Thank you, NetGalley, Simon Books, and Lara Love Hardin for an advanced reader copy!

5 stars! Lara's memoir is so full of hope, that individuals can be more than the "worst thing they've ever done." Her story is one of overcoming addiction, which so many people can resonate with. She doesn't hold back on the details of how her choices land her in jail because of drugs and theft, but also how her experience there completely reshapes her life. Lara does make it through her darkest times and uses her voice to help tell the stories of others. Now she is telling her story. I couldn't put it down!

My Rating: 5⭐️
Writing Style: 5⭐️
Plot/Story: 5⭐️

I’m not sure where to start with this book to be honest, I got to read this book via Net Galley before it officially comes out and I love it so much! I would be surprised if this doesn’t make top charts this year after it’s released, I will also be buying a hardcover copy of it because I really loved it that much. It’s a book of perseverance and injustice, a mother going through the justice system as a drug addict trying desperately to get her son and her life back on track and everything around and in between, from the many obstacles she has to overcome, finding housing, a job and transportation right after getting out of jail.

[Thank you @bookclubfavorites and @netgalley for the #gifted copy]

What a memoir! I read this book in 24 hours (thank you long commute into DC) and can’t stop thinking about it. Will this be a top memoir read for 2023? Yep!

As a mom, there are so many heartbreaking moments throughout this memoir, and I cannot imagine how Hardin and her children were feeling during her drug addiction and time in jail. I teared up several times. I loved that Hardin didn’t hold back on any details and shared everything with readers.

Also, I’m in awe of her hard work and journey to be an incredible author and business owner. And how did I not know she worked on The Book of Joy and co-authored The Sun Does Shine (a memoir everyone needs to read)!?!?

This is a tribute to redemption, forgiveness, and acceptance. And yet another testament to the injustices of the U.S. criminal justice system (that does not care about successful re-entry and relies of the unpaid labor of prisoners).

TLDR - read this!!

Lara Love Hardin has produced an incredible true story of her own drug induced fall from upper middle class soccer mom to the terrifying despair of incarceration as a thieving drug addict facing years in prison and the loss of her toddler. In jail, ‘Mama Love’ gains the confidence of other prisoners and encourages a more peaceful coexistence. Her determination to recover and reclaim her youngest child against monumental odds enforced by the legal system is ‘super hero’ worthy and her ultimate achievement of a job with a boss who gave her his full support and a husband who showed her honest love is real life dreams come true.

This book is a powerful reminder of what is possible if we block the powerful negativity of a world full of hateful critics, and learn to believe in ourselves with all of our flaws and strengths. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley for my honest review. This book is a powerful encouragement for everyone who thinks life is too hard and they are too flawed to succeed.

You know when you start a book and you know you could finish it in one sitting if you didn’t have such a busy day planned and you are just annoyed at everything you have to do that’s not reading this book? Well that was this book for me. As soon as I started it I was swept right in with Lara, invested in what was going to happen to her and her boys. This memoir was so raw and real and genuine and heartbreaking and redemptive. It was filled with hope and love and forgiveness. It was breathtaking and jaw dropping and beautiful all at the same time. Lara tells the story of her addiction , her time in jail up to her ghostwriting career and time spent with Desmond Tutu and the Dhali Llama. Like all of us as humans her life is messy, important and transcendent all at the same time. She said in the book she always dreamed of being a writer and having people feel something when they read her work. Mission accomplished. I just loved this book and I will be thinking about it and Mama Love for a long time!

If I was able to give past the 5 stars, I definitely would.
I can NOT find anything at all to criticize about this book. This is a MUST read memoir!
This book highlights the struggles of addiction, the helplessness of the punitive system and the hamster wheel of obstacles trying to get out; but also HOPE. Lara love Hardin's story is heart wrenching, taking us to her rock bottom with addiction, losing her son while incarcerated, the mental struggles of having her bad choices define her as a whole person. However, Lara Love Hardin's story is also filled with love and hope with the found determination of turning her life around; and so she does.
I will definitely be recommending this book.

