What Really Happened: John Edwards, Our Daughter, and Me by Rielle Hunter

Dec 07, 2012 Erin Buerk rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography, memoir

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.

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Sep 21, 2012 Brandy rated it 1 of 5 stars

OH MY WORD...this book made me want to scream. Whoever told this woman to sit down & write a book is crazy. I mean did she honestly think that it would bring people to her side when she spent the entire book defending herself & her actions. I mean be an adult & take responsibility for your actions. You knowingly had an affair with a married man & continued to let it happen with no remorse or regard for anyone elses feelings. Here you are saying Elizabeth Edwards was screaming at...more

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Oct 27, 2012 Patrice rated it 2 of 5 stars

Rielle Hunter, is not real at all but she is a hunter. She made up that first name and this book, supposedly what "really" happened, is full of lies, self delusion and cruelty. After reading the first couple of pages I was going to put it down, it was so disgusting. But then I decided to read it as a psychological study, abnormal psychology. She is a case of narcissism beyond compare. Grandiose self delusion just oozes off of the page. A California spiritual searcher (I had to laugh when I wrote...more

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Jan 18, 2013 SJ added it

Shelves: biography-autobiography, non-fiction

Reading 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 i...more
Reading 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.
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Jan 06, 2013 Jessica L rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 o...more

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Nov 17, 2012 Jasmine rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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.(less)

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Oct 19, 2012 Kassa rated it 3 of 5 stars

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...more 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. (less)

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Jul 29, 2012 Tesha Carn rated it 1 of 5 stars

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 c...more 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.(less)

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Jun 25, 2012 Shane rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 P...more 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. (less)

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Jul 05, 2012 Cynthia Harrison rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

I may change my rating as I read this book. Only 5 chapters in so far, and the writing is just okay. The story is moving a little slowly for me as she fills us in on backstory. How they met, where they met, and some other interesting things. Her view of herself as a life coach/spiritual teacher strikes me as odd and out of alignment with her actions, but I am willing to suspend disbelief at least for now. I do have some sympathy for her...I upped my rating on this book for one reason: I could no...more

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Apr 16, 2013 Carol Loveless rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found the book very interesting and I did keep in mind that it was one-sided but I do believe Rielle. I don't think she is a saint by any means but it was very sad to learn the way she wss treated as a person. I've only picked this up because it was on the library shelf and wanted something to listen to. I'm not a fan of John Edwards, but it is pathetic, what a politician and a man will tolerate to save face. I liked the narrator, Cassandra Campbell, as well. She did an excellent job! I'm not...more

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Jul 28, 2012 Haya marked it as ha-no

The woman's crazy and delusional. I read an excerpt, and frankly, she writes a book of what she believes is the epicest "Romeo and Juliet" story ever. The sacrifices you made? Ha! What kind? She destroys a marriage and bad mouths "Johnny's" late wife. I'd be crazy to go on further.

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Oct 21, 2012 Amy Pratt rated it 2 of 5 stars

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, j...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Erin rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 swee...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Carolina Courtland rated it 5 of 5 stars

I admit I'm not a big fan of Rielle Hunter's, but I found her book to be a fascinating read.

We learn the details of the chocolate mess of Hunter's relationship with Presidential wanna-be John Edwards. We get a behind-the-scenes look at a presidential campaign, with all the syncophants and backers who will do literally anything for a candidate.

Hunter also exposes the lies Edwards told. The book reveals what he was really doing privately while he was putting on this big show with his "beloved" w...more

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Aug 28, 2012 Amy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography-autobiography, low-expectations

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 wa...more

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Mar 05, 2013 Linda rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoirs-bios-autobios

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.

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Feb 24, 2013 Julie rated it 2 of 5 stars

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 Chap...more

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Jan 24, 2013 mybluesunset rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book is poorly written, so kudos for no ghostwriter.

Rielle is the kind of woman that makes excuses for men and hates other women, and this is a story of denial more than anything else.

I came out of it with less respect for John Edwards. He's clearly a spineless, passive aggressive child who played Rielle and Elizabeth against each other and couldn't take responsibility for any of his own life choices. You know someone is bad when the book is written by a woman who loves them and is trying...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Kristina Hoerner rated it 2 of 5 stars

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...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Cheryl rated it 1 of 5 stars

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......more

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Jan 09, 2013 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-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...more

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Jun 27, 2012 Samantha rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read this book to see if this woman was as crazy as her interviews make her appear. Yep, she is.

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Feb 27, 2013 Tyra rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Language is the dress of thought" - Samuel Johnson.

Hunter (so apropos!) receives five stars for her book because she indeed divulges (brags!) the sordid details of her unbelievably selfish sexual affair with gluttonous John Edward therefore fulfilling our need for buying it in the first place! So the book comes through one-hundred percent!

At no time throughout her tale does Hunter show regret for her behavior making it easy to understand why she is abhorred by so many people. But, I found it p...more

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Dec 09, 2012 Jessica rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

I hate to admit that I got sucked into following this scandal, but I did. In all fairness, I read Elizabeth Edwards' book first. This woman seems proud to be a gold-digging, attention seeking, narcissistic, home-wrecker. And that's the nicest thing I can say about her. Not only does her book fail to portray her in any kind of positive light, it appears she also seemed to publish this work of literary garbage with NO editing. I'm not one to judge a typo, or the occasional misspelled word- but PUH...more

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Jul 06, 2012 Norma rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you read this book with an open mind, then it will paint an intriguing story about the details of an affair. I do not know whether this is the complete truth, but I do believe that this is Rielle Hunter's truth. I thought it was bold of her to go into full detail about the events surrounding the affair. I did not find that she was blaming anyone, but simply accounting how the affair really happened. She admits her mistakes and admits everyone else's too. It makes for a captivating read!

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Mar 29, 2013 Debbie rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: politics

Some ladies read Harlequin Romances for diversion. When I'm really stressed out and can't concentrate on normal books I like to read trashy memoirs and celebrity biographies. Yes, I'm weird.

Well, I'm going through a stressful time of my life right now so it's probably fitting that I picked this book - the "Fifty Shades of Grey" of memoirs. This book is not sexual explicit. I think this book is filthy because the writer is just a nasty person. She is so smug and self-centered as she blithely goe...more

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Aug 03, 2012 Roxanne rated it 1 of 5 stars

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.

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Feb 24, 2013 Heather rated it 1 of 5 stars

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.

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Aug 16, 2012 Laura rated it 1 of 5 stars

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?!

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