Heart on My Sleeve by Jeanne Beker

A special thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jeanne Beker’s name is synonymous with style and grace in fashion. Recognized by many as the beloved host of Fashion Television and the The NewMusic, Jeanne has spent an entire career interviewing celebrities and uncovering their most private selves. Now, in Heart on My Sleeve, Jeanne reveals who she is in an all-new way.

This is not just a memoir but a wardrobe of memory. Jeanne walks us through her recollections of specific pieces of clothing and jewelry, precious items that have made an indelible impact on her. She invites readers to think more deeply about how what we wear—whether it’s a thrift-store find or high-end couture—acts as a touchstone to our most treasured recollections, reminding us of who we once were or of loved ones we hold dear.

With Jeanne as our style guide, we get up-close and personal with a star-studded cast, including Paul McCartney, Madonna, Karl Lagerfeld, Kate Moss, Oscar de la Renta, Beyoncé, and Keith Richards. But equally important, Jeanne introduces us to the family members and loved ones who form her closest entourage—including her wise Yiddish mother and her industrious father, both Holocaust survivors; her childhood neighbour Mrs. Jaskolka, a style maven ahead of her time; her two trailblazing daughters; and her many warm and exuberant friends who have seen her through the best and worst of times.

Jeanne proves that a life lived with style and substance is always in fashion. Bold, colourful, and authentic, this is Jeanne Beker at her very best and brightest. 

Style maven Jeanne Beker delivers an uplifting and inspiring memoir that is a love letter to fashion as well as a chronicle of not only some of her incredible pieces, but of her experiences and wisdom. Beker's writing is candid, engaging, and authentic. 

Heart on my Sleeve is more than an account of Jeanne's many successes and accolades. It is also a testament to her perseverance, resilience, and spirit. You will enjoy her company immensely—it is as much of a treasure as she is.

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JEANNE BEKER was the host of the hit show Fashion Television, which aired in over 130 countries for twenty-seven years and was one of the most successful shows in Canadian TV history. Prior to that, she hosted the groundbreaking show The NewMusic and was a founding member of MuchMusic. A seasoned newspaper and magazine columnist, Jeanne was editor-in-chief of FQ and SIR magazines from 2003 to 2009. Currently, she is a frequent keynote speaker and style editor for TSC, where she hosts her eponymous show Style Matters. 

Beker has received honorary doctorates from St. Mary’s University and OCAD University. She was named to the Order of Canada in 2013, inducted into the American Marketing Association’s Hall of Legends in 2015, and received a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2016. 

Jeanne lives in Toronto, Canada. 

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Q & A with Jeanne Beker*

GWR: You were a pioneer in music and fashion journalism—what was this like to be such a trailblazer in Canadian television? 

JB: We were flying by the seat of our pants, no question, making it up as we went along. We didn’t really think of it as trail blazing at the time—we were just hell bent on being original and making great TV. We had no role models, of course, and it certainly was liberating to be able to be that unconventional. But it wasn’t always easy because not everyone understood what we were doing—or trying to do. 

GWR: When it comes to fashion, you have covered the gamut. What was your favourite trend? Do you have a least favourite? 

JB: I’m not really a big fan of the notion of “trends” to begin with, though I realize they often dictate the way people choose to dress. But in the early 90’s, the idea of “doing your own thing” came on strong again—the way it did in the ‘70s—and it was wonderful to see so many fashion enthusiasts break rules, and not worry about what everybody else was wearing. Once upon a time, fashion was definitely about doing what everybody else was doing—but self expression came into play in a big way, and that, to me, was the absolute healthiest direction to take. We saw a lot of exuberance in fashion in the ‘90s because of that mindset—and happily, it’s a kind of “trend” that never did really go away. I’ve also always loved the vintage vibe, and vintage dressing is certainly a wonderfully sustainable way to go. 

In terms of “least favourite” trend—well, that’s a tough one because I’m one of those people who never says never. Certain things are jarring when they’re first introduced, but our eye gets very used to some of these things very quickly, so I’m good with all of it!!! 

GWR: What are some of your wardrobe staples?

JB: Several pair of great fitting black pants, in a variety of fabrics, that can be dressed up or down; a well tailored black jacket; a few colourful silk shirts; a few little black cocktail dresses (sorry for all the black! LOL); as many cashmere sweaters as I can get my hands on; a great fitting pair of blue jeans; a leather moto jacket; a handful of silk scarves; high heels that are relatively comfy to wear (because nothing makes me feel as sexy as a pair of heels!); and empowering accessories—whether they’re bold, or sentimental, or whimsical, or just beautifully designed.  

GWR: In Heart on my Sleeve, you thread together moments from your life by writing about pieces from your wardrobe that have special meaning, weaving in life lessons and experiences. How did you come up with the concept of telling your story through the lens of fashion?

