I first started watching Home Town I really wanted to hate it, I thought it would be just another one of HGTVs home improvement shows that have an astronomical budget to shower us all with the next big design craze.
But after a few minutes, I couldn't tear myself away, I've binged watched as much as I could so of course the next step was to pick up their memoir, I cannot find anything about Ben and Erin that I hate, I absolutely love them!
I see myself in Erin, Not her creativity positive but her hesitation and anxiety negatives, We have very similar personalities, When I'm riding high and experiencing a positive moment, I'm always afraid of what's lurking around the corner, . . waiting for the fall.
I love
Erin's design and daring use of color, My house is filled with handmedown furniture that I've made my own, I love Ben and Erin's desire to repurpose and reuse the old, dusty antiques as well as their gift to see what's hidden just underneath the surface of each home they remodel.
Ben is my ideal man, His humor, his size, his positivity, his manliness, his kindness, . . everything in one giant package, The love and passion he has for Erin is evident in every show and every word he wrote for this book,
To sum it all up in one sentence Ben and Erin are wonderful humans! This book is a must read for everyone.
We all would be better off if we were more like them, They are just the sweetest I just enjoy this couple's tone, A desire to create, foster, and invigorate community and some of the experiences they've had just really resonate and inspire, Great read. I love Erin and Ben but this exceeded my expectations, Their faith is inspirational. Someday I will make it to Laurel, Love, love, love their story!
Heartwarming, genuine, and wholesome! While I have only seen this show a few times, I found this book very interesting.
Their story about how they met and they fell in love is very sweet, It was also interesting and encouraging to read how they followed their dreams and created businesses out their interests and passions rather than choosing to stay in their stable jobs working for other people.
To read about their success and subsequent TV show on HGTV after following their dreams reminded me that one has to follow one's dreams in life and carve one's own path.
Not everyone is a fit for every job, even if it uses a skill set you own, Sometimes we have to take chances if we want our life to be what we truly envision for ourself, Their story was a good reminder of that, I love everything about this book! I actually hadn't seen their show, or know anything about them, I'm so glad I do now,
They seem like such a sweet couple, Great book!
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book, While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it, Ben and Erin Napier are just two sincerely lovely people, I loved this honest and open story of their love and their lives, Closing the book, I felt peaceful and inspired the best way to end, I have always said I would love to have Erin and Ben as my next door neighbors, This audio book confirms that, Recorded after the birth of their first daughter and before the birth of daughter number, Looking forward to the next new episode of their HGTV show, Delightful! I love this couple and their show, Hearing their story of life in Mississippi, falling in love, and helping save their small town brought so much joy, I especially enjoyed the audio book in their own voices, Such a great book. Honest and so personal, filled with emotion, I cant wait to read the follow up book! Full :
,Stars I recommend if you like memoirs and/or HGTV's Home Town,
This book follows Ben and Erin Napier's lives from childhood to the present, This very personal memoir contains their childhood hopes and dreams, their strong personal faith, their love story, their travels, their work with HGTV, their love of Laurel, and their growing family with baby Helen.
This is a behind the scenes look at the show, but moreso a story about two people who found each other, found their callings, and are creating a life that they love in Laurel, MS.
HOW GORGEOUS IS THIS COVER!
As soon as I started reading this, . I could hear it being read in their voices, I always thought I'd love Home Town, and once I started watching it my suspicions were confirmed, Ben and Erin are delightful, hard working, so caring, and a darn cute couple, Anyhow, I was super jazzed to receive this book via the publisher and Netgalley, I was so touched and emotional about their stories, and I just didn't expect that, Especially parts where Ben talks about his younger brotheryears younger Tom, That is me and my OE Joyears younger! to a T, And I missed her dearly when I went to college, I loved reading about Erin and Ben's childhoods, career and twentysomething struggles, their desire to create a community, their love story, and their journey as new parents.
It was further personalized by including so many home photos, paintings, and mementos from throughout the years, It felt a bit like you were reading their scrapbook or journal, Some of this book has a religious tone to it, but it's not pushy which I appreciate, It just shows how caring that they are to tell their story which is deeply rooted in their faith, without it coming across in an overbearing way.
Even though I do keep ARCs of books that I really enjoy, I would love to have a hard copy of this one!
Right After Reading:
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Stars I loved this very very personal memoir by HGTV's Home Town Ben and Erin Napier, The photos, illustrations, and mementos really made you feel like you were reading their scrapbook or journal,
I was given advance access to this title by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review, These reviews are my own opinion, and based on the edition of the book I was given at the time, Thank you Netgalley I was so excited to finally start this nonfiction memoir of Erin and Ben Napier! I had just finished the mammoth fourth book in the Outlander series and was looking for something short and sweet to read, and this surpassed all my expectations of that.
