This book was a great, fun read - the author did a great job of balancing her fun, Kimmy Gibler character and real life, in a way that didn't feel trite or overdone. It felt like I was just sitting down and having coffee with Barber, especially when she opened up about her anxiety and divorce. You don't need to be a fan of Full House to enjoy this book, either. While I admittedly loved Full House, I found Barber to be compelling and interesting even outside of that. In fact, most of the book wasn't even about Full House, but about her life after the show. I finished the book wanting to learn more about Barber, and appreciative of her candid nature.

Full House was my absolute favorite show goring up. Now, as an adult, I enjoy following the actresses who played the characters. I know from social media that Andrea Barber is a runner---which I can relate to, but I had no idea how her mental health struggle has shaped and defined her. After reading this book, I am so amazed at how much she went through in her personal life and I think that it is so commendable the way she has dealt with all of the challenges that have come her way. this is not the typical, "I'm an actress and my life is perfect". Andrea has shown what it is life to go through depression ad anxiety and come out stronger. I enjoyed this book!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC of Full Circle. As a fan of Full House, this was a fun book to read to learn more about Andrea Barber and her experience as Kimmy Gibbler. She shares openly about her struggles with anxiety and life after divorce. Overall, I enjoyed this book and it was great timing with the new Fuller House season.

Full Circle
From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again

by Andrea Barber

Kensington Books

Citadel

Biographies & Memoirs , Nonfiction (Adult)

Pub Date 12 Nov 2019

I am reviewing a copy of Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back Again through Kensington Books and Netgalley:

You may recognize Andrea Barber from her role as Kimmy Gibler from Full House and most recently Fuller House, but Full Circle is by no means a typical celebrity biography, nor is it a behind the scenes expose of her co-stars, it is a book written with love and respect and deals with very real issues.

This book deals with the very real issues Andrea Barber faced with anxiety, and crippling depression reminding us that these things do not discriminate against celebrity or non celebrity, rich or poor.

Andrea speaks of the importance of seeking out help when that is necessary, and of not letting stigma’s that come along with mental illness stop you from doing that.

Andrea openly talks about the struggles she faced and how for the longest time she thought they were just normal, but in time she would learn that she in fact had a mental illness, one that though it could not be cured, it could in fact be treated, she talks about the good days, not only that, the tough days when her anxiety is so crippling she could barely move.

Often times celebrity biographies can ring about mud slinging and that is what is so impressive about this book, she refused to do that, she talks about her time on Full and Fuller House with love and respect for her co-stars, and though she does talk about her divorce and how it affected her, she does not turn that into a mud slinging campaign either.

I feel that in Full Circle Andrea Barber has given us the opportunity to address mental illness in a way that does not leave room for the stigmas often attached to such conversations, in fact she encourages others to share there stories and reminds us that when you see someone in such a dark place they cannot reach out to you, then reach out to them.

Sadly even in this day and age Mental illness and its many forms are not talked about in the same way as other illnesses and in this book we are reminded that needs to change.

Full Circle isn’t solely about Mental Illness, it is about life, love, loss, motherhood and so much more.

I give Full Circle a well deserved five out of five stars, and would highly recommend this book.

Happy Reading

Being a Full House fan, I loved hearing about the behind the scenes relationships. I also found it interesting to learn how the new Fuller House came to fruition. I think she is completely honest with sharing pieces of her life that can be difficult, but that so many people may relate to.

This is a must-read for every girl and now woman who grew up watching Full House. I really enjoyed a close look into the life of Andrea Barber. I appreciated her honesty about her struggle with anxiety and depression and enjoyed getting to know the real person she is who is so different than Kimmy Gibbler, the character she portrayed on Full House and Fuller House. Readers will appreciate learning about what life was like as a child actor, her accomplishments post full house, her travels, her marriage, becoming a mom, her struggles through a divorce, and the value running has had in her life.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.

