This story provides an interesting behind-the-scenes insight into the world of fashion PR, which I am sure fashion aficionados will enjoy. I suspect that most people wouldn't understand or appreciate the associated pressures which a job of this nature can have on your personal life, despite loving the job. As for the characters themselves, it is admirable how driven Frankie is, but I couldn't help feeling she was completely self-absorbed and unlikeable - I have no idea how Charlotte (her supposed best friend) tolerated all her BS and poor James should have kicked her to the curb well before she decided to leave! Whist interesting, I didn't find the book compelling - it dragged in places and I could see where it was headed pretty quickly - hence no surprises along the way. Thanks to NetGallery and Hodder Stoughton for the widget - it is greatly appreciated

A fun, irreverent look into the PR world of fashion. I could have done without the press release bits, they annoyed me and I was dissatisfied by the ending but understand why it went that way. Fashion really is as shallow as it appears sadly.

Thank-you to Hodder & Stoughton for sending me Don’t Believe the Hype in exchange for an honest review. I would never in a million years chosen this book for myself but as the publisher sent it I thought I’d just have a quick look… 5 minutes later, I’m totally hooked!

Natalie Lewis was a Fashion PR, she lived this stuff - not sure how she lived through it, but live through it she did and now she’s turned her hand to writing and is bringing us into her world. Don’t Believe the Hype is a work of fiction but it has the stamp of authenticity about it. It’s manic, stressful, chaotic and oh, so funny. I loved it and highly recommend it.

This was a mediocre, completely un-self-aware rip-off of 'The Devil wears Prada'. You don't really get a sense of the work Frankie's doing, or any sense of fun, or how she manages it. I'm very grateful for this ARC< I only wish the book were better.

Brilliant, laugh out loudly funny. Frankie loves her new job, but her partner, James and best friend don't. Will they come round to her way of thinking? A good insight into how we are persuaded to buy fashion items.

I did believe the hype, but sadly this book did not live up to it. It starts off as a deluge of words on a page, rapid-fire and mostly meaningless - like ludicrous coffee orders.
It seems like the author doesn’t really know how to write fiction, she admits as much in the book. I really think she should have stuck to a factual account, because this did not read like a work of fiction. It had none of the structure necessary to make the narrative flow, and maintain the reader’s interest.
The Press Releases were a constant irritation, I’m not sure what their purpose was.
This was a DNF for me.
My thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book.

Sadly, not up to all the hype for me. I don’t know, maybe if I was more into fashion, I would have gotten this more, but I struggled with this one. I found Frankie to be mostly unlikeable and at some points just downright someone I wouldn’t give the time of day. The only thing I admired was her passion for her job. I also knew both of the twits, maybe if I hadn’t that would have made this a stronger read for me, but honestly I don’t know if I would recommend this unless it was someone I knew who was in the industry already.

Good. Nice easy story. The hustle and bustle of the fashion world shines through on every page and you feel like you are in the thick of it. The characters feel real and relatable.

A somewhat older and wiser Frankie Marks urges us not to believe the PR fashion hype but the younger Frankie is desperate for the interns job although she is driving boyfriend James nuts with her dithering over suitable interview garb. James concedes she’s an unlikely candidate for PR and thinks this could be very funny. Why you may ask? Well, PR’s have to be nice especially to clients and Frankie is so not renowned for her people skills and is somewhat, er, forthright. However, she IS requiring a job pronto and so when a friend of a friend of a friend sends an email on her behalf to Georgina Galvin Communications (GGC) she goes for it because actually , how hard can it be???? Can Frankie nail the job and navigate the turbulent waters of fashion PR? Is she ‘on her way’?

This is a really fun book though toe curling in places! It’s a fascinating insight into the fashion world and the psychology of making people want/‘need’ that thing. I love some of the descriptions of the ridiculousness of the environment, the manic pace, the ludicrous demands, the mad chaos and craziness of clients and fashion shoots. It’s full of ironic send ups and the gossipy style it’s written in perfectly matches the theme. The characterisation is good, I like Frankie, she’s funny and who doesn’t love carbs?? I especially enjoy the droll and amusing press notes from Frankie interspersed between the narrative some of which are a hoot! The other characters also make you laugh, wince or groan! One client put me in mind of a now aged British actress who made a dramatic first appearance in an American 80’s drama, shoulder pads, big hat and all!

On occasions it definitely strays into surreal territory but I’m sure with the authors credentials it won’t be far off the mark! It’s well written making valid points but is also entertaining.

So, if you think you could be nice to bonkers people, handle anything chucked at you at 90mph, pander to food fads, dress up for parties in this season natch, air kiss, demonstrate fascination for ‘singular garments’, discuss the merits of tweed versus velour then the PR job is yours. And. Of course, I’ve never scrambled for that must have dress, shoe, boot, jacket, jumper, trouser. Obviously.

If you’re looking for an easy read written in a breezy and engaging style then this may fit the bill.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

A look behind the magic of the fashion industry PR. The magic, travel, stress, tantrums and egos. How it becomes all consuming and turns your life upside down.
Full of characters and personas.

