“Mormon Wives” Star Mayci Neeley Responds to Criticism That Her Memoir Is ‘Poorly Written’ (Exclusive)

NEED TO KNOW

• Mayci Neeley responded to critics of her memoir, Told You So, which she released last year

• Speaking to PEOPLE, the Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star acknowledges that she’s seen criticism by readers that the memoir is “so poorly written” or “so elementary”

• Neeley maintains that the writing style is “how it was supposed to be” — akin to a diary

Mayci Neeley has heard the critics of her memoir — and she thinks they didn’t understand her vision.

Last year, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star, 31, published her debut book: a memoir, titled Told You So, that charts her teenage years growing up Mormon, losing the father of her first child in a car accident while she was pregnant and the breakout success of MomTok over the last few years.

Ahead of Mormon Wives season 4, which streams on Hulu on March 12, she’s reflecting on the book’s launch and promotion, which was on the heels of her giving birth to baby No. 3 in July.

“The best part [of releasing the book] is seeing how many women have DMed me and how many people it’s impacted,” she tells PEOPLE. “I think that’s the coolest part of it.”

But it hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows: Neeley acknowledges that she’s seen criticism by readers that the memoir is “so poorly written” or “so elementary.” But the reality TV star maintains that the writing style is “how it was supposed to be” — akin to a diary.

“I’m not writing super eloquently in it, you know what I mean?” she says. “I’m just writing down my thoughts in that moment. So I think that some people maybe didn’t understand that.”

Still, Neeley says it’s been “hard” to hear some of the backlash: “I put it all out there, and then I get a lot of criticism for the writing style and stuff. And it’s like, well, OK. It was supposed to be like a diary.”

“But other than that,” concludes the reality TV star, “the impact is so much louder than the criticism, and it’s been honestly amazing overall. I’m really happy I did it.”

Beyond Neeley’s book launch, Mormon Wives’ fourth season promises an inside look at the months leading up to Taylor Frankie Paul’s search for love as the leading lady on The Bachelorette.

Several castmates weighed in on Paul’s upcoming appearance, with Neeley being a bit more skeptical about the milestone.

“I don’t think she’s ready,” Neeley says of Paul, whose road to love stars airing later this month. “I think she’s nervous, and also we’re nervous for her.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

“If I were her, I would be nervous, but I think it’s gonna be great TV,” adds Mikayla Matthews. “I think it’s going to be entertaining.”

“I think something that’s so great about Taylor is that she’s willing to put her whole life out there — the good, the bad, the scandals, the dirty, the ugly, she’ll put everything out there,” says Whitney Leavitt. “So I think, at the end of the day, she’s gonna be happy, because I would assume she was her authentic self.”

Read the original article on People