Down the Rabbit Hole

Curious Adventures and Cautionary Tales of a Former Playboy Bunny

By: Holly Madison

Narrated by: Holly Madison

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.

"Curiouser and curiouser!" - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Having now finished this book, I can safely say that I really enjoyed it. At first, I felt she played the whiny victim quite a bit. I mean, hello, you asked to move in with Hef! I also didn't buy all the mean-girl antics she described in the book. I have to believe that some of it was brought upon herself, vs. being the complete and utter victim. However, as the novel progressed, I really came to sympathize with her plight. Much like many famous women in history, Holly was definitely a pawn in a man'a world. I was thrilled for her when she overcame her obstacles, tackled her fears, and became her own, defined person. She really is an intelligent lady, despite her Playboy persona and questionable past choices. I recommend this book to anyone remotely curious.

A fascinating story about a fascinating woman

As a fan of E! Network's Girls Next Door I jumped at the chance to listen to this audiobook and I'm happy to say I was not disappointed in the least! Holly Madison proves to be a much more complex person than one was led to believe if you just watched the show along with her follow-up Holly's World. She is extremely candid throughout the telling of her story and comes off as a very intelligent and driven woman.

Smart. Poignant. Sexy.

I had no idea how "deep" and intelligent Holly Madison was until listening to this book. While every story has two sides, her version of Hefner and the mansion life is one nobody talks about but is much more logical than the fairy tale. Book was well written, well performed and gave all the dirt I wanted to hear about her life!