Never Make the Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way

T he Real Housewives of Atlanta averaged 1.3 million viewers per episode in its first season. Nene Leakes, the show’s outrageous, dazzlingly captivating, tell-it-like-it-is star, has been lauded by her legions of fans for her refreshing honesty, her infectiously genuine style, and her clever sense of humor.

Here, in this straight-talking and provocative memoir Nene charts her journey from the family black sheep to single motherhood to making good and realizing her dream. Nene tackles her painful childhood, the abuse she suffered at the hands of a violent boyfriend, her struggle to support her firstborn son, and her path to true love, self-acceptance, and pride. The fur flies when she takes on the rumors that have dogged her and shares her no-holds-barred views of some of her castmates.

With her fierce, no-nonsense attitude and delicious irreverence, Nene will tell it like it is about both her past and her present. Readers won’t be able to put this book down!

Nene Leakes is an active member of Atlanta society. She resides in the upscale Sugarloaf area of Atlanta with her husband Gregg, a successful real estate investor and business consultant, and their two sons, 18-year-old Brice and nine-year-old Brentt. Nene donates her time to various foundations and is the founder of The Twisted Hearts Foundation, which brings awareness to domestic violence against women. Never one to sit still, the outspoken social butterfly also hopes to open a luxury boutique hotel in the near future.

Denene Millner is a New York Times bestselling author and frequent contributor to publications such as Essence, NPR, Redbook, and Glamour. In 2008, Millner founded MyBrownBaby, a critically acclaimed and award-winning blog that has worked with top brands, including Disney and Target. She also cohosts Georgia Public Broadcasting’s A Seat at the Table, a talk show about black women; hosts the podcast Speakeasy with Denene, a celebration of the beauty of the African American experience; and makes appearances on the Today show, NPR, and more. Millner has authored thirty-one books, among them Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, cowritten with Steve Harvey; Around the Way Girl, a memoir with actress Taraji P. Henson; The Vow, the novel on which the hit Lifetime movie With This Ring was based; and Fresh Princess: Style Rules, the second in a series inspired by Will Smith’s iconic character. Millner is the editorial director of Denene Millner Books, a Simon & Schuster imprint that publishes books featuring African American children and families. In the imprint’s debut year, Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut won Newbery and Caldecott Honors and the Kirkus Prize for Children’s Literature. Millner lives in Atlanta with her two daughters and adorable Goldendoodle, Teddy.