What an easy 5-star read!
I really appreciated it.

Reading DINNER FOR VAMPIRES was profound for me. It tapped into a fear I have about the fluidity of my beliefs and how, as I’ve changed over the years, I sometimes worry about the reliability of my own judgment. It stirred up questions about how deeply my desire to be known and loved might impact my ability to stay grounded or avoid overlooking things that I would otherwise be cautious about. The book almost felt like a mirror, reflecting back this inner conflict with empathy and insight.

Brought up these fears and questions that I hadn’t ever fully articulated or really even thought about - this fear that as my views and beliefs have evolved over time it might mean that I can’t entirely trust my own judgment. What is the shifts in my beliefs and worldview mean that I’m someone who can be easily persuaded or vulnerable to people who show give me connection and make me feel good about myself. I would honestly be afraid that I am someone who could really easily settle in a relationship, is something that I thought of frequently throughout this read.

LOVED IT. Love Joy Lenz.

I breezed through this engrossing memoir. I never watched One Tree Hill and knew almost nothing about it. I only had a vague recognition of Bethany Joy Lenz’s name. I think this was to my benefit that I had no biases or knowledge going into the crazy 15 years of her life when she was part of a cult. So many parts of her story made me so sad as I knew what she was building up to. Abandoning a chance on Broadway almost made me clutch my heart. Lenz just wanted love and acceptance and a community so much. She lost so much due to these manipulative and overall abusive cult leaders and worshippers. As she said in one part, if she was guaranteed she would have her daughter but could have eliminated all the rest, that would’ve been ideal. Sadly, life isn’t that kind sometimes. I was very proud of her when she started reclaiming her life and doing whatever it took for her child’s well-being. It takes a ton of strength and a village to get through those early steps. Now I’m genuinely curious about One Tree Hill and her acting considering she had to turn off her agony when the camera was rolling. Really fascinating life presented with humor and pathos, definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

I have never watched One Tree Hill, so I didn’t know the background of the author. My interest was in her experience and escape from a cult.
I think this is a cautionary tale that may help people recognize that they are in a controlling, abusive and manipulative situation or relationship.
Her willingness to be open and move on will hopefully give someone else the confidence to do the same.

Bethany Joy Lenz’s Dinner for Vampires is one of the most eye-opening and emotional memoirs I’ve ever read. It tells the true story of how she spent almost a decade stuck in a cult while secretly filming One Tree Hill—and how she finally broke free. It’s a wild ride full of intense moments, but it’s also surprisingly funny and super inspiring.

One thing I really loved about this book was how personal and real it felt. Lenz doesn’t hold back when she describes what she went through, and you can tell she poured her heart into every page. I also thought the way she talked about faith was really interesting—how it can give people hope but also be twisted to control them. And honestly, her humor was such a great surprise. Even in the darkest parts of her story, she finds ways to make you laugh, which shows how strong she really is.

The only thing that held me back from giving it five stars was how much it focused on Christian theology. Some of the religious details were hard for me to connect with, and I felt like they slowed things down at times.

Still, Dinner for Vampires is an incredible read. It’s honest, powerful, and something I think a lot of people—especially those figuring out who they are—should check out.

Back in the day, One Tree Hill was the must-watch show for my friends and I, a beacon of teen angst and melodrama in an otherwise dreary world. I was thrilled to discover this memoir by Bethany Joy Lenz. Turns out she's been living a real-life plot twist - who knew she was in a cult and didn't even realize it? Reading her story gives us a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes drama of being on one of the top teen TV shows. I always envied the actresses and the teenage TV shows, as they seem to have it all - the fame, the fortune, and the perfect life. I was mistaken in my assumption that her life was perfect. Through this book, I gained a deeper understanding of her strength and resilience, and how she emerged victorious despite the challenges she faced. Thank you so much for this advanced reader copy!

Wow I had absolutely no idea the life she was leading- incredibly moving and well written- I am hesitant to read books by actors and actresses but Bethany has a fantastic relatable way of writing!

