Book Review: Back Where We Started

By Sara Steven

Katie’s wildest dreams have come true. She’s a Hollywood actress, booked and busy, and campaigning for her first Oscar. Sure, she still struggles with sexist media malignment and unimaginative roles, but from where she stands today, her hometown of Dutch Ridge, Pennsylvania feels far away—and that makes it all worth it.

Because Dutch Ridge can only ever represent Drew. Every street is filled with memories of their shared adolescence, how they were each other’s first everything, the hours they spent planning for the future. Drew was the only person in Dutch Ridge who didn’t make Katie feel crazy for dreaming big, because he did, too. Was it their extraordinary level of ambition that brought them together at sixteen? It was definitely what drove them apart in the years after.

But now, a promise to her sister forces Katie to return for Christmas to Dutch Ridge, where she runs into Drew, who seems to have followed a different path from the one they once dreamed up. And strangely, he seems...happy. As their run-ins heat up and the two can't keep themselves away from each other, Katie begins to wonder whether her accolade-filled Hollywood life really fulfills her after all.

Back Where We Started is an emotional second-chance romance, a story about allowing oneself to change, the addictive nature of achievement, and how we make room in our lives for what matters most. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

Back Where We Started combined two elements I really enjoy in a book, movie, or television; second chance love, and celebrity backstory. I thought giving us the present time along with plenty of snippets of the past allowed me to really understand who Katie is and the depth she will go to in order to keep away from her toxic past. Dutch Ridge, PA was never really home for her. The only thing that represented home for her is Drew, the one who got away.

Drew and Katie could do anything and everything, with big dreams and aspirations. I thought it was interesting that over time, Drew falls into a life that he feels works for him, without the all-encompassing dream he’d originally set out to live, but Katie struggles with any delineation from their original goals. In some ways despite wanting to run from her past, she’s stuck there. And even though she’s living the life she always wanted, falling back into Drew makes her face the reality of what she really has, and how much of a microscope she’s really been under. Is that true happiness?

Drew’s sister really bugged me. She was a bit of a bully when Katie was young, and even after Katie is now known to the world as Blair, the sister still can’t stand Katie. There is a decent amount of background information provided that gives reasons behind the behavior, but it did nothing to alleviate my dislike for her. I loved my reading experience with this book and it’s worthy of the five-stars I’ve given it, and really, the one tiny thing I wish would have happened is some sort of big face-off between the two characters. Especially after Katie grows into her own and recognizes nasty behavior for what it really is, I wished for more from Katie, maybe for all of us who dealt with our mean bullies from our childhood. It was nice to have a nemesis, though, and Drew’s sister fit that description perfectly.

I felt like in a lot of ways, I had a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to reach celebrity status, the extreme highs and the awful terrible lows that we’re often not privy to. I felt really bad for Katie when she realizes that despite how hard she has worked to get to where she is, that all that glitters isn’t the glitz and glamour she imagined for herself, and the honesty of friendships, loves and insight in the celebrity realm can at times be only as deep as the popularity of that person at the time. I imagine it would be tough to know who can be trusted. Drew is always her guiding light in extreme darkness, which was a beautiful relationship to witness, but not without its own troubles. Back Where We Started was a really enjoyable read, a sweet celebrity second-chance experience!

Thanks to Viking for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Becca Freeman: The Christmas Orphans Club

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Sara and Melissa Talk...To Our Younger Selves

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are now getting toward the end of our seventh year!

Going along with our post about aging last month, this month we're giving advice to our younger selves. 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. 😊 We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them.

Melissa Amster:

This topic was inspired by a movie I saw this past summer: My Old A$$. It's about a girl who is out partying with her friends and comes face to face with her older self (played by Aubrey Plaza). Her older self has wisdom to share and it affects how she sees her current circumstances. I don't want to say anything more so as to not spoil it. It's definitely an interesting movie though!

A while back at my personal blog, I wrote a letter to myself to be opened in ten years (which would be 2024). It was funny how accurate some things were, especially the part about the trip to Europe! 

Recently, I read Twenty Something Else (reviewed here), which is about a woman who gets to relive her twenties in any order she wants, but with the mind of her forty-year-old self. There was a part where she was telling her best friend about everything that happens in the future. 

For this post, I wasn't sure how I wanted to talk to my younger self. Like how far back should I go? Twenty years? More? Less? I also don't want to tell myself to make any changes that could affect my present life. (I read too many time travel books and just know better as a result.)

