I was interested in reading this book because I watch Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. I did hear this book being mentioned on the show. I did not like how the book was written completely in the present tense. We spend a lot of time in her past but only a few chapters in the present.

Thank you Simon and Schuster for my gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.


My favorite part of season 2 of Mormon Wives was watching Mayci open up about Arik. Reading this book I realized she only just started sharing her full story.

I never would have guessed she had gone through so much in such a short period of time in her life. I am glad Mayci was brave enough to share her story with others.

In the season 2 finale I also realized how great of a guy Jacob is, but this book made me love him even more. The way he is with Hudson and how he supports Mayci is amazing. I’m happy they found each other.

Even if you don’t watch the Mormon Wives, everyone should read this book!

So yes I do watch the show she's had her issues just like everyone else. This book showed me why she has some of those issues not that it gives excuses but it does shine a light on the why. I really enjoyed this biography and I hope it does well.

This was a great memoir by one of my favorite Mormon wives! I loved learning more about Mayci and learning her story. It is very relatable to anyone who has ever been in an abusive relationship, and her inner dialogue summed up perfectly everything that I could never put into words. The only thing I wish is that we could have had more Jacob context because he’s the best!!!

I really admire Mayci's bravery for sharing her life story so openly in this book. Growing up Mormon can't be easy and it was very interesting to read about her story of growing up, playing tennis at BYU, and going through, well... everything that she goes through.

I think a lot of young women will relate to Mayci's early college years. Everyone makes mistakes in college, and that includes drinking and going out with bad men. But not everyone goes through the abuse and trauma that Mayci endured at the hands of her ex. Her story is a reminder that Mormonism is a controlling religion that didn't teach her about dating or how to assert herself.

This isn't a perfect book. I do think she made a lot of questionable decisions, but I'm not going to critique her (or her memoir). We're all human.

One thing that really stuck with me is some of Mayci's reflections after finding out she was pregnant. She points out that it's basically impossible for female students to get birth control at BYU. Because they can't get it on campus and they can't risk going off campus and having someone report them for the BYU honor code.

That is not something I ever considered. It made me realize that there is so much about the Mormon religion that the rest of the world doesn't know about. I'm really glad that Mayci talked about these things in her book. Maybe other young Mormon women will read her story and feel less alone.

As a fan of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, I was excited to get to know Mayci's story. I knew that she had lost the father of her child when she was pregnant but didn't know the details of the situation. Mayci shares a truly honest and raw retelling of her time at BYU, her tennis career, and the loss of her boyfriend Arik.

The book is very detailed. Mayci gives us all the dirty details of her wild days at BYU, but she also shares some extremely personal and heartbreaking things that happened to her during this time.

Although the book was heartfelt and Im sure incredibly hard to write, it felt very immature at times. Mayci is clearly not a writer, but she told her story the best she could.

As a fan of SLOMW, I obviously jumped at the chance to read Mayci’s story. The writing style took me a little while to get used to, but I didn’t mind because I was really just there to learn more about Mayci. Her story is so heartbreaking, but knowing where she is today made it a little easier to get through. This memoir takes us through Mayci’s teenage and young adult years and the numerous challenges she faced during those times. It felt very raw and vulnerable, and it really let the reader feel like they were seeing behind the veil. I think so many people will really relate to and resonate with Mayci’s story, and I’m so glad it will be there to accompany them.

This was a solid 4 star read for me; I very much enjoyed it despite the heavy content. I do feel like the ending was a little abrupt, but it did bring us pretty close to present day.

CW: religious trauma, abusive relationship (controlling, narcissistic, rape, etc), death, grief, suicidal ideation

Thank you to Mayci Neeley, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

As a big fan of SLOMW, I was already familiar with Mayci and her story—but this book still blew me away.

It focuses mostly on her young adult years, including her time as a D-1 tennis player and becoming a mom while still in college. I knew some of her story from season two—especially about her son’s father passing while she was pregnant—but nothing prepared me for the emotional weight of hearing it in her own words. It’s raw, vulnerable, and incredibly moving.

Her honesty throughout is striking. She doesn’t shy away from painful, awkward, or traumatic moments, and it never feels forced—just real.

The section about BYU’s “honor code” is especially infuriating. It’s devastating to think how many survivors were silenced and retraumatized under that system.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the early read of this great memoir!

Mayci has been through so much and her story is incredibly inspiring! Unfortunately the writing fell flat for me. It’s just really choppy, which in a way does make it feel more personal and makes it a quick read. Would definitely recommend!

I really enjoyed reading Mayci's new memoir. I thought this book allowed her to share another side of herself and her story you don't get to see on tv. While difficult to read at times, I appreciated her honesty and vulnerability in telling her story during her younger years up until now. Her resilience and bravery to overcome obstacles in the toughest of times is commendable!

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review!

