As a fan of both One Tree Hill and memoirs, I’ve been excited about this one for a long time. This wasn’t exactly what I expected, but I did end up really appreciating Joy’s voice and how she was able to shed light on how even smart, talented people can end up in a cult. This story was entertaining and endearing and although this wasn’t really about Joy’s time on One Tree Hill, I loved that some of her costars played an integral part in her finding her way out. Overall, I enjoyed this one.

I respect those who are able share their personal journeys with the world. The vulnerability that it takes to share your experiences is not an easy thing.

Readers expecting a deep dive into Joy’s experiences on "One Tree Hill" might find themselves a bit let down. While the book does touch upon her time on the show, its primary focus is on Joy's harrowing experience with a cult and her subsequent escape. The narrative reveals a distressing and, at times, chilling account of how she was drawn into and manipulated by the cult leader, Les, who exploited her vulnerability and also taught others how to do the same. The way the cult distorted Joy’s perception of herself, what a marriage should be and those around her is both troubling and tragic. Yet, her bravery in breaking free and ensuring her daughter would not be subjected to that environment is truly admirable.

I sincerely hope this isn’t the final word from Joy in the realm of writing, as she clearly possesses a remarkable talent. Her story is engaging and compelling from start to finish! Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

This was a lot.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Really fascinating peek into how a person can get caught up in a "high demand group" aka a cult. Bethany Joy Lenz takes an unflinching look at her own experience that came from a good place of wanting a relationship with God but getting manipulated by a con-man and his cronies. Yet she was still able to discuss her experience with humor and warmth, and there was honestly very little bitterness in her words. I loved the inside look at the television business, how actors navigate auditons and salary negotiations. I also loved how transparent and earnest Lenz was about her relationship with God and how that evolved during different parts of her life. I highly recommend this book to those who find cults interesting, fans of One Tree Hill, and those looking for Christian-based memoirs.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

This was my first time reading a memoir and honestly, I don’t hate it! I am a huge One Tree Hill star and she’s one of my favorite from there. Reading this, I didn’t realize that she was going thru so much.

Insecurity and feelings of loneliness are not unfamiliar to the rich and famous. This story is riveting and shows what can happen to anyone. A satisfying read.

when i was asked to review this book, i was definitely hesitant. a memoir from a tv star from the early 2000s on a show i never watched? definitely not my first pick. but i am so glad i did.

this memoir demonstrates how common feelings such as loneliness and wanting to feel accepted can easily be taken advantage of in the most unlucky situations. lenz, throughout the memoir, describes how she wanted to simply be part of a loving group of people, and that ended up with her being manipulated into a religious cult for years. her desire to belong led her to be in an unhappy abusive marriage, have millions stolen from her, and reject the star role in a broadway play. the story shows the power of trusting your instincts, that the worst situations have a silver-lining, and that we are all just humans wanting connection.

i believe this is a read for any and all readers and i hope that you enjoy it as much as i did. overall: 4.5⭐️

Am I the vampire? I finished this memoir in a single sitting and true to its adverts, it is deliciously witty and inspiring. Bethany Joy Lenz tells her story of living in a cult and how she finally broke free.

This story is told in a linear timeline form but Joy does a great job of balancing her voice of hindsight with who she was as she experienced life in the Big Family cult. Reading this memoir allowed me as the reader to walk a mile in her shoes— and it was terrifying and soul crushing and in the end, inspiring and bold.

I read this book having no prior awareness of One Tree Hill or Bethany Joy Lenz, but that didn’t stop me from feeling connected and engaged in her story. This memoir is well done and a five star read.

I’d like to thank Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Bethanyyyyy!!!
Wow, this makes me want to rewatch One Tree Hill and just think about the amount of gaslighting and trauma she was going through during her filming. This is the story of Bethany's experiences in a religous group turned cult that gaslighted her in every way imaginable. It is a good reminder of how no matter what we believe, to always question people in power and to have the highest compassion for those manipulated by monsters.

This was definitely an interesting read. It was hard to connect the story I learned with what I thought I knew about Lenz. Her story is intriguing and captivating and just shows that you never really know what’s going on in someone’s life. I just wish she wasn’t such a right-winged conservative.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the advanced copy of this title.

I was obsessed with One Tree Hill growing up. A Nathan and Haley forever kind of fan. After I listened to a few episodes of Bethany's podcast, I was really intrigued by her back story. While some of the other stars' public lives were out in the center, not much was known about Bethany. This book changes that.
Watching the show as it was broadcast over the years, you never would have guessed what turmoil Bethany's life was in and how isolated she had become. I think this speaks to what an incredible actress she is.

What I loved about this book is how Bethany describes the discreet manipulation of the leaders of the "cult." How charismatic and charming they all were. The feelings of belonging and being loved is so universal and Bethany was no different. Growing up as an only child with divorced parents, you get the sense that she was always searching for that missing puzzle piece to make her feel whole and complete. She ended up finding that piece in her daughter.

I never realized how people could be that naive to not know they were in a cult, but Bethany lays it all out. Even I couldn't see it at first as I was reading. Despite the amount of dignity, and years they took away from her, she isn't bitter and found a light in all of the darkness.

I wish that the story had an epilogue to tell the reader where is she now. I would have enjoyed reading more about her after leaving the cult.

Brave and Honest

A Heartbreaking story from a beaytiful soul that was taken advantage whike trying to find a more spiritual life.
Admittedly, Inever watched her OTH show when it was on the air unless visiting some who did.