This was a fascinating memoir about hitting rock bottom and fighting your way back to the top. Lara Love Hardin brings to light some of the major problems with the judicial system and highlights how challenging it can be for anyone to succeed after being incarcerated. I was pulled in from page one and found it fascinating to be a fly on the wall throughout her experiences. Her resiliency and determination against the odds are inspiring.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and #NetGalley for allowing me to read a pre-release of this memoir. My review is voluntary and all opinions are my own.

This book is truly one of the best books that I’ve read all year. It’s like Eat, Pray, Love meets Orange is the New Black.

From the moment we meet Lara, we’re introduced into a legal system that has failed her. While Lara is struggling with an addiction, she’s also fighting for custody of her three older boys, and admitting her struggles with addiction won’t get her any closer to her goal. Her life spirals as addiction takes over her life and one bad decision just piles on top of another. Before she knows it, she and her husband are being arrested in their family home, in front of their three year old for drugs and theft.

Lara is thrown into jail, or a nightmarish version of high school. There are rules, clicks, “popular” kids, teachers pets, etc. Lara learns the ropes and eventually finds her place in jail as “Mama Love.” Lara is the mother hen of G block who helps (mostly) young girls write letters to judges, offers advice, and just offers a bit of kindness to a room full of young girls who desperately need someone who believes in them. Lara highlights the poor living conditions of jail that are abusive and neglectful at best. She shares glimpses of stories of its inmates who were gang raped before coming to jail, manipulated by gangster boyfriends, and had little hope for a productive life. It was truly heartbreaking reading about these girls who really never had a fair chance in life and with a criminal record, probably never would.

This is just the beginning of Lara’s exposure of the judicial system. While Lara doesn’t place blame on their failed system directly, partially because she’s on her own spiritual journal of accepting herself and her crimes, it’s really eye opening to see all the ways the system fails young men and women and highlights the need for action.

Despite a seemingly upward battle once Lara is out of jail, she uses her strength, courage, and determination to become a better person. She regains custody of her son, finds a job, finds real friendships and relationships, and eventually finds herself in a life she could only dream of when she was sitting in jail detoxing from heroine.

Lara has a way of bringing you right into her story, like you’re witnessing it first hand. Her guilt, her love, her fear, her shame, her not, her pride, it’s all so palpable. By the end of the book I was just SO proud of her like I would a friend.

A riveting and fascinating account of the author, Lara Love Hardin, fall from wealthy soccer PTA mom to lying and stealing drug addict to a stint in jail to hard won success as a writer. I was hooked from the very first page and it kept my interest throughout although some of the descriptions were overly wordy at times. I had nothing but admiration for the author as she realized she had to turn her life around and get clean and back on track for her kids sake and was able to do so, although it was not an easy feat. A powerful and uplifting story!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

THE MANY LIVES OF MAMA LOVE
The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin
Your review
© Jul 6, 2023
*Thank you, NetGalley/Simon & Schuster, for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my honest review. This did not affect my opinion.
3.5 I'm glad this book came across my radar, and I hope others will pick it up to read. Even though I felt like some of the more complicated parts of her story were cleaned up by an editor it still gives an inside look at the reality of her situation, troubles, actions, and the time afterwards! Many of us have a friend, a family member, or know of someone who has had or continues to have addiction problems, so while Mama Love's story ending may be the exception...her story will offer hope!
Read from: Jul 02, 2023 - Jul 06, 2023
Shelved as: read
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I feel honored to be among the advanced readers of this brilliant piece of work! This was an incredible story, told so well. I learned a lot about myself as I read about the many lives of Mama Love ❤️ Lara's storytelling had me feeling every emotion! Sadness, fear, disappointment, joy, flat out elation, etc... This is definitely one that will stay with me!

I'm not normally given to effusive praise, but this book was fantastic. I couldn't put it down once I started. Having read and loved The Sun Also Shines, by the time Bryan Stevenson and Anthony Ray Hinton arrived on scene, I was giddy to share the joy in the metaphorical room - and eager to tell all of my other friends who've read the book "You have to read this! You need to know the backstory!" Not only does Mama Love shine in telling others' stories, but especially in telling her own. I look forward to reading anything else she writes, no matter what the topic. I think she could make even her grocery list engaging, funny, and memorable!

Copy provided by Netgalley.

