Kiss and Tell

by Shannon Tweed, Gene Simmons (Foreword), Julie McCarron (Contributor)

By the time I was 24, I was pretty jaded -- I thought I'd seen and done it all. Then I met Gene. My life is divided into two PG (well... maybe R) and AG (after Gene). --Shannon Tweed, model and actress

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Memoir, Music, Autobiography

200 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2004

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was reading bits of this book each visit to our local Barnes & Noble. Eventually it disappeared. Now, years later, I bought a used copy in like new condition. Shannon Tweed writes with refreshing candor about her modest beginnings, early sexual awakenings, romances, modeling, acting, family and finally settling in for a life with Gene Simmons. I became aware of her while she was making erotic thrillers with Andrew Stevens. They are tame by todays standards. This is an enjoyable read.

[no elle]

i KNOW in my SOUL that shannon tweed had stories for days and NONE OF THEM ARE IN THIS BOOK!! but on the other hand she does include photos of her sears sweater modeling days so i can't be too pressed about it

[Kitt-e-kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. Pretty easy quick read. I watched Family Jewels to know she's a laid back funny woman who gives Gene shit playfully. I enjoyed reading about how they first met and living life with him still unmarried now. Gene seems like a really good father to his kids and to her.

[Ilena Holder · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good book. Not super great, but pretty good. Shannon tells quite a bit (but not all) of her life. I wish she had covered more details of her Canadian family. She did talk about her dad and the car wreck that eventually ruined his health and mind. While he was for her trying out for Playboy, nothing was said about other family members. The book shows she is not really an intellectual, but does seem to be a nice person. Much of it is fluff about her take on ugly fashions (the 80s had ugly clothes), describing meals she could order 24 hours a day while living in Hefner's mansion (the cook would make bagels with cream cheese and bean sprouts just for me), remodeling a mansion she and Gene bought, etc. She does say she wanted Hefner to marry her and start having kids. Hefner turned her down by saying, "why do I want to be married, I already did that?" At this point, she left the mansion and struck out on her own. To read more on her, get Michael Francis' book, Star Man. He was a bodyguard for her and Gene at one time. If you want to read more on Mansion life, get Kendra Wilkinson's book.

[Patricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this audio book while looking for other KISS books. It's not that long, probably because she doesn't have a whole lot to say. The book is kind of split into three parts - childhood, playboy mansion, girlfriend of Gene Simmons. The Playboy mansion part is definitely the most interesting (though there's a book by Jennifer Saginor called Playground: A Childhood Lost Inside the Playboy Mansion that covers that ground much better). All in all it's just sort of filler that Gene probably told her to write to make him more money. She seems like she's a cool chick and all, but considering I got through it in two very short commutes to work, I just don't think she had enough material to fill a book.

[Joanne Besant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book. I have to admit that I had absolutely no idea who Shanon Tweed was. But, when the author starting talking about Gene Simmons I realized who the characters were. Love the details and honesty of her life with and before she met her partner. The audio book stopped when she said the Gene Simon's still turns her crank!! This is a funny ending but, I am assuming that Overdrive didn't complete the downloading!! Or, does it end like that??

[Sissy Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listen, I love all things Shannon Tweed. And with her being married to The Demon (I f'ng love KISS and Gene Simmons), I absolutely love her more. This was a great quick read and really brought more of Shannon to the forefront. Yes, there were discussions about Gene and the kids. However, I learned more about Shannon's earlier life, especially with Hef. Great book by a wondeful woman.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5: an engaging audiobook biopic offering insights into a bygone era. Shannon speaks in a clear, candid but heartfelt manner. I liked the stage-setting and thoughtful responses to the events of her early life leading up to some of the relatable decisions made later on, retold as a somewhat cautionary tale.

[Liz Gibson · Rating 1 out of 5]

It was very out-of-touch, especially with feminism, and just a brag about how beautiful she thinks she is and all the men she's slept with. Yawn. I really am disappointed because I thought she was better than this.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book

This book has heart and is touching. You see the world as I do and it gives me some feeling that not all of Hollywood has gone insane. Thank you for just being normal you. And Shannon you have always been beautiful.

[Georgie Gibson · Rating 5 out of 5]

good & a fast read !

Really pleasant to read .
Enjoyed Shannon & her personality.
She is smart & I liked her .
She is honest and doesn’t hold back .
Very juicy but tasteful juicy !

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love her, loved this book!

Just another example of how amazingly gorgeous Shannon is inside and out! I was able to see that watching their show. Which I believe was after this book.

[Lindsay Schmitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun, quick read

This is a great, quick read it you are a fan of Shannon's. She tells about her upbringing, relationships that helped create the woman she is, and, of course, her relationship with Gene Simmons.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading about growing up in Canada and her early years. I had a basic idea of the Playboy years and time with Gene Simmons.

