I Don’t Even Like Women: And Other Lies That Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood

by Natalie Runion

Collaborator or competition? Trusted friend or backstabbing rival? Even women in the Church commonly find it hard to trust—or like—other women. Yet, as Natalie Runion gently but humorously reminds readers through story and biblical teaching, meaningful female friendships not only foster spiritual growth, they equip women to advance God’s Kingdom with boldness and joy. Readers will find themselves in these pages as
  Explores how to get past the enemy’s lies that cause women to distance themselves from each other Encourages healing while validating the reality of past trauma and broken trust Offers practical help for strengthening current relationships and building new ones Gives real-life answers for overcoming insecurities, fear of rejection, and the comparison game Flips the script on societal and Church-influenced narratives that keep women from enjoying God’s design for female friendships  
By breaking down cultural myths and our own assumptions, we’re free to enjoy spiritually enriching, healthy friendships that are essential to the Body of Christ. A joyous recognition of how God made each of us in His image—and not only likes us but cherishes us—I Don’t Even Like Women focuses on how the unique experiences of being a woman can unify rather than divide.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian

240 pages, Paperback

Published September 2, 2025

Reviews

[Natalie Money · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dove into this book assuming that I would be challenged in how I treat other women, give them grace, think about them, interact with them; but I NEVER imagined that I would be challenged to look at how I treat myself as one of those “other women.”

As someone (and I believe many women are like this) who is pretty hard on myself - thinking of myself as a woman I needed to be kind to really struck a chord. I don’t just want to be nice to others - I want to be kind to myself. I want to model this for my daughters so they can enjoy sacred sisterhood in all stages of their lives.

Natalie points out that mean girls raise means girls - and I don’t want my daughters and I to be that mother/daughter trio. So, I start with me and at home - and hopefully can help grow sacred sisterhood around us.

So grateful for the wisdom found within these pages. This is such a necessary conversation. Just go ahead and buy the book. You won’t regret it.

[Carly Gomez · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read my ERC almost twice now and every time I walk away challenged, encouraged and repentant. Growing up as a PK I heard so much church gossip, saw the cliques, the passive judgment and even saw women hurt my mom, their pastor for whatever reason they thought it to be acceptable. I was the PK who said I would never be part of women’s ministry, let alone lead women- please just leave me in Kids Min! Many years later, my own story unfolded involving marital betrayal and eventually divorce - I found myself surrounded by women who loved me, prayed for me, served me and my kids and didn’t talk behind my back! This is when I saw that God was answering my prayer to use my pain for His purpose - he was making me vulnerable and allowing me to know I was safe so that I in turn would get to be a safe haven for so many other women going through their own stories full of grief, heartbreak, loneliness and pain. In this place I discovered the importance of a sacred sisterhood and vowed to break the cycles of bitterness, backbiting and the better than attitude we often see amongst women! Buy this book for yourself and gift it to other women who have been hurt by those called to be their sisters!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so, so good. So many gentle reminders and candid stories about the realities of this world and being a woman in it. Here are some of my favorite takeaways… I don’t usually take time to do this but didn’t want to forget these parts. 💗

Doesn’t matter if we’re pretty on the outside if we’re ugly on the inside.

We want to wear their glass slippers but not their house shoes.

They (women who may not yet call Jesus their Lord) are watching us to see if we’re different or if we’re just the PG versions of the mean girls of the world.

As humans, not just women, we often allow our own insecurities and sin to keep us from truly loving one another as Christ loves us.

Make time for this one… it’ll encourage you to think and stretch. I’m hoping it will change my own course. So good 💗

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of I Don't Even Like Women (and Other Lies that Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood) by Natalie Runion. Ever since I began reading her posts on Instagram several years ago, I felt a connection with her message for the Church. Her first book, Raised to Stay, was an absolute balm for everything I had been going through in church for years. When I heard about I Don't Even Like Women, I knew I had to read it!

