What do you think?
Rate this book
What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me
The John Edwards–Rielle Hunter affair made headlines for years. "One of the biggest political scandals of all time," "a fall from grace," "a modern-day tragedy"-it's a story that has been reported, distorted, and spun over and over again by the media, by political aides, by the U.S. government, by supposed friends. However, there is someone who actually knows the truth, someone who lived it from day one-the woman at the heart of the story Rielle Hunter.In the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller What Really Happened, Hunter offers an extremely personal account of her relationship with John the facts of how they actually met, how their accidental love started and escalated, what it was like to fall in love with a married man who decided to run for president, the surprise of becoming pregnant during the campaign, how the affair became public, the extensive cover-up, and finally, what happened in the years after Edwards publicly admitted to being the father of their daughter, Frances Quinn.Meet Edwards's political players and get an intimate look at how they really operated. Learn about the evolution of "friends," enablers, and do-gooders, their involvement with the affair and Edwards's 2008 presidential campaign, and where the money from Rachel "Bunny" Mellon and Fred Baron actually went.This book doesn't spin the truth to achieve a prettier picture or a better story. It isn't about changing anyone's mind. It's simply the facts, the truth of what really happened.
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 22, 2012
69 people are currently reading
145 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews
June 29, 2016
"The lady doth protest too much, methinks."
- Hamlet, Wm. Shakespeare
Over the course of my life I've had three legal actions against three different individuals on three different matters. What those matters were won't be elucidated here.
On one of them, I was clearly at fault, and gladly paid the penalty. On another, both sides settled by mutual agreement. On the other, things were more dicey. I felt wronged and, being an articulate writer, scribed for myself an eloquent statement that I believed would aid my case.
Meeting my lawyer to discuss the case, I told her that I had prepared a statement, then proceeded to pull it out. Before my hand had even touched the document, she said, "Don't bother, I'll handle it." "Why?" I asked. She responded, "The more you say, the less it helps. Trust me, it's that way with all cases."
In this book, Rielle Hunter, apparently had no one to give her that sage advice. So, for page after excruciatingly embarrassing page, she defends herself in the court of public opinion. In the process of digging up dirt to build herself up for the mound pedestal she clearly intends to stand on, she inevitably gouges out a deep hole in which to bury herself.
If you don't remember who Rielle Hunter is/was, you're not alone. I had totally forgotten about her. That's what happens when time passes and the news scandal of the day recedes in the public memory. And that's a healthy thing; one that the scandal participant should welcome. Begin fresh and anew; embrace the future. Learn, and move on. Like most of the players in scandals, we don't really care about them except for a momentary thrill. Rielle Hunter's reputation is no concern of mine. But she thinks it is. And because she thinks it is, I am less inclined to believe her.
Rielle Hunter works in filmmaking. Don't ask me in what capacity. Whatever that capacity is, she should devote herself to it and be the best she can be. But, like anyone who can't let something go, she had to write this book to remind us that she was the center of a scandal in 2008 that focused attention on then-Democratic presidential hopeful, John Edwards, a married man whose affair with her resulted in the conception of their child, Quinn. Because of this book, I now know that John and Rielle have a daughter named Quinn, and now I can associate Quinn with this scandal. Nice going, Rielle.
John Edwards tried to weasel out of this arrangement; he couldn't and was found out, and his promising political career that seemed to put him on track for the presidency (or vice presidency), was toast. Plenty of hard feelings were abundant on all sides, I'm sure, as they always are with things like this. The impulse to want to "set the record straight" is natural.
But who was even asking? Is the country a bunch of nattering nabobs hounding Rielle Hunter and besmirching her name? Did anyone force her to wear a blouse emblazoned with the scarlet letter A? To whom is it necessary to set the record straight? Does she really believe she's that important and interesting? Does she think anyone was even talking about her a week after the headlines went away? Apparently so.
So, why did I read it? Because I saw someone posting it on my read feed on Goodreads. And my curiosity did what curiosity does: Checks out kiss-and-tell books that shouldn't exist.
From the very first page, you'll never see more jaw-dropping examples of breathlessly demanded validation, disingenuous naivete, and tortured self-serving rationalizations. As for the writing, it makes Go Ask Alice look like Man Booker material.
(Representative sample: "The next morning I accompanied Andrew, Johnny, and some poverty woman who was really snotty to me to the University of North Carolina, where I shot some footage of Johnny speaking that ended up with lighting issues.")
Is dere uh editer in da house?
I will give Hunter at least some credit for her observations about the jealous maneuvering that goes on behind the scenes among a political candidate's aids, staffers, and advisers. These bits actually have some interest. If she had thrown herself out of the story, this would be the basis for a potentially decent book.
The temptation to pull quotes and examples out of this is great, but there are too many to choose from. I love the graph where she complains that all Edwards' other mistresses are justing "using him." And then a few paragraphs later she's pulling thousands of dollars out of ATMs with a card he gave her for her personal use.
So yes, John Edwards had a bimbo eruption, but the main bimbo was himself -- a blow-dried pretty boy who went to that great graveyard where the corpses of crashed and burned political ambitions lie. Rielle was the other bimbo, and for some darned reason, she wants us to remember that.