If I could give this book more than five stars, I would. It is rare to find a book – much less a biography – that touches your soul. Yet that is exactly what Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back did. It is at once heartbreaking and heartwarming, funny and serious, intelligent, witty, vulnerable and so, so relatable.

I “knew” Andrea Barber from Full House (and now Fuller House) and had seen her as a child on Days of Our Lives, which I watched with my step-mother. I always wished I had the confidence Andrea’s characters seemed to naturally possess. Kimmy Gibler, in particular, was vibrant, outgoing, and carefree; everything I was not. I assumed that Andrea Barber was just like her. As Full Circle poignantly reveals, she, too, was not.

Like Andrea (and many others like her), I have two sides to my personality. To the outside world, I portray myself as a strong, capable woman, mother, and friend. But deep down, I am still that scared, anxious little girl who overthinks everything and demands perfection of herself. I see so much of myself in Andrea’s struggles, and while I am truly sorry that she had to experience them, I am comforted by the fact that she has found a way not just to cope, but to thrive.

Full Circle is the kind of book that takes your breath away, embraces the inner you, and makes you stronger. I highly recommend it to anyone who has ever struggled with anxiety or loved someone who has.

Note: I received an ARC of Full Circle: From Hollywood to Real Life and Back from NetGalley and Kensington Books/Citadel. The above is my honest review.

Andrea played the wacky next door neighbor, Kimmy Gibbler on the 80s family sitcom Full House. After retiring from show business for thirty years, she returned to reprise her character in the updated reboot of the series, Fuller House that debuted in 2016. This is an extremely heartwarming and touching book. It is so much more than just a typical Hollywood memoir. Of course, there is plenty of information about what it was like to grow up as a child performer and what it was like on the set of Full House in particular and about her co-stars. However, if you are looking for salicious gossip about how everyone really hated each other on the set, you won't find that here. The Full(er) House cast and crew truly is and was a family in many ways on and off the set. If you are a true fan of the show like we are this should make your heart happy. As wonderful as this part of the book is, there is so much more to it than that. Andrea talks candidly about her struggles with mental health and she is a strong advocate for promoting the mental and health and well being of everyone. She also talks about what it was like going through a difficult divorce and how she was finally able move on with her life and get past it. This makes her extremely relatable for so many people. Reading the book might even help someone going through the same isues as Andrea has. In any case, even if you are not dealing with these issues, we highly recommend this beautiful book.

Now THIS is what a celebrity memoir should be. Barber delivers the lightness that we've come to know in her Gibbler character, and then sits us down for the truth about her struggles with mental illness. Anyone who has anxiety and depression likely has spent lots of time and money trying to find books that actually HELP them, inspire them and go beyond all the usual clichés to find some relief and maybe some new steps that can make a difference. Barber delivers! This deep and honest walk through her life story brings us a refreshing take, encouragement that is not rah-rah, fake smile, you-can-do-it nonsense. We get a real story without any 'I'm SO strong! Look at me!' crafting. This is what the real struggle looks like, the truth about mental illness's impact on a life and career, and -- how I loved this -- realism in a brave path back. Very nice work! This should have gotten more buzz in book marketing and on the charts, but I'm happy to post this review in support of an excellent memoir.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review. I really enjoyed it because I loved watching Full House and Kimmy Gibler when I was younger. I always appreciate getting to know more about celebrities and their lives especially when they are private and do not really put their business out in the open. It is always nice feeling like you can relate.

I have always loved watching Full House and Andrea Barber on both Full House and Fuller House. This book is a great way to see how her life has been and is now. As a parent she has tried to make her kids lives as normal as they can be and I fully respect that. She has been through a divorce and I have too before I met my husband now. I definitely think you should read this book and you will fall in love with Andrea Barber even more as she is just like us.

It was wonderful getting to learn more about this delightful woman. I'm going to miss her and Kimmy more this time around than before.