Natalie asks the question, "what if we did the hard work of healing and forgiving and modeling what it looks like to be a woman who speaks life over others?" In 12 chapters, through personal stories and insights from other women in the Church, she explores just that.

The title of the book comes from her own response to being reassigned to women's pastor in her church. What she found was that she wasn't alone in her initial response to her new assignment. What could happen if we explored the obstacles that tend to keep women divided in the church?

If you've ever felt isolated from godly fellowship with other women, controlled by another woman's insecure, but hurtful agenda, or just felt you couldn't connect because "women are so _________!" then you should definitely read this book!

Once again, Natalie Runion (the self-proclaimed "protective big sister in the family of God") encourages all of us to stand unified for the good of the Body of Christ, and ultimately the world.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

As women, we long for sacred sisterhood. We want deep friendships, and we want to trust others. The problem is, we’ve been hurt before…even by women in the church. This book is excellent at picking apart the different excuses we have for not growing those deep relationships, and some seem pretty valid. How can we flip the script to do better? I really resonated with some of this book, and Natalie gives biblical examples of many scenarios with tangible ideas to help break free from the beliefs we’ve held, and then hurts and insecurities we’ve endured.

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is one of the most important reads for women in the Church today. Whether you’ve been hurt by female friendships, frustrated by comparison and competition, or simply unsure how to foster real connection with other women - this book is for you. And honestly! It’s for everyone, because anyone in relationship with women (i.e. all of us) needs to understand how to connect with The Image of God that women carry.

Natalie Runion, USA Today Bestselling Author and one of the most timely and prophetic voices in the Church right now, delivers a bold, grace-filled, and truth-soaked message in her newest book, I Don’t Even Like Women and Other Lies That Get in the Way of Sacred Sisterhood. After reading her first two incredible books, Raised to Stay and The House That Jesus Built, I had high expectations - and Natalie exceeded every single one of them. This book is raw, rich, and deeply needed.

With clarity and compassion, Natalie names the narratives women have come to believe about each other - lies like women are mean, women are jealous, women are too emotional, or women are drama. Each chapter flips the script on these damaging messages and gently invites us to examine our own hearts, our history, and our hope for connection. She doesn’t minimize the wounds many of us carry from past relationships - in fact, she validates them beautifully. But she also doesn’t leave us there. She equips us with tools for healing, for rewriting the narrative, and for stepping into the kind of sacred, God-designed sisterhood that we all long for but rarely experience.

As a mother raising both a daughter and sons who will one day marry someone's daughter - this book is such an impactful resource and a roadmap for how to cultivate in my children to see women championing one another, where friendship is safe and sacred, and where she doesn't have to unlearn these messages about female relationships that have been passed down for generations.

I want to model healthy, Godly sisterhood so that my children don’t grow up afraid of relationships with women, but excited to do life with them. What my children see modeled will shape what they believe about friendship, and community. Women don’t have to compete to belong, and they doesn’t have to dim their light to make others comfortable.

Natalie states beautifully that “There is a hunger among women both inside and outside of church walls for authentic, pure friendship that, when tested, can be trusted.” The world gives us competition, comparison, and cattiness. God offers us covenant, connection, and community. And Natalie shows us how to reclaim that sacred space with one another.

Through powerful storytelling and unflinching honesty, Natalie reminds us that we were never meant to walk alone. Sacred sisterhood is a transformative space where lifetime bonds and forever friendships can be forged. She writes! “The very women's ministry I said I didn't want became a safe haven of women drawn to the unifying mission God had given us.” Her vulnerability is not only refreshing - it’s healing.

I appreciate how practical the book is. It’s deeply personal and immediately applicable. Natalie offers a blueprint for cultivating healthier relationships, navigating conflict with grace, and celebrating one another without shrinking back in fear or jealousy. Her insights are worth reading again and again.

