Down the Rabbit Hole

Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny

By: Holly Madison

Narrated by: Holly Madison

Length: 10 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

The shocking, never-before-told story of the bizarre world inside the legendary Playboy Mansion - and finally the secret truth about the man who holds the key - from one of the few people who truly knows: Hef's former number-one girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door.

A spontaneous decision at age 21 transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner's number-one girlfriend. But like Alice's journey into Wonderland, after Holly plunged down the rabbit hole, what seemed like a fairy tale life inside the Playboy Mansion - including A-list celebrity parties and her own number-one-rated television show for four years - quickly devolved into an oppressive routine of strict rules, manipulation, and battles with ambitious, backstabbing bunnies. Life inside the notorious mansion wasn't a dream at all - and quickly became her nightmare. After losing her identity, her sense of self-worth, and her hope for the future, Holly found herself sitting alone in a bathtub, contemplating suicide.

But instead of ending her life, Holly chose to take charge of it.

In this shockingly candid and surprisingly moving memoir, this thoughtful and introspective woman opens up about life inside the mansion, the drugs, the sex, the abuse, the infamous parties, and her real behind-the-scenes life with Bridget, Kendra, and, of course, Mr. Playboy himself.

With great courage Holly shares the details of her subsequent troubled relationship, landing her own successful television series, and the hard work of healing, including her turn on Dancing with the Stars. A cautionary tale and a celebration of personal empowerment, Down the Rabbit Hole reminds us of the importance of fighting for our dreams - and finding the life we deserve.

©2015 Holly Madison (P)2015 HarperCollins Publishers

The other side of Girls Next Door

Like many fans that read this book.. I was a hardcore fan of the Girls Next Door. I always appreciated Holly in the show but found her somewhat cold and distant. Just as I hoped this book tells why. Things aren't always what they appear. I appreciate her honesty & willingness to open herself up to again more criticism. It was nice to actually hear her tell her story & im sure it was the final stage of letting go. I'm proud of her & really didn't want the story to end. Good job Holly!

Loved Holly's book!

This story is everything I wanted to be and suspected regarding what went on behind the scenes of The Girls Next Door. So glad she had the courage to tell her story. As a fan of her shows, I loved that Holly herself voiced the audiobook, it was just like hearing from an old friend. Inspiring yet sad and uplifting at the same time. Very eloquent and well written, looking to pick up a hardcover as well. Congrats, Holly! p.s. Audiobook is definitely worth a listen as I was super tickled by her (I think it's her!) British accent between chapters, that almost makes it worth missing out on the pictures!

What happens in the mansion does not stay in the mansion!

I liked the book. Good read. Holly does not hold back, which I like. I am amazed by how 'bad' the mansion's environment was/ may still be. Sure, it was too good to be true, but this just shows how manipulating the camera and reality TV ( so not reality) by Hugh Hefner and E! create a completely fake persona. I am walking away from this book thinking that Playboy is pure trash. Sure, Holly trashes others, but after what she has been put through, I can't blame her! She does a good job explaining why she stayed despite such a negative environment. I do recommend this book! Also very well narrated!

I absolutely loved this on so many levels

Thank you very much, Holly, for the beautiful lessons and takeaways from your life story.

It's always poor Holly! She never does anything wrong.

Blames everyone else for all the "drama" I feel like years later she will say she was forced to write this book. Or forced to write all the horrible things about everyone she mentions in the book. I wish someone would write a book about all her dirty little secrets. However, it was a nice story, well written and she dishes out a lot of dirt! I did not like how she pronounced some of her words. It was very irritating and distracting. I'm glad I got to listen for free. I would've been disappointed if I had purchased the book.

Average

I was looking forward to some juicy secrets but I found it very one sided and uneventful. It was entertaining enough to listen to the whole thing but I was disappointed in the amount of exclusive info. She also consistently painted the picture of how wholesome she is. Which can't entirely be true. You won't really learn anything new from this book other than how wonderful she is and how horrible everyone else is.

Interesting mindless candy

It's that perfect mindless break between reading The Goldfinch and The Nightingale.
Holly has some good dirt but after a while her stories get a bit boring and self serving.

Worth a read to pass the time.

Not bad. A great look at what these gals went through. I definitely could do without the cheesy, fake accent during the Alice Through the Looking Glass excerpts and her weird enunciation of anything beginning with a 'wh' sound. All in all a good read. It is funny that she does try to sound like she is better than the other ladies that went through this experience, but you can tell she also could be just as catty at times.

Down the rabbit hole review

I was very impressed with not only Holly's writing, but how she read the story. I had seen all seasons of the girls next door, but had no idea that life at the mansion was what it was. She brought a lot of light to the situation and i really appreciate her being so open and honest about her life.

Rose to the occasion!

This was one of the first Audiobooks I ever listened to. I grew up watching Holly on TV, and to see her knock this project absolutely out of the water was exciting. The narration and storyline are perfect, and I definitely recommend.