This was a quick and easy read in a genre I enjoy. I appreciated the way the author's humor came through in her storytelling in a way that made her relatable. The author's vulnerability was refreshing and her transparency allowed the reader to be empathetic to her journey. I do wish there was more included about her present day, as it felt it ended somewhat abruptly, but I also realize the book was intended to be reflective.

Tiffany was a very brave person because what she went through. She had a addiction to opium's c Because i'm her drinking. She had to start her life over again after she got out of jail and was sent to a halfway house. This was hard.
For her, but she managed to get through it all but getting a job and trying to pay bills was very hard for her.. She met this man name. Chad.
Who is also recovering addict. He had a daughter as well. The Women who run the halfway house. Told her not to get involved.Because she needed time for herself and get herself straight now. She kept seeing this man and became pregnant. She then married him and they were trying to have a really good life. Chad messed up when he went to las vegas. For a bachelor party. This led to a divorce because she did not want this man in her life or her children around him. It was hard at first but she managed to pull it off. Chad found another woman and this was hard for her because the children had to see their father This woman was very strong and she not gives this man. Another chance because she knew recovery was a struggle all the time. She wanted to be sober for her children. This is a stronghold woman and i'm really proud of her

A Clean Mess was an excellent read. I appreciated Jenkins' honesty about her marriage and her substance abuse. her story was inspiring and not all shiny.

This is the 2nd book of Tiffany Jenkins and I’m totally digging her writing style. It sounds like someone I could be friends with that voices the vulnerable thoughts of mental health and being a mother that we all have at some time or another.
I actually have never seen Juggling the Jenkins, but a past client of mine mentioned Tiffany’s first book—High Achiever—that focused on her story of becoming an addict. This one focuses on the maintenance stage of change (in my opinion, the hardest) of sobriety. Tiffany shows an honest account on how even if someone has been in recovery for years, the urge and thoughts to use when life stressors arise continues to be present.

I've been a fan of Tiffany Jenkins since before I read her first books I stumbled about her Facebook account, became engrossed in her story and have been a fan ever since. This was a good sequel and stand alone story for those who perhaps aren't aware of her prior work, the book definitely answered some of the fan questions I've had since her first book AND since I noticed changes in her instagram content a couple of years ago. A Clean Mess is an almost dual timeline story, both the story of her years as a recovering addict and where she stands now. It was very interesting to find out more about her journey, not just as an aside but as Tiffany, the person truly discovering herself with fully open eyes.. I will say I still feel like she didn't delve much into her life prior to addiction. I wasn't expecting a deep dive into her family dynamics or myriad of stories of her family, but some more context would have been great, but instead she barely touched on her mom (same as in book 1j, and on her father mostly during her recovery time only.

I definitely think that her first book was better, but this one still has a lot going for it. In fact, I read it in a day because I was so drawn into her story. Tiffany's humor is very present throughout the book and the story she is telling is an important one. The path to sobriety is not linear. It's messy. I found it very inspiring how committed Tiffany was to remain sober despite the circumstances around her. She's very open and honest about how she was feeling throughout her experience, and I am very grateful for that. I think this book is a testament that anyone can change their life if they want to. We all have unique life experiences but if you are not happy where you're at, change it! I follow Tiffany on social media so I'm extremely happy to see how well life is going for her now.

When I first read High Achiever I didn’t think I could really relate to an addict especially one who was in jail but Tiffany really made her story resonate even someone who hasn’t had to deal with a drug addiction.

Her second book “A Clean Mess” does that and more. Now we are seeing Tiffany not as someone in active addiction but rather active recovery and all the parts that go into staying in recovery. Even though I have no had to deal with a drug addiction I have had to navigate some of the mental health battles she faces and the constant decision it takes every day to continue to fight.

I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with addiction or even just struggling with your own personal demons.

A Clean Mess: A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb by Tiffany Jenkins continues her the of recovery from opioid and heroin addiction told in High Achiever. In this installment, she describes life after rehab, as a mother and as a writer.

With the same self deprecating humor as High Achiever, Jenkins recounts her experiences living clean, struggling with mental illness and the challenges of raising a family keeping the reader engaged throughout. It is refreshing to have a voices who has found and continues to work in maintaining her own agency. I hope that others struggling with addiction and mental illness find this memoir and are lucky enough to have the support structure critical to Jenkin's success.

Those who enjoyed The Many Lives of Mama Love by Lara Love Hardin, and I'll Look So Hot in a Coffin by Carla Sosenko will enjoy this book.

Thank you Rodale Inc. | Harmony and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 5 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 03 2025

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3.75 /5 - thank you NetGalley & publisher! My favorite books are ones about addiction and recovery. I recently read Tiffany’s other book, High Achiever, and loved it. I was so excited to see that this book picked up where she left off.

I typically do not review or rate memoirs as it is not my place to judge someone being vulnerable and sharing their story with the world. However, Tiffany did not hold anything back in High Achiever where I feel she did in Clean Mess. Give us all the juicy deets, Tiff!

**Entertaining but Lacking Depth**

*A Clean Mess* is an easy, engaging read, and Tiffany Jenkins’ storytelling style keeps the pages turning. Her sense of humor and candid voice make even the heavier moments feel accessible. The book follows her journey through early recovery, meeting her husband, getting pregnant, marriage, mental health struggles, his relapse and infidelity, and ultimately their divorce.

While the story has all the ingredients for a powerful memoir, it falls short on depth. There’s little reflection on how these experiences shaped her or what she learned from them. Major life events come and go without much introspection, leaving the reader wanting more emotional insight and personal growth.