Natalie handles these topics with biblical wisdom and Spirit-led compassion. She doesn’t shame - she calls us up. And as she writes, “We can be the showstoppers, closing the curtain before the performance even begins. We don’t create the drama; we shut it down.” That’s the kind of sisterhood I want to build.

If you’ve ever struggled to trust women, found yourself isolated in ministry or leadership, or just wondered if true female friendship is even possible - this book will be so impactful. It’s honest. It’s hopeful. It's healing.

Buy it. Highlight it. Talk about it. Share it. Live it.

Final word: Natalie Runion has not only written a book; she’s sparked a movement. One that calls women out of hiding and into holy friendship. And we need it now more than ever.

[Alana Amunrud-Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Aspects of this are probably relatable to women who have been part of any church ever (or maybe even if they haven't). It's a topic that needs to be addressed, and I appreciate the author's attemt to do so. Some things worked well, but in other places I felt like she could have gone further, and in some places I'm not sure she hit the mark.

I listened to a few of her podcast before reading the book, and a few things she said there bothered me a bit, but I didn't want to judge the book before reading it. (Techincally, I listened to the audio version.) The book didn't bother me as much as some of the podcasts, but some of the questions and concerns I had appeared in both.

1. First, I'm not sure what Christian denomination or tradition the author comes from, and some of my questions relate to her theological beliefs. She obviously attends a church that allows women to be pastors, but there are places where it seems that the men in the church control things more than the women. She did not seem to have any choice about her change of position, for example. I think it would be helpful to understand where on the spectrum from egalitarian to complimentarian to patriarchal her tradition falls, as it would give me context for what she says.

2. Second, while the author addresses some of the conflicts common to women, I wish she had done more to address how some of the conflict between woman is fueled by patriarchal systems that allow very few women to have a voice of any sort. If there is only one seat at the table, it's tempting to believe that the woman taking it is your competition.

3. Third, the author tended to read a lot into a few Bible stories. Deborah is indeed a significant character, but I'm not sure that all the characteristics the author assigned to her can be found in the text, or fit the relevant cultural context.

4. I was somewhat disturbed to see the author refer to the "Jezebel Spirit" as an actual thing, though she does say it's often misused. I would argue that accusing someone of having a "Jezebel Spirit" is always a misuse, as the Bible says nothing about a Jezebel spirit. We could say someone is acting like Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, but accusing anyone of having her spirit gets into an area that is not supported by scripture and is far too easy to fall into abusive behavior.

All that said, I may need to give it a re-listen to ponder some of her better points and see if I need to do some examination of my own life.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie’s writing has been pivotal to many; not only is her Raised to Stay ministry, but also in her books; which are a source of inspiration. I have followed Natalie’s work since the beginning stages of her Raised to Stay platform. Her bold voice awakened something deep within me, as a writer who had been told to stay quiet because of my gender, and status.

The title of this book, I Don’t Even Like Women, speaks volumes. Why? Because I’ve said that myself throughout my walk with Christ. I came to know Christ in my late twenties and was excited to form relationships. Problem is: I didn’t know my own identity and relationship with Christ. My identity was in a crisis. As Natalie so graciously, and convincingly points out in her book, we need to know who are in Christ, to not have an identity crisis. We are fully loved, equipped, and secure to Him.

In that crisis, I went through a lot of broken friendships, learned the hard way what gossip and slander really were, and found myself isolating due hurt. I wanted to quit. I wanted to run. Much like Natalie has been encouraging women from the start though, we were not made quitters—but we were Raised to Stay.

Her book carries so many biblical truths and identifications for women of Christ to look not outwardly at, but inwardly at ourselves. Yes, we all have issues. Yes, we’re all going to sin. We need to stop looking outside at what’s gone wrong and judging, but praying. We need to really take some time to let the Holy Spirit work on us within. Once we do that, we see the sacred places of fellowship & unity forming.. We see the Holy Spirit building a place that is dependant on Him.

