Only Say Good Things

Surviving Playboy and Finding Myself

By: Crystal Hefner

Narrated by: Crystal Hefner

Length: 6 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2024 Crystal Hefner (P)2024 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"[Hefner's] frank memoir scratches some of the glitter off Playboy’s notorious legacy of sexual freedom, luxury, and excess. An illuminating tell-all." —Kirkus Reviews

"[A] juicy debut memoir. . . This tell-all is surprisingly empowering." —Publishers Weekly

"We've heard stories about life in the Playboy Mansion, but we've never gotten such piercing insights into the darkness that underscored Hugh Hefner's fantasy world." —Apple Books

Revealing

I give Crystal a lot of credit for writing this book and for how far she’s come. I felt like she took responsibility for many of the choices she made, and revealed circumstances beyond her control that lead her where she was. It felt like a full picture of what was going on in that point in time in her life. Compared to other bios I’ve read, it felt more complete. Loved it!

Courage

Idea for thought in the year 2024 would this have been human trafficking? Yes, it was a Playboy Empire, but the control and the rules of an adult female make me question the ideology and the concept of Playboy

Powerful

This was such a well written book!
I've loved previous playboy memoirs but this one has so much depth.You really understand why she made the decisions she did.
it's beautiful and heartbreaking!

Raw, honest and respectful

Very well written and read. Loved that the book wasn't like all the others regarding Playboy. Binged it in a day.

Empowerment

This book was an amazing read, I could not stop listening to it. Crystal, thank you for sharing your story so openly with the world.

Beautifully written

Waited a long time for this release and wasn’t disappointed. She gave her true accounts of her time with hef without being cruel and negative

You are a Survivor!

To all the girls, women, and ladies that are quiet due to fear, financial dependence, physical, and sexual abuse. I hope you find this book and start your own journey of healing. This book is a self help manual that will shed light on the trauma surrounding abuse and then the light of healing.

Gives a lot more insight about who she is

I really enjoyed listening to her backstory, hearing about her past trauma and childhood, why she feels and thinks the way she does. There was a lot more details and descriptions to a lot of things we had already heard about. I feel like the book was very genuine, getting the point she wanted across without sound like a victim.

Her perspective is honest and her words respectful of others

This was easy to listen to, she tells her story honestly, without dragging any of the other woman, something that the other ex’s of Hefners all do in their books. She is honest but respectful when she speaks of others. The tone of her voice is so soothing. Thank you for sharing your sort with us Crystal.

Honest and beautiful

Love her story, some chapters brought me tears by how much I could relate to her experiences and others made me reminisce about what it was like to have an innocent idealized perspective again. This is a must read.