Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Though marketed as a memoir, Bethany Joy Lenz’s thoughtfully restrained "Dinner for Vampires" is perhaps more accurately described as a testimony. It’s jarring, specific, and boldly redemptive in its willingness to interrogate religious language without dismissing it entirely.

Full disclosure—I haven’t seen any of "One Tree Hill." In fact, my only exposure to Bethany Joy Lenz’s work is Psalty the singing hymnbook, a horrifying Christian cryptid I don’t recommend googling before bed. Truthfully, the book seems likely to resonate more with people who are in a similar boat; if you're an OTH superfan, you might be disappointed by how absent the show is here.

Throughout the book, Lenz details the way her involvement in a house church shifted from an exciting alternative to mainstream Christian culture to a more pervasive and perverse part of her life. “I Escaped A Cult” books are a dime-a-dozen, but "Dinner for Vampires" is distinct from its peers in that Lenz has a genuine desire to believe the best, leading her to earnestly ask questions and dissect the cult’s beliefs and language. Where many books of this ilk demand that readers assume someone would be “crazy” for getting involved, Lenz’s vulnerability invites readers to experience the discomfort of feeling “crazy” for assuming that something is actually wrong.

The muted approach makes for a less splashy book, but it’s one that arguably reflects the reality of religious trauma more accurately. So much of the spiritual, psychological, and emotional abuse depicted occurs within the space of plausible deniability. Lenz expertly describes behaviors that seem just a few degrees shy of innocuous—the kind of off-kilter actions that summon a pit in your stomach before you quickly tamp it down out of fear. To anybody who has moved through evangelical circles, it will feel all too familiar when the author notes the way “repentance” allowed cult members to shirk personal accountability, or how skin-crawlingly recognizable phrases like “guard your heart” and “love on people” are used to exert control.

Suffice it to say, "Dinner for Vampires" is an exceptionally meaningful book, and not merely another glossy celebrity memoir. Regardless of readers’ religious background, Bethany Joy Lenz has crafted a a grace-filled opportunity for all of us to reflect on how the language of freedom can so easily be abused, and how true freedom is often found in people being there to pull us out.

This book was so interesting. I was a young adult when OTH originally aired, and watched it through the years. I never knew any of this was going on. I can totally understand how she became wrapped up in this situation.. it's so unfortunate that this happened, and they took so much from her, much more than money! I would be interested to hear more of what happened after getting custody, if she's been able to completely break ties, or if she still has to give QB visitation. I'm so glad she was able to break free from this guild and reclaim her life. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, especially OTH fans or those which come from broken homes.

I am a big fan of One Tree Hill, and I was excited to read this memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz, who played Haley on the iconic teen show. This didn't disappoint! It was a fascinating read. I honestly did not know she had once been part of a cult, but I thought the way she wrote about it was both intriguing and heartbreaking, It just goes to show that we are more susceptible to cults that we might believe. The book details a heavy topic but she makes it easier to digest and laces it with dark humor, which I personally enjoyed. It's emotional and traumatic but also really eye opening and funny, with the right dose of reality and religion. I think it's a different kind of celebrity memoir but one many people will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Bethany Joy Lenz for the eARC of this book.

This is a pretty wild and infuriating read. I cannot handle how manipulated and controlled this woman was. As a Christian, it makes me so angry how God is weaponized for the sake of power, greed and control. I absolutely love reading books about cults. Women who are former members of cults. I have read the Duggar ones and Unfollow from a member of Westboro Baptist. These have the similarity of the women growing up in the cult, and never choosing it. Joy’s account in Dinner for Vampires is unique in that she was groomed, recruited and manipulated to be in this one. If you are a fan of One Tree Hill, know that this experience doesn’t have a big part in the memoir, it is more background information. After reading this, I will be in @msbethanyjoylenz corner forever, biltmore all the way.

This really does make you think and question your assumptions about cults and groupthink. Almost none of us think we are susceptible to propaganda and influence and yet we are all hugely influenced by it every day. Maybe it isn’t religion related, but the definition of a cult can be broadened to other groupthink behavior. How many times have you said, “I just can’t believe that X actually believes _________, knowing what I know about X, I cannot reconcile how X can possibly believe both _____ and _____.”

Who hasn’t thought that?

One thing I wish she had gone more into was how this has shaped her faith today. I also like to hear more of the ways that the cult improved her life. There are a lot of good things about being in cults. That seems strange to say, but if they didn’t have positive effects, they wouldn’t be able to take advantage of people. Someday I would like to read a memoir of someone who turned into a cult leader and how they rationalized it in their mind.