Read the book, ladies. Let’s see sacred places of sisterhood being built in authenticity in Him. 🙌🏻💕 Let’s go!

#raisedtostay #books #bookreview #bookstagram #christian

[CassieLynne Valler · Rating 5 out of 5]

My M.O. in relationships with friends had been— “love them fully, serve them openly, share all the things that don’t matter and can’t blackmail you later. Never put weight on your front foot in a relationship— that way you can’t get hurt.”

As I decided this wasn’t really cutting it— I leaned fully into relationships and fell flat on my face as I couldn’t figure out how to lean without too much. I was insecure, unstable and unsure. I wish I had this book then.

I can say now I have been the superficial one, the mean one- intending to be honest— I’ve been the manipulative one (people pleasing) and in all of the wandering— couldn’t figure it out. What’s the point if it hurts? I’ll just do life alone thanks.

Natalie breaks into the narrative, challenges the mean girls, but also the avoidant ones, and gently big-sister’s us into the understanding of sisterhood. Applicable in the church and out- I encourage you to dive in to what it means to live as daughters, not orphans— sisters not competitors. It’s hard to summarize in a short review- but if you want a tribe and to know how to show up? Grab this book— at worst you will enjoy a well written view of relationships and community- and at best— you will fill your toolbox with ways to show up for yourself, your sisters- and all God has called you to.

Better yet- grab a friend, or a foe— and read it together. Who knows what will happen!

[Melissa Rice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie Runion exposes lies and invites us into healing in her latest book, I Don’t Even Like Women. We have an enemy, women, but it is never each other. The enemy would love to separate us so that we isolate from the very women God wants to use to bring healing from hurt, from insecurity, from rejection and from other weapons he has used in the hands of women in our past.

The structure of this book makes it an easy guide for small groups, for church staff studies and for women’s ministries. Each chapter has questions for reflection and practical application to help us use what we read immediately in our lives.

These pages offer anecdotes and Bible examples, while folding hope in the midst of all of it. You will laugh, cry and lean in with faith, ready to embrace your tribe!

Just like Natalie’s two previous books, she invites us to identify hindrances that we are holding onto, release them to God, and walk into the freedom that He has hidden in the middle of the women He has placed around us.

Get your copy, read it, and then link arms with women around you who need these truths as well.

Get ready for a new season – one of triumph, one of healing, and one of sacred sisterhood!

[Shalom Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I learned Natalie Runion was writing a book on Sisterhood I knew I had to get it! I think part of me wanted to be apart of the Sisterhood reckoning that provided validation for all the ways it has wounded me.

As I worked my way through the pages, this book reminded me that we truly need each other. It’s time to heal, to grow, to confront in ourselves the very things that destroy sacred sisterhood, so we can finally have the community and friendships our hearts long for.

This book calls us to be brave. To show up. To do the work, not just for ourselves, but for all of us. For the Sacred Sisterhood we all so desperately want and need.

If you’re ready to link arms and move forward together in Sacred Sisterhood, this book is for you. It’s challenging, inspiring, and exactly what we need right now.

[Roxanne Columbia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been waiting months for this book to release, and it was so worth it! I deeply appreciate Natalie’s heart for women and I’m truly blessed by her ministry. This book has been both encouraging and thought-provoking, especially in how we as women can better support one another within the church—collaborating instead of competing. God has uniquely gifted each of us for His kingdom, and when we fall into comparison it not only damages our relationships with women in the church, but also with those outside of it. As women who proclaim Jesus, we’re called to set the example. This book even challenged me to be more mindful of the words I speak over myself. If God blesses me with a daughter one day, I want her to be confident in who she is in Christ—and for me to lead her well by the way I speak and live.

[Yessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Natalie has become one of my favorite authors in this past year. I have read all 3 of her books now and I can say that I have grown a lot, healed a lot, and learn to love people a lot through the wisdom she shares. "I don't even like women " has been something that I have said in the past. With every chapter I read I felt something be broken from my heart to help heal and reveal genuine love for others, especially other women. This is honestly a book all women should read, especially if you are in ministry. This can bring a community together in a beautiful way to share the love of Jesus to others, while starting with ourselves. Do not hesitate to jump into this book and see how God will move in your heart.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Natalie’s other books so I couldn’t wait to read this one. I was going through a season of deep hurt when this book arrived. I picked it up and started reading and I instantly connected with Natalie’s story telling style. Reading this book felt like talking with a trusted friend who had walked the same journey I was walking. Her words gave me words to understand and process the pain. The hurt feels so heavy on the inside but when the hurt can turn into words, they can be expressed and processed and released. Thank you Natalie. As I read this book I laughed out loud at some pages and I left tear stains on others. I highly recommend this book for all women in ministry. It is time to stop hurting one another and focus on building The Kingdom.

[Carly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I Don't Even Like Women by Natalie Runion

Where do I even start? This book made me feel everything, longing for sacred friendship, longing for a community. I’m yearning for people who love the Lord as much as I do. It’s so hard making friends as a recent grad.

I’m in a new season of life, and this book made me reflect deeply on what I want to do next. I don’t know what the future holds, only God knows that. We just have to trust His plan, and it will work out as it’s meant to be.

This book is so powerful, and I got so much out of it. I can’t really explain it, you just have to read it for yourself. :)

Thank You NetGalley and Publisher

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like Natalie and I are kindred sisters. We both grew up as Evangelical PK's in the 80s and 90's. So just like her other two books, I feel she hit it out of the park with this one.

She understands the "stigma" of women's ministry and how a woman called to vocational ministry isn't automatically called to WM's however, her journey taught her what now any reader can learn. Nothing that is extravagantly new but definitely in fresh delivery.

This would be a great read for a women's book club, bible study, or just for personal growth!

While I do have a physical copy of the book, I did listen to the audible book. Hearing Natalie read the words herself almost felt like sitting in a room listening to someone share their story.

[Valerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I marked up arc copy so I could come back to many parts, things I need to apply to serve the women around me better. I also listened to the audio once it released to hear it all again. This book was life changing for me. It helped me to see the women around me differently and I can't wait to have my teenage daughter read it and not have the life time of hurt I had thinking the women around me are competition. It also tackled lies about women being too emotional or jealous and catty. It talked about how Jesus has more for us, and relationship with women can spur us to follow Jesus better.

[Pia Copeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌸 My Reflection

Reading this book reminded me that every woman carries both light and scars and that sacred sisterhood is about holding space for both.
In DS&P Ladies™, we are learning to celebrate without comparison, to correct with kindness, and to uplift with love.

Runion’s message affirms that perfection isn’t the goal, presence is.

🌻 Final Thoughts

I closed this book feeling seen, challenged, and renewed in my purpose to build spaces where women can heal and thrive.
This isn’t just a book about friendship, it’s a blueprint for restoration.

So yes — I do like women.
I love them.
Great read/ Audiobook

[Mary Moreland]

Loved the book although it made me think through some past interactions that I didn't handle well. Definitely thought provoking and something that women need to take seriously if we want to find, nurture and sustain those sacred sisterhood relationships. My favorite quotes: "Our role as women is not to judge one another, or try to fix each other, but to sit in those sacred spaces with each other where we can share our struggles and find intercessors who will pray us through the night, worship with us through the wailing, lament with us in our tears, and wait with us for hour healing."

"Sacred sisterhood is intentional and sacrificial. Jealousy throws shade. Love throws confetti."

Let's be intentional and work on ourselves to break down the preconceived notions and lies we have believed so the women of God can work together for the Kingdom!

