Ladies Like Us

by Alena Kate Pettitt, The Darling Academy

Ladies Like Us, the debut book from The Darling Academy shares honest, modern, fun and informative guidance on what it really means to be a young lady today. From finding your identity as a lady and feeling at home in your skin, to cultivating true grace, quiet self-confidence and how to surround yourself with everyday happiness. The Darling Academy is a spiritual finishing school for any young woman who wishes to:

- Live free from negative thinking and crippling self-doubt
- Be graceful and elegant regardless of modern pressures and trends
- Learn to embrace her feminine energy and still “have it all”
- Enjoy and nurture herself and her relationships right now
- Have clear hope for her future and follow her dreams

Welcome to the modern finishing school for ladies, we’re glad you’re joining us.

Genres: Nonfiction

334 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2016

Reviews

[Holly · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was such a slog. Painfully I read through just over a hundred pages before giving up. I’ll admit she even had a few good points and I’m very much in line with tradwife/ traditional housewife idealism; I’m the biggest advocate for it, but this book dragged. Most of it is just fluff. Meaningless words to up the page count. Saying something that could be said in a sentence or two suddenly had to take up a few pages.
The first turning off point for this book was when she mentioned religion. Authors, please do so at your own demise. Instantly, as someone who has never and will never believe in god, I felt alienated. Yes I know that some people (mostly feminist) think that religion has a lot to do with keeping gender roles the norm for the last I don’t know how many years but I’d like to argue that they’re wrong. It’s part of our genetic make up. Religion just helped keep the outliers silent.
The second turning off point was just the judgemental overtone that I felt came across in some of the chapters. I don’t believe that the author did this on purpose but I felt there was very much a “you’re with us or you’re against us” vibe. I have always been just me. I don’t want to be the perfect housewife. There’s no such thing. So you really need to take what she says sometimes with a pinch of salt. Pick the things you like and then throw away the rest. One thing that me and the author can both agree on is that there’s no point in doing things if I doesn’t make you happy; for me that includes taking her life advice.
Not to say that this book was all bad, it had some good points but not enough for me to want to continue. I like what she said about take mentors and not idolising people, that you’ll continuously mould yourself overtime like a pearl. there where other but I can’t remember.
All in all this book was slow and for the most part perfectly forgettable. I read a lot of books (around 80-90 a year) but this one just wasn’t for me. Maybe I’ll pick it up again later in my life, probably not.

[Betsy Leonard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the information, really put off by the lack of editing and the book layout. Not for people who are not religious.

[Maeve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Heavy on the God stuff but I also liked a lot of the messages in this book. The second half is kind of all over the place and overstuffed. Mostly enjoyed the author’s personal testimony and reflections on her own journey.

[Narmina Aliyeva · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not something what I was expecting from the book. I thought this book is more of a compilation of different etiquette rules for a modern lady, touching the topics of table setting, guests welcoming etc. Although the book touches some of the rules, still I wouldn't have bought it if I read the sample in advance.

[Maria · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is absolutely terrible, full of pseudoscience and religious ramblings. It is desperately in need of an editor, generally judgemental and contradicts itself constantly.
It’s so bad, that it’s almost funny – the author can’t even get her own life’s story straight.
In the book her father was absent and according to her website he was the traditional breadwinner and worked as a postman…
All of these the points of criticism however aren’t that bad compared to the fact that it throws the women’s rights movement back about two hundred years, because the author has misunderstood feminism. Again, this is somewhat of a paradox when you keep in mind that the author claims to be a feminist in her countless TV interviews.

[Fuchskatze74 · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am very sorry for giving such a bad rating.
I had high expectations and knew what direction the book would go, but it was very repetitive, the chapters felt like they more or less quoted the last. I hoped to find some more advice that could actually impact my life.
It helped to get to know the author more and for women that liked princess fairytales as a child it may be more interesting. I was interested from the start about why and how in depth she wants to become a homemaker against the odds in society and the common belief that all homemakers are from a right wing political spectrum or lazy untalented women.
She on the surface scratches my questions, but I felt like I had to force myself to keep reading, because it was to fluffy.

[Rilla-my-Rilla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a wonderful book. I really respect Alena Pettitt for writing this. Contrary to what some may think, it is NOT telling you to avoid college and be a housewife. Rather, it is written to women (of all ages) who desire to be a traditional housewife and refuse to the let the world tell them what they should be or should do. It talks a lot about following tour dreams and includes some Biblical insight. I understand this book isn’t for everyone but if you have similar views to Alena I highly recommend giving it a read. ❤️ Although, you may not agree with everything in here, it is packed full of good ideas on how to live a happier and healthier life.

[Farm Mum · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm, thoughtful and encouraging read

I really enjoyed Ladies Like Us—it felt like sitting down with a good friend over a warm hot chocolate, chatting about life choices with honesty and heart. The writing is warm, authentic, and deeply personal.

For stay-at-home parents, this book offers a sense of being seen. Personally, it helped me realise I’m not alone in choosing this path, and that there’s real value and purpose in having a parent at home—even when that comes with financial sacrifice. It affirmed what I’ve often felt deep down: that this choice matters.

Ladies Like Us is a mix of personal testimony, lifestyle tips, and etiquette guidance. It’s full of useful, thoughtful suggestions and gentle encouragement. I found it to be both enjoyable and thought-provoking.

The author is Christian and writes openly about her faith, but the tone is never preachy. If preferred, religious sections can be skipped without affecting the flow of the book, making it accessible to a wide range of readers—believers or otherwise.

Readers in their early twenties may not feel naturally drawn to a book on this topic, but I encourage them to approach it with an open mind. It might just offer a different perspective and give some real food for thought.

I appreciated the author’s easy, free-flowing writing style and would recommend this book to anyone curious about this family dynamic or seeking encouragement in choosing to be a stay at home parent.

[Nolwenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Of course, since it is self-published, the editing could be upgraded. But the message is extremely important. Alena does a great job at presenting solutions to our modern world problems in a ladylike manner without shaming the reader, but without sugarcoating the truth either. As a woman in her early 20s, I will definitely come back to this book regularly.

[Kristin Contino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely, heartfelt advice! I could have used some of the tips on goal setting and poise as a young adult, but everyone can use a refresher. I especially enjoyed learning about other inspirational women like Audrey Hepburn and others. Looking forward to Alena's next book!

[Christine · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sweet ideas but judgemental and would have benefitted from editing.