Rielle Hunter says her love for John Edwards was one for the ages. I actually don't want to doubt her, because who am I to judge passion, particularly when it goes against the grain of people who are not involved? There is, therefore, no real need to justify it in public, especially if it punctures your own case.
I'm not here to slut shame. I have seen good, thoughtful memoirs written by mistresses. This is not one of those.
There's a certain fascinating masochistic awkwardness in seeing someone willingly hanging themselves out to dry. Rielle Hunter twists in the wind like a rag doll, and it's not a pretty sight.
Rielle Hunter won the lottery in life, but thinks rocks were dropped in her Halloween bag. Nothing was "done" to her. The mistakes were hers. Her grasp of reality makes me think she has the royal gene in her. In another life she must have said: "Let 'em eat cake."
Congrats, Rielle. You've set the record straight all right. This book is literature's greatest bimbo eruption. It is a train wreck of epic proportions.
Five massive face palms.
(KR@KY 2016)
- Hamlet, Wm. Shakespeare
Over the course of my life I've had three legal actions against three different individuals on three different matters. What those matters were won't be elucidated here.
On one of them, I was clearly at fault, and gladly paid the penalty. On another, both sides settled by mutual agreement. On the other, things were more dicey. I felt wronged and, being an articulate writer, scribed for myself an eloquent statement that I believed would aid my case.
Meeting my lawyer to discuss the case, I told her that I had prepared a statement, then proceeded to pull it out. Before my hand had even touched the document, she said, "Don't bother, I'll handle it." "Why?" I asked. She responded, "The more you say, the less it helps. Trust me, it's that way with all cases."
In this book, Rielle Hunter, apparently had no one to give her that sage advice. So, for page after excruciatingly embarrassing page, she defends herself in the court of public opinion. In the process of digging up dirt to build herself up for the mound pedestal she clearly intends to stand on, she inevitably gouges out a deep hole in which to bury herself.
If you don't remember who Rielle Hunter is/was, you're not alone. I had totally forgotten about her. That's what happens when time passes and the news scandal of the day recedes in the public memory. And that's a healthy thing; one that the scandal participant should welcome. Begin fresh and anew; embrace the future. Learn, and move on. Like most of the players in scandals, we don't really care about them except for a momentary thrill. Rielle Hunter's reputation is no concern of mine. But she thinks it is. And because she thinks it is, I am less inclined to believe her.
Rielle Hunter works in filmmaking. Don't ask me in what capacity. Whatever that capacity is, she should devote herself to it and be the best she can be. But, like anyone who can't let something go, she had to write this book to remind us that she was the center of a scandal in 2008 that focused attention on then-Democratic presidential hopeful, John Edwards, a married man whose affair with her resulted in the conception of their child, Quinn. Because of this book, I now know that John and Rielle have a daughter named Quinn, and now I can associate Quinn with this scandal. Nice going, Rielle.
John Edwards tried to weasel out of this arrangement; he couldn't and was found out, and his promising political career that seemed to put him on track for the presidency (or vice presidency), was toast. Plenty of hard feelings were abundant on all sides, I'm sure, as they always are with things like this. The impulse to want to "set the record straight" is natural.
But who was even asking? Is the country a bunch of nattering nabobs hounding Rielle Hunter and besmirching her name? Did anyone force her to wear a blouse emblazoned with the scarlet letter A? To whom is it necessary to set the record straight? Does she really believe she's that important and interesting? Does she think anyone was even talking about her a week after the headlines went away? Apparently so.
So, why did I read it? Because I saw someone posting it on my read feed on Goodreads. And my curiosity did what curiosity does: Checks out kiss-and-tell books that shouldn't exist.
From the very first page, you'll never see more jaw-dropping examples of breathlessly demanded validation, disingenuous naivete, and tortured self-serving rationalizations. As for the writing, it makes Go Ask Alice look like Man Booker material.
(Representative sample: "The next morning I accompanied Andrew, Johnny, and some poverty woman who was really snotty to me to the University of North Carolina, where I shot some footage of Johnny speaking that ended up with lighting issues.")
Is dere uh editer in da house?
I will give Hunter at least some credit for her observations about the jealous maneuvering that goes on behind the scenes among a political candidate's aids, staffers, and advisers. These bits actually have some interest. If she had thrown herself out of the story, this would be the basis for a potentially decent book.
The temptation to pull quotes and examples out of this is great, but there are too many to choose from. I love the graph where she complains that all Edwards' other mistresses are justing "using him." And then a few paragraphs later she's pulling thousands of dollars out of ATMs with a card he gave her for her personal use.
So yes, John Edwards had a bimbo eruption, but the main bimbo was himself -- a blow-dried pretty boy who went to that great graveyard where the corpses of crashed and burned political ambitions lie. Rielle was the other bimbo, and for some darned reason, she wants us to remember that.
Rielle Hunter says her love for John Edwards was one for the ages. I actually don't want to doubt her, because who am I to judge passion, particularly when it goes against the grain of people who are not involved? There is, therefore, no real need to justify it in public, especially if it punctures your own case.
I'm not here to slut shame. I have seen good, thoughtful memoirs written by mistresses. This is not one of those.
There's a certain fascinating masochistic awkwardness in seeing someone willingly hanging themselves out to dry. Rielle Hunter twists in the wind like a rag doll, and it's not a pretty sight.
