Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the eARC!

There were so many times while reading this, that I had to just stop and weep. Joy went through so much, and it is so difficult to hear all the things she went through and how she was manipulated. I always feel a bit weird rating and reviewing memoirs because it's somebody's real life story, but this was incredibly written. With all that she went through, Joy tells her story with so much emotion, yet so much grace. I highly recommend this for anyone even remotely interested in memoirs, especially if you are a fan of One Tree Hill. I also highly recommend listening to the audiobook, as hearing Joy tell her own story and acting out some parts using different voices simply enhances the experience. Read this.

Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir, "Dinner for Vampires," is a captivating exploration of her life in a cult tv show and an ACTUAL cult. Mostly known for her amazing acting and music career, Lenz shows the vulnerable side of herself. Similarly to Haley James Scott in One Tree Hill, Bethany Joy Lenz is an incredibly strong individual who takes back her power and her life from the greedy, disgusting, TERRIBLE people who tried to dim her light. I loved this memoir and am so excited to get my hands on a physical copy.

Big thanks to Simon & Schuster for the copy to read!

I wasn't a super fan of OTH or Bethany Joy Lenz but I did watch it and like the show. I also find cult stories fascinating. This was a good mix of 'behind the scenes' of a TV Series and 'behind the scenes' of being indoctrinated into a cult.

I couldn't help but to feel terrible for Joy as she is so young and navigating the world. She seeks a deeper connection with her beliefs and ends up at a bible study group that turns into so much more. Reading of the slow process really makes you think how really anyone could end up in a situation like this with the right person saying all the right things: your family doesn't believe like you do, they're trying to hold you back, if you take that job it'll show weakness, etc.

Wonderful to read her journey to getting out too. The one thing I wished for was more of the process of her separating her life from theirs. The ending felt a bit rushed.

Overall, loved this!

I picked up this book because I knew the author from One Tree Hill. The book does not go into much detail about OTH. Instead, it focuses on her time with a cult. Names have been changed; however, Bethany was married to the cult leader's son and they had 1 child together.

The memoir starts with Bethany getting the courage to leave for the sake of her daughter due to the cult, and her husband being manipulative and physically abusive. Before she joined the cult, she details constantly moving and the toll her parents' divorce took on her. She was looking for a church home, which is how she ended up in the cult. They were the family she wanted, or so she thought.

Throughout the book, she details how the cult members kept her isolated from her family and friends and even stole her money to fund their lifestyle.

It's an interesting read, just don't expect much OTH in it.

I loved learning about Joy's experiences in this book. It was truly a wild ride. This book was well written, and it had me hooked from the first page!

This was such an open and honest memoir. This memoir focuses on Bethany’s time in a cult during filming of One Tree Hill, life after the show, her experiences and struggle to get out of the cult. I can’t imagine what Bethany has been through the past decade plus. I have always been such a big fan of One Tree Hill. This memoir does talk about her time on the show and some of the coworkers but it is not a juicy gossip behind the scenes. The main story is much deeper about her experience of finding what she thought was a genuine group of friends at a Bible Study that become her roommates but instead are just leeching off of her money and kindness. Thank you for sharing your story with others and I hope this helps others find their way out of a situation like this .

I had no idea she had ever been apart of an abusive cult. This kept me captivated from the start, and I could not put it down. I remember finishing this and just saying woah,. Joy is a great story teller, I smiled, laughed, and cried throughout the entire book. Would highly recommend.

Can I give a memoir a perfect score? Because this one deserves it more than anything else. Since OTH has been my go-to show for nearly two decades, I knew I would like to hear Joy's story. That I would react so emotionally to what she endured for so many years was something I did not expect. Compared to previous memoirs, this one read very differently. Joy carefully thought about how she would communicate this narrative to her audience, and it was done so exquisitely. The narrative, the text, and THE AUDIOBOOK. This memoir is intended to be enjoyed through your ears, but I do not doubt that the physical book is equally excellent. The appearances from some of our favorite characters were a great touch, and Joy is an amazing narrator—she should think about narrating more novels in the future. As Joy described her ordeal in a cult, my heart ached repeatedly, and I am proud of her for having the guts to tell us about it. Although I thought there was just enough OTH material, I loved the emphasis on her personal life while she was filming over the years.

Whether or not you've seen OTH, this book was amazing and well worth reading.

This book does a wonderful job of capturing Lenz's time in a cult and escaping her situation. It is a must-read for fans of OTH.

Wow this was such an amazing memoir, I am going to be thinking about this one for a while. The story stayed engaging throughout the whole book and delved a fair bit into the many ways anyone could find themselves in a similar cult scenario. I loved every minute of this!

