other people. I’m in my own muck of figuring that out right now. I personally agree with Alexis that seeing seasons change and having “hibernation” is good for the soul.

overall I found this book to be an easy, quick read and relatable. Do I think it will provide you all the answers to problems? No. But I do think it’s a great story and it made me thankful for family.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. It was very helpful and gave me a lot to think about.

Joy Hunter | @alexisjones

Thank you, Alexis Jones, for making me ugly cry at weird hours of the night because I couldn’t put this down.

But seriously, it’s so refreshing to read a perspective about people pleasers and perfectionism in such a vulnerable way.

Especially as women who are often seen as too emotional. This one story, ONE woman’s story, shows you that not only is it okay to be emotional, having those feelings is what MAKES women so strong. The fact that we can go through some of the most traumatizing things and come out the other end - of course with the well deserved process of healing - even stronger is amazing.

So thank you Alexis, for the ugliest of cries but also the warm and fuzzies of your dad and husband, the insight on overcoming family secrets, your unwavering determination to make the world a better place, but most of all just reminding us that healing is so important.

Side note: Please make sure you take care of yourself and listen to what your body tells you. We need you around here for a while.

To say that I could relate to the life Alexis Jones lived and wrote about in her new book “Joy Hunter” would be a lie. My life was opposite of hers yet the issues she dealt with, and ultimately came to terms with, are issues I can definitely relate to. We may have had vastly different experiences, but the emotional and psychological trauma she described were very real for me. I was drawn to her story and did not want to stop reading. Alexis bared her soul in this book. She is extremely brave to have exposed so much of her private life to the world.

I had never heard of Alexis Jones or her husband, Bradley Buckman, before reading “Joy Hunter.” It felt almost surreal to be able to do a Google search to get to know them a little better; almost like getting in touch with an old friend who I had never actually met but knew so much about. I was relieved to learn that Alexis and Brad were finally able to welcome a beautiful baby boy into their family in February 2023. Congratulations to the new parents!

I am grateful to Netgalley for the advanced reading copy I received. It was an easy read as it was very well written. I highly recommend this book to women who are interested in another perspective on how much we have in common even though our lives are nowhere close to similar.

Finding Joy Hunter & Alexis Jones is like reconnecting to that one neighbor friend you made at 9 years old, fiercely traversing the “woods” in you backyard and unabashedly drinking from the hose. Joy Hunter is an excellent romp through the idea that we never lose our child-like wonder, although it may take repeated journeys to find them again. Joy Hunter reminds us that we are not alone and there is excellence around every corner, even when going through the darkest parts of our lives.

Prior to reading Joy Hunter, I'd never heard of Alexis Jones. But the cover of this book was so fun and the title drew me in. I enjoy reading memoirs and find inspiration from other people's journeys, so wanted to read this book. Immediately, I could tell that Alexis has so much passion for life, for growth, and for sharing her message with others. I thought the book was well written and provided a fun summer escape in the form of a road trip that the author took with her husband and a friend during the covid era, summer 2020. I loved reading about her adventures and her journey of healing from a miscarriage.

That being said, a couple things that knocked this book down a star or two was that the author delighted in talking about her covid-era road trip. Everyone else was staying home and they took advantage of empty roads and deserted tourist sights. From a public health perspective, that's not great and her tone, in my opinion, was a bit entitled. I also felt like I had a hard time learning how to "find my joy" from Alexis's story. Was I supposed to do that by taking a crazy fun long trip? I guess I thought from the title I might learn a little something...

Overall, I still enjoyed this book but did find myself wanting a bit more from it.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I wasn't sure if I would like this story and it took me a little while to get into is however, I enjoyed reading about her live and the journey she went on. Very calming and inspiring and will connect with your soul.

I didn't really like this book. It was sent to me because I enjoyed Glow in the Dark by Tara Schuster, but I don't feel like the books had much in common. Joy Hunter is about Alexis Jones's 2020 roadtrip with her husband and friend through the American West after an intense career building I Am That Girl. Burnt out, grieving a miscarriage, and with nothing better to do thanks to the pandemic, Jones and Co rent an RV and head west.

I think my main issue with this book is that I didn't really understand where she found her joy. So much of the book focused on what she was running from, I never got a sense of what she found, aside from a community she enjoyed in Bozeman. I'm oversimplifying of course, but I would have liked more reflection on what made her feel joy, how she found that joy. As a burnout overachiever myself, I almost felt like she was hoarding the good stuff that I could use while focusing on all the reasons her life before wasn't working out.

I occurs to me that maybe she couldn't. For a book to be published in June of 2023, she must have started writing the book right away, which maybe didn't provide much time for reflection on her experience. I'm super glad that Jones found her joy, I just wish that maybe she gave the rest of us some ideas on how to find our own.