JB: Although I appreciate being known for many things, I guess “fashion” is what most people associate me with, because SO many people grew up watching me on Fashion Television! But I was thinking of a way to get into my story-telling, and I thought about how my own wardrobe was so rife with so many memories. For some crazy reason, I almost always remember exactly what I was wearing on any adventure. Maybe it’s because I often look at what we wear as “costume”—the way we dress can help us feel our best, most authentic selves, and communicate so much about who we are to both others, and ourselves. I thought that by reminiscing about my cherished wardrobe pieces, I might encourage others to do the same. At any rate, all these pieces served as great springboards for my story telling, and gave me—and hopefully will give my readers—some fun insights into past eras, and the role fashion often played. 

GWR: How did you decide on which items to feature? 

JB: Well I felt I had to have a pretty good story to offer with each piece. There have been untold cherished pieces in my wardrobe over the years, but not all were worthy of featuring because they didn’t have a particularly compelling story to go along with them. Many of the pieces I wrote about I still actually own! Some are relegated to mere memories….and some I still have photos of. My talented daughter Bekky O’Neil did the illustrations in the book, so you’ll at least get an idea of what all these wonderful pieces looked like. And there are several old photos in the book as well, to really take you back. 

GWR: Heart on my Sleeve is not a chronicling of your successes but rather a testament to your resilience, your spirit, and your perseverance. Why did you choose to write it this way? 

JB: I feel that at this time in my life it’s really important to share as many life lessons as possible. The stories in this memoir, which are not in any chronological order, hopefully all offer some kind of lesson— from having faith, confidence, and compassion, to dreaming big, fearlessness, and the power of positivity. 

GWR: What is the best piece of advice you’ve received? 

JB: The advice my dad always gave me, which was his personal motto:  Don’t be afraid.  And never give up. 

GWR: What do you hope readers take away from Heart on my Sleeve?  

JB: I hope they understand how a little girl with stars in her eyes, who always kept an open mind and an open heart—and worked extremely hard—managed to realize countless fantasies during a brilliantly exciting era in pop culture. I hope readers will understand the role authenticity has played in my life, and how fashion, as superficial as it often is, can be a catalyst for self discovery and great communication.   

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be?

JB: A cross between hot ginger tea and a vodka martini, straight up, with olives!

GWR: Can you share what you are working on next?

JB: I’m co-curating a huge, fashion-themed exhibit with Canadian designer Paul Hardy which will be presented at Calgary’s Glenbow Museum (currently under renovation) when it re-opens in 2026. Incredibly exciting for sure! Details will be announced in the next few weeks.  

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada. 

The Lightening Bottles by Marissa Stapley

A special thank you to the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

He was the troubled face of rock ‘n’ roll…until he suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Jane Pyre was once half of the famous rock ‘n’ roll duo, the Lightning Bottles. Years later, she’s perhaps the most hated—and least understood—woman in music. She was never as popular with fans as her bandmate (and soulmate), Elijah Hart—even if Jane was the one who wrote the songs that catapulted the Lightning Bottles to instant, dizzying fame, first in the Seattle grunge scene, then around the world.

But ever since Elijah disappeared five years earlier and the band’s meteoric rise to fame came crashing down, the public hatred of Jane has taken on new levels, and all she wants to do is retreat. What she doesn’t anticipate is the bombshell that awaits her at her new home in the German countryside: the sullen teenaged girl next door—a Lightning Bottles superfan—who claims to have proof that not only is Elijah still alive, he’s also been leaving secret messages for Jane. And they need to find them right away.

Told in both the past and the present, Stapley's latest is a gritty account of a famous band torn apart by addiction and fame. Her writing is complex, as are her characters, and she hits all the right notes in this atmospheric ode to the 90s. The Lightening Bottles is a visceral and searing portrait of addiction, love, loss, and the price of fame.

Part mystery, part romance, and part love letter to one of rock music's most influential decades, The Lightening Bottles is a smash. 

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MARISSA STAPLEY is a journalist and the bestselling author of Mating for Life, Things to Do When It's Raining, The Last Resort, and Lucky which has been optioned for television. 

Stapley lives in Toronto with her family.

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Q & A with Marissa Stapley*

GWR: How did you start writing/become a writer?    

MS: I was a journalist for many years, writing in-house and freelance for several newspapers and magazines—but I always knew I wanted to write creatively. The key to starting to write is to just…start! It’s that simple, and that impossible. I finally sat down and started working on a novel which would eventually become my first. I managed to get an agent and sell it to a small Canadian publisher, but sadly that publisher went out of business before the book came out. There were a few years of false starts and challenges but I kept at it, and eventually wrote Mating for Life, my debut novel which truly kickstarted my career as an author. 

GWR: You have written nine books (Marissa is also the author of: Lucky, The Last Resort, Things to Do When It’s Raining, and Mating for Life; co-authored as Maggie Knox All I Want for Christmas and The Holiday Swap with Karma Brown; co-authored Three Holidays and a Wedding with Uzma Jalaluddin; and has a new holiday novel, The Holiday Honeymoon Switch, writing as Julia McKay). Do you approach each the same way, or does your process differ based on genre?

