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Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating, and Dusting Off Your Boots

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INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The best things in life are really not that fancy. This photo-driven book featuring all-things-Reba invites you to get back to the basics of fun, food, friends, and family. In her first book in over two decades, actress and country music legend Reba McEntire takes you behind the scenes and shares the stories, recipes, and Oklahoma-style truths that guide her life.
FROM "To me, there's nothing better than sitting on the back porch looking out at the land that goes on for miles. A beautiful sunset and then me, just sipping on a glass of iced tea (or whiskey and Sprite) with my friends and family. I don't know what heaven's going to look like, but I hope it feels like Oklahoma. Throw in some beans and cornbread, and I'm all set. "Okies know that the secret to a good life is to keep things simple and be thankful for what the good Lord's given you. That's what I want to get back to. Simple fun, hard work, good food, and laughing with those you love. Everything I'm doing in my life from here on out—personal or professional, doesn't matter—I'm going to have fun. "That’s what I'm sharing in this book—some simple, not-that-fancy truths I live by and a bunch of good stories, photos, and recipes that go along with them. So if you're looking to slow down, get back to basics, and have a heckuva lot of fun, I think we're going to have a good time together in these pages. Come on in, kick off your boots (or leave them on, I don’t care), and learn how to bring a little bit of my downhome-inspired life into your own." FROM THE Not That Fancy Not That Fancy is the perfect deluxe gift for Christmas, birthdays, Mother's Day, Father's Day, and special occasions. This keepsake book is ideal for Reba fans, country music lovers, or anyone who enjoys an easygoing Western lifestyle.

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2023

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About the author

Reba McEntire

43 books183 followers
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band, on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos.

She has sometimes been referred to as "The Queen of Country". She is one of the best-selling artists of all time, having sold more 80 million records worldwide.

In the early 1990s, McEntire branched into film starting with 1990's Tremors. She has since starred in the Broadway revival of Annie Get Your Gun and in her television sitcom, Reba (2001–2007), for which she was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series–Musical or Comedy.

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5 stars
1,523 (40%)
4 stars
1,313 (35%)
3 stars
701 (18%)
2 stars
121 (3%)
1 star
57 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews
Profile Image for Christy.
4,102 reviews34.6k followers
December 8, 2023
3.5 stars

I love Reba and I’m so happy to hear that she’s just as great as I always imagined. I loved getting so much about her life from her, and though I liked the short snippets from her friends and family earlier in the book, I wish the last third had Reba in it and not just her family and friends. Her narration and chapters were the best parts of the book for me!
Audio book source: Libby
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Reba with full cast
Narration Rating: 4.5 stars
Genre: Nonfiction
Length: 6h 18m



Profile Image for ♥Milica♥.
1,261 reviews470 followers
December 12, 2023
I had such a grand ol' time with this book. It's narrated by Reba & her friends and siblings, the lines are delivered with humour and emotion and I honestly couldn't have asked for a more perfect listen.

For that reason, I'd 100% recommend the audiobook, and also because it includes full length interviews with everyone I mentioned above at the end, which the ebook (and I'm assuming physical too) don't have.

I found myself crying a lot as I listened, Reba is a true storyteller and it shines through. I admire how much glory she gives to God every day, how down to earth she is and the advice she gives her fans/readers.

One thing that really got me is that she and Rex lost their dog in November of 2022, he was just seven years old. The same thing happened to me in October of that year, my dog was almost eight so it really hit me hard, it's something I'll never get over.

On a lighter note, I never knew I needed Rex's impressions of scary movies in my life until now. Reba's truly found a great one.

The recipes are something I'm dying to try out, especially the Chilled Curried Peach Soup, but I have to wait for peaches to come back in season AGH!!! I'll be waiting patiently though, and trying out some others meanwhile.
Profile Image for Barbara Powell.
900 reviews60 followers
October 4, 2023
Jam packed with stories, recipes, pictures, and all around loveliness, this is a perfect coffee table book and would make a great gift for any fan.
It’s a peek into her life from the days she started back in Oklahoma through the pandemic and up til now when she’s back on tour again. Stories about how songs came to be and how she got to make certain choices along the way. I liked learning more about her faith and her family and the pictures were gorgeous! The recipes didn’t seem overly complex and ones I would definitely try.
It was an easy read and a book I’ll have to buy a physical copy of.
Thanks to Harper Celebrate and NetGalley foe this eArc in exchange for my review.
Profile Image for Brooke.
824 reviews460 followers
January 21, 2024
4.0⭐️