Rielle Hunter won the lottery in life, but thinks rocks were dropped in her Halloween bag. Nothing was "done" to her. The mistakes were hers. Her grasp of reality makes me think she has the royal gene in her. In another life she must have said: "Let 'em eat cake."
Congrats, Rielle. You've set the record straight all right. This book is literature's greatest bimbo eruption. It is a train wreck of epic proportions.
Five massive face palms.
(KR@KY 2016)
July 30, 2012
Even if I didn't know who Rielle Hunter was before I read What Really Happened, like if I lived in an ice hut in Antarctica, my opinion of Rielle Hunter would still be below that of the Octo Mom after finishing this arrogant, one-dimensional drivel, which really serves as a PSA for the importance of having a good therapist if you're ever diagnosed as being a pathological narcissist.
What Really Happened? Well, what really happened is Ms. Hunter had delusions of Jackie O grandeur and figured she could cash in if she became a first mistress. Then Johnny didn't quite pan out in the first anything department and Rielle knew that she wouldn't be safe whilst shopping at Save-A-Lot after she was exposed as the, well, what she is. So she figured she needed to quick-like find a source of passive income and BenBella Books (the publisher) provided it.
But as I am reviewing the book, not the person, I digress. So the book...it stinks. The writing is that of a juvenile writing down to other juveniles. It was if she had a meeting with her reps and they told her that she could cash in on the Twilight and Fifty Shades money if she wrote "head over heels in love" ad nauseam and threw in a lot of parenthesis for good measure. And if that doesn't convince you, how about these stylistic gems that came out of Rielle's mouth/pen:
"No, John Edwards is a geek. That guy's got it going on!"
"I can't believe that was John Edwards. He is so hot."
"Much to my astonishment, "You are so hot!" came flying out of my mouth."
"I was a moth fluttering helplessly to a flame."
My sixth grade diary holds deeper entries that this entire book and I'm certainly no Kafka. Rielle Hunter was all set to be a life coach (paging Dr. Freud) before Johnny got her moth all a-flutter and she still seems to fancy herself an armchair psychologist with all the pondering she does about Johnny's psychosis. And I can't even quote her twisted entries about Elizabeth.
All in all, even if it weren't written by a detestable human being, the entire book disturbed me because she spent most of the book diagnosing everyone and putting her words to what she assumed were other people's thoughts, while elevating herself to sainthood. And all this was done with extremely juvenile writing badly in need of editing. And I'm sorry I insulted "Are You There God It's Me Margaret" with the reference.
What Really Happened? Well, what really happened is Ms. Hunter had delusions of Jackie O grandeur and figured she could cash in if she became a first mistress. Then Johnny didn't quite pan out in the first anything department and Rielle knew that she wouldn't be safe whilst shopping at Save-A-Lot after she was exposed as the, well, what she is. So she figured she needed to quick-like find a source of passive income and BenBella Books (the publisher) provided it.
But as I am reviewing the book, not the person, I digress. So the book...it stinks. The writing is that of a juvenile writing down to other juveniles. It was if she had a meeting with her reps and they told her that she could cash in on the Twilight and Fifty Shades money if she wrote "head over heels in love" ad nauseam and threw in a lot of parenthesis for good measure. And if that doesn't convince you, how about these stylistic gems that came out of Rielle's mouth/pen:
"No, John Edwards is a geek. That guy's got it going on!"
"I can't believe that was John Edwards. He is so hot."
"Much to my astonishment, "You are so hot!" came flying out of my mouth."
"I was a moth fluttering helplessly to a flame."
My sixth grade diary holds deeper entries that this entire book and I'm certainly no Kafka. Rielle Hunter was all set to be a life coach (paging Dr. Freud) before Johnny got her moth all a-flutter and she still seems to fancy herself an armchair psychologist with all the pondering she does about Johnny's psychosis. And I can't even quote her twisted entries about Elizabeth.
All in all, even if it weren't written by a detestable human being, the entire book disturbed me because she spent most of the book diagnosing everyone and putting her words to what she assumed were other people's thoughts, while elevating herself to sainthood. And all this was done with extremely juvenile writing badly in need of editing. And I'm sorry I insulted "Are You There God It's Me Margaret" with the reference.
February 24, 2013
I didn't think it was possible for me to walk away from this book liking her any less than I did before I started it. What an unlikable, selfish woman. She seems to live a very extravagant lifestyle for someone who was essentially sponging off of anyone who would pay her bills. Throughout the book, she keeps referring to her "little rental house" (different rental houses) as if to make it seem like she was living like a pauper. The rent on these "little rental houses" was $2700 per month in Chapel Hill to $6000+ a month in California.
She bashed Elizabeth Edwards throughout her book and, while I have heard other accounts that Elizabeth wasn't a nice person, Rielle really wouldn't know anyone BUT an angry Elizabeth. After all, Rielle was having an affair with her husband.
In the end, I can't tell if she's stupid or if she's manipulative. Either way, she's not likable at all.
She bashed Elizabeth Edwards throughout her book and, while I have heard other accounts that Elizabeth wasn't a nice person, Rielle really wouldn't know anyone BUT an angry Elizabeth. After all, Rielle was having an affair with her husband.
In the end, I can't tell if she's stupid or if she's manipulative. Either way, she's not likable at all.
