You might need to be a fan of or at least familiar with Bethany Joy Lenz to give this 5 stars, but I think as a memoir on its own, it deserves at least 4. When I read a book and explain to my husband how I'm feeling, that book is exceptional in my eyes. I was mad at this book. How people can take advantage of others and make them question themselves or feel less than is unacceptable. I'm so glad this author shared her story.

Bethany's story is so fascinating to read. While reading the story, it was sometimes hard to get through parts. As someone who watches documentaries on different cults and finds the psychology of cults interesting to research, it was painfully obvious what she was going through was manipulative and built on control. You would never want someone to go through that, and to see someone who always had a smile on their face be dealing with all of that behind closed doors is difficult to hear. I was so entranced with the entire story and found it difficult to put down. I highly recommend this read to anyone!!

I have always been a One Tree Hill fan, ever since the day it aired on the WB in 2003. I graduated high school the year before so when I learned about the premise of the show, I was instantly hooked. And if there is one character on the show that I identified with the most, it was Haley James. ⁣
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In 2003, there wasn’t social media like there is now so I didn’t know much about Bethany Joy Lenz. I do remember some tabloid-related news about other cast members- who was dating who etc. but overall I think I knew very little about Joy. I remember while watching one season that her last name changed in the opening credits because she got married…and then I remember seeing her last name changed again back to her maiden name. I always wondered what had gone on in her personal life back then. If you’re a fan of Joy and you’re anything like me (curious about what she went through during that time) - read her book!⁣
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Joy went through so much while filming OTH and it’s truly amazing she was able to stay sane through the decade she spent on our TVs. This book focuses on her time spent in a cult, marrying into that cult, having a daughter while trying to escape from this cult and how she ultimately broke away. There are small sections that focus on her time on OTH and how she isolated herself from fellow cast mates because of the control she was under. I think looking back she carries a lot of regret about that time because she had a wall up to anyone who tried to go too deep with her. ⁣
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I love that the OTH women have now come together to host a podcast, Drama Queens, where they share behind the scenes drama that was happening and what they’ve learned since their time on the show. I always love to hear Joy’s insights and now I feel like I understand her more after reading 𝘋𝘪𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘝𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴. I highly recommend their podcast and now I can highly recommend Joy’s book too. ⁣
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Thank you Netgalley for this advance copy, I’ll definitely be ordering a physical copy to add to my shelves.

Interesting and well written I just personally couldn’t get into the story. Just a little slow and unbelievable at some points. Love Bethany from one tree hill. Her story seemed very woe is her and all her occurrences that happened in her life were not a fault of her own. It got super annoying at some points. I totally get she had some bad events but own some of it too. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow ! This was such a good memoir ! It sucks you in right from the beginning and does not let go. I flew through this book so fast and did not want it to end. I was a huge One Tree Hill fan so I jumped at the opportunity to read this book. Even if you are not an OTH fan, I still recommend giving this a read if you enjoy anything cult related.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the digital arc copy in exchange for my honest review.

Reading Dinner for Vampires was a very eye=opening experience for me. Although I loved One Tree Hill growing up, I never followed the cast and their lives after the show ended. However, I was intrigued to hear more about Joy Lenz' life upon coming across this book. The way that she was able to tell her story felt very authentic and personable. I was able to understand her emotions and feelings, without the text feeling preachy. My only issue with the writing was that it was just claustrophobic and blocky. Nonetheless, the story of Bethany Joy Lenz made it super interesting and hard to put down.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy of Dinner for Vampires by One Tree Hill star Bethany Joy Lenz! This gripping memoir reveals her secret decade-long involvement in a cult while navigating a successful acting career on One Tree Hill. The story is both shocking and unsettling, offering a raw glimpse into the challenges Bethany faced behind the scenes. Fans will be amazed at the strength and resilience she demonstrated while portraying Haley James Scott, unaware of the harrowing ordeal she was enduring in real life.

"Dinner for Vampires" by Bethany Joy Lenz is a fascinating and atypical celebrity memoir, detailing how the up-and-coming actress fell into the manipulative clutches of a cult in Idaho.

Lenz approaches it with a dark sense of humor and provides a glimpse into how groups like this manipulate vulnerable people and prey on their psychological needs. All along the way, the author sees each turning point from an outsider's view, but she also provides the perspective that allows the reader to see why that trap was so easy to fall into. It was eye-opening and scary to read about how these types of groups operate, knowing that they largely get away with it because their victims are so traumatized that they often do not pursue legal action after escaping. At the end, she tells the story of an acquaintance who insinuates that only weak and stupid people fall into cults. Lenz compares being lured into a cult to being in an abusive relationship and reminds us that society (rightly) does not victim-shame the latter, so why should we treat the former any differently?

The subtitle "Life on a Cult TV Show (While also in an Actual Cult!)" was definitely an attention-grabber. However, fans of "One Tree Hill" might be disappointed that the author doesn't focus much on the tv show, other than brief mentions of how the cast and crew reacted to her behavior and showed their concern. She does have a popular podcast about the show, though, so the focus stays mainly on the abuse she faced at home. I used to watch "One Tree Hill," but wouldn't consider myself among the show's fanbase. I still found the book really interesting due to the author's personal journey and self-reflection.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It's very different from most celebrity memoirs due to the unique subject matter. Anyone who wants to learn more about how cults groom and prey upon impressionable people would probably also find this book a fascinating read, as would fans of the actress.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the e-ARC.

