I have started this review several times and keep stopping, mostly because it is hard to explain how strongly this book had me reacting and cringing before turning pages.. The New Girl by Harriet Walker, has depth and is layered... around our insecurities, the baggage we carry from our past, and about the complex relationships between women. Margot is ready to start her maternity leave and she hires her temporary replacement with someone she thinks is not a threat in any way. Furthermore, she likes her replacement, Maggie...quite a bit.

Maggie, on the other hand, suddenly finds herself living her dream life while working at Margot's job. She suddenly realizes she does not want to give up this job ever and she transforms herself into what she needs to be to be successful and popular.

Margot's relationship with her best friend from childhood becomes strained and then abruptly ends when her friend's newborn son dies. The guilt that Margot feels because she is pregnant and her baby is doing fine is severe...but so is the fear that something could happen to her own child. The way that Margot worries over her relationship with her previous bestie reminded me of myself...or rather my old self.

Honestly, I was on pins and needles regarding the safety of Margot and her baby especially when she started being harassed and experiencing bullying online. Pretty heady stuff and kept me reading long past my bedtime! Definitely a good read...but not a light, fluffly beach read or rom com! Highly recommend for when you are in the mood to dive deep!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Harriet Walker and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a digital advanced reader copy for me to read and devour! I really loved the book, even when I hated it for a second here or there for keeping me in too much suspense....and my opinions are my own!!

I received a complimentary copy of The New Girl from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel included everything a good novel should have: interesting characters, plot, etc. Unfortunately, it seemed alost too drawn out for me. Some parts were perfectly timed, while others just took too much time to unfold. I enjoyed the plot twist, but more of that was told rather than shown to the reader. Overall, I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Enjoyable read with an ending I did not see coming. Well developed characters that made you care about all of them, while also not enjoying certain aspects of their personalities.

Never assume you know what someone's life is really like...no matter how great it appears to be from the outside.

Insecurities, jealousy, cyber bullying and grief/loss are all on full blast in The New Girl. Part thriller, part cautionary tale and part Women's Fiction, this was a great read with well-written, relatable characters.

Thank you to Harriet Walker, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Ballantine Books and NetGalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was an excellent novel, with a strong cast of characters. I enjoyed the storyline very much and would definitely reccomend this book.

When you read the description of the author and their life sounds like something from 'The Devil Wears Prada' and their book is set in the fashion world, you know it is going to be dark, witty and full of fashion, beauty and gossip. This book delivered on thse topics but it also went much deeper into the psyche of the characters, covering mental health issues, self esteem and how people suffering with both can be terrible communicators.
Margot is about to leave her Fashion Editor role to have a baby, Maggie is her replacement, hand picked by Margot to ensure quality of writing but not surpass Margot as a fashion icon and take her job away from her. Winnie is Margot's old school friend but struggling with a terrible tragedy that took her baby and makes her resent Margot and her pregnancy bloom. These women are very insecure and there actions in the novel are lead by anxiety, paranoia and jealousy. None of them act very nicely and Margots constant whining and anxiety ridden inner dialogue, grates after a while.
I liked how the story was told by each of them, we got a glimpse into their thoughts which helped explain some of their actions. Bringing Winnie in later to tell the tale of her and Margots school years was clever. The incident that plagues Margot was so insignificant but was fueled by Winnie all those years who knew how to prey on Margots insecurities. Really these three women were pretty annoying at times. An incident at the end of the novel, which I didn't see coming, brought everything to a head and it ended how I expected it.
It was well written, the fashion week sections really interesting and I liked Maggie the most. She was the warmest of the women and the only one I really liked. I will enjoy reading the authors future novels. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

Maggie, Winnie and Margot life all changed at once. This is a story of the lives of three women, all taking a different turn. Their lives changed forever as each has their own fears that intertwined with one another. Winnie was Margot’s best friend until she lost her baby. Margot was pregnant and did not know why her best friend had turned away from their friendship. In addition to leave her high power job as an editor to a fashion magazine, Haute, Margot feared that she will be replaced by someone younger with fresher ideas. Maggie was girl who wanted a break to get into the fashion business. She tried to hard to step into Margot’s shoes and wanting to make something of herself. Her fear is not being good enough.

It was a sweet story of each woman’s fear. Characters were fully developed. However, I think the story dragged as each person described their fear. There were unnecessary parts of the story that made it hard to keep on reading at times.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A truly fabulous read. Was glued to every page and even loved the ending, where a lot of novels fall flat, Ten stars!

I ended up really liking this book and it's conclusion, although there were times I didn't really enjoy how the author was getting to said conclusion. I had sympathy for Margot, as she had lost her closest friend, felt alienated from her life due to having a newborn at home, and felt she was being replaced at her job by the younger, "hipper" Maggie. Top it off with a random keyboard warrior who made disparaging comments about Margot at every given opportunity..... Margot was dealing with some serious stress. I actually liked Maggie, though, and admired her moxie and drive, and I suppose that was why I was frustrated with this novel at times. That doesn't subtract from the fact that it was well-written and never boring. I'll have an easy time recommending this book and will look for future novels by Harriet Walker.

Margot is a magazine editor, and a new mum, in short she seems to have it all. Her world loses some of its shine when her best friend, Winnie loses her own baby. Add to that, Maggie , the temp that covered for Margot while she was on maternity leave. The temp that suddenly seems to be vying for a much more permanent position. With a cyber stalker only adding to her stress, Margot feels like her carefully constructed facade is about to come crumbling down. This is far from an original story idea, but Walker keeps it fresh with outstanding characters and a few surprises