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The Wardrobe Girl
The Wardrobe Girl is a delightfully witty novel full of romance and family dramas, plus an irresistible behind-the-scenes peek at life on a soap.
'It's just string bikinis, thongs and boardies on Pretty Beach Rescue. You could do it drunk and standing on your head.'
After the humiliating end to her last relationship, this is just what TV costume designer, Tess Appleby, needs to hear. Sure, a wardrobe assistant on a soap is a step down from her gig at the BBC, but all Tess wants is an easy life . . .
Unfortunately she's barely set foot on set before she's warding off the attentions of the show's heartthrob, Sean Tyler - and, as a consequence, the hostility of its other star, Bree Brenner.
And if the pressures and politics of working on a TV drama aren't enough, she's living with her high-maintenance mother, an ageing celebrity, and her infuriating sister Emma, an aspiring actress.
Still, Tess is certain she can deal with everything they throw at her - until Jake Freeman, her ex-fiancé, the man she last saw eight years ago as he walked away and broke her heart, is named the show's new director.
'It's just string bikinis, thongs and boardies on Pretty Beach Rescue. You could do it drunk and standing on your head.'
After the humiliating end to her last relationship, this is just what TV costume designer, Tess Appleby, needs to hear. Sure, a wardrobe assistant on a soap is a step down from her gig at the BBC, but all Tess wants is an easy life . . .
Unfortunately she's barely set foot on set before she's warding off the attentions of the show's heartthrob, Sean Tyler - and, as a consequence, the hostility of its other star, Bree Brenner.
And if the pressures and politics of working on a TV drama aren't enough, she's living with her high-maintenance mother, an ageing celebrity, and her infuriating sister Emma, an aspiring actress.
Still, Tess is certain she can deal with everything they throw at her - until Jake Freeman, her ex-fiancé, the man she last saw eight years ago as he walked away and broke her heart, is named the show's new director.
316 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 3, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 12, 2016
The Good:
The setting is my hometown of Sydney, and specifically a lot of the places Sydneysiders frequent in our youth. So for me there was the nostalgia factor. It was also interesting to read about life working on a trashy soap opera. And if you can bear the characters, it's a pretty sweet love story.
The Bad:
So much wank. Every bloody chapter is full of wankery, and the main characters are all shallow, self absorbed arseholes. What a chore it was to read about these people.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
I dunno. Rachel or Monica or Joey or something, I don't really care.
The setting is my hometown of Sydney, and specifically a lot of the places Sydneysiders frequent in our youth. So for me there was the nostalgia factor. It was also interesting to read about life working on a trashy soap opera. And if you can bear the characters, it's a pretty sweet love story.
The Bad:
So much wank. Every bloody chapter is full of wankery, and the main characters are all shallow, self absorbed arseholes. What a chore it was to read about these people.
'Friends' character the protagonist is most like:
I dunno. Rachel or Monica or Joey or something, I don't really care.
March 3, 2014
When Tess's boyfriend breaks up with her by showing up on the red carpet with another woman, she quits her job working as a costume designer for the BBC, packs up her life and movies back to Australia. Working as a wardrobe assistant on a low budget Australian soap opera isn't where she envisioned her life heading, but it's the fresh start she needs.
Eight years earlier, when Tess was offered her dream job, Jake left her rather than putting his own dreams on stand-by. Now he is back in Australia with his beautiful fiancée and a job as director on Tess's soap opera.
With a family that's oblivious to her feelings –– sleazy, albeit very good looking, actors hitting on her –– and old hurts coming to the surface, Tess struggles to maintain her professionalism and keep her personal life from falling apart.
This was a difficult book for me. There were things I really didn't like...things that I struggled with. There is a gritty honesty that's not always easy to take, a warts and all realness to the characters that occasionally made me want to look away. But when I remove my personal prejudice I have to admit this book is pretty damned amazing even if it wasn't the cute and quirky feel good rom-com the cover suggests.
Many thanks to Random House Australia and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
Eight years earlier, when Tess was offered her dream job, Jake left her rather than putting his own dreams on stand-by. Now he is back in Australia with his beautiful fiancée and a job as director on Tess's soap opera.
With a family that's oblivious to her feelings –– sleazy, albeit very good looking, actors hitting on her –– and old hurts coming to the surface, Tess struggles to maintain her professionalism and keep her personal life from falling apart.
This was a difficult book for me. There were things I really didn't like...things that I struggled with. There is a gritty honesty that's not always easy to take, a warts and all realness to the characters that occasionally made me want to look away. But when I remove my personal prejudice I have to admit this book is pretty damned amazing even if it wasn't the cute and quirky feel good rom-com the cover suggests.
Many thanks to Random House Australia and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC
March 11, 2014
There are very few Australians who wouldn't have seen at least one episode of the nightly drama, Home and Away, currently in its 26th year of broadcast. Debut author Jennifer Smart, who spent five years working on the show as a Director’s Assistant and then scriptwriter, draws on that experience in this light-hearted novel that offers a behind-the-scenes peek at television production, and a close up of the action happening off camera.
