Little Reading Coach

In the mid 2000s I was in high school and wanted nothing more than to be Jessica Simpson. She had this gorgeous Louis Vuitton purse and an insanely hot husband. Like most girls, I watched Newlyweds and have the DVDs still, which I will never part with. I was just like Jessica, the ditzy dumb blonde, and truthfully I can still have my moments. When she was getting divorced I was also dealing with the breakup of one of my high school boyfriends and felt connected to her, which sounds extremely lame saying this 15 years later.

About two weeks ago I started seeing that she was releasing a book on social media. To be honest, it’s been quite a while since I thought about her. I knew she was an extremely successful business woman with her Jessica Simpson Collection and that she was married with kids. But, I have to admit I was intrigued about her book.

Open Book, by Jessica Simpson, is truly a remarkable memoir that encourages readers to accept themselves and to never give up.

Right away I loved the writing style of this piece. In the very beginning, Simpson  explains the reasons for her authenticity and honesty in the future pages. I instantly trusted the writer and loved how she talked to the reader throughout the work. She speaks to readers as though she’s speaking with her best girl friends, creating a bond.

I knew Jessica grew up as a pastor’s daughter, but I never realized how devoted to her faith she really is. As a Jersey girl myself, families like the Simpson’s are not super common, so when she described her childhood I not only understand the power of her faith, but I can also appreciate and respect it. She truly believes she is doing God’s work through singing and helping others, and I can definitely see that. She is dedicated to supporting and honoring troops, children and women all over the world.

It’s pretty common knowledge that our childhood greatly impacts our lives as adults, and that is what happened to Simpson. She was touched inappropriately as a child for years by another girl and that experience has without a doubt shaped her into the person she is today. She is so honest and raw in expressing how this situation caused her anxiety and the need to be accepted, which ultimately led her to alcoholism. She does not make excuses for her behavior, but reflects on certain stages of her personal downfall by connecting all of the dots. Her explanations are crystal clear and allow readers a true peek into her world.

One of my favorite parts of the book was of course about her marriage to Nick Lachey. As a 16 year old girl in high school, I sympathized with Nick when he released his album What’s Left of Me, however, there are always two sides to the story. Hearing Simpson’s side for the first time in the book made me want to sit down and have a glass of wine with her. And, I have to admit, rewatch Newlyweds.

Marriage is as personal as it can get. No one will ever know all of the details except the husband and wife. It’s very easy to bash the other, especially in the public eye, but to her credit, Simpson explains this chapter of her life with poise and grace. I do not look at Nick Lachey any differently than I did as a teenager. The woman has true class.

Regardless of what Simpson was experiencing in her personal life, she never stopped growing as a successful woman. She started the Jessica Simpson Collection and turned into a boss babe (woot woot!). She used her personal struggles to help others. When she was getting publicity for being “fat” she instead turned it around and made sure she was creating items that flattered all woman.

Simpson is very open and honest about her romantic relationships with John Mayer and Tony Romo. Like most women, she gets caught in the web of going back and forth with a guy. As a reader you want to yell at her that the guy is a jerk, but she wants to be loved so much that she can’t see it. It’s always easy for an outsider to see these things, but when you’re the one involved you don’t always realize what’s happening. I actually remember a segment from E! News where Jessica is in a box at the infamous football game to watch Tony Romo and she was wearing the pink jersey. My heart went out to her when Romo never publicly stood up and defended her.

One of my favorite parts is when Simpson talks about building her family. You can feel her giddiness as she tells the story about meeting Eric and their connection jumps off the pages. The love she has for her children is undeniable.

Simpson is truly a warrior. She is her own worst critic, but has a tremendous amount of self love and acceptance. Personally, I believe she is in incredible role model, especially as she juggles motherhood, marriage and business. Her strength contagious and motivates readers to be true to themselves.

To purchase the book click here.