I wish to thank Net Galley and Random House publishers for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book. I have voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a book is about friendships through the ages and all the ups and downs. It begins in high school with shy and unpopular girls. It progresses to college and their lives thereafter. Margot becomes very successful in the fashion world and when she must take a one year maternity leave she recommends her best friend Maggie to replace her. Is this the right move?

This is a highly emotional book. It begins well and pulls you in, but loses steam in a big way through the next third of the book and I had to force myself to keep reading. The last part of the book was great. Just not sure what happened to the middle. I would rate the middle about 2 stars but the ending does improve its overall score. I must be honest and say that I am only mildly impressed with this story.

Margot Jones is the fashion editor at the glossy magazine Haute. Fixing to go out on maternity leave and leaving nothing to chance, she chooses her own temporary replacement, a friend of hers by the name of Maggie. Just as her maternity leave starts, Margot's best friend loses her baby and promptly cuts Margot out of her life. A cyber stalker begins bullying Margot and she suspects it is her former best friend.
I really wanted to like this book. I thought from the description it sounded like it had promise. But it just fell flat for me. The description made it sound more like Single White Female with Maggie trying to take over Margot's life, which would have been good. This was just kind of tame, for lack of a better word. None of the characters were really likable, and the storyline just felt like it was plodding along.

<i>The New Girl</i> is the story of three women - Margot, Winnie and Maggie. All going through massive shifts in their lives at the same time.

Margot is a fashion editor for a magazine, but pregnant, she’s in need of a replacement for her maternity leave. She chooses Maggie, an acquaintance who doesn’t seem like a threat and who would be a perfect fit for the <b> temporary</b> position.

Winnie is Margot’s childhood best friend; one that the novel alludes to both of them having gone through some type of trauma together. As adults, Margot and Winnie are also brought together by the fact that they are both pregnant at the same time - though Winnie is further along. Tragedy strikes early on, as Winnie loses her newborn son, while Margot is still mid-pregnancy.

<i>The New Girl</i> has many layers - of deception, intrigue, mystery. It will keep you guessing and make you wonder who is who and what is really happening to this group of women.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Margot, a fashion editor, is expecting her first child when her closest childhood friend, Winne. loses her baby. Hurt and drama from their past surfaces and the womens' friendship is challenged. Add to that, Maggie, the woman who Margot chose to fill her position while she was out on maternity leave quickly reaches heights of success that had eluded Margot. Add these scenarios together with a ghost of a past problem that resurfaces between Margot and Winnie. I loved the characters and the story lines.

I've been excited about this book since I first heard about it, and it did not disappoint. The characters sucked you into the story and the story kept you turning pages as fast as you could. I devoured it in a day. I loved it.

The New Girl is all about how 3 womens' lives change within an instant. Margot, Winnie and Maggie are all set for the next stage in their lives. Margot and Winnie are old mates with children on the way and Maggie is a woman that is looking to fill in for Margot at a upscale fashion publication while she is on maternity leave. It's the chance for her to move up within her career. But right at the beginning, there is loss and devastation for Winnie and that sets the tone of the rest of the book. I was sensing there would be grief, a little single white female and a whole lot of vindictiveness. I was super excited of what kind of darkness was on it's way.

-Maggie wanted Margot out of the picture, but she still wanted to impress her. And still wanted to be her friend. It was....complicated-.

Unfortunately, I got a really slow first half. It centered around the fashion world and what Maggie was doing with Margot's job. I was always sensing an underlying evilness, but it never really went that far. The worst part was some cyber-bullying, but it wasn't even that bad. I just wanted there to be more of it. More action; faster paced; more interaction between the two ladies. Simply MORE. The story centered more around the fashion magazine for Maggie and how motherhood was going for Margot (and even that was minimal).

And then part two started....This was getting good and just what I was hoping for in part one. More action and faster paced. Part two centered around Winnie and Margot when they were in school. We went back in time and got a sense of who these friends were back in the day. What shaped them to be the women they were today and also so maybe we could understand Winnie and Margot's friendship presently.

