Loved it. Valerie goes deeper with each book she writes, and we benefit from knowing her voice and her boundless positive energy. We know she has deeply human moments, and you can feel her deep love for Ed all the way through this book. This is an author who knows how to love, and it is a joy and warm comfort getting to spend time with her here through this book. I loved reading about her Food Network origin story and how she worked hard (as she appeared to glide to ease) to bring herself to a place in that organization where her opinions are valued and her show feeling like home. Most TV chefs we watch, Valerie we feel. Her book is stellar, and she's a generous author to give us this much of her inner life. Loved it. Go get it.

I have been interested in Bertinelli since watching her on One Day at a Time as a kid; she was my favorite character. What I paid attention to in this book were her stories about her family, son, and Eddie. She shares the last few days Of his life, which I hadn’t read about anywhere else. I think part of this book is her tribute and homage to the man she calls her soulmate. She shares insight about self acceptance and weight resolution and recipes, but i skimmed over those sections. I was more interested in the personal stories of Wolfie, her parents, and Eddie.

I have read every book Valerie has written, including the cookbooks. Of course, I have, we grew up together. I love her candor and truthfullness about what she has gone through and continues to go through in the public eye. You could feel her tears in some of the chapters as she describes back lash from women. She is now getting a divorce and you wonder if the story in her book is what brought her to this decision.

I should have read the description of this book much more closely, so take this all with a grain of pink Himalayan salt. I remember Valerie through One Day at a Time, various Lifetime-type movies, and her marriage to Eddie Van Halen. I had no idea she was also a foodie who had a lot of weight issues and has made a reputation of talking about it. So those who know and like Valerie for those two things should find this book quite appealing. Unfortunately, I'm not interested in hearing about women's "relationship with food,"or their weight struggles. Like I said, I should have read the description better, because I was certainly warned. I will say there were some really nice parts - her evolving relationship with her ex-husband was interesting (I would have preferred to hear more). Her travels to Italy were fun. But all in all, hearing a woman go on and on about her insecurities - especially when the woman has had the massive success that this author has had - wears on my nerves. I also thought her "relationship with food" was schizo. On the one hand, she is constantly lamenting that she buries her feelings with food - but then suddenly we get another high-calorie, artery-busting recipe.

I'm sure others will love this book though. Thank you to #netgalley, the publisher, and Valerie for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Enough Already
by Valerie Bertinelli

Expected Publication Date: 18 Jan 2022

Synopsis:
"Valerie Bertinelli shares an inspiring blueprint that offers women in midlife support and hope. She shares personal stories that many women will relate to from her past decade: hitting her fifties, taking care of her dying mother, the evolving relationship with her husband, a career change, her relationship with food, and the battle to believe in herself as she is.

Despite her success receiving Emmys for her Food Network show and critical praise for her books and cookbook, Bertinelli still judged herself harshly if she gained a pound or showed too many wrinkles. But after her mother died, she found an old recipe box with notes of the strong women that came before her, reminding her that she has to find out who she is and take care of herself. Saying, “enough already!” Bertinelli set out on a journey to love herself and see that perfection is not the goal; it’s the joy we can find every day in our lives, our loved ones, and the food we share. Recipes and advice will be sprinkled throughout the book."

Review:
Growing up in the spotlight has not gone to Valerie's head. She is an inspiring woman - she has dealt with parent issues, weight issues, marriage & motherhood issues, and career issues - issues many of us women, aged 50+ have also experienced. Being able to scream "Enough, Already" should be the "older" woman's battle cry! Thank you Valerie for a beautiful book and the recipes throughout look yummy!