I was a huge One Tree Hill fan growing up, and the character of Haley James Scott was one of my favorites on the show. So when I saw Bethany Joy Lenz was writing a memoir, I was already interested. Add to it that she was writing about her experience in a cult, and I was hooked. Her account is poignant, honest, and heartbreaking at times to read. I loved her narrative voice throughout the book, and I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this one. This is not just for fans of OTH, but if you are a fan you will have a deeper appreciation for her and her story. Absolutely recommend.

Bethany Joy Lenz takes her audience on a tumultuous journey through her experiences in Hollywood, where she found herself entangled in a religious cult that exploited her during the height of her career. While some aspects may seem implausible, her narrative is crucial to understand, as it highlights the stark contrast between perception and reality. Ultimately, she emerged from this ordeal, offering a powerful testament to resilience.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC and getting a chance to read her story!

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book. And what a heartbreaking story. As a big One Tree Hill fan, its incredible to look back and see everything her character had gone through, thinking she is so strong, and then realizing how Joy, the actress playing Haley, was in a literal CULT and had no control over her own life throughout this entire series!!! Highly recommend reading this book, buying it, supporting Joy.

i don’t typically give a star rating to memoirs because it feels weird to assign a rating to someone telling their own story, however i was provided this book as an arc from simon and schuster via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

while the story of bethany joy lenz’s life to this point is interesting and heartbreaking, the book itself was somewhat disjointed and hard to follow. i feel like she could have used some more time on the other side of this cult experience before writing about it. her feelings seem so raw and conflicted still and she hasn’t appeared to fully untangled herself from the beliefs that she shares with the cult.

definitely worth the read but i’m interested to see if her belief system continues to evolve.

Holy cow, what an anxiety-filled ride this book was. From the start, it’s easy for readers to forget that Joy ends up coming out on the other side of this monstrosity. Dinner for Vampires was wildly captivating; I’m happy to know more about her story, but I’m incredibly sad this was the reality she (and many others) faced for years.

I remember when I was 18 and went to see Bethany Joy on a OTH Tour and just being in awe.

Dinner for Vampires isn't quite the book I ever expected from Bethany but boy am I glad that she wrote it. I felt like it was a brave book to write and I wish that she hadn't gone through half of the situations mentioned in the book. I feel like I look at OTH and this book's timeline in parallel and I'm so glad that she still showed up everyday to be such a light on the show.

I would recommend this book to anyone but especially those that think they know everything about their favorite celeb. I don't think we ever really know anyone's full story unless they are brave enough to tell it. I'm so glad Bethany was!

Thank you to Net Galley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I both read and listened to Dinner for Vampires, which I personally think is the way to go. Half of the book's charm comes from hearing Bethany Joy Lenz narrate her personal experience. Joy is charismatic, infusing so much of her passion into her writing. As a One Tree Hill fan that was devotedly watching the show in real time - who has distinct memories of hashing out Nathan and Haley's latest story arc with my best friend as we waited to head into homeroom - I was super intrigued to discover that Joy was in a cult throughout the show's duration.

Joy's performance on One Tree Hill was a huge factor in why I enjoyed the show at all. Learning that she didn't connect with her cast mates and, instead, was intentionally isolated from them, adds a certain complexity to the viewing experience. I'm glad that she has managed to reconnect (or, in the case of certain others, like Paul Johansson, stay connected) and reflect back on that experience through the Drama Queens podcast (regardless of whatever animosity is currently being reported about the hosts). And so, I understand that One Tree Hill insights are more likely to be shared on that platform. But... I really wanted more content on it within these pages. I was so excited to hear Chad Michael Murray, Tyler Hilton, Paul Johansson, and (of course) James Lafferty make guest appearances on the audiobook. However, that excitement was short-lived, given how brief their appearances were.

The title of this suggests that equal time will be paid to the cult Joy belonged to and the cult TV show she appeared on. That just isn't the case. The book is primarily centered around Joy's religious beliefs, as well as her involvement with The Big House Family.

It was an easy listen. I was just hoping for a slightly more balanced read (with more time spent on OTH).

Bethany Joy Lenz leads her readers on a wild ride exploring life in Hollywood while being in a religious cult that manipulated and took advantage of her during the prime of her career. At times unbelievable, it is an important story to hear because what you see and what you want to see are very different, and she was able to make it out on the other side.