[Mariale & Pieter Dros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Don’t Even Like Women by Natalie Runion is a beautiful and much–needed book. With courage, it invites us to let go of cultural lies and rivalries that have too often divided women within the body of Christ. In its pages, I found a call to see one another as sisters, not rivals; as an answer, not a problem. This message reflects God’s heart: when we walk in unity, we can serve Him with greater strength and together reach other women who need hope and truth. It's an easy, convicting, and fun book to read. I totally love it.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a fantastic book. There’s so much of it that rings true with regard to friendships over the years. While it truly is a book written for women’s ministry, I would encourage even non-believers to read it because if we can embrace the vulnerability and openness this book describes to other women, our lives would truly be transformed for the better. I see and feel so much loneliness in life’s walk today, this is the only path that can help push it away to create loving community around us as women.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this from the cover to the last page. But I knew I would having followed her little black boxes on Instagram since before her first book release. Her wisdom is mind opening and her experience cues are just so real and relatable. Thank God for books like this and women like Natalie who are willing to tackle what so many of us have been hurt by but are also longing for: female friendships and relationships.

**thank you netgalley and Esther Press publishing for a review copy of this book. My opinions are my own.

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again Natalie Runion has given voice to a much needed area of our lives and in the church. Relationships within circles of women, especially in the church, can be painful, complicated, messy or healthy, fulfilling and God-Centered. Natalie breaks down and simplifies the steps to sacred sisterhood. In that she gives room for our emotions, our strong wills, and God Given strengths. She encourages us as to how we can all create the desired trusted, soul healing friendships we all crave in our lives.

Get his book. Gather some friends and do a book study together and process the questions at th end if each chapter. Thanks Natalie for your voice and heart for the church and for women who are finding their footing. Thanks Natalie for this timely book.

[Lyndsi Nicely · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read for all women!
Woman can be catty, drama filled, two faced etc.
BUT that doesn't mean they all are.

Let's be for others the woman we needed and wanted in our own lives. Let's love people the way God loves us and treat others the way He treats us!

Let it start with us! Let's Change the stigma.
Let's break the generational curses.
Let's be who & what God truly created us to be!
Healed, Healthy and Whole women who Love God, Love people and Love Life! 🙏🏼❤️‍🔥🙌🏼

[Heidi Everhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing read! Natalie does a wonderful job of speaking truth, breathing life, giving that gut-punch, but also reminding us of that sweet sacred sisterhood we all want and need to have in our lives. Woven with personal stories, biblical stories and just real life stories from people she has been with this is a must read for every individual, small group and even large group! You will not regret it!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book and the heart Natalie has for women. As a women that wants to draw close to women but has found it difficult at times, this book challenged me and inspired me to continue working at this thing called relationships. It's not an easy journey but it's worth the fight to work at it. Thanks Natalie for taking time out of your life to create an inspiring book for other women to utilize.

[Desiree Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Natalie did an incredible job of exposing the roots of our struggles with one another as Christian women. Through her experiences and God working in her and those around her, she helps us see how we can deal with the heart of our own issues in relating to other women, lean into Jesus, and learn to love and live in unity with one another to see unity and growth in the body of Christ and God's Kingdom.

[Stacie Noel · Rating 5 out of 5]

She did so good with this book. Every woman from HS to 100 years old should read it. She covers so many important subjects, but has a solution for every problem and handles every hard subject with grace and hope. I will encourage every woman I know to read this book. Only negative: her scripture references are mainly in the Message paraphrase which I can’t ever stand because it’s not a translation of the Bible.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent book by Natalie Runion. This one examines the sometimes awkward relationships between women. She highlights some of the issues that tend to come between us and shows us how to navigate and be better friends, advocates for each other, and witnesses to the world. 100% love this book and highly recommend it to every woman out there.

[Andrea(Andi) OLeary · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for every sacred sister! Such an anointed message for healing, renewing the mind, unity, and restoring what the enemy has brutally attacked -Gods Daughters being silenced and pitted against each other- it’s time to Love and rally together and become that force that arises and shines the Glory of God for all to see. Gods Girls Don’t hesitate get this book!!