This was an amazing book! Growing up on Full House and then now watching Fuller House with my kids it was so touching to hear how life after for Andrea Barber was. I enjoyed hearing what she did after Full House and traveling the world and then also speaking out about her anxiety and depression after motherhood. It was a very well written book with such deep emotion that a lot of ppl of Hollywood wouldn’t share. I applauded her for being so raw and open.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Who here grew up watching Full House?? I probably spent hours watching it and some part of me feels like I know all the actors like they're family. I've read books by Candace, so when I saw Andrea was writing a book my interest was piqued.
Andrea Barber has the unique situation of being in Hollywood and leaving it for a while. Barber gave up her Hollywood lifestyle for a more normal life. She is able to be open and honest about living a life that is real. Running, anxiety, divorce, are all parts of her story, but she experienced it in the normal course of everyday life.
Barber admits that Fuller House came at an interesting point in her story. Post-divorce, She didn't know what she wanted or where she wanted to be, but she knew she wanted the comfort of her television family.
Barber's title for the book couldn't be more accurate. She literally comes full circle in her career. Watching her character development throughout her life is so satisfying.
This book is a great read and goes really quickly. Barber has a great writing flow that's enjoyable to read. I would definitely recommend this book!

I've watched Andrea Barber grow on Full House and it is definitely fun to read about what she had done with her time in between. Her battles with anxiety hit home for me and she experienced many things I have. Her talking about her love life and children was raw and I appreciated that. Definitely love this.

While this was initially an ARC, I didn't get around to reading it until after the release date. However, this book was wonderful, and I pretty much read it in two sittings. Andrea writes like she is talking to a friend. She gets very real and candid about her battles with anxiety, depression and postpartum depression. Andrea describes the periods of her life where she struggled the most (PPD, divorce, learning to cope with her anxiety) with such grace that it is admirable. I also really enjoyed her chapter where she writes about how she became a runner. Her descriptions of training for and running her first half marathon was so spot on. I highly recommend this book!!

Amazing Story. Barber is obviously known to millions as Kimmie Gibbler, but here for the first time those same millions meet Andrea. And Andrea is full of the dichotomies that plague many of us. An introvert who happens to be a "celebrity". Someone plagued with anxiety who is known for portraying the zany neighbor that always has a plan. The mother that slipped so far into anxiety and depression that she couldn't take care of herself and nearly lost everything. Barber does an excellent job of easing the reader into the darkest moments of her life and explaining how she was able to come out of them and come... Full Circle. Very much recomended.

Author Andrea Barber welcomes the reader into her life and makes you feel right at home with Full Circle. She is open and honest with her struggles and failures but also inspires as she shares her fight to overcome obstacles in her life. Many will find comfort and hope as she shares her story and can identify with her trials in life. It was also very enjoyable to read about filming television shows and what goes on behind the scenes. Highly recommended book. Thank you to NetGalley.

I really enjoyed reading this book. In Full House, I thought Kimmy Gibbler was annoying. Now that I know Andrea Barber I want to watch Full House again. In Fuller House, I like Kimmy Gibbler.
My favorite chapters were the two chapters about Andrea's anxiety.

I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

I really loved this book. Andrea seems like such a real person, and I loved the look into her life. I never know what to expect with celebrity memoirs/autobiographies, but this one felt like a conversation with a friend.

So many times while reading, I found myself thinking “Girl, SAME.” Especially when she talked about how much easier it is for her to write than to speak due to her anxiety. There are times that I cannot get words to form and I feel like people might have a low opinion of me, but if I could just write my responses, they’d be so much better.

Another thing that’s fun is the peek into the behind the scenes life of Full(er) House, but it’s not why I wanted to read the book. I think fans of the show will love the tidbits.

This is a great book for fans of Andrea, fans of Full(er) House, moms that have been through postpartum depression, women struggling with anxiety, runners- basically, if you have a pulse, you’ll love this book.

Many thanks to Kensington Books for sending me an ARC, and thanks to NetGalley for providing me the ebook copy.