I Shouldn't Be Telling You This is a striking memoir. I wasn't familiar with Chelsea Devantez before reading the book, but that didn't matter. Told with humor and grit, the author details the women who impacted her life the most--whether for good or bad. I especially loved the final chapter that she dedicated to her mother.

I went into this memoir completely blind and totally based on the title and I was very very pleasantly surprised!

I didn’t know who Chelsea Devantez is but after finishing this very raw and real memoir about her life I went down a rabbit hole to find out more and will now be adding her podcast, Glamorous Trash, to my rotation.

Chelsea is vulnerable, inclusive, brave, hilarious, and a true role model for every woman that is struggling with feeling alone. I loved not just reading her story, but the way Chelsea told it.

Thank you @chelseadevantez for bravely sharing so much of yourself

Thank you @htp_hive and @netgalley for the early copy

5 stars

It's only appropriate that Devantez, known for devouring and reviewing celebrity memoirs in her podcast Glamorous Trash, should write her own memoir. She says early on that she intends to be completely open and not hide anything from the reader, an aim made difficult by the fact that she had to redact parts of her story for legal reasons. While some of the specifics might be literally blacked out, Devantez attained her goal, putting her story on the page, warts and all.

My memoir pet peeve is when the author sees themselves as the hero/victim of every anecdote; it makes me question the veracity of their entire tale. That concern was not an issue here, as Devantez looks back on her life with the insight of someone who has been to therapy and put a lot of hours into delving into both her trauma and her behavioral patterns. When a friendship/work partnership breaks up because of her friend's betrayal, she is able to reflect how their dynamics were toxic long before the final fracture.

This book is an ode to female friendships, living out loud, not dimming your light for anyone, rising above your circumstances then lifting others up behind you, and working on yourself so you can live a full life free from the weight of the past.

It’s hard to really review a memoir I think. Not in the typical sense where you review a work of fiction. This is someone’s life, their experiences. This memoir was funny, quirky, heartbreaking and contemplative. Reading stories from a fellow Millennial was like experiencing frequent flashbacks to high school and societal norms (body images anyone?) that were being perpetrated as a culture during those years.

This was a celebration of Chelsea’s successes and everything she overcame to get to where she is now. It celebrates the women in her life that left an impact and taught her to trust in herself and surround herself with women who uplift. It was a candid look at the struggles that she went through to get help and how finding the right person to help you is just as important as taking that first step.

Either way - I’m not a big memoir reader, but I’m glad I took a risk on reading this one and I know it will stick with me for years to come.

This book is a 5 stars for sure. It was hilarious, so raw, and truly inspiring. If you liked the book I’m glad my mother died, I think you’d really like this book. I would definitely recommend checking this out.

Thank you @htp_hive @hanoversquarepress for the ARC!

♦️ 𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 ♦️
This memoir was amazing. Chelsea tells her story in a non-linear way, with chapters dedicated to the women who impacted her the most in her life… with everything tying together near the end. She has a storyline that was in the book, yet not in the book, that she told in a very unique way because it was a part of her story she didn’t want to leave out.

In a chapter of the book dedicated to her reading female celebrity memoirs, Chelsea highlights the importance of sharing stories. If we have the ability to share our story, it lets others out there know they aren’t alone in their story, because so often we can feel siloed and alone in what is happening in our lives.

Chelsea digs deep to express her vulnerability and by the end of the book you aren’t sure whether to laugh or cry or both. This memoir feels like having a fun conversation with a friend, while also getting real with some tough topics.

I highly recommend reading this book, and if you have the chance to pick up the audio, do it! It’s one of the best audios from a celebrity I’ve listened to.

🎧 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚:
♦️ Celebrity Memoirs
♦️ LOL Moments
♦️ Vulnerable Storytelling
♦️ Comedian Memoirs
♦️ Female Powered Stories

This book is such a reminder that you never know what is going on in someone’s life. And that the most comedic of entertainers are often the one’s with deep seeded suffering. My experience with memoirs is that they often seem superficial, but that’s not the case with this one. Chelsea is pretty vulnerable, sharing some very raw stories. And even though she had to redact part of her story relating to domestic violence due to legal reasons, and probably one of the worst parts, she left it in the book blacked out, so you will understand how significant it was to her life. If you read all the way through and even google, you get the whole gist of those redacted parts may have said. In her acknowledgements, she shared that she worried about harming her relationship with her mother with this book because she shares things that she has never shared publicly before.
But foremost, Chelsea is a comedian. So intermingled with the heartaches is humor. There’s a great balance of both, keeping the memoir from being solely a sad story. Chelsea credits her girl tribe for much of her survival as bonded as they were in camaraderie in a very male dominated environment.
She writes each chapter as an essay, so rather than a straight timeline, it’s divided more by subject matter. That took me a moment to catch on, but once I did it made sense. I didn’t know of Chelsea before reading this memoir but that didn’t matter. I picked up this arc solely based on the Hive recommendation. It was her story of survival, female bonding and the journey of life that resonated.

So note to self… always read the synopsis. I thought from the title and cover of this book that it was a thriller. I was way off lol it’s a memoir. Now I do enjoy my fair share of memoirs, unfortunately this was not one of them. It’s hard to rate someone’s life, but I’m asking myself what was so great about Chelsea’s life that she wrote a book? I didn’t find anything interesting and the parts that I thought I would want to read were all redacted so I didn’t know what it was about anyways. And if you’re going to do that why even have it in the book? It wasted my time. Anyways if i know that this was going to be a memoir about someone that I haven’t heard of doing things that don’t interest me I probably would have skipped it.
I personally don’t recommend this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and Hanover Square Press for the copy.

I was invited to an exclusive event for author and comedienne @chelseadevantez new memoir, I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This! The book is incredibly raw and vulnerable, sharing things that many people would probably take to their graves. Chelsea shares incredible stories of making her way into comedy, her broken childhood including changing her last name several times and one devastating tale of a relationship with domestic violence that occurred when she was only 16. Her editors didn’t want to include this in her book and she fought to keep this part in, as it’s part of her life story. I also love her stories of her relationship and especially how she met her husband.

The book has lots of lighter moments too. She was hired as the lead writer for a new Jon Stewart show and was told to move to NYC as fast as possible only to find out, they would actually be writing at Jon’s family’s farm in New Jersey. Because of this relationship, Jon was actually the interviewer for this incredible event. Both Chelsea and Jon were just absolutely hilarious and had great chemistry together as friends of many years have.

Thank you so so so much to @htpbooks and @htp_hive for my gift signed copy of Chelsea’s book and @librofm for my ALC.

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☕️
*
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…”
*
Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*
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 !!
*
QOTD- if you’re a non fiction reader, what memoir do you recommend ? This book reminded me how much I enjoy them!
*

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.