Thank you to NetGalley and Ave Maria Press for the opportunity to read an advanced reader's copy of this book for an honest review.

“Holy Ambition: Thriving as a Catholic Woman at Work and at Home” was an expectedly transformative book for me. I had never heard of Catholic Women in Business before, but after reading this book, I immediately joined their Facebook group and regular check their blog for new posts. Since my husband and I both have full-time management jobs (at different companies), I often feel judged by others for not being a stay-at-home mom. This book helped put things into perspective and gave me plenty of reasons to not feel guilty so long as I was still prioritizing God, marriage, and motherhood over my job.

This book was full of wisdom from so many women who are in similar situations to mine. I just needed to put more time and energy into discerning my spiritual gifts. I was in tears during this section of the book, because I had gone through a Called and Gifted Workshop hosted by my parish a year ago and still didn’t have true clarity on my charisms and felt extremely discouraged. This book reminded me that discernment is grounded in prayer, and I hadn’t established a regular prayer routine with God to ask the right questions and hear His answers. This practice led me to find Many Parts Ministries, and I finally found the answers to my charism questions!

I absolutely recommend this book to any woman who’s working and wants a closer relationship with God, her husband, and/or her children. It’s perfectly fine to read this book on your own, but each chapter has questions that could be discussion points for a small group or book club. I also highly recommend this book as a gift to the working women in your life.

I loved this book focused on all working women not just moms. The chapters were easy to follow. The profiles of both saints and current working women helped keep the book relatable. I think this would make a great college graduation present.

Taryn and Elise did a fantastic job using personal experience and St. John Paul II’s teachings to explore the unique role women play in the professional environment while maintaining their feminine genius. The book is well written and easy to follow! Both men AND women should read this book!

The book was ok and too much revisions and marks on the pages left me unfocused on the book. I couldn’t read half of the book because of all of the markings.

The world of work can be sanctifying for our immortal souls. It can provide us with opportunities for spiritual growth and evangelization, adding an important element to our lives.

Holy Ambition: Thriving as a Catholic Woman at Work and at Home underscores how our professional lives can be spiritually enriching. Drawing on the examples of a number of female saints, this book is a helpful guide to succeeding in both the secular world and on the home front.

Authors Taryn DeLong and Elise Crawford Gallagher (while we share the same surname, we are not related) do a splendid job of mixing commerce and compassion, bottom lines and the beatitudes.

I particularly enjoyed the authors' exploration of the concept of servant leader, which can be so helpful to women in executive positions.

Whether you work in a board room or are busy giving your children nightly baths, you are likely to be inspired and motivated as a result of reading this impressive work.