After a very public end to her celebrity relationship of three years, Tess Appleby has fled the UK and returned home to Australia, exchanging her role as a costumer designer with the BBC for a wardrobe assistant position on the iconic Australian soap opera, Pretty Beach Rescue. Hoping for a fresh start, Tess is content to leave the drama to the professionals but it seems she is destined to always end up center stage. On her very first day she attracts the lustful attention of the show's leading man, and the ire of his co-star girlfriend, and within weeks she is back in the gossip pages, her showbiz pedigree outed with her life veering wildly off script. And then she discovers that Pretty Beach Rescue's new director is Jake Freeman, her ex-fiancé whom she hasn't seen in eight years but has never forgotten...
Tess's real life rivals the melodramatic story lines of any soap with her secret celebrity parentage, a penchant for trouble and of course, her disastrous relationship history. Despite her talent for self sabotage, I liked Tess for her lack of pretension, her patience with her awful Mother and sister and her She makes mistakes, big ones even, but she is never intentionally malicious, mostly just confused and eventually she gets it together.
Though Tess is well developed, Smart does tend to rely on stereotypes for many of the cast and crew of Pretty Beach Rescue - the aging diva, the womanising leading man, the beautiful but shrewish starlet and the producer who has one eye on the figures, both financial and female- but in a way its part of the fun, emphasising the soap opera experience. I enjoyed the dynamics of the cast and crew ensemble, which revealed the camaraderie, rivalries and politics of the show.
The only real issue I had was with the portrayal of Tess's sister as I didn't understand why Emma was so nasty towards her, their interaction seemed suggest something beyond ordinary sibling rivalry but there was no explanation offered to confirm that.
Smart pokes fun at the Australian television industry as she gives the reader a peek behind the scenes. Though the show's crew have been condensed into a more manageable cast for the novel, she gives you an idea of the people involved in producing a show, their roles and the work environment.
Ideal for fans of chick lit and soap operas Jennifer Smart's debut, The Wardrobe Girl, is an entertaining read combining humour, romance and tabloid melodrama.
February 24, 2014
*I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
From my blog, Spilling Ink: http://wp.me/p1Sk2L-7g
Bye-bye Bridget Jones. The long-standing queen of the unlucky-in-love set is about to be bumbled out of limelight. Enter Tess Appleby, a loveable, relatable, thirty-something darling, whose track record in the romance department would make even Bridget blanch.
What does Tess have that Bridget didn’t? How about a seat at the A-List’s table, a behind-the-scenes job in television, a dad who can write nice fat cheques, and views of the Sydney Harbour no matter where she’s bedding down?
Dumped by a big-shot English boyfriend, hunted down by paparazzi, and humiliated in the headlines of the UK’s sleaziest tabloids, Tess retreats to her home in Bronte, hoping for a fresh start a world away from the train wreck of her past. A low-key wardrobe job on the set of TV soap Pretty Beach Rescue seems like just the ticket.
Her reprieve is gate-crashed by an assortment of trouble-makers, including an embittered and withered show biz mum, an ambitious sister who majors in snark, and a bevy of good-looking blokes who weasel their way into (and out of) Tess’s life and bed. She’s on the receiving end of a lot of male attention, but not from the one she wants—the ex-fiancé who eight years earlier left without looking back, and who happens to be the new director on set.
Author Jennifer Smart dishes up witty prose with the eye-popping speed and precision of a master teppanyaki chef. She nails the caustic humour in whip-smart dialogue, delivering at least a laugh a page and a rip-snort or two every chapter. Coming as fast and furious as the sarcasm are the references to Tess’s nicotine habit (“Cigarettes, alcohol, and a good dog. They are the only certainties in life.”). If Australia had an official Surgeon General, she’d probably insist on issuing a health warning: To avoid undue cravings, those who have recently quit smoking might consider waiting a few months before cracking this book’s cover.
Anyone who’s ever wished for a sneaky-peek behind the scenes of a TV show will love The Wardrobe Girl . Jennifer Smart, a veteran scriptwriter and director’s assistant including five years on the set of Home & Away, reveals all—the cattiness, the camaraderie, the shallowness, and all the glorious juicy bits.
Sorry Bridget, you just can’t deliver all that.
From my blog, Spilling Ink: http://wp.me/p1Sk2L-7g
Bye-bye Bridget Jones. The long-standing queen of the unlucky-in-love set is about to be bumbled out of limelight. Enter Tess Appleby, a loveable, relatable, thirty-something darling, whose track record in the romance department would make even Bridget blanch.
What does Tess have that Bridget didn’t? How about a seat at the A-List’s table, a behind-the-scenes job in television, a dad who can write nice fat cheques, and views of the Sydney Harbour no matter where she’s bedding down?
Dumped by a big-shot English boyfriend, hunted down by paparazzi, and humiliated in the headlines of the UK’s sleaziest tabloids, Tess retreats to her home in Bronte, hoping for a fresh start a world away from the train wreck of her past. A low-key wardrobe job on the set of TV soap Pretty Beach Rescue seems like just the ticket.
Her reprieve is gate-crashed by an assortment of trouble-makers, including an embittered and withered show biz mum, an ambitious sister who majors in snark, and a bevy of good-looking blokes who weasel their way into (and out of) Tess’s life and bed. She’s on the receiving end of a lot of male attention, but not from the one she wants—the ex-fiancé who eight years earlier left without looking back, and who happens to be the new director on set.