18 years ago

Do I want to tell myself to avoid some relationships that may have had an impact on my life at the time but weren't worth the heartache or aggravation? Neither would have kept me from meeting my husband as they weren't connected to the people who led me to him. One is my second boyfriend in college, with whom I probably would have been friends to this day if we hadn't dated. The other is the friend who ghosted me over twenty years ago, even though I enjoyed the time we were close and told each other everything. However, I did have an impact on the life of the friend as I indirectly connected her to her husband and she wouldn't have had the kids she has now if she had ended up with someone else. So it would be selfish of me to toss that relationship out. 

I would tell myself to stay in touch with one of my close friends when she graduated two years before me, as we lost so many years before we reconnected on Facebook. Thankfully we've made up for that time, but I still wish we had those years. I could also do better with staying in touch with friends I don't see on social media. 

I would also tell myself not to leave a job I was somewhat unhappy at for a job that was much worse. (I didn't realize it would end up being worse at the time, but it did.) I could have dealt with some management I didn't really like that much over having to be stuck with a cell phone 24/7 to deal with stuff that was nearly impossible to manage from a distance in the middle of the night. 

While there are things I regret, they also led to other good things down the road. So I can't stop myself from making those decisions knowing what could happen later on. 

In the book world, knowing what I know now, I wish I had traveled to one of Sophie Kinsella's tour stops when she visited the US because that can no longer happen and she was an author I really wanted to meet. 

I'd tell myself to stock up on masks, cleaning supplies, and toilet paper in the beginning of 2020. 

Finally, I'd tell myself to be more adventurous. I'm still more of a homebody than I should be at my age. There's still so much I haven't done, even in the state I've lived in for seventeen years. 

Ten years ago

Sara Steven:

On my blog, (a space that hasn't seen action in years), I've participated in posts where I address my younger and future self, like the one I'd composed in 2012: https://momarock.wordpress.com/2012/06/14/dear-sara-a-letter-to-my-younger-self.

And then there's the post from 2014, addressing my future self: https://momarock.wordpress.com/2014/03/06/dear-sara-a-letter-to-myself-revisited.

It's funny to me that the date listed in the future post is for the year 2024, just two years ago. My oldest is now 21 years of age. The little guy isn't so little anymore; he turned 16 just two days ago. 

I thought it might be interesting to re-address the blog post I'd written in 2012, considering I was the ripe old age of 33 when I wrote it. At the time, I wanted to give sage advice to my 23 year-old self, convinced I had a lot more insight into life. While a lot of what was important to me back then hasn't changed, time and age and even more living experience has put a different spin on things; less the optimistic, more the realist.  

Dear 23 Year Old Sara: 

Now I'm 48, newly minted this year.

Hi there. It’s me. Or should I say, you.

I’m currently 33 years old. I know, hard to imagine, isn’t it? You used to think that age was OLD. I’m here to tell you, it’s not. 

At 23

Well, if I thought 33 was old, imagine how I feel being 15-years older than that!

Guess what? I’m a runner. I’ve done marathons. I eat healthy, and I actually enjoy it! I know you don’t, right now. And that’s OK. Don’t worry about it. Just enjoy your life. Enjoy being young! Let me worry about keeping us healthy and youthful the rest of our life. Your job is to revel in being 23, because you can’t get that time back, ever. 

Guess what? You're still a runner. You love to run. Pending any health conditions or ailments that might keep us from it, you will continue to run until your last breath on this earth. You've also picked up yoga, a pastime that arrived a few years after the original blog post was created, and you're currently pursuing a yoga certification so you can instruct others into developing a deep love for yoga. Healthy eating habits? Well, that's still there, despite the cravings for Starbucks chai tea lattes and strawberry acai refreshers, and anything sweet in general.

You are most likely going through a very traumatic period. You are dealing with some serious grown up issues. At my current age, I can see why getting married young is a BAD IDEA, but you didn’t know any better. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and you will get through this. Don’t forget how strong you are, and how brave. You’ve been through so much in your young life leading up to this point, don’t let it be what knocks you down. 

I remember that traumatic period. And you'll have others in the coming years, an ebb and flow of peace and serenity, mixed in with chaos. Looking back with even more clarity, there is no regret for me now in getting married young. It is what brought us here, to this point, and it isn't so bad. I can tell you, you will continue to hold onto your strength to get you through some tough times, but you will also allow for help and guidance, something that has never been easy for you. You will lean on your friends more than you ever have, seeking comfort and advice from safe circles.