I’ve always been a big country music fan, but I’ve also always loved following Reba in other aspects of her career as well. I really liked how this book was set up with many other artists sharing their experiences and thoughts on a clearly beautiful and down to earth person. I always say country music is just so different than any genre out there. They all just seem like such a big family, who look out for each other and have their best interest at heart.
If you love Reba or just want a book about remembering what is most important in life then I recommend this book. Reba will go down as such an icon. Not only for her career but for who she is as a person.


Lines I Want to Remember:

“To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone.”

“Be different. They'll notice you.”

“How fragile life is - and how necessary it is to concentrate on the essentials. No matter what happens to you, if you can draw strength from God and the people you love, nothing can ever defeat you.”
Profile Image for Amy | Foxy Blogs.
1,594 reviews1,030 followers
January 16, 2024
What a fun book to listen to. It's told by Reba, her friends, and siblings. It feels like you're there in the kitchen sitting around a table enjoying a beverage and snack while you reminisce about all things Reba.

Audiobook source: Libby
Narrator: Reba McEntire
Length: 6H 18M
Profile Image for Tabitha -.
413 reviews87 followers
October 1, 2023
As Reba as my queen, did you expect anything else? Stories. Recipes. General wonderfulness? Yeah. I need this as a physical copy ASAP.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for making my dream come true of reading this 🤣
Profile Image for Isaiah.
Author 1 book83 followers
October 2, 2023
I got an ARC of this book.

I like Reba. I listen to her music. I have watched her shows. I have Tremors on DVD (and yes, she does recommend Tremors as one of the best horror movies and there are a few other references in the book). Not a super fan, but considering I remember her name and face that says a lot for me. This book will do better for a super fan.

Reba is VERY Oklahoma. Like mentions Sonic. Has a recipe that tells you to drive to Sonic for their tater tots. TWO pages of photos of her posing with Sonic tater tots. This is something I understand on a deep level. I married an Oklahoma person. I laughed so hard I snorted. I have zero doubts that Reba is Oklahoma now.

I did save one of the recipes to use for a work party. We do a soup potluck. I am ready for the peach curry soup. I have not tested any of the recipes, but some looked really good. There were a lot more drink recipes than I expected. I appreciated that there were recipes from her restaurant as well as family recipes. Made it feel not only fancy, but homey. Fancy, but homey is exactly how I view Reba, so it really just cemented that I think she is goofy (the number of times I have seen her laughing at her own jokes is just endearing), good hearted, and the country icon I grew up with.
Profile Image for Carlymor .
381 reviews23 followers
December 11, 2023
Reba McEntire has written a book full of warmth and wisdom. Part autobiographical stories and part advice, her sweet personality and optimistic attitude comes through. But mostly it's about her faith, which has sustained her during both good and bad times. A lovely coffee table book that can be reread , with pictures and recipes also.
Profile Image for Tara Cignarella.
Author 3 books132 followers
October 8, 2023

Format Read: Ebook from Netgalley (releases 10/10/23)
Review: I enjoyed a lot of this, but many parts were not my style (too much focus on religion, meat, fashion for my taste). I prefer to just learn and about a person in a memoir instead of feeling l like I am being told there is only one correct way to live a life.
Recommended For: Reba fans who want a cookbook too (many alcohol recipes).
Profile Image for Shannon.
5,430 reviews303 followers
December 13, 2023
A heartfelt little book full of life lessons and interviews from a wide group of Reba's family, co-workers and friends. Great on audio and perfect for die-hard Reba fans. She is an impressive lady who always manages to pivot through periods of grief, lockdown and career transitions into television.
Profile Image for Ashleigh Daniel.
36 reviews2 followers
January 15, 2024
I loved hearing Reba’s story! I felt like she was talking right to me! She came across so genuine & kind!
Profile Image for Laura Robinson (naptimereaders).
270 reviews134 followers
December 6, 2023
I love Reba! She is so much fun and this little memoir was just that! She made me laugh & I def cried too. She reads the book- so there were many moments she cried with me.