This book was well written and I am glad I read it. I was a fan of One Tree Hill and reading this book brought to light so much that I had no idea about. I felt Bethany's story in my soul and I am grateful that she chose to share her story in this memoir.

I forgot to give feedback for this one, but I bought a finished copy, and I can't wait to read it when my TBR gets less unwieldy!

This book was really compelling to me. I was not a fan of One Tree Hill and am not sure I've seen the author in any show as I'm not a tv watcher but I was intrigued by the premise of the book.

This book delves into the complexities of faith, the dangers of cult indoctrination, and the enduring power of human connection. Lenz's candid storytelling sheds light on a dark side of religious extremism and the importance of questioning authority.

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz was informative insightful interesting funny and I love to see this side of this actress that I've grown to love over the years this is a great option for fans of hers and fans of One Tree Hill thank you to netgalley for allowing me to read this book early.

As a huge One Tree Hill fan and someone with a strong interest in books about cults, Bethany Joy Lenz's Dinner for Vampires is a wild, sometimes infuriating read. Joy’s account exposes how she was manipulated, groomed, and recruited rather than raised within a cult, adding a unique layer to the narrative. Joy’s story is distinctive and haunting in its portrayal of how adults, too, can be drawn into these dangerous dynamics. I highly recommend this book!

This book is a much-needed slap in the face, in the best way. I grew up on One Tree Hill, and therefore have followed Bethany Joy's acting and music career for almost two decades as she's transitioned into projects like Hallmark, which I also tend to watch religiously. I have always found her to be charming, talented, down-to-earth, and independent. Which is why I found it so shocking to hear she was part of a cult, and for so long! I couldn't wait to devour this book.

I am only about 50% through this book because I have to keep leaving it for awhile and come back after I've had some time to process. (And will come back and edit/complete my review when I've finished it). It's easy to get through, pacing is good, and Joy's writing voice is witty and enjoyable. The only reason I have to keep pausing is because I find it so triggering. Growing up with a lot of friends in nondenominational Christian churches, I recognize a lot of the phrasing, manipulation, and sanctimonious attitudes. It's also upsetting to know where the train is heading, but feel like a passenger who can't do anything but watch helplessly as it heads towards the cliff/climax. So far, a lot of my reading experience has been uncomfortable and upsetting because of the absurdity of these "church leaders" and their actual AUDACITY.

Although the majority of my time with this book has been anger-inducing, I would recommend to anyone who is interested in cult tactics or is deconstructing. Whether or not you have a personal stake in her story from being a fan, I would suggest this to a lot of my regulars at my library because it's interesting and eye-opening.

This was wild and I’m glad she got out with Rosie. You will see no victim blaming here, I felt so mad for her. Les and the big family were all pieces of work who knew how to say the right things and find the right people to take advantage of.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a huge fan of One Tree Hill so I was very interested in reading Bethany Joy Lenz’s memoir. I really enjoyed this memoir, but it was hard to read at times. The manipulation and things she went through are so sad, but she is so strong for coming out the other side and taking back control of her life. Although this book doesn’t talk a lot about One Tree Hill, I definitely think that fans of the show will enjoy it as well as people who have never seen One Tree Hill.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy!

I started this on kindle but decided to switch to audio. I really enjoy when the author narrates a book and Joy did an incredible job! She is a great storyteller and incredible at showing & telling how she was struggling with her feelings while also doubting herself due to manipulation and emotional abuse.

Highly recommend this as audiobook. Joy narrates this wonderfully! She has different voices for the members in “the family”. I am a newer fan of OTH, started watching a few years ago. I enjoyed the inclusion of some of the actors and also sound bits of the actual actors. I am glad Joy was able to have relationships with the cast even if not fully open and understanding to her life while on the show.

I don’t listen to much true crime on cults so it was interesting to learn and hear about her personal experiences. She had doubts a few times and was finally able to leave for her daughter. I am glad she was able to reconnect with her “bio fam” after 10 years in a cult.

This took me a while to get into but once I switched to the audio, I was hooked. Highly recommend but this is NOT a tell all about OTH. Though this was happening while she was on the show.

As someone who grew up watching One Tree Hill, I was really interested to learn about Joy's experiences with the show woven in with the newly revealed fact that she was in a cult at the same time. In this book, she talks about her involvement with the cult and how it shaped so much of her life, and as a narrative it's well constructed (and excellently narrated). But the main focus is very much the cult while the OTH insights take a backseat, rather than being the focal point or an even balance between the two topics as the title would suggest.