Harriet Walker's books are hard to put down and this is no exception. I didn't enjoy certain plot points but overall I found the book engaging and exciting.

Loved the premise and loved the book even more! I could not put it down. Such an interesting story line made better by fantastic writing! Excited to see what else this author has in store in the future.

This tale is every mothers night mare. You need a helper, you get the "perfect" helper. But is she really ?
Not recommended for new parents looking for childcare .... but a thriller worth reading.

This is the second book I have read recently that has involved the concept of a maternity cover -- a woman in an influential job (in this book, Margot is a fashion editor at a popular magazine) goes on maternity leave and chooses the woman (in this book, Maggie) who will be her temporary replacement. Both books (the other is "Three Perfect Liars") involve the temporary hire, who is younger, prettier, and full of new ideas, quickly deciding she wants to stay on with the company; the woman on maternity leave feeling insecure and threatened by her replacement, especially as the replacement does well, proves popular, and is more sociable/outgoing; the replacement feeling somewhat in awe of the woman she has replaced, as well as some imposter syndrome; a third woman who is a major character (in this book, Winnie, Margot's former best friend); and a secret involving two of the women that has already altered their lives and would be devastating if revealed. The concept sounds promising, but I found both books underwhelming.

"The New Girl" starts off with Winnie losing her baby at birth, with Margot in the late stages of pregnancy. This shatters their friendship, as Margot's pregnancy is a constant reminder of what Winnie has lost. The author does a good job of portraying the devastation for both Winnie and her husband, Charles, of losing their baby -- the physical and mental anguish, the jealousy of other couples who have children, the petty acts that grief can cause, etc. She also does a good job of portraying the anxieties and insecurities of Margot and Maggie regarding the job situation. Margot's anxiety and insecurity is made worse by an online troll who refers to the secret between Margot and Winnie.

However, the book starts slow and takes quite a while to really pick up and be interesting. It is not until about halfway through the book that the author reveals the backstory between Winnie and Margot that encompasses the secret that has shaped their lives and their friendships, and which is possibly at risk of being revealed. It would have been better for that information to be revealed earlier in the book.

There are some pretty good surprises in the book; however, the biggest surprise was what did not happen -- the plot seemed to be leading towards a particular event/revelation that does not happen (a choice by the author that can be viewed both positively and negatively). Overall, "The New Girl" is a decent read, but it could have been better.

I received a copy of the e-book via NetGalley.

Oh I loved this one. Margot and Maggie. Maggie and Margot. Who do you root for? Who is the villain? And who is Helen? I thought this was a fantastic read and absolutely could not put it down.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

What an amazing book to keep you on the edge of your sit. Intrigue, High Fashion, layered with suspense, this is a must read. This gave me All the thriller vibes and I could not put this gem down!!! This is a must read! Your future self will thank you for it!!

I don't think labeling this book as a thriller is fair; it's more Women's Fiction with some thrilling components. I also wouldn't compare it to anything by Alfred Hitchcock, but that's just me. It was mediocre, but quickly paced. It was easily predictable but the middle was really strong.

I received an advance copy. All thoughts are my own.

Trigger warning: This book talks about child loss. It also has graphic scenes of sexual abuse.

I feel like all the publicity surrounding this book didn't do it a favour.
It was presented as new hot tense thriller when in reality we got mediocre women's fiction with few thriller/mystery elements.

The story is written in three parts, following three different perspectives: Margot's, Maggie's and Winnie's.

In the first part nothing really happened, except that we met everyone in the story. It was pretty boring.

The second part was my favourite and the one most interesting. That part is the one that stayed with me for weeks after I finished the book.

The last part was one where everything happened and it was okay, even though I wasn't the fan of the way the story developed, and I predicted the bad guy all along.

The writing style was good, it was easy to follow and enjoyable.

Overall, this was The New Girl was a good novel, but I expected more.
Would I still recommend it? Definitely.

The New Girl is whiplash-paced, and a harrowing look into the profound sense of insecurity that prowls deep in the psyches of women everywhere.

First, the pace is not whiplash. It wasn't until 55% in that the pace actually picked up and so did the writing... a bit.

Second, "women everywhere"? please do not speak for women everywhere and what our insecurities are.

I wanted to read something with a bit of punch and I was drawn to New Girl but it was very underwhelming. I did not believe Margot and her friend Win could be friends since childhood and remain so surface level and bitter towards each other... I know there are surface level but.... . Also, while the book did focus on the New Girl that took over Margot's position it was very surface level and eye-rolling.

Honestly, I would recommend you use your time reading something else.

This was a great book from start to finish. The writing drew me in immediately and each of the characters was unique and interesting. I can’t rave enough about a book that features three female leads that are varied enough that I immediately know who’s POV it is without even referencing the heading!! The mysteries themselves were just a bit dull which is why I only gave it four stars - the mysterious “Helen” from the past storyline was obvious what had happened, led down a road to wonder what was currently happening but then fizzled out with no conclusion. There wasn’t quite enough tension with the Maggie/Winnie/Lila arc to create a real “coming to a head” moment, which, without spoilers, made what I think was supposed to be a big twist just feel a little flat.

Overall a great read though! Fun and quick.

The New Girl is so. damn. good and I wish more readers were aware of it! It’s entertaining, it’s absolutely thrilling ( in the very best OMG! thriller way), and it's well written to boot. The only downside, imo, is the very generic cover. The New Girl is definitely much better inside than it looks from the outside! Very highly recommended.

A fast-paced smart novel that explores the insecurities of motherhood, career women, the complexity of friendships and more. I flew through this and could hardly put it down!

