Call it pure desperation, or maybe we’d agree it was the lack of sleep that had me signing six weeks of my life away to be bossed around by a life coach. Either way, I was trying to get my life together, and Logan Woodland was going to help.I thought he’d make me eat healthier, drink more water, and do yoga. What I wasn’t expecting, was to be forced to see myself as I was and how far I’d fallen.… I’d fallen.
But then his program worked.
He’d shown me a life filled with passion and desire. A life where I was stronger and could be the woman I’d never known existed inside me.
I did have a six-week life-changing experience, but now, I wanted more than I’d signed on for.
Him.
more
Lately, I’ve been on a kick to read authors that are new-to-me or ones that I haven’t read in a while. Jessica Florence falls into the new-to-me category. I will definitely be reading more of her stories.
Inspired is just that, an inspiring story. Depression, burnout, that feeling of not being enough, always needing to be in control, the inability of not being able to let it go. These are all topics that are dealt with throughout this book. Mia is one of the youngest billionaires in the hotel industry and she got there through hard work. She has lost herself somehow and while she should be on the top of her game and on top of the world she is at an all-time low and can’t seem to shake the funk. In a moment of desperation, she contacts Inspired, a company that will show you how to unleash your potential and find yourself again. Enter Logan.
This story has engaging characters, maintains a quick pace without ever feeling rushed, has a good storyline, no over-the-top drama, and is lots of fun. It actually even has some good coping mechanisms buried within the advice Logan gives to Mia.
4.25 Stars
Jessica Florence has written a self-help book disguised as a romance novel. Or is it a romance novel and self-help book all-in-one? Well, I for one, always want to read self-help books, but never do because I would rather read romance, so with INSPIRED by Jessica Florence, I killed two birds with one stone. I both enjoyed the romance, and changed my way of thinking a bit as well!
“She looked tired, both mentally and physically. She also looked like a businesswoman, but beneath seemed lost, broken. A beautiful puzzle that I wanted to put back together. To bring this dazzling woman back into the light where she belonged. I was in this, but I needed to know if she was. Was Mia Moretti ready to be inspired?”
Mia Moretti is CEO of a luxury hotel chain. She had a marriage that fell apart, but she has a very successful career and that used to be more than enough. But now it isn’t. She is lost and kind of floundering. When she sees a late-night ad for a life-coach, she impulsively signs up for the 6-week program. What she doesn’t expect is the gorgeous, laid-back, surfer-looking Logan; her new life coach.
Logan is excited for his new client, but it’s going to be hard for him to keep it professional, especially after getting this warning from her assistant, Jay.
“If you aren’t ready for something truly beautiful in your life, then you might wanna guard your heart. You’re seeing Mia in her low, and when she finally shakes the mud off, you won’t even know you’re hers until it’s too late. She’s that true beauty inside and out that captures you in the best way. If you’re not ready for that, man, make a plan to get out of Dodge because you’re only going to hurt yourself and her. She doesn’t know it, but she wears her heart on her sleeve, a complete open book. You won’t be able to stop falling in love with her.”
Despite the feelings that begin to develop, Logan gives some great advice in his coaching.
“Wounds don’t heal until you stop touching them. Same goes for mental wounds.” She did not like my answer. That was clear in the frown and deadpan look her eyes were giving me. “So, I just let it all go? That’s it? The key to my happiness is letting go of the bad shit?”
I am very negative about myself. An old friend gave me this advice, and Jessica reminded me of it in this book.
“Do you know what men find the most attractive about a woman?”…
“Confidence. A woman who knows she’s sexy is irresistible to a man.”
And this piece of advice couldn’t be more on-target for most of us:
“Social media is a poison to your mind. It creates a high, much like a drug’s effect, when someone likes your shit or comments. You want more and feel validated when people engage with you. Like you’re important. It also makes you compare your life with others. Their highlight reels to your behind-the-scenes. It’s all a lie, and you shouldn’t waste your life on it. You’ve got a real life to live, not that shit. Check in on people, do business, but then get the hell out of there.”
Before Mia was ready to move on she needed to love herself.
“People really didn’t need another human to make themselves happy. Happiness came from within.”
I so enjoyed seeing Mia change and grow throughout the book, and while I loved Logan, I kind of hoped that maybe Jay, her assistant, would be the one for her.
Likes:
•I love how Inspired actually inspired me to make some changes in my life. It’s actually one of the reasons it took me two weeks to review it. I decided to stop putting so much pressure on myself to review right away and enjoy my life and my family more.
•I liked how it was a great combo of self-help and romance without ever feeling like self-help.
•Jessica was very responsible in her approach. She never actually really gave advice, but encouraged the reader to explore further if needed.
•She touches on depression and anxiety.
•I really loved Logan’s attitude and spirit.
