All of the memoirs that Chelsea Devantez has read and talked about on her podcast have clearly taught her how to write a really excellent memoir. This book hits a really great balance of vulnerability and rawness with the humor and wit you'd expect from a professional comedian and comedic writer. A lot of it is framed around the women who've had a big impact on her life, and her devotion to her people and what they've taught her, even through the hard parts and friendship breakups and fading aways, is clear and real. Loved this one and expect to see it on end of year best of lists in the genre!

☕️Book Review☕️
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Summary: There are things Chelsea Devantez probably shouldn’t be telling you. Many of them are in this book: some are embarrassing (like her three year spell of celibacy that she tried to break with a guide of seduction tips). Some are confessional (getting sentenced to the “hell hill” at Mormon church camp). Some are TMI (a series of outrageous doctor visits that ended with one doctor misdiagnosing her as “pregnant.” Woopsies!)

Then there are things Chelsea really shouldn’t be telling you: like the time her biggest family secret got publicly outed, or about the drive-by shootings and the precipitating domestic violence she survived. Yet through the ups and downs, it’s the women in Chelsea’s life who kept her going – from the lowest points of her childhood when she and her mom had only $100 left to their name, all the way to her career highs as the Emmy-nominated Head Writer for The Problem with Jon Stewart and sensational podcaster deemed “the memoir whisperer” by her fans.

In I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This, Chelsea centers each story around a different woman who shaped her life, taking us on a tour of friends and strangers, fictional characters and celebrities, heroes and villains who will destroy any Netflix algorithm for a “strong female lead.” Reading this book will feel kinda like that moment at a party when your friend beckons you close, sloshes her martini around, and covertly whispers, “I really shouldn’t say this, but…”
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Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts- thank you so much @htpbooks @htp_hive and @chelseadevantez for the advance copy !! This beauty releases today and is laugh out loud hilarious. It’s a memoir told in essay format and is so totally unique and hilarious. Chelsea has such a strong voice and personality in her writing. I adored this book SO much ! It is just roll on the floor funny. One of the best memoirs I’ve read in a while !!
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QOTD- if you’re a non fiction reader, what memoir do you recommend ? This book reminded me how much I enjoy them!
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Thank you to HTP and the Hive for the gifted ARC and the privilege of going to the event tonight!

So I don’t really rate/review memoirs because who am I to judge the way someone wants to share their story with the world? I admire the willingness to share some of life’s hardest moments with the entire world, knowing that not everyone will be gentle with the information. And Chelsea sure did share some deeply personal moments.

An honest and raw look at her childhood, family, and her journey to get where she is now. While the content is heavy and this memoir is fraught with trauma, it is told in such a way that you feel like you’re sitting on the couch with a friend.. a very funny snarky friend. The ability to bring humor to some of her darkest moments makes this memoir so readable even if you aren’t familiar with Chelsea beforehand.

I appreciate the inclusion of her journey to find a therapist that worked for her, meds that worked for her, and the coping skills she’s found to manage her cPTSD. Accurate and real mental health representation in the media is a huge step toward continuing to reduce and hopefully eliminate the stigma around mental health struggles and treatment.

Thank you Chelsea for sharing your story with the world. See ya tonight in NYC 💛🎉

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez was a phenomenal memoir.
It was deep but at times funny and raw. I was captivated. I was intrigued and I couldn’t stop reading.

Thank You NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is a funny, personal, and daring view of her life and how resilience has been the main driver of her ability to navigate challenges and find success in areas that Chelsea loves. It is relatable and daring. It is entirely captivating and a great summer read. I can only imagine writing a memoir or a book that will outlive you. She is daring, but she manages to make it so cleverly that she deserves a lot of admiration for it!

Thank you HTP and Harlequin Audio for the gifted copies of this book. It’s out tomorrow!

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (But I’m Going To Anyway) is a raw memoir-in-essays from comedy writer and podcaster Chelsea Devantez. It’s deep, it’s dark, and it’s hilarious (weird, right?). Chelsea has been through hell and back, many times over, but she gets back up after every punch. It’s awe inspiring without a hint of sanctimony — she just tells it like it is.