I was gifted this advance copy by NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

I started this book only knowing the obvious facts about Valerie Bertinelli. She was an actress, had been married to Eddie Van Halen, was a spokeswoman for a weight loss program and now is on the Food Network. However, as Valerie opens her heart and mind to the reader, you soon learn that despite her “Hollywood” life she is “every woman”. She struggles with being the best version of herself and what that means. She shares insight on the evolution of a woman as she reaches and moves through middle age. A mother, a friend, a wife, Valerie shares her perspective on her life and how her journey has finally lead to a happy space. All of this insight and storytelling is intertwined with a glorious connection to food. Recipes shared throughout seem like little gifts from Valerie to her readers. This book was a genuinely enjoyable read that prompted self reflection and a feeling of contentment that happiness is attainable if you know where to look for it.

Enough Already by Valerie Bertinelli is an inspiring read about how she has learned to accept herself as she is, with all the flaws and foibles of a 60 year old woman. It was so refreshing to read Valerie's words! She has been through so much over the years...her yo-yoing weight, losing weight with Jenny Craig and appearing in a bikini on her 50th birthday, her marriage to rock and roll bad boy Eddie van Halen and her divorce and remarriage, her son Wolfie who she adores...she has had a challenging life with most of it in the spotlight. It was heartbreaking reading of how she handled Eddie's death, for they truly seemed to be soulmates.

All in all, Enough Already is such a positive, uplifting book. I thank the author, Mariner Books and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Now I need to go read her other books!

Maybe I just didn’t get this book because I don’t follow Valerie Bertinelli or because I didn’t read her previous memoir. I found this book repetitive. It seemed her whole story could have herb told in a chapter or two.

Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I am Today
by Valerie Bertinelli
Pub Date: January 18,2022
Beloved actress and New York Times best-selling author Valerie Bertinelli returns with a heartfelt look at turning sixty, the futility of finding happiness in numbers on a scale, learning to love herself the way she is today, and tips for a healthier outlook on life.
I am a long-time fan of Valerie and this book felt like we were sharing life stories over a cup of coffee. Very well written and it actually gave some very good insights on the things that bring some of us down (like the scales).
I will be recommending this book and purchasing it for our library.
Great read!
5stars

After reading this book I do sort of feel sorry for Bertinelli, but I had to force myself to finish the book. This woman is just so obsessed with food and her body. She goes on and on about her history with food and her weight. She talks about how much of her life she spent dieting and then she goes into a segue with some food she had to cook and gives you the recipe (there are 8 recipes in the book). It's written as a sort of essay/blog entry throughout the pandemic, with a chapter on this on this date and then a chapter on this on this date. But the vast majority are just about her weight and food. Her life seems pretty consumed with food, her weight, her son, making tv shows and more food (and TV shows about making food and judging food). There's only so much I want to read about her excess weight, her diet history, her problems with body image, and the latest thing she cooked. She clearly dotes on her son and it's sweet to read about that, but it seems like she uses food to try to connect with him too, which just struck me as kind of sad.

Towards the end of the book she talks about the death of her ex-husband, Eddie Van Halen. I found him really likeable and felt for the whole family in losing him. They clearly were soulmates, even though they've been divorced for years and they both were married to other people at the time of his death. It was very weird that she didn't write AT ALL about her current husband other than a few vague things about their marriage dissolving. Surely he existed in her life though??? The same can be said for poor EVH's widow, who was there too as he died.

Bertinelli's wealth and privilege were a little too much for me, too, like hearing about the plans to completely rebuild her oceanfront dream house (not her main house, which she also rebuilt, this is a huge property she also maintains on a cliff above the ocean). She's earned it and good for her, but I don't necessarily want to read about how happy she is that she's finally moving forward on tearing down her old beach dream house to build a new even fancier one. It seems a little tone deaf in light of many people's situations right now regarding the pandemic and how much so many people are struggling.

Bertinelli talks a lot about the People magazine cover that showed her in a bikini at 48 and her huge deal with Jenny Craig (I think?) to represent them in their weight loss ads.