•It was a lovely journey of self-discovery both for the characters and the reader.
•The list of books, amazing quotes, and resources at the end.
Dislikes:
•I felt it was pretty inappropriate to have a relationship with a client, especially one so vulnerable.
•See the quote at the beginning of this review from Jay, her assistant? I would have actually liked to see him with Mia a little more, maybe even have had them be the couple in the end.
The Down & Dirty:
I really enjoyed Inspired by Jessica Florence. I liked how it was more than a romance, and it inspired me to treat myself better and spend more “me” time which I NEVER do. Jessica included some tips (via the story) on dealing with anxiety and other issues that may be holding you back from enjoying your life to the fullest. While Inspired was definitely a romance novel, I loved how she snuck a self-help book in there as well.
This book is truly awe-inspiring! Inspired is the kind of book that will give you inspiration to get stronger.
This book discusses something important: Identity, mental health and awareness of it. The book looks into how the mind works and how spontaneous its moods are, and how they can deeply change people. Ot also emphasises that even it is hard work, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, that life may put obstacles in your way, but to jump over them one at a time.
I just absolutely adored Mia and Logan together. I loved how they inspired each other and how their relationship developed throughout novel. They were both such loveable characters, and I absolutely adored their story.
Jessica Florence did such an incredible job with this novel. This book has shown me that change can happen through hard work, and has literally motivated me to think about my wellbeing, and to put myself first, even if it is hard. Inspired is such a brilliant read, and I definitely recommend it.
The simple act of continuing when you feel like giving up is the bravest thing anyone can do. YOU ARE AMAZING.
Have you ever been so close to the edge? So lost you are about to give up? With Inspired, Jessica Florence has gifted us with some of her light–writing a story that will not only make you fall in love but feel INSPIRED to fight against the darkness and to keep going.
Inspired is a unique storyline that touches on important issues and shows us we are not alone, that depression and anxiety is something that affects a lot of us in our daily life–with this story, Jessica Florence proves she’s capable of writing anything and I mean anything–from superheroes, contemporary to inspirational romances.
I hope Callum, Tate, and Jay would get their own books because I would love to read more of them.
Florence’s tale of self-discovery and love, is nothing less than inspirational, the question is… are you ready to be INSPIRED?
Inspiration comes in many forms…sometimes, it takes a lot of work to be inspired in any capacity; other times, inspiration can be found everywhere…in the small moments of life and in the significant occasions. Regardless of where it is present in one’s life, it is beyond necessary to be inspired and to inspire other people.
In Jessica Florence’s newest release, Inspired, she takes readers on the heroine’s personal journey of self-discovery – one where she admits her flaws, learns to identify her emotional triggers, and understands what’s at stake in improving her mental health. And while the hero, Logan Woodland, is a necessary part of her self-revelations and self-healing,
‘coaching’ her and helping her be re-inspired, I truly believe that this story is wholly about Mia learning to accept who she is…every broke and bent piece of her…proving to herself and to those around her that even though she may stumble and even fall, she’ll always get back up and continue on the path she’s meant to follow, even if it ebbs and flows and changing directions…what matters most is that she acquires the skills to know who she is and what she wants, making herself a priority.
Mia’s story resonated with me on so many levels…her perfectionism…her need to push herself and put every part of herself into her job and her life…the fact that she lost herself by focusing on everything else but what she needed, costing her so much more than she even understood until she recognized how self-destructive her habits had become.
People may view depression and anxiety as taboo topics – ones better left unsaid or discussed behind closed doors because to admit that people’s mental health is not where it should be is to say that they are less than what they should be. And while the judgments of others, when it comes to mental illness, are slowly changing due proper education and new mindset, there’s still a long way to go, but honest and thought provoking books like Inspired will help keep the conversation open and hopefully assist in allowing people to see that they’re not alone.
4 Poison Apples
Inspired by Jessica Florence
5 Stars
WOW! What an amazing beautifully written story! Leaves you feeling inspired.
“Come what may, we were going to live, inspired, in our very own happily ever after.”
“I’d come to believe that everything truly happened for a reason. Even the bad things.”
“We’d found each other and love from the ashes. That beauty I had known would come.”
What a great 4 star story. Feeling overwhelmed, tired, taking no more pleasure in the things the person used to love doing are all signs of feeling burned out and depression.
Mia is like that right now, she goes through her day unhappy. She’s successful and rich but she’s not enjoying life. So she gets the help of a life coach, Logan. Logan has issues also that he will need to deal with, Mia will be there for him. Together they will make life beautiful and enjoyable again.
This was an amazing love story. I wasn’t too sold on the life coach concept but while reading, I left that tid bit out of my mind and enjoyed their journey. They had chemistry and it does come with an amazing HEA.
Standalone told in a dual POV with an HEA.