Bethany Joy Lenz was trying to make it in Hollywood and find her place in the world. She was pretty religious but also looking for a found family. Thru a bible study group, she got sucked into a religious group who lived together in Idaho. Yup, it turned out to be a cult. They sucked up her time, isolated her from others, criticized her, made her not take on roles, and even influenced her to marry the leader's son whom she didn't love. All while stealing all her money. Somehow during this period, she also got cast and did well on a much-loved tv show, One Tree Hill. Her fame and determination finally allowed her to break the cycle, and this is her well-told story.

I love memoirs but not all celebrity memoirs are good or interesting. This one is both. It is crazy but also somewhat understandable how she got sucked in and held to her community deeper than she even realized. Come for the cult story, stay for the human interest one.

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the advance copy for review.

Joy's story is simply heartbreaking. Following her journey through her growing faith, the grief of gaining and losing community, and the anger from having everything you've worked for stolen from you is so inspiring. Her positivity and grace is truly admirable!
This book is a definitely purchase for libraries, and is recommended for anyone that has questioned their faith, or has had to make hard admissions to themselves about the people around them.
Fans of One Tree Hill will be a bit disappointed if they think this is a tell-all about the show. OTH is the setting of Joy's most heartbreaking moments, but doesn't play much role in this story.

I really like the actress and this book made me respect and appreciate her more. I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes and admire her strength.

I wanted to love this but I did not. It’s like she’s the vampire pretending to speak the way she thinks a human should sound like. The tone is so curated it feels fake. It reads like a fiction author’s debut novel, including inconsistencies. The author said she didn’t watch tv growing up, but references iconic shows like I Love Lucy and Bewitched. I’m sorry but this memoir reminds me of Casey Hammer’s memoir. I am a huge One Tree Hill fan so it pains me that I didn’t like it but I received an advanced copy in exchange for my honesty.

The author uses the terms “plus sized” and “crackhead” which are really bizarre for a book published in 2024. Especially for someone on the show that made the term “size is just a number” a common phrase. Gave me the ick.

It was exhausting to hear example after example of abuse spanning 10 years to get to such an unsatisfactory conclusion. What happened to the cult? Where are the other members today? I will admit that her story is interesting and should be told. If she reaches even one person in an abusive relationship and/or cult, then it was worth it. Im happy others found it impactful, I just didn’t. I found her voice and writing style throughout the book to be a barrier. I couldn’t relate to her at all. It was like there was a wall up between the writer and the reader, even with how intimidate the details were.

I absolutely adore Bethany Joy Lenz as an actress so when I saw this book I had to read it!! I went in expecting a lot about OTH since it’s a huge part of her life, however it’s not! So keep that in mind before picking this up. I really enjoyed this though, it was so interesting learning more about her past outside of her just being a great actress!!

Thank you to the publisher for inviting me to read and review this book. I did not watch One Tree Hill and was not familiar with the author - but I was very interested in this story. Things pick up around part 2 for sure. I was rooting for Joy and I am glad things worked out for her and her daughter. This book is important because ANYONE can be roped into a cult.

Riveting story from Joy Lenz! It’s not a “glamorous, name brand” cult but crazy how one gets sucked in so easily! If you’re expecting a OTH tell all, this is not it. Rather, a view of Joy’s unfortunate experience being in the clutches of a cult and not being able to fully experience her potential stardom.

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz was an interesting story and view into the life Joy led in a cult while on the hit show, One Tree Hill. As a OTH fan, I was immediately excited to have an opportunity to read this book. The author portrayed her life in a cult, and while there were small tidbits of her time on OTH, it mostly focused on the religious nature of her story, which was fine, just not what I expected. The writing itself was good and Joy's story was certainly enlightening, to say the least. Thank you for NetGalley and the publisher for an advance review copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Full disclosure: I’ve never watched a single episode of One Tree Hill.

Regardless of my not previously knowing who the author was, I was immediately pulled into her story. And read over two days with equal parts horror and sadness; it was an eye opening read certainly.

I’ve decided not to rate memoirs any longer, as I don’t feel it’s my place to rate the experience of someone’s life so I will say that this was a compelling read that kept me turning the pages.

In all honesty, I’m probably never going to watch OTH, but I would read more by the author.

I wish Ms Lenz peace and contentedness.



Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the DRC

Thank you to NetGalley, the Publishers, and Mrs. Haley James Scott herself.

I LOVED OTH growing up and I was soexcited to see that Bethany was writing a book. I was so intrigued by the story and the goings on behind the scenes. It's crazy to think that all of this was going on while in the public eye. I highly suggest this book to everyone.

I first heard of Joy through my Guiding Light obsession as a tween, and Michelle was my favorite character. I often find myself thinking about how many cults are out there and how people get involved with cults, so I was highly anticipating this read.

This was a devastating and brave memoir. Joy outlines exactly how, as she puts it, "Bible study went sideways." It could happen to anyone and I think we all need to recognize the signs of someone who seems like a supportive friend actually trying to use and control you for their own ends. It is very similar to domestic violence and I'm glad this book brought it into the open without sensationalizing things or implying that it's the victims' faults for being trusting and loving people.

As she detailed her story, Joy was able to keep a sense of humor and I appreciated the funny stories such as Les mixing meat with his bare hands.

Joy does talk a little about working on One Tree Hill, but it's definitely not the center of the book.

I really enjoyed this! There were a lot of things that Bethany went through that really blew me away! It was interesting to see what was going on behind the scenes in her real life and how she struggled to break free!