Open Book

This memoir took me by surprise - in the very best possible way. I admit to starting this memoir with preconceived ideas of Jessica Simpson based on what little I'd seen of her on her reality TV series Newlyweds and interviews, both of which often didn't put Jessica in the best light. Shame on me.

I was blown away by this candid and endearing memoir. Jessica's writing tone is down-to-earth, chattin' with a girlfriend style and with her sense of humour and brutal honesty, she shares very vulnerable parts of herself, reveals shocking experiences, her own mistakes and details her often unhealthy and destructive relationships with the men in her life.

I appreciated that she doesn't shy away from sharing many parts of her life - the good, the bad and the embarrassing. As she shares her story, Jessica is someone readers will connect with and root for. I cringed at a few of her decisions and repeated mistakes, I was saddened by her losses, happy for successes and mentally high-fived her when she broke free of her demons and learned to stand up for herself.

There is a lot more to Jessica Simpson that meets the eye. It's clear that her family and her strong faith play a huge role in her life and with her strong work ethic and determination, she has become a highly successful businesswoman, philanthropist, wife, mother, daughter and sister. She's many things to many people but I'm glad she's finally found who she is to herself.

Believe the hype surrounding this memoir. It is an entertaining, emotional and empowering coming-of-age story about Jessica's successes, her mistakes and her struggle to be everything to everyone .. except herself. Readers are in for a treat.

My Rating: 5 stars

Author: Jessica Simpson

Genre: Memoir

Type and Source: eBook from public library

Publisher: Dey Street Books

First Published: February 4, 2020

Book Description from GoodReads: Jessica tells of growing up in 1980s Texas where she was sexually abused by the daughter of a family friend, and of unsuccessfully auditioning for the Mickey Mouse Club at age 13 with Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling before going on to sign a record deal with Columbia and marrying 98 Degrees member Nick Lachey.

Along the way, she details the struggles in her life, such as the pressure to support her family as a teenager, divorcing Lachey, enduring what she describes as an emotionally abusive relationship with musician John Mayer, being body-shamed in an overly appearance-centered industry, and going through bouts of heavy drinking. But Simpson ends on a positive note, discussing her billion-dollar apparel line and marriage with professional football star Eric Johnson, with whom she has three children.