Embrace Your Almost: Find Clarity and Contentment in the In-Betweens, Not-Quites, and Unknowns

by Jordan Lee Dooley

Not quite where you expected to be? You’re in good company. Now the bestselling author of Own Your Everyday helps you navigate unmet expectations, waiting, and uncertainty with confidence and clarity.

“If you are like me and need practical steps, hard-won wisdom, and a friend to help lead the way into a new season of promise, this redirection resource is what you need.”—Lysa TerKeurst, #1 New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries

Jordan Lee Dooley knows firsthand how frustrating it can be when you almost achieve a goal, almost reach a dream, and almost get to where you want to be, only to land just short of the finish line or watch it all fall apart at the last minute.

Unmet expectations have a way of making us rethink everything. But perhaps rethinking dreams is not always the worst thing. Why? Because it’s in those moments, when you’re not where you expected to be, that you have a chance to pause and consider what matters most to you as well as redefine what success looks like for you in a world that’s constantly telling you what you should want or should do.

Believe it or not, it is possible to cultivate a life you really like—and one where you can succeed—in the tension of the middle, between where you started and where you hoped to be. Discover:

• practical steps to move forward when your plans don’t go according to plan
• how to clarify which goals are right for you to pursue
• what to do when dreams seem to come true for everyone but you
• the unexpected gains that can arise from unwanted pain
• how to know when it’s time to let go of a dream—and what to do with the space left behind

Life is filled with unmet expectations, disrupted dreams, uncertainty, and in-between seasons. As hard as those experiences may be, they also offer a unique invitation to align your dreams and goals with what matters most. Learn how you can gain greater clarity about what you truly want, why you want it, and how to begin pursuing it.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Christian, Personal Development, Faith, Christian Non Fiction, Personal Growth

224 pages, Hardcover

Published April 5, 2022

Reviews

[Krista · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a sweet book about a young woman who is trying to sort through her own tragic losses and is reaching out to support others. I do appreciate that, especially considering that I experienced some of her same issues with becoming a mother. I like that she is encouraging, but what I didn't connect with is how this book reeks of privilege. Most of the advice that she gives: "take time for yourself", "quit that job that is making you miserable", "re-evaluate your budget priorities" is great for white, college-educated, upper middle class people, but 98% of the world cannot relate to this. It is definitely a limited audience, and I think Dooley comes off as a bit naïve because of that.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book falls somewhere in between self-help and Christian life without really doing either one very well. It was very repetitive and lacked depth. The content wasn’t very unique; I’d heard most of it before. The heart of her message was drowned out in personal anecdotes that I found to be pretty self-centered. The quality of writing is not the best either; she includes many unnecessary details and does not evoke emotion.

My biggest issue with the book is that its message is one that cannot come to fruition without the Lord, but she presents 98% of it as her voice alone based on her life experiences or advice she received from friends/family. She did not support it with the truth of Scripture; there were 4 verses quoted in the entire book, and not even until Chapter 10. She mentioned maybe 2 or 3 others in passing.

The only real mentions of God prior to Chapter 10 are simply one-line quotations of her prayers or vague one-sentence references to what God is doing—along the lines of “I prayed and asked God why,” or “God has a plan to shape my calling.” Some chapters didn’t even mention God at all. It was all about me, me, me. Success and contentment are hardly even presented with a biblical worldview. Dooley asks the reader to consider “why do I want _____?” rather than “how do my goals and dreams contribute to my mission within the kingdom of God?” In my opinion, her message is meaningless without an eternal perspective, which she fails to offer beyond some trite sayings and superficial mentions. For example, when talking about faith and logic, her wisdom doesn’t come from the Bible, nor does she provide affirmative statements about who God is; rather, she offers advice from her husband and even says, “I’m not going to give you a Bible verse.”

A much better book about dealing with disappointment and unmet expectations is It’s Not Supposed to Be This Way by Lysa TerKeurst. I’m actually surprised that Lysa wrote an endorsement for this book because of how completely not Christ-centered it is.

