Rosalinda Rivera

Sometimes little things add up to become really big things that prevent us from becoming the person God intended us to be. But this book does an excellent job of addressing those things and directing us in ways to become the person God intended us to be. I found this book easy to read with worthwhile points throughout the book.

This book is for anyone who wants to step out in faith and become the person God intended going in the direction He intended them to go. This book is written in a way that aims at directly connecting with the reader rather than talking at or above the reader. Truly this is a book women should read.

I found the book insightful and worthy of my time and attention. From discussions about everything from the snooze button on our alarm clocks to dealing with clutter to taming your tongue, there is a lot of information presented in this book. Rosalinda Rivera does an excellent job of inspiring women reading her book to become more and aim higher.

So check out this book for yourself.

I received a copy of this book for my fair and honest review.… (más)

From the first pages of the book, I realized this book would give me insights into how to overcome things in my life and help me focus on what really is important. I could relate to the alarm clock so well. I hate when that thing goes off at 4:00 am every morning. It is set for my husband to get up, but he quickly slams the snooze button for the next thirty minutes. He may feel like he is getting extra sleep, but I lay there dreading the next annoying beeping sound the alarm will make. I don't like to be rushed and when I was working I was always thirty minutes early to work. It helped me get acclimated for what was ahead of me for the day.

The book is filled with wonderful motivational nuggets that inspired me to rethink what my goals are for the new year. It is not east to achieve your dreams and I loved when the author says, "Aspire to be a finisher and not a quitter." We will have rough roads ahead but it is not the time to give up. Keep moving forward and allow God to help you endure the race.

The illustrations she uses from the bible help readers visualize what points the author is making throughout the book. We think shortcuts will get us to our destination faster but sometimes those shortcuts find us stumbling around lost. It is time to follow God's direction and learn patience.

I love the way the author approaches each chapter with a personal story and then relates it to a story from the bible. She is easy to relate to and gives sound advice on topics that we all go through. I liked the chapter about appearance. I love wearing comfy clothes mainly to hide the extra weight I have gained. I don't wear makeup a lot and I'm sure my husband wonders at times why I look so "natural." I use to wear makeup everyday and dress for success. Now that I don't work I find myself not really making an effort to look my best. I laughed when the author shared how she was treated at a place where she usually comes dressed up. I still feel that lack of self esteem no matter where I am. In the book the author encourages us to , "Choose what you want for yourself, the conclusion you would like for people to reach about who you really are, and dress your message."

The book covers many areas in our lives and helps readers to improve in areas where they be be struggling. I loved that the author covered topics from how to dress, to finances, to gossip. I think this is a great book that could be used in women's bible studies.

"When you accept God's plan for your life, you align yourself with the power to succeed.'

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.… (más)

“Sin subtly seduces you in stages, slowly slaying your success.”

Far from being just another self-help book that promises to reveal the secret of how to “live your best life”, Rosalinda Rivera’s “The Seductive Slayers of Success” opens the door to the things that hold us back from becoming the people whom God has created us to be. Most of all, we have to want to be successful, and we have to be willing to put in the hard work that it takes to get there. As we are setting our goals, we need to be in tune with the Holy Spirit and make sure that our hearts are right with God so that we are listening to and following His guidance. After all, as Rivera notes, “God knows we will find our satisfaction, purest joy, and absolute peace when He is the object of our desire.” In order for that to happen, we have to trust Him above people, paying no heed to the cynics as we choose to move forward with the dreams that God has planted in our hearts.

Something that I think makes this book both instructive and relatable is Rivera’s tone. She directly addresses her target audience, women, and uses slang, which makes this reading experience convicting as well as akin to having coffee with a candid friend. To be honest, as an introvert this felt overwhelming, and I personally found it off-putting at times, but this is just my own quirk. I did appreciate that the author added a few disclaimers regarding context for situations such as abuse and other issues that might be exceptions and therefore call for a different approach. The formatting in the advanced reader’s e-book copy that I read was disjointed, with page headers in the middle of the text and superscript notes meant to be at the end of the page showing up in the middle of the text, as well as all words containing “ll” missing the second “l” and sentences continuously being repeated back-to-back, word-for-word. However, I do not fault the author and have not deducted any stars; I trust that these issues do not exist in the final Kindle edition.

Each chapter builds upon the one before, and Rivera briefly summarizes them as the book progresses, refreshers that I welcomed because they tie the book together as a cohesive whole. One of the most helpful topics for me was the comparison between experiment and commitment. Rivera explains how writer Scott Young divides the two: “Before you start any activity that will last more than a day, decide whether it should be mentally categorized as an experiment or commitment before going further. Experiments are okay to quit…A commitment is a worthwhile endeavor with the goal of success.” I found this very insightful because I tend to try to do too much and sometimes impede my own progress.

Beginning each of the fifteen chapters with a relevant epigraph and ending with a New Life Plan, “The Seductive Slayers of Success” serves as a handbook for making the necessary godly changes in your life to achieve the success of a life lived for Jesus, the One who gave His life for us. Rivera reminds us that “God is looking for people who will make themselves available. He wants you to be one of the world-changers, the difference-makers.” Yes, YOU!

I received a complimentary copy of this book through CelebrateLit and was not required to post a favorable review. All opinions are my own.… (más)

We all have struggles and challenges in life. Whether they are of our own making or not, things don’t always work out. Sometimes, we just give up on our dreams and goals. But it doesn’t have to be that way! God is a God of new beginnings, and throughout the entire Bible, we read about people who were stuck, disappointed, and faced impossible situations—people God freed. Rosalinda Torres Rivera challenges us to Dare to Begin Again. Using stories from her own life, other people, and biblical times, Rosalinda offers inspirational, down-to-earth advice on beginning again. Each chapter tackles a different issue where you may be “stuck”—such as an inability to forgive, trust, or hope—and examples of people who overcame similar challenges. Practical tasks at the end of each chapter walk you through a DARE challenge (Decide, Allow, Rise, Enjoy) to help you move closer to a fresh start. Rosalinda is the daughter of Victor Torres, an ex-gang member from Brooklyn, New York, and his wife, Carmen, founders of the New Life For Youth ministry. She has seen more than twenty thousand people get out of tough situations and turn their lives around. “They’re people whose tales of transformation prove God is still at work,” she says. “He’s written and re-written their life’s chapters—and He’s willing to do the same for you.” It takes a commitment, but with the help of God, inspiring, true stories, and practical applications, you can Dare to Begin Again.



My Thoughts: Everyone struggles with life. It doesn't matter if you're coming out of addiction, a bad marriage, or just coping with change. Maybe you are having difficulty making a dream come alive; stuck in a rut. This book is full of encouragement! The author Rosalinda Torres Rivera, takes a real-life example and then examines a similar situation through the Bible, on topics such as hope, forgiveness, sacrifice to name a few. The reader learns to let go and to rely on God to help them through the struggle.



Such a well written and useful book, that I think every reader could use at some point in their lives or know someone who does.



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