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labunnywtf's review against another edition
2.0
Did I really not review this when I read it? That's odd.
I found this at a library sale, and snatched it up. I was a big fan of The Girls Next Door, I got into it despite my best attempts not to. It was a secret not-really-shame, until I discovered that The Best Friend loved it, too.
When Holly Madison's book came out, I got a whole new perspective on life in the mansion. So, needless to say, the story of mansion life from a former girlfriend who wasn't on the show made me even more intrigued.
In Holly's book, she doesn't go light on the previous girlfriends, the "mean girls" of the house. And it doesn't take you long, once you get into this book, to figure out that Izabella is definitely one of those said mean girls. And she really doesn't even try to deny it.
Since reading this book, I've found countless interviews done by her online, and she is just trash. She goes out of her way to prove that she's one of the bitches talked about in Holly's book, smearing her name from one side to the other. What I find most interesting about this is, based on the extensive research done by this ONTD user, Izabella doesn't even warrant her own featured story.
Sounds to me like someone's bitter she didn't get talked about more.
She's definitely bitter, based on this book's whole premise. She wrote it after GND's first airing happened, which tells me she didn't want to be left out the limelight.
Eye rolls. Over and over.
Also, she's a lawyer. If you missed that when she mentioned it 800 times.
I found this at a library sale, and snatched it up. I was a big fan of The Girls Next Door, I got into it despite my best attempts not to. It was a secret not-really-shame, until I discovered that The Best Friend loved it, too.
When Holly Madison's book came out, I got a whole new perspective on life in the mansion. So, needless to say, the story of mansion life from a former girlfriend who wasn't on the show made me even more intrigued.
In Holly's book, she doesn't go light on the previous girlfriends, the "mean girls" of the house. And it doesn't take you long, once you get into this book, to figure out that Izabella is definitely one of those said mean girls. And she really doesn't even try to deny it.
Since reading this book, I've found countless interviews done by her online, and she is just trash. She goes out of her way to prove that she's one of the bitches talked about in Holly's book, smearing her name from one side to the other. What I find most interesting about this is, based on the extensive research done by this ONTD user, Izabella doesn't even warrant her own featured story.
Sounds to me like someone's bitter she didn't get talked about more.
She's definitely bitter, based on this book's whole premise. She wrote it after GND's first airing happened, which tells me she didn't want to be left out the limelight.
Eye rolls. Over and over.
Also, she's a lawyer. If you missed that when she mentioned it 800 times.
missy_evanko's review against another edition
3.0
A different perspective from the Holly Madison memoir. Izabella definitely led an interesting life, especially her early upbringing.
ipomoea's review against another edition
3.0
This did what I needed it to do: distract me from the fact that I was in an airplane.
lattelibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
“Living at the Playboy Mansion is like living in an unrealistic bubble where everyone is beautiful. When I left the Mansion I could not help but notice how ‘normal’ and ordinary most people looked. All of a sudden, not everyone had a perfect tan, blonde hair, and big breasts. Then I realized that it was the Girlfriends who looked like cartoon characters, too perfect and too exaggerated.”
I've started doing a semi-deep dive into the world of Playboy and the beauty standards that prevail within the mansion's walls. I didn't read this book uncritically, though I can't help but to admit that it was equally entertaining as it was eye-opening. I've never been a fan of Hugh Hefner, thinking he's a creep at best, but wow, did that man control these women! Under the guise of "house rules" such as a 9PM curfew and being arm candy at all times, women such as St. James received a thousand dollar weekly allowance, cars, plastic surgery, and frequent nights on the town. Little did they know that what drew them into the lifestyle also forcibly kept them there, financially.
Hefner's financial and emotional abuse ran rampant and I'm glad that women like St. James decided to speak up about it, once she'd processed (and maybe is still processing) just what had happened.
I appreciated largely that St. James helps to dispel the notion that Hefner's girlfriends were solely bimbos. Sure, many of them jumped at the chance for spa days, plastic surgery, and fancy cars--after all, who wouldn't? Especially considering that Hefner's girlfriends didn't necessarily come from affluent backgrounds. But they are women in their own right, outside of Hefner's megalomaniacal purview. With friendships both inside and outside the mansion as well as a career, Izabella struggled for two long years balancing her personal life and her obligations to Hefner.
Overall, I found that her biography offered a view that confirmed my thoughts about the mansion, and it was written both honestly and earnestly.