Author Jennifer Smart dishes up witty prose with the eye-popping speed and precision of a master teppanyaki chef. She nails the caustic humour in whip-smart dialogue, delivering at least a laugh a page and a rip-snort or two every chapter. Coming as fast and furious as the sarcasm are the references to Tess’s nicotine habit (“Cigarettes, alcohol, and a good dog. They are the only certainties in life.”). If Australia had an official Surgeon General, she’d probably insist on issuing a health warning: To avoid undue cravings, those who have recently quit smoking might consider waiting a few months before cracking this book’s cover.
Anyone who’s ever wished for a sneaky-peek behind the scenes of a TV show will love The Wardrobe Girl . Jennifer Smart, a veteran scriptwriter and director’s assistant including five years on the set of Home & Away, reveals all—the cattiness, the camaraderie, the shallowness, and all the glorious juicy bits.
Sorry Bridget, you just can’t deliver all that.
March 2, 2014
Thank you to Random House Australia for the eARC of this book.
Growing up, I adored watching Home and Away (weeknight soapie in Australia). The fictional town of Summer Bay on the beach, where it never rained (unless a disaster was required for ratings) looked like the perfect place to be. I didn’t really think about the hard work that was required behind the scenes to produce a lot of television (five half-hour episodes a week). Later on, I read a fictional YA book by a star of Home and Away, Isla Fisher, called Seduced by Fame. This book introduced me to the scandals, seduction and spats off screen in the soapie world and I realised I enjoyed that even more than watching the show! Hence I was attracted to The Wardrobe Girl as author Jennifer Smart has worked on Home and Away and I bet she’s seen a lot!
The Wardrobe Girl takes a different slant on things by having its star, Tess, working on wardrobe rather than being an actor. This was refreshing, as wardrobe really wasn’t something I’d thought about too much before! Tess is the offspring of a renowned Australian actress and acclaimed international director, but she’s not interested in cashing in on their fame. She’s even changed her name so nobody makes the link. After several years living it up on BBC costume dramas, a messy break up sees Tess flee back to Australia and live with her mother and sister. If that isn’t bad enough, she’s got a supporting job in wardrobe on Aussie soap Pretty Beach Rescue where one actor takes an inappropriate interest in her and to top it off, her first love Jake (another messy breakup) returns as a director. Gossip and innuendo race through the cast and crew and it’s not long before Tess finds herself in the tabloids. Will she hook up with the actor? Will she ever admit her feelings to Jake? Will Tess ever get it together?
What I liked about this book is that the romance wasn’t in the spotlight. Tess is pretty messed up when it comes to boys, so she really needed to take some time out and sort through family dramas and her own issues. I’d say this book is more about Tess’s growth and coming of age, even though it is quite a bumpy (but funny) ride! I loved reading about the spats between actors and the impossibilities of finding a killer shark prop at short notice, in addition to Aussie TV’s night of nights, The Logies. (That section was so full of drama that I’ve resolved to never stay at Crown Melbourne on that night). I think Smart documented Tess’s growth as a person very well – I didn’t see the big change coming, but I liked that everything wasn’t all bundled up perfectly. It showed that both Tess and life aren’t perfect, but it resolved enough of the plot threads so that the reader wasn’t left wondering. The division of the chapters into days, settings and location (internal/external) was also clever to reflect a real script.
The characters were done well – Tess’s family in particular were cleverly drawn and unique. I would have liked to see more to the actress character of Bree, because she hated Tess so much. She seemed a little clichéd, but that also could have just been her (I had the feeling that Bree was quite insecure and shallow). The other actors and crew were funny and unique – with a supporting cast of so many (which Smart says she has condensed further from real life); it could have been difficult to distinguish them all. I had no trouble, as they all had great quirks and nicknames (Snape-boy, anyone?)
A solid debut by Jennifer Smart – I’d happily read more of her work.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Growing up, I adored watching Home and Away (weeknight soapie in Australia). The fictional town of Summer Bay on the beach, where it never rained (unless a disaster was required for ratings) looked like the perfect place to be. I didn’t really think about the hard work that was required behind the scenes to produce a lot of television (five half-hour episodes a week). Later on, I read a fictional YA book by a star of Home and Away, Isla Fisher, called Seduced by Fame. This book introduced me to the scandals, seduction and spats off screen in the soapie world and I realised I enjoyed that even more than watching the show! Hence I was attracted to The Wardrobe Girl as author Jennifer Smart has worked on Home and Away and I bet she’s seen a lot!
The Wardrobe Girl takes a different slant on things by having its star, Tess, working on wardrobe rather than being an actor. This was refreshing, as wardrobe really wasn’t something I’d thought about too much before! Tess is the offspring of a renowned Australian actress and acclaimed international director, but she’s not interested in cashing in on their fame. She’s even changed her name so nobody makes the link. After several years living it up on BBC costume dramas, a messy break up sees Tess flee back to Australia and live with her mother and sister. If that isn’t bad enough, she’s got a supporting job in wardrobe on Aussie soap Pretty Beach Rescue where one actor takes an inappropriate interest in her and to top it off, her first love Jake (another messy breakup) returns as a director. Gossip and innuendo race through the cast and crew and it’s not long before Tess finds herself in the tabloids. Will she hook up with the actor? Will she ever admit her feelings to Jake? Will Tess ever get it together?
