This reads like a work of fiction. I continuously had ro recall that I was reading memoir. Lara Love Hardin gives readers an honest look into her chaotic, messy past and the path she forged to turn her life around.
She survived addiction and jail, realizing that her release from incarceration was far from her final hurdle. Hardin sheds light on her uphill climb after lock up and how the prison system makes rehabilitation so difficult ; as the system relies on repeat offenders to keep the prison population up in order to use prisoners as free labor.
Hardin was fortunate to catch some breaks and receive grace and support which she admits so many former inmates lack on their road to health and recovery.
She writes a reminder to us all that while.there is freedom in accepting all of our parts ( good bad, ugly and beautiful ) we get to choose to create an identity out of the best parts of ourselves.
Her journey to finding her calling and finally loving and forgiving herself is remarkable !

Thanks Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ability to read this ARC.

This book needs to be read. It is the account of a woman’s (could be any of us) descent into addiction, the consequences, and the climb out of the grip of addiction. This is an inspiring story of hope, courage, and perseverance. I definitely recommend with 5 stars!

An unflinching portrait of a woman who had it all before losing it all to addiction. This novel was so well-written and drew me in immediately. Great for fans of Orange is the New Black (the novel, not the Netflix special) and self-discovery memoirs.

The author also mentions other books she has ghostwritten post-jail and I've definitely added them to my TBR.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a new perspective on the lives of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people. Lara is inspirational and never gave up. She didn't let her past define her.It also hit home that no one is immune from being touch by drugs.I definitely recommend this book to all readers of memoirs.

WOW! Such an incredible life Lara Love has had! She first tells us about her drug addiction around the time of her arrest. We learn later about her incarceration and then how her love for her sons motivated her to dig herself out of a life of crime and drug abuse. Through incredible persistence with her parole, and setbacks galore, she has been able to acquire the career that she was meant for. And through forgiveness, she is living the life that she is proud of.

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read a review The Many Lives of Mama Love.

The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin is a heartfelt memoir about the author's journey of self-discovery and healing through her relationship with her mother, Mama Love. The book explores the complex relationship between the author and her mother as they navigate through years of trauma and pain.

The writing in this memoir is raw and emotional, making it a powerful read. The author's vulnerability and honesty are admirable, and her story touches on important issues such as intergenerational trauma and mental health.

However, at times, the storytelling feels disorganized and jumps from one scene to another without a clear sense of direction. This can make it difficult for the reader to stay engaged with the story.

Overall, The Many Lives of Mama Love is a moving and important memoir that sheds light on the struggles of intergenerational trauma. While it can be a challenging read at times, it's a book that offers an important message of hope and healing. I give this book a 3 out of 5-star rating.

In conclusion, I would recommend The Many Lives of Mama Love to anyone who enjoys memoirs that explore complex family relationships and the process of healing. It's a book that will leave readers with a sense of hope and appreciation for the power of love.

It is refreshing to read a memoir written by a professional author. Many reviewers will emphatically state “This reads like fiction!” I couldn’t agree more. I sped through this journey right along with Mama Love. I was rooting for her and shaking my head at her self-destructive ways. This is a heartwarming story about addiction, motherhood and forgiveness. I had a mother who struggled with addiction, and the author's portrayal of the addict’s struggle of doing what is right v. using was enlightening. I appreciate the author who graciously shares her story of struggle and overcoming shame.

Thank you to Simon and Shuster and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to review this ARC.

Lara Love Hardin has lived many lives within one. A former wealthy soccer mom turned opioid addict tells her journey from one to the other. I was intrigued by the premise of this book and it is obvious even without knowing her accomplishments in literature that she is a very talented writer. In the beginning I became very frustrated with some of the choices Lara made. Yes, I understand addiction but I also understand the power of love for your children being the driving force to overcome even the most daunting obstacle. Fortunately, she finally has that realization and turns things around. It doesn't come without extensive damage done first though. This is not only a look at her decisions and their consequences but also an overall look at our justice system and how it fails our citizens each and every day. Our jail and prison systems are not meant to rehabilitate and reinstate people but consistently set them up for failure. This is told in a firsthand viewpoint through Lara. I do feel there was so much to pack in to her story that maybe some things were glossed over that I would have liked her to explore more - rebuilding her relationship with her children, how she navigated life without the car, finances, and ability to make rent, meeting Sam. I was appalled, but not surprised, that people still have such hostility towards her (i.e. the rotary speech). It is so sad that others feel they have the right to continuously judge others and decide their worthiness. Of course, we see it every day on social media and it's never something anyone would say if facing the person. I'm so glad Lara has found peace and put her past behind her and is living her life to the fullest. After reading the acknowledgements, I'm ready for her next book about the DNA story, at least a blog post.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC.