December 7, 2012
Wow - I don't know if it was because my power has been off and I'm broiling in this heat or because this woman is so blinded by her own selfish needs, but this book really bothered me. I am so, so glad she didn't see a dime from me because I borrowed the book from the library. What a truly horrible woman.
August 16, 2012
I just couldn't resist reading this book, but that's two hours I'll never get back! From the 20+ typos, it's obvious that the editors didn't care too much about this book either. Rielle Hunter is a new agey quack job whose purpose was clearly to (1) tell everyone John Edwards did nothing illegal with campaign money, and (2) blame Elizabeth Edwards for John Edwards piece of shit behavior. At the end of today, who cares?!
February 25, 2013
Read this aloud to someone who has an unusual obsession with Rielle Hunter (surpassed only by her obsession with Bunny Mellon). It is mostly a catalog of salads Hunter ate during the extramarital portion of her affair with John Edwards. When she isn't fondly reminiscing about these exceedingly memorable salads she is making hilarious excuses for her own poor behavior and that of John Edwards. If nothing else, the frequent and obvious typos were riveting.
June 28, 2012
I read this book to see if this woman was as crazy as her interviews make her appear. Yep, she is.
Read
January 18, 2013Reading this book is exactly like eating junk food. You know it's bad, that it has no nutritional value, but it's irresistible and you can't stop munching delightedly away. NOM NOM NOM, GOSSIP AND JUDGMENT AND UNBELIEVABLE NARCISSIST DELUSION, DELICIOUS!
I find myself unable to offically rate this book because it won't make sense in comparison to other books with the same ratings. On the one hand, it's BAD--the writing is crap--so it deserves a one or two star rating. But on the other hand, it is so very entertaining and I absolutely loved judging the author as I read, so it deserves five stars. It's kind of like watching a trashy reality show, for political nerds and news junkies. Miss Hunter is unbelievably egotistical, narcissistic, and above all delusional. She talks about dozens of people involved in the John Edwards campaign, affair, and scandal, BY NAME, with gossipy, slanderous details that you would expect to find in an internet comments section and not in a professional publication. But maybe "professional" is stretching it for a book that made it to print with lines like, "I felt extremely high, quite similar to a high from drugs but much better. Actually way better." and "...they had brought his dinner, but uh-oh, dinner disaster! They had forgotten the ketchup, so he asked me to sit tight while they brought back some ketchup." and "We stopped in Salina, Kansas, for fuel, and oh no, our plane broke." (I was surprised to see an editor listed at the end. What did the early drafts look like if this is the polished version?!) Hunter includes an overabundance of details nobody cares about, like what exactly she and Edwards ate at various hotels or what she wore. She includes a lot of details about the costs of her living situations after she became pregnant and went into hiding, (which I'm sure is to bolster her arguments that John Edwards was falsely accused of breaking campaign finance laws to pay for her expenses), which is fascinating because she tries to downplay them as non-excessive, but she's completely out of touch with reality. Like does she really think that stocking a rental house with Ralph Lauren towels and brand-new Pottery Barn furniture is living meagerly? Apparently so, and later she's pleased to find "a fully furnished gated house that would work perfectly for six thousand dollars a month," which she pays for with money that's just handed to her. Over and over again people hand her money or pay for her stuff or letting her fly free on their private jets, and she acts like it's not weird or unexpected at all. It is unbelievable. I can't decide whether I should do a full blog analysis of the most insane quotes she included, or whether I've already spent more energy than is justifiable just reading this pathetically framed version of events.
May 25, 2013
Once again I feel like Goodreads needs a 0-star option. What a self-serving load of crap. One (of many) telling moments is when Hunter derides "some poverty lady" from UNC who was really "snotty" to her (Hunter). I cannot imagine why a serious professional tackling the issue of poverty may not have been anything but worshipful towards the lady who didn't bother to get her name and was only there as the on-staff mistress. Also, Hunter regularly ridicules all of the Edwards staffers for thinking they knew better than Edwards. I am pretty sure my three year old has better judgment than the guy who knocked up a woman he met in a bar while running for President and while his wife was battling cancer, and my three year old has TERRIBLE judgment.
I do kind of want to read Andrew Young's book next. Much as Hunter makes herself and Edwards look awful, Young doesn't come off very well. (And not just because Hunter is smearing him left and right- Hunter is terribly unfair to Elizabeth Edwards, too, but those parts just make Hunter look worse.)
Terrible book about a terrible person.
I do kind of want to read Andrew Young's book next. Much as Hunter makes herself and Edwards look awful, Young doesn't come off very well. (And not just because Hunter is smearing him left and right- Hunter is terribly unfair to Elizabeth Edwards, too, but those parts just make Hunter look worse.)
Terrible book about a terrible person.
August 5, 2012
Uh, yeah. I read this. Well, hate-read it. Was entertaining, if enraging. She spends 75% of it complaining about how little money she got compared to Andrew Young. How broke she was, forced to live w/the Youngs. Why didn't she have friends? Why couldn't she get a job/ support herself? Baffling. Fascinating. Ok, maybe I did like this.
March 6, 2013
She really is the worst, her sense of entitlement knows no bounds. The way she blasts Elizabeth is unfathomable, especially since she is dead and unable to defend herself. The only saving grace is that one day Quinn will get to read this garbage and know that her Mom and Dad are the absolute worst people imagainable.
