I absolutely loved this book.

After raving about how much I've enjoyed reading it for the past week, it feels good to have finished the novel.

The concept of workhorses is something that fascinates me, and I like the metaphor to discuss someone not meant for a specific industry or world entering that world/industry especially for something like fashion/publishing. It was thoroughly enjoyable and I was in love with Clodagh and her desire to stay afloat.

It was interesting to see her change over the novel, especially in regards to relationships and work. The ending was absolutely not expected, and I refuse to add spoilers here.

All in all, thoroughly loved the book and can't wait to buy the physical copy!

This was a drag to read and finish. At first, I enjoyed the overwritten style and all the information we were being given as readers. However, as the story escalated I found it to be particularly wordy and too much. Clo was an okay character, but she wasn't memorable. She was unlikeable, but not to the point of me hating her/rooting for her, which in the end made her a bit bland. A miss for me!

Whilst I enjoyed some elements of this book, it did feel like an absolute drag to read. In my opinion it is just far too long. I think that having it more compact would pack more of a punch. And, unfortunately, I didn't like the main character which just made the book slow for me even more. But, I know that this will be a hit with many people. It just was far too long for my liking.

I really enjoyed this novel! it was witty, self deprecating, and I can totally see why coco mellors loved it! really fun read!

The premise was good and I enjoyed the story, but this book was too long. Too many pages of Clo's inner monologues which didn't always add much. I didn't mind the unlikeability of Clo or her actions, and she was well written, but perhaps i didn't need to be so much in her head to see them.

I wanted to like this novel more than I did - the premise is really compelling but the execution fell a little flat for me and the outcome isn't particularly convincing (I can't say more without giving spoilers but essentially something that is presented as an ironclad conclusion absolutely isn't). It's a really interesting look behind the scenes of Vogue in the early 21st century and that aspect of it made the novel worthwhile for me - I couldn't abide the protagonist though (though I concede she's well written as at 24 I'd probably have been in awe of her and at 44 it's really obvious how pathetic she is) and in such a lengthy novel from her viewpoint that became an issue for me after a while. I suspect it'll be a hit though! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Perfect for fans of The Devil Wears Prada, this is a searing narrative about class in New York post 9/11. It’s a very long novel, but this gives the characters real depth and development. A solid four stars from me.

The story of Clodagh Harmon, an assistant working on a New York magazine, a young woman with hopes, dreams and high aspirations. She is fiercely competitive and doesn’t care what lives she ruins to get to her goal.

Sorry, not one for me, though I appreciate I am definitely in the minority.

The book seemed very long, maybe because I wasn’t engaged enough, and the characters stereotypical, though the setting was well described.

2.5*

Thank you you NetGalley and 4th Estate and William Collins.

Workhorse starts in 2001 in New York City and it follows Clodagh “Clo” Harmon who works at the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine and she wants nothing more than to rise to the top. Clo is a ‘workhorse’ as she doesn’t have the right pedigree but she is surrounded by ‘show horses’ who are wealthy and well-connected. Clo works with a woman called Davis and she really wants to be her. Through Davis, Clo meets Harry Wood who is a reporter who wants his own media empire. Harry might be able to help Clo rise to the top but it will require dangerous risks as Clo borrows clothes, steals money and becomes someone she doesn’t recognise to become a ‘show horse.’

This was such a good novel and I’m so glad I took a chance on it. I loved reading this and this had some brilliant vibes. It reminded me of The Devil Wears Prada but also the book Gold Rush by Olivia Petter. This is quite a long novel but it was so compelling and I enjoyed every second of it. This is a very atmospheric novel that made me feel as if I was in New York City. The vibes were immaculate. Clo was such a great character to follow, she was easy to relate to but I also loved reading how far she would go to succeed. I will definitely be recommending this novel to everyone I know. Workhorse should be on everyone’s anticipated books for 2025 and I cannot wait to own a physical copy when it releases. This was so enjoyable and I loved reading it.

This was a wild ride of a book! Clo is not a likeable character at all and I was shocked by the lengths she went to, to give the illusion of “show horse”. I can’t believe the ending and how she dumps Davis and essentially gets away with it all. It’s quite a dark book with some shocking moments (see the ocean scene) and Clo’s inner monologue I found to be miserable and almost whiney at times? She is in a constant state of low self esteem and comparing herself against others. The jealousy and obsession with Davis is a huge part of this book and she’s often scary as a character! I did enjoy this but felt at times it was a little too long, however I understand it is set over many years so it works.