What I liked about this book is that the romance wasn’t in the spotlight. Tess is pretty messed up when it comes to boys, so she really needed to take some time out and sort through family dramas and her own issues. I’d say this book is more about Tess’s growth and coming of age, even though it is quite a bumpy (but funny) ride! I loved reading about the spats between actors and the impossibilities of finding a killer shark prop at short notice, in addition to Aussie TV’s night of nights, The Logies. (That section was so full of drama that I’ve resolved to never stay at Crown Melbourne on that night). I think Smart documented Tess’s growth as a person very well – I didn’t see the big change coming, but I liked that everything wasn’t all bundled up perfectly. It showed that both Tess and life aren’t perfect, but it resolved enough of the plot threads so that the reader wasn’t left wondering. The division of the chapters into days, settings and location (internal/external) was also clever to reflect a real script.
The characters were done well – Tess’s family in particular were cleverly drawn and unique. I would have liked to see more to the actress character of Bree, because she hated Tess so much. She seemed a little clichéd, but that also could have just been her (I had the feeling that Bree was quite insecure and shallow). The other actors and crew were funny and unique – with a supporting cast of so many (which Smart says she has condensed further from real life); it could have been difficult to distinguish them all. I had no trouble, as they all had great quirks and nicknames (Snape-boy, anyone?)
A solid debut by Jennifer Smart – I’d happily read more of her work.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
March 5, 2014
The Wardrobe Girl is the perfect blend of romance and chick-lit. It’s escapism at its best. Thrown into the world of small screen TV drama and celebrity, we discover that the drama isn’t restricted to the screen–it’s what happens behind the screen that is even more interesting.
Tess is our likeable heroine. Escaping London off the back of a very public failed relationship, she’s keen to retreat to her homeland to lick her wounds and take stock. Working on the set of Pretty Beach as a costume designer she quickly realises that drama seems to follow her around. The show’s leading man, Sean, is paying her a little too much attention and his off screen girlfriend and show’s startlet, Bree, is none too pleased about it.
Then we’re introduced to Jake. He’s Pretty Beach’s new director and also happens to be Tess’s love that got away, the guy that walked out on her eight years ago when she chose her career over her man. And now Tess is realising she still has feelings for him…
Not to mention ‘Tonto’ (a.k.a. Simon) the good guy on set who would do anything for Tess.
Add in a celebrity actress mother and a sister with designs on becoming Pretty Beach’s next starlet, and Tess is beginning to wonder if returning to Sydney was such a good move.
Tess has all the qualities of a classic chick-lit heroine. Talented, funny and of course the uncanny ability to sabotage herself regularly. Far from being annoying, Tess’s antics somehow remain believable and amusing to read–partly because when compared with the rest of the cast on Pretty Beach, Tess seems positively normal!
Jake is the unobtainable ex. He’s understated gorgeousness against the backdrop of young male cockiness that the show’s stars parade blatantly. Towards Tess, Jake is hot then cold, caring, sometimes distant and Tess can’t be blamed for having a hard time spending time in his presence.
Pretty Beach is at times comical, so much so that if it were a film it would sit strongly in the romantic comedy genre. It’s not the sort of book you take seriously, although you will find yourself seriously enamoured with the book’s cast of characters and their stories. It’s a good fun read, where life mimics art. And it’s the perfect guilty pleasure to spoil yourself with when you’re in need of a weekend read.
*I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Tess is our likeable heroine. Escaping London off the back of a very public failed relationship, she’s keen to retreat to her homeland to lick her wounds and take stock. Working on the set of Pretty Beach as a costume designer she quickly realises that drama seems to follow her around. The show’s leading man, Sean, is paying her a little too much attention and his off screen girlfriend and show’s startlet, Bree, is none too pleased about it.
Then we’re introduced to Jake. He’s Pretty Beach’s new director and also happens to be Tess’s love that got away, the guy that walked out on her eight years ago when she chose her career over her man. And now Tess is realising she still has feelings for him…
Not to mention ‘Tonto’ (a.k.a. Simon) the good guy on set who would do anything for Tess.
Add in a celebrity actress mother and a sister with designs on becoming Pretty Beach’s next starlet, and Tess is beginning to wonder if returning to Sydney was such a good move.
Tess has all the qualities of a classic chick-lit heroine. Talented, funny and of course the uncanny ability to sabotage herself regularly. Far from being annoying, Tess’s antics somehow remain believable and amusing to read–partly because when compared with the rest of the cast on Pretty Beach, Tess seems positively normal!
Jake is the unobtainable ex. He’s understated gorgeousness against the backdrop of young male cockiness that the show’s stars parade blatantly. Towards Tess, Jake is hot then cold, caring, sometimes distant and Tess can’t be blamed for having a hard time spending time in his presence.
Pretty Beach is at times comical, so much so that if it were a film it would sit strongly in the romantic comedy genre. It’s not the sort of book you take seriously, although you will find yourself seriously enamoured with the book’s cast of characters and their stories. It’s a good fun read, where life mimics art. And it’s the perfect guilty pleasure to spoil yourself with when you’re in need of a weekend read.