Going into it, I expected the book to be mostly about their time on the HGTV hit show Hometown, but refreshingly the majority of it was about their life before Hometown.
The stories were alternately told by Ben and Erin, letting the reader have a glimpse into their life and happiness and struggles in that moment.
The first two chapters were about eachs own childhood, I thought it was interesting the way Ben was raised and how it had such a huge effect on who he is as an adult the closeness of their family, watching their father make a huge career change late in life, having faith all around them from the beginning.
You can really see it all in him even now, As a child, Erin was bullying and teased and left out of groups, but creatively she found solace in making her own costumes and reading to her stuffed animals friends and eventually in making art.
I felt I could relate to Erin and how she felt at that time, I remember graduating high school thinking I wanted to be anywhere but my hometown of Valparaiso, Indiana, I couldnt wait to get out and experience the world, sure I was destined for big things in a big city somewhere.
But somehow, the events of both our lives led us right back to the town that made us, I also could relate to her creative side and the struggle she felt in choosing to quit her day job to pursue her passion in art.
I work fulltime, and though my job is extremely flexible and easy and I love the people I work with, I dream of staying at home, having quiet and productive mornings on my laptop, spending my days writing books and doing nothing else.
Its near in my future, I know it, just as Erin did,
The chapters that centered around Erin and Bens growing love for each other and the beginnings of their marriage was sweet and inspiring.
Not too much mushiness, but just enough,
I loved the chapters about Erin going fulltime with her Lucky Luxe design company, but even more so about Ben leaving youth ministry fulltime to start his wood shop.
There was something about his story that resonated with me and inspired me, almost like it lit a fire beneath me to get serious, get working, and do what God made me to do.
I am not sure if both of them wrote their own chapters themselves or if they had a ghostwriter to make it somewhat consistent, but both sections were beautifully written.
The language was romantic but not flowery, and most importantly it was real, I could feel their emotions dripping off the pages which made me connect with them and their experiences,
Even if you have never seen the HGTV show Hometown, this is a great inspirational book filled with faith, family, and friendship.
And once you watch it youll probably want to binge watch the show, Its really good! This couple is refreshing and honest and transparent in a way that makes it impossible not to love them.
I loved this book. I wasn't a huge fan of the show but found this book to be surprisingly well written and inspiring, I enjoyed how open and candid they were, Their vulnerability made the book for me, I also really enjoyed the pictures and how they had them laid out on the page, I really enjoyed this memoir more than I thought I would, I am a big fan of the TV show "Home Town" and have often wondered about Erin and Ben's stories, Then lo and behold, I find their memoir at a used bookstore, Very well written and it proved that they are just special as I thought they were from watching their show, If you love Erin and Ben's HGTV Hometown show, you'll love this, It's just as sweet. I love their connection to each other and to Laurel MS, It makes me want to move there and have them renovate a house for me, If it weren't for the heat and humidity I'd be trying to find a way to get there,
There are so many reno shows and I like most of them, but theirs stands apart, Most of the others all turn the homes into very similar styles, The Napiers make theirs not just beautiful, but unique to the individuals by delving deep into what their clients like, They combine the old and new and some specially handcrafted piece from Ben and personalized finishing touches from Erin to create an individualized masterpiece for each client.
In a world where everyone is trying to be edgy, they are a breath of fresh air,
They start their story with how each grew up to how they met in college to how they got chosen for an HGTV show.
It's heartwarming all the way through, Loved, loved, loved this book!! I love them on their show and this made me love them more!! As I was reading I could almost “hear” them speaking the words on the page! Really enjoyed this book.
It was well written and very real, I enjoy watching their show and this made me feel like I know them even better,.Super fun read! Ive only watched a couple episodes of their show, but knowing their story makes me want to watch it all now! Everyone has a story and theirs is very sweet and inspiring.
They didnt give up when it was hard, and they truly work at finding the positives every, day. I first looked at them as trying to copy Chip and Joanna Gaines, but I was completely wrong and their lives have so much depth and meaning beyond a TV show.
I wish there was a little more clarification in how they started in on house renovation, To me the book seemed to skip from him becoming copartner in her business and building furniture to HGTV contacting them, Did they only renovate their house before the show started If anyone knows the answer comment!
But I truly loved this memoir!!.
Download And Enjoy Make Something Good Today: A Memoir Written And Illustrated By Ben Napier Provided As Interactive Format
Ben Napier