Don’t put your passions on the back burner. As you’ve gotten older, you’ve had to take care of responsibilities that don’t allow much time for writing a novel, or being in a play. Do it now, because you won’t be able to later, and I should know. Believe me, I know. 

At 33

You will be there as a constant for your children. It will be one of your most appreciated aspects of life, but it has been tough to focus solely on you and your passions. As the kids age, they will become part of your support system, encouraging you to do more and get involved more. Writing isn't happening. You haven't been in a play. But never say never. Right now, you are working part-time and pursuing the two-year yoga certification, taking care of three wily guinea pigs, spending time with your family, tending to your garden, and running. And you were wrong. You WILL be able to do it later. The older you get, the more you realize that you can still continue to pursue your interests. Never. Say. Never.  

You are going to have some amazing friends who stay with you over the next decade. In fact, some of them you currently are holding onto right now, will be like sisters to you. Trust them more, and let them in. They mean well, and they love you a whole lot. Those are the types of friendships you never want to let go of. 

Some of those friendships have remained intact. Some have gotten stronger, while you've had to let go of other relationships--mostly due to self-preservation. Remember how you used to say that you were a people collector? You still are, but you are more selective in who you choose to hold onto. And that's OK.

You are going to do some crazy things over the next ten years or so. I’d love to divulge more information, but if I did, you’d change the course of our life, and I don’t want that to happen. It all has brought us here, and here is a pretty good place. It might be a difficult path to get here, but there is peace. And it is worth it. 

Oh yes, there is craziness. But I agree--it has been totally worth it.

And speaking of crazy… promise me that you get your tattoo. Don’t chicken out. That tattoo is a symbol for you, and it continues to be one. And, she still looks like a good girl.

You still don't have an additional tattoo, and you don't feel any guilt in that! You're allergic to metal, so unless you plan to go with a vegan tattoo that is void of metal, does it really matter if you get one? The one and only tattoo you have still looks good, with a little less color in it as the years have gone by. It's still a symbol for you; a reminder of a time in your life when you rose above the s*** and managed to come out of it with your soul intact. Your tattoos are scars--from your children, from running mountain trails and tripping on large rocks, from the skin cancer that was removed from your right cheek. They are scars from your existence, and they've become coveted and in the end, absolutely worth it.

Now

What would you tell your younger self?

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Spotlight: The Christmas Competition

The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari's small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.

Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa's and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.

This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually wants: the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new. 

Purchase The Christmas Competition.

“Zoe Allison has written a truly gorgeous Christmasy nearly lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that will remind you just what happiness is.”
—Lucy Keeling, author of Just Friends in Vegas

“Fans of this genre, and Christmas novels, will love this one.”
—RedCarpetCrash

Credit: Zoe Allison

Zoe Allison is a graduate of the RNA's New Writers' Scheme. Alongside her day jobs as a doctor and a writer, she started a TikTok account in 2021 where she regularly shares comedic sketches based on writing, and the romance genre in particular.

Visit Zoe online:

Website * Facebook * Instagram

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Book Review: The Twenty Dates

By Sara Steven

Claire’s marriage is in (total!) crisis. Her husband, Mark, is distracted, presumptuous, and utterly clueless - smart scales for their 19th wedding anniversary? Really? Perhaps she'd be better off alone. At least there'd be less laundry.

When Claire suggests separating, Mark panics. He asks for one last twenty dates, one for each year of their marriage, to prove they're better off together than apart.

What follows is a series of adventures Claire never saw coming - some mortifying, some exhilarating, and some that make her question everything she thought she knew. About Mark. About marriage. And about the woman she's quietly become while she wasn't paying attention.

As the dates tick down, Claire must is the spark still there - or has their marriage simply run its course?  (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads.)

I felt I could really relate to Claire and Mark in The Twenty Dates. So many changes can happen in a long-term marriage, and this couple has been handed a lot in a short span of time, with their son leaving the nest, Claire dealing with the ever-changing world of menopause, and both dealing with changes in employment status. On top of all of that, Claire is looking for security and solidarity from Mark, proof that despite all of the change, he still has her back. Yet, when his ill-attempt at a 20-year anniversary gift doesn’t go over as smoothly as he assumed it would, bringing all of their issues to the surface, they both take a step back to try to evaluate what has gone wrong.