Workhorse
Clodagh Harmon is a Work Horse and she knows it. But she is surrounded by Show Horses, people from the right background and with the right connections who apparently don’t need to have to work to get ahead. Davis, her cubicle mate and mentor, is one of the latter. At the turn of the century and in the wake of 9/11 they are both editorial assistants in New York’s magazine world. But it’s not long before Clodagh or ‘Clo’ is thrilled to see her name and job title appear on the magazines masthead, her climb to the top has begun.
She has a best friend, Allie Shaw, who she’s known for years. Allie also lives in the Big Apple, has left the corporate world and is now studying for a doctorate in Renaissance Literature at Columbia University on a full scholarship. She supports Clodagh as she navigates her way through as an outsider in her world of work and who wants desperately to achieve success as an editor in chief.
Clodagh ends up becoming part of Davis’s world and makes connections such as Harry Wood, another one determinedly climbing upwards. Will he help Clodagh or hinder her? Davis lives with her divorced mother, Barbara who was once a famous Broadway star and slowly Clodagh sees that their relationship is stifling and disturbing. But ultimately Clodagh is in thrall to her own ambition and nothing will stop her.
This is an ambitious novel set over the early 2000s to the present day. The rise and fall of print journalism as it succumbs to going online and how the role of editorial assistants alters was well portrayed. I recognised references to items of the time such as Rolodexes, once a must have in a busy office, vapes, Blackberries and a visit to the then notorious meatpacking district which is now gentrified.
However, I didn’t find Clodagh to be a likable character as she was willing to resort to theft and being paid by an outside source to sell ideas from her employer. But to her the end justifies the means. She has such envy for Davis and there is very disturbing scene in which she tried to drown her when they are out swimming together. And Clodagh abandons her after offering her the illusion of escape and discovering the real dynamics of her relationship with Barbara. They are both trapped within it. In fact, one character refers to it as a ‘Grey Gardens’ relationship.
I had thought that ‘Workhorse’ would be another ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ but whereas the latter was quite a lighthearted and fluffy read, by contrast, ‘Workhorse’ was much, much darker. The girl on the cover stares out looking quite truculent and put upon. But they had a common theme of the outsider entering a glittering world.
The fate of those who decide to ‘fake it until they make it’ such as a co-worker, Liddy, is to be instantly sacked or expelled. But Clodagh knows instinctively that she will never be a Showhorse and ultimately she pays the price. She always seems to be putting herself down all the time and making comparisons even as she rose within the magazine. Perhaps her self hatred is which propels her to act as she does. After all she already has a fake job on her CV.
There are some light hearted scenes such as her changing her shoes before entering the magazine’s building which did remind me of ‘The Devil Wears Prada’ And also the toe curling scenes in Bergman Goodman when Clodagh is there with Barbara and Davis.

But I was fascinated by Clodagh and the actions that she takes in that I thought, ‘She’s not going to do that is she?’ It’s an honest account of ambition and class and resentment at having to work harder to achieve ambitions while others are given them. But people do help her such as her new manager, Isobel Fincher. The book is also a snapshot of a particular scene in time before things changed; expenses accounts, parties, rooms full of outfits and make-up to borrow or take. A bygone world.
I really enjoyed the book. I might not have liked Clodagh but as a portrait of a self made determined woman it was excellent.

My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC.

New York, shortly after 9/11. Clodagh 'Clo' Harmon is a woman on a mission; to become Editor-in-Chief. Preferably of a magazine that isn't Dog Monthly. Currently working on one of the bigger hitters in fashion magazines, a Bible-thick monthly full of perfume samples and 'price available on request' clothes, Clo doesn't come from money and is determined to get famous before anyone finds out how ordinary and klutzy she is.

When she befriends glamorous Davis Lawrence at work, she feels all her problems might be over, but in fact things are about to get even darker. Clo will do anything to succeed: lie; steal; share company secrets; and betray her one true friend Allie in a scene I had to read through my fingers.

With hints of Tama Janowitz and even Edith Wharton, 'Workhorse,' is a welcome addition to the Devil Wears Prada-related nostalgia fests cropping up in pop culture, from the sequel to the musical. Ironically, the thing that will eventally catch Clo is not her middle-class non-New-York roots, or the unmarried status that causes her such pain. It's that she's going to end up writing Buzzfeed listicles before getting fired by one of the guys from Succession. If you didn't experience this world yourself - and not many of us have - time to fill your (Prada) boots. That's all!

I loved this one! It really took me back to a place and time in I remember quite well. I highly enjoyed reading it and remembering what it was like back in the hey day of the publishing industry. If you like Devil Wears Prada you will love this one!