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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

review: The Undiscovered Goddess



Title by Author: The Undiscovered Goddess by Michelle Colston
Series (if applicable):  none
Publisher: Michelle Colston
Publication Date: August 2012
Page Count:  326
Source: netgalley.com

Blurb: Who knew a Cosmo quiz and a bottle of wine could change a woman’s life?
Holly, housewife and frazzled mother of three, is determined to discredit the lackluster result of a Cosmopolitan magazine quiz. After buying a workbook geared toward helping her find her inner goddess, Holly sets off on a year of self-discovery, journaling through each exercise as she goes. Facing inner demons, yoga, an explosive colon cleanse and REALLY spicy curry, the lessons are hard on her emotions, not to mention her digestive system. But does she succeed in the end? Beyond the superficial, what important lesson does Holly’s inner goddess have the power to teach her…and what can Holly teach you?

My Interest in this book is: Loved the title and the premise, so had to give it a go!

My Review:
Living in the suburbs of Houston, downing a bottle of wine on most evenings, Holly decided to treat herself to a Cosmo quiz after the kids were in bed and her husband was on a business trip.  The result – “Stylish, but Shallow.”  This did not sit well with Holly.  What was wrong with her life?  She lived in a beautiful home, had three great kids and a wonderful husband.  Just because she dropped the F bomb and downed wine like water was no reason to call her shallow!

However, this really rubbed Holly the wrong way.  She set out to change that “Shallow” into something resembling worthiness.  Holly purchased several different self-help books, only to discard many of them after the third chapter for one reason or another.  This was not helping Holly along her path to enlightenment, and she was starting to get annoyed…and wondering what was truly wrong with her.

That’s when she found the book – her last-ditch effort in trying to save herself.  She found a book with a captivating title, but had already stated that she would throw it on the pile if nothing happened by the third chapter.  Enter “Discover Your Inner Goddess” workbook that not only challenged Holly, but changed her.  Holly was given assignments throughout the workbook, and had to journal about her experiences.  What followed was a wonderful, whacky journey of a woman discovering her Inner Goddess (and a few anti-goddesses) along the way.

I have never laughed so much from a book, nor have I wanted to have a workbook like the one Holly found.  Holly was given assignments to discover who she truly is, along with challenges to try new things.  She did many of these assignments half-hearted at first, but the moniker “Stylish, but Shallow” kept haunting her, and she was going to change if it killed her!

What was scary about this story of self-discovery was that the descriptions of Holly and her life sounded so familiar.  I would read passages to my husband and we would sit there and laugh so hard, it was hard to catch our breath!  But did I grab my own journal and start to answer some of the prompts that Holly was given? You bet your sweet Blessed Heart I did!  I don’t know what woman would not relate to Holly.  She is the typical woman who is unhappy with her wonderful life, and seeking to make it better.  I truly enjoyed this story of a woman discovering her Inner Goddess – whom we all have inside of us. 

This book was provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Favorite Quotes:
(almost too many to choose – but here it goes!)

The next several days, through the hustle and bustle of being a wife and mother of three, the words of that stupid quiz haunted me. Stylish…but shallow.  I didn’t want to be shallow. I wanted to be AWESOME. Revered as graceful and loving, a humanitarian who was compassionate to mankind, a friggin SAINT! Even though I might not be particularly deserving of such a title…

So why isn’t this enough? Why do I want more? Why do I feel the need to search for anything when I seem to have it all?  Because I don’t know who I am.  That’s why I’m here, and that’s what I want to find out.

Note to self: Remaining supine with my eyes closed will result in a bouncy arousal only if the bed spontaneously comes to life and spits me out. Who saw this coming? Anyone? Bueller?

I need to live like the trees in my front yard: accepting, selfless, bending and grounded. If I can practice this every day, eventually it will be the norm. I will become the change I want to see in the world.


When I finished this book, I felt: so glad that I had an opportunity to read it!  I think every woman, is trying to discover her Inner Goddess, should read about Holly’s journey!

Rating: 5 Stars!

Other books to read by this author or theme: none along these lines, but would love to discover more.  Emily and Einstein is one I would recommend, but not nearly as funny!
Tag: chick lit, self-discovery, hilarious, insightful
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