This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.
When Jo Hill lands a job as a PA at Gloss magazine, she thinks it’s the job of her dreams. But it soon turns into a nightmare. As a mousy secretary with a penchant for giant bags of maltesers and comfy shoes, Jo doesn’t exactly fit in at the uber-chic office. Her boss humiliates her; her colleagues bitch about her; even the receptionist ignores her. At first, Jo’s not sure why – is it her hair, her figure, her clothes? Then she realises it’s pretty much all of the above and that she’ll never be like the sleek, glamorous girls flitting round the office in their Sass & Bide jeans and Gucci mules. Or will she? Jo might be overweight and overlooked, but she’s different in other ways too. She’s bright, ambitious and smart, and what’s more, she has a plan. Reduced to tears for the umpteenth time by her boss – the gorgeous but vicious magazine publisher Joshua Garnet – Jo knows it’s time for drastic action. She’s had it with magazines and knows that ‘discovering a whole new you’ takes more than a manicure and a new MAC blusher. Jo’s going to give herself the ultimate make-over and by the time she’s finished, the magazine world – and Joshua – won’t know what’s hit them.Goodbye Jo, hello Mia – magazine diva extraordinaire
Every so often there comes a book that is such pure escapism that you want to re-read it time and time again. This is what happened between me and ‘The Making of Mia’
Since my own school days as a short girl with multicoloured glasses and sticky out ears, I’ve been a sucker for a good makeover story. And this one is a cracker.
Jo Hill is a clever, warm and funny protagonist, blighted by a lack of confidence due to her weight. She is constantly overlooked in favour of skinnier, more beautiful girls and finds it difficult to make her way in the bitchy world of magazines. When enough becomes enough Jo decides to go to Miami where she plots her revenge on those who have hurt her.
I thought that the scenes of Jo being bullied and bitched at by other girls and her boss, Josh, were so realistic that I found myself getting the rage, and wanting fervently for Jo to get them back in the best way possible. I was not dissapointed
This novel reminded me of early Louise Bagshawe, but without the shoulder pad mentality. The Making of Mia was much more modern, with characters I felt I could relate to, and a sexy, attainable love interest in the shape of William.
The plots, and twists in this novel were done brillianty. So much so that I finished the book in a night, and am waiting eagerly for Fox’s next offering.
Escapist, ballsy, and lots of fun – totally recommended.
Rating 5/5
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