The plan of twenty dates to represent twenty years of marriage is a really unique idea, one that I thought could be pretty interesting to incorporate into my own marriage. I’m seventeen years in this year, and while I read about Claire and Mark’s experiences, some well-handled, others tragically and comically funny, it made me reflect on the time spent with my own husband and whether something like this could help us to build an even better relationship. For Mark and Claire, it certainly appears so, but there are still a lot of stumbling blocks and years of old habits that need to be assessed, much like any real-life couple would struggle with when they are coming to terms with being a better spouse and partner for their significant other. 

I loved that aside from the marriage building, both characters find themselves on a journey of self-discovery as well. Claire sets out to accomplish some long-term goals she’s been wanting to fulfill for a very long time but never felt she had the time to do so. And Mark is working towards goals he’s set out to accomplish with his employer, which has caused strife in the marriage at times, but as Claire begins to feel stronger and more accomplished in her own right, it becomes less of an obstacle, and less of a threat. I always appreciate books that highlight older individuals who still continue to grow and change–not looked on as past their prime. It only adds more fuel to my own fire to continue paving my path, because there is a lot of life left to live for this couple, and there is a lot of life left to live in mine as well.

The dialogue was fun and cheeky, particularly when Mark and Claire banter. There is a rather steamy scene while Mark is away that surprised me, but pleasantly so. For some of the book when Mark makes his plans to travel for work, I thought, “Why isn’t Claire going with him?” For me, personally, if my children were no longer at home and I wasn’t employed, I’d travel to new lands in a heartbeat! But I also realize that Mark needed to leave in order for Claire to truly discover who she is again, which might never have happened had she gone along as Mark’s plus one.

Having read the first book in the Empty Nesters series (reviewed here), I was excited to see what The Twenty Dates had to offer, and I feel this was the perfect complimentary read and a great addition to the series. While I might not be an empty nester (yet), there really is a lot of relatable dialogue and situations that I think any woman (or man) could identify with. I hope there will be more to add to this series in the future!

Thanks to Rachel's Random Resources for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Purchase Links:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged ten.   

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of mid-life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.   

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and a Funeral Celebrant.   

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.    

Ko has been married for 25 years, has two children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.   

The Twenty Dates is Ko’s second novel and the second book in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.   

Visit Ko on Facebook and Instagram.

Visit all the stops on Ko's blog tour:

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Spotlight and Giveaway: Now That We Don't Talk

Today we're celebrating the publication of Rachel Pologe's debut novel, Now That We Don't Talk, a forced-proximity, enemies-to-lovers Hanukkah rom-com. Melissa is excited to include it in her holiday reading queue this upcoming winter and we're excited to share a copy with you, thanks to Berkley!

If you're looking for the perfect Hanukkah gift this year (perhaps something you can give someone along with this novel), check out Tchotchke!

Norah Gold is a bolter. She avoids emotional situations at all costs, doesn’t do meaningful relationships, and when things get a little too real, she runs. She hasn’t let herself fall in love in nearly a decade, not since her whole world fell apart when her dad suddenly passed away. Desperate to escape a friends-with-benefits situation gone clingy, she returns home to Chicago for the holidays. Her one goal? Avoid Henry Cole, the boy who blew up her life and broke her heart back in high school. Easier said than done when she discovers that their mothers are dating and insist on celebrating the holidays together.

A decade later, Henry Cole is all custom suits and condescension. He is order to her chaos and absolutely insufferable about it. When Norah and Henry get snowed in together and learn just how serious their moms’ relationship is, they call a truce to make it through all eight nights of Hanukkah without setting each other on fire. As they begin to rediscover the foundation that made them so close growing up, Norah is desperate to keep her distance—the last thing she can handle is reopening decade-old emotional wounds. But even though they’ve tried to escape the past, Norah and Henry have unfinished business too pressing to ignore. Can Norah shake off her deep-seated impulse to bolt, or are they destined to flame out just like they did as teenagers?

“Rachel Pologe's debut is dazzling, and a perfect romance for the holidays--or any time of year.”
—USA Today bestselling author Jenna Levine

"This second-chance Hanukkah romance delivers the kind of swoony satisfaction that will keep you happily hooked for all eight nights.”
—Lindsay Hameroff, author of Rewrite the Stars

“This rom-com hits the genre’s most beloved tropes just right, and thoughtfully explores one of the truest expressions of love: owning up to our mistakes. This is pure childhood-friends-to-enemies-to-lovers joy.”
—Ellen O’Clover, author of The Heartbreak Hotel

Rachel Pologe writes swoony, character-driven contemporary romance novels about messy but relatable people you can’t help but root for. Rachel has spent her career working in television writers’ rooms, but books were her first passion. In sixth grade, a popular boy said something nice and unprompted about her creative writing assignment, and she’s been riding that high ever since. Originally from Baltimore, Rachel now lives in Los Angeles with her husband and daughter. Now That We Don’t Talk is Rachel’s debut novel. Visit Rachel at her website and on Instagram.