*I received a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
March 31, 2014
I read Wardrobe Girl over a lazy weekend - as a 30 something Sydneysider how could I go past a book that took me on a journey through my favourite suburbs? Tess Appleby appeared in my mind as soon as I began reading - I laughed with her, I got irritated at her and I kept my fingers crossed all the way through as Jennifer brought her to life. An engaging, romantic and funny read with lots of space for more adventures of Tess - looking forward to finding out what happens next! - See more at: http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/j...
April 25, 2015
Meh! Why is it that all of these books are the same? Why are all the main characters, in other words the women who the book is about, complete Label obsessed fashion snobs? And why can I always tell exactly what it going to happen every step of the way so there's really no point in finishing the book at all? You guessed it, I didn't finish it, what was the point, when I knew by the second chapter how it would all end?
August 14, 2014
Found the characters just annoying in this book. The setting of a sops opera was ok but wanted more from this book and was disappointed. I was glad to finish and not have to spend any more time with this whiny lot.
August 31, 2016
"It was overcast, raining a little more than a drizzle. It fingertipped gently on the window, trickling down, shedding the tears I was too dehydrated to cry." was nice but everything else was.... 2 stars at best
June 18, 2017
Modern day romances never disappoint.
This book contains the constant persisting cliches and its sexual referendum. The type that includes lust and no love.
When couples in books, and movies and TV shows, say "i love you", they usually mean to say "i lust you".
Really. Thats it.
This book is nothing about a wardrobe girl.
Just a girl who sleeps with the main actor. And then sleeps with her ex? who ends up being the producer. Etc etc.
No romance. Real romance. The type where people want to get to know each other without getting into each others pants.
I am not bothered with particulars for the very reason that this book is boring, sexual and utterly nonsensical. Waste of time I can never get back.
NEXT!!!
This book contains the constant persisting cliches and its sexual referendum. The type that includes lust and no love.
When couples in books, and movies and TV shows, say "i love you", they usually mean to say "i lust you".
Really. Thats it.
This book is nothing about a wardrobe girl.
Just a girl who sleeps with the main actor. And then sleeps with her ex? who ends up being the producer. Etc etc.
No romance. Real romance. The type where people want to get to know each other without getting into each others pants.
I am not bothered with particulars for the very reason that this book is boring, sexual and utterly nonsensical. Waste of time I can never get back.
NEXT!!!
March 11, 2014
After finding out in a humiliating fashion that her relationship was over and her boyfriend had left her for someone else, BBC costume designer and Australian ex-pat Tess Appleby felt that there was nothing left to do but return home. After eight years living and working in London, usually on period pieces, the job market is quite different back in Sydney.
Tess gets a job on the Australian soap Pretty Beach Rescue working in the wardrobe department. Almost immediately she is hit on by the handsome male star and earns the eagle eye and resentment of his girlfriend, also a star on the show. She’s late on her first day, which is not the impression that she wants to make. Tess is the daughter of a famous actress and director but she doesn’t like trading on this and has changed her name to avoid people recognising her successful family. However Tess less successful at distancing herself from them in real life as she is at the moment, living with her high-maintenance mother and sister Emma, who stops at nothing to put Tess down.
Just when Tess believes that the situation couldn’t get any more volatile, the show gets a new director for a block of episodes. That director is Jake Freeman, her former fiancé. Tess hasn’t seen him since she threw her engagement ring at him eight years ago when he was leaving London – and her.
Back in my high school and university days, I was quite the fan of Home & Away and Neighbours two of the famous Aussie soaps. In fact I only really stopped watching a couple of years ago when my second child was born and that timeslot became quite frankly, my greatest nightmare. Juggling dinner, bath and bed for my oldest child and calming the youngest as he worked through a period of being a little gremlin before bed meant that there was simply, no time for sitting down and watching TV. Obviously my children are older now but I haven’t bothered to go back to the shows. However I was interested enough to want to read this book, set behind the scenes of a soap opera. Jennifer Smart has worked in film and television for years so I’m assuming she’s privy to a lot of information about what goes on behind the scenes – both the professional stuff and the not-so-professional!
While I quite enjoyed the basic story line of this book (humiliated girl has to return home, finds more problems there before happiness, etc) I had some issues that I really couldn’t get past and they all revolved around the characters. It’s peppered with acting types and I’m sure there are people out there who are really like this but the characters of Sean Tyler and Bree Brenner were so stereotyped it was laughable. Sean was the gorgeous heartthrob who would basically attempt to bonk anything with breasts and he kind of vacillated between charming and quite likable to a total sleaze. Bree was a basic high school mean girl transported into the adult world from high school – blind to the behaviour of her boyfriend or unwilling to see and ready to scratch out the eyes of every woman he even looked at, of which there were many. Both of them were the darlings of the soap, also involved in an onscreen romance as well.
The character of Emma, Tess’s sister was very inconsistent and it bothered me a bit. For most of the book she’s ridiculously bitchy towards Tess with little to no background on why she’s so horrid. Is it because Tess went overseas and made something of herself and Emma is still living with their mother? Is it from childhood? I don’t know, I feel as though this should’ve been better explored than it was. It was the same with Tess’s relationship with her mother. Also Tess let both of them walk all over her all of the time which really bothered me. She basically buys an apartment to get out of her mother’s house and away from them, so useless is she at standing up for herself.