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She writes about how she starved herself and lost so much that she renegotiated her salary with them to make even more, how she was eating basically nothing at all to be able to get skinny enough for the cover shoot, and how immediately after the People cover she started gaining it all back. This felt particularly off-putting given how many, many people felt awful about their own bodies because of her decades of getting rich off these types of covers, photo shoots and ad campaigns. She mentions a couple of times that she feels guilty for it now, but it feels a little hollow considering all those years of giving this fake impression helped maintain those dream houses at the expense of people who thought these things would really work for them.

Mostly though, she just seems kind of nice but empty. She talks about never really having a relationship with her parents before they died, and her mother's life of pain and unhappiness. She talks about not feeling comfortable doing basic things like putting her arm around Eddie when he seemed sad and she has almost no mention of anything she does for pleasure other than cooking for people, doting on her son, starring in her tv shows and watching cat tiktok videos.

She still seems so insecure and self obsessed, even though the book is about coming to terms with herself at last. She just cannot stop talking about her weight, again and again and again. She wrote the book last year and has promoted it on TV as her finding peace about her body and finally being happy with herself, but just last week she posted this tearful breakdown on Instagram because someone left a comment that she should lose weight. This is a woman who has literally hundreds if not thousands of people telling her how pretty and wonderful she is on a weekly basis, who has multiple dream houses, multiple TV shows, and all kinds of benefits that others don't have, and she's going to angrily and tearfully break down because one person says she needs to lose weight on Instagram????? It's relatable but once again shows that you can't necessarily rely on Valerie Bertinelli for advice, whether it's for how to lose weight or for how to learn to be happy in your body.

She's a lovely woman and I'm sure she's very nice, but I didn't really get anything out of the book. Two stars for "it was okay."

I read a temporary digital ARC of this book via NetGalley.

How can you not love and root for Valerie Bertinelli? She is just so honest and relatable that all of her books are like a warm hug. This one in particular touched me as she battled with the death of her ex husband, struggles in her current relationship, and acceptance of herself. We all feel the same things famous or not, and Valerie is brave enough to put it into words. Another amazing memoir!

I flew through this book because it was written in a way that feels like you’re catching up with an old friend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Mariner Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and to Net Galley. My review opinions are my own.

This is a honest, raw heartfelt story of her lifelong battle with weight, her grief of losing her ex husband to cancer and her journey through her love of cooking . It was a enjoyable read and is full of honest lessons for those of us women of a certain age that are abused in this country due to weight or age . She speaks of the mysogany she faced as a actress and the discrimination over being "curvy". She speaks for all of us on this issue and opens her heart for a inside look at her growth as a person in her 60's that has reached her happiness and put the struggles of her younger years behind her. I highly recommend this book . A very well done biography.

3.5 stars

Valerie Bertinelli has been in the limelight since her teens, when she starred in the popular sitcom 'One Day at a Time.' Valerie became even more famous when she wed Eddie Van Halen, co-founder of the American rock band Van Halen. Valerie went on to star in the sitcom 'Hot in Cleveland', and is now seen on the Food Channel, where she hosts the cooking show 'Valerie's Home Cooking' and is a judge on 'Kids Baking Championship.'

Valerie's success - and prominent place in the public eye - came with a price, however, and she was always self-conscious about her weight. Valerie constantly felt the need to lose 10 pounds (or occasionally more), and was continually unhappy about her appearance. Valerie would compare her self-described hourglass figure to actresses she worked with, like Mackenzie Phillips on One Day at a Time, and Wendie Malick and Jane Leeves on Hot in Cleveland, and (in her own eyes) she came up short.

Now in her 60s, Valerie is tired of the self-doubt and she says 'enough already.' Valerie doesn't just talk about coming to terms with her weight though. She reminisces about her life, family, marriages, home, son, career, and more. Valerie also shares insights about achieving happiness and contentment in life.

Sadly, Valerie touches on grief as well. Over the years Valerie lost her father and mother, and in 2020 she lost her best friend Eddie Van Halen. Though Valerie and Van Halen (who she calls Ed) divorced in 2005 - after twenty-five years of marriage - they remained very close, and Valerie deeply mourns Ed's passing.