I've started doing a semi-deep dive into the world of Playboy and the beauty standards that prevail within the mansion's walls. I didn't read this book uncritically, though I can't help but to admit that it was equally entertaining as it was eye-opening. I've never been a fan of Hugh Hefner, thinking he's a creep at best, but wow, did that man control these women! Under the guise of "house rules" such as a 9PM curfew and being arm candy at all times, women such as St. James received a thousand dollar weekly allowance, cars, plastic surgery, and frequent nights on the town. Little did they know that what drew them into the lifestyle also forcibly kept them there, financially.
Hefner's financial and emotional abuse ran rampant and I'm glad that women like St. James decided to speak up about it, once she'd processed (and maybe is still processing) just what had happened.
I appreciated largely that St. James helps to dispel the notion that Hefner's girlfriends were solely bimbos. Sure, many of them jumped at the chance for spa days, plastic surgery, and fancy cars--after all, who wouldn't? Especially considering that Hefner's girlfriends didn't necessarily come from affluent backgrounds. But they are women in their own right, outside of Hefner's megalomaniacal purview. With friendships both inside and outside the mansion as well as a career, Izabella struggled for two long years balancing her personal life and her obligations to Hefner.
Overall, I found that her biography offered a view that confirmed my thoughts about the mansion, and it was written both honestly and earnestly.
tamarahala's review against another edition
4.0
This was surprisingly better than I expected. At the end of the day it is what it is: a book about one of Hugh Hefner's former-girlfriend's and about the Playboy mansion, however it was much better written than expected and a lot more interesting.
Read this if you want to know all the dirt on the playboy mansion and it's inhabitants. Is some of it inspired by bitterness? Probably but most of it sounds legit and seems to add up if you compare it to the show. I got exactly what I wanted out of this book: the inside scoop on all of the goings on at this infamous mansion and since reading it I dont feel as much of an urge to want to go there, go figure.
Read this if you want to know all the dirt on the playboy mansion and it's inhabitants. Is some of it inspired by bitterness? Probably but most of it sounds legit and seems to add up if you compare it to the show. I got exactly what I wanted out of this book: the inside scoop on all of the goings on at this infamous mansion and since reading it I dont feel as much of an urge to want to go there, go figure.
poorlenore's review against another edition
Not a well written book at all. Generally I love these tell all books, but is was badly written, badly edited and the author not a likable person in the slightest.
princesszinza's review against another edition
2.0
I almost dreaded finishing this book because I didn't want to review it. There is no explaining why I wasted my time on this one.
silverlotus's review against another edition
1.0
A vapid, empty book "written" by someone without much self-awareness. Her story could have been really interesting, but it came across as someone sitting down with a tape recorder and being asked to talk about going to clubs, or to talk about the allowance, etc. It flows poorly, and is a real chore to read.
nell_reads's review against another edition
2.0
I had a hard time finding this book and it was lucky that a local friend had it and loaned it to me. I was interested to read it because before I read holly madison's book I wanted a complete picture and plus I don't know anything about the playboy mansion.
So to be blunt:
The book is badly written in some parts and it's very very short. It's really interesting to read about the mansion but before that it seemed like she was keeping it short about her life and I felt like some of that part of her life before the mansion was kept hush. By the end of the book I felt like she was disappointed in hef for not giving her what she wanted out of the mansion and it was money. Interesting read but the writing could have used some work.
So to be blunt:
The book is badly written in some parts and it's very very short. It's really interesting to read about the mansion but before that it seemed like she was keeping it short about her life and I felt like some of that part of her life before the mansion was kept hush. By the end of the book I felt like she was disappointed in hef for not giving her what she wanted out of the mansion and it was money. Interesting read but the writing could have used some work.
liralen's review against another edition
1.0
Mildly amusing, but definitely lacking in self-awareness on the part of the author.
It's a hard book to take seriously. Leaving aside the fact that it's poorly organised and even more poorly written, the author simply isn't sympathetic. The book is full of name-dropping, excuses, and complaining about money; although the author's self-professed actions are no different than those of the rest of the "Girlfriends", she constantly puts down the others.
The author is in a relatively unique position - how many people can say that they lived in the Playboy Mansion? - and her writings could have made for very interesting social commentary. Unfortunately, her book is little more than self-indulgence.
It's a hard book to take seriously. Leaving aside the fact that it's poorly organised and even more poorly written, the author simply isn't sympathetic. The book is full of name-dropping, excuses, and complaining about money; although the author's self-professed actions are no different than those of the rest of the "Girlfriends", she constantly puts down the others.
The author is in a relatively unique position - how many people can say that they lived in the Playboy Mansion? - and her writings could have made for very interesting social commentary. Unfortunately, her book is little more than self-indulgence.