Store Bought Baby: A Memoir About Adoption, Codependence, and Escaping the Good Girl Trap

Discover how to break free from the insecurity, codependence, and toxic beliefs that trap good girls and women everywhere.

In Store Bought Baby, Laura McElroy unravels the complex emotions of growing up adopted, feeling different, and battling a deep sense of insecurity. Raised alongside her parents' biological daughter in a well-meaning but dysfunctional family, Laura always felt like something was missing. As she grappled with codependency, low self-esteem, and an unhealthy desire to please others, she found herself trapped by the "good girl" conditioning too many women find themselves unable to escape.

With raw honesty and vulnerability, Laura chronicles her journey from questioning her worth to reclaiming her identity and becoming the hero of her own story. Along the way, she tackles the emotional void left behind by adoption, sheds the toxic beliefs that shaped her, and shares the hard-won lessons that finally led her to self-acceptance and love.

This memoir is a heartfelt exploration of personal growth, resilience, and the courage to break free from expectations and relationships that don't serve us. For anyone feeling lost or trapped in someone else's story, Store Bought Baby is an inspiring reminder that we all have the power to choose ourselves and create the life we deserve.

Editorial Reviews:

"I am mesmerized by Store Bought Baby--raw and beautiful memoir. Laura Melane's story made me feel profoundly seen in ways I didn't expect. She writes with such honesty, vulnerability, and grace that I couldn't put it down." --Jane Cebrynski, Founder, Empower for Growth: Transforming high achievers into champions of their lives

"You don't need to be adopted for this story to stir something in your soul. Laura Melane recounts her experiences with such refreshing authenticity that the story grips and holds you from beginning to end." --Mona Botros, Journalist and Documentary Filmmaker

"An honest book about the courageous journey toward self-love. I would recommend Store Bought Baby for anyone who's struggling to find their voice or feels misunderstood in any way." --Kimberly Kingsley, LPC, author of Portals of Peace: A Path to Inner Peace and a Healed World, and The Energy Cure