There’s something for everyone to relate to in these pages. Chelsea talks about her family life, friend break ups and make ups, boyfriend troubles and finding her husband, career triumphs and tribulations. She talks about working on shows with Jon Stewart and being at Second City. She talks around a “big scary DV incident” but hasn’t let it define her. Through it all, she’s brings her authentic self, earnest but truly hilarious. You’ll laugh and then cry and then laugh and then smile. Anyone who enjoys memoirs will love this one.

Two quick recommendations to level up your reading experience:
1 - Get the audiobook for this one. Chelsea, being the comedian and podcast host that she is, delivers a tremendous performance as she reads the audiobook.
2 - Look at her Instagram as you read it, maybe at the end or beginning of each chapter. She’s created a post for each chapter, with the first line or two and then a series of pictures of things she talked about in those chapters or herself from the relevant time period. Putting images to the story brings it to life in a deeper way.

I also want to address two things I’ve seen reviewers get hung up about that shouldn’t keep you from reading this:
1 - The book jumps around in time. It’s a memoir-in-essays rather than a straight memoir, and I think it’s still really effective as long as you know to expect the format.
2 - The black-barred, redacted parts at the beginning and end have thrown some readers off. These two small sections of the book reference an incident of DV she survived that for legal reasons, she can’t share the details of. You aren’t going to know what’s there, and that’s ok. You will understand and “enjoy” (wrong word but you get it) the book without knowing what’s in the blacked out portions. As for why it’s there at all if the reader can’t read it… it’s not for you. Chelsea left this in for herself, not for us. I think she felt that she couldn’t write this memoir — that she wouldn’t be true to herself — if she didn’t include that incident, so she included it in the only way possible.

I didn’t know who Chelsea was prior to reading this book, but that didn’t matter one bit. This was an honest and open story of her life and what a life it is!! It takes courage to share the deepest personal moments of your life and she did so in a brilliant way. The writing was great and kept me engaged throughout the whole book. I appreciate her sharing her story and how the different people in her life shaped who she is. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced reader’s copy.

This book was vulnerable and hilarious. A masterclass in owning and telling your story by leaving it all on the page.
While I don't know the author I felt immense sadness, joy, and pride while reading her journey and meeting the women that helped shape her. Memoire girlies, this one is for you.

I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez is a humorous, poignant, and insightful read filled with good intentions and practical advice.

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This
Written By Chelsea Devantez
Published By Harlequin Trade
Release Date June 04, 2024

Chelsea Devantez opens up to readers about her life and what and who has made it what it is. Humorous, sad, close to home, and very inspiring. Yet some of what’s inside will enrage you and at times almost make you delirious with laughter. I did not know who Chelsea was before reading her memoir and now I honestly can’t get enough. Each chapter is told in a way that the reader will learn about a different woman who challenged her and at times changed her. This is one book that women who believe that nothing should be hidden in order to hide things that may be taboo from friends and family. This book contains very heavy subject matter and may contain triggers but is well worth the read.


Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Wow! This was inspiring, depressing, hilarious, sad, and enraging. Who gets to decide what we should and shouldn't talk about it? I guess the people who want protection from it. There were times reading this was hard and times when it hit way too close to home, but I loved the way Chelsea Devantez could look at these things with prospective. And sometimes humor.

The book is a memoir written by Chelsea Devantez. Which I did not know who she was until probably 1/4 of the way into reading. Each chapter is dedicated to a different woman in her life that impacted her somehow.

The concept was really good, I just don’t think it was for me personally. I am not really into nonfiction, but I wanted to use May to read books that discuss mental heath awareness. Chelsea does paint a great picture of how even the littlest things can harm mental heath and we may not even realize it!

I did really enjoy the blacked out boxes. It gave the feeling that we were being told something that was not supposed to be talked about. I probably didn’t process the meaning, but I am not sure if we were told why she did it.

Celebrity memoirs are always going to be popular. I was unaware of Chelsea before I came across this read. It was not what I was expecting and it is definitely not to be read in all one sitting, very heavy material. Looking forward to seeing what other creative projects she comes up with.

Wow! This was more than what was more than what I was expecting. There was a lot packed into the story and I am glad the story was told. I am fortunate that I was able to read a copy of it. Thanks to the author for what you didn't say and the funny that goes with it!

An interesting glimpse into the life of someone with complex childhood PTSD. Abuse and its consequences take many forms. Devantez relates many of the factors of her childhood, and adulthood, that were the framework of her CPTSD. Her honesty is brutal, but necessary. And redeeming. Her life is a testament to others fighting trauma that you can make it through, though it will probably be a lifelong battle, but one you can manage with family and friends, and honesty.

