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Only Say Good Things
Only Say Good Things: Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself | Crystal Hefner
16 posts | 17 read | 2 to read
A raw and unflinching look at the objectification and misogyny of the Playboy mansion, a womans stolen young adulthood and her journey to self-acceptance, and a rare look inside Hugh Hefners 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 Hefs number one girlfriend came at the cost of Crystals 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 Playboys 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.
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ClairesReads
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Panpan

Look I love a trashy celebrity memoir but this one didn‘t fire. Was hoping for this to be more scandalous, or interesting, but this was bland and sad.

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JenReadsAlot
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Pickpick

I'm so glad she told her story. So sad.

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jdiehr
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Pickpick

I thought this was a great memoir about Crystal's time in the Playboy Mansion.

I'm glad she's on the other side, figuring out who she is without someone telling her who they want her to be.

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rachelk
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Pickpick

Crystal Hefner reveals a dark side to life in the Playboy mansion where a controlling and narcissistic Hugh Hefner preys on vulnerable young women. He‘s not here to defend himself but post ‘me too‘ his former lifestyle seems best left to a bygone era. I do think that framing herself as a ‘survivor‘ is a bit much but overall I appreciated how well written and insightful her memoir is.

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Erin.Elizabeth10
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Pickpick

This was a really well written memoir. It follows the story of the author from when she first attends a party at the Playboy mansion, through her time there as a girlfriend and then wife, and then when she leaves after Hugh Hefner‘s death. She does a great job of describing what happened but also reflecting on it and how the experiences were harmful or hurtful and how she‘s grown. It felt balanced and insightful.

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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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Starting this one today… sounds very interesting! My third audiobook! Yay me! 😂

#LitsyLoveReads
#LitsyLove

ShelleyBooksie This sounds interesting 6mo
MemoirsForMe Woo hoo! So happy you‘re getting addicted to audiobooks like the rest of us! 😁🎧🙌🏻 6mo
49 likes2 comments
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Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks
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My 3rd audiobook!! I‘ve always been very interested in the lives of those closest to Hugh… why?? Looking forward to hearing her story 🖤

Karisa Oh my! Did you watch the reality tv show with his girlfriends way back ago? Like watching a train wreck… 😬🍿👀 6mo
marleed I often opt for memoirs on audio - especially when read by the author. They feel like a documentary with all the reporter‘s questions edited out. 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Karisa was it on Netflix?! I think that was the one I watched! Yes, it was crazy 😳 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @marleed yes, these are working much better for me! 6mo
51 likes4 comments
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Cortg
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Pickpick

Curiosity got the best of me on this one. I was curious as to who Crystal was and why she married Heffner, 60 years her senior. What I found is a terribly sad story from a young, naive woman. I wish for her happiness and I hope she‘s able to overcome the trauma of the ten years spent in the Playboy mansion. 💔

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MysticFaerie
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Pickpick

5🌟/5🌟 My usual rating for memoirs... unless really poorly written... I don't think it's my place to rate someone's life story.

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Amor4Libros
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Pickpick

I went into this book just being curious about what it was like to be at the Playboy Mansion, and to compare it to Holly Madison‘s book, to be honest.

This felt very honest and another confirmation that Hefner was just a predator and a narcissist. I‘m glad that Crystal found her voice and it just made me so sad for her and all the women that had to go through a similar experience at Playboy.

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Amandakay
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Pickpick

Definitely feel for her.

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Soubhiville
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Pickpick

I‘m not sure why this drew me, except maybe morbid curiosity about the end of Hefner‘s life? I watched some of the reality show back when it was Holly and Kendra, but knew nothing of the later years and honestly was surprised he ever got married.

I‘m glad Crystal felt comfortable telling her story, and can only hope the more stories like these are told that maybe fewer women will fall into patterns and situations like this.

Kappadeemom Okay, gotta ask…did she really love him? Back in the day, I was mad that he didn‘t marry Holly 😂 (Now I‘m glad she escaped!) 8mo
The_Book_Ninja @Kappadeemom of course she loved him😏 8mo
Soubhiville @Kappadeemom @The_Book_Ninja well… it didn‘t sound like love to me. It sounded like resignation. That she was willing to use sex transactionally to secure a home and privileges, even though she wasn‘t happy with her situation. She says she “cared for him…” and was concerned about his wellbeing in his final years. 🤷‍♀️ (edited) 8mo
The_Book_Ninja @Soubhiville of course, that was a “yeah right” emoji attempt 😂 8mo
Soubhiville @The_Book_Ninja I assumed it was😉 8mo
72 likes5 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Nothing in this memoir from Hugh Hefner‘s 3rd wife surprised me but I loved that she found her own voice and had the courage to speak about her feelings and experiences in the Playboy mansion. Hef comes off as a total narcissist though she did feel love for him in some ways. Dr. Phil‘s family seems pretty yucky too, according to this!
Crystal‘s voice felt authentic though sad as she‘s deeply affected by two deaths earlier in her life.

Megabooks Oh yeah. Dr. Phil is really bizarre! 8mo
83 likes1 comment
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Megabooks
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Pickpick

A lot has come out about Hef and Playboy in the years since his death, and kind of surprisingly his last wife has one of the most nuanced looks at his complicated legacy and the role he gave her in protecting it. But she doesn‘t ignore her own conflicted feelings about how her 10 years at the mansion changed her for better and worse. Mama Love (tagged below) is Crystal‘s agent (and likely ghost writer), and I felt the same emotional detachment ⬇️

Megabooks I felt when reading Mama Love‘s recent memoir. 🤷🏻‍♀️ But I think that‘s a me thing. Definite pick for Crystal‘s memoir, though! 9mo
squirrelbrain There‘s been a few reviews / articles in the UK press recently promoting this book - in fact, I just read one article about 30 minutes ago! Sounds an interesting book. 9mo
Megabooks @squirrelbrain it was. Worth a borrow for sure if you can find it! 9mo
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britt_brooke
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I stopped watching Girls Next Door once the main three began to exit, so all I remembered hearing about Crystal was that she actually ended up marrying Hef‘s old ass. Her time in the Mansion was really sad and disturbing. I believe it was the same for all his “girlfriends.” All the rules and roles. Feeling trapped, indebted. What truly broke my heart was hearing about Crystal‘s first love. ⬇️

britt_brooke ⬆️ Lara Love Hardin is her literary agent, so you should absolutely let that persuade you to pick this up. 9mo
68 likes1 stack add1 comment