Tess and her behaviour was no better – this one takes ‘flawed’ to a whole new level and she makes some horrible, terrible decisions. Tess has no respect for other people’s relationships, even before this book starts. She began her relationship in England with a man who already had a partner and attempts to make excuses for it and justify it and is then surprised when he dumps her publicly for some starlet. She doesn’t respect Sean’s relationship with Bree, no matter what a trainwreck it might be – it’s still a relationship and she knows that. She might not like Bree and Sean might be a ginormous manwhore but they are still in a relationship and Tess knew that. She also has little respect for Jake’s relationship with his extraordinarily nice girlfriend although at least she doesn’t really do anything to jeopardise it. Jake and Tess both say terrible things to each other and then pretend that it didn’t happen all the while secretly resenting each other for the breakdown of their former relationship and wanting to be back in each other’s pants. It really should’ve been a lot more angsty and romantic than it was.
Whilst I enjoyed the parts of the story that dealt with filming the soap and all of the intricacies involved with that behind the scenes and the banter between the crew, plus I loved that it was set in Sydney. It’s my favourite place in the world and really had that Sydney feel, but I didn’t love the rest of the story. Tess bothered me in so many ways and towards the end I didn’t even want her and Jake to end up back together – and it’s not often you can say that, that you don’t want the designated love interest to actually get with the main character. Tess needed to own her behaviour a lot more than she did and maybe think about why she tended to do these things.
Tess gets a job on the Australian soap Pretty Beach Rescue working in the wardrobe department. Almost immediately she is hit on by the handsome male star and earns the eagle eye and resentment of his girlfriend, also a star on the show. She’s late on her first day, which is not the impression that she wants to make. Tess is the daughter of a famous actress and director but she doesn’t like trading on this and has changed her name to avoid people recognising her successful family. However Tess less successful at distancing herself from them in real life as she is at the moment, living with her high-maintenance mother and sister Emma, who stops at nothing to put Tess down.
Just when Tess believes that the situation couldn’t get any more volatile, the show gets a new director for a block of episodes. That director is Jake Freeman, her former fiancé. Tess hasn’t seen him since she threw her engagement ring at him eight years ago when he was leaving London – and her.
Back in my high school and university days, I was quite the fan of Home & Away and Neighbours two of the famous Aussie soaps. In fact I only really stopped watching a couple of years ago when my second child was born and that timeslot became quite frankly, my greatest nightmare. Juggling dinner, bath and bed for my oldest child and calming the youngest as he worked through a period of being a little gremlin before bed meant that there was simply, no time for sitting down and watching TV. Obviously my children are older now but I haven’t bothered to go back to the shows. However I was interested enough to want to read this book, set behind the scenes of a soap opera. Jennifer Smart has worked in film and television for years so I’m assuming she’s privy to a lot of information about what goes on behind the scenes – both the professional stuff and the not-so-professional!
While I quite enjoyed the basic story line of this book (humiliated girl has to return home, finds more problems there before happiness, etc) I had some issues that I really couldn’t get past and they all revolved around the characters. It’s peppered with acting types and I’m sure there are people out there who are really like this but the characters of Sean Tyler and Bree Brenner were so stereotyped it was laughable. Sean was the gorgeous heartthrob who would basically attempt to bonk anything with breasts and he kind of vacillated between charming and quite likable to a total sleaze. Bree was a basic high school mean girl transported into the adult world from high school – blind to the behaviour of her boyfriend or unwilling to see and ready to scratch out the eyes of every woman he even looked at, of which there were many. Both of them were the darlings of the soap, also involved in an onscreen romance as well.
The character of Emma, Tess’s sister was very inconsistent and it bothered me a bit. For most of the book she’s ridiculously bitchy towards Tess with little to no background on why she’s so horrid. Is it because Tess went overseas and made something of herself and Emma is still living with their mother? Is it from childhood? I don’t know, I feel as though this should’ve been better explored than it was. It was the same with Tess’s relationship with her mother. Also Tess let both of them walk all over her all of the time which really bothered me. She basically buys an apartment to get out of her mother’s house and away from them, so useless is she at standing up for herself.
Tess and her behaviour was no better – this one takes ‘flawed’ to a whole new level and she makes some horrible, terrible decisions. Tess has no respect for other people’s relationships, even before this book starts. She began her relationship in England with a man who already had a partner and attempts to make excuses for it and justify it and is then surprised when he dumps her publicly for some starlet. She doesn’t respect Sean’s relationship with Bree, no matter what a trainwreck it might be – it’s still a relationship and she knows that. She might not like Bree and Sean might be a ginormous manwhore but they are still in a relationship and Tess knew that. She also has little respect for Jake’s relationship with his extraordinarily nice girlfriend although at least she doesn’t really do anything to jeopardise it. Jake and Tess both say terrible things to each other and then pretend that it didn’t happen all the while secretly resenting each other for the breakdown of their former relationship and wanting to be back in each other’s pants. It really should’ve been a lot more angsty and romantic than it was.
Whilst I enjoyed the parts of the story that dealt with filming the soap and all of the intricacies involved with that behind the scenes and the banter between the crew, plus I loved that it was set in Sydney. It’s my favourite place in the world and really had that Sydney feel, but I didn’t love the rest of the story. Tess bothered me in so many ways and towards the end I didn’t even want her and Jake to end up back together – and it’s not often you can say that, that you don’t want the designated love interest to actually get with the main character. Tess needed to own her behaviour a lot more than she did and maybe think about why she tended to do these things.
