A vivid walk through barefoot, blissful Texas summers, Lee’s opening story, “White Lilies” is an ode to curiosity. She urges readers of all ages to get still, open their eyes wide, and seek out the magic in the world. From her dad’s favorite songs and her mom’s Sunday pot roast, to cut-off shorts and fishing gear, Mary shares the things that keep her connected to childhood, inspiring readers to remember and relish in the past alongside her. 

In “Forgotten Dolls” Lee considers both the burden and the beauty of womanhood. Detailing a decades-long struggle with disordered eating and perfectionism, Lee creates a hopeful, healing space to share with her readers. With journal prompts, moving artwork, and tips to maximize talk therapy and minimize shame, Lee sheds a light on her ongoing journey towards health and self-acceptance, reminding readers they belong, they are beautiful, and that they are never, not ever, alone. 

“Wedding Ring” is a lesson in listening, not to tradition but to truth. Dressed in white and ready to say I do, Lee meditates on the difference between living a good life and an authentic one, imploring her readers to do the same. In a little Texas church with big Texas hair, Mary and her audience learn together, the difference between an emerald cut and a cushion cut, tuning into your heart and zoning out, between wanting love and truly feeling it. 

A love letter to nurses, hospital workers, and the power of community, “Breakfast Margaritas” is about the people who show up for us in life, unfailingly and without hesitation. A former critical care nurse, Lee recounts the staggering emotional and physical toll of her work and the even more staggering respite the women around her stepped up to provide. Mary marvels over the miracle one person can be for another, the ways we can lift each other, love each other, and hold each other through life’s most ruthless and redemptive moments. 

“Living Room” is less divorce story, more love story. It is about giving yourself permission to grow, change, and become. Revisiting the day she left her first husband, Mary shows readers how to move forward with grace, grit, and gratitude, to mourn big but love bigger. Featuring tips about un-settling down, she espouses the genius of Fleetwood Mac during break-ups, hacks your living room layout, and gets giddy about her favorite indoor greenery.

Wide-eyed and broken-hearted, newly single Mary travels overseas for the first time in “Jets Over London” Lee falls madly in love with LDN. She urges readers to let themselves be romanced by the world, get swept up in the lights and colors of a new place (or an old one!), and say yes to adventure. She shares UK-inspired fashion faves and the little details in art and architecture that stole her heart.

Sometimes love is less about feeling safe and more about feeling free. On a spontaneous trip to Cuba with a man she hardly knows but can’t stop thinking about, Mary learns that love is nothing she expected and everything she’s ever wanted. Readers are reminded to trust their hearts, take a chance, and toss the itinerary. Accompanied by tested travel hacks, Mary’s list of “one day” destinations, and of course, a mojito recipe, “Plane Tickets” argues that falling in love is always an adventure worth taking.

“Always M” is a declaration of love to Music City, making mistakes, and letting your hair down. After a bourbon-soaked night of Honky Tonking and two-stepping, newlyweds Mary and Madison take it up a notch with spontaneous (sort of) matching tattoos. In a world of filtered photos and pristine profiles, Mary shares some of her favorite fails and assures her audience that mistakes can make damn good memories.

Vulnerable and wonderfully intimate, “Scars” advocates not just for self-acceptance, but self-love. Readers sit side-by-side with Lee during her daughter’s traumatic birth, her grueling recovery, and her struggle to find peace in the body she feels failed her. Along with offering her best pregnancy and postpartum advice, Mary revels in the power, beauty, and intelligence that live in the female body, in all female bodies, leaving readers empowered, inspired, and proud.

In “Messy Bun” Mary wrestles with her meteoric rise to social media fame and questions the value of looking at the world through a screen instead of a window. She gives readers an unfiltered glimpse into the daily demands she faces as an influencer, the pressure to share everything, and her ongoing struggle to find balance. Addressing her readers as friends not followers, Mary implores young women to step back from their screens and stay connected to what counts.

Expected to excel as partners, mothers, employees, friends, and individuals, “Nemah” gives readers a close look at the impossible task of being a woman in the world. Facing burnout, Mary attempts to decompress at the end of the day and realizes that someone very important is watching. Loaded with lighthearted wisdom about building the perfect bubble bath, streamlining your routine, and making it through the day with two under two, “Nemah” is a plea for women and mothers to show them themselves grace today, so that our daughters may do the same tomorrow.

Feet pounding the pavement, city draped in autumn, Mary runs the New York City marathon and retraces her steps from childhood through womanhood and back again. “Golden” is a reminder to nurture your inner child, to play, be as relentless in the pursuit of your joy as you are the pursuit of your goals, to be uncompromising in your love of self, and to believe always, in magic. Mary leaves her readers with affirmations and exercises to help them keep their hearts and minds open, seek out the space between the black and white, and live Happily Grey.