Stash: My Life in Hiding

In this vibrant if light debut, The Only One in the Room podcaster Robbins recounts her yearslong addiction to Ambien after pulling herself up from high school dropout to Hollywood PR exec. Spurred by her cratering marriage and the stress of keeping her past hidden, Robbins got high, hid Ambien doses inside her designer clothes, experienced crushing withdrawals, and fished undigested pills from her own vomit, all while growing increasingly afraid she might lose custody of her kids in a messy divorce. Eventually, she checked into a $40,000-a-month desert rehab facility, where she fell in love with a fellow addict who helped her achieve and maintain sobriety. Robbins’s characterization of her husband—mostly just a specter playing hardball during divorce negotiations—is disappointingly thin, and the general pace can get too breakneck to let important moments breathe. The story is moving, though, and Robbins has charisma to spare (“If hiding in plain sight were an Olympic sport, I would be a gold medalist,” she quips). Readers will breeze through this dishy, heartfelt confessional, but may be left wanting more. (Mar.)