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Things I Should Have Said: Family, Fame, and Figuring it Out

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In this intimate memoir, actress and singer Jamie Lynn Spears tells her unfiltered story on her own terms about being a child star, becoming a teen mom, the years she stepped away from the spotlight, the terrifying ATV accident that threatened her daughter's life, and discovering the most important elements of life: love and family. 

. She shares never-before-heard stories that are at times funny, inspiring, messy, and uncomfortable. Like having her mom’s credit card declined at Limited Too when her sister was on the radio. How it feels to have inspired 16 and Pregnant with her own life story. Why her daughter’s ATV accident caused her to reevaluate and redirect her life. And why her family is just like any other family. 

The world met Jamie Lynn as a child star, when it was her job to perform, both on set and for the press. She spent years escaping into different characters—on All That!Zoey 101 and even in the role of Britney’s kid sister. Pretending to be other people was easy, but when she decided to start a music career in Nashville, she realized she could no longer hide behind the characters she played. Soon, the real Jamie Lynn started to take center stage – a raw, blemished, and imperfect woman, standing in her own power.  Just Jamie Lynn – wife, momma, sister, daughter, actress and musician doing the best she can to show up for herself and teaching her daughters to have the courage to love every part of themselves too.  

Jamie Lynn, at her core, is down to Earth.  She wants to use her experiences in the “the family business” to help young women everywhere see the unique power and strength that comes from believing in themselves, taking risks, learning from their relationships, and embracing a not-always-so-perfect journey.

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First published January 18, 2022

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About the author

Jamie Lynn Spears

1 book29 followers
Jamie Lynn Spears is an actress and musician who began her entertainment career at an early age. The Louisiana native made her way into acting with some national commercials before landing her first big debut on television, appearing on Nickelodeon’s All That and then starring as the title character on Zoey 101, for which she won the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Best Actress in 2006. When she became a mother at sixteen, her pregnancy made headlines. She returned to the entertainment business as a singer/songwriter who has collaborated with artists such as Jana Kramer and has won several awards (NSAI, BMI) as a songwriter for writing the platinum-selling song “I Got the Boy.” She released the new version of the Zoey 101 theme song “Follow Me” with Chantel Jefferies ahead of the upcoming highly anticipated Zoey 101 reboot. She will also be back to play the beloved character Noreen for season 2 on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias in 2022.

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5 stars
994 (10%)
4 stars
1,687 (17%)
3 stars
3,314 (33%)
2 stars
2,247 (22%)
1 star
1,548 (15%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews
Profile Image for Daniel.
1 review1 follower
July 9, 2021
She can't act, she can't sing, she can't write. Her only talent is enslaving her sister and exploiting her.
1 review1 follower
July 9, 2021
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK!!!! YOU WILL BE SUPPORTING AN EVIL MANIPULATIVE TWO-FACED PERSON!!! Jamie Lynn is the infamous sister of the more famous mega superstar Britney Spears, who just recently expressed, under oath in a court, that her family should be jailed for the abuse and exploitation of her life that they have done a great job at. Buying this book means you support the ongoing abuse and violation of Britney’s human rights. While Jamie Lynn is free to write this trash of a memoir continuing to exploit Britney’s situation for a paycheck. Jamie Lynn should be ashamed of herself. Just remember that the Spears name would be NOTHING without Britney. Keep riding that gravy train honey because your stop is coming up real soon!
1 review
July 10, 2021
Funny how for someone who ABSOLUTELY DOESNT DEPEND on her sister’s money or name they decide to use one of said sister’s most iconic song lyrics LOL. Jamie Lynn would absolutely not be here if Britney Spears wasn’t around, we all know that.
Profile Image for Ancient Sea.
3 reviews
July 11, 2021
Narcissistic failed star writes a book to get attention and paint herself a victim after being complicit in her sister's horrific abuse for thirteen years. Is there anything more pathetic and hypocritical?
Profile Image for Ludmila Burgos.
9 reviews1 follower
July 11, 2021
An absolutely disgusting way to keep profiting of her sister.
1 review
July 9, 2021
Wish i could rate it 0 stars but i don’t have that option. #FreeBritney
Profile Image for Tara♥ .
1,703 reviews111 followers
October 13, 2021
Tell me you're a psychopath without telling me you're a psychopath!



The only reason she ever even got the small bit of famous she is was because of Britney and she needs to just go off with herself and live in obscurity and/or prison!
Profile Image for fer bañuelos.
900 reviews3,822 followers
Read
February 17, 2022
Aparte de que esta mujer tiene la vida menos interesante solo dice pura mamada.

La verdad no me voy. detener mucho en esta reseña. Si soy honesto solo lo leí por el morbo y porque quería ver que tanto llegaba a decir esta mujer de Britney Spears. Fuera de eso puedo confirmar que la J*ime tine una vida demasiado aburrida. De verdad, para ser una celebridad, no tiene nada de interesante, por lo que no entiendo porque sacar una autobiografía cuando tu renombre e impacto es mínimo.

No lo voy a calificar porque 1) es una biografía entonces esta medio dificl calificar la vida de alguien (incluso cuando J*ime no merece derechos) y 2) porque de verdad no podría importarme menos.

Para cerrar puedo decir que it's on sight Jaime Lynn. Ojalá Britney te suelte un putazo mientras My Prerogative suena de fondo por haber lucrado con su nombre y por haberte aprovechado de la situación. Karma's a bitch 😘
Profile Image for Eren.
104 reviews61 followers
July 18, 2021
Free Britney, and I hope this book flops.

For a run down of some things Jamie Lynn has done:
-She scammed her fans with a Zoey 101 reboot that was never going to happen
-She ran over her cats with her Tesla and tried to blame Elon Musk
-It’s largely believed that she may have something to gain from her sister’s conservatorship
-And now she wants to make money from a book that she knows will only sell because of her sister’s ongoing abuse under her conservatorship (which is really fucking low).
Profile Image for Steven.
1 review1 follower
October 13, 2021
Turns out she can’t limit or disable these comments like she does everything else 🤣. Don’t buy
1 review
July 10, 2021
If I could rate this negative I would. Not worth the purchase and time. Subpar at best.
Profile Image for Daniel Kapp.
3 reviews1 follower
July 21, 2021
Garbage book by a garbage woman. Don’t waste your money… in fact, save it for the Britney tell-all when Jamie-Lynn is in prison with her daddy :).
Profile Image for Ezra.
8 reviews
March 25, 2023
dont support abusers who gladly took part in the abuse while of sound mind and refuse to apologize.
1 review
July 12, 2021
Do not buy this book!
Another attempt for the Spears family to capitalise on the pain and abuse of Britney
Profile Image for Diana.
114 reviews26 followers
February 20, 2022
I wish I could give it 0 stars

This book is the representation of a narcissistic person who always wants to be in the position of "victim" even in situations in which she wasn't involved and were just Britney situations.

She practically implied that her family (which had already been destroyed since before Britney's fame by her alcoholic dad and permissive mom) was damaged thanks to Britney. She loved portraying Britney as "paranoid", "unstable", "erratic" and not to mention the reasons why Britney was/is angry about the shitty family she has.

She wants basically everyone to say "Oh poor JL, she had a hard time seeing how her sister has been controlled and abused all her life, without being the owner of her life, having to ask permission for minimal things, forcing her to work, silencing her, exploiting here like a machine, not letting her be a mom again, locking her against her will in psychiatric centers and wrongly medicating her against her will. Yes, We have to feel very bad for JL, she definitely suffered so much while she did nothing to help her having the possibility of doing it".

Girl, I can't believe you had the AUDACITY to post this. I have no sympathy for abusers. This was purely written to benefit you one more time from your sister. We believe in Britney and we will always support her.
1 review
October 11, 2021
I would rather rip my own uterus out and eat it all in one sitting than read this piece of shit xxxxxxxxx
1 review1 follower
October 12, 2021
Jamie Lynn talks about mental health, and how a portion of the money received from book sales will go to some charity supporting mental health. BUT ironically, Jamie Lynn is complicit in the trauma and abuse that her sister Britney Spears has (and continues to) suffered from her entire "family". Jamie Lynn likes to take any blame or responsibility off of her, but she is far from an angel.

SUPPORTING JAMIE LYNN IS SUPPORTING THE ABUSE OF BRITNEY SPEARS.
Profile Image for Erin.
50 reviews3 followers
January 17, 2022
Absolute dumpster fire. I actually read the book from start to finish just to ensure I was reading everything correctly. I shall now include some of my favorite quotes:

- “Momma continued with her stern manner of parenting me, but it felt as if she had a different set of standards for my older siblings.” - in which Jamie Lynn still resents her siblings who are 9 and 12 years older for getting more freedoms than her when she was little…

- The entire chapter about Jamie Lynn’s pregnancy describes how difficult it was for her to be isolated away without access to phones or the ability to go out freely. The point? She missed it?

- “In the court of public opinion, if you are a member of the Spears family, you are labeled detestable and reprehensible. I am guilty of loving my whole family and wanting what is best for all of them.”

- “The world will hear many things. Some of them may be true and others may serve respective purposes. You won’t hear anything from me.” - Didn’t she just give a Good Morning América interview?

- “Britney’s description about the way she has been managed and treated does nothing to break the cycle. All of us have to manage our lives and struggles the best way we see fit.” SHE SAID THAT!

Anyway, that was an entertaining three hours, I think I’ll go scream now.
Profile Image for Israel Orozco Duran.
1 review
October 12, 2021
I think this book is the story about a corrupt family and how they stayed silent witnessing abuse, exploitation and human trafficking all because they’re greedy and overall bad people.

Allegedly.

Wouldn’t recommend reading this book.
1 review
Read
July 20, 2021
You suck Jamie. Crawl in a hole and never come out. I hope your sister jerks a knot in your hair. You and this book-DUMB. You are one audacious, soulless monster. Your daughter needs to be taken from you and you should be placed under a conservatorship for allowing you kid to crash an ATV into a pond and flinging a knife around making threats in a restaurant. But wait, you aren’t really talented enough to bring in that amount of cash to begin with. I hope you get everything you deserve. We all hate you and your dad. #FreeBritney

P.S. you are the ugly sister, inside and out.
Profile Image for Celine R-W.
1 review
July 24, 2021
Such a shame to publish this book and make money out of Spears conservatorship
1 review
October 12, 2021
Jamie Lynn Spears has been living of her sister's money for over a decade, being an adult. She has seen Britney go through hell without saying a word about the abuse and torture and is now trying to make her last coins using the media attention her sister's receiving because of her conservatorship case. Let's not buy or read this book.
Profile Image for Kristy.
54 reviews38 followers
March 9, 2022
I’m not a fan of people going on a 1-star tirade without even reading the book, but having read it I’ll do you all the favour and tell you to skip it. All you need to know:

- Their father Jamie Spears is as terrible as we all assumed.
- JL really wants us all to know that’s she’s sooo talented and funny and was born for the stage!
- For someone that says she doesn’t want to talk about Britney’s situation, she sure makes vague comments about her a lot. She claims her family “enabling Britney” for years is the true issue; not y’know, her father who in one paragraph is a manipulative monster and the next is the wise one protecting the family.
- JL’s editor must really not like her because oh man, the writing was bad. It was almost more like stream of consciousness journaling.
- Final thought, the picture album section is hilarious. 75% of the pictures include Britney (even though this book isn’t supposed to be about her??) and she includes a random pic of herself with the Olsen Twins and Aaron Carter that’s referenced nowhere in the book. +1 star for that hilarity alone really.
1 review
August 28, 2021
I thought this was an incorrect title?? That's what the publisher said. Why is this title still on your site?? Capitalizing off her sister who is in the fight of her life. Disgusting.
Profile Image for Danielle.
826 reviews283 followers
June 21, 2022
It disappoints me when people give a bad review to a book they haven't read. Just ignore it.

I don't think it's a stretch to believe that someone who was a child at the time and raised by the same incompetent idiots could have a story and a struggle all their own.

I hope they're able to work it out. This was a thoughtful book for people with an open mind.
Profile Image for Tecla.
296 reviews34 followers
October 11, 2021
Ewwww no. She's evil and gross and just NO! #FreeBritney
1 review
October 11, 2021
If she's trying to confess, why not also confess how she abused and used her sister for her entire life? How she's acomplice in mental, physical and health abuse of her sister, publicly lying about her and telling everyone she's fine. She doesn't deserve to hold a pen, nor to write a book, she deserves to be in jail, along with her family for abusing Britney. If you intend to buy any of Jamie's books, which I doubt, then stop and use that money to donate to charity instead.
1 review
October 12, 2021
The audacity to publish a book after the lies and exploitation she has done to her sister.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,298 reviews

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