[Geoff Greene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The audio book from the library ended abruptly but I don't think I missed anything. You're welcome teenage Geoff.

[Nyki Mack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely worth the wait to read! An invitation into the personal life, hurdles and journey of Shannon as she found herself along the path to her leading man.

[Lorna Droogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book, one of the success stories of a very young woman making it on her looks and good choices

[Schuiling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved her story , had no idea she was Canadian, love her perspective and attitude

[Glenn McKissic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read; very honest and realistic; Shannon wrote, eloquently, and did not smear other people.

[Heather(Gibby) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to Shannon Tweed's memoir immediately after finishing Gene Simmons's, and it was interesting to hear each of their perspectives on when they met and how their relationship developed.

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Knew nothing about this person until I read the book. A QUICK but fascinating look into her life. Liked it a lot.

[Jasmine · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw “Playboy Mansion” and expected this to be juicy.

I don’t know who this is. This was just a random audiobook I chose to help me reach my reading goal. 🚶🏾‍♀️

[Charlotte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this in memoirs. A very quick and easy read. Not overly juicy given the things she will have seen and known. Seems like a down to earth women.

[Randa Myers · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, half the title is accurate. Did she write this against her will?

[Nells · Rating 3 out of 5]

First off I'm a big fan of the show Gene Simmon's Family Jewels. It wasn't until recently that I actually saw the episodes about their relationship troubles on the show. I didn't even think about reading shannon's book because
1. I couldn't find it locally
2. She seemed pretty private on the show when it came to major areas(until the relationship troubles).

I only became interested in reading the book when I decided to get an overall picture before I read Holly Madison's book Down the rabbit hole. Shannon doesn't even mention gene throughout the book, it's mostly about her life. Gene does give a foreword on the book and it was very surprising :o
The thing that bothered me about the book was she had a very busy life before she met gene and then it all stopped. Her early life was interesting and I would have loved to have read more about her and tracy's adventures in LA together but the book just skipped over that. The book does explain quite a bit but also doesn't go into detail, it'll mention something then say it and then move on and it's like whoa wait what?. She definitely sugarcoats a lot when it comes to major areas.
I think she definitely could have written more because after all she's with Gene and she could have said a lot more about their life and her life AFTER she got with him plus all the juicy gossip that comes with hollywood life. I do respect her for picking up the pieces of her life but I also wish she would have stood up for herself before the show got serious about the relationship troubles. Anyhoo great read and definitely a lazy sunday book.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been a Kiss fan for as long as I can remember and remember Shannon from her time on the soap Days Of Our Lives and her straight-to-video movies with Andrew Stevens. I love the show, Family Jewels and heard Gene and Shannon's son, Nick mention her book, so I ordered it to read. The book is not very long (I read it in one day) but it was entertaining and just proves to more more what a loving(and quite normal) relationship Gene and Shannon have. I recommend it for anyone who is a fan and just wants to learn a bit more about Shannon's life growing up( I didn't know she has so many siblings) and the "basics" of the relationship (the first meeting they had, her impressions of him, etc) Not a very detailed book, but not all good books have to be.

[Jacquie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I recently discovered 'Family Jewels' and I can't get enough of ! As such, I found this book interesting, not to mention a quick read (2 hours this afternoon). I had never heard of Shannon Tweed prior to the TV show. Not only is she our age (Bonnie), but she lived in Saskatchewan during her teen / high school years. Who knows, maybe we met her in the basement of the Hotel Saskatchewan one afternoon or evening!!!

[Derek Neighbors · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Simmons family is appealing because they are exceedingly human. I never much paid attention to Shannon or Gene (KISS), but caught a season of Family Jewels and liked how the family interacted. Getting a look into Shannon's life made it all make sense. Farm girl from Canada longing for more. Lots of good little nuggets about success for life included and some great stories about the playboy mansion and Hugh Hefner.

[Tyrus Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing life shared between Shannon and Gene. Especially for a KISS fan who for the longest time only saw the one side of Gene...because that's all he shared.

Family Jewels opened so many more eyes to the life and times of Gene Simmons, it didn't take long to discover that Gene was the one on the lucky streak.

MONSTERously talented family, as we are all about to find out yet again...:)

Did you get that?

[Julie]

This is probably one of the worst books I've read in a long time. I picked it up because at the time I was watching Gene Simmon Family Jewels and I thought it would be somewhat entertaining. It found it to be very boring. There was no "Kissing" nor "Telling", at least not enough to keep my interest. I would compare it to one of those "Fun with Dick and Jane" books we read in first grade.