Valerie met Ed when she was nineteen, and the attraction was instantaneous and mutual. The couple was portrayed as "a bad-boy rock star and America's sweetheart", but privately Ed was shy and Valerie was boisterous. Valerie believes she and Van Halen were soulmates and would have stayed together but for Ed's drinking and using drugs, which she calls "crazy, cliché eighties-style behavior.

Valerie and Ed had a son Wolfgang Van Halen (Wolfie) whom they both adored, and this kept the couple connected even after their divorce and remarriages to other people.

Valerie writes about some of her fun experiences with Ed, how much she enjoyed cooking for him, and their ongoing (platonic) love. Valerie also touches on Ed's decades-long battle with cancer and his death in the hospital, surrounded by loved ones. Even now, Valerie still feels connected to Ed.....if only in her dreams.

Valerie is buoyed by her son Wolfie, who followed his father into the music business.

Valerie and Wolfie are close, and Valerie enjoys lavishing her delicious culinary creations on Wolfie and his girlfriend Andraia. Valerie first learned to cook from her Nonnie, aunt, and other women in her family, and often thinks about their cappelletti in brodo, gnocchi, and homemade bread.

After Valerie married Ed, she learned southeast Asian recipes from Ed's Indonesian mother, who taught Valerie how to prepare Bami Goreng and Ketjap Sambal. Now of course, Valerie creates her own recipes for her television show.

From the outside looking in Valerie seemed to have had a very successful life. When Valerie hit 60 though, she felt she wasn't really happy. Writing about that time, she says, "I feel like I have neglected myself while spending my entire life doing what I think will please everybody else. Publicly, I have pretended to be the bubbly, upbeat, all-American girl everybody wants to believe I am, but in private I have rarely thought of myself as anything but a failure." And Valerie decided to do something about it.

With the help of a mind coach, Valerie was able to learn how to deal with emotional pain without using food as a crutch. And she learned to see happiness not as an end goal, but as something to strive for every day. Valerie had her epiphany during the Covie-19 pandemic, so much of her healing had to be done alone.

Valerie describes things she does to improve her mood as follows: [When] I get anxious I go for a walk. I have tea. I page through magazines. I read. After a while, I pour myself a glass of wine, sit outside, and try to meditate. By then, I am definitely calmer, but still engaged in a debate with my more insecure, critical self, that asks, 'Why didn't I go on a diet and lose five pounds? Or ten?' Valerie then endeavors to silence those voices, assuring herself that her family and fans love her no matter what. And she tries to find joy, happiness and gratitude over and over again, every day.

Some of Valerie's tips are: tidy your mind; exercise; eat lots of fruits and vegetables; be kind; try new things; laugh loudly and often; be grateful; love; and more.

Valerie include lots of personal anecdotes in the book, such as a description of a wonderful trip to Italy with her second husband Tom Vitale; attending Van Halen concerts to watch Ed (then Ed and Wolfie) play; spending time with her mother; writing her cookbook; watching football on TV; taping her cooking show; being a Jenny Craig spokesperson; enjoying her pets; rebuilding her beach house; watching cat videos on TikTok; listening to Wolfie's new songs; grieving Ed's death; splitting from Tom; and much more.

Valerie's narrative is a bit meandering and repetitive, but it shows her to be a lovely, modest, caring woman who wants to help others by sharing her experiences. I think many people would find inspiration in this book.

Valerie loves to cook and includes a smattering of recipes in the book. Some of the dishes are Hot Spinach and Crab Dip; Lasagna; Sicilian Chocolate Love Cake; Tuna Egg Salad Melts; and Upside-Down Citrus Cake

Thanks to Netgalley, Valerie Bertinelli, and Mariner Books for a copy of the book.

Growing up I always wanted to look like Valerie Bertinelli. She was thin, pretty, and had straight hair. I was short, chubby, and I had curly wavy hair… the complete opposite of her. I believed that she was the perfect teenager and I wanted to be just like her. Reading. “Enough Already” I came to realize that she was just like everyone else wanting and wishing to be different.

