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!

I appreciate how honest Chelsea Devantez is, even through the redacted sentences. It's clear, it's jumping off the page, the pain she endures, the terror she feels under the throttle of the perpetrator(s) in her life. I'd highly recommend this memoir for any person who has felt trapped, thinking they have no way out. The highlights are some of her healthy relationships with women. Women who come through, women who listen, women who pay attention. It's a village we form throughout our short lives.

What a fantastic read!! I have to admit, I was a little annoyed when I started reading the first chapter and got to the blacked-out portions. If I'm being honest, I wish there was more of an explanation as to why in the beginning. I only really understood the why after listening to Chelsea talk about it on her podcast. In the moment, it definitely left me confused as a reader. That is truly my only critique of the book. The writing was fantastic, the stories were punchy and laugh-out-loud funny, and the ending left me in a puddle of tears. Chelsea is an incredible writer and I hope she gets many more chances to write and publish because she deserves it. As a fan of memoirs, this is up there as one of my favorites. It was an incredibly satisfying read because it left me feeling like the author truly knows herself, and man, what a gift for both her and her readers. A lot of memoirs are written too soon, before the author has fully had a moment to reflect. This memoir is "fully baked," and while I wouldn't say there's a happy ending, the wisdom she shares is something everyone can learn from. I already know I will read this memoir again and take new lessons from it. Thank you, Chelsea, for being so vulnerable and honest in the sharing of your truth!

This is one of the most powerful memoirs I’ve read. Chelsea Devantez is a force, and her extreme vulnerability and courage is something that will stick with me forever. I loved the structure of this memoir, not told exactly chromatically but structured around the important women in various points in her life. I so appreciated her self awareness looking back on old unhealthy friendships, her insight into why female celebrity memoirs meant so much to her growing up (and still to this day!), and of course her power in telling [what she could] of her experiences with domestic violence. I’ll never forget her points about how the systems put in place to help victims actually end up silencing them. The content of this memoir is so heavy at times, but Chelsea is so funny that she had me laughing out loud in between moments of tears. Cannot recommend enough!!

Wow! While this type of writing (confessional essays written by your future bestie vibe) is my least favorite, I still enjoyed the author’s funny, but sometimes tragic stories. From her exploration of religion to sex, there are definitely many overshares which happen to be really exciting!

I tried to read this as well as listen to the audio from another platform and it seemed very off putting to me. Unfortunately, i chose to DNF this and I won't be trying to pick it back up. I'm sorry!

I really enjoyed this one! I did not know who she was prior to reading this, but she is behind some of the best TV in recent memory. Some parts of this book were genuinely, laugh-out-loud funny. However, it is also meaningful - she, of course, details her own life experiences, including abuse, but in a way that doesn't expose you to the nitty gritty of it while still understanding how weighty it was and how she has worked to overcome it. Really enjoyed!

This focuses mainly on the quest to become a comedienne and writer. With a rough childhood, Devantez pours her all into friendships and showcasing her talent. I liked the part about her mother towards the end which is a loving tribute and when she writes about forgiveness. Some pars weren't as good as others and while there are some amusing bits, her history is not. A writer for Jon Stewart and a celebrity memoir enthusiast, this is Devantez's first book.

Copy provided by the publisher and Netgalley

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This was a super enjoyable read. Chelsea is hilarious and managed to write a book that reads like talking with your funny best friend even when the topics are super heavy. She seems like the kind of woman we need more of across all industries, looking for ways to collaborate with and elevate other women while removing barriers for those coming behind her as she cuts her path. She handled the redactions elegantly and still made her point via what was unsaid rather than said, which was perhaps even more powerful in the end. 4 stars instead of 5 because the industry stories got to be a bit boring toward the back 25% of the book but overall a solid read.

This book was so good! So layered, funny, heartful, etc. I felt every emotion, I felt for Chelsea, and I learned a lot.

Would definitely recommend this book to everyone!

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this book!