As someone who has dealt with anxiety & depression for a majority of my life, reading has become my go to escape; and romance books have become my favorite genre.
Inspired is about Mia, a hotelier who has lost her love of life & can’t find her way out of the darkness. She hires Logan, a life coach, to help her learn to love life again. What I loved about Inspired is that while yes it’s a romance and you get all of the fun stuff that goes along with that, it’s mostly (for me) about Mia’s journey. Jessica has really knocked this book out of the park. I’ve always been a big fan of hers, but with this book I was drawn into her characters more than almost any other book. She did an amazing job at not just telling you how her characters are feeling but showing you how they’re feeling. And bonus! She has included so many great ways to help someone deal with their really anxious moments (breathing techniques, drinking water, etc.).
I know this book will be my go to whenever I’m feeling down in the future!
*This review contains no spoilers*
Beautiful and incredibly powerful: I believe this to be the most/more accurate way to describe this book.
In the beginning, when the author reached out to me and asked if I wanted to review an arc, I was tempted to politely declined for two main reasons: the first being that I already have a couple of other arcs to read and review and didn’t want to commit and then not have the time this book deserve to do the same and secondly, because when I read the title, I assumed for some reason that it would be something that I usually wouldn’t pick up to read myself; a raw, emotional book about various sensitive topics such as depression, sense of inadequacy and other deep and delicate matters.
And yes, I know it is terrible to literally and so quickly judge a book by its cover or title in this case, but sometimes it’s just an involuntary impulse that you can´t really control.
But then the blurb drew me in and I say “yes”. And I’m so freaking happy that I did.
Each moment of the story feels so very real it’s actually kinda scary: Mia embarks in this six-week journey of self discovery and you are along for the ride.
Everything hits home: every moment, every feeling, every emotion, every thought and every doubt. You can’t help but see even if a little bit of yourself in her, whenever she’s doubting herself, or questioning why all that she has doesn’t seem to be enough.
An outsider would deem her life to be perfect: she is a beautiful woman, has more money that she can count, has built a successful career, comes from a loving and supportive family… And yet, she still feels… detached.
With the help of the “Inspired” program she will rediscover herself and what makes her truly happy.
And in comes Logan Woodland. Oh, I lost count of how many times this man made me swoon.
His sound, professional advices along with the personal touches and tiny details perfected just for Mia make this much more than a story of self-exploration and self-knowledge: it makes it a love letter to those who make you a better version of yourself just by taking the take to actually get to know you.
I love that we learn so much from Logan, not just through what it teaches to Mia but also from what we later see him go through.
I cried the entire time I was Reading and by the end, I felt like I actually had shed some skin and was feeling so much better about myself. It’s fascinating how learning that other people go through the sames things as you do makes you see the world differently: you’re not the only one going through this and that it’s okay to feel lost sometimes. Because in the end, when we final find ourselves – and we will – it will all be worth it.
This was my first time Reading Jessica Florence and I’ll for sure be coming back.
*I received an ARC and I´m voluntarily leaving my honest review.*
There are so many things I want to say about this book but all of them would probably spoil it for those who haven’t read it yet. All I can is WOW!!!! Second chances are a beautiful thing, especially when it’s with someone who encourages you to love yourself and live for you. If you buy this book, I promise you will not be disappointed. Thank you Jessica Florence for the opportunity to read it before its release. I am truly Inspired.
I don’t even know where to start with this review this book was everything and more it was beautifully written and just an amazing story and i think a book women need to read.
I loved what this story represented that someone can have a thriving career, have the most supportive family, just about have everything they could possibly want and still be depressed or not feeling themselves. This was Mia she was so lost in her life she just didn’t know how to love herself and just be happy. The one thing i truely believe that this author got right and that everyone wants to change but until you take those steps to implement those changes nothing will change and that’s what Mia has enough and wants to make that change and get her life back.
The thing i loved about Logan was that yes he had a career in life coaching and all that but what i loved was that he had been down a dark road and experienced being at your lowest so when Mia hired Logan you could understand why Mia was so comfortable straight away as he was similar to her. I loved also that Logans journey wasn’t over and that sometimes you will find your self in dark times but you get yourself out and i loved reading Logan’s story and getting back on top.
This story is just beautiful it’s really showcasing that as women we really need to know that we are worthy and that you can love yourself and that you really need to love yourself before anyone else can.
I must admit that when Logan would give Mia tips on how to handle situation or have her exercises i found my self doing them as well and i really got something out of this book besides an amazing love story there is so much more. Oh and of course some sexy time.
If you are looking for an inspiring read and something that will have all the emotions flowing and something that help make you feel better about your self then you need to read this book absolutely loved everything about it.
Jessica Florence just proves why she is an author that I will always read her books.
A big big five stars