[Bree Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard about this book, I was on the verge of entering a season of broken dreams. I didn’t know it then, but I was about to be thrust into the valley of heartbreak and grief.

In that season, I experienced unmet expectations and felt like everyone around me was living the life that I always wanted.

I’ve since found my footing again, and have moved forward with my life. But this book is, and likely always will, be applicable because it makes us feel seen.

This book depicts those broken seasons in such a raw and honest way that I couldn’t help but see myself in every moment.

I struggle to write reviews for nonfiction books because they aren’t focused on characters or plot. But this was a powerful book that really challenged me to think about my life in new ways…to make the most of the in-betweens…and to dare to dream and live and laugh when heartbreak abounds.

[Reyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I respect her pain and vulnerability, I'm sorry about her miscarriages, I even felt understood in several pages. I thank her effort to write and her practical ideas. I just found topics, book structure and several paragraphs too repetitive and also if you know third world real problems many about this is going to sound very #firstworldproblems. I was very curious about her because all the fuzz around. If you enjoy really easy to read and motivational books you might enjoy this one.

[Valerie Cotnoir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think the subtitle to Embrace Your Almost describes it best: “Find Clarity and Contentment in the In-Betweens, Not-Quites, and Unknowns”. When this book was first released earlier this year, I was in between two distinct seasons of my life. I was feeling down and looking for something to encourage me. In many ways, this book gave me the encouragement I needed. I read it quickly, in the span of two or three days. Dooley’s writing style is easygoing and engaging and I found the stories she pulled from her own life made the book feel real and relatable.

I appreciated Dooley’s outlook on the “almosts” of our lives. In reality, we all experience “almosts” quite regularly and I’d never heard someone unpack that sentiment before Dooley. There are so many times when we “almost” achieve the dream we’ve longed for only to have it escape even further from our grasp. Dooley used her experiences with careers, entrepreneurship and miscarriages to bring this point home. While her book could be seen as a sort of memoir, I liked that she ended each chapter with practical, hands-on tips to bring about change in our lives. I was especially impacted by her chapter on taking care of your health. I think it’s easy to assume that people in their 20s are invincible - in fact, society tells us so. But Dooley experienced her body crash after running on fumes for years in her mid-twenties. She wasn’t old by any means, but she learned the hard way to take care of her body. I really resonated with this passage and it gave me the push I needed to prioritize my health now instead of later, when it’s too late.

While I read this book quickly and left mostly encouraged, I did have two major issues with it. First, in all her examples of the “almosts” we experience in our lives, she never mentioned singleness. This is probably not a fair point for me to bring up since she got married young and can’t speak from experience. We all know what it’s like to be preached at by someone who’s never walked our path. However, I think many Christian women in this day and age are single longer than they expected to be. So when Dooley uses talking with a spouse as a way to receive help in hard times or even as something to fall back on trials surface, she immediately disconnects with at least a portion of her readership. Even if she hasn’t experienced singleness in the same way as others, I think she could have tactfully addressed the topic at least once throughout her book as an almost to overcome. That way she can include both single women and wives/mothers in her book in one fell swoop.

Second, considering Dooley professes to be a Christian, there was a surprising lack of God in this book. I was paying close attention to this detail…so I can confidently say she didn’t mention Jesus until page 112 (ish). After that, she may have quoted two or three verses and mentioned God in passing once or twice. To be honest, I was really struck by this and disappointed. For someone who is trying to encourage our generation of finding contentment in our almosts, I felt her points never quite made it all the way home without the mention of God. I wouldn’t have expected anything less of an unbeliever…but to have the truth and light of the Gospel in your hands and not share it? Her points would have had so much more weight if she’d brought God’s goodness and faithfulness to the table. I’ve personally found that seeking contentment outside of a relationship with God when trials come our way is futile. I’m not exactly sure what Dooley’s goal was in taking God out of the equation, but I think her book would have been more powerful with Him in it.

