Growing up, One Tree Hill was a weekly staple in my life, so learning Bethany Joy Lenz was in a cult was a bit of a shocker. In my mind, Peyton, Brooke and Haley were best friends from the get go. Her autobiography gives readers (and fans) an inside view into the life she fell into and the struggles she faced within her ten years as a member of this group. It was eye opening in so many ways - from learning about the actual relationships Lenz had with the other actors on One Tree Hill, to the way she was treated and felt about her life outside of the WB stages. Her story is heartbreaking but also important to read, especially as someone who had limited awareness and knowledge of a cult life.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.

5✨

A much anticipated memoir and it did not disappoint. I was a super fan of One Tree Hill (and maybe still a little obsessed 😝) and as someone who once fell prey to a cult as well, this book immediately caught my attention! It gave great insight on the cult she was in while being a part of a “cult” tv show. I’m glad she’s in a better place now and able to still enjoy life and the fruits of her labor from OTH! Highly recommend

I feel super weird giving a memoir a star rating because it’s someone’s life.
I have loved BJL since her OTH days. It was really interesting reading about all she’s been through. Loved this!

Thanks to @simonandschuster for sending me Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz, out 10/22!

Dinner for Vampires is a much anticipated memoir detailing her decade in a high control group (aka a cult) while also starring in one of the biggest shows of the 2000s: One Tree Hill.

Joy speaks with humor and vulnerability about her experiences, framing her journey so that people who think “That would never happen to me” can understand that this kind of insidious isolation, abuse, and control could happen to anyone.

Dinner for Vampires has broad appeal for both fans of her work and for those who find themselves fascinated by cults and true crime.

I was especially interested in her reflections on the way her relationships with her friends, family, and co-stars were impacted by her struggles, as well as the way she addresses the failure of our legal system to protect those who experience forms of abuse other than physical violence.

Please check content warnings before reading!

⭐️ 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎 ⭐️
Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

sᥡᥒ᥆⍴sіs:
In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to breakthrough as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her career was about to take off, but her personal life was slowly beginning to unravel. What none of the show’s millions of fans knew, hidden even from her costars, was her secret double life in a cult.

An only child who often had to fend for herself and always wanted a place to belong, Lenz found the safe haven she’d been searching for in a Bible study group with other Hollywood creatives. However, the group soon morphed into something more sinister—a slowly woven web of manipulation, abuse, and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz began to give away her autonomy, ultimately relocating to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound, overseen by a domineering minister who would convince Lenz to marry one of his sons and steadily drained millions of her TV income without her knowledge. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”–inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

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mᥡ rᥱ᥎іᥱᥕ:
I was a huge One Tree Hill fan in my high school years and have just recently started rewatching the series.

This book was heavy at parts and really eye opening. I never knew that Bethany Joy Lenz was in a cult up until this book. It’s wild to read how manipulative people can be while trying to make someone feel “safe”. Cults are always so intriguing to me and I often find myself questioning “how can people fall for this baloney”. However, it’s clear that these cult leaders prey on lost souls who are just trying to find their place in the world. It’s completely disgusting to take advantage of such vulnerable individuals. I pray for those who are still stuck in cults, that one day they find the strength to walk away.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the opportunity to read this ARC. Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz is available for purchase, October 22!

If you, like me, are a One Tree Hill fan, just know going into this that this book is NOT about OTH. Maybe like 2% of the book talks about it. Most of the book is about the religious cult that Joy found herself in while filming OTH. I think it was courageous of Joy to share her story with the world, and by sharing her story, perhaps it will prevent others from falling prey to the same thing. It made me happy to know that her belief in God did not waver due to everything that she went through.

I loved One Tree Hill, so this was a no-brainer ARC request. It touches on the OTH show a bit, but it’s mostly about her time in the cult and getting out. It was light on specific details, but I imagine that it is to protect her daughter. From what I read, the most damaged was her bank account, and she lost millions. If you find cults fascinating, you’ll enjoy this quick, bingable book! Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I hate rating memoirs because it happened TO someone and it is someone’s actual life, and oftentimes the people that are writing a memoir aren’t seasoned writers. This. This is the book. I picked this one up because I recognized Lenz from her years on One Tree HIll and I am a sucker for a book about a cult!

Lenz suffered at the hands of people she loved and the story is raw and hard at times to read. As an outsider, you can see the writing on the wall and I think she foreshadows beautifully. It is compelling, and I hope the royalties are 10000% because she absolutely deserves it. This book is not the next memoir winner, but it is compelling and it kept me up all night reading. If you read I’m Glad My Mom Died, try this one.

As a One Tree Hill fan, I was so excited to get a copy of this to read ahead of its publication day. I was expecting a lot more about OTH but it was really more about her time as a member of a cult. Once I started, I couldn't put it down and wanted to know more about her story. As far as memoirs go, I really enjoyed it - her voice was strong and she did a good job of explaining how she arrived in the situation she did as people who lead cults prey upon vulnerabilities.
Overall, would definitely recommend to OTH fans or those interested in cults. Thank you for the copy!

As a big OTH fan, I was super excited to have the opportunity to read this book early through NetGalley. I finished this morning and can’t stop talking about it. It’s absolutely mind-blowing what Joy went through behind the scenes during the entirety of her OTH run and nearly a decade of her life.

I love Joy’s writing and how open she is about the whole experience, and I honestly wish the book was a bit longer… I would’ve loved to learn more about her healing process and the decade since removing herself from that cult environment. I also, of course, would have loved a bit more behind the scenes on OTH, since it was such a huge part of her life.