This was a fascinating account of a woman who triumphed against all odds over drug addiction, imprisonment for identity theft/illegal drugs, and the threat of losing custody of her youngest child. I was riveted by the desperate and crafty tactics she used to survive while in the throws of her addiction. The politics of prison life was also quite an education with its popularity contests and the underbelly of smuggling in drugs. This woman hit rock bottom and came within a hair of ending it all in prison.

The author communicates from the heart to reach the reader who might have a hard heart about the court system. She conveys from personal experience how difficult and perhaps unfair the rules are regarding probation and restitution. Many will sympathise with her plight, fighting to get employment and lodgings without the stain of prejudice because of her prison record. A sincere desire to start out fresh with honesty and a clean life can be made very difficult when a Google search delivers scandalous articles of a shameful past.

This is a true story of hard won redemption in resetting a life destroyed by drugs. Since Hardin has been a very successful co-writer of other famous people's best sellers, it is to the author's credit for sharing an embarrassing story to shed light on a not always fair legal system.

Thank you to the publisher Simon & Schuster for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.

Lara Love Hardin gets a new lease on life when she lands a job with a publisher and ends up as a ghost writer... but the reason the fresh start is so special isn't because it's a career she's always really wanted while she was putting in time as a soccer mom. It's because she spent years in prison, recovering from opioid addiction and doing time for 32 felonies.

This memoir was enthralling from the first page and, while Hardin fesses up to huge mistakes, neglect, and deceptions, she manages to stay a sympathetic force who holds a deep love for her children and strong passion for her work. We join her explorations through her experience in women's prison and the politics that come with it, where she becomes the trusted "Mama Love." And then her re-entry to society and the job that really helps her rebuild.

Do yourself a favor and pick up this book. So well written, encouraging, and heartening.

And personally, it made my heart smile that I'd actually seen Hardin's name on the page of a book I'd read a few years ago: The Book of Joy (Dalai Lama XIV and Desmond Tutu w/ Douglas Abrams). Her telling of this experience of working with the Dalai Lama was incredibly special - perspective from an every person who finds themself in an awe-inspiring situation.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this advanced copy. All opinions expressed here are my own.

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC: 4.5 stars, rounded up: Lara Love Hardin is a terrific writer and she has a very important story that she tells so well. Love Hardin was jailed for 32 felonies and spent way too long having to pay back the system for her crimes. She writes beautifully--she ghost wrote many books by social justice luminaries that I've read and enjoyed. Probation was created to rehabilitate but it's just petty punishment as she describes and it creates insurmountable barriers. The author is truthful and compelling. Her insight and the power of her story make her a social justice warrior and this book is highly recommended.

This book was everything I needed and didn’t even know it. From the first page, I felt connected to the writer in a way I didn’t know possible. As a mother with an addictive personality and love for literature, I saw myself in Lara. The fact that it could be any of us. The fact that we all have dark moments and how we persevere through them… that’s what matters. This book sucked me in. The writing style was perfection. This book made me laugh, made me cry, made me feel hopeful, made me feel angry. I experienced all of the feelings while reading this book. Thank you for the opportunity to read it and I look forward to purchasing a hard copy soon!

Lara Love Hardin has written a fine memoir about how she ruined her upper-middle-class life and family with drugs and thievery, spent an extended period in jail, and finally rebuilt herself, her family, and her career despite the enmity of almost everyone she’d ever known, and a probation system designed to send most of its clients back behind bars. Indeed, she rebuilt her life so solidly that she found herself working closely on a project with both Archbishop Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.

Her story is well-written (as you might expect of someone whose childhood dream was to be a writer and who eventually realized that dream as a professional ghostwriter for the famous and not-so-famous). Her prose is clear and straightforward and unburdened by literary embellishments. She does not tell her readers what to think or feel. Nevertheless, what she describes about herself, her upbringing, her family, her neighbors, and California’s criminal justice system is often highly evocative of both thought and feeling.

She has some very important things to say, about California’s system of probation and how we treat those who’ve been imprisoned. We as a society may say we want to give former convicts a second chance, but Ms. Hardin’s tale should make readers question whether we really mean it.

My thanks to NetGalley, author Lara Love Hardin, and publisher Simon & Schuster for providing me with an electronic ARC. The foregoing is my honest, independent opinion.

