Review #1 The Overnight Socialite

The Overnight Socialite
By Bridie Clark
Publication date: December 16, 2009
Rating:***** (I loved it!)
I do not like the musical My Fair Lady. I did read the play Pygmalion but only because I had to for school. One of the things I liked about the play was the lack of singing! I am not even a fan of the modern movie update, Pretty Woman. So when I received an ARC for Overnight Socialite by Bridie Clark, I wasn't sure I'd like it.

I am glad I gave it a chance because I found this take on the whole makeover/falling-in-love-with-your-creation story to be really funny and enjoyable.


My brief review:

Wyatt is a bored member of New York's high society who makes a bet with a friend that he can turn an ordinary girl into the new "It girl". Lucy is a small town girl from Minnesota who moved to New York City to make it as a fashion designer. Just when she is ready to give up on her dreams, her path crosses with Wyatt and she agrees to his bargain-if she is willing to work hard and do everything he says, he will turn her into a socialite in three months and help her gain useful contacts in the fashion world. What she doesn't know is that he plans to document the entire project in a book.

Lucy and Wyatt are interesting characters and both grow throughout the novel. Even the peripheral characters add to the story, especially Lucy's mother Rita and her new friend Elaine. There are plenty of comic episodes, even the "rain in Spain" scene makes an appearance, but there are also a lot of thoughtful moments as Lucy finds herself and Wyatt comes to realize the truth about his feelings. While the outcome is obvious and the story familiar, it is still a highly enjoyable read and an insider look at New York society.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this title from the publisher for review purposes.