Would definitely recommend to any pop culture fans, and am hoping for a sequel about her healing and motherhood process!

I loved One Tree Hill. Like a lot. So I was of course going to read yet another memoir from one of its stars. BUT the thing here is - this one is about cults! So if you are not an OTH person, that's fine, come for the cults.

Bethany Joy Lenz (goes by Joy) speaks of her time in what was a Bible study between friends but ended in her being in a cult led by a man named Les that took over her life and her finances. She starts evangelical and being very religious to begin with and it was a slow slide into giving over all her autonomy to a religious leader to help her be more Christian in her life. They controlled what roles she took and, as she was the only working member, used her earnings to finance the cult. Her parents definitely saw it as a cult and tried to get her out but she was like "no, mom, it's just friends in a prayer group!" Girl, wake up, the cult call is coming from inside the house.

It was really interesting to see the insidious way a cult pulls you in bit by bit and takes over drip by drip. And that she was in this cult the *entire* time she was on One Tree Hill. I have to rewatch just to think about all that was going on in her life while she filmed it.

I recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Dinner for Vampires is out Oct. 22, 2024.

4.5 stars rounded up. This book was more than I expected it to be. A nuanced and deep dive into what happens when the search to belong collides with misplaced and warped faith, and the predatory monsters who are present in every religion. As someone who both grew up in church and was a fan of OTH as a young adult, this was a particularly interesting read, especially in today’s climate of politics warped with so-called Christianity.

But the title is a little deceptive, although I understand why it the book was named this way for marketing purposes. If you’re an OTH fan looking for any juicy gossip or fun tidbits, this ain’t it. Fair warning, the show isn’t mentioned until 40% in, and any stories about it revolve mostly around BJL’s cult experiences. But I think if you’re someone who is a big fan of the show and especially of the actress, you’ll still find this book immensely interesting.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a One Tree Hill kid, originally Dawson's Creek, but then when you move to Eastern North Carolina, you end up around the show. I loved living there, and loved the fact that One Tree Hill has honestly been such a joy. (No pun intended.) Bethany Joy Lenz was always so sweet to us that would even be there as extras, something that I appreciated. I know that I think I was surprised, that the show wasn't mentioned as much as I thought it would be, but the way that Joy writes about her co-stars, I loved that. I had no idea that Joy had gone through everything that she had, and I am so glad that she was able to find her way out with the help of friends and family. I appreciated that she was so open about her experience, and I hope that others find solace in that. Thank you to NetGalley, to Bethany Joy Lenz, and to Simon & Schuster for the good fortune to get to read the ARC of this. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book. It was exactly what I wanted; equal parts of cult and One Tree Hill It was super intriguing, sad and wonderful. A must read!

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! I've never watched One Tree Hill, but am always a fan of celebrity memoirs. When I read the summary of this book, I was instantly intrigued. This book is the best memoir that I have read this year. Bethany's story is real and genuine. She takes you through the reality of how somebody can think they are doing everything right and be taken advantage of due to status, money, and need to find community.

Her recount of her experience in a cult while on the well known cult tv show One Tree Hill is an unbelievable story about faith, humanity, abuse, realization, and ultimately bravery. This book is very impactful and well thought out, Bethany is a wonderful storyteller. I believe she will help many people by telling this story to the world and that even though her journey was difficult - she will be a huge difference with this memoir.

I definitely recommend this book whether you are a One Tree Hill fan or not!

I am a huge OTH fan and a Nathan/Haley fan, specifically, and I'm also fascinated by cults so I was excited about this one. I immediately liked the fact that it sounded like Bethany. The writing was (mostly) unpretentious and relatable and sounded conversational, like she's telling you the story rather than trying to be overly wordy or thought about it. I had no idea she was going through this while filming and I think it's very impressive that she was able to handle things, though I do wonder how having so much physical distance between herself (filming in rural NC) and the cult (being on the west coast) didn't make it very easy to get out. I do think fans of OTH will enjoy reading this and hearing a more in-depth version of her story which to this point we'd only heard bits and pieces of, but I don't know that it will appeal to people really looking to understand cults because it just never really hammered home the whole appeal. It just never seemed like a very successful cult. So while her story is interesting, it is mostly because of who she is.

Dinner for Vampires is a memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz who is best known for her role on One Tree Hill
I mostly picked this book up for its subtitle "Life on a Cult TV Show While Also in an Actual Cult" and it did not disappoint. Lenz perfectly blends the celebrity memoir with cult memoir that made this book impossible to put down. It was so interesting to read about her slow descent into the cult and the dynamics within.

Bethany Joy Lenz details her time slowly joining a cult and her time in the cult while filming One Tree Hill,

The first half of this book was super slow for me. It was hard to get through, especially as someone who is not religious, 150 pages about her Bible study was a lot. The second half got a lot more interesting, but it was tough to get to that far. I felt bad for a lot of the stuff she went through, but in all honesty she came off very snobby and rude in a lot of things she said. Things like "hotels are for families and motels are pay by the hour" and "she was a plus-sized blonde" were just so unnecessary and rude and they really rubbed me the wrong way. I was a huge OTH fan, but had no real opinion on her before this book, but now my opinion is not very high for her.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I just couldn't get into this one, but it could be me - I loooooooved OTH so if you're a fan I'd definitely try it!

What an absolutely enlightening and heartwrenching book. Bethany Joy Lenz endured a cult like rise to stardom on One Tree Hill while also being raised in an actual cult. Powerful, hopeful, and wonderful.