Where do I even begin to “review” someone’s life and experiences? That seems so cruel. So I will say this- I am deeply saddened by the experiences Lenz had to go through, and I love the compassion in which she wrote about them. As a Christian, I wish more Christian’s would read this to see what their actions can do when they are not following Jesus, but rather following religion. But I loved that Lenz was so gentle and yet graceful in her own standing up. I commend her greatly for making the choices she did to survive and to protect herself and her child. The is is a heavy read, but so so worth it.

This wasn't a happy read, but Bethany Joy Lenz did a really nice job of balancing the serious with the nostalgic. Her story is heartbreaking, but her resilience and determination to move forward was definitely worth the read.

This was TEDIOUS for me. Please know going in to this book that at least 75% of it describes her spiritual journey and her struggles with God. I guess I was hoping for it to be more entertaining like other memoirs I’ve read / listened to. There was very little in this about her life in Hollywood or on One Tree Hill.
It was exhausting to hear her describe situation after situation where it was so obvious those around her weren’t genuine. It would have been HELL to be her parents.
I’m glad she is out now, but would she be if others hadn’t acted first? Makes you wonder…

I became a fan of OTH after the series had completed, but I had NO idea about any of this until promo for this book started coming out!

It’s truly awful the amount of manipulation she went through with these people, but I am so glad Bethany Joy Lenz got herself and her daughter out of there when she did ❤️

Thank you NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for an honest review!
As a one tree hill fan I was so excited to read this book. WOW this was so much more than what I expected. Bethany Joy Lenz is an incredibly strong woman who went through an insurmountable trial with grace and grit. This story was incredible and just so fascinating

I am fascinated by books written by people who have been in a cult. This is right up there with Educated and Unfollow for me. The fact that Joy Lenz kept such meticulous journals throughout the years made the dialogue and timeline authentic and while I hate that it took her so long and she had to suffer so much loss along the way, I am so glad that she was able to remove herself from that situation and realize that the the people who truly loved her - her family and her cast mates - always had her best interests at heart. I would have just liked a little bit more information about where she is now and her current relationship with The Family and her ex-husband, but overall, this was a compelling and honest account that I highly recommend.

I absolutely adore Bethany Joy Lenz. She was always my favorite on One Tree Hill and to now know what she was going through while being on one of the most iconic shows just makes me respect her even more than I already did.

Not usually a memoir lover- but this one is excellent. Love the honesty from Joy. Very compelling story that makes you better understand the power of abusive manipulation.

I alternated between reading and listening to the audiobook (read by the author).

I was never a huuuuuuuge OTH fan (I had seen the entire show in high school, but it was something I definitely found exhausting to watch--I have always been more of a sitcom girly, though I give OTH props because I got through the entire show when I gave up on shows like Pretty Little Liars after two episodes), but I enjoyed it well enough and really have been finding these nostalgic memoirs interesting. I found this one to be...kind of preachy but also without resolution? Aka based on where the book ends, it seems like she wrote it more for money (which makes sense, since a cult drained her bank account). In general, I honestly thought this would be more...interesting? I enjoyed it well enough but it's not a must read from me.

I'm an avid One Tree Hill fan so was very excited to get the eARC of Dinner for Vampires. Though Bethany's past had been mentioned in passing, I didn't know what to expect from this reading experience.

This is a very vital memoir, much like I'm Glad My Mom Died. I think it will benefit many who feel lost and take on a "found family" that may not be ideal.

I did think the writing lacked at times but it was nonetheless an interesting reading experience.

This was so incredibly hard to read but it gave really good insight into Bethany’s life and the cult that was controlling her. It was really sad to read what she went through and a relief to know that she eventually was able to escape their control.

I have loved Bethany Joy Lenz since the early 2000s. Haley Scott was an amazing character who contained multitudes, and this memoir shined a light on the multitudes that Bethany has as well.

From Cult TV show, to Cult lifestyle (actually, it overlaps). I love Bethany's writing.

I do not typically read any non-fiction books because I get bored easily, and I couldn’t put this down. The author shares her life story in a beautiful way- it’s easy to see how she was manipulated and groomed into a cult, how she battled religious beliefs and every day life, and how painful it was to realize what was happening to her. The book ends as positively as it can with where the author and her family are now in real life. This memoir was beautifully written, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Wow! I was a fan of One Tree Hill in college so this was a fascinating read for me. Lenz weaves a very interesting and believable tale about her experience in the cult which makes it seem relatable and helps the reader understand how easy it would be to fall into. I had no idea any of this was a part of her life story.

Growing up as a teen in the early 2000s everyone including myself was watching One Tree Hill. I can still recall the memories of my friends and I three, four, five way calling each other for the season premiers and finales. Heck I remember clear as day my best friend and I literally screaming so loud when Haley and Nathan’s car went into the water. The screaming scared my parents because they thought one of us was dying or something ha-ha. Point is this show was a staple in my young adolescent mind but what I didn’t realize until now ,in my 30s, is the hell that one of my favorite characters went through. I have no doubt in my mind the raw emotion BJL must’ve had to write this down while also at the end finding it healing. To think someone loved you so completely only to realize that it was so much darker. Dinner with Vampires kept me enthralled, emotional but also relieved for BJL. I hope pop culture fans and folks who may have been religiously abused find themselves gravitating to this book and gives it a chance. Happy reading!!

Whether you’re a OTH fan or not, Bethany Joy Lenz pours herself into this book to tell her personal account of being in a cult. Raw, dark, vulnerable, with sprinkles of comedy and light, this memoir gives a firsthand look at how anyone can be pulled into a cult and not know it until you’re out. An easy, insightful read with glimpses into Hollywood and religion, the reader will feel like they’re reading Lenz’s personal journal.

Dinner for Vampires is confessional and scandalous (in a good way.) Lenz is not the most adept of writers for a longer-form piece, but she does give the people what they want: an inside look in her mind. It's an easy read and a page-turner, for exactly those reasons. She does give you a sense of her yearning and what she's searching for, it's also heartbreaking to read about how they preyed on her and her best friends. I think it's a quick and easy read, interesting enough, but I wish she had spent more time on how she actually got out, instead of (as others say) just magically disappearing. That being said, it was a nice read. Perfectly fine.
Thanks Netgalley for the ARC

Woah i used to love oth so of cpurse i was going to read this but i was nit expecting this content it was so do good

I ATE THIS UP!! This was one of the best memoirs I read this year. Bethany’s story was truly so eye opening and I was soooooo into her whole story!

I loved this book. I’m a big one tree hill fan so I always love finding out what went on behind the scenes