Overall, I give this book 4 stars. It’s engaging and encouraging and certainly stands out among the current self-help books. It’s rare to find a book that discusses the times in our lives when we don’t succeed. I loved that her conclusion wasn’t to “girl-boss” or burn out in order to succeed next time. In fact, she encouraged the opposite. If she had incorporated Jesus more into this book, it would have been an easy 5 star book for me. As it is, I do think anyone who’s experienced life’s almosts could read it and glean some encouragement from it!

[Denise · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book. I truly enjoyed Jordan Lee Dooley's debut book, Own Your Everyday, and naturally assumed I would like this one too. Unfortunately, this one was repetitive to the point of becoming hackneyed.

Embrace Your Almost is 206 pages overflowing with garden metaphors and trite christian-isms such as stewarding your gifts, living in a fallen / broken world, running your race, being refined, embracing the tension between where you are and where you want to be, etc. You get the point.

Speaking of repetition, in chapter seven, Jordan used the phrases unholy labor or unholiest of labors a whopping fifteen times. Meanwhile, in chapter twelve, her phrase of choice was boot camp which she again used fifteen times. This is in no way an exaggeration. I actually counted. If I had a dollar for every time she said the word arbitrary, I could retire.

Further, she continues to bring up the story she told in chapter one throughout the book and let's just say, it was just an okay illustration of the thesis of the book. Given the fact that she had two miscarriages in 2020, I would argue that she had stronger stories to draw from in order to drive the point of the book home.

Overall, I found Embrace Your Almost to be devoid of any real heart or depth. I'm not of the mindset that an author must cut themselves open and bleed all over the page in order to write something meaningful but when you write a book called Embrace Your Almost after very publicly going through two miscarriages, I incorrectly assumed that those stories would play a larger part in the book. The stories Jordan did choose to share felt watered-down to the point of lacking emotion. Jordan’s Instagram captions around that time period packed a stronger punch than anything she included in this book.

[Rachel B · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not a fan. It feels like a desperate attempt to stay relevant after writing a half way decent book the first go around. Dry and repetitive IMO. The author also gives off Rachel Hollis vibes. I’m here for my honest take on the book, not a fellow instafluencer that promotes the book for commission.

[Micah Staton · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

[Anna Shearer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, a good book with solid advice. JLD gets into the nitty gritty about unmet expectations and I am thankful for her vulnerability. I do wish the book would have been more scripture-focused, which is what I was expecting from this author. But the last few chapters had some great spiritual wisdom. Overall would recommend to any friends dealing with those frustrating in-betweens in life.

[Ainsley Steinbrueck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very encouraging & relatable, especially for the season I’m in. I love Jordan & everything she writes & how God is using her story. One of my fav takeaways: ‘Hardship and unmet expectations really have a way of shifting our focus from the unimportant and urgent to the most important and eternal— if we let them.’

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not quite sure what to do with this book.

There were some really helpful things, for sure. But on the whole, it seemed kind of vague to me. I think that the problem is me, though.

I'm definitely in the in-between. I've been there for a while but now it's much more pronounced. I think if I'd lost one dream or had one setback, then I might have found more in this book to be helpful. But since I don't have other things to fall back on, the vagueness was hard. I guess I need a book about how to find new dreams when you've lost all the old ones.

Still, there were really good things that hit me and a few chapters that were excellent and the book was worth reading just for those. It was helpful to me to read that Jordan has thought or said or felt a lot of the same things I have thought/said/felt. I think that this book was more encouragement for me than actual, practical help.


"In all honesty, I didn't want to be shaped or refined. I wanted to be happy, whole, and comfortable. I wanted things to work out. Why not just snap His fingers and make me ready for whatever He had for me? I didn't want to walk through frustrating setbacks, and I didn't like the idea that a good God would need to use struggles and suffering to prepare me for something - even if it was part of my calling... I saw that the ways of God, while difficult to understand or fully comprehend, may not need to make sense to me in order to hold some kind of uniquely divine beauty."

"We have an opportunity to embrace our setbacks, struggles, and sufferings - not to run from them but to let Him use them for good. To be honest, sometimes I can't help but wonder whether the pain we trudge through and disappointments we face could be the birthplace of more than just dreams. In fact, perhaps it's in those places that we uncover and are prepared for our calling..."

