Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for gifting me an audio ARC of this wonderful novel by Caroline Palmer, narrated perfectly by Helen Laser. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars rounded up!
It's early 2000s, and editorial assistant Clodagh “Clo” Harmon wants nothing more than to rise through the ranks at the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine. There’s just one problem: She doesn’t have the right pedigree. Instead, Clo is a “workhorse” surrounded by beautiful, wealthy, impossibly well-connected “show horses” who get ahead without effort, including her beguiling cubicle-mate, Davis Lawrence, the daughter of a beloved but fading Broadway actress. Harry Wood, Davis’s boarding school classmate and a reporter with visions of his own media empire, might be Clo’s ally in gaming the system—or he might be the only thing standing between Clo and her rightful place at the top.
On paper, this doesn't seem like a book I would rave about, but here goes - I loved every minute of it! Helen Laser brilliantly brought these characters to life and captured my interest from page one. It's a long book, but it didn't feel like it when I was listening. While I'm well past worrying about career ambitions right now, Clo's feeling of never quite fitting in and belonging is something that almost all young women will relate to. Where it gets interesting is the steps Clo takes to get what and where she wants to be, stepping on others along the way. It's funny, sad, dark, snarky, insightful, and fascinating. You'll find yourself rooting for people you wouldn't normally give the time of day. Brilliant.