June 25, 2012
So this book deserves five stars because 'it was amazing!' Of course, that rating is probably meant to confer high quality literature *puffs on imaginary cigarette*, but in this case it was amazing for entirely different reasons. Oh, this review is based on the excerpt in "People" magazine, so it is limited - though I strongly suspect the rest of the book is more of the same.
At any rate, Rielle Hunter has decided to set the record straight and break her silence regarding her affair with former Presidential candidate John Edwards, and in doing so help the world and her daughter with Edwards to understand there's more to her than the "M-word" (M is for mistress.
So Ms. Reilly describes herself as a direct and honest person, save for falling in love with a married man and becoming something she wasn't in order to be with him. Riiiiiiiiiiiight. She also describes John as a 'good guy' - though she doesn't support this with examples - save for his habit of lying to women to get what he wants.
Anyway, theirs was (and is) a magical relationship like out of the movies, and yadayadayada yadaydayada - whoops! The press gloms onto the star-crossed couple! She is shocked when he denies being the father of their child, but her razor sharp analytical skills kick into action and she comes up with some solid reasons why ... 1: he had a twenty-year habit of fixing things by lying to women and 2: he was temporarily insane.
More turmoil ahead: Elizabeth finds out! Ms. Hunter can't understand why Mrs. Edwards is mad at her given that she's only one of several women John had cheated on her with. Blahblahblahblahblah.
So what else does this book have going for it? Check out the writing: "Johnny and I had been through so much awfulness, with the wrath of America directed at us, that I think it would appear to almost anyone that the odds of us making it in the long run are not good." Wow! The except ends on a positive note in which Ms. Hunter declaring: "The love is here. And as sappy as it may sound, I love living in love." And they lived happily ever after.
Yowza, I don't think this book has been released as of June 25th, 2012, but I should place a copy on hold or pre-order it so that I can get lost in this poignant and uplifting tale of romance, love and unrelenting hubris, self-absorbtion and vapidity - I recently read a book called "A Gay and Meloncholy Sound" in which the narrator railed against the vacuousness and lack of there there in popular culture and it was fun to imagine what he'd've made of this epic masterpiece.
At any rate, Rielle Hunter has decided to set the record straight and break her silence regarding her affair with former Presidential candidate John Edwards, and in doing so help the world and her daughter with Edwards to understand there's more to her than the "M-word" (M is for mistress.
So Ms. Reilly describes herself as a direct and honest person, save for falling in love with a married man and becoming something she wasn't in order to be with him. Riiiiiiiiiiiight. She also describes John as a 'good guy' - though she doesn't support this with examples - save for his habit of lying to women to get what he wants.
Anyway, theirs was (and is) a magical relationship like out of the movies, and yadayadayada yadaydayada - whoops! The press gloms onto the star-crossed couple! She is shocked when he denies being the father of their child, but her razor sharp analytical skills kick into action and she comes up with some solid reasons why ... 1: he had a twenty-year habit of fixing things by lying to women and 2: he was temporarily insane.
More turmoil ahead: Elizabeth finds out! Ms. Hunter can't understand why Mrs. Edwards is mad at her given that she's only one of several women John had cheated on her with. Blahblahblahblahblah.
So what else does this book have going for it? Check out the writing: "Johnny and I had been through so much awfulness, with the wrath of America directed at us, that I think it would appear to almost anyone that the odds of us making it in the long run are not good." Wow! The except ends on a positive note in which Ms. Hunter declaring: "The love is here. And as sappy as it may sound, I love living in love." And they lived happily ever after.
Yowza, I don't think this book has been released as of June 25th, 2012, but I should place a copy on hold or pre-order it so that I can get lost in this poignant and uplifting tale of romance, love and unrelenting hubris, self-absorbtion and vapidity - I recently read a book called "A Gay and Meloncholy Sound" in which the narrator railed against the vacuousness and lack of there there in popular culture and it was fun to imagine what he'd've made of this epic masterpiece.
July 1, 2012
Just read this one out of tabloid curiosity. I can see why John Edwards had to break up with her after this book came out. She is seriously delusional and seems to think this man who cheated on his dying wife is going to be true to her and her daughter. In the first chapter alone, she calls him out as a serial adulterer. She says he had 3 girlfriends in different cities when they met and, of course, he gave them all up for her. This is a detailed account of their affair and the donor money spent for her upkeep. I don't understand why this woman seems to feel the someone else (in this case donors) should be the ones to pay for her lifestyle rather than she herself. Quite a piece of work.
August 7, 2012
She got what she deserved. I can't feel sorry for a woman who knowingly stayed with a married man. I don't care if it wasn't a solid marriage, it was a marriage nonetheless.
December 15, 2012
I have never read a book that inspired such intense Schadendfreude. Every page gave me a powerfu new reason to despise Hunter.
November 6, 2020
Sped-read this trashy book. Too much detail about odious, thieving, lying group who all deserve each other and what they got. No surprises here except why I read it in the first place except that it was a library loaner.
October 22, 2019
This book is very sad and especially for Quinn. It's apparent that Rielle was in love with Edwards and used her sexuality to continue a relationship that he obviously did not really care about. She thought it was his career and wife, but it's obvious he never had any intention of leaving his wife.
It was Rielle that changed her life for him, sneaking around and hiding. All he did was take what she gave and publicly denied her and any feelings for her. Those words of love come easy when spoken in private.