Honestly, I wish the first 2/3 would've matched up with the last 1/3. While the story itself was well written, it was lacking in the suspense. I wanted to be more on the edge of my seat and biting my nails. Unfortunately, I felt as if I was reading more of women's fiction. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy that too, but when I expect more mystery, I want to feel that on edge feeling through the majority of the book. And that was what was sorely lacking in the first half.
Overall, this book had potential and I liked the interaction of the women, I just wish there was MORE to it.

Fashion just isn't my thing these days. Ponytail hair don't care and 3 days in the same yoga pants are what's happening right now. But my love of high heels, expensive fashion magazines and dressing up will never go away!
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At least that's what Margot Jones told herself after Maggie was hired to work her maternity leave. Friendly Maggie not only took over Margot's job and friends, but soon started dressing like Margot and got the same haircut. While Margot was at first content staying home in sweats with her beautiful baby, Lily, Maggie was all over Instagram documenting all the exciting parts of Margot's job. Margot becomes further distressed when her oldest friend, Winnie, cuts her out of her life and an internet troll begins to leave haunting comments on her Instagram. This first novel by fashion editor, Harriet Walker, surprised me. The story begins very "Devil Wears Prada" with the usual fashion types and situations, but several storylines twist and turn it into a thriller that leaves you flipping through the pages to find out what will happen next. Walker reveals so much about friendship, motherhood, marriage and growing up all with the exciting backdrop of the fashion industry. Although the beginning was rather slow for me (I’ll blame it on the virus...), it picks up quickly. The title concerns me a bit as there are several books and a TV show with the same name- but the book is outstanding and should distinguish itself with its readers. Thank you to #netgalley, #harrietwalker and #ballantinebooks for the opportunity to read this new book. I loved it! 5/5 💕💕💕💕💕 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #netgalleyreads #thenewgirlbyharrietwalker #booksharks #beachreadforsure #booknerd #bookishladiesclub #readersofinstagram #thrillerbooks #fashionblogger #bookclubofinstagram #bookclubideas #kindlebooks #library #reader #debutnovel #stayhome #stayhomeandread

The New Girl by Harriet Walker is a quick read about three women whose lives intertwine during a stressful period for each of them.
Built around the fashion world with trips to Milan, Paris and New York, at times the main concern of what to wear and who will see you seem a bit shallow, but it’s a lucrative and necessary evil.
When pregnant Margot picks the best choice for her maternity leave replacement, the tables are turned when young Maggie seems to be doing a much better job. Struggling with new motherhood, questioning the stability of her prestigious job when she returns to work, and going through the immense sadness of losing her best friend Winnie is taking their toll and causing Margot to question her own sanity.
At times slow with a loosely weaving plot, this is still an enjoyable read that kept my interest to the end.
(I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for making it available.)

At the center of the story stands two women who have the same career goals. The high profile career collides with personal life events when our main character is on maternity leave. The "temp" decides that this is THE job she wants and she'll do whatever it takes to keep it. "Whatever" includes guerilla tactics, rumor that move to slander and phys ops. A fascinating story that would make an excellent movie!

The New Girl is a fast paced thriller that has all the psychological feels to it! Loved this!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Margot is an elite fashion editor for Haute magazine and has to find a replacement for a year for her maternity leave. She ends up selecting a woman that she met at some of the events that she has attended working for the magazine named Maggie. Margot is all set to have her baby when she discovers that her best friend that she has went through the pregnancy with has lost her son shortly after birth. Shortly after this happens, she starts getting trolled all over social media and whoever it is knows all about her past. Margot doesn't know who to trust and has lost her friend after her loss. It could be either woman, or it could be her past coming back for her. I thought this book was well written and kept me guessing until the end. Thanks for the ARC, Net Galley.

I thought the first half of this was so boring - the characters were flat and stale, there is no action, the two main characters do nothing but complain about their lives. Also, the writing was much too slow and wordy for it to be considered a "thriller" (IMO) in the first half. However, the second half did pick up in action and pace, turning this into an OK, 3 star thriller.

