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What Will They Think?: Nine Women in the Bible Who Can Help You Live Your Life Boldly

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In this inspiring guide for young women, Grace Valentine shines a spotlight on nine courageous women in the Bible who lived their faith boldly. In a world that pressures you to seek validation from others, learn to focus on what truly matters.

What will they think? It's a question that consumes many women and may even stop them from living the lives God has called them to live. Whether it's don't be too loud, don't be too aggressive, or your role is to be a sidekick for men, women struggle to live a life that is about pleasing others--but Scripture describes women who actually did the opposite.

In this third release from popular blogger and podcaster Grace Valentine, What Will They Think? features the stories of nine incredible women in the Bible, including Esther, Deborah, Sarah, Mary Magdalene, and Tabitha. These women did not bend to peer pressure or seek to people-please but instead turned their focus on God.

What Will They Think?


Inspiring and motivating stories of strong women who lived courageously in their faith
Practical steps on how to stop caring what others think and focus on what truly matters
Personal stories from Grace's life and her own struggle to stop focusing on the opinions of others
For inspiration found in the lives of these biblical heroes, What Will They Think? provides steps to finding freedom to live life boldly and to stop caring about what others might think.

238 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 12, 2022

142 people are currently reading
4293 people want to read

About the author

Grace Valentine

5 books125 followers

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5 stars
281 (54%)
4 stars
161 (31%)
3 stars
65 (12%)
2 stars
6 (1%)
1 star
5 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
Profile Image for Lydia.
132 reviews41 followers
February 22, 2024
"We are not called to be who others want us to be."

This book was so good guys. I highly recommend giving it a try because Grace's writing is so easy to understand and relatable. If you're like me and struggle with caring a little to much about other people's opinions of you, this book will encourage you so much and give you a lot of good tips :)

"Focus on loving big more than proving that you're worth loving."

"Boldness can look different for each of us, but you can't be bold unless you realize that your God sees you."

"Don't try to dilute God's best and make yourself just an afterthought. Trust that God has included you. You are part of His kingdom and of His promise."
Profile Image for ✨ tazannah ✨.
224 reviews300 followers
June 14, 2023
Ahh, Grace Valentine is such a relatable author! Anddd, she’s really funny and refreshing, so what is there not to love about this ah-mah-zing book? If any of you decide to read it, I hope you like it as much as I did :)

Not even kidding, I was reading this book while waiting in line in the Aruba airport to check in our bags, and reading this book?- it made me laugh out loud. It was kinda embarrassing but... it was good, XD.

Basically just to summarize what the book was about, it basically talked about how your purpose it to be bold and live out God’s calling, rather than deciding your own fate and pleasing others more than God. It’s important to be bold, even if it’s in the smallest ways. You don’t have to do big, grand gestures; just a simple smile or conversation with a neighbor is considered being bold!

Sometimes we forget that God is the author of our lives, not us. So just submit yourself to him and let HIM work things out :)
Profile Image for Karlin McGarvey.
54 reviews3 followers
May 29, 2023
I liked this book! It was pretty surface level and nothing groundbreaking, but the author has some relatable things and I think I’d read it again & recommend it to people. Very easy to read and understand ☀️👙🌊🍹⛱️🥂🤭🏝️🏖️
Profile Image for Susan Ballard (subakkabookstuff).
2,587 reviews97 followers
July 24, 2022
I must admit; that I sometimes struggle with worrying about what others think about me. So I enjoyed reading through the chapters of 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤. There are sections in the book designated to characteristics - speaking out, being a leader, if I’ve made mistakes, feeling like an outcast, and more. Then the author uses women in the Bible as examples who we can learn from and glean from their experiences. She brings it forward to the present, applying it to the culture we live in, even adding in her personal struggles as well.

In this day of comparisons and competition, this is a positive and uplifting read to remind you of what really matters.

