Book Review: Not That Fancy by Reba McEntire

“Enjoy a behind-the-scenes look at Reba’s life and learn tips to savor life’s simple pleasures with the people you love most.”

Blurb for Not That Fancy

Review:

Though I don’t consider myself an all-out country music fan, I have fond memories of watching Reba’s performance of Fancy on a CMT awards show or special when I was a kid. I was somewhat familiar with her sitcom through a friend, and tidbits of memories like these were enough to make me want to pick up the book, especially seeing that the audiobook contained interviews from a number of Reba’s friends in the business.

In this charming book, Reba McEntire shares anecdotes from her life and career, her outlook on day to day living, friends, food, faith, and everything in between. The audiobook is narrated by Reba herself and feels very much like a conversation with a friend, even a mentor. 

What drew me to the audiobook was that it includes the voices of Dolly Parton, Lauren Daigle, Kristin Chenoweth, Carrie Underwood, and many more. I felt like I was part of a gathering of friends. 

I didn’t know much about Reba going into the book. I enjoyed getting to know more about her, especially about her faith. The way she speaks of her relationship with God is admirable. Reba seems like such a kind and genuine person, and I enjoyed every second listening to this book. 

Thanks to Harper Celebrate Audio and NetGalley for providing a free audio ARC of this book!

(I imagine the audiobook is different from the physical book given the interviews, so please keep in mind that my comments are based on the audiobook edition. I did not compare the two side by side.)

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• All of the interviews!
• I love how open Reba is about her faith.
• Felt genuine.

What I didn’t like:

• My only struggle was with how quickly the topics changed, but that may have felt more abrupt listening with my ears rather than reading with my eyes.

Afterthoughts:

One of the first voices of Reba’s friends heard on the audiobook version is none other than the late, great, Dolly Parton. It was a bittersweet moment, for sure.

It was only in putting my review together that I realized this was published in October of 2023. I didn’t realize books could stay so long on NetGalley!

Where to buy the book: