Reba McEntire on Her New Book, Life With Rex Linn and How "Time is Precious"
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Reba McEntire has the nickname "Queen" for a reason. As a country music legend, she's had more than 60 hits throughout her illustrious career. As a memorable actress, her sitcom Reba was so beloved by fans, they continue to beg for a reboot. And as a coach on The Voice season 24, she proves she has the skills to help aspiring singers rise their way to the top.
But underneath the accolades and decades of glamour, the singer is just like the rest of us... well sort of.
In her latest book, Not That Fancy: Simple Lessons on Living, Loving, Eating and Dusting Off Your Boots (which was released on October 10), Reba proudly gives fans a glimpse into what her life is like away from the spotlight. Not That Fancy is a true lifestyle book, which she tells Good Housekeeping, "is a lot more interesting to me."
'Not That Fancy'
amazon.com
"I didn't want to do a book on myself," she says over the phone. "I've seen that movie and read the book. This is more interesting to me. It's more entertaining, and with the stories that the pictures tell, it's a little bit of an insight [into] my life."
The idea to write Not That Fancy began during the COVID-19 pandemic. As she states in the introduction, she had just lost her mother, Jacqueline, who was her inspiration for everything. She found herself back home in Oklahoma with her siblings, and suddenly, she had a lot more time on her hands than she was used to.
So she started developing a story that highlighted how she finds joy through the simple things in life, and decided to include personal moments, photos and recipes from her friends and family — like a chicken dish from her Reba co-star Christopher Rich — all of who were more than happy to share with Reba and her fans.
"They were honored, flattered and delighted that I asked to tell their story in the book," she notes about when she presented the idea to others. "Everybody was very energetic... It just kept growing from not only just the book, but the recipes in it. It just kept having more and more legs to it."
Speaking of people who mean most to her, Reba couldn't help but mention one person in particular who continuously stands by her side: her boyfriend Rex Linn, who she began dating in 2020.
As Reba details in the book, the couple's road to romance spans three decades, from first meeting in 1991 to reconnecting 30 years later. Throughout their busy schedules, the two manage to keep their bond strong and are constantly supporting each other.
"He's my biggest cheerleader," she says. "He's encouraged me the whole time and he even gives me ideas to make things better. His enthusiasm really does pep all of us up, and I appreciate him very much."
Whether Reba is working on a TV show or enthralling the world with new music, one thing stands out after speaking with her: the genuine want to share and create memories with those who she cherishes the most. She hopes others will be inspired to do the same after reading her book.
"I hope through this book that [people] do realize that you don't have to have everything perfect to have friends over," she expresses. "It's just me saying, 'Hey, don't sweat the small stuff.' Just come have fun and let's get together. That's the most important thing in the world."
"Time is precious," she concludes. "If you're giving your time and they're coming over giving their time, that's the best gift you can give to each other."
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