Open Book

Singer and reality TV star Simpson holds nothing back in this earnest and entertaining memoir. She 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. Her positive attitude is infectious and will have readers rooting for her as if she were a good friend. Simpson’s candid and thoroughly engaging story will appeal to her fans and beyond. [em](Feb.) [/em]

Correction: An earlier version of this review incorrectly stated Simpson was sexually abused by a friend's sister, rather than the daughter of a family friend.