MS: My process is only different now because of how many deadlines I have. I used to “pants” my way through a fairly lean first draft of each book, and then go back and do a sort of retroactive outline. That may be a slightly more fun and exciting way to work, but it’s not entirely predictable. Meaning that now I have become a plotter, and I’ll probably never go back. (Then again, never say never!) I tend to come up with an idea, write a one page pitch that I’ll share with my agent. We’ll discuss it, I’ll think about it for  a while, and then I’ll come up with a detailed outline. I actually adore outlining. Uzma always used to tell me when we were writing together that outlining is my super power. I do think I’m very good at taking ideas and running with them, and creating detailed road maps are now one of my favourite parts of the writing process. I do this with every novel, whether it’s one of the novels I publish under my own name, or a holiday rom-com. 

And I certainly take all my books seriously, no matter the genre. The rom-coms may be more fun, but it is just as important to me to get everything about them right.I always say easy reading is absolutely NOT easy writing. In fact, it can often be the opposite. And just because I'm always heading towards a happy ending with those books doesn’t mean I can’t delve into serious topics or take my characters to interesting, thought-provoking places.  I look forward to doing so much more of that in the future. 

GWR: What was the inspiration for The Lightning Bottles?

MS: I’ve been calling this novel the book of my heart. It is inspired by who I was as a teenager: music obsessed, and especially fixated on the world of grunge and alternative music. But that music scene had so much tragedy—not to mention a lot of misogyny.  Far too many artists were lost  too young, and far too many female artists did not get the credit they deserved.  I started to wonder what it would feel like to rewrite the history I lived through--and the idea for this book was born. 

GWR: Jane is a strong female and is perceived as being difficult and not overly liked by her peers and higher ups in the industry. Why do you think that women in music, especially during that time, were thought of as such, rather than as influential and/or creative? 

MS: I really don’t understand why any of this happens. Why was Yoko Ono seen as less than, when in truth she was integral to John Lennon’s art, so much so that the words to ‘Imagine’ came from  her poetry, and this was only acknowledged later—and still not really talked about? Why did she bear the blame for the Beatles break up? Why was Courtney Love accused of everything from killing her husband when he clearly took his own life, to not writing her own music when she is clearly a talented musician herself? Why have rockstars historically been able to get away with heinous acts (such as staggering amounts of statutory rape, casually detailed in a sickening number of rock memoirs) but Sinead O’Connor stood up against child abuse and was erased for it? I think there is still a fight to be had when it comes to equality and that we need to keep doing the hard work. Which means, for example, that when a female artist like Chappell Roan stands up and asks for boundaries and refuses to smile and be nice when she’s being treated horribly by the paparazzi we need to allow that, not vilify it. We cannot allow “the way things have always been” to dictate what our future looks like or we will always be stuck in the dark ages. 

GWR: This book takes a deep dive into other issues—mental health, addiction, toxic relationships—why was it important to include these elements in the story?

MS: I could not possibly have been true to the realities of the grunge music era without delving into those issues.  I did so much research on addiction and mental health and also drew from personal experience, as I have supported family members and friends through both. These are not easy topics. I remember thinking as I did my research that for addicts—such as Kurt Cobain—and those dealing with mental health issues—such as Jeff Buckley—fame just made it all so much worse. I started thinking that escape would have been the only option for them to ever get to a place where recovery was possible. This really informed the story. As far as toxic relationships, I wanted to try to see what would happen, fictionally, at least, if the characters in such toxic relationships were perhaps able to grow and learn from their experiences and hardships. So again, this informed the course of the story greatly. 

GWR: Tell me about the research you did for the novel?

MS: I’ve said many times that the books I read as research for this novel would stack all the way up to my office ceiling—and I have a high ceiling! I thought I knew the grunge and alternative music world inside and out, having come of age during that time. But there was so much research I needed to do to understand the inner workings of the music world, as well as song-writing—not to mention the harsh realities of addiction and mental health. I read endlessly. Music memoirs, addiction memoirs, books about songwriting, books about music. I also spoke with many industry experts, such as the great Alan Cross, to really get the story right. 

GWR: Why did you choose a third person perspective and a dual timeline?

MS: The dual timeline was really the only way to tell this story. We had to start at the beginning—which was also sort of the end—and work back. As far as third person, I don’t think Jane is the type of character who would have allowed first person, if that makes sense. She is far too closed and self-protective, and it would have been really challenging as an author to try to get in as close as first person writing requires. I don’t know that there’s ever a conscious, 'I am going to sit down and write this story in this exact way’ moment, at least not for me. I have my idea, and once I get past the conceptualizing stage and sit down to write, it just begins when it does and comes out the way it comes out. I might get a few chapters in and realize the story needs to be first person but I’m writing in third, or that I need to tell the story in a linear way when I’ve started it as dual timeline, but that’s usually the sort of thing I figure out pretty early. 

GWR: If your book was a beverage, what would it be? 

MS: A shot of Chartreuse, straight from the bottle. 

GWR: What are you working on now?

MS: My second holiday rom com, writing as Julia McKay, which is out next fall and I’ll have more news on soon. And two screen adaptation projects. 

*A version of this post was published on STYLE Canada.