Only Say Good Things - Crystal Hefner

Only Say Good Things

By Crystal Hefner

  • Release Date: 2024-01-23
  • Genre: Biographies & Memoirs
Score: 4
4
From 372 Ratings

Description

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A JANUARY 2024 APPLE BOOKS STAFF PICK AND AUDIBLE EDITORS SELECT
NAMED A BEST BOOK TO READ THIS JANUARY BY THE GLOSS

A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a woman’s stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefner’s final days.


At just twenty-one years old, Crystal Harris’ life changed forever when she attended a party at the notorious Playboy mansion. Picked out of the crowd by Hugh Hefner, she became one of his infamous “girlfriends,” attending glamorous Hollywood parties and traveling the world. Yet this seemingly alluring lifestyle had a dark side. Hef controlled his girlfriends with strict rules regarding everything from their hair and makeup to their curfews, and Crystal was forced to compete with other women for her spot in the highly hierarchal system. Living at the mansion, she felt more like a fixture than a resident. 
 
She quickly rose to the top, but being Hef’s number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystal’s identity outside her role in the Playboy universe. Her fate seemed sealed when Hef surprised her with a marriage proposal she could not imagine refusing. But as Crystal Hefner, she grew increasingly restless to understand who she truly was away from what she saw as Playboy’s toxic culture.

In ONLY SAY GOOD THINGS, Crystal offers a vulnerable and clear-eyed look at how her experience with Hugh Hefner catalyzed her transformative journey from someone who prized external validation over all else to a person who finally recognizes her true worth. This candid memoir provides a fascinating look behind the scenes at a powerful cultural icon and brand, and an equally empowering perspective on hard-won lessons about who we allow to determine our value.

Reviews

  • Surviving

    1
    By luncboxbkitty
    No substance.
  • NEVER JUDGE A BOOK OR AUTHOR

    5
    By Heather_cny
    A MUST read!! What an insight to the world of Playboy & Hef!! I found this inspiring and a page tuner!! I read this in 3 days- I couldn’t put it down!! I cried and laughed and OMG out loud. My husband was surprised I was balling my eyes out. And every day I couldn’t wait to tell him what I read about! I used to love watching Girls Next Door w/Holly, Bridget & Kendra. I wasn’t infatuated with Playboy or anything, but it was interesting. Never judge someone bc they stayed. It’s like asking someone in a violent relationship- why don’t you just leave? Sometimes it’s easier said than done.
  • It’s an okay read

    3
    By jh227899
    It was about what we already knew happened in that house. It seemed to dwell on the same feelings over and over. But nice to hear her perspective.
  • Kudos to Crystal…

    5
    By @Adrienne.
    … for having the courage to point out that Hugh Hefner was not a champion of sexual freedom, but instead was a controlling, manipulative sexual predator. A well written and insightful memoir.
  • Kelley

    5
    By melckelm
    Written well, good read. Enjoyed this book
  • Heartbreakingly honest

    5
    By Breezy 12345
    Just read it. It was so good.
  • This was a very honest interpretation of the playboy make-believe world.

    5
    By Ilikesidewalks
    This was a very honest interpretation of the playboy make-believe world. Fantasy at its finest. Crystal or her writers did a great job describing everything and it kept me in interested the entire time. That’s hard for me. I liked it and i’m not into Playboys. lol
  • Say only good things

    5
    By Amy Robach
    This was a great read. Different in some ways than I expected. The shiny apple with a rotten core. I hope Chrystal finds her true North Star whether it’s herself or someone else. Probably both.
  • Very Interesting

    5
    By iJackieU
    I wasn’t sure about this or her but loved how she explains her life. It’s a good read. I have a new found respect for her. Very good read!
  • Another romantic Fantasy crashed.

    4
    By ylovettlovett
    Very interesting book. GOOD READ. Being from that area and driving those old streets and rodes I can definitely remember Hefner’s Playboy Mansion and all the famous parties. An era gone but not forgotten. A+