I’m a newer Mormon Wives fan, but I was really excited to read this one because Mayci is my favorite. I knew a little bit of her story from watching the show, but oh my goodness, I didn’t know a QUARTER of it. My heart absolutely broke for her as she recounts the traumas in her life. This girl has been through it. It’s not an easy book to read with some of the experiences she has, but you do see her take charge and discover how much more she’s worth than what she’s been believing. It very much felt like a friend telling you stories over coffee (or soda, in Mayci’s case) and that’s how I want to feel when reading a memoir. I loved reading the parts where she questioned the Mormon Church or BYU with some of their hypocrisy. And of course, because Jacob and Mayci are my favorite couple on the show, I loved reading about how they met and fell in love. The MomTok and Mormon Wives parts of her life are in there towards the end and while there was nothing jaw dropping about them, I really loved how she talked about needing a community and finding that, especially with Mikayla. If you’re a fan of the show, I highly recommend this one, but definitely check the trigger warnings.
CW: religious trauma, domestic violence, death, substance abuse, sexual assault, rape, grief

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read in exchange for my opinion.

Mayci is my fave on Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, and while I find her story interesting and heartbreaking, this book made me like her less - I’m sorry!! She just came off emotionally immature, and I found the writing difficult to read.

I loved learning more about Mayci's story! She has been a favorite of mine in SLOMW since the first season, and when I heard she had written a book, I knew that I had to read it. Growing up surrounded by the LDS religion really shaped my views on the world,d and I found myself relating to Mayci's story more than expected. This autobiography showcases grief in such a way that it is easily relatable to the readers.

Easy to read memoir that gave a lot of insight into Mayci's back story. Mayci is one of the more likable Mom Tok'ers and I appreciated her honesty with this book.

This whole book felt like I was reading a text from a friend. Stories felt unfinished or randomly placed. The ending was abrupt. I understand not wanting to provide all the details but certain parts were lacking.

When I was given the opportunity to read Mayci Neeley’s (of “Secret Lives of Mormon Wives” fame) upcoming book, y’all know I didn’t hesitate to dive into this one! Reality TV star memoirs are my most beloved niche, after all.
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This book primarily follows Mayci’s young adult years, including her career as a D-1 tennis player and her having her first child while still in college. I knew some of her background from what she’s shared on the second season of SLOMW—specifically in regards to her son’s father passing away while she was still pregnant—but that didn’t prepare me for the emotional impact of her describing what this period of life was like for her. Even after finishing the book, I’m amazed at her resilience and strength. She is very open throughout the chapters about how her experiences (including other significant traumas) impacted her mental health; I am amazed that she was able to be so vulnerable in her writing!

I would throw several big trigger warnings onto this memoir, as there are moments that are very detailed and left me needing to take a break while reading (although I did still finish this within 24 hours, to be fair!). It’s a strong 4 star book for me, which could probably be strengthened with some additional editing prior to publication.

Thanks SO much to Simon & Schuster for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “Told You So” releases on 10.7.25!

This was definitely interesting, I liked that we didnt even hear about Momtok until the very end. However, there was something about the tone of the book that was off to me, as if everything were statements instead of a recounting of some pretty heavy and emotional things that happened. Its a recap of events rather than introspective memories. The writing isn't great, but she writes likes she speaks so it makes it easy to read, and its very straightforward.
Overall, I really enjoyed my time reading this (it feels weird to say you enjoyed reading about the terrible things thst happened to someone).

3.75 🌟 (rounded up)
I have loosely followed SLOMW- haven’t finished the latest season but am familiar enough to be curious about a personal memoir after seeing glimpses of Mayci’s story.


What I liked:
- raw, vulnerable and honest
- doesn’t sugar coat her own mistakes and the ways they directly impacted her life
- easy to read
- inside look into more LDS/BYU culture

Other observations:
- writing style: it was easy to read but the present tense felt odd to me, made it odd whenever it switched to a reflection, felt elementary
- some moments were a bit too detailed or suggestive in how certain situations arose, that could be stumbling blocks for others or triggering
- really showed the consequences of why there are certain standards and things designed by God-
What God desires for us is truly better (my take away as a Christian who doesn’t believe in LDS doctrine but some of the standards and principles cross over)
- honestly doesn’t paint LDS faith in a good light or point back to that faith as her “savior,” but instead makes her children, husband, and adherence to rules as more the “savior”, I actually think this book proves how empty that faith is and how it’s missing the true Christian gospel of Jesus Christ

Content notes: lots of discussion around SA/rape, sexual content in general, alcohol, drugs, death, grief, pregnancy, IVF, and some medical content

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book! All opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC. Until about a month ago I had never heard of this woman, and as I don’t use social media, I’m only familiar with her from the reality show. So I wasn’t sure what to expect here…. But wow.

I am so impressed by how candid and honest she is about SO many things that are likely traumatic, painful, embarrassing, and/or awkward to admit. It truly feels like nothing was held back, which makes for a really raw and emotional life story.

Also I literally want to punch someone for making a stupid “honor code” at BYU that likely allowed countless predators to traumatize, abuse, assault, and blackmail countless survivors who were forced to remain silent. Shame on them.

I’m so glad that Mayci has come out on the other side and finally gets to live the happy, healthy life she deserves. I wholeheartedly believe that many people who have experienced similar things will find solace in this book.

This is a very raw, vulnerable memoir about Mayci Neeley's adolescence, pregnancy journey, marriage and career as an influencer/MomTokker leading up to her position on Hulu's The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. This book reads quite quickly and was engaging to keep reading. It pulls back the curtain on Mayci's life that she hasn't frequently shared via social media or on SLOMW.

Content Warning: Assault, Suicidal Ideation