First off, I am beyond grateful that I was able to read an advanced copy of this book! I was instantly hooked, and I could not put the book down. Such an incredible and moving memoir of Lara Love Hardin, who went from businesswoman soccer mom, to convicted felon, to rising above and becoming a successful writer. The book touches on drug addiction, the flawed legal system, and a mother's love and determination. I cannot wait for this book to be published so that I can add it to my book club!

WOW! What an incredible book. Mama Love captivates readers as she tells her story of addiction, crime, jail time, ghostwriting and most importantly, motherhood. Mama Love takes you through her all of her addictions - some lead her to jail, others lead her to be a best selling co-author. Her story is remarkable and written in a very likable and human way. This book was smooth, super easy to read and quite the page turner. This book will pull on your heart strings with every chapter, as you laugh, cry and even scream reading about Mama Love's journey.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. Hardin is an excellent writer and I feel privileged to have been able to read this book for free and early.
Her journey was excruciating and beautiful and I can't wait for everyone to read it!
Hardin's difficult journey though the judicial system should be shared with everyone. It's unacceptable this is happening and so very sad.
Her specific journey, however, if beautiful and heart-warming and I wish her the best!
I shared a review on GoodReads but cannot get the link via mobile

HUGE thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster Publishing, and the author for the chance to get my hands on this book early!

One of the best memoirs I’ve read! a look into the cycle of addiction and the difficulty of building a life after serving time in America’s “justice” system. This book is a call to action to look past our worst mistake and not let it define us while also urging us to not define others by their worst mistakes.

Of course the writing was amazing, but what else is to be expected from someone that has a resume like the author’s? I highly recommend everyone pick this book up when it’s released and prepare yourself for a perspective shifting look into the life of someone who has experienced the injustice of the current state of America’s justice system and has learned to love her life and herself.

A solid 4.5 stars. Thank you, NetGalley, for the advance copy. I’m return I will leave this book a GLOWING REVIEW.

I always struggle with memoirs. How do I rate someone’s life? How do I put a star rating on someone’s struggle, triumph, rage? I’ve since realized I cannot, and I do my best to rate memoirs with a caveat that this person deserves an above average rating because they are really being vulnerable with their memories and trusting us, as readers, to embrace it.

Lara kills it. I was recommended this book by a dear friend that also got a galley, and I downloaded it the following week. When I first opened the book, I was so gripped by the first line that I felt my jaw go slack. As the chapter reads on, it was so incredibly hard to want to continue. Lara writes so openly about her drug use while she’s with her three year old, her husband who really enables her use, and the internal conflict she has every single day. I paused after the end of chapter one and thought that maybe I should table this one until it was published, giving me more time to remove myself and mentally prepare for the heartache that would follow.

I ended up doing the opposite. 24 hours later, this book lay closed in my hand and I could do nothing but sob. Lara is a beautiful writer, a beautiful human and such an example of a system that oppresses instead of rehabilitates. She writes so candidly, unbiasedly and never once did I feel like she was selling us a sob story.

I don’t want to give anything away, but if you’re a fan of memoirs similar to A Piece of Cake, give this one a try.

I immediately got into this book and couldn't really stop reading. It's so very well written, very engrossing and just so moving. Primarily though, it's about how we, as a society, dehumanize those who have made mistakes and how we're not willing to see the difference between those who are sorry for their crime and those who are not. I also don't know how it works in other countries, but judging by this book and some others I've read in the past, it sure looks like in the US, the system is simply designed to keep a person in, once they so much as spend a day inside.

Despite that, this book made me genuinely happy - for the author, and the way things turned out for her. It's a sad story, but not a sad book - and it has a happy ending (I'm not spoiling, okay? The author clearly wrote it, so she's fine!)

There is no way you'll be reading this book and not rooting for Mama Love. I dare you. I fell in love with her within the very first pages.

Oh, and unrelated - but I just wanted to say, how funny it is to find out you've read quite a few of the books co-authored by a person and you never knew. Loved them as well. Hilarious.

I became engrossed in her story from page 1 and I felt her emotions right alongside her. Her fear of where her baby went, the uncertainty of jail, the feeling that it would be easier for everyone if she just ended her life. I felt what she was feeling and fully understood why in those moments.

This is a story of redemption.

I know quotation marks being in a memoir might be concerning for some. I think it’s important to remember that a memoir is simply that- a person’s recollection of what happened to them. For that reason, it doesn’t bother me that there’s quotations throughout. This is her story as she remembers it.

I think on some level we can all resonate with her story. Feeling shame about something. Knowing we have more potential in life than we’re giving.

Ultimately fighting so hard even when everything seemed to be against her. Mama Love’s story will pull on your heartstrings, inspire you, and leave you feeling like you just made a new friend.