great book well-paced, I loved it. 5 stars for me. A great holiday read. Recommended. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review it.

I liked The New Girl very much. Although the apparent plot (fashion editor goes on maternity leave, her replacement fills her designer shoes a bit too well, cue jealousy, resentment and possible scheming on both sides) sounds not that original (Helen Monks Takhar’s recent Precious You and the TV drama The Replacement spring to mind), the story turns out to be something quite different from what I expected.

Cool, elegant Margot is the fashion editor at Haute magazine under the terrifying leadership of Emily Moffatt; Maggie (bizarrely, her real name is also Margot), her temporary cover, is warmer, less polished, and immediately popular with her new colleagues.

But then there’s Winnie, Margot’s best friend - or is she? - the other half of a long and complicated friendship dating back to their schooldays. Both become pregnant at the same time, but the book opens horrifyingly when Winnie’s baby, Jack, dies at birth. (Probably don’t read this if you’re pregnant.) Margot longs to offer her support, but Winnie, it seems, can no longer bear the sight of her - seems, indeed, to suddenly hate her.

The complex and shifting relationships between the three women make for a fascinating read. The title initially appears to refer to Maggie, the “maternity cover”, but it becomes apparent that it can apply to several characters.

Harriet Walker has written an engrossing exploration of the rivalries, secrets, mixed emotions and new and old resentments between women. I enjoyed it very much and particularly Ioved the ending, which felt different, refreshing and very satisfying.

(I’m not sure I entirely understand the Helen business, though, and feel that I probably missed something.)

Overall an excellent read.

Wow I’ve loved this one.
I haven’t been able to put this one down. I cannot wait to read more by this author because this has pulled me in and gripped me from the very beginning.

A slow start turned into gripping page turner. Margot is success in a job she loves and adores. Pregnant with her first child, interviews for her own maternity cover thought she had the perfect replacement that would leave her job in safe hands. Maggie the maternity cover starts to get too much attention and loves the job she has borrowed and certainly doesn’t want to give it back after tasting success will she walk away when Margot returns.
Margot’s best friend is pregnant too, plans for future trips to the park are struck by tragedy.
The story unfolds with suspicion and paranoia that’s turns out not to be unfounded.
Brilliant read highly recommend

With writing as smooth as silk, I devoured this book from start to finish in one go. Set against the glossy world of a high fashion magazine, Maggie and Margot are two women who are locked in a dangerous dance rife with suspicion and anxiety. Written beautifully - almost poetically, at times, which I find to be rare in this genre - this book is definitely one of my favourite reads of the year. I’ll be yelling at every passerby I see to pick up a copy and READ IT! Stunning work by Harriet Walker.

A dark and really claustrophobic book, I had my breath the whole way through. A great psychological thriller.

I loved reading The New Girl. It seemed to have so many dimensions that worked brilliantly. It starts with tragedy, and then takes the reader on a bit of a whirlwind tour through the world of a fashion magazine, while a sinister plot simmers in the background. There are lots of hooks for the reader early on, and i had lots of questions about what had gone on in Margot's past, and what Maggie's motivations were. At first the novel felt character led, which worked really well for me as I found the characters of Margot and Maggie instantly compelling. Then the thriller aspect of the novel seemed to really take off, and I felt my anxiety levels rise in empathy with what was happening to the characters. The novel brings out themes of friendships, motherhood, and loss. Harriet Walker does a brilliant job of drawing out the paranoia and anxiety felt by the Margot in how her relationships affected her and I felt like I was living the story. The difficult issues relating to loss and bereavement are sensitively handled. The twists and reveals at the end took me by surprise.

Overall a brilliant read and an easy 5 stars.

#TheNewGirl #NetGalley
Finally I recieved a good proof of this book and I was so shocked when it's final reveal comes to me. Its a brilliant novel.
Glamorous Margot Jones is the fashion editor at glossy women's magazine Haute, and pregnant with her first child. Margot's used to her carefully curated life being the object of other women's envy - who wouldn't want her successful career, loving husband, beautiful house and stylish wardrobe? Maggie, a freelance journalist, certainly knows she doesn't measure up. So when Margot gets in touch to suggest she apply for her maternity cover at Haute, Maggie seizes the chance at living a better life - even if it's only temporary.
Although I personally feel that it's like Previous You by Helen Rakhar but it's ending is so different from that one.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hodder Straighten for giving me an advance copy.

I’m not sure if I was sent an incorrect version of this book but it took me about 10 minutes to read it. I couldn’t make head or tail of it. Was more like a novella but one that made no sense.


27/4/2020. Received mail from publisher to download book again but this time no option to download to kindle.

I am unable to open the file regardless of which device or format I try so unable to give feedback as I can not read the story? Can not download to Kindle :(

Couldn’t open this book no matter what format I used, which is a shame because this sounds like something I’d love...

Unable to open book no matter what format I try. I can’t review a book that I can’t read. It’s a shame I was really looking forward to reviewing this one .