4.5 Stars
Rated X is a well written memoir by Maitland Ward.
First off, the writing really kept me intrigued throughout. I just enjoyed the author's voice and her way of telling a story.
Second of all, I found her life story interesting. As a huge fan of Boy Meets World, I was sad to hear some of the stuff she revealed, but I also wasn't shocked.
Her story is a huge reminder of the way Hollywood stereotypes actors and actresses.
I am happy for her that she found her way, and found a way to be happy with her career.
If you judge sex workers, this book is not for you.
If you enjoy a sex worker getting into the nitty gritty of what appeals to them about their job, definitely check this one out.

Omg I devoured this book!!!! So good. Haha to the publisher for the ARC.
I highly recommend this book!

I received an ARC from Netgalley/Publisher in return for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I came across this book I truly had no idea who she was until I read the description. If you are familiar with the show, Maitland Ward played the character 'Rachel' in later seasons. As a fan of that show, and someone who tends to read books published by those who were in the porn business, I really wanted to read this book.

In the beginning she talks about her hopes and dreams of becoming an actress. Dreaming of "making it" as one typically does when moving out to LA. What I found most interesting about the book was us getting a good glimpse into her upbringing and how sex was viewed as well as how relationships were like for her early on. The norm for an autobiography. I felt that all of this was mostly short without details I would have enjoyed learning more about. If you are expecting a basic run down of a life this is not it. It quickly it starts to dive into her curiosity about sex and sexuality during her time on a soap that really sets the tone for the rest of the book.

While this is obviously a memoir about going from Hollywood to the adult film industry I did not really find it to be a compelling read. If the first two-three chapters aren't really your kind of vibe you will not want to bother finishing the book. It is clear that a lot of the detailed sexual encounters are more so for fans of her work in the adult film industry and not really for anyone who was curious about her overall life. Outside of being in the adult film industry...honestly...there would have never been a reason for Ward's book. Outside of a semi-decent stint on a soap, Boy Meet's World and an appearance in White Chicks (the only mainstream stuff I think anyone would know) there isn't much to speak on any of it. It seemed more like the Hollywood part was being disappointed for not getting roles as well as having some weird feelings with the 'Boy' producer, Michael Jacobs.

Overall, I would say that the message of not judging people in the industry she is now in I can stand by to an extent. I understand that sex work is something a lot of people are proud of. I can understand why there are memoirs out there about it, etc... This book just isn't what I would say is actually here to amplify the convo. It is definitely for the fans who are paying for online services or buying the adult products associated with her. As an everyday reader of all things I cannot give this book more than 1 - star.

This was a truly inciteful book about what drove a beautiful young lady to go against the grain. It gives you a brief look into the perspective of the person taking the "unpopular" choice. I love how it shines a light on the fact that sex work is still work and should be respected more than it is.

Fantastic memoir about an ex-Disney actress transition to becoming an award winning best actress in porn. Her liberation and owning her choices seems to be the hallmark of the book. It has its great points but at times it seemed a bit preachy. If you are a millennial and remember Boy Meets World it should be interesting to read some of the behind the scenes details. Overall it was an ok memoir.

*Thanks to Atria Books & NetGalley for this Ebook in exchange for my honest review

Loved reading this autobiographical account! I was always a fan of Maitland and was shocked when she made her career change! Great inside look into the industry and how it was for her.

Interesting book subject about an actress in a mainstream teen show becoming an adult star but it felt disjointed at times. I went into the book expecting a little more but it felt like a blog merging together different entries without a strong flow. The good is that it's a unique tale that is worth reading for the chapters in Hollywood/BMW stories and the big change to adult acting.

I appreciate the publisher allowing me to read this book. I found it very interesting reading about this most intriguing career change

I'll be honest, my main interest in reading Maitland Ward's memoir stems from wanting to hear about her time on Boy Meets World. I did enjoy this book for how it portrayed Hollywood's tendency to chew young actors up and spit them out. I'm not sure how I feel about the porn segments. I don't have an issue with porn or the performers, I just don't buy into the utopian culture she is trying to paint.

Definitely an interesting story, I didn’t watch Boy Meets World regularly growing up and really wasn’t watching it by the time Maitland was on but I was familiar with her and her character. The behind the scenes of what it was like for her in both aspects of entertainment was very interesting.

