Published By: Hodder and Stoughton
Pages: 352
Released On: 13/04/2023
The world of fashion is supposed to be glamorous . . . isn’t it?
Meet Frankie Marks: the world’s least likely fashion PR. She got the job by fluke, she doesn’t know the first thing about designers, she’s always hungry, and she struggles to think before she speaks. When Frankie crash-lands in the prestigious GGC agency, her friends and family can’t believe it – least of all her long-term (and long-suffering) boyfriend, James.
Frankie quickly realises she needs to use everything she’s got to survive life behind the scenes of this glamorous and chaotic industry – with its eccentric characters, towering expectations, and quite frankly ridiculous requests. But first, she needs to learn the difference between velour and velvet . . .
As the pressure builds and Frankie’s personal life begins to take the hit, she starts to wonder if she’ll ever manage to escape the strange world of fashion unscathed. And, for that matter, does she even want to?
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I know Natalie says this is completely fictional and not necessarily based on her own experiences in fashion PR, but you can tell it’s a world she’s lived in. The little details that one would normally miss are impressive. But now I’ve finished it, I want to know just how much of it is true – or at least based on truth – and how much is exaggerated for entertainment. Because it is all wholly 100% believable.
The world of fashion PR in this book is manic, fast paced, crazy, difficult and sometimes insulting, but it’s also dazzling and magical and a world I am fascinated by.
It mainly reminded me of The Devil Wears Pravda, especially with how Frankie’s friends and boyfriend act around her and how they don’t understand her. It meant i was 100% on Frankie’s side. I like that she’s the Everyman. Desperate for a job linked to her degree, but having to take on an internship somewhere she’s initially reluctant about, just to have it on her CV. We’ve all been there. Or we’ve all thought about it. She’s doing her best, learning, and climbing her way up the corporate ladder.
I’ll tell you know, I am obsessed with this book. I was obsessed whilst I was reading it and I’m obsessed having finished it. It is absolutely addictive. You just want to talk to everyone about it like it’s the latest TV series. It’s just so juicy, funny, interesting, informative, entertaining, fun, loving, sad, stressful, enjoyable and gorgeous. I really didn’t want to put it down. I would have read it in one sitting if sleep hadn’t taken over.
I love how she’s shown the industry’s imperfections. It’s clearly a dog eat dog world. Whilst on the surface it’s a glamour industry full of celebrities, free clothes, parties, dinners etc. it’s clearly very hard. Not everything goes right, priorities are shifted and relationships suffer.
It shows the highs and lows of the industry. And I now want to turn my designs into a globally successful fashion line, like it’s that simple 🫤
It’s the perfect mixture of Ugly Betty + The Devil Wears Prada + Project Runway + Emily in Paris + Next Top Model + Queer Eye, all packaged up together in a deliciously addictive tale.
I wish more people wrote books about their industry. It gives you a front row (and we all know how important the FROW is) look into their world, knowing it’s based on real experiences, but with. Some pizzazz thrown in. I just want her to write more books like this please.
Books By Your Bedside 