How to win: Use KingSumo to enter the giveaway. If you have trouble using KingSumo on our blog, enter the giveaway here. If you are still having issues, please contact us.

Giveaway ends October 25th at midnight EST.

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Book Review: The Plus-One List

By Melissa Amster

Eloise, who struggles with anxiety, strongly prefers the company of her senior rescue dogs to people. But when her best friend announces she’s getting married in Mexico City and every guest must have a date, the pressure is on. Using an exclusive “plus-one list,” Eloise winds up with Agustín, a charming journalist and immigrant who recently moved to New York City from Mexico.

Agustín is on a mission to write the article of his career, but to do that, he’ll need to snag an interview with a man who’s proven impossible to track down. His only chance is to catch the source unaware at the upcoming “wedding of the century.” At first, being Eloise’s plus-one seems like the perfect solution, a purely transactional arrangement. Eloise is not looking for romance, and Agustín sees no need to tell her about his true motives for coming to the wedding.

As they play tourists in Agustín’s hometown, sampling smoky cocktails and delicious street food and meeting his family, Eloise slowly comes out of her shell. Suddenly, her blossoming trust in Agustín starts to grow into something deeper. But if Agustín wants to keep that trust, he’ll need to come clean—before their fragile connection is broken forever.

The Plus-One List is a deeply vulnerable and intimate romance novel that will make readers long for a dazzlingly romantic summer vacation. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I loved The Plus-One List for so many reasons! It was really well-written, for starters, and I found myself absorbed in the story right away. Agustín was a swoonworthy male romantic lead. Beyond swoonworthy, even. There were cute dogs. And they each had their own unique personalities. It was a virtual vacation. And there was just so much love packed into this story that it was just brimming over.

I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for Eloise to go through so much social anxiety all the time. It made her more endearing, especially since she was really trying hard to overcome it. However, once she had Agustín's attention, it was hard not to be jealous of her. You'll see... 

I also love how Eloise brought a group of people together without even trying. It was really sweet too. 

The vivid descriptions made everything jump off the page and I could visualize people and settings, even for places I've never been before. I could practically smell the food cooking, as well.

My only concern, which is a minor one, is that I would have liked the setback to have a bit more time before being resolved. However, I was glad that it was resolved no matter when or how!

This is just a really wonderful rom-com and you'll be glad you've read it, once you pick it up and have trouble putting it down. It's perfect for a summer beach read or a cozy autumn evening, or really any time of the year!

Movie casting suggestions:

Eloise: Molly Brown

Agustín: Diego Boneta

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Over the River PR for the book in exchange for an honest review.

Also by Amy Ewing: The Irish Goodbye

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TW: Death of parents, infidelity (secondary character), losing one's home, panic attacks.

Book Review: You with the Sad Eyes

Christina Applegate came of age on sets and stages, expected to be on time, with lines learned, ready for lights-camera-action. What started as a financial necessity soon became an emotional escape from a tumultuous home life in the infamous Laurel Canyon scene of the 70s and 80s. She rocketed to stardom on the sitcom Married...with Children and went on to captivate audiences in classics like Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead, Anchorman, and Dead to Me in her five-decade long career.

Then it all stopped. A Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2021 confined her to a king-sized bed and the company of memories she’d rather forget: memories of the self-doubt and body dysmorphia that stalked her meteoric rise, of her mother’s fight against addiction and abuse after her father left, and of the tax life had taken on her body and mind that was suddenly coming due.

Now, at her most intimate and vulnerable, she unveils a story not even those closest to her fully know. She returns to the diaries she kept her whole life, finding the pain matched by joy, the losses mitigated by the extraordinary, and the weight of life lifted by her unrelenting belief that something greater lay ahead. No longer willing to lock herself away and with the perspective only our own mortality can bring, she knew it was imperative to tell it all.

You with the Sad Eyes presents a remarkable woman and her legacy. In her own words, “I truly believe that books can make people feel less alone. That’s why I’m doing this. You with the Sad Eyes won’t be some big violin scratching for my life. But it will be real. It will be filled with the ups and downs, the humor and grief of life.

So here I am.

Real me.

