This book was blurbed as a mis between "Queenie and a modern-day Bridget Jones’s Diary" and let me tell you - this is SPOT ON. Add in a bit of Akwaeke Emezi's "You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty" and this is a hit. Author Breanne Mc Ivor writes with a lot of heart, attention to character motivations, and wonderful banter. I get kind of sad because this novel, thus far, has been over looked but if it were written by a white author, with white characters, experiencing similar issues, it would be set on the Upper East Side and Gossip Girl fans would be clamoring. But the setting of Trinidad and Tobago was wonderful and the cultural aspects of this novel really let the narrative shine. It is perfect contemporary drama through solid storytelling. I wonder how the author will follow up her debut.


A Note for the audiobook: I loved the narration of Varia Williams; Alexis Rodney - it was a perfect mix.

What a powerful debut that features themes of resilience and strength, told through dual perspectives of Bianca and Obadiah.

Bianca is a woman who works as an assistant to Obadiah. I really enjoyed the narration and both narrators.

*many thanks to Netgalley and publisher for the audiobook

I didn't finish this book -- and feel guilty that I didn't go on, but admittedly struggled with the focus on disordered eating, body image issues, and just constant discussion of ideas of beauty. Please read more into content warnings in reviews if these are issues for you.

What worked for me
-I loved the Trinidad and Tobago setting -- I loved learning about the culture as well as local issues
-I liked the journal format though admittedly it was a little harder to navigate in audio
-this stunning cover 🔥
-her persistence to use her platform working for Obadiah to raise light on more serious issues in T&T.

What didn't work for me:
-Though the character is kind of thrown into modeling to survive, the constant discussion of body image, dieting/starving herself, looking for affirmation of body, etc. wasn't something I enjoyed. While I can see where the story is set up for her to grow and start taking better care of herself, I really struggled with this. I can also see where her relationship with Obadiah will grow, but it's hard to move beyond his commentary on her weight and his refusal to let her have a drink with a sugar cube in it.

For those who can hang with this book to the end, I have no doubt they'll witness growth and enjoy the read, but I struggled so much getting past these early chapters.

Breanne Mc Ivor's debut novel explores the complex relationships between ideals and reality through alternating perspectives of two Trinidadian's working in the beauty industry. The audiobook is narrated by two individuals - one for Bianca Bridge and the other for Obadiah Cortland. Both narrators' performances are compelling.

After being shunned from the publishing industry because of an affair with a government official, Bianca Bridge struggles to keep her life together on freelance modeling gigs. Obadiah Cortland owes OC Beauty and aspires to be the next Trinidadian makeup mogul. Well actually he HAS to be the next big name in beauty, he's invested everything into the business including his sister's money.

When Bianca accepts a job working as Obadiah's assistant and editor for his brand's magazine, they both must conquer initial misconceptions to make the magazine and brand a success. Bianca makes her first friends since moving back to Trinidad after college abroad. Obadiah is inspired by Bianca's vulnerability through her work and determination. As they find their footing working on OC Beauty, they realize they are more alike than originally thought. With their shared experiences and expertise, they use illusionary beauty to communicate the difficult realities of Trinidad and educate about local issues.

CW: Bianca's weight and disordered eating are mentioned throughout the book. While eating disorders are not the focus of the book, the discussion of Bianca's places a major role in her story and seem to mirror her journey with accepting herself. Take care when reading.

Please check the Trigger Warnings before reading this book, in particular, disordered eating.
I enjoyed this story and the characters. I was so happy reading about Bianca's development, when she finally started making friends and taking care of herself. I even enjoyed learning about Obadiah, who was originally insufferable. I still never forgave Obadiah for this treatment of Bianca and other models. Some of the "romantic" dialogue was so cheesy that it did make me cringe.
The greatest strength of this story was the setting. It was a great country and community to learn about and the author is clearly well-educated and a compelling storyteller. Unfortunately, the plot and characters did not grasp me.

I grabbed an ARC of this book from Netgalley mostly based on two things, the stunning cover and the fact that it is set in Trinidad and Tobago, which I needed to complete a challenge prompt.

Coincidentally that ended up being allegorical to the story itself, which is a compelling narrative that explores public persecution, personal perception and the pursuit of perfection against a backdrop of poverty, politics and predatory patriarchal behaviors.

I've seen some people struggling to like the characters in this book because they're deeply flawed and even aggressively guarded, but for me that just further exemplifies the divide that the constant accessibility of social media and unrealistic societal standards has created.

I could definitely see this book landing on a lot of favorites lists for 2023. That said there are some potential triggers to consider before reading which I will list below.

TW: Disordered eating, bullying, body shaming, sl*t shaming, predatory relationships, depression, grief, parental loss, suggested violence