I think he probably did care something for the child they brought into the world, but did he really acknowledge her and have a relationship with her? He certainly didn't until his wife died and wouldn't have had then if he had been able to sustain a political career.
We don't need those weak kind of people as leaders. I hope time will help Rielle see what was really happening.
It was Rielle that changed her life for him, sneaking around and hiding. All he did was take what she gave and publicly denied her and any feelings for her. Those words of love come easy when spoken in private.
I think he probably did care something for the child they brought into the world, but did he really acknowledge her and have a relationship with her? He certainly didn't until his wife died and wouldn't have had then if he had been able to sustain a political career.
We don't need those weak kind of people as leaders. I hope time will help Rielle see what was really happening.
October 19, 2012
I went into this with an open mind. I didn't follow the media scrutiny of their affair that closely so I only knew the basic facts - they had an affair resulting in a kid that he denied while lying about her constantly. I was curious what she would present as "her" side.
I'm not morally or otherwise outraged that she had an affair with a married politician. I'm not going to pretend she's the first one ever to do so or even the worst so perhaps my reaction is tempered by "I don't care" whereas a lot or reactions center on the fact that she was a mistress. Her account is very detailed but in odd ways. She makes sure to point out random details - such as her Prada duffle bag, Pottery Barn furniture, or cobb salad dinner - that no one would really care about while leaving out whole stretches of time in her accounting.
Her writing is very choppy and immature. Lots of exclamation points, all caps "NOT COOL" and so on. The editing leaves a lot to be desired as there are numerous typos and forgotten words. The narrative seems to wander and meander a lot as well, telling back stories and random asides that don't necessarily fit but she clearly wants to fit in as much as she can remember about the time and events.
On the whole I think she's very honest about her recollection and understanding of events. I think this is really her side and reality as she sees it. I can't begin to "get" her constant and total devotion to a weak-willed man such as Johnny Edwards but I do believe she didn't break up any fairytale marriage. I find the book easy to read and mostly interesting - she didn't work almost at all for the entire book, supported by an a seemingly endless parade of rich friends with good hearts that were willing to support her in all ways (private planes, houses, furniture, money, vacations).
Not that her life has been easy but it seems the trade off for not having an actual job was the media scrutiny, lies, and harassment. Perhaps not a great trade but the one she ended up with. I can't say I like Rielle Hunter after reading her book but it's an easy, dishy read that offers some information from the other side.
I'm not morally or otherwise outraged that she had an affair with a married politician. I'm not going to pretend she's the first one ever to do so or even the worst so perhaps my reaction is tempered by "I don't care" whereas a lot or reactions center on the fact that she was a mistress. Her account is very detailed but in odd ways. She makes sure to point out random details - such as her Prada duffle bag, Pottery Barn furniture, or cobb salad dinner - that no one would really care about while leaving out whole stretches of time in her accounting.
Her writing is very choppy and immature. Lots of exclamation points, all caps "NOT COOL" and so on. The editing leaves a lot to be desired as there are numerous typos and forgotten words. The narrative seems to wander and meander a lot as well, telling back stories and random asides that don't necessarily fit but she clearly wants to fit in as much as she can remember about the time and events.
On the whole I think she's very honest about her recollection and understanding of events. I think this is really her side and reality as she sees it. I can't begin to "get" her constant and total devotion to a weak-willed man such as Johnny Edwards but I do believe she didn't break up any fairytale marriage. I find the book easy to read and mostly interesting - she didn't work almost at all for the entire book, supported by an a seemingly endless parade of rich friends with good hearts that were willing to support her in all ways (private planes, houses, furniture, money, vacations).
Not that her life has been easy but it seems the trade off for not having an actual job was the media scrutiny, lies, and harassment. Perhaps not a great trade but the one she ended up with. I can't say I like Rielle Hunter after reading her book but it's an easy, dishy read that offers some information from the other side.
November 17, 2012
I read this on my Kindle so no one would see me. I was really curious because when I was a teenager I read Jay McInery's Story of my Life over and over and the narrator in that book, Allison Poole is based on Rielle. Something in that world-weary, blasé character really fascinated me and I was curious about the journey that had brought her to being so focused on the light and joyful aspects of life to the point of sometimes being self-delusional. Rielle has come a long way since the Alison Poole days but she's still, if nothing else, an interesting character.
Plus, I always think it's worth hearing the side of the story of someone who has been so brutally and personally excoriated by the press.
It was a quick, juicy read. She's not a bad writer and some of her ideas about life and ways of phrasing things actually made me stop and think a little. Plus, she includes details of say, what she ate while she was waiting for John E at a bar or whatever or what she was wearing in certain cases which I always find interesting.
I wished she would have attempted to write dialogue more rather than so much paraphrasing or when making an observation about a person's character, offered a specific example.
What was illuminated for me was not that she's a predator or a bimbo but, like everyone else she's a person with great qualities and faults and blind spots. Nothing more. Nothing less. I could imagine being friends with her. Who among us hasn't had a friend we respect in certain important ways but who for God's sake, just couldn't clearly SEE in some aspect of their lives? Who hasn't been that friend?
