Glamorous Margot Jones is the fashion editor at glossy women’s magazine Haute, and pregnant with her first child. Margot’s used to her carefully curated life being the object of other women’s envy – who wouldn’t want her successful career, loving husband, beautiful house and stylish wardrobe?
I’d forgotten how good friendship could feel. As Nick cleared the remnants of Lila’s egg and toast away – from her high chair, off the table, off the floor, even off the wall – I picked her up for a cuddle and pushed my face into hers to nuzzle her cool, soft cheek. She rested her head against mine for a few seconds, one navy blue iris staring in close-up right into mine, and I felt the shuddering of her jaw as she sucked on her thumb.
Maggie, a freelance journalist, certainly knows she doesn’t measure up. So when Margot gets in touch to suggest she apply for her maternity cover at Haute, Maggie seizes the chance at living a better life – even if it’s only temporary.
But the simultaneous arrival of Margot’s baby and a brutal end to her oldest friendship sends Margot into a spiral of suspicion and paranoia. Are Maggie’s motives as innocent as they seem? And what happens at the end of the year when Margot wants her old life back – especially if Maggie decides she doesn’t want to leave?
Harriet Walker is the fashion editor of The Times. She has been a newspaper journalist for more than ten years and has also written for Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar, among others. Born in Glasgow and raised in Sheffield, Harriet Walker studied English at Trinity College, Cambridge, and now lives in South London with her husband and their daughter.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/harrywalker1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_harrywalker1
https://www.harrietwalker.com/
I was slightly unsure about reading this, to be honest, I LOVE ‘The Devil Wears Prada’, which this has been favourably compared with but the whole fashion scene isn’t really my thing any more…must be getting old!
This wasn’t quite what I was expecting though, and in my opinion, wasn’t at all like Devil wears Prada either. This was a psychological thriller about two main protagonists, Margo and Maggie, at first their similar names were annoying, but I soon forgot all about that. Their inner thoughts were great to read and very real to life for a lot of people, anxieties about how others perceive us and what people really mean, did they mean what they said or is there an ulterior motive, are they better at my own job than I am etc.
Margot is good at her job, beautiful, slim and successful but Maggie no doubt needs a hand up and Margot is there to help but it doesn’t all quite work out as she had expected. Then there is Winnie, Margot’s best friend until her son, Jack, is very sadly stillborn and the relationship takes a dive. This looks at the friendships, motherhood and loss and how these things change people but more compellingly it really draws you in to feel anxious with the characters and you feel yourself changing sides and asking yourself questions, which one is in the wrong or are none of them and they just have different opinions or have made different choices.
This focuses on a lot of the emotional toll that is felt during pregnancy, motherhood, loss and friendships, with some complex issues thrown in as well, an entertaining and easy read that will have you hooked right till the end.
Thank you to Net Galley, the Publisher and the Author for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
| Title | The New Girl |
| Author | Harriet Walker |
| Series | N/A |
| Format | eARC |
| Page Count | 320 Pages |
| Genre | Psychological Fiction |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Release Date | 19th May 2020 |
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