I Choose Me

by Jennie Garth

Jennie Garth is best known for playing the iconic role of Kelly Taylor in the hit television series “Beverly Hills, 90210.” Now in her 50s, she invites readers into the real story of growing up on screen, facing Hollywood’s impossible beauty standards, and losing—and finding—herself through heartbreak, loss, and the challenge of motherhood. She shares the raw truths of the moments that broke her open and shows the resilience it takes to walk through grief and begin again.

Jennie writes with warmth and candor about learning to quiet the voice that says “not enough,” rediscovering her strength after loss, and daring to take up space, speak her truth, and want more. She opens up about the unglamorous, deeply human moments and finally letting go of the need for perfection and other people’s approval.

Through personal stories, practical advice, and the wisdom earned through her own hard lessons, Jennie lights a path back to self-love and clarity. I Choose Me is for anyone who’s ever felt lost in their roles, struggling to give themselves permission to ask, “What do I want now?” It’s an invitation to honor your own journey, embrace self-care, and believe with compassion that choosing yourself is the bravest, kindest thing you can do.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Self Help, Biography Memoir, Autobiography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published April 14, 2026

About the author

Human Being

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I Choose Me by Jennie Garth had all the makings of a memoir I thought I would love, especially as a longtime fan of hers from Beverly Hills 90210. I went in expecting a deeply personal look at her life, relationships, and experiences growing up in the spotlight. And while there are glimpses of that—moments where Jennie reflects on her past, her struggles, and her growth—I found myself wishing the entire book leaned more heavily into those sections. Those were easily the strongest parts: honest, engaging, and exactly what I had hoped for.

Unfortunately, the book shifts heavily into self help territory, and that’s where it lost me. About half of the content felt more like general advice and personal development guidance rather than a true memoir, and the tone occasionally came across as a bit preachy or inauthentic for my taste. It wasn’t overly religious, but it didn’t feel as grounded or personal as I’d hoped. That said, I did really enjoy the audiobook narration, hearing Jennie tell her own story added warmth and familiarity that elevated the experience. Overall, this was a bit of a letdown for me, which is disappointing given how much I wanted to love it.

[Heather Adores Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐
Genre ~ Memoir, self help
Publication date ~ April 14, 2026
Est Page Count ~ 304 (13 titled chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 54 minutes
Narrator ~ Jennie Garth

90210 was my favorite show back in the day and I, along with millions of other teenage girls, could hardly wait for the next episode to air, so I knew I just had to see what Jennie had to say.

She talks about her 3 marriages, her 3 daughters, her struggles with alcohol/drugs, self worth, and her life as an actress.

Unfortunately, the chapters were super long, making it feel all that much longer, and it came off very self help~ish and not the memoir I was expecting or wanted. However, I can appreciate someone getting real and raw with the world, so kudos for that.

"I hope to remind you it's never too late to return to yourself, to choose a different path, to write a new ending, or to finally begin again."

"At the end of the day the one person you are guaranteed to have by your side is you. We're born with ourselves and we die with ourselves, and if we're lucky, we get to hold our hand through every step in between."

"I remind myself that I'm doing the best I can."

"If you take anything from my story let it be this ~ the love you've been searching for doesn't live outside there somewhere, it's already inside you. You have to choose it, you have to choose you."

Might have to give 90210 a rewatch. I wonder how watching it through adult eyes would be.

Narration notes:
Always love when the author narrates their own books. She sounded fine, but different than how I remember, of course I haven't heard her voice in over 25 years, so I guess there's that 😂

[Kim Smiley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sorry, I really tried, but I couldn't finish this. I was really looking forward to it and I finally got an audiobook from the library, but after listening to half of the 11 hrs. of audio, I just can't take it anymore.

I thought this was going to be a good memoir of her life, her 90210 career among other shows, you know, the stuff you want to hear about. This was more of her personal issues with a little of the good stuff barely sprinkled in. It's a basic self help book with Jennie as your guide telling you what she did to better herself. I'm all for it, bettering yourself and it seems to have worked for her for the most part. But to listen to about 5 hrs of preaching it over and over and how to make lists and questions to ask yourself and analyzing and on and on and on, I have to put it to rest.

At first I thought, well, I can always better myself, let's see how she did it. And there were some good ideas and information, but it's too much to listen to when it goes on for literally hours. I love Jennie Garth and I wish her the best. I wish there was just more of what her life was like working on set with the people we want to hear about.

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!

INSPIRING-VULNERABLE-REAL

“You are allowed to change. You are allowed to rest. You are allowed to begin again.
You are allowed to choose you.
I choose me.”

Gratitude and forgiveness of self.

Jennie has looked at where she has been and grown and learned from every aspect of her life.

