Publication Date: November 15, 2019
Have you ever felt stuck? If so, you are not alone. As a 36-year-old wife, mother, and corporate executive, Dena Jansen’s life looked successful by society’s standards. But she found herself at an intersection—stranded at a real-life crossroads in her life.
Over a matter of years, darkness and doubt slowly crept in, leaving her unsure and unsettled in her life, marriage, and career. And after stalling out multiple times and nearly wrecking everything, she finally grabbed hold of a life-saving truth:She had a choice to make. She could stay stuck, or she could try and find new roads that would lead to the peace and joy she was looking for.
With a glimmer of hope, Dena embraced the gifts of curiosity and grace and began a journey of self-discovery. And she chose to believe in a new truth:
She was meant for more and could no longer settle.
In Road to Hope, Dena invites you to join her as she wanders the roads she traveled and take anything you need from her story to help you in yours. She shares how she grew from a woman who doubted her path to one who is confident and ready for the next adventure. And she wants you to experience a similar shift. And more than that, she believes you can.
Rating :★★★★★
Disclaimer: This review is solely my opinion. I was provided a copy of this book from Lone Star Literary Life partner in exchange for my honest review. The comments in this review do not reflect the views of the author or the publisher. The copies used in this review are finalized copies sent to me in exchange for my honest review. #partner #LSBBT
Have you ever felt stuck? Have you ever reached a point in your life where you wondered how you got there? Author Dena Jansen reaches that point in her life where she realizes that maybe the life she is currently living isn’t meant for her. She concludes that she has achieved society’s expectation of what her life should look like from the outside in. However, she reaches a point where she is no longer happy and starts to reexamine her current situation looking for answers as to why. She lives a “perfect” life compared to others but she is still left unfulfilled. Dena must face the hard truth and make a decision on her happiness and for once put her needs above her family’s.
This Christian inspired memoir takes a unique approach to present the reader with the events of Dena Jansen’s life. Dena does an exceptional job of capturing the reader from the beginning with a relational opening paragraph that encourages critical thinking. She dives into her self realization journey allowing the reader to engage with her full thought process and emotions. I enjoyed the full disclosure from the author which allowed for a better connection between the reader and the story dialogue. She breaks down every interaction with her family, her therapist, and her friends. Dena essentially reaches a point in her life where she has achieved success but doesn’t feel like she has. She is stuck. Her accomplishments do not link up with her feelings, leaving her feeling empty and exposed. She must take herself on a journey to find herself. During her journey of self-discovery, she encounters people along the way that challenge her sense of identity and her purpose. She later realizes that she has a choice in the life she wants to live. We essentially must come to the end of ourselves before we can hear God speaking to us. The remainder of the novel is her embracing her spiritual connection with God and Christ. I felt her vulnerability through the page while reading her internal dialogue with God and her growing in her faith and allowing his presence to fill her.
The question remains, what do you do when you are stuck? What do you do when you reach a crossroads in your life? I recommend starting with this novel to gain a first-hand look at how Dena handled the same questions. It is refreshing to see an author write a memoir that allows for full disclosure into her thought process, essentially allowing the reader to be in the passenger seat of her journey. I highly recommend this memoir for anyone interested in a well-written self-discovery book that will encourage you to shift the way you look at your life now. This memoir will have you re-evaluating your purpose.
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Dena Jansen’s calling to lift others up is profoundly personal. She understands the fears and doubts that hold people back because she has them too. Her own path to fulfillment is a real-life journey that’s still very much in progress. As a CPA and retired partner from Austin-based CPA firm Maxwell Locke & Ritter, she launched Dena Speaks to inspire potential seeking individuals and businesses. Dena shares life and love with her husband, JP, and their two children, Trace, and Elizabeth in Buda, Texas. She loves romantic comedy movies, listening to podcasts, and spending time with her family and friends.
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1/21/20
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Author Video
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1/21/20
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BONUS Post
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1/22/20
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Author Interview
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1/23/20
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Review
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1/24/20
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Playlist
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1/25/20
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Scrapbook Page
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Review
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1/28/20
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Excerpt
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1/29/20
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Review
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1/30/20
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Review
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Librariel Book Adventures 
Great review — it’s interesting to find common ground and places we all connect, even when we have such different individual experiences.
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I love that you felt like you were right there with me. That was my intention, to bring readers (that I love to call and consider friends) into my mind. A mind that is full of inner dialogue. It was a gift to live my life, but now to share it and find the common threads of humanity is an entirely new level of joy.
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