I really enjoyed this book. The glimpses into the fashion world were fun and inviting, the characters had depth and complexity, and the story flowed well, keeping the reader engaged and wanting to know more. Margot's character reminds us that no matter how perfect someone's life may look, there are still fears and insecurities, problems, and hopes. Yes, it was a thriller, but it was also a bit of a life lesson...a reminder that relationships/friendships are complicated; to cherish what you have and not waste time wishing for someone else's life. Would definitely recommend.

The New Girl is a debut thriller that turned out to be more women's fiction than thriller. I think Goodreads even referenced Hitchcock, so I was all geared up for that vibe, that feeling that keeps up turning the pages looking for the twist. Except that this one started out way too slow for any of that, and it kept with the slow pace for about half the book. So much so that I ended up setting this one aside several times just trying to get to a point of something really happening. Things do finally pick up some in the second half, but it's still weighed down with wordy passages and descriptions that were - well, a little too descriptive. I'm all for setting a scene, but there's a limit. When it starts to feel like filler, it's just too much. There is a secret to be uncovered, but it's really not worth all the build-up to get to the reveal, and in itself was a bit disappointing. In the end, it just felt like the book went here and there and yon, but the pieces didn't quite make it back together for a cohesive tale. The premise certainly had potential, but it missed the mark for me.

I received this book via ARC from Netgalley in return for an honest review. Thank you Netgalley.

The story centers around Margot Jones, the successful fashion editor at Haute. Seemingly having it all, Margot prepares to go out on maternity leave, selecting an acquaintance, Maggie to be her replacement. Hoping Maggie only does good enough to keep her desk warm, she is both surprised and envious when Maggie does well. Coupled with Maggie's star rising and coming to grips with her oldest friends tragic death of her newborn, Margot's world spirals out of control, who is friend and who is foe?

On the whole, I enjoyed the novel. Margot's story is told over time and the reader is taken back to her adolescence and the secrets that teenage girls keep. This part took me right back to my own teenage years and the author's exquisite and detailed description of teenage girls friendships had me literally re-living my own teenage years. Towards the end, I felt the novel slowed down a little, but the overall theme and descriptive phrases had me turning the pages to the very end. Thank you for giving me the chance to read this novel.

The New Girl builds upon the theme of newness in career, motherhood, and life. New people and new experiences can be exciting and frightening. Motherhood and new jobs are no exception which is where the story starts as Margot prepares to become a new mother and the changes that come along with it. While Margot should be preoccupied with her impending new path she is drawn to the past. Margot’s reminiscing is told in frequent flashbacks, perhaps too frequently, as the frequency interrupts the flow. Multiple POVs also impact the flow and tension. The result is in an absentee protagonist making it difficult to connect with Margot.
The Maggie character is not quite foil to Margot even though the set up suggests she should be, but Maggie lacks the dynamism to create a strong presence. The antagonist role is a shared one, which is an interesting angle, but there is not enough depth to make an impression.
The New Girl tries to be many things: mystery, suspense, a thriller as told for a women’s fiction audience, however, the lack of clarity dulls the narrative and the mystery, suspense elements fall flat. The uneven pace lacks the build for a thriller as did the rushed ending. The concept of the New Girl held promise, but too many quickly filled in plot holes in the waning lines were unsatisfying overall.

What I thought would be a simple "Single White Female" inspired tale set in the glitzy fashion magazine industry, ended surprising me and had me on the edge of my seat! Margot Jones is the fashion editor at Haute magazine and is about to embark on maternity leave. While she is gone, she needs to pick her maternity cover, who will essentially step into Margot's shoes while she cares for her new baby. Handpicked by Margot, Maggie is a freelance journalist, who is given the opportunity of a lifetime to fill in for Margot. However, while Maggie seems like a "watered down version" of Margot, as time goes by, Margot begins to see her as a potential threat to her job and her personal life.

In this book, Harriet Walker masterfully captures the complexities of new motherhood, career aspirations, youth, and friendship as they are met with suspicion, paranoia, and insecurity. We all know too well how easy it is to fall into the comparison trap, particularly with social media streaming everyone's highlight reel, and how insecurity and jealously can drive you to wild thoughts/behavior. I loved how with Margot and Maggie there is this tension between them that in order for one to succeed, the other has to undoubtedly fail. The evolution of their relationship is interesting to sift through as they are increasingly feeding off each other, but also jealous and resentful at the same time. In addition, Margot's oldest friend Winnie, also plays a role in this twisty tale. Their friendship, which includes a shared secret and some pretty mean girl high school behavior, speaks to the complexity of friendship bonds and calls into question whether the wounds of the past can lead us to repeat vicious cycles. Looking for a thriller/mystery chock full of drama and glam? Definitely check this out!

The New Girl delivers everything you want in a novel about the fashion world -- and so much more depth. It's a psychological exploration of female friendships, identity, and motherhood. A fast read, you will tear through the book as quickly as possible to find out what happens next in this twisted romp.

More of a ‘Sex in the City’ chick lit rather than a thriller as I expected from the blurb. It’s certainly not a bad book, just not what I was expecting so I have mixed feelings. The first half was slower, the second half better but I’m getting tired of too many professional women-nails-out books. Which can’t redeem themselves especially when the main character, Margot, is not really likable. Thriller 2 stars, chick lit 4 so I. Settling on 3.

Described as a “hitchcockian” thriller, I was very intrigued to read this book. However, I found it to be a let down. It read more like a general women’s fiction story. I didn’t enjoy any of the characters and I found it hard to really get engrossed in any part of this story. This was not the book for me, unfortunately.