I think the portrait that emerges of John Edwards is particularly telling because she obviously does love him so much, she's not trying to make him look bad but...he really does. She's not writing with an axe to grind, she's giving the basic facts as she sees them, and here's where her blind spot kicks in. It seems inconceivable that she would be with him if this is how he treated her, if this is where his priorities were. But then again, this contradiction is what makes the book compulsively readable and Hunter herself a compelling character.
Plus, I always think it's worth hearing the side of the story of someone who has been so brutally and personally excoriated by the press.
It was a quick, juicy read. She's not a bad writer and some of her ideas about life and ways of phrasing things actually made me stop and think a little. Plus, she includes details of say, what she ate while she was waiting for John E at a bar or whatever or what she was wearing in certain cases which I always find interesting.
I wished she would have attempted to write dialogue more rather than so much paraphrasing or when making an observation about a person's character, offered a specific example.
What was illuminated for me was not that she's a predator or a bimbo but, like everyone else she's a person with great qualities and faults and blind spots. Nothing more. Nothing less. I could imagine being friends with her. Who among us hasn't had a friend we respect in certain important ways but who for God's sake, just couldn't clearly SEE in some aspect of their lives? Who hasn't been that friend?
I think the portrait that emerges of John Edwards is particularly telling because she obviously does love him so much, she's not trying to make him look bad but...he really does. She's not writing with an axe to grind, she's giving the basic facts as she sees them, and here's where her blind spot kicks in. It seems inconceivable that she would be with him if this is how he treated her, if this is where his priorities were. But then again, this contradiction is what makes the book compulsively readable and Hunter herself a compelling character.
January 7, 2013
I don't normally bother with books that have been panned pretty much everywhere, but I noticed this book on the non-fiction shelf at the library and decided to give it a try. Of course, that meant subjecting myself to the embarrassment of the librarian and other patrons knowing I was actually reading this book, but I went for it anyway. I'm a believer in the saying that there are three sides to every story and I don't doubt there is some truth in Rielle Hunter's story. There is probably plenty of truth. But I can't get past her refusal to acknowledge any responsibility in the debacle that was the last few years of her life and I was floored by the degree to which she bashed Elizabeth Edwards. It's tough to feel sympathetic toward an author who, on one hand, speaks of her maddening passion for this Johnny character, but at the same time, bashes the deceased mother of Johnny's other children. There is something wrong with Rielle Hunter to write about Elizabeth Edwards to such a nasty extent. I have to wonder what her relationship with John Edwards is at this point.
On another note, I recall reading that Hunter was forced to use a boutique publisher because the big publishing houses weren't interested. The book had numerous typographical errors. In this era of spell check, I'm not sure how that happens, but it made the book appear like an amateur effort (as did the writing style). I finished this book not knowing much about the authentic Rielle Hunter aside from her love for takeout and wine (and Holiday Inn room service).
On another note, I recall reading that Hunter was forced to use a boutique publisher because the big publishing houses weren't interested. The book had numerous typographical errors. In this era of spell check, I'm not sure how that happens, but it made the book appear like an amateur effort (as did the writing style). I finished this book not knowing much about the authentic Rielle Hunter aside from her love for takeout and wine (and Holiday Inn room service).
August 28, 2012
This was ghostwritten, but the subject of the book dictated it as apologia for an atrocious chain of events that took place within a stone's throw of this reader. Her attempts to explain away her actions (and gloss over many others, like the racy photoshoot for GQ) were implausible at best and crazymaking at worst. She appears to have detached herself from anyone in her life who could argue reason with her, and instead surrounded herself with sycophants and/or large checkbooks: any dissension wasn't tolerated, and if anyone objected, she waved the baby as a flag of entitlement.
Anyway. It reads as though it were written by a 14-year old, which is partially the voice of the subject and partially the fault of a subpar ghost writer. This was not published by a major publishing house, so the writing budget didn't get them any equivalent of David McCullough here.
I was left wishing I'd not bothered, but I have crossed paths with a number of the names in this story and I was interested in seeing it from this angle. I was left feeling sorry for Edwards' legitimate children and for the unsettled life of his illegitimate daughter, who has to tolerate her devoted mother's inability to live an independent life and move past this mess of her own making.
Back to the library it goes for the next person on the long waiting list. A lot of us around here knew/know some of the key players, and the whole thing is just sad.
Anyway. It reads as though it were written by a 14-year old, which is partially the voice of the subject and partially the fault of a subpar ghost writer. This was not published by a major publishing house, so the writing budget didn't get them any equivalent of David McCullough here.
I was left wishing I'd not bothered, but I have crossed paths with a number of the names in this story and I was interested in seeing it from this angle. I was left feeling sorry for Edwards' legitimate children and for the unsettled life of his illegitimate daughter, who has to tolerate her devoted mother's inability to live an independent life and move past this mess of her own making.
Back to the library it goes for the next person on the long waiting list. A lot of us around here knew/know some of the key players, and the whole thing is just sad.
July 31, 2012
I found this book very poorly written. I wanted to like her - I thought I'd "get" her, but no. The writing was so juvenile - it meandered all over the place - little "tidbits" that were just not interesting.
My other problem with the book was the pacing - it drags at first with long details about encounters they had, what they ate, where they ate, etc. But when we get to what could be interesting - the betrayal of Edwards staffer, etc. - it's all rushed over. It felt like she was taking her sweet time writing the first 3/4 of the book and got tired and decided just to end it as quickly as possible as she approached the end of the story.