A fun and fast paced look into the stressful world of fashion PR. Who knew that all of this went on behind the scenes of fashion?! Frankie is a likeable and quirky character who, after getting an unpaid internship at a fashion PR company, quickly gets sucked into this chaotic world……….. but will her personal life be the price she pays? Great fun and easy to read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sadly, not so sure about this one. Didn't match up to Devil Wears Prada and didn't offer anything new either. Could see where it was headed. The press releases irritated me so I stopped reading them in the end.

Not for me.

I absolutely loved the way Natalie Lewis portrayed the unfolding of Frankie's PR career in the world of fashion. She's a great character, it's a fun read, yet packed with juicy insider info about the ups and downs behind the scenes, which feels like/is reality. It's an easy read and one I looked forward to sinking into every evening. Definitely one for budding fashion PRs.

An absolutely fantastic book! I feel in love with Frankie from the first page (I'm.going to love anyone who deep.dives into their sock drawer) and I thought her character development was absolutely spot on. You really root for her as a character. It was also so interesting to read more about the world of fashion PR. Those parts read so easily, you can tell that the author really knows her stuff, even if I did feel very seen on a number of occasions. I was expecting to draw parallels between this and the Devil Wears Prada but honestly this is so much better. Highly recommend!

This book is absolutely addictive. I raced through the fashion world of London alongside Frankie, learning not to wear sparkly socks to interviews at fashion PR houses, how long a London fashion show actually is (8 minutes) and that people will nearly come to blows over being seated on the front row.

The pace is brilliantly fast, the character development seamless. I adored it, and will happily recommend it far and wide! Thanks for the early copy.

I loved this extremely entertaining novel based in the world of fashion PR. Frankie is fun and deeply likeable and all the supporting characters are well developed. You can tell the author is deeply knowledgable about how the industry works. Brilliant narrative with lots of hilarious developments.

A Romp..
Welcome to the world of fashion PR darling. Glamorous, glitzy and simply to die for? Er…nope. If you don’t believe it then take a peek into the life of Frankie Marks. A romp of the first order as we follow Frankie in a hectic and unorganised, absurd and more absurd environment which she may even begin to adore. Packed with eclectic and eccentric characters. Fun and frothy and certain to put off those intending to enter the industry. Maybe.

I've caught distant glimpses of the fashion world before, but Don't Believe The Hype is a full-throttle, super-charged stellar trip that brilliantly bizarre outpost of the universe – Planet Fashion.
I absolutely loved it - and Frankie's own journey as she turns from a bemused faux-pas-making outsider to a Super PR. Working in the world of fashion is definitely not good for her relationship - and she also has a best friend who tries to keep Frankie's feet on the ground - but she's soon swept off to the totally absorbing (and self-absorbed) land of fashion freebies, fashion-speak ('a shoe', 'a culotte', never the plural, darling), parties, events and outrageous celebrity demands. Papaya, peeled and thinly sliced? Check. Prawns. Small. M&S only? Check...
We also get an inkling of how the industry works, ie how they create 'a buzz' about, say, next season's boot, the way that only certain magazines are allowed to borrow a top designers' pieces for photo shoots and how it is an unmitigated disaster if an unsuitable 'sleb is spotted wearing a design destined for higher beings.
I absolutely loved the mini press releases that divide the chapters - hilarious and a whip-smart motif - and the smoke and mirrors tricks employed on fashion shoots. Well, across the board really. So, as Natalie Lewis says, Don't Believe The Hype - but definitely enjoy this non-stop ride to Planet Fashion.

Thanks to Netgalley & Hodder Books for this ARC!

Frankie wonders where her art degree will lead her but she never banked on it taking her to GGC Fashion PR agency. We get taken on the wild ride from intern to account manager with her.

It has similarities to The Devil Wears Prada but this is more of a tell all! I got sucked into the highs and lows of Frankie's life - both personal and professional. And I loved the "what the public sees Vs the reality" chapter previews in the form of "press releases".

It's a well written, easy read and I'll be keeping an eye out for Natalie Lewis in the future.

There was lots of good stuff in this book, it is crammed with insane fashion anecdotes and interesting industry intel, but as a work of fiction it fell flat. On reflection, it would have been so much better as non-fiction. The author notes in the acknowledgements that she didn’t understand how to write fiction (and attended many courses) and that became pretty obvious. The writing style is playful and amusing, but the plot jumps from place to place awkwardly. It’s clear the author didn’t quite understand how to explain plot points or move between scenes and therefore just jumps. There were also some things that just did not make sense to me, like why a boyfriend who clearly never sees you and can’t stand you would just stay for three years, Why the best friend who you also never see and treat like dirt would be constantly available. Why your father one minute praises your work ethic and your career and then suddenly hates it again (did the author forget?). And why we spent the last 10% of the book gearing up for a DEVIL WEARS PRADA career pivot and then just carried on as before. Lots of the supporting cast felt flat to me and some of the big ‘twists’ about Andrew and Eloise also felt ridiculous - I got bored of reading ‘something was wrong with Andrew’ and then noticing YEARS pass with nobody doing anything. I think as non-fiction I would have LOVED this book, but in it’s current form, there are too many irritations for me to give it more than two stars.