Love her work on Hallmark Channel
Recommend athis book to get a look behind the scenes of one who was a victim, but never let it define her or use her tragedy as an excuse.

THANK YOU to Joy Lenz for sharing her cult experience with us! Her style of writing made me feel that I was right there with her as she experienced the horror of emotional and financial abuse by the leaders of her Bible Study. I was shocked by how those in her "family" distorted the word of God for their own gain. As a fellow Christian, I understand her desire to follow God in all of her life, and I am encouraged by her faith that brought her through the absolute worst type of Spiritual abuse, and the power of the Holy Spirit to strengthen that faith after the abuse was brought to life. This is a story that everyone needs to hear. It's a lesson that we need to pass along to our children and grandchildren. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to experience Dinner for Vampires!

I found this to be a quick and easy read despite the subject matter. It was sometimes hard to think about her going thru all of this but it was eye-opening to see that it could happen to anyone. It made me feel for her, all that she went though and lost.

As someone who watched One Tree Hill and had no clue with Joy went through, this was a fascinating look into her life.

Bethany Joy Lenz was famous for her role as Haley James Scott, but behind the scenes was involved in a religious "cult" that took advantage of her fame and fortune. Most people will chalk that up to a person being gullible or susceptible to this sort of organization, but BJL really makes it clear how these groups and leaders entrap people. The group managed to steal millions of dollars from her over the years and break her away from her family.

She describes her time in the group and her escape to protect her daughter.

Great for anyone who has interest in this sort of organization or One Tree Hill!

Thank you to Simon and Schuster for the ARC of this book. I was a huge fan of One Tree Hill back in the day and had no idea that Bethany Joy Lenz was in a cult during the filming. I felt like the book was very well written and laid out her life and experiences in the cult in an easy to digest and interesting way. I truly felt like I was getting to know her and understand her on a deeper level. As a Christian myself, I found it very interesting to see how my religion could get so twisted and turn into what she experienced. I think she was looking for belonging in general, and when she felt like she had found that space of belonging she had trouble letting it go even though there were numerous red flags. Praying she feels that sense of belonging now. It was beautifully written and I'm just wishing her all the best now. She is a strong woman to break both her and her daughter free from that situation.

Wow! I had no idea what all Joy had gone through while on One Tree Hill, and the time leading up to it.
Part I of the book was hard to get into, it felt wordy and filled with a lot of stuff. Parts II and III were the most interesting, by far! In all fairness, once I read those I could understand Part I better.
I'm glad Joy was able to get out of the cult and free herself and her daughter.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I came a little late to enjoying and loving One Tree Hill, and the subsequent rewatch podcast Drama Queens-featuring Bethany Joy Lenz, Sophia Bush, and Hilarie Burton Morgan. I have grown to love the show, the podcast and the three strong and incredible women so much. I remember the moment Joy casually mentioned on the podcast that she was a former cult member-so when I heard about her memoir, I was intrigued!

Memoirs are always so impactful to me-it is hard to rate and review them because it is someone else’s life experience and inner thoughts, hopes, demons, and mistakes all written out for consumption. Joy has created a witty and enlightening view of her journey into a cult while being a successful actor. If you are a One Tree Hill fan, and looking for a behind the scenes from the mind of Haley James Scott, this is not the book for you. Her time on OTH is briefly touched upon, but mostly those nine years are referred to in passing.

I will say that the contents of her memoir have lit up triggers for me revolving around Christians and cult-like behaviors of Christian’s. The scheming and manipulation in the name of God is forever haunting me. While a lot of that gives me, as the youths say, ‘the ick’ to read her Christian propaganda…erm…testimony…. I appreciate her human experience (even if I am quintessentially what would be defined as ‘the Jezebel spirit’). To watch Joy being picked apart and whittled down, swindled out of millions of dollars and her autonomy is heartbreaking and enraging-I will also say that is another potential trigger for some people. Listening to the perspective of a strong, brave, intelligent woman who was groomed and manipulated into a cult is powerful. People are always under the assumption that cults could or would never entice or entrap them, but I have to say that stories like this really point out that everyone has pressure points and weaknesses that the right (or, you know…wrong) people can and will exploit.

Overall, I wholeheartedly recommend reading Dinner for Vampires. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Simon & Schuster for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to Bethany Joy Lenz for telling her story! I was actually completely unaware of her personal life outside of One Tree Hill. I had no idea she was part of a religious cult. Cults really fascinate me on how they can ensnare people, especially those in the acting industry. A must read.

If you’re going into this book hoping for all the One Tree Hill behind the scenes gossip and fun stories, this isn’t that book. Instead, what you’ll find is a story of a young girl trying to find her way and herself. Oh, also she’s pretty sure she’s in a religious cult too. I very much enjoyed this book. I loved the look at how sneaky, manipulative and clever cults can be at isolating their members and making them believe what they’re being told, however out of the box it is. I also really related to Joy feeling like she didn’t belong anywhere and craving that sense of family, wherever she could get it. The little stories we get of her time on OTH were very interesting, especially her audition process and how her on screen relationship with James made me feel less lonely during her marriage to a very volatile and controlling man (and family). It was certainly hard to see her broken down, especially as a new mom, but seeing her rise up and fight back not just for her daughter, but for herself was so inspiring. If you’re interested in religious cults and of course, if you’re a One Tree Hill fan, definitely give this a read!
CW: emotional abuse, violence, religious trauma, sexual harassment

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.