Thank you @tlcbooktours @wpublishing and @thegracevalentine for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
Profile Image for KJPK.
93 reviews
August 2, 2022
It’s been a long time since I had a book move me so completely… like a long time.
I don’t know why I picked this up- I was browsing for my next Contemporary Rom. or YA novel when all the sudden I just couldn’t put this book down.
It is written in such a beautiful way- I did not feel like I was reading. It felt like a conversation with a friend. I found myself skimming at some points so I can get more lines in before bed.
Please read this book! It changed my perspective and validated me in ways I didn’t even think were possible.
5/5 go read and go live by His word!
Profile Image for Katie.
116 reviews3 followers
November 29, 2022
good points, quote-worthy lines, which is how it was structured. eg. “5 lessons to take from _____” which was more article format, so made it a bit hard to follow. also it had a lot to say so felt all over the place.

overall good general overview of different women in the Bible though. personally would have preferred deep diving more into their stories bc each chapter was overview + author’s experience + application points.
91 reviews5 followers
May 2, 2023
I absolutely enjoyed this beautiful read by Grace Valentine!
Encouraging living boldly and freely from people pleasing, Grace dives into nine women in the Bible stories. It was so cool to see the stories from a different perspective. Grace is so relatable and writes in a way that just pulls you into the book.
I have found myself constantly asking the question, “What will they think?” So many times. It’s exhausting and annoying to live a life that relies on others’ opinions of me. Grace points to Jesus though, and explains that we are called to live for Him, not others.
Grace brought what it truly means to be bold in a different light. I’ve always thought that boldness was not an awesome quality, because I always tied it to speaking your mind and how that’s not great to do (learned that the hard way!) Grace, on the other hand, says quite the opposite.
“Boldness is confident yet humble.
Boldness is daring yet patient.
Boldness is loving yet resilient.”
I loved how this book opened my eyes to see that boldness isn’t about everyone seeing you, or even being necessarily loud. Being bold for Christ is beautiful, and we're created to live all for and with Him.
Now I am seriously challenging myself to work on this people-pleasing problem. When I ask, “What will they think?”, I want to respond and say, “My role is not to please their thoughts.”
I would recommend this book for teens and up because she does mention drinking and drugs that are a part of her’s and others’ redemptive stories. Overall, though, I think this is a message that everyone needs to hear.
Ultimately, God’s voice should be the loudest. Grace utters that truth passionately throughout the whole book. As she says so wonderfully, “People’s opinions about you will change. But God is consistent. He consistently loves you and consistently calls you to do bigger things than being liked.”
Profile Image for Kenzie Murr.
3 reviews
June 7, 2025
It was a good devotional with a lot of great reminders. But it repeated itself a lot!
Profile Image for Gracie Johnston.
1 review
January 14, 2026
So good for a college freshman!! Or anyone in any stage of life! Some good reminders and new knowledge about characters from the Bible that I don’t hear about much!
Profile Image for Wanda.
119 reviews2 followers
August 9, 2022
Amazing book. Spoke straight to my soul.
Profile Image for Kacie Ham.
10 reviews
January 13, 2026
Once again, one of Grace Valentine’s books has changed the way I look at the world around me. Learning about these powerful women in the Bible has reshaped my view of how Jesus loves us girls. Deborah’s story was inspirational and I was shocked that I had never heard it before. As Grace puts it “Women were never an afterthought to Jesus. Jesus broke glass ceilings first. Don’t let the world tell you otherwise.” (Pg. 206).
Profile Image for Cameron.
198 reviews
August 28, 2022
I enjoyed this book. I didn’t relate to it as much as her first two books, but I enjoyed reading about lessons from different leaders in the Bible. Her 40 reminders at the end of the book was my favorite part and reminded me that humility and boldness can coincide in the faith walk of a girl who loves female empowerment and Jesus :)
Profile Image for caitlin.
74 reviews14 followers
May 9, 2023
Really encouraging read about how the women in the Bible lived boldly for God and how we can too!
Profile Image for Kyla Scott.
31 reviews2 followers
September 5, 2022
Before I dive into my rating, let me begin by saying my mom forced me to read this book despite my insistence not to. I don’t usually like self-help or inspirational faith-related books because I find them cringey and, most times, overrated. I’m too hard headed to actually take anything to heart—and, yes, I realize I’m calling myself stubborn.

Sometimes my rating system is based on the actual writing of a book, and other times it’s based on how the book made me feel. In this case, my five stars comes from how it made me feel more so than the book itself.