Truth be told, it would be nice if this was our wisdom early on but naturally it’s with age and circumstances that we build up to “I choose me”.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was more self help than memoir, which I did not realize until page 60. And her insights are about as deep as a puddle (despite her copious end notes. End notes! In an autobiography!). It is a bit messy and scattered, and lacks self awareness. This could have stayed within the pages of her own journal. A very generous two stars because while not deep, the small nuggets she drops along the way could benefit those who have no experience with therapy.

[Dianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Blah-blah-blah, this was more self-indulgent and self-righteous than Rachel Hollis.

[Laura Dowling]

My expectations where way off on this book. I was expecting a memoir and it is a tiny bit of that and then turns self help.

[Julene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still love her. But this was too much about all of her self-help strategies and not enough about what it was like making out with Luke Perry.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

While I can appreciate some of the sentiments expressed in this book, something became very clear to me within just the introduction. This book was very obviously written (or at least edited heavily) by AI / ChatGPT. It is so overtly written through the artificial intelligence that it becomes distracting and ultimately detracts from the things she has to say.

There are portions where you can hear her actual artistic voice shine through, and it sharply contrasts with the other portions of the book. Whenever she switches into emotional insight, her true voice is taken away and replaced by ChatGPT, which is really saddening... especially given the concept of the book. I don't know if she just truly lacks the introspection to give heartfelt musings, or if she was having issues phrasing things... but anything would have been better than what she did. A genuine attempt would have made a difference. This is disappointing.

[Kaitlyn Varner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book to end the year on! Thank you to my friends at harlequin trade publishing/ the hive for advanced copy. I was expecting this book to be a memoir going into it but soon realized it’s a bit of a mix between a memoir and self help. I was not sure that the mix would flow well but it did! I especially enjoyed the memoir aspect of it and learning more about her life. I really enjoyed her on What I Like About You and knew her from 90210, but admittedly, did not know much about her outside of that! I am always weary about self help type books but feel very inspired by this book. I found myself self reflecting and taking notes all through this book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

[Julie Maleski (juliereads_alot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Harlequin Audio for the gifted ALC of this audiobook, to Park Row Books & HTP @htphive for the e-ARC, and Netgalley for both the e-ARC & ALC...this is my honest review.

🎧📱 I Choose Me: Chasing Joy, Finding Purpose, & Embracing Reinvention📱🎧
Author: Jennie Garth
Pub Date: April 14, 2026
Audiobook Publisher: Harlequin Audio
Narrator: Jennie Garth
Length: 9 hours, 54 minutes
Publisher: Park Row Books | HTP

MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I Choose Me, the recently-published New York Times bestselling memoir from Jennie Garth, was phenomenal! Part memoir and part self-help read, this book resonated with me so much as I prepare to enter my 50s later this year.

I loved Garth in her role as 1990s icon Kelly Taylor in Beverly Hills, 90210, but I loved her role as Valerie Tyler from the early aught's What I Like About You even more. I've been looking so forward to reading this book...And it did not disappoint!

I immersively read both the audiobook and the e-ARC, but I gotta be honest: listening to Garth tell her own story in the audiobook really made this book even more amazing and once I started listening, I didn't want to stop.

While Garth shared many personal stories about her time as a Hollywood actress, she also revealed so much vulnerability about her up-and-down struggles over the years with her confidence, imposter syndrome, substance abuse, relationships, motherhood, and so much more. I was captivated by this peek behind the curtain into her life.

However, I found myself really drawn to the self-help portions of this read. I felt like I could relate to so many of her emotional struggles as she detailed how she's learning to balance self-love with the the expectations & judgments of others. I was constantly taking notes and replaying sections of the audiobook to re-listen to particularly inspiring and empowering sentiments she shared. Tidbits like these:

"You can't outrun the downpour. You have to stand still, let it soak through you, and trust that eventually the skies will clear."

Dating again after her divorce: "I could see that my life was already full and beautiful, so the question became, do I want to add someone to that? What kind of person would I trust with the life I've built and the person I've become?"

"You are allowed to put yourself first. In fact, YOU HAVE TO."

"I've spent decades trying to prove I was enough. And I'm tired. I don't want to spend one more minute performing someone else's version of being a 'good' woman. I want to spend the rest of my life being the real one. That means not shrinking. Not apologizing for my existence. Not waiting for permission."

By the end of this book, I was in tears. Garth's words are so empowering and so very much what I needed to hear in this time of my life, as I approach a really big birthday this year. If you're a fan of Jennie Garth or a fan of 90210, you'll really enjoy this memoir. But I think you will absolutely love this read if - like me - you're in an era of your life in which you're questioning what's next or who you'd like to be for the remainder of this one beautiful life.