I enjoyed this book and the themes of it, but I thought the writing was a little lack luster and felt a little rudimentary at times. I wasn't sure why the author flashed back to certain periods of life, (and took us out of the road trip theme that she set up at the beginning of the book and then ended the book with it, but what about the middle?) because it didn't feel like it connected to the larger story. It felt like she was saying the same thing over and over and I didn't walk away with anything tangible. It was fun to read though!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for a copy to review.
A fun inspirational read.
A journey in finding yourself. I enjoyed reading Alexis' journey and story in discovering who she is. I did find it weird she went on a huge road trip while most of us were under lock down. Other than that it was alright. I'd probably give my mom a copy. I think she'd like it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. Maybe this book won’t hit others like it hit me. Maybe it just happened into my life at the moment I needed it. But I truly loved this book and will reread it again in the near future. Jones’ writing style is casual with a hint of wit, interesting enough to keep you intrigued but not overdone. She’s a powerfully inspiring woman who also manages to write about her story in a way that doesn’t make you the reader feel less than or ostracized- a hard balance to keep when the author is so impressive and accomplished. A great reminder that deep down we all have the same wants, desires and needs on a base level (love, safety, connection) and no matter who we are, we all stumble trying to get them.

While I don't think there was anything necessarily new or groundbreaking to be learned, I did very much enjoy the author's writing and storytelling. And the overall message is one that cannot be overstated in my opinion - find joy wherever you can no matter your circumstances. You have the power to do that. Joy Hunter is an excellent reminder of how we all have to forge our own path and how we can use our struggles (and might even need them) to move forward in a meaningful way toward the joyful life that is meant for us.

Alexis Jones wrote this book at just the right time for me. It was like she knew I (and other women like me) needed to hear these things. I have grappled with taking on too much, trying too hard to be all things to all people, and this book gave me permission to do things for myself, to slow down, savor the moment, and advocate for my own happiness. I found myself highlighting so many parts of this book! I told my friends, who I happened to be traveling with as I read this, that it felt like it was written just for me. I appreciate her authenticity, her tenacity, and her willingness to go for the life she actually wanted, instead of the one she already had. It is hopeful, funny, heartbreaking, surprising, and relatable, and I will certainly be recommending this one to MANY of my friends, who I know find themselves searching for the joy in life as well. This is a fantastic, timely book, perfect for anyone who has ever felt caught up in the culture of busyness and success. Great book--great message!

'Joy Hunter' by Alexis Jones is a raw memoir about her journey through love, loss, discovery, and that the paths carved out for us aren't always the paths we need to take.

I am so glad that Penguin Random House suggested this book to me. Prior to the ARC suggestion, I had not heard of Alexis Jones, the "survivor", the activist, the kick ass woman who came from humble beginnings. In 'Joy Hunter' she is open and relatable, Alexis doesn't seem to be holding anything back in this book. I now want to know more about her and to join her sisterhood. I really enjoyed reading about her journey and where it has taken her so far. I am an avid believer in taking the chances and to be true to yourself first and foremost. In this day and age where everything has become so superficial and we all struggle to fit in (or appear to online), we can't ever forget who we really are and are meant to be.

"I am learning from Montana that we, too, have seasons, specific times for things to grow, for things to die, and for things to bloom again." -Alexis Jones 'Joy Hunter'

Thank you Penguin Random House and NetGalley for the eARC. This was a huge thumbs up from me.

The pace of this memoir and my love for reading other people's life stories had me flying through this book. I was really enjoying the author, Alexis Jones' take on life and reading about her love of travel and summer camp really had me hooked. But about 40% in I learned something about myself, that I need a trigger warning for a specific aspect of Covid-19 that inevitably fills me with red hot rage and I can't move past it. Maybe this will apply to some of you, too so I'll provide some details as to why I think it would be helpful if I had known in advance of this possible trigger (I wouldn't have picked this book up had I known).

Around 40% into the book the author wrote about how she, her husband, and a friend decided to disregard the top US health officials who were telling everyone to STAY HOME during the Covid-19 global pandemic and decided to take a road trip in an RV across multiple states. While I can appreciate her need for healing (she was most definitely working through non-pandemic related trauma), going on a road trip at the beginning of a pandemic where millions of people were dying is so problematic to me. As I continued reading I couldn't help my mind from wandering to what my life was like in early 2020 and the collective trauma and fear we were all facing... I clearly haven't yet worked through that trauma because for the rest of this book I progressively became more angry at the author. If I were reading a hardcopy and not on my Kindle I honestly envisioned throwing the book across the room. In 2020 I had a four year old at home (daycare was closed), a full time job that I was trying to keep, and the fear of our health and lives being changed forever weighing on me. We took staying home very seriously. So it was very triggering to read that they chose to take this trip during that time. And she's now profiting off of that because she wrote this book about it. Sure, maybe I have some jealous feelings, because gosh I dreamed of packing up and hitting the road every single day during that time... but what if everybody actually had done that?! The people who didn't follow the rules got to have all the fun, while the rest of us rule follower took one for the team being miserable at home. End of rant.

TW: Travel during Covid-19

This book sucked me in and i loved listening to Alexis' story! It felt so comfortable, like a friend talking over coffee, and I was fascinated to hear how things went/go for her. The empowering and self-loving message was really encouraging. Has similar vibe to Tara Schuster books, if you like her already or want more recs! Loved this book.

I had never heard of the author before reading her book. She is very accomplished but what I’m really impressed with is she won the showcase showdown on The Price is Right! That show was a staple of my childhood as I competed from my parents’ living room 😀
Jones grapples with a secret about her past and her want for a child along with a host of other topics.
She is very fortunate to have two her father and her husband, who from her descriptions, are outstanding men.
I liked her family history stories.
Jones comes to many realizations after a transformative trip out west, many that it takes some people a lifetime to admit.
And she gets to live in Montana!

I wanted to love this book, but I just couldn’t get into it. Maybe it’s just a case of wrong book, wrong time?