After a tough few years—two movie duds, a risky foray into country music, and tabloid headlines about her weight—Jessica Simpson is at the crossroads of Obscurity and Re-invention. What brought the 28-year-old pop star, now also the controversial girlfriend of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, to this moment Talking to Simpson about her life and loves, the author charts the inevitable rise of a preacher’s daughter from Abilene, Texas, the pervasive influence of her manager father, and the radiant quality that, through thick and thin, has made her a woman to watch.