Jennie, this book was beautiful and so deserving of all the accolades. Thank you for this. ❤️

#IChooseMe #JennieGarth #ParkRowBooks #HTPBooks #HTPHive #HarlequinAudio #netgalley #audiobook #ALC #memoir #selfhelp #fivestarreads #eARC #booklover #bookreviews #bookrecs #bookrecommendations

[Jenna]

💫 I Choose Me 💫
By Jennie Garth
Publisher: Park row Books (April 14,2026)
Genre: memoir

90210 was my teen years. And wanting to look up to Jennie as a person was my “go-to”. Because of course I couldn’t relate or want to relate to the character that was Brenda Walsh.

And so when this popped up on my NetGalley, I knew I needed it. I love peeling back the layers of the glitz and glamour that is Hollywood. Realizing they have the same warts and struggles we all do. It’s just marketing and green screen of life in front of the camera.

Jennie Garth was the epitome of the girl next door but was battling her own home life and craving of stability. She touches on the cast mates (media drumming up the girl fights), her love of Luke Perry and the colleagues that she grew up with in the tv world.

I enjoyed this one. I am not a huge fan of self help books where they feel a little preachy but I am a huge fan of vulnerability so the chapters that felt self help, were ok. But the deep dive into her life and emotions were everything I want in a memoir.

Also, being narrated by the author herself was a 5 star experience.

[Angela · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having a hard time with this one. Too self-helpy. It was not for me.

[Chels ❀]

DNF @ 22%

[Angela Pineda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite memoirs of recent memory. While I know and love Jennie Garth from 90210, I had no idea I’d love her memoir as much as I did.

There is a little about her time in Hollywood, but it’s more stories from her life and what she’s learned over the years.

While she discusses topics like aging and her going through a divorce.. it mainly focused on self discovery, finding your voice, allowing yourself to shine, and choosing yourself. Often times a lot of what writers say resonate with me - but SO MUCH of her characteristics and personality traits are just like me. It stopped me in my tracks a few times. (This could be why I liked it so much ha).

This is a memoir I think all women could take something from. Highly recommend (I did a mix of audio and print - both are excellent. Garth narrates and does a wonderful job).

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jennie Garth doesn't shy away from discussing addiction, failed relationships, her sobriety journey, grief, loss, disordered eating, depression, miscarriages and more in this very candid memoir about her life, career and motherhood. Sprinkled with self-help advice and tips on what has helped her, this was great on audio read by the author and finished on a note of hope and healing. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Natalie {booksandbakeryfinds} · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir that reads more like a self-help book. No issue, though, as I loved it just the same. I grew up watching 90210 and I Choose Me feels like having a cup of coffee with a grown up Kelly Taylor. I appreciated her vulnerability in sharing some rough patches along the way, and I learned a thing or two as well.

Definitely give this one a try if you're a fan of 90210, self-improvement books and/or you're in your midlife years ✨️

[Janine F · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ll always applaud those that put themselves them and their story out there. They have my immense adoration and respect for being so publicly vulnerable. In that respect, it’s gets 5 stars. The lower stars are more for the quality of writing- a little all over the place, repeats ideas almost like forgetting it was already stated and throws plot points in the middle of a chapter, unassumingly. It reads more as a self help book than a real biography. But very cool to hear the perspective of someone we all grew up thinking we knew from TV.

[BookstagramSam]

This one is tough to review. I was really looking forward to this book so much! While it was not bad, it was just not really what I was expecting. I though initially we were getting more of memoir, but it ended up being more self help. Which wasn't bad by any means. She did speak of some of her past which those parts felt so real.

My issues with this book, the self help felt very repetitive. At times, I felt like I was in a loop. I also felt like it lacked emotion. Which makes me so sad. When she does get more personal towards the end the emotion is there.

Thank you Harlequin Audio for the gifted copy for review.

[Simone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fantastic!! Highly recommend it.

[Tracytheresa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Way more self-help than memoir. Disappointing.

[Debbie D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was 10% memoir and 90% self-help. And while there is a some helpful insight, it tended to get very repetitious. Meh, this was not what i thought this book was going to be.

[Suzy Lew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beverly Hills 90210 was such an iconic show for many Gen X's including myself. Kelly Taylor's scene where she stood before the two heartthrobs on the show-good boy, Brandon and bad boy, Dylan and said "I choose me" instead of dating one of them was iconic. I remember being so stunned. Wait..what? She wasn't going to date either of them? She chose herself. It was revolutionary. And I love how "I Choose Me" has become Jennie Garth's personal mantra.

Jennie Garth chronicles her upbringing in central Illinois, her early experience with beauty pageants, and roles in sitcoms that eventually led to her big break, being cast as Kelly Taylor in 90210.

I love how her memoir does not shy away from difficult topics, such as her complicated relationship with Shannen Doherty, her devastation with her divorce from her second husband, Peter Facinelli, her girls' father, and even her grief over the death of Luke Perry and Shannen Doherty.

