Jana Kramer on Learning to Love Herself and Feeling 'Proud' of How Far She's Come with Ex Mike Caussin (Exclusive)

The country singer's new book, 'The Next Chapter,' is out now

After a painful divorce from ex-husband Mike Caussin, Jana Kramer never thought a happy ending — especially one where she's on good terms with her ex — was in the cards. Now, she hopes to inspires others to find theirs.

Speaking to PEOPLE about her new book The Next Chapter, the country singer and actress opened up about finding love and coming to a place of peace with her ex-husband.

"I've always equated love and happiness in my life [to] being loved by someone. And I was always loved by the wrong person," Kramer, 39, who's now engaged to Allan Russell, says. "If I would've met my fiancé before, I still would've been the [old] version of myself, because I would've been trying to find love through him for myself. I had to get to a place where I truly love myself."

She adds, "With Allan, someone said to me, 'What's the difference?' And I was like, 'He just loves and respects me so much.' It was kind of a light bulb moment where I was like, 'Wow, it's actually because for the first time, I know that I now deserve that respect.'"

Related: Pregnant Jana Kramer Shares Sweet Co-Parenting Moment with Fiancé Allan Russell and Ex Mike Caussin

In her book Kramer shares how she moved on and found peace after her divorce in April 2021. She also delves into past traumas and develops a new outlook on her failed relationships.

"The book started off very much like blame game and more of a victim place. That's where I was at post-divorce, and realizing that at the end of the day, blaming other people for where you're at is going to get you nowhere, to be able to look and go, 'Okay, why am I here and what choices?'"

"That's something where I'm proud of how I've been able to change the narrative to go, 'Now I don't want to, even today, I don't want to give up, and I don't want to place blame.' I want to learn, do better, and fix the pieces of me that makes me feel like, why would I stay in this relationship when it's not serving me, and it's very unhealthy," she adds.

After lots of hard work, Kramer can finally says she's "in a really great place" — including her new relationship with Caussin, 36, as co-parents.

"The biggest thing that I've learned so far is that Mike and I had to start a new relationship, where we had to not bring our old marriage, not bring our past resentments to this new relationship," she says.

"It's honestly the best relationship we've ever been in. There's a lot more respect. There's a lot more patience and grace for each other," the "I Got the Boy" singer says. "I'm really proud of us, how we've been able to manage our new situation, new relationship. I enjoy his company."

Related: Jana Kramer on 'Harder' Third Pregnancy and Believing She'd 'Never Be Loved Again' (Exclusive)

Kramer, who shares daughter Jolie, 7, and son Jace, 4, with Caussin and has another baby on the way with Russell, now looks forward to the holidays with her family in her new home.

"Hopefully our new baby will be born healthy and everything's amazing," she says. "We're really relaxing in that and just enjoying every moment of that, because I did not think two and a half years ago when I filed for divorce that that would have ever been a part of my story."

She concludes, "I think when people's stories end, they think it's done, and it's over, and they're not going to have another chance at happiness. I hope that I can be, in a way, hope for other people to know that your story isn't over and it can be even more beautiful than the one that you thought you had."

The Next Chapter is now available for purchase.

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Read the original article on People.