The Devil Wears Prada meets All the President’s Men

Megan Barnes’ life is in free fall. After losing both her job as a reporter and her boyfriend in the same day, she retreats to Chicago and moves in with Helen, her over-protective mother. Before long, the two are clashing over everything from pro-choice to #MeToo, not to mention Helen’s run for US Congress which puts Megan’s career on hold until after the election.

Desperate to reboot her life, Megan gets her chance when an altercation at a campus rally brings her face to face with Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Jocelyn Jones, who offers her a job on her PR team. Before long, Megan is pulled into the heady world of fame and glamour her charismatic new mentor represents.

Until an anonymous tweet brings it all crashing down. To salvage Jocelyn’s reputation, Megan must locate the online troll and expose the lies. But when the trail leads to blackmail, and circles back to her own mother, Megan realizes if she pulls any harder on this thread, what should have been the scoop of her career could unravel into a tabloid nightmare.

This shrewdly-observed, fast-paced debut centers around the corrosive nature of lies, the complexity of female relationships, and the pervasive reach of the internet into all our lives. Fans of Liane Moriarty’s character-driven stories and Jodi Picoult’s topical plot twists will devour it. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Ten16 Press for letting me read this book prior to its publication. My opinion is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and Ten16 Press for letting me read this book prior to its publication. My opinion is 100% honest, unbiased, and my own.

I’m going to start with what I disliked the most about this book: the ending. Like, what?? I won’t say anything because I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but I felt angry, cheated, and outraged. I am not a fan of books that end like that. Nope. It was one of those “I want to throw the book out of the window” moments.

I didn’t really care that much about Megan. Her personality was all over the place and I found her annoying most of the time. And when I don’t feel any connection with the main protagonist of a story, then it is hard for me to enjoy the book.

I liked that the pace was fast and didn’t focus too much in menial details. So I read it in just a few days and didn’t take much of my time.

Recommended for people who like to read about politics and journalists.

So, for all of that, I give this book… 3 TEA CUPS!