I was sad as I read the book that most of her life has been dictated by the scale. She measured all of her accomplishments based on what her scale read. I am so happy for her that she said “Enough Already”. She has realized that she is so much more than a number on the scale.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this title I loved it.

I have always like Valerie Bertinelli and when I came across this autobiography I had to read it. I remember watching all the episodes of "One Day at a Time," and always rooting for her and wondering what was happening with her now, so this book let me find out.
The book includes her struggle with body image, which 99% of American women seem to have, and how she is trying to come to terms with it. The book also talks about how she loves her family and all the struggles she went through during Covid and Eddie Van Halen's illness, and it's this part that ends up coming through the most and it reminds me of a love story that is still ongoing. The book is also written as though we are her friends and she is including us in her everyday life that seems to be very busy and comfortable and she has time to talk.

I want to thank Mariner Books (formerly HMH Books), Mariner Books and NetGalley for an advance copy of Enough Already

Thank you netgalley for the arc! I was very excited to dive into this book as soon as I got it!! Enough Apready - the mantra for this book and for living life. Valerie put it all out there in this autobiographt. It is a very quick read and there were some interesting stories throughout! Some of it was a little repetitive, however repeating positive thoughts and ideas is always a good thing. I will definitely recommend!

Valerie tells us she has dieted her whole life, always trying to lose 10 pounds or more. She was even a spokesperson for Jenny Craig diets, where she was required to model a bikini at age 48. But now she says, “Enough already!” She notes that “the health-diet-beauty industry markets to our insecurities” and “the fashion industry’s inconsistencies in sizing makes us feel terrible.” She has become more accepting of who she is regardless of the numbers on the scale, and embraces this new outlook. She is reaching out to women (and maybe men) who cannot perceive their positive attributes unless the scale shows a sufficiently low number. She also touches on grief, and the challenges that she and her son faced when her ex, Eddie Van Halen, was dying. I enjoyed this book’s friendly, accessible writing style, and would recommend it to anyone looking for a heartfelt memoir with a positive message: "Enough already with anything that doesn't come from love." Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this advance copy.

Growing up. my parents were fans of Valerie Bertinelli. While I never watched much that she was in, the thing I definitely knew her from was the Jenny Craig commercials, which discusses in the book. I'll say this, even if you don't know who she is, have never seen her in a tv show or movie, or whether you're her biggest fan, every woman needs to read this book.

For one thing, I never felt like I was reading a celebrity memoir. It felt more like reading something from a friend. Her stories are incredibly relatable. The amount of times I've told myself I'm going to lose weight instead of loving who I am in the current moment is staggering and reading her perspective on it all made me step back and go "She's right! Enough already!"

I laughed, I cried, I rejoiced, and I related to this beautiful read. In fact, it has made me want to go back and watch anything she's ever been in because I feel like I will love it all.

Thank you Valerie for sharing your own struggles and writing a book that all women need to read.

Big thanks to Mariner Books and Netgalley for providing me with the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was very excited to receive an ARC of this book through NetGalley. My friends and I loved watching One Day at a Time and we all wanted TO BE Valerie Bertinelli. She had the best hair and the greatest clothes and was funny and well I guess we had a little girl crush on her, before that was even a thing. Somehow Valerie and I got older, really, really fast. Now with grown kids and a few heartbreaks I can totally relate to where she is in her life. Watching her go through the weight loss ordeal and taking the dive in her bikini was good for all of her “old” fans. I was so happy to read the book to find that she has made peace with her weight, her body, herself. I never thought I would be quoting Valerie to my friends but I found that her thoughts on how to accept yourself and forgive yourself were actually enlightening. Not because they were brand new ideas but because she made the story so relatable. I got a little disengaged at the end with the “ghost” stories but hey not every story can be something you can relate to. While reading this book will not change your life, it does make you stop and think about how you can embrace some of the lessons and ideas that she struggled through.