Okay Rachel Hollis where have you been all my life.

This story was absolutely adorable, and I fell in love with it the second I met Landon Brinkley.

It reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada, but to be honest it’s been maybe decades since I’ve seen the movie and I don’t think I ever read the book. But both have impossible-to-please bosses and a harsh workplace that requires an insane amount of hours to stay above water—along with back-stabbing coworkers who root for you to fail, of course. That is, however, where the similarities stop.

Landon is a southern girl with big hair, big dreams, a spunky attitude and many bright, colorful outfits. It’s impossible to not find her absolutely endearing. She’s truly a good person who worked hard to get where she is. I admired the fact that she lived at home and worked at her parents’ BBQ joint to save up enough money to live in LA and work at an unpaid internship for her dream event-planning company.

I also loved the friendships she builds with her roommate, Max, and coworker, Miko. Both characters have depth, back stories and well-developed personalities. And the romance made me so freaking giddy. I would read a cute scene, smile so big, then go back and read it again. Swoon. And to be honest, I wasn’t 100% sure who the romantic interest was going to be at first, which I also enjoyed.

Hollis also provides a fun inside-look into the party planning process, which I had zero knowledge of. It was also so easy (and fun) to hate on Selah, the owner of SSE, and Landon’s boss.

This was truly a laugh-out-loud chick-lit that I can’t recommend enough.

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

First time reading this author’s work and I really enjoyed her voice and writing style. I immediately felt a connection to Landon and empathized with her as she realized that her dream job was turning into a complete nightmare. From day one, Landon is treated with disdain, sarcasm and outright dislike by those around her. I admired her tenacity and courage to stick it out and show the haters she is made of stronger stuff. I also liked the supporting characters. Happily, Max and Jin get their own stories so I am excited to see what happens with them down the road.

An excellent sign of talent is when an author creates characters that draw a huge emotional response from the reader. I had such a reaction with Selah Smith. Everything about this character made me want to gouge out her eyes, pull her hair and then slap her into next Tuesday. She is truly despicable and pathetic. She treats her employees abominably and the level of schmooze she displays to her clients was nauseating. There are a few moments in this story that I was worried that Landon would not be able to hold her own against Selah. I loved that Landon is a fighter and isn’t willing to compromise her principles and values to play the game.

My Final Verdict: What The Devil Wears Prada does for publishing and fashion, Party Girl does for party and event planning. It looks really glittery and glamorous on the outside, but the inside can surprise you with the level of brutality and hostility that goes on behind the scenes. Readers of books that enjoy an interesting backdrop in their story that breathes so much life into the book, it’s almost like it’s a character, will enjoy Party Girl.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Party Girl from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.