Dare to Be True: Defeat the Lies That Bind You and Live Out the Truth That Frees You

In this earnest and impassioned guide, Troutt (The Love Everybody Wants), cohost of the Stay True podcast and former Bachelor contestant, challenges Christians to cast aside lies that keep them from leading full and faithful lives. She highlights false cultural narratives that distance believers from God: that people can save themselves from sin (only Jesus can do that), that self-love cures unhappiness (focusing on God and others is more effective, because self-love can lead to self-obsession), and that one is defined by past sins (believers are “loved, free, and redeemed” regardless of their past). To combat such “satanic” lies, readers can forge closer relationships with God by praying, finding strong faith communities, and generally prizing faith over instant gratification. Those lessons are delivered in an appealingly down-to-earth tone and interspersed with vulnerable disclosures about the author’s life, including how she faced insecurities about her self-worth following her stint on The Bachelor. Unfortunately, her case for a godly life is sometimes overshadowed by dramatic descriptions of how Satan can dismantle it (“Satan’s quest is to steal life, joy, and freedom through deception... We reap the deadly fruit of despair, deceit, and darkness”). Still, the author’s fans will find this worth a look. (Sept.)