I felt dirty after reading it. I can't believe I'm saying that, like I said, I wanted to like her. But I really did - I couldn't shake the feeling that all of them (Elizabeth, "Johnny", Rielle, Andrew) - the whole bunch were not people I'd ever want to meet or get to know.
My other problem with the book was the pacing - it drags at first with long details about encounters they had, what they ate, where they ate, etc. But when we get to what could be interesting - the betrayal of Edwards staffer, etc. - it's all rushed over. It felt like she was taking her sweet time writing the first 3/4 of the book and got tired and decided just to end it as quickly as possible as she approached the end of the story.
I felt dirty after reading it. I can't believe I'm saying that, like I said, I wanted to like her. But I really did - I couldn't shake the feeling that all of them (Elizabeth, "Johnny", Rielle, Andrew) - the whole bunch were not people I'd ever want to meet or get to know.
October 21, 2012
On a scale of "eh" to "terrific" this book is definitely an "eh" for sure. I thought I was going to hear some really interesting story about what REALLY happened. Instead, I heard the same story that has been played out in the press and the rag mags since this story broke. So let me say this right off the bat…things like affairs and politics happen…they have been happening forever. I don't judge. This book just gets …for lack of a better term…icky. There aren’t gory details about their affair, just icky in the way they acted and disregarded others in their affair-wake. Miss Hunter speaks badly of Elizabeth Edwards in the book which was really surprising. In fact, that was the most interesting part of the whole book. I was actually shocked. Makes me wonder if Elizabeth Edwards was really like she is described and if so, then there’s the REAL story in this whole triangle. Weird book. Disappointed I spent money on it.
August 14, 2012
OK, I love a good scandal and found myself sucked into this one. This woman is quite delusional, pathetic and unlikeable. I did not believe "her" story and many of the "facts" contradicted each other, usually within a few pages. Her bashing of everyone else is humorous as she is the mistress and should be chastised! Also, I hated the way that she felt entitled to, and completely ungrateful for all the luxuries she was receiving as a hidden mistress. Anyway, the book was entertaining as they usually are when one airs their dirty laundry, but really unbelievable. If you want to know "what really happened", I suggest you read Andrew Young's book, which I thought more accurately reflected the truth. In any case, I wish Rielle and "Johnny" the best - they deserve each other!
August 3, 2012
I get why Rielle would write this book - I would want to write a book to defend myself if everyone else had wrote about me...however, she painted herself to be innocent in all respects and Elizabeth Edwards as an abusive shrew. While no one is a saint, it is hard for me to swallow a mistress painting the wife out as the villian and herself as the saint who was just in love. She also claimed to know nothing about all of the questionable money that kept her living very well for such a long time...hard to swallow. The only reason I finished was to see if she did accept accountability for her actions, which never happened.
January 9, 2013
First I feel that I need to explain why it is that I read this tell-all in the first place. Hunter used to be the girlfriend of Jay McInerey, who based the character of Alison Poole in Story of My Life on her. I am always interested in the meta text! But boy, oh boy, she does not come off as a sympathetic figure in this book--even though it is she that controls her own narrative. Not great writing (e.g. if I had to read one more "we ate at some restaurant" or "he talked to some guy" I would have screamed--readers will know what I mean) but it is the story that is interesting--or rather, troubling.
August 1, 2012
Entertaining to say the least. Rielle uses her new-age, yoga-inspired, perspective to excuse her and John Edwards behavior at every turn of the page. Ultimately, Rielle is just like millions of other mistresses...she is a woman who wants to be loved. She believes that the lust, that she initially felt and that gave rise to their affair, is really true, timeless love. Readers get the fun of being the judge!
August 4, 2012
Yes. I read it so I am giving it a rating.
I borrowed this book from my local library knowing in advance it wasn't worth a penny.
I could write a long review (I made notes while I read), but I'm not going to waste my time on this earth even doing that.
I didn't like being spoken to like I was a juvenile.
Hunter a Life Coach and Johnny the President of the USA. How shameful and disrespectful.
Go and get professional help and get with the REAL world Rielle.
I borrowed this book from my local library knowing in advance it wasn't worth a penny.
I could write a long review (I made notes while I read), but I'm not going to waste my time on this earth even doing that.
I didn't like being spoken to like I was a juvenile.
Hunter a Life Coach and Johnny the President of the USA. How shameful and disrespectful.
Go and get professional help and get with the REAL world Rielle.
July 26, 2012
This book is a complete piece of poo. I am embarrassed that I read this. However, my curiosity got the best of me after reading The Politician by Andrew Young. Rielle Hunter inadvertently portrays herself as a vapid, self-centered (and transparent!) woman with her eyes on the prize. If you are a regular reader of the National Enquirer, you may enjoy this book.
July 29, 2012
I did not spend a penny on this book. Instead got it from my local library.
I think this woman is the most immature, self-centered individual there could be.
All I want to say is I feel so sorry for her daughter. It's always the kids that get the raw end of the deal.
I hope her karma payback finds her sooner than later.
I think this woman is the most immature, self-centered individual there could be.
All I want to say is I feel so sorry for her daughter. It's always the kids that get the raw end of the deal.
I hope her karma payback finds her sooner than later.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 130 reviews