The full title is:

Love, Lust & Faking It:

The Naked Truth About Sex, Lies, and True Romance

Sometimes I pick up a book that I would never purposely read, just to get my horizon expanded. This is what happened with Jenny McCarthy’s book here. She started her career as a Playboy centerfold in 1994 and became the Playmate of the Year for 1995. I remember that.

She then went on to become a model, talk show host, writer, actress, comedian and activist. I really have to admit that I never watched any of her movies (at least I didn’t recognize her) and never followed any of her other work. I picked this book up randomly and started reading, and I got a kick out of it.

This is a short book. I read it mostly on a 4-hour plane ride. There are some hilarious chapters, and some very boring fillers. For instance, one chapter just has the astrological interpretations tailored to sex and partners for the twelve signs. Nothing else. That information is so old, ubiquitous and boring, I simply flipped over it. There were a few other such chapters that were just there to fill pages.

However, I did enjoy her candor about sexuality and life from the point of view of a Playboy centerfold, with all the insecurities, the glamor, and the treacherousness that follows it.

McCarthy writes in a light, open, colloquial style. You can almost hear her voice (not that I ever heard her voice) speaking the text. That style, and the unique perspective and subject matter, made it a fairly enjoyable, sometimes hilarious, and overall very easy read.

Rating: **