I’ve always admired the hurdlers she had to jump to make it big in country music as a woman- but in two years she will be celebrating 50 years singing country!

There was some things I scratched my head at when she talked about Jesus- but other than that- this was a fun listen!
Profile Image for Cathryn.
247 reviews10 followers
October 30, 2023
I enjoyed reading Reba’s stories about growing up here in OK. It was nice to see that she was open about her faith and kept pointing to God with gratitude. Someday I’ll get down to her restaurant because the pictures of her food looked delicious! 🙂
Profile Image for Cherihy808.
400 reviews
October 20, 2023
5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. First off, I love Reba. She seems like that perfect, fun, loving, “there for you” friend that everyone needs to have in their life. This book was such a fun read. I enjoyed all the photos and recipes. I don’t cook much but if I were to pick a few that I’d love to try, I’d have to say the Carrot Cake and all the yummy cocktails. But realistically, the first recipe I’d probably follow would be the one for tator tots. (If you read the book, you know the humor behind that comment 🤣).

I think my favorite part of this book was all the advice that Reba gave. She talked about: buying the perfect boots, NYC, how to pray, gift ideas, how to say goodbye to someone, ways to give back, guide to Nashville, and Christmas traditions (just to name a few).

I love how devoted to God she is. She is honest about her fears and pushing through them because she knows God is always there with her.

There’s so much anxiety that comes along with parenting. As Reba said, it’s hard being a mom and letting go of control over your kids. My favorite part of this book was this advice:

The best thing you can do is turn it over to God and say “ you gave him to me and now I’m giving him back to you”. Doing that has sure saved me a lot of anxiety. Because God loves him more than I do -and I love him an awful lot-so I know that he’s in good hands. It’s that trust in God that helps us step out in faith and take chances on the riskier things in life.

I loved this book and highly recommend it. I borrowed it from the library but suggest picking up an actual copy at your favorite bookstore because there are so many wonderful recipes that you’ll want to look back at. I know what I’m asking for for Christmas this year! 😉

Thank you Reba for being so down to Earth and sharing the “not that fancy” side of yourself with all of us.
Profile Image for Carla.
6,476 reviews145 followers
April 3, 2024
I love the title of this book. Fancy is probably the best known Reba McEntire song, but she is just a good old country girl, who loves life, her family and her friends. This is not a tell all book, nor a book about her whole life, but contains snippets from her life, her career and the important things to her. I loved the narration, by Reba, herself. It was like she was talking to me and sharing her thoughts and life. I didn't know she was a barrel racer champion, not an Oklahoma Girl who still calls it home, even though she lives in Nashville now. I would have liked more about her in the last part of the book instead of stories about her friends, but that is what she finds important. The title is fitting. She shares about loving life, loving family and friends, loving her animals and her sorrow when she lost them as well as having fun and living life to the fullest. I listened to this one and luckily was able to get the .pdf that comes with the audiobook. There were some great pictures, I loved the big hair when she started her career, and some great recipes that she talks about in the book. The narration is wonderful, not only by Reba, but snippets from family, friends and others she worked with. Her sorrow when her band was in a tragic bus accident came through and had me close to tears. If you are a Reba fan, I definitely recommend you read or listen to this one.
Profile Image for Carolyn.
313 reviews4 followers
April 8, 2024
I liked this!

I’ve been a VERY casual Reba fan for years (watched Reba on and off, and actually I only have one Reba song on my phone) but I’ve always admired her as a person and entertainer. I was excited when I saw she had a book coming out.

I really enjoyed the recipes interspersed with the stories and asides and little lists. It felt like just hanging out with Reba where your conversation just flows from one category to the next. 🥰 All the pictures were lovely, too.

I found that there was WAY too much talk about God and what he’s done for her and her family but I guess it’s a huge part of her life so I can’t really fault her or the book for that. It wasn’t ever spoken about it in a preachy way, just that he’s clearly very important to her life.

I came out of this thinking that Reba is just a GOOD person. She cares and is good and doesn’t have a mean, vindictive bone in her body. She’s just a gal from Oklahoma who loves her friends, family and country music. She’s gone through some hardships (I didn’t know about the plane crash that killed part of her crew on tour) but has come out of it all still good and sincere and caring. And I’m so glad to know that about her and have it confirmed, you know? She seems so nice and chill and accepting. I’d love to meet her and hang out for a week at her farm.