I related to and annotated this novel more than I care to admit. I, like others, have felt lonely, drained, and behind. I, like others, have changed what I’ve done or what I believe to fit in. I, like others, try my best to make it seem like I have my life together, when I, in fact, do not and have stress attacks in the bathroom, at dinner, or at my desk almost weekly. This book, therefore, called me out, but called me out in a good way.

For women struggling either in pronouncing their faith or with self assurance, this book is for you. Specifically meant for women, “What Will They Think” shares the stories of 9 women in the Bible to teach others the power and purpose of boldness. This novel was very eye opening for me and something I really need as I’m applying to colleges. I highly recommend!
Profile Image for Lauren Vasser.
1 review
July 12, 2024
This is now one of my favorite books. I seriously enjoyed reading Grace’s entire book as there was so much to learn and grow from! This truly brought me closer to Jesus and helped me distinguish my anxious thoughts of what God or others might think of me vs. what God actually thinks about me.

There were so many things to note, but I love how I received this book not really expecting to read about Grace’s journey of her calling in writing. I knew she at least liked to write books, but I didn’t know she was trying to form a business in blogging and writing. If you are an aspiring blogger and/or author like me, then you will love this book because she’s walked the same calling that I am in a few ways, in writing and giving online content.

The writing style is so cute, funny, and unique, as I’ve never seen anyone write like her and I loved her writing style. If you want to read a book that feels like talking to a friend face to face, then this is for you.

I’m encouraged after reading all of the pages of this book to walk more boldly in what God calls me to do, to be filled with Jesus instead of anxiety that holds me down, and to become more confident in who God thinks I am than people pleasing. A must read girlies!! 💕
Profile Image for Caitlyn Green.
64 reviews6 followers
December 13, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 Stars!

Read this book in a book club with the girls on my floor in my sorority house, and it was so, so sweet!!! We read 1-2 of the parts each week of the semester and then met to talk about it!

I loved this book and the encouragement it provided and the reminders it left me with! I also loved that I got to go through it with some sweet friends as well! Grace does such a good job of relating every chapter to everyone, no matter what you’re going through! It’s also so cool to hear from a girl only a few years older than me who is so real about the things she goes through and struggles with!

My favorite reminder she left me with is the reminder that people don’t remember what we did, they remember how we made them feel, so choose to leave them with kindness! Above all else, we are called to love others well and show them the kindness of Jesus! People notice a difference in us when they see how we live our life for the one who gave us ours! I loved this book and the only reason it’s not 5 stars is because parts of it were somewhat repetitive, but even so, they were great reminders and I will definitely be suggesting this book to others!
Profile Image for Bookish801.
317 reviews26 followers
July 31, 2022
I've always been fascinated by the stories of women in the Bible, and this book is an amazing guide that connects those stories with our everyday life and makes them relevant in the present.

I loved how the author was able to retell biblical stories with a modern twist and followed up with the questions to ask yourself on how each lesson applied to your life. It was a great journey through the pages of the Bible and its female heroes. The author was really able to show their human side on one hand, and their place in history, their purpose on another hand. If you often wonder, why did you end up in a certain place at the certain time and what your propose could be, this book really helps you ponder on those things.

The author aims at the younger female audience, but I would also recommend this book for anyone looking for a great spiritual read or a wonderful scripture study guide.
Profile Image for Madison Bice.
33 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2026
I really enjoyed this book. Grace won me over with her Hannah Montana references and her Joe Jonas story. It felt like talking with a friend. Her insight was powerful on people pleasing. My favorite quote was “In a world where everyone wants to be the main character, I pray we can be like Mary and know our role. In a world that tells us to chase our dreams and be big, I hope we can be content to sit at the feet of our big God. And on the days we want to serve our fleshly desire to be liked, to prove ourselves, and to be successful, I hope we can remember our true purpose comes from being the Lord’s servant.” What a good reminder to take the focus off of us and back on Jesus. I did feel at times it was a little repetitive but that the only negative. It was a great book with a big impact!
Profile Image for Lauren Curtis.
99 reviews7 followers
August 26, 2022
This book is sooo good, and I am so glad I took it one chapter at a time. I loved reading about these nine different women—some I knew very well and some I learned a lot I didn’t know. This book is really needed in the church today. Women needed to be reminded that they have a purpose given to them by God that isn’t what the world says or what the first world church says. I think this would be a great book for men to read too, so they can be reminded that God used women just as much as He used men in the Bible and still does today. It isn’t about male or female… it’s about the person’s boldness to do what God has called the person to do.
Profile Image for Emma O'Brien.
151 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2025
The heart and message behind this book are great. It would probably be a good read for girls who struggle with insecurity, as the author relates a lot of points to that. I highlighted some takeaways and left generally encouraged by the women of the Bible highlighted in it, but it doesn’t go super deep.