She also does quite an inventory of personal growth and takes the reader through her struggles with depression, Hollywood beauty standards, parenting, and her quest for passion and purpose.

This serves as both a memoir and a rallying cry for women, especially as they age, to not be afraid to rise up, take space, and claim a second or a third act. Garth herself has helmed several successful podcasts, a QVC fashion line, and conferences for women.

This memoir was both thoroughly entertaining and surprisingly inspirational.

[Michelle "Champ" · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not sure what I was looking for here, maybe more of a memoir. I adore Jennie and follow her on all the socials. Even once gave birth during the episode of where Kelly chose ME over the boys. She is like a friend.

I love that Jennie has found her happiness and was willing to share her journey, I think I just wanted more. I do think if you haven't found your path, this might help give you a boost to your strength to know your worth. Give it a whirl, especially if you have been cheering Jennie on for years. Still a big fan, I just needed more.

[pria · Rating 1 out of 5]

Huge 90210 fan back in the day, cant lie this kinda bored me a little too motivational self help which can be good but not what I wanted

[Sabrina Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

There’s sprinkling of stories, introspections, tidbits etc. but it’s a whole lot of not much.. I’m not a fan of memoirs that go heavily into self help territory. This definitely does that.

[Sally · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very repetitive, no details about anything interesting. Not really a memoir, more of a book about her saying over and over how she is choosing herself now...

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

​I am such a sucker for a good celebrity memoir and the second I saw I Choose Me by Jennie Garth was coming out, I immediately placed a hold at my local library.

Now listen… as a HUGE 90210 fan back in the day, part of me absolutely went into this hoping for some juicy behind-the-scenes stories about Kelly Taylor, the cast drama, life on set in the 90s, all of it​. And while there are definitely glimpses into that chapter of her life, what I got instead was something much more personal and surprisingly relatable.​

I Choose Me is really the story of a woman trying to figure herself out through heartbreak, love, motherhood, aging, friendship, addiction, self-worth, and all the messy in-between moments that so many of us experience. Jennie writes in a way that feels open, conversational, and honest​, like catching up with an old friend over coffee.

What stood out to me most was how human she felt throughout the memoir. Not polished or perfect, but reflective and vulnerable. I came away feeling like I actually knew Jennie, not just the actress I grew up watching on TV.

I also really appreciated the conversations around growing older as a woman, finding your voice, and learning to choose yourself after years of putting everyone else first. There was a lot in this book that felt deeply familiar, even if your life looks nothing like Hollywood.

And honestly? Even if you weren’t glued to Beverly Hills, 90210 in the 90s, I still think there’s something here to connect with. At its core, it’s about resilience, reinvention, and learning who you are when life doesn’t go according to plan.

[Tony Farinella · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was younger, like most red-blooded American men, I had a huge crush on Jennie Garth. If you’re looking for juicy gossip about her marriages, her time on 90210, or anything else related to her personal life, her memoir will leave you feeling disappointed. In fact, it’s more of a self-help book about what she’s learned through the trials and tribulations of her life. She’s incredibly honest about what it’s like being a woman in Hollywood, aging, and dealing with depression and mental health struggles.

I highlighted a lot of pages and quotes from her book that really resonated with me and my own life. It’s been a long time since I’ve read a self-help book that made me feel as seen as Jennie Garth’s did. She’s completely open and honest about herself, but when it comes to her views on her co-stars or even her ex-husbands, she’s relatively quiet about those topics. However, as someone with mental health struggles of their own, like myself, and someone who has trouble advocating for themselves, at times, and trouble being seen and feeling like I’m being the best version of myself, her book hit me hard. It’s a fantastic book for anyone on a journey to be true to themselves and not make themselves small for the comfort of others.

Still, I was really hoping she would include at least some stories about her TV and film career in the book. That’s why, even though I loved her book, I can’t give it five stars. It would have been great if she took us behind the scenes of 90210 or even What I Like About You, but those shows are given precious little space in her book, which was disappointing.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, for this uncorrected eproof ARC of 'I Choose Me' by Jennie Garth - expected release date of 04/14/2026

ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

It's really brave when someone puts their life story out to the public, especially when they don't hold back and cover the good, bad, and ugly. This book did have some of that but overall, it was more of a trip down her self help journey than a memoir. Felt that it was a little long and repetitive at times but there definitely were some good takeaways. I appreciated the reflection on Perimenopause (relatable at this stage in my life). I also connected with the 'We'll See' method and hope to implement that way of thinking more, rather than jumping to the thought of an immediate outcome during a challenge waiting, ' we'll see' how it will play out. In relation to that, 'energy flows where attention goes' was also a great, simplistic tip. The path of your thoughts has power, if you're constantly focusing on negative, that's going to overpower the positive in your life.