I got to read an early copy of this book draft and even the draft was better than most finished books. It’s funny, smart, and I learned so much about Chelsea. Excited for the final!!!

I reread this book, the final version, and it is different. Chelsea had to make big changes for legal reasons which shifts the focus of the book from this thing that happened to her to a much more Chelsea centered story which I liked. I appreciated the flow and the humor but also how open and honest Chelsea is in the book.

This is the easiest 5 stars I've ever given. I cried, I laughed, I left inspired. If you loved Jenette McCurdy's memoir, you'll love this one. It's heartbreaking and heartwarming and I loved every second of it. I also listened to the audiobook in tandem and it was INCREDIBLE. Chelsea narrates it herself and it was so immensely enjoyable, I can't recommend it enough.

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This: (But I’m Going to Anyway) by Chelsea Devantez

This series of essays was raw, vulnerable, and funny. It felt like a conversation with a friend that is spilling what’s happened to them since you last spoke, and it’s outrageous. Admittedly, I did not know anything about Chelsea Devantez before reading this, but now I have a much deeper understanding of her.

I was impressed with the energy this book brought. It had ups and downs but the comedic relief was spot on. Devantez didn’t shy away from any struggles which included some heavy hitters like domestic violence, being female in a male-dominated field, and friendship breakups. Each chapter had its own degree of seriousness, so I was left reflecting on her opinions and worldviews frequently. One chapter particularly stood out due to her candor and vulnerability - being fathered by an anonymous donor - I had never thought about how that could affect people.

All in all, I requested this book because I liked the cover and the description claimed it was hilarious. I left this book feeling like I learned things, so absolute win. Fans of memoirs, female comedians, and gritty stories will find much to like here.

I’m a huge fan of Chelsea Devantez’s podcast Glamorous Trash and have been looking forward to her memoir ever since she announced it. It did not disappoint. Each essay is about women who have affected her life, from friends to frenemies. She shares about her experiences in the entertainment industry as a writer and comedian, childhood trauma, and learning she was donor-conceived (and that her dad was not actually her dad) when she was a teen.

This book is the embodiment of her podcast; there is power of sharing your story. We’re rarely the only one who has experienced something and our vulnerability helps others feel less alone. That Devantez manages to do this despite having literal portions of her book redacted is a feat and illustrates the way our systems protect abusers instead of victims. There is difficult content (see below) but her honesty and the fact that she’s done her best to work through and process her experiences makes this a worthy read. The last four chapters (Ashley, Bridesmaids, Mom, Chelsea Devantez) were my favorite.

Content notes: intimate partner violence (including gun violence), rape by ex-boyfriend, sexual assault (groped by guys at school, stepfather walked naked into her room to talk to her, masturbated on by a guy), sexual harassment by improv teacher, stalking, mom was in two abusive relationships, emotional and physical child abuse, suicidal ideation, suicide plan (stepfather), past death of stepfather by suicide after a cancer diagnosis, alcoholic stepfather, c-PTSD, dissociation, panic attack, depression, codependency, author learned she was donor-conceived at 14 years old and that the man she thought was her dad was not her biological father, parental infertility (mom’s first husband was nearly sterile), child neglect (lived alone in a camper at age 15 to intern at the local theater for the summer), bullying, physical assault, disordered eating, fatshaming, dieting (including as a teen), diet culture, slut-shaming, homophobia, ovarian dermoid tumor (benign), rectal bleeding, eye infection, COVID-19, vomit, born with two extra toes (removed), parental infidelity (mom cheated on first husband with second), mom ran away from home at 14 years old and married a 21 year old, death of estranged maternal grandmother, stepfather fought in Vietnam and injected himself with hepatitis to get discharged, petty theft, poverty, homelessness and housing instability, credit card debt (stepfather), miming sex acts with a puppet, past crystal meth (stepfather), alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, cigarettes, Adderall, Xanax, gendered pejoratives, ableist language

Beautiful, funny, heartbreaking, triumphant. I've been a Cookie / fan of Chelsea's Glamorous Trash podcast since nearly the beginning, so I'd been teed up to love this book pretty much since it was announced. I can say it absolutely passed the Book-del Test with flying colors - she was vulnerable and shared her truth, it was entertaining, and I feel like my life was elevated through the reading experience.