Thank you to @netgalley and @simonandschuster for the ARC. Book to be released October 21, 2024

#netgalley #bookreviews #booksbooksbooks #bookstagram #booktok #dinnerforvampires

As a One Tree Hill fan, I was thrilled to get an ARC of Bethany Joy Lenz's memoir. I hadn't realized that she had been in a cult, and was surprised when I found out. I read this really quickly, and enjoyed learning more about her life and time in Hollywood and on One Tree Hill.

It was an intriguing look into how a smart, talented woman could be drawn into such an unhealthy environment, and the struggles one goes through when they try to extricate themselves.

Thank you Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

**ARC RATING** As a giant One Tree Hill fan who especially felt the most connected to Haley James Scott, I was so excited to have the chance to read an ARC of this book! It was both gut wrenching and beautiful - both in the writing and as well as seeing everything Joy had gone through and overcome. This was my first memoir and definitely has opened my eyes in exploring more of them. I absolutely would recommend this book.

dinner for vampires✨| @msbethanyjoylenz
ARC review

as a huge fan of one tree hill and the @dramaqueensoth podcast i knew i HAD to get my hands on this one! i don’t typically read a lot of non-fiction, but i’m so glad to have read this. it was an absolutely riveting memoir, and the writing and timeline flowed so well—i couldn’t put it down. although it was a heavy topic, so much personality and dark humor was still able to shine throughout the story. i also really enjoyed learning more about her and paul johansson (mr dan scott) being very good friends in real life! a very powerful story.

thank you @netgalley @msbethanyjoylenz @simonandschuster for the chance to read and review this ahead of time!

dinner for vampires releases october 22, 2024🤩

Did someone say “cult”? If so, I’m here and ready to read.

As Lenz herself says at the end of the book, people have high expectations when they hear you escaped a cult. But cults come in all shapes and sizes. The small size of Lenz’s group added to just how deeply their control could take root in members.

This book is a really unflinching look into Lenz’s experience that I think can help a lot of people in controlling situations similar to this. Maybe through her experience, more can step away from unhealthy relationships.

As a One Tree Hill fan, I found Bethany Joy Lenz’s memoir to be very intriguing. I learned a lot about her experiences as an actress and her encounters with those with bad intentions. This is a great celebrity memoir I will be sure to recommend.

Thank you to the publisher who reached out and pre-approved me for this title based on my previous reviews. Memoir, pop culture, tv star of my teenage years, and cults?? Sign me up! (um for the book, not the cult.) I was not even aware Bethany Joy Lenz had a book coming out, so I took this offer immediately. I was only a casual fan of OTH and only sort of heard rumblings about her being a cult way back when, so I was ready to dig in.

Dinner For Vampires was yet another important reminder that if you think you're not the type of person to be caught in the trap of a cult, you might be wrong. It was terrifying how gradually this "family" controlled Lenz all the way through stealing millions from her. The pacing was really great and made it compulsively readable. A few times I wondered if I accidentally skipped a page because of the rapid moving of point A to point B, but her stories didn't drag and weren't padded with unnecessary details memoirs tend to be filled with. I do think there's a lot she left out in general, but that's her choice and understandable. Just makes me wonder who these people really are and if they're going to account for themselves once this book is officially released.

WILD. BONKERS. 10/10.

Must read if you’re a OTH super fan. Just know, it’s not about OTH. But, Jesus! (no pun intended)

You never really know what someone is going through. I loved One Tree Hill, I still do, and Haley was my favorite character. I understand that not everyone has a perfect life, but after following Bethany Joy Lenz on TV and social media, it wasn’t until the Drama Queens Podcast, where I feel like people started to understand her for herself, and not just the character she played.

The emotional and traumatic journey Bethany Joy Lenz has had would surprise many. Whenever the topic of cults pops up, there are always going to be people who will think that they’re too smart to be in a cult. After reading about her experiences, Bethany Joy Lenz explains how anyone can be swept up into a group, when in search of love and acceptance.

Though I would never wish for anyone to go through what he went through, as she stated in her story, she wouldn’t have her beautiful daughter, if she had not taken the paths she did

The excitement I got when I was approved for this.. omg. I’ve been a huge one tree hill fan since the beginning. Reading about her journey while filming the show.. WOW.

One Tree Hill + a cult = UNPUTDOWNABLE !!

I’ve always been a fan of Bethany Joy Lenz since my one tree hill obsession began in high school, so it was a given I would read her book!