What a great novel The Many Lives of Mama Love is. This is a work of nonfiction about Lara Love and her incredible experiences before , during, and after being released from jail with a lengthy felony record. Lara is a heroin addict who isreal and commits identity theft in order to support her habit. She is arrested and loses custody of her children. She is sent to jail where she experiences many atrocities. The author bears her soul to tell the reader the honest truth about her life. She makes no excuses for the mistakes she makes and boldly begins to change her life once she is released from jail. There are so many good things to say about this novel. It is destined to be a best seller! Thank you to Lara Love Hardin, Simon and Schuyler and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this remarkable story.

I do not have the words to describe just how much I loved this book. Every page held my attention and each chapter was a rollercoaster. Lara’s story is incredible and should be heard by everybody. I was completely absorbed into her story. This is a must read and I will be buying a copy of this when it officially releases.

Lara “Mama” Love is a gifted author with a rich and complex past. In her memoir she shares her journey from a convicted felon and “neighbor from Hell” to becoming an author and collaborator of the Dala Lama and Bryan Stevenson (author of “Just Mercy”). Along the way the reader learns the inner workings of prison and courtrooms, the trap of addictions, and about how complicated and unfair the probation system is. Lara is blessed with guardian angels that support, advocate, and exemplify love and forgiveness. This was a wonderful memoir and I would recommend this. Thank you to NetGaley and Simon & Schuster for the digital ARC.

This book gripped me from the first page and wouldn't let me go. Even though we know the outcome (for the most part), the details of the journey keep the reader engaged and eager to know more. Lara's emotional recount of her experience in prison, struggles with addiction, and the road to recovery are told with endearing sincerity. Whether or not you have gone through what Lara has gone through, all mother's can relate to the mom guilt, the desire to be better for your family, and the complexities of how to truly change your life for the best.

Hardin's account also shines a light on the obstacles that one must trudge through once released from prison. One of my favorite reads this year.

The Many Lives of Mama Love really sucked me in. It is a story about drug addiction, prison for drugs and identity theft, a custody battle for her youngest child and carrying on with life after becoming clean against many odds. I would say Lara Love succeed in life after hitting the bottom.

This book shows how opioid addiction can destroy lives. People do not think much about a soccer mom going from the cul-de-sac to prison. The book starts with Lara Loves decline because of the drug addiction. She learns that her so called friend are fair weathered friends and flee when the going got tough. She has a whole new set of friends in prison that take a new skill set to to win over and build allies. Mama Love has a third journey after she leaves prison and has to start life over with a felony on her record. She finally catches a break and becomes a ghost writer for some amazing people.

I enjoyed this book and until I read this book, I did not realize that I have read several of the books Lara Love Hardin helped write. Lara learned to love herself and forgive herself for her years of addiction. Her journey was difficult but shows people can come out on top after addiction.

Congratulations Lara Love Hardin for coming out on top! It took courage to write this book and I wish you the best.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of The Many Lives of Mama Love. I highly recommend this book which will be published on August 1st, 2023. #NetGalley #LaraLoveHardin #theManyLivesofMamaLove

This is one of those books that doesn't seem real, but is also so real you can't wrap your brain around it. Having worked with individuals who have experienced substance use and navigating the county systems, my heart broke for Mama Love. The judgments passed, and the overall injustice, is awful in this country, and someone who genuinely follows the rules should be treated better.

In regards to the book, it was very well written and kept me reading, waiting (and hoping) for a happy ending for all the strife the author went through. I appreciate the honesty in the book and the commentary on the (in)justice system in America. This is a great book to read to gain more perspective on the people we consider "criminals" and how people can earn a second chance.

This is a gripping, very well-written book. Although I haven't had the same experiences as the author, she wrote her story in a way that I found very relatable. It was also so frustrating to read about how broken all the official systems are, and how difficult they make it for a person to succeed. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This memoir was a journey into the dark side of addiction and back out of it. This story tells the life of a woman who had many layers and how she was able to be live such a life until she hit rock bottom and had to crawl her way out and back to who she wants to be in her life.
Drug addiction thru the eyes of a woman who can tell her story is quite a journey to go with her on. She was able to get herself back to a life she wanted but it had a lot of people trying hard to push her down.
Thank you NetGalley, Lara Love Hardin and Simon & Schuster for the ARC
Of The Many Lives of Mama Love. This is my personal review.