Overall, it’s entertaining and readable—but if you’re looking for a memoir with substance or takeaway wisdom, this one may feel a bit surface-level.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was interested in the theme of this memoir (addict builds new life for self), but the writing style really threw me off. It reads like a YA novel. I knew nothing about Tiffany Jenkins, and it helped when I looked her up online and watched some of her material. When I gained an understanding of her type of humor, I was able to hear her voice better in her writing and not feel so annoyed by how juvenile it seemed.

I do think her life and developments since her book High Achiever are inspirational, but I didn't like the fictional feel to the book.

Having read Tiffany's first book a couple of days ago, I knew what to expect with this one, but I still ended up being surprised at every turn.

In High Achiever, Tiffany covers her years as an addict, her time in jail and the rehab facility she went to, and in A Clean Mess we get a follow up, what happened after she left rehab, met her husband and got pregnant in record time.

Much like the first memoir, this one has chapters that end with mini cliffhangers so you can't help but say "one more chapter", because you want to know what's going to happen next.

There's a dual timeline, the present day (which is what hooks you initially) and the past. I was insanely curious about what happened in the present, and I'm STILL curious because we didn't get a proper resolution.

We did get something, like a hint, but it wasn't totally clear, and I don't want to assume the worst, you know? But at the same time I get that maybe Jenkins wasn't able to say all of it publicly for one reason or another.

I agree with another review that said maybe that scene should've been left out of the book, if she couldn't sum it up in one sentence.

Anyway, I liked this better than book one, it felt more honest. Tiffany described her struggles with staying sober while being a wife and mother, how she had to learn to deal with anxiety after dulling her senses for so many years, and postpartum depression which doesn't discriminate.

There's an obvious growth in between the two books, I'm sure some of that is due to everything she experienced here.

At the start of the book (in the past timeline) you can see she's still a bit insecure, unsure if she can stay on the right track with everything moving so fast, but she does!! She did that!! Even with so many things going wrong, she managed to stay sober.

The thing that surprised me the most was the ending, I really wasn't expecting that to happen, but it makes sense.

You can read this memoir without the other, but I'd recommend reading them in order so you'd have the full context. I wouldn't mind reading a third memoir somewhere down the line, if Jenkins decides to write one.

*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

I have relatives who have gone through drug/alcohol abuse. I know from experience, by looking at their situations, that it's never a good place to be. Only the people going through all those issues understand what it is like, and also what it is like to go into recovery.

This is one reason I loved A Clean Mess. How the author shares her story and that of her loved ones in such an honest, raw, and vulnerable way. Understanding from the people who are experiencing those situations gives us a better picture of what they go through and how it affects them and the people around them. Although I can't relate to these problems, I loved the story and how the author wrote the book and shared her life experiences.

Thank you, Rodale Inc. /Harmony and NetGalley, for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Redemption stories are always of interest and Jenkins' is a doozy. When Jenkins's addiction (chronicled in an earlier memoir) leads her to hit rock bottom (arrest, jail and rehab), she embarks on a fraught journey of sobriety. That Jenkins manages to maintain her sobriety in the face of significant challenges (many brought on herself with her still evolving judgment making skills) is remarkable. Sharing her experience with so much raw honesty will no doubt benefit others walking the same hard path. Thank you to Rodale Inc and NetGalley for the DRC

I read Tiffany's first book "High Achiever" when it initially came out, and was so incredibly engrossed, that when I heard she wrote a second book, I knew I needed to read it. Tiffany writes with such honesty, vulnerability, and wit that it is hard to put her books down. This book was no exception.
PS- Tiffany, part of your story is what drove me to become a counselor, specializing in substance use disorders. Opening up to one stranger about your struggles is challenging enough, I am so impressed that you wrote not just one, but two compulsive memoirs.

I've followed Tiffany on social media forever now. & this was an Amazing follow up to her first book, High Achiever. Tiffany, is Real, Raw, Funny, & down to earth. Feels like your having a conversation with your best friend . She tells us her own personal story on how she overcame addiction. While dealing with everyday life situations. Such as: meeting a man. Getting married. Having children. Silently suffering from anxiety & postpartum depression. Tiffany is resilient. She fought hard, to become a better version of herself. A version of herself, that millions of people around the world would love❤️ Tiffany, you're Awesome. Thanks for sharing your story🫶🏽

I received a copy for review. All opinions are my own. This was a really enjoyable memoir and I appreciated getting a look at what the authors life was truly life as she navigated life and sobriety. I appreciated her humor and brutal honesty. This was also an easy read I finished in a day.

I have been a huge fan of Tiffany for years. I have followed her on social media since the beginning days and have laughed and felt heartbreak right along with her. I was so excited to read this book and I'm glad it didn't disappoint. Tiffany is such a real, down to earth girl and everything that she went thru has only made her stronger. This book was a super easy read and if you follow Tiffany on social media you will find that it actually sounds like her. So often when reading memoirs of people it just doesn't sound like them.... that isn't the case with this one. I have already recommended to my friends and will continue to do so. Good job Tiffany.

I read Tiffany's first book years ago and this was a wonderful "sequel" - I loved hearing all of the positive progress she's made but also her candid honestly about the difficult journey and setbacks along the way.

Dang was this a raw one...

I have followed her for a while and read the first book but I wasn't quite sure what to expect with this one. It is present (recent) day but when it had the flashbacks, I was worried there would be overlap from the first book, but there wasn't. It was just a raw, painful telling of the beginning of her getting clean. The fact that she has been so in the public eye and experienced all that she has without airing her dirty laundry on her SM platforms and, more importantly, without relapsing, is nothing short of amazing.

I honestly think this read would help such a wide audience. If you have ever been in recovery, you will be empathetic of how deep the pain is. If you've had to go through probation, walking in to a room of people who think you are the scum of the earth but still hold your head up, this will hit. If you have ever known of someone in recovery or maybe they've relapsed, seriously very relatable, very eye-opening, very emotional.