Lots to say.” (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Melissa Amster:

I've seen many shows and movies featuring Christina Applegate. My favorite is Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead. So I was interested in reading her memoir and finally got a chance to on Audible. It was nice to hear her narrate her own life story and felt more impactful coming directly from her voice.

This book gets intense early on. Christina talks about a lot of things that are listed in the trigger warnings at the bottom of this post. If you're going to read or listen, please go easy on yourself and take breaks. It's just a lot! Especially the "orange curtain" chapter.

Christina jumps around in time a lot, which makes things confusing. Especially when listening to it vs. being able to go back and look at dates. So if you're going to listen, you may want to read along and pause as needed. She also goes off on tangents or completely switches topics in the chapter. She started a chapter talking about The Sweetest Thing and then switched to talk about her wedding with no segue. 

I appreciated Christina's honesty and vulnerability. Some parts felt uncomfortable to listen to because of her candidness with sharing too much information. It's also strange to me to hear people cry on an audiobook. I understand her emotion, but it felt like too much sometimes. 

I really liked the chapter about Sweet Charity, as well as the ones learning what happened behind the scenes of shows and movies, especially Dead to Me. I also loved hearing her talk about her daughter, who is close in age to mine. That felt so relatable and I also heard her mom pride shining through.

It was sad to learn about how she found out she had MS and all the limitations it has since put on her. 

Overall, this was a tough one to listen to, but I feel like I got to know the real Christina, including the name she prefers to go by when she's not performing. 

When I was listening to the book, there was this video that came to mind and I couldn't remember if I really saw it or was just dreaming. Turns out, it really exists. In the video, she's performing 1960s songs with Kristin Chenoweth and Carrie Underwood. Check it out! (Start at 2:25.)

Sara Steven:

Like many people who grew up in the 1980s, I am a big fan of Christina Applegate. Watching Married...with Children when you’re a kid felt a little scandalous back then, but a lot was allowed in those days. Even now, when I visit with my parents, my dad will say, “Thank your father, kids,” and in response I’ll say, “Thanks, Dad,” just like Kelly and Bud would do on the show. In Christina’s book, she mentions how the character of Kelly was meant to be a biker chick who later morphed into a sex symbol who never really fully committed to that role, and even then, I could see exactly what she meant by that. Kelly was all about the illusion, and I found it interesting that for Christina, the majority of her childhood and younger years had been built around that same premise; an illusion. You never knew what was really going on for her and for her life behind the celebrity.

There were a lot of surprising elements to You with the Sad Eyes. I did not know how funny Christina is; not just what we’ve seen in movies like Anchorman, but the way she described her world as a whole was deeply personal, at times tragic, painful, but always with a tinge of humor. I imagine it’s a coping mechanism to get through some tough days, and through her explained chaos that has ensued since her recent MS diagnosis, it would not surprise me one bit. We only know what we’re privy to, and often it’s online articles that will tell us how Christina is doing, so it was enlightening to actually hear it from her own perspective, without the interruption of news-worthy fodder. 

I enjoyed reading about her life, and her experiences in shows like Married...with Children and movies like Bad Moms, which by the way, I loved her in. I think I would have liked to hear a little bit more–I felt like maybe to give her costars privacy, she didn’t say as much, but it would have been nice to learn more about some experiences she’d had on the sets of shows and movies that I loved seeing her in. I do feel like I learned some new things about her, like her background in dance. I had no idea that she was so passionate about it, or that she’d co-founded The Pussycat Dolls. I could tell by her descriptions and the yearning she has for dance, just how important it is to her, and in the moments where she reflects on the past and now having MS, I felt those painful emotions from her. 

What I appreciated most about this book is the blunt honesty Christina gives her readers. Even when she tells us about the various times in her life when she wished she would have been more candid and open about things, she doesn’t sugarcoat it. She doesn’t sugarcoat her upbringing, her childhood, or the toxic relationships she’s been in. Ultimately, she lets the world know that love her or hate her, she chooses to be herself, whether we like it or not, and I think it’s that type of brute inner strength that has carried her through dealing with an autoimmune disease. She says that being on Dead to Me was her best work ever, and while I do agree, I’m hopeful that we will see more from her in the near future.  

(Trigger warnings below. May contain spoilers.)

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TW: Molestation, toxic/abusive relationship, alcohol and drug use, addiction, death of friend, cancer, multiple sclerosis, parental abandonment, miscarriage. (A lot happened in this book so if we missed something, we apologize.)