Though probably an unpopular opinion, I personally didn’t really love the author’s style. She’s real and raw, I’ll give her that. But I often felt like her personal stories were either not super relevant to the point or not incorporated in natural or tasteful way. The book also began to feel a little repetitive and long-winded by the end.
Profile Image for Jacklyn Dean.
164 reviews1 follower
April 23, 2023
Incredible stories of women in the Bible. It took me a while to get through because I only read it a few times a week as part of my Bible study. And even then I wasn’t as consistent as I wanted to be. However, I finished it today and I really did learn so much over the many months of reading it. I felt connected to these women as their stories were told in such a beautiful light. Esters story especially will stay with me always. I would love to get a hardback copy of this book for my shelf one day.
322 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2024
This is a great book on how to live your life boldly, as nine women from the Bible did. Grace has a great way of helping us ladies become bold in our every day lives. At first, I thought this was a book for young women, but is a great book for all of us, no matter stage in life you’re in. The nine woman from the Bible she gave as examples on how to live our lives boldly are inspirations for us to live more boldly.
Profile Image for Naamini.
40 reviews
January 8, 2025
I've read these stories a million times, you know? But 'What Will They Think?' totally flipped the script for me. It wasn't just about the facts, it was about really digging into who these women were – their doubts, their fears, their incredible courage to be bold. I wish Ruth and Rhoda were part of the book too;

The author does such a great job of making these ancient stories feel modern and relatable. As my church community puts it: The author brought this home! .
Profile Image for Rachael Roloff.
253 reviews
January 24, 2023
Excellent book!!! Easy to read and pray alongside. Read it with my Bible next to me as I dove deeper into the Word. We all struggle with different areas and Grace Valentine spoke eloquently through “normal” struggles without claiming she was an expert. She shared relatable stories and brought them right back to the Word and God’s truth for us.
Profile Image for Madeline Sinders.
22 reviews
December 13, 2023
I appreciated this book for the characters discussed that may be overlooked a lot of the time, and for the truth from each of these stories as well. Thank you Grace for being bold and guiding me and other girls and women out there who struggle with this area. Definitely recommend this book to every single woman on the face of the earth and who are yet to come to the earth! :)
Profile Image for em.
30 reviews
May 30, 2024
I think I would give this 5 stars if I hadn’t just finished a C.S Lewis book so my brain had to adjust to the different writing styles. Grace speaks so much truth, in a relatable way, encouraging young women. Definitely a must read for any girl who questions their purpose or their place in the world, especially if you question what others think.
Profile Image for Sami Holmes.
34 reviews
June 25, 2025
This was so relatable and real that it felt like it was written by a friend and I kept having to remind myself that it wasn't

There were a lot of applicable tips too; there was one part at the end of the book that sparked an idea on how to use my gifts/talents to serve others that I still regularly apply 2 years after reading this book!

I really enjoyed it and definitely recommend it!
Profile Image for AK Taylor.
201 reviews3 followers
February 20, 2023
lol probably the longest time it’s taken me to read a book but for good reason!

My sweet friend Annie and I went chapter by chapter weekly (or most weeks hehe) and dove deep into this devotional.

We loved it and the deeper knowledge it gave us on the women of the Bible!

A great read 🤍

Profile Image for Sofie.
15 reviews
July 13, 2023
This is simply a really great book from which I learned a lot. I love the books Grace Valentine writes because it is so easy to relate to.
I’m a huge people pleaser, so this definitely reminded me that I do not live to be loved, but I live to love others and Jesus ❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews

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