This book was an absolute pleasure to read. Anything by Maitland Ward is actually. I highly recommend this book.

Such an interesting read. I have always been inspired by women making their own choices and the author certainly has done that. I just highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great story about a very interesting life.

Thank you for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! This is a well-written novel that I enjoyed a lot. I originally requested it because I was curious on how Maitland Ward went from starring in TV shows and movies to adult films, but this book ended up being about more than just this. It’s very explicit in places and I was a bit surprised haha! But it’s a good novel and I recommend it to people interested in learning more about the adult film industry.

I read Rated X because I saw that Rachel from Boy Meets World (a show I watched during my early and middle teen years) had gone on to become a porn star. “How in the hell did that happen?”, I thought to myself. It’s not every day you hear about a mainstream actress going in that direction, so I was curious what exactly happened there. After finishing the book, I now know exactly how and why it happened…in all the extremely graphic detail. And when I say “graphic”, I mean it. If you are at all put off by explicit descriptions of sexual acts, you should stay far, far away from this book, because you’re going to have a bad time here. Rated X starts out with Ward telling you about her stints on a soap opera (I’ve already forgotten which one), moving on to Boy Meets World and then the pinnacle of her mainstream movie career, which was a comedy that I never saw called “White Chicks”. After that, she moves on into the adult entertainment business.
Now, I don’t want to disparage what people in the porn business do, because they work just like the rest of us. Just because their business is kind of seedy doesn’t mean it doesn’t have value (and it has a ton of value because it’s a multibillion dollar industry). People look down on sex workers because of their trade, but you know…people are buying it and buying a lot, so I’m thinking there are a lot of hypocrites out there. However, I don’t know if I’d go as far as Maidland Ward does in calling porn “art”. Though to be fair, I suppose anything can be art so I guess it can be. I don’t see Anal Angels 37 being put up on a pedestal in a gallery anytime soon, though. I guess if she is proud of what she’s doing, then that’s cool and she has every right to her opinion.
I’m also not sure I agree with Ward’s constant insistence that porn is a glamourous and positive business. That may well have been her experience, but I don’t think it’s the experience of a lot of women who get into it. The big companies probably offer a lot of incentive but there are a lot of people out there that are not above-board and women do get trafficked, abused, raped, drugged, etc. While I support Ward’s love of doing what she does as well as any woman (or man) who wants to do that, I think it’s important not to glamourize it to the point that young naïve people may get themselves into a dangerous situation. That’s something that kept bothering me about this book is that Ward never acknowledges that there is any downside or to porn or even that there are people in the business that are less than concerned with women’s empowerment.
Overall, the book did have interesting bits. The most interesting to me was how Hollywood chews up and spits out young actors and actresses. Acting is a tough business and most people don’t ever make it. It was enlightening reading about her experience and how she overcame being one of the ones who didn’t “make it”. I’m glad Maitland found something that she really enjoys and that she has had a great experience following her exit from mainstream Hollywood. She seems to genuinely love what she does and that’s awesome. Rated X was sometimes funny, sometimes interesting, occasionally uncomfortable and often graphic but it was an experience that I’m glad I undertook. I’m not sure I really understand the appeal of a lot of the things she does, but to each his or her own. Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for sending me an ARC of the book. As always, it is much appreciated.

This is a book! Ward is an excellent writer and tells her story with shocking honesty. Her story of her transformation from starring in the sitcom Boy Meets World through her role in White Chicks to becoming a porn star and entrepreneur is fascinating. Ward details her journey of self discovery, sexual and otherwise, with graphic detail. Laden with inside stories of Hollywood and the porn industry, this is a must read ( and it’s sexy as hell!). Highly recommended.

When reading a book like this there is the question of are you reviewing the entertainment level or the writing? I came into it knowing the basics of Maitlin Ward's career. She was on a show I watched in my youth and had moved to adult films. The Disney background and current career choice seem ripe for some good stories, but the book is kind of a miss.

