A Clean Mess

A Memoir of Sobriety After a Lifetime of Being Numb

By: Tiffany Jenkins

Narrated by: Tiffany Jenkins

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The bestselling author of High Achiever chronicles life after addiction—the raw, the dark, and the hilarious—from setting out with nothing but a backpack to discovering her marriage was built on a shakier foundation than she’d ever imagined to staying sober when life fell apart.

“Tiffany Jenkins illustrates that recovery is not just about sobriety, but about learning to live and feel again. Her compelling story is a testament to the power of resilience, humor, and hope.”—Sarah Levy, author of Drinking Games

A Clean Mess opens with the moment that changed everything. Tiffany is about to go on stage when she receives an odd message from her husband: “Hey Babe, some of the guys here are making some stupid decisions. Not me. But I just wanted to let you know in case you heard it from some of the other wives.” By the end of the night, Tiffany knew her life would never be the same.

This wasn’t the first time she had to start over. After the opioid addiction and jail sentence that she chronicled in her bestselling memoir, High Achiever, Tiffany was ready for a fresh start. A chance to try life again, this time without drugs coursing through her veins. In A Clean Mess, she takes us back to those early days of recovery, and the whirlwind that she entered the moment she was out of prison. In just two years, she went from inmate to married and sober mom of three.

Told with humor and honesty, A Clean Mess is Tiffany Jenkins’s story of how she learned to live and feel for the first time without numbing herself with drugs—and how she discovered inner reserves of strength she didn’t know she had. From her tentative first days of sobriety, to seeing two pink lines on a pregnancy test weeks later, to navigating anxiety, a new marriage, and motherhood at the same time, to surviving betrayal and divorce, Jenkins shows how she got through it all when her crutches and Band-Aids were taken away from her. An inspiring memoir that reads like fiction, A Clean Mess is a book that will buoy anyone seeking a life raft in hard times.

Critic reviews

“In this deeply personal and unflinchingly honest memoir, Tiffany Jenkins illustrates that recovery is not just about sobriety, but about learning to live and feel again. Her compelling story is a testament to the power of resilience, humor, and hope.”—Sarah Levy, author of Drinking Games

“A Clean Mess is the book we have all been waiting for. Once again, Tiffany has taken us inside her life in recovery using humor, humility, and love as her compass. Tiffany’s second memoir gives readers a raw and honest look into relationships as a recovering addict. She’s relatable and endearing while living through some of the most unimaginable circumstances. I laughed. I cried. And then I called my parents.”—Lyssa Chapman, author of Walking on Eggshells

“When I read A Clean Mess, I found myself so deeply relating to Tiffany’s pain that it felt as though I’d crawled right into her body to live through it all over again. She holds nothing back and bares her soul with wit, honesty, and raw grit: things that make for both an excellent human and an excellent read. From one woman who has walked through fire to another: Read this! It’ll remind you that while we’re all kinda f***ed up, none of us are alone.”—Jodie Sweetin, author of unSweetined: A Memoir

“Jenkins takes readers on a rollicking ride-along through her addiction and recovery in the moving and darkly comic follow-up to High Achiever . . . Jenkins’s raw reflections have the rueful quality of diary entries (‘During the years I should have been learning to save money, file taxes, and pay bills, I was stuck on a train to nowhere’). Throughout, she avoids facile empowerment messages while still providing hope for those lingering near rock bottom. This inspires.”— Publishers Weekly

Better than the first book!

Tiffany’s latest work is a powerful blend of vulnerability, humor, and heartfelt reflection. Although I’ve followed her journey for years through various media, this intimate glimpse into her life behind the scenes is nothing short of extraordinary. It deepens my admiration for the resilient, inspiring woman I already knew her to be.

The writing is not only engaging but emotionally resonant, and having Tiffany narrate her own story elevates the experience even further—it felt as though she was speaking directly to me. I was so captivated that I finished the book in a single day.

If you haven’t read her first book, I highly recommend starting there, but this second installment surpasses even that. It’s a beautiful testament to personal growth and self-realization. A must-have addition to any library.

Love it

I loved this book. As always, Tiffany doesn’t disappoint. She shares her story in a raw vulnerable way, always with humor. Highly recommend this book! Especially if you are an addict, either in active addiction or recovery.

Tiffanys realness and rawness.

Thank you for being so vulnerable and sharing your life. You helped me so much!

Amazing

There is nothing to dislike. I love Tiffany and I am so thankful she shares her life with us.

Love love loved it !

I followed Tiffany for a very long time and fell in love with her skits originally. Since then, I have continued to follow her on both of her podcast as well as reading both of our books. I finished this book in a day and a half. I couldn’t stop listening to it. Although, I am not an addict. I feel like I have been a fan for so long that I have so much empathy for her. Tiffany, if you see this, I’m so proud of you and I really really hope that you do a third book explaining everything that happened post divorce. Keep doing what you’re doing. You have no idea how much you are loved.♥️