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Lovesick Mannequins
It only takes a loose stitch to unravel someone’s heart.
Celine LeBeau is a socialite whose face is plastered on every magazine in Paris. Modelling the lines of Chanel and the other major Houses, Celine dreams to join their ranks one day as a designer herself. When Maison Baudelaire announces a competition where the winner will inherit the rights to the fashion house and ten thousand francs, Celine is the first to apply. The only things missing are: a model to wear her gowns and a limitless amount of lies to tell her controlling mother and her boyfriend Jacques until the competition is over.
Bastien Ménard is a known womaniser who graces the scandal sheets with tales of his lavish parties and strings of broken hearts. When his latest soiree gets out of control and his brother Jacques tells their grandfather, Bastien is forced to find a way to pay for everything he’s spent. Unfit for any kind of labour and intent on making his brother pay, Bastien’s only solution is one dazzling girl.
Desperate to win, Celine agrees to share the competition prize with Bastien in exchange for his secrecy. Bastien agrees to become her model in exchange for the money and…to steal her heart from Jacques. As every round they pass inside Maison Baudelaire draws them closer together, they realise that they have to give up something:
Celine the glittering life she already has in order to make her dreams come true and Bastien his own selfish heart in order to steal another.
478 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2026
About the author
Anna Harmon
2 books30 followersAnna Harmon is a historical fiction writer with an inkling for romanticising everything, especially unconventional characters. She has a degree in Classics and English, and makes the most of it when crafting her novels. On the rare occasion she isn’t coming up with her next story, you can find her ruminating world domination along with her cats.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 6, 2026
did someone say book of the summer??? obsessed is an understatement
June 15, 2026
4.5 // "Lovesick Mannequins" was such a fun read! Right from the start you can tell that this was written by someone who loves the genre and time period, and has put in a lot of time and work into writing it. I don't usually read romcoms (or stories that don't fall someway under the category of "wow that's a bummer"), so this was such a breath of fresh air - genuinely entertaining and engaging, fantastic cast of characters, beautifully written, and atmospheric. The story is set