The book just doesn't seem genuine to me. It opens with a letter to the reader talking about being sex positive, which seems to set the tone here. She uses buzz words Iike taboo and controversy repeatedly to describe her career choice but also how empowering it is. This is where the problems come in. Ward's view of herself and the industry reads like a PR statement. She talks about empowering, but doesn't miss a chance to slag others to make herself seem groundbreaking. For instance celebrities with sex tapes are liars who played victims. Farah Abram's doesn't count, her films were "disasters." Bella Thorne is a fraud. She has to write this people off, because she wants all the credit.

She also completely blows past the privilege her previous career gave her in starting her career. Everyone in the industry is awesome and amazing here. Forget all the other things you've watched or read, because she's the expert. This is where I reccomend going to read another book if you want a real look at the industry. [I suggest Oriana Small's Girlvert.] She wasn't starting at a shady company she was working with the top of the industry, so her experiences aren't really a full view of the industry.

Her prior acting career is mostly brief stories. There's no real dirt here if that's what your looking for. She peppers in sex life stories here, because that seems to be what she thinks the reader wants. She's trying to sell the porn is a dream thing so hard she makes this time seem miserable. There doesn't seem to be any joy in acting. It's just a job. She repeatedly makes it seem like she didn't want to be apart of Girl Meets World, but brings up numerous times how she wasn't on it because she did porn.

I think anyone reading a book about porn is probably not going to be shocked by what they read here. Anyone who has problems with the industry isn't going to have a change of heart. In the end, it just feels like any other celebrity cash-in memoir.

Well, I have to say- I quite enjoyed this book. It was very well-written and wholly enjoyable. I've always thought Ms. Ward seemed incredibly intelligent and interesting, and she proved me right. Obviously, since the book is written by a pornstar, about porn, it isn't a book for everyone. I'm fairly liberal about sex, and even I blushed at certain points. Overall, however, I feel many people will really enjoy reading about the rise to one of the most successful sex performers of all time- I, for one, couldn't put it down!

The journey Maitland Ward embarked upon I only vaguely remember unfolding in the media, and I think it's most people's thoughts to wonder how they came into the adult entertainment world and that it must mean they weren't a successful actor or got into drugs or a hard lifestyle. After reading Maitland's memoir, it's refreshing to hear in her own words, this simply wasn't the case! I like how honest and open she is about her experiences and feelings. I'm sure many Boy Meets World fans will want to read this book, and I like that she is again, very truthful in how she dealt with sexism towards her, and her relationships to the other actors. She doesn't bash them by any means, and seems like she has maintained good rapport with them. Sex positivity is what you will find in this book, and it's pretty graphic, so disclaimer for that. All in all, I think fans of Maitland, whether it's from Boy, her soap opera days, Comic-Con, and if you only know her from porn, will appreciate this point of view. I would recommend to anyone interesting in the adult services industries!

Like many millennials, I am familiar with Maitland Ward as part of a staple of my youth. These last few years I would come across comments in random places on the internet: “did you know Rachel from Boy Meets World does porn now?” and I’d pause for just a sec and then continue minding my own business.

Rated X is a foray into one young woman’s experience in Hollywood, first on a well-known soap and then eventually on the TGIF lineup. Once mainstream tv opportunities started drying up, Ward took it upon herself to celebrate her sexuality, basically not caring what anyone *cough Disney cough* thought of her or what she wanted to do with her body.

I liked that she called people out by name–it was reminiscent of Busy Phillips’s (really great) memoir where she just goes to town outing those who wronged her. However Ward does it in a way that doesn’t make her seem too angry (when she has every right to be!) and she does seem thankful for many of her experiences and connections she’s made.

Not gonna lie, my eyes glazed over some parts of it. I’m not a prude but wow. I don’t know much about the porn industry so it was all very interesting and intimate. There are important messages regarding body and sex positivity and the roles women are expected to play in their lives. Overall, I’m happy she’s found something that makes her happy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

Review
(I will say I tried to post this exact review on #barnesandnoble and it was flagged for profanity)
I received an ARC of Ward’s Rated X and read it in a single afternoon. It’s a fabulous memoir about finding your true self in a world that often tells women we are wrong for enjoying our bodies and sex. Maitland obviously started out as a mainstream actress, but when the work dried up she took matters into her own hands and finally discovered her calling. Throwing a huge middle finger to Hollywood and all the naysayers, she has become a savvy businesswoman, desired actress in the porn industry, and a spokesperson for the rights of women in the field. Overall this was a five star read!