Thomas Rhett Admits Reading Wife Lauren’s Memoir Was Uncomfortable at Times
Thomas Rhett's wife, Lauren Akins, documents her life and the couple's journey together in a new memoir called Live in Love: Growing Together Through Life's Changes. The book was originally scheduled for a May release, but was postponed to Tuesday (Aug. 18) due to COVID-19 (the pandemic also turned Akins' scheduled book tour into a virtual event).
With autobiographical hits such as "Life Changes" and "Die a Happy Man," Rhett is used to sharing his family life in his music, but he's never been in the spotlight quite like this: as a character in his wife's story, rather than as the protagonist. The singer admits that he struggled to get through some sections of Akins' new memoir -- but not because the writing wasn't captivating.
"It's hard to read, in the best way," the star told The Boot and other outlets at a press event prior to the pandemic. "It's like if someone made a movie about your life: You'd be like, 'Oh, I don't wanna watch this part.'"
The couple has always shared their story with fans, including the journey that led them to adopting their oldest child, Willa Gray, from a Ugandan orphanage in 2017. Since then, they've added two more daughters to their family: Ada James arrived later that same year, and Lennon Love was born in 2020.
"The way me and Lauren have lived our lives, especially through social media, has been very open. You know what we're going through; you know if we're in Uganda, or doing this or that," Rhett explains, but adds that Live in Love offers a whole new level of transparency about their story.
"This book really gets into severe detail about the adoption process," Rhett continues. "What it was like when we first had kids. What it was like when I first got on the road, and she had just graduated from [the University of] Tennessee with a nursing degree and didn't use her nursing degree. And, like, talking about her childhood and what shaped her into who she is now."
Even though it was an emotional read, Rhett gives Akins' memoir his (admittedly a little biased) seal of approval.
"I don't read books. The last book I read was Harry Potter. But I think [Live in Love] is absolutely fantastic," he relates. "I'm biased, because she's my wife, but I think it's a really, really great read. I think it's gonna encourage and inspire a lot of 7- and 8-year-olds, and also a lot of people older than seven and eight, just to learn that your decisions have weight. Your words have weight. And to really think about the choices you make in life."
Akins' virtual book tour kicks off on Sunday (Aug. 16) with a launch event. Tickets are available now.
LOOK: Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins' Adorable Love Story in Pictures