I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez is a raw, intimate, and often hilarious memoir that gives readers a candid look into the life of a woman who has navigated a chaotic upbringing, survived some truly outrageous experiences, and ultimately made her mark in Hollywood as a comedian, screenwriter, and podcaster. With a sharp sense of humor and unflinching honesty, Devantez shares her tumultuous path, blending confessions, embarrassing anecdotes, and moments of personal growth.

In this collection of essays, Chelsea opens up about everything from failed seduction attempts to her awkward Mormon church camp experiences, outrageous doctor visits, and surviving drive-by shootings. At its core, however, the memoir is a celebration of the women who have shaped her life—whether family, friends, or even fictional characters and celebrities. Through each essay, she highlights the role these women played in her resilience and success, guiding her from moments of financial instability to becoming the Emmy-nominated Head Writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart.

With humor and a rawness that makes her stories feel like a conversation with a close friend, Chelsea Devantez invites readers into her world, complete with all its messiness and inspiration. Her narrative style is like that moment at a party when a friend leans in with a sly grin and says, “I really shouldn’t say this, but…” I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is an unforgettable journey of survival, laughter, and the power of the women who lead us through life.

I love Chelsea's podcast, and I really enjoyed her book. I could have read it in one sitting, but I wanted to take my time with it. Her stories are both shocking and incredibly relatable. Not a linear memoir, she jumps from a childhood in the southwest to college in New York to performing comedy in Chicago. Chapters are named for important women in her life, it's so fun to read a memoir from a true girl's girl. The theme of overcoming adversity with glamour, style, and sheer will had me cheering and crying the whole time. The most striking and powerful piece was the redacted bits. It was chilling to see how much women's stories are silenced and censored. I'm so grateful she chose to include the black bars.

I’m genuinely having a hard time putting words to how I feel about this book, because of the fully parasocial relationship I have with Chelsea Devantez. But she DMs me back! And I’ve had her voice in my ears for 100s of hours recapping other memoirs! Plus she shared dozens of wedding dress try ons in her stories! We’re besties! I think that’s just it though, as I read the early readers copy - I could HEAR her tone, her voice, her storytelling throughout. Aaand I fully cannot wait to listen to the audio version as well.

Chelsea is a TV writer, comedian, and host of a podcast recapping female celebrity memoirs - so you KNOW her own memoir is going to be smart and funny. In one scene, she flips between the most soul crushing breakup scene to letting you know she happens to be wearing a bejeweled red eye patch during said argument because performing drag is where she found herself. She shares of a childhood of step dads and constantly moving, finding out about her own surprising paternity, domestic violence (some of which has to be incredibly creatively shared in the book for legal purposes), and finding her way in the comedy/TV world. Each chapter title pays homage to a certain woman/group of women in her life - because as she says - both a leading lady and a villain are main characters. I am just so proud of her for telling this story - and being on the side of healing. Her childhood and young adult stories will break your heart, and you’ll probably relate to her pain in one way or another. But wow, the kind of friendship and benevolence and life of joy she exhibits now will inspire you. Do note that the endorsement by Jon Stewart contains the “f” word as do many pages within.

I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez is a hilarious, candid, and deeply personal collection of stories that will have readers both laughing and reflecting on the complexities of life. Devantez, an Emmy-nominated head writer and podcaster, takes us on a wild ride through her most outrageous, embarrassing, and profound experiences, all while centering each story around the women who shaped her journey.

From awkward seduction attempts and misguided doctor visits to confessions about surviving a traumatic childhood, Devantez’s storytelling is raw and relatable. She recounts everything from the hilarious (being misdiagnosed as pregnant) to the heartbreaking (being publicly outed about her family's biggest secret) with a refreshing mix of humor and vulnerability. Throughout the book, it's clear that the strength of the women in her life—family, friends, and even fictional characters—has been her anchor, offering both guidance and resilience in times of difficulty.

Devantez writes with a voice that feels like a close friend telling you her most embarrassing secrets, keeping you riveted with her sharp wit and ability to turn even the toughest moments into something deeply meaningful. I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is an unforgettable read that feels like an intimate conversation you never want to end. It’s a perfect balance of humor, heart, and strength, leaving you both entertained and inspired by the women who continue to influence and empower her life.

This book just wasn’t for me. I DNF’d and then tried to come back to it multiple times, but I just couldn’t find the motivation to get through it. I’m sure many people would like this, but I just found it way to self depreciating.

