Book Review: The Liar, The Bitch, and The Wardrobe

Author: Allie Kingsley
Publication Date: September 4, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Trade

If you’re going to step on people on your way to the top, you might as well do it in stilettos . . . . . . Or so she’s been told. Lucy Butler, former wallflower, lands her dream job working for her idol, world-famous fashion photographer Stefano Lepres. But in a world where getting doused in coffee for not getting the order right is the new normal, she isn’t getting any closer to her ideal of being behind the camera herself. Then a superstar actress generously takes Lucy under her wing and teaches her the ways of the rich and famous—treating her to racks of designer clothes and introducing her to a life of private planes and penthouse suites. Soon Lucy is dating a rock star, attending the hottest Hollywood parties, and dressing the part. Lost in the luxury, she loses sight of the things that once mattered most. It’s going to take a hard blow from the high life to send Lucy back to the real life she always wanted. From an industry insider—and featuring wardrobes personally selected by celebrity stylist Robert Verdi—this is a novel that will keep you guessing and introduce you to a world you know exists; you’ve just never seen it unretouched.

 

I love everything about the cover of this book! I don’t even know where to start! Before I even saw the cover I knew that I had to check it out solely based on the name. The cover is pure genius and I love the pops of red like her lipstick, her nails, and the author’s name at the bottom. I see some book covers and I wonder how they plan to market them to any audience, but this book needs no further introduction!

 

 

After the first chapter of this book I was immediately reminded of The Devil Wears Prada. Lucy is thrown into the fashion/photography world in order to follow her dream and is in turn working under a boss who is horrible! This book gives readers a wonderful insight into the world of Hollywood and all that it consists of. It seems to me that the author, Allie Kingsley, writes from experience because this story takes readers to the front lines of show biz! I was so into the drama and the chaos that was Lucy’s new job. On Lucy’s first day on her job she is forced to bring coffee to everyone and messes that up a few times before she gets it right. I felt so sorry for her, but I knew that at that point Lucy needed to put on her seatbelt and hold on!

 

Kingsley pulled me into the story first and foremost with her main character, Lucy. She is fresh out of college, which I will be soon, and she has one passion and one passion only: photography. I was really able to connect with Lucy because she was determined to get to the top and I could really respect that. She is going to work for Stefano Lepres no matter what anyone says. I really liked seeing Lucy go from the bottom to the top. Even though I didn’t care for Stefano at all, but Kingsley writes him just the way I imagine he really would appear!

 

I loved the development of her character throughout the book. Stefano turned out to be even more horrible that I expected and Lucy started to realize that her dream was not all that she has imagined it to be. My only complaint is that I wish Lucy would have stood up for herself more. I was waiting so patiently for her to have that moment, the one where something defines a character and they break free from constraint and become a stronger character. I loved Lucy simply because any normal person would probably react the way she did. All she could see was the reality of her dreams and she let herself become susceptible to Hollywood hysteria!

 

Kingsley definitely captures the sarcasm, cynicism, and utter reality of Hollywood and a world of fast-paced media productions! I laughed at some parts and cringed at others. I loved this book just for its pure realistic features!

 

***A copy of this book was provided to me by Berkley Trade for review purposes. Thank you!!***