Brunette Ambition by Lea Michele {Book Review}.

Lea Michele has been a huge inspiration to me ever since I watched my first episode of Glee. Her character was someone who was ambitious, different and not afraid to go after what she wanted in spite of the harsh things people said to her. Beyond her character, Lea was just as amazing. While I didn't know much about her prior to reading the book, it was rare that I ever saw a picture of her where she wasn't smiling from ear to ear. She seemed like someone I would want to be friends with.

Lea's book, Brunette Ambition could easily be put into two different categories 1) memoir and 2) self-help. I know it seems odd that those two things were put together, but if you actually read the book, it actually works. She starts with the beginning of her show biz career, a part of Lea that most people don't know about. Yes, people knew she was on Broadway, but a lot of people didn't pay attention to Lea before she made it onto Glee, myself included. 
As if I didn't already love Lea enough, this book just made me want to fly to LA so we could have coffee and do yoga together. Though she would have to teach me some yoga positions, because when I tried to do it myself, I was a total fail. Throughout the book, she shares her tips for staying healthy, including some of her favorite recipes. While we have totally different tastes in food, I still loved the beautiful pictures and the simple recipes she shared. I also loved her beauty and hair tips that she learned from her own personal make-up artist and hairdresser.
One thing that I kind of made me roll my eyes a bit while I was reading the book is that Lea is constantly trying to relate to her audience, which is great in moderation, but once mentioned one too many times, it got a bit redundant. She kept saying things like "whether you're going out for a big role or a big interview" or "whether you're getting ready for the red carpet or prom," and for some reason, every time she said it, it just bothered me a little. Lea grew up in show business so she has always had someone readily available to do her makeup and hair and dress her up, and most of us have never had those privileges. I think it's great that she was trying to relate to her audience and her fans, but the message began to get a bit too redundant by the third time she mentioned it. It's pretty unrealistic to compare the red carpet and prom. 
I also wished she showed a few more pictures of her natural beauty. A huge theme behind the book was being comfortable in your own skin and realizing your own natural beauty, but most of the major pictures in the book are showing her all made up and not showing off her own natural beauty. It kind of made that particular message of the books fall through the cracks. That's not to say that I didn't love all of the pictures that were included in the book, because I definitely did. There's no denying Lea's beauty, and the pictures she shares in the book are absolutely gorgeous. 

I give this book a 4.5 out of 5. If you're a fan of Lea Michele, you will love her even more after reading Brunette Ambition. Even if you're not a fan of her, there is tons of great stuff in here, including recipes, beauty secrets, and even a few workouts. There's a little something in this memoir for girls of all ages, whether you're a Lea (or Glee) fan or not. 

For more from Lea Michele, follow her on Twitter and Instagram and like her on Facebook! To purchase your own copy of Brunette Ambition, click here. 
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.