November 4, 2016
The Wardrobe Girl is pitched as a Bridget Jones-esque rom com with a TV twist. Debut Australian author Jennifer Smart spent several years as a writer and Director’s Assistant on Home and Away, so what she doesn’t know about the machinations of a life in soap probably aren’t worth writing down. Smart hands this knowledge to protagonist Tess Appleby, a former BBC costume design high flyer who’s fled London for her Sydney home after a failed romance. She now finds herself the wardrobe girl at ‘Pretty Beach Rescue’, with a low budget and even lower morale while she figures out a new direction for her life.
If you enjoy a little behind-the-scenes TV insight you’ll love learning about the science of wardrobe selection – how to bring out the leading man’s eyes, how to ensure skinny starlets don’t fade into the ocean backdrop – as well as all the politics, backstabbing and partner nabbing one expects from the young and the beautiful. It is fairly easy to send up the stereotypes of the wannabe-famous bimbos and himbos that characteristically populate beach-side soaps, and Smart has dabbled in that sort of humour in this book. At the same time, however, I really enjoyed her treatment of the difficulties young celebrities (and, indeed, wardrobe girls) face with paparazzi and social media. I don’t envy them one tiny bit, no matter how great they look in a bikini!
Tess has a convoluted romantic history, which is further complicated by the media ‘small world’ which sees her running into ex’s left, right and centre. Those she doesn’t encounter in person continue to haunt her from the pages of magazines; her most recent beau took up with a member of a UK girl band, for example, thus becoming frequent fodder for the social (climbing) pages. Back in Sydney, Tess relies on guidance from a few solid girlfriends as she fends off advances from the Pretty Beach cast and crew. Her family members – including an ageing actress mother and acclaimed director father – are completely unreliable and thoroughly unlikeable. They provide some of the books darker moments, with nasty, selfish outbursts that make it clear why Tess escaped to London in the first place.
The Wardrobe Girl is a fun, light read with a little romance, a little ‘personal journey’ and a dash of racy tabloid tell-all. Tess is the perfect leading lady, with all of Ms Jones’ bad luck, but with a bit more of a street wise edge. Perhaps it’s the Aussie in her?
A longer review of this novel can be found at http://thischarmingmum.com
If you enjoy a little behind-the-scenes TV insight you’ll love learning about the science of wardrobe selection – how to bring out the leading man’s eyes, how to ensure skinny starlets don’t fade into the ocean backdrop – as well as all the politics, backstabbing and partner nabbing one expects from the young and the beautiful. It is fairly easy to send up the stereotypes of the wannabe-famous bimbos and himbos that characteristically populate beach-side soaps, and Smart has dabbled in that sort of humour in this book. At the same time, however, I really enjoyed her treatment of the difficulties young celebrities (and, indeed, wardrobe girls) face with paparazzi and social media. I don’t envy them one tiny bit, no matter how great they look in a bikini!
Tess has a convoluted romantic history, which is further complicated by the media ‘small world’ which sees her running into ex’s left, right and centre. Those she doesn’t encounter in person continue to haunt her from the pages of magazines; her most recent beau took up with a member of a UK girl band, for example, thus becoming frequent fodder for the social (climbing) pages. Back in Sydney, Tess relies on guidance from a few solid girlfriends as she fends off advances from the Pretty Beach cast and crew. Her family members – including an ageing actress mother and acclaimed director father – are completely unreliable and thoroughly unlikeable. They provide some of the books darker moments, with nasty, selfish outbursts that make it clear why Tess escaped to London in the first place.
The Wardrobe Girl is a fun, light read with a little romance, a little ‘personal journey’ and a dash of racy tabloid tell-all. Tess is the perfect leading lady, with all of Ms Jones’ bad luck, but with a bit more of a street wise edge. Perhaps it’s the Aussie in her?
A longer review of this novel can be found at http://thischarmingmum.com
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2014
When Tess Appleby flees England, in a bid to escape a relationship disaster, she ends up slumming it as a wardrobe assistant in Pretty Beach – Australia’s iconic soap opera. Safe in Sydney, she thought her only troubles were going to be dealing with her frustrating sister and melodramatic mother.
Then Sean, the show’s serial-cheater and boyfriend to Bree, Pretty Beach’s lead actress, turns his eye on her, and she finds herself the hottest property in the newspaper’s gossip column. A veteran of messy public break-ups that was not the sort of attention she was after.
Her attempts to gain anonymity both on and off the set of Pretty Beach fail when Jake, her ex-fiancé, shows up as the new director and adds both her sister and mother to the cast.
Into all of this mix an old flame of her mother’s, the antics of the cast and crew, Bree’s continuous attempts to slander her, the realisation that she still loves Jake, and her own innate ability to sabotage herself, and Tess becomes one hot mess.
The Wardrobe Girl offers a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scene workings of a soap opera. It made me laugh, and it made me cry, and with its witty dialogue and quirky characters it had me glued to its pages for the entirety of the story.
One of the things I particularly liked about this tale was its deviation from the typical underlying storyline in which the girl cannot be happy without a man. Instead of our heroine falling immediately into the hero’s arms, she realises what a disaster she is and removes herself from the situation, seeking help in solving the issue really at heart – herself. Finally she is able to realise that although she can be herself, be by herself, her life will be better with the man that she loves.