Dang, I mean it when I say this book was unputdownable; I read it in ~24 hours. Joy’s voice shines through so vividly, keeping the reader engaged the entire story. So many parts of this book made me angry on her behalf, but I’m so glad she finally found peace and safety from the life she once lived. i will definitely purchase this book upon publication, and I will likely also re-read via audio because Joy reads it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Simon Books and author Bethany Joy Lenz for the ARC in exchange for my honest review of Dinner for Vampires, set for publication October 21, 2024.
What a heartbreaking and honest story. Having grown up as a child of divorce who longed for a big family of my own, who wanted to fit in and often felt like a square peg forcing myself into a round hole throughout my youth, I found this story extremely relatable and compelling. There’s no sensationalist antics here, it’s simply a straightforward explanation of how anyone could fall prey to the Pray.
Lenz takes us on an eye-opening journey of her life, growing up on the East Coast and in Texas, and shows us how religion played a formative part of her childhood and teens. When she made the move to LA and became part of a “prayer circle” it was all so innocent, and just another step on her journey with God, that it’s no wonder no questions were raised. What happened along her path from the prayer circle to manipulation and abuse was such a natural progression I had to keep asking myself “Would I have realized what was happening if I were the one in Joy’s place? Would I have had the strength of self to get out earlier? Would I have been put off by anything that was happening in the name of ‘Family’?” And the answer I kept coming back to, repeatedly, was “Probably not.”
“Dinner for Vampires” holds a startling truth: gaslighters, manipulators, people who can easily take advantage of others are very real and they are often those we are closest to.
I was overwhelmed by the easy writing style of this book. Joy writes like she’s talking to her best friend. She employs simple dialogue to tell a complicated story with ease and takes the reader on a journey that’s unforgettable. Told with charm and a touch of self-deprecation, Lenz writes from the perspective of a survivor, and readers will find a satisfying conclusion to her story.

Wow, I read this book in under 24 hours! Written like Bethany Joy Lenz is personally telling you her story. I was so frustrated while I was reading, I just wanted to shake her and say, YOU ARE IN A CULT! Unfortunately for Bethany Joy, it took years and the loss of 2 Million dollars until she realized it for herself.

I am not normally a fan of memoirs. I wasn't a fan of One Tree Hill, where BJL was a cast member. I know her from Hallmark movies ;) What drew me to this book was the cult aspect. I can see how she fell into the "Family." This book was so interesting. It was easy to read and fast paced, highly recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

An interesting and quick read! The book is divided into three parts that describe Bethany’s life before, during, and after the cult. I’m amazed at her ability to recollect specific conversations and her bravery in leaving that environment and sharing her story. The third part felt a bit rushed but understandable as it overlaps with the present day.

Dinner With Vampires is a memoir written by Bethany Joy Lenz. She played Hailey in the hit TV series, One Tree Hill. And, she spent a decade in a cult.

This book takes you through Joy’s life, beginning when she was a child actress, through her unbelievable experience in and her escape from the cult. Joy was an only child who always dreamed of being in a big family. She began going to a bible study group with friends. It all started so innocently. She thought she found the family she’d always wished for. But soon, it turned into something very different.

This book absolutely blew my mind. I watched and was a fan of the show and had no idea that any of this ever happened. This cult targeted and coerced vulnerable people into emotional, psychological and financial abuse. Joy was emotionally manipulated into an abusive marriage with the minister’s son. She was also convinced to allow the leadership to manage all of her money. They ultimately drained 2 million dollars from her accounts without her knowledge or consent. Her story shows how she was so broken down over time, she questioned all of her own decisions to the point of believing everything she was being told by the leadership of this group. Joy’s story is honest, brave, inspiring and truly unbelievable. If you enjoy memoirs, were a fan of One Tree Hill or are interested in a peek into the life of someone who survived a cult, i highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC of Dinner With Vampires in exchange for my honest review.

Read. The. Acknowledgments. I admittedly rarely read the acknowledgements but it was a beautiful way to wrap this extremely vulnerable and eye opening memoir. I feel like I know Joy from watching OTH and listening to Drama Queens, but what an incredible actress she was to go through all of this manipulation and abuse and pull of the sometimes cheesy but beloved YA drama. I love how she still has faith, but brought us alongside the journey.

I've long been a fan of One Tree Hill, and Bethany Joy Lenz has always been my favorite character as Haley James Scott. It's a testament to her acting skills that you'd never know how tumultuous her real life was when watching the show.

This memoir broke my heart for her. The in-depth insight into living inside a cult was sometimes hard to read. The leaders were so creepy that I cringed each time they appeared on the page.

Part of me now understands how intelligent people get caught up in one, and another part understands even less, possibly because of how Joy wrote this story in hindsight. I'm sure her youth was a huge part of being so vulnerable to it. We're the same age, and my 20-year-old self understands better than my 42-year-old one.

It was an interesting and insightful read. It is also infuriating to know how often these cult leaders go largely unpunished by the law.

Joy's writing is easy to read, and the title is fitting. The ending felt rushed compared to how drawn out the cult years were, but it all came to a satisfying conclusion and hope for her and her daughter's future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read an ARC in exchange for my honest review.