The one thing that I did find confusing was the way she spokes about her son, it sounds like he’s an only child but then near the end she said something about him being a younger child and naming siblings and “I love all my children.” 🤔 I was confusion!!! I didn’t bother to look anything up for clarification haha.

I took a few pictures of recipes, as most in the book aren’t my style but I’d love to try the ones I took pictures of some day! If you love Reba and southern cooking then this is absolutely the book for you. Even if you don’t like Southern food 😝
Profile Image for Morgan Mushinski .
316 reviews15 followers
January 26, 2024
"I don't know what heaven's going to look like, but I hope it feels like Oklahoma."

I have never been a super large fan of Reba despite loving country music, but I decided to give this book a try anyways. I found that it felt a lot like Reba tooting her own horn about how "down to Earth" she is the whole time, when I wanted more on her life story. It was very faith-based, and I listened to the audiobook, so I didn't get any of the recipes that were supposedly throughout the book. I did like that Reba narrated it and that there was an interview with her siblings at the end (it was the most fun part of the book). Overall, not the best, but I did learn some interesting things about Reba's life (like the fact that she had been on Broadway...who knew).
Profile Image for Suzi.
1,065 reviews14 followers
October 17, 2023
My husband wanted me to buy this book after I checked it out of the library. He saw lots of recipes he wanted me to try. I loved her heart felt story and the photos. I'd rather someone else cook and bake and clean up. It is a great gift book and a fun book to read. Her list of go-to movies and shows was much needed. She is aging better than I and I need a boost. Or a lot more money Great book to inspire .
Profile Image for Margaret.
1,073 reviews6 followers
April 14, 2024
I enjoyed hearing about Reba's upbringing and about Oklahoma, in particular the ranching aspect of Oklahoma. Truth be told I didn't know much about Reba beyond the tragic loss of her band. I had no idea that she is a Christian and how integral her faith is in her approach to life. One of the best parts of the audiobook was when she and her siblings reminisced about their growing up together. Sadly my enjoyment soured when the last section of the book was entirely devoted to reflections from her fellow musicians. Their endearments were sweet but I wanted to hear more from Reba herself! Started out a 4 star book but ended up to be 3 stars.
Profile Image for Melanie.
2,102 reviews587 followers
November 18, 2023
Not That Fancy was such a fun read. I listened to the audiobook (which I highly recommend) and loved that. It is read by the author, as well as her friends/siblings when they are being interviewed. The audiobook includes extra full-length interviews at the end, which were fun to listen to.

This book was interesting to read and I liked learning more about Reba's life. A good read. :)

Profile Image for Kaitlyn Myers.
36 reviews3 followers
November 20, 2023
How great is Reba!? This book really solidifies what a role model and power house she is. Highly recommend the audio as Reba reads it herself and other celebrates share their thoughts on Reba! It’s an easy listen with some great life advice and insights.
Profile Image for Dallas Strawn.
753 reviews96 followers
October 27, 2023
I really loved this book; it was precious, a lot of lovely tender heartwarming stories about her career, the highs and lows, personal struggles and her relationship with God all surrounded by fun photos of her life and delicious looking recipes. This was much more than simply a cookbook.
Profile Image for Tara.
257 reviews
December 27, 2023
Highly recommend the audio version which features Reba, artists she has performed with, and her family sharing their Reba stories.
Profile Image for Pam Nelson.
3,478 reviews106 followers
October 15, 2023
4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐🎧

I enjoyed her story and some insight into her life. I loved hearing from her friends and family.
It did come across as a little preachy, but I get it she has deep roots in her faith.

I'm happy she has found love and friendship in her life again. Rex seems like he is doing right by her.
Profile Image for Allison.
10 reviews1 follower
October 3, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC.
90s country was at the forefront of my childhood years, and of course I had Reba songs memorized. I was thrilled to see Reba’s stories being published. I listened to the audiobook and would totally make the same choice again (even though I’m sure the print and photos are gorgeous). There’s nothing like hearing Reba’s voice telling the stories from her lifetime. She shares recipes, ideas for family or friend gatherings, restaurant recommendations, and more. She’s a powerful storyteller particularly in the chapter about grief; hearing the rawness in her voice made it all the more real. Her genuineness shines through every page. Any country or Reba fan will gobble this up!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews

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