Thanks to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this unique thriller! I didn't see the twists coming. The story is nicely told from multiple perspectives. I read this one in two sittings--it's fast-paced and well-written. Highly recommend for those that enjoy domestic dramas or thrillers!

I don't know what this novel was trying to be. Is it a psychological thriller? Is it a modern contemporary? What "The New Girl" really was in the end was very boring and anti-climatic. I didn't like Margot or Maggie. There wasn't enough excitement for me. The story and characters were bland. I don't think I was the right target audience for this. I want to thank Netgalley and Random House for the digital ARC.

Release date: May 19, 2020

This book contains so many twists and turns from the main character dealing with leaving a high paying job as a fashion editor to the young woman taking over for her while she's on maternity leave.
However, during all of this, the main character believes someone is following her, her replacement at work is trying to steal her job, & she starts to receive strange messages...
I really enjoyed this book & will be recommending it to others.

So when I saw this book was pitched as The Devil Wears Prada meets Single White Female, I knew that it was meant to be. And THE NEW GIRL delivered in so many ways. We got delicious gossipy behind-the-scenes peeks into the fashion world. We got a growing sense of unease as the main character, Margot, grew convinced that someone was out to get her. And we got insight into the motivations of three potential suspects as Maggie, Margot's temporary replacement at her fashion magazine; Winnie, Margot's old friend who has ostracized her; and an old friend from their past potentially come back to haunt them.

Harriet Walker did an amazing job of creating a story where I couldn't guess what was going to happen. Was Margot paranoid for no reason? Was Maggie a genuinely nice person who was caught in a situation outside of her control? Was Winnie justified in her treatment of Margot? I noticed I started reading faster and faster as I got towards the end because I was so excited to see the twist - who was right in their narrative?

I do have to say I was a little disappointed in the ending. It felt like we had four potential suspects built up with perfect motivations and means and opportunity...and then...

SPOILERS TO FOLLOW - STOP READING HERE IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED.

The culprit was someone totally out of the blue who had barely appeared in the book. While I liked how the three main protagonists banded together towards the end in a show of girl power (and while I totally understood and appreciated the commentary about how society pits women against each other).... the way the suspense had built the entire story resulted in an odd sense of disappointment when I realized what was happening.

SPOILERS END

Overall, I loved the journey of this book, and I thought the characters were well-crafted. The writing was impeccable, and I'm excited to read more from Harriet Walker in the future!

Fabulous! Focuses on a woman (Margot) on maternity leave & her temporary replacement, their budding friendship & an old friend from childhood that has been a friend & frenemy throughout the years. Throughout Margot’s leave, someone is nastily trolling her & causing her much worry, which is ill-timed due to all the anxiety she’s in the throes of due to new motherhood. Great read!!

There were some bits of this I was wary of at first--female hatred/jealousy/insecurity when faced with other women and the loss of a child to name only two--but I was impressed with how they were deftly handled to feel like the realistic parts of a whole moving and constantly interlocking and realigning story. The flashbacks/memories of high school were so achingly familiar (the letter that is basically a character assassination) were so similar to what happened to me that I almost needed a trigger warning. And in the end, a twist I did not see coming. A fast and incredibly engaging read, which some fashion-world details peppered throughout that gave it even more flair and appeal.

“Devil Wears Prada” meets “Mean Girls” (er Ladies). Intriguing and somewhat mysterious read that falls apart a bit at the end but is still worth the time.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/47933500

Thank you Net Galley and Ballantine Books for the ARC.

There are 3 stories going on in this book. You have Margot who is convinced that her temp is trying to replace her. You have Winnie who lost her baby (this broke my heart) . Then Maggie who took over for Margot and gets a little cocky as time goes on.
This is another social media warning book. Its amazing how many books now a days are preaching the dangers of social media and how easy we make it for someone to watch our every move. I love how the book also dove into heavy hitter topics like mental health, self esteem issues. Its another reason why I wish there were more instances of women empowering other women and not trying to screw them over.

All in all this was a great read!