If i could give this memoir more than five stars I would. I grew up watching OTH, so naturally, I was giddy when I saw Bethany was coming out with this book. I'm a avid reader of really anything cult related, it's just a fascinating topic so that was just the proverbial icing on the cake for me.

I found myself on a roller coaster of emotion while reading this, from getting frustrated at her for choices to devastated for her because of her circumstances. You can tell this memoir was handled with a lot of love and care and it must have been so difficult for her to recount her life from back then and how she mustered the courage to get out.

I'm sure there are a lot of people who don't want to read this because they think it will be OTH content heavy but I think there was just the right amount. The majority of the book focuses on her family & life outside of the TV set with little sprinkles of the show here and there.

This was a truly incredible book & i think people who may not regularly indulge in a memoir would find this one easy to get into.

As a HUGE fan of One Tree Hill and Bethany Joy, I was so excited to get a copy of this!! Bethany’s transparency in her writing was perfect and I enjoyed being able to read her story and learn more about her! Thanks for the arc!!

I am a die hard OTH fan, like it’s my favorite show of all time and I rewatch it pretty much yearly for comfort. That being said, I had no idea what was going on behind the scenes in Joy’s life the entire time…

Bethany Joy Lenz tells her story beautifully through this memoir and audio, I loved hearing about her time in Wilmington, her admiration for her costars and her love for the show. As the title explains though, this book is more about her time in a religious cult - which was FASCINATING.

You hear cult, you think Manson, Branch Davidians, Heaven’s Gate etc. This cult that Joy was in however started innocently enough as a bible study. There were no initiations, no violence, no guns, no fear. It was based on manipulations and control. Manipulation that went so far as to having Joy marry the leaders son and give them all access to her bank accounts…

Joy tells this story so well with heart and humor. Reading this made me understand her and her pain so much better than I imagined. THIS is how you write a memoir.

I grew up watching One Tree Hill and loved the show. I related to Haley in so many ways and loved the songs she sang on the show. This book was truly an eye-opening experience. I never knew she was battling so much and my heart breaks for her in so many ways. It was so hard reading about all of the opportunities over the years that she lost because of the cult and toxic relationships. I am so proud of the healing she has experienced and hope that the future is so bright for her. She has SO much talent and I hope that others reading this book she her as an empowered force and are proud of her for how much she overcame. It is so sad that there are people out there who prey on the vulnerable, and unfortunate that she happened to be the victim. But, I am so happy she was able to free herself from this cult.

Dinner For Vampires is the story of actress, Bethany Joy Lenz. Best known for her tenure on One Tree Hill, in this memoir, Lenz cleverly outlines what it was like to be on a cult tv show while simultaneously belonging to an actual cult.

In order to understand how this came to happen, Lenz explains her upbringing. The only child of divorced parents, she caught the acting bug early and decided to dive in head first. But leaving a tumultuous home life for the uncertainty that Hollywood brings found Lenz looking for her place in both her personal and professional life. This is how she falls into a religious group of people who welcome her with open arms. It’s no coincidence this comes at a time where a struggling actress was subjected to rejection after rejection.

By the time Lenz secures her role on One Tree Hill, her role in the “family” is already deeply rooted in lies and deception. Although the classic signs are there- isolation, intimidation, and even monetary coercion- the actress details how easy it is to turn a blind eye when such manipulation comes from those you trust the most. It’s only after things come to a head that Lenz was able to see her situation from the outside looking in, allowing her to reflect and forgive herself in order to move on.

Dinner For Vampires reads as a cautionary tale that debunks the idea that someone must be weak or stupid to get themselves into such situations. What it isn’t, however, is much of a chronicle of the actress’s time on the cult classic, One Tree Hill. Arguably the reason most people would be interested in her story to begin with, fans should know on set tales are sparse. Rather the focus is on the immersion and rebirth of a woman- one that will rope readers in with her addictive take on cultism culture.

What a great memoir - full of the worst kind of bed time stories. It was really eye opening, the stories of manipulation and abuse. But also awe-inspiring how Joy was able to get out. It was an easy quick read that kept me captivated. I didn’t want to put it down.
Wish there was more OTH behind the scenes… but I still loved the book.