Chelsea’s I Shouldn't Be Telling You This [But I'm Going to Anyway] is a witty, candid memoir that pulls back the curtain on her life with unapologetic humor and vulnerability. Part self-help, part personal story, the book explores everything from relationships and career struggles to self-doubt and the inevitable awkwardness of adulthood. Chelsea’s humor is sharp and her anecdotes are relatable, especially for anyone who’s ever felt like they’re just figuring things out while pretending they’re not completely lost.

The memoir is structured like a series of pep talks, with Chelsea offering life advice (whether you asked for it or not) and sharing her own ups and downs along the way. The writing is refreshing, with enough wit to make you chuckle and enough self-reflection to make you feel a little less alone in your own chaotic journey.

While it’s engaging and funny, the book occasionally falls into the trap of repetition—how many times can you read about someone’s failed relationship before you start to wonder, “Okay, but what else?” Still, the mix of humor and insight makes this a worthwhile read. If you’re looking for a no-nonsense, laugh-out-loud memoir with a touch of self-help, this one delivers.

This one was real and raw. I honestly thought this was a thriller, I typically do not like memoirs. But this one was superb.

Chelsea Devantez’s memoir in essays is both hilarious and heartbreaking. Some scenes are heavily redacted for legal reasons, and I’m glad that Devantez didn’t just remove them, as instructed. That she erased them, just as the gatekeepers were trying to erase her voice was powerful. Brava for finding a way to speak your truth! I was struck by the way Devantez used famous women’s memoirs to guide and instruct her. I was never a consumer of celebrity memoirs, but now perhaps I’ll start. I look forward to reading more from this author.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in any way.

I’ll be honest I had no clue who the author was when I requested this book. It was an interesting book about life, love and comedy. I enjoyed it even not knowing who she was.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of I shouldn't Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez!

I don’t usually read memoirs but Chelsea Devantez’s sounded intriguing. Her essays were raw and layered to show the significance in her life. Some of her stories were heartbreaking, especially when she describes her abuse. I didn’t like the redacted parts but I understood why they were in there. They ended up being more impactful as a whole.

The memoir is insightful with Chelsea’s bits of wisdom and I loved how she wrote about her godmother. She talked about overcoming her trauma and I really respect her vulnerability.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this eARC. I Shouldn’t Be Telling This is out now.

This book is beautiful. It’s poignant and soul-touching and honest. Chelsea mentions that she learned more about herself by reading female celebrity memoirs; I think this book will have the same impact on those that read it. Every essay is so well-written, sometimes the final lines took my breath away. The final two chapters, dedicated to her mom and her current and past self, were especially special.

I would highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the author herself. Her delivery is so warm, funny and candid. I went back and forth between laughing and crying, and *that’s* the comedic balance!!

Honestly, I requested this title because I thought it was a thriller/suspense book based on the title and cover. I was not familiar with Chelsea Devantez but wanted to give it a try because I enjoy memoirs. There is a lot of power in her story about escaping domestic violence. This part was very impactful and I believe could be relatable to so many women out there. The rest of the book is about the author building her career in comedy across 10 years. If I were familiar with Chelsea, I may be more vested in her story but to me this is just a mediocre story of her personal experience.

I enjoyed her writing style. I would prefer if the story were in chronological order to follow the timeline better. I do enjoy reading about the behind the scenes of writers and sitcoms/shows.

I didn't know who Chelsea Devantez was before reading this memoir, but I have since learned that she's responsible for some truly hilarious television. I appreciate how she straddles the line between flippant and vulnerable here--her humor comes through while addressing the horrific topics of abuse, abandonment, and CPTSD.

I love Chelsea's voice and have been following her reviews of female celebrity memoirs for years. To read her own memoir was an extra special treat and one with a lasting impact.

I shouldn’t be telling you this…. How many times have you said this? The title grabbed me right away, and the story kept me in. I loved it so much!

Raw and riveting. Funny and heartbreaking. Real and relatable. I would recommend this one hundred times over.

DNF at around 15% - I tried to like this, I really did. I just couldn't. The writing style and the content combined was just not my style. Sorry!

I went into this book completely blind, not even knowing the author or realizing that this was a memoir. I was not disappointed! In fact, I was blown away by how much I loved this collection of essays (then again, I have always been a sucker for essay collections). I found myself laughing out loud so many times, my partner was concerned. I learned so much and took so many amazing quotes from this book, I just know that I'll have to buy myself a physical copy and it will stick with me for a lifetime.

First, thank you to netgalley for the e-copy & libro.fm for the audio copy!

I had no idea who this author was before picking up her book, but now I love her. I love her humor, and her ability to talk about hard topics in an easy to read/listen to way.

I love that she narrated the book and I love when memoirs are written as essays!