‘He was my North Star. The steady, shining light that guided me and helped me navigate through life. I could do it without him, I knew that, but it would be a darker, murkier voyage.’
I give The Wardrobe Girl four stars and look forward to reading more about Tess Appleby.
Then Sean, the show’s serial-cheater and boyfriend to Bree, Pretty Beach’s lead actress, turns his eye on her, and she finds herself the hottest property in the newspaper’s gossip column. A veteran of messy public break-ups that was not the sort of attention she was after.
Her attempts to gain anonymity both on and off the set of Pretty Beach fail when Jake, her ex-fiancé, shows up as the new director and adds both her sister and mother to the cast.
Into all of this mix an old flame of her mother’s, the antics of the cast and crew, Bree’s continuous attempts to slander her, the realisation that she still loves Jake, and her own innate ability to sabotage herself, and Tess becomes one hot mess.
The Wardrobe Girl offers a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scene workings of a soap opera. It made me laugh, and it made me cry, and with its witty dialogue and quirky characters it had me glued to its pages for the entirety of the story.
One of the things I particularly liked about this tale was its deviation from the typical underlying storyline in which the girl cannot be happy without a man. Instead of our heroine falling immediately into the hero’s arms, she realises what a disaster she is and removes herself from the situation, seeking help in solving the issue really at heart – herself. Finally she is able to realise that although she can be herself, be by herself, her life will be better with the man that she loves.
‘He was my North Star. The steady, shining light that guided me and helped me navigate through life. I could do it without him, I knew that, but it would be a darker, murkier voyage.’
I give The Wardrobe Girl four stars and look forward to reading more about Tess Appleby.
February 6, 2014
**A copy of this book was provided in return for an honest review**
This book promises to be full of wit and family drama, based loosely on the behind-the-scenes life of a wardrobe designer, and it started with a solemn vow over a spilt coffee; “Do not under any circumstances, pursue another workplace relationship, because they only end in tears”.
The main character of The Wardrobe Girl is Tess, she’s in her early thirties and is the daughter of acting royalty. She’s emotionally damaged from a highly publicised split with a now ex boyfriend, and throughout the book she has herself involved in a fair share of romantic interest. At the beginning i was quite confused as to which man Tess was focusing on, but as it unravelled deeper i soon realised the object of her heart was held by none other than a really old flame.
Tess’ family is pretty messy, her mother is somewhat of an alcoholic retired actress who loves nothing better than redecorating, getting married and divorced, and demanding more wine. Tess’s sister is two years younger and comes across as a spoilt brat who loves to meddle, cause drama, and wants to desperately become an actress. Overall, i wasn’t super impressed by the family dynamic, they didn’t really win me over.
Although this book is witty, i didn’t really find it all that romantic. The “romance” seems to just drag on and it isn’t until the last couple of chapters that i really blossoms and becomes apparent. If you’re looking for a sappy romance book that will make you feel all loved up and cherished then this really isn’t one for you. However, if you want to know and have some sort of idea of what goes on behind the world of tv then this book is definitely for you.
You really need to go into this book with an open mind.
My rating: 3/5
This book promises to be full of wit and family drama, based loosely on the behind-the-scenes life of a wardrobe designer, and it started with a solemn vow over a spilt coffee; “Do not under any circumstances, pursue another workplace relationship, because they only end in tears”.
The main character of The Wardrobe Girl is Tess, she’s in her early thirties and is the daughter of acting royalty. She’s emotionally damaged from a highly publicised split with a now ex boyfriend, and throughout the book she has herself involved in a fair share of romantic interest. At the beginning i was quite confused as to which man Tess was focusing on, but as it unravelled deeper i soon realised the object of her heart was held by none other than a really old flame.
Tess’ family is pretty messy, her mother is somewhat of an alcoholic retired actress who loves nothing better than redecorating, getting married and divorced, and demanding more wine. Tess’s sister is two years younger and comes across as a spoilt brat who loves to meddle, cause drama, and wants to desperately become an actress. Overall, i wasn’t super impressed by the family dynamic, they didn’t really win me over.
Although this book is witty, i didn’t really find it all that romantic. The “romance” seems to just drag on and it isn’t until the last couple of chapters that i really blossoms and becomes apparent. If you’re looking for a sappy romance book that will make you feel all loved up and cherished then this really isn’t one for you. However, if you want to know and have some sort of idea of what goes on behind the world of tv then this book is definitely for you.
You really need to go into this book with an open mind.
My rating: 3/5
July 22, 2014
An easy to read and page turning book. It was light and a nice escape. After working in TV I really enjoyed reading the author's perspective of the world of TV soap. Found it amusing and thought of my good friends (wardrobe girls) Claire & Bernie the whole time I read it!
March 11, 2014
Funny, clever & very true to life (from someone who works on a soap...!) I'm sincerely hoping there's a sequel!
April 17, 2014
Girly fluff, good for holiday reading. Loved the Sydney setting and references.
September 14, 2014
Perfect mix of chic lit, modern romance. An easy entertaining read which was just what i felt like and throughly enjoyed.
March 10, 2014
Smart (no pun intended), funny & a peek into behind the scenes on a soapie. Loved it.
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