"We make the most of the in-between because our entire lives on this earth are lived in the middle - between two gardens: the Garden of Eden and eternity with God in heaven."

"It's easy to want to forget God altogether when we feel as though He's let us down or flipped our plans inside out for no apparent reason... I pushed Him away because I felt betrayed. This is the battle you and I face every day - especially when life doesn't go our way."

"Maybe a secret to success as we navigate heartbreak, waiting, or disappointment on the road toward our greatest dreams isn't simply being strong. I think, in fact, it's learning how to steward well - to plan in faith, tend with patience, and remain rooted in Love."

"... in the meantime, in the tension between where you are and where you hope to be, continue to water the soil of your dreams and hold on to the hope that at the right time they will sprout, grow, and flourish... even if that process or timeline looks entirely different than you'd think."

[Amanda Dougherty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this with a book club. JLD has some
great points especially the chapter about priorities, but so much felt like filler to meet her publisher’s word count. She is a sweet woman and I love how she lives an intentional, well-rounded life, but the book reeks of privilege - most American women cannot relate to going out to a fancy Italian restaurant to cope after losing $10k in a business venture, or buying a new home in your twenties to downsize from the one you just purchased, or decide not to go to Montana after “spending thousands on air bnb” because your intuition said so. While infertility and loss are so heartbreaking, I wanted the book to evoke more adversity and emotion - it was very “I had a miscarriage and now I’m sad: here’s how to fix your life.” if I’m going to read your book I want it to experience more than rambling.

[Eliza · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not expect it to be a faith based Christian book 😕

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to give hope, even in the darkest times. Very moving stories from her own life that made me cry multiple times. Every woman will have at least one time in her life where this book is a must read.

[Isabelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: 2.5/5

[Amber’s Book Nook · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some parts of this book were just slow to me, but other parts were interesting

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a good book to be read when the season of one’s life has questions and doubts. I have had this book for a while and am appreciative of some of Jordan’s insights and thoughts as they have helped me with some concerns I have had. She has a great writing style as well.

[Abbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I felt like this book gave me a new perspective but I felt like the theme of the book was “I told people too early about a pregnancy, then I had a miscarriage, and now everyone is depressed.” I understand that this book was written during the last couple years but it’s not meant to be an autobiography about the issues she faced since 2020 especially when the issues never really seemed to be resolved at all. As many people said it gives off a privileged vibe and unfortunately I cannot just up and quit my job and as much as my husband wants me to be happy he doesn’t want to be homeless.

[Raquel Toby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring and repetitive.. Writing isn’t great. A lot of personal stories. This book felt like reading an unpolished version of the thoughts that filter through her head. Hardly any scripture or pointing back to God but rather relying on herself based on what she’s learned. Very disappointed with this book.

[nessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Had to breeze through this because it was giving ✨NOTHING✨

[Rachel DuBose · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m conflicted on my thoughts for this book. It took me much longer to read than I wanted, in part, because it is not a happy-feel good book. Jordan talks about discomfort, heartbreak, and loss and invites you to address yours, past and present. She offers practical tips on things like how to get unstuck and back up when life deals you a crushing blow. I appreciated the stories, vulnerability, metaphors, and advice. However, at times, things felt a bit trite and unrelatable. She does mention how this book went under several revisions, and it’s possible she had shared things that just felt too raw and personal and decided to remove them. I can’t fault her for that. Yet at the same time, parts of her story spoke to me so dearly.

I can’t help but wonder if I had read this in the midst of a season full of setbacks and pain how I would respond to this book in comparison to reading it and looking back at the hardships that still feel quite raw. Perhaps something to consider if you are considering reading this book or suggesting it to a friend.

[Lexi Call · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really appreciated the delicate critique of the girl boss movement in this book. It seems as if this movement has dominated our concept of womanhood and completely redefined it. However, this book subtly reframes our perception of success, with the added Christian perspective providing a refreshing viewpoint. It's easy to view Jordan's social media and fall into a comparison trap, but hearing about the less than picture-perfect reality was genuinely comforting. This counters the pressure that our social media driven, hustle culture imposes on us women, and that’s the kind of culture change I’d love to see more of. And if nothing else, I know I’m not the only one who has gone through unholy labor or unrealized dreams. I wish we girls talked more about these things.

Only critique, is it felt light on biblical reflection. Otherwise, good read. 💕

[Aubrey Stanley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is full of really practical tips on how to live a more intentional life despite disappointments that we face.

As someone who has miscarried like the author, I felt like the pain of this experience was glossed over. She made a comment about how that was intentional to avoid triggers, but I just don’t find that helpful.

Overall, I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for practical tips on being present & finding contentment in difficult seasons.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC!

[Samra · Rating 4 out of 5]

After hearing Jordan talk on the Girl's Night podcast, I knew I had to check out her latest book. I thought this was such an inspiring, uplifting, and helpful read. Jordan gets very vulnerable and opens up about some painful moments in her life while sharing not just how she got through those difficult times, but what she learned along the way as well. I would highly recommend anyone to give this a read, whether you're currently in an in-between/not-quite phase of your life or not!

[Raven Hein · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I was looking for a self-help book or motivational. The author has gone through personal hardships, and I empathize for her and anyone else who has had to suffer those personal losses. However, the chapters read more like an autobiography or diary than a self-help. Tried as I may, I only made it halfway through. The content is repetitive [adding to the heartbreak], but she appears to be a successful business woman, financially well-off, with great support from her husband and faith. But none of these resonate with me, somehow most of the actual dark places depression will bring you to and how to recover are left out and the "tips" are far a few.

[Jenn McEvoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Jordan. I follow her on Instagram and she is one of the most inspirational people to follow, hands down.

This book put a lot of things into perspective for me especially when she talked about how we’re all on our own timing and shouldn’t compare ourselves to where others are.

I’m continuing to work on a lot of things that she mentioned in this book and I will continue to do so.

Give this book a read. I think everyone can get something out of it.

[Maggie Griffin · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy Jordan’s podcast & was curious about this book. The writing was disjointed and repetitive & also quite cheesy at times with sayings like “unwanted pain can cause unwanted gain”. It felt like a long Instagram post. Just wasn’t my favorite….

I am thankful for the fact she chose to share parts of her story & know that her journey has helped people. I think I just prefer her podcasts over the book.

[Olivia Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a good read! It made me feel very seen in some of the struggles I have with life and not being where I want to be at the age I am/this time in my life. one of my favorite parts that spoke to me was when she was questioning if her dreams she has are really her dreams at all and I resonated with that a lot! It was the first time I ever knew of someone else feeling the same way- questioning your own thoughts/opinions about certain things in life. It had some practical tips as well on how to move forward and embrace this time in the here and now instead of just wasting the “in-between” as she calls them and sulking until the next thing comes. I only gave it 3 starts because I was hoping it would incorporate more Biblical principles and scripture. However, this book would appeal to anyone- Christian or not, which I think is good and can open the door for conversations with non believers and create opportunity for them to know Christ and see purpose in life through Him.

[Kaitlyn Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

The amount of wisdom this woman has learned from hardships is 🤌🏼 amazing! So grateful to have finally picked this up off my shelf to read it. The Lord has and is continuing to work in and through her. Grateful for her story and I'm personally praying through what I've learned in this book so I can keep my eyes on the Lord, have a heart if gratitude, and find peace in the in-betweens.

[Amanda Forsting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall there were several things I appreciated about the book and there were some good j sights in it. It wasn’t exactly what I expected based on the cover, the back synopsis and the reviews. I was hoping for something a bit more focused in and yet also scriptural my based but this read more like personal biographical with tips tricks and hints from her experience with miscarriage. She writes well and I’m sure has a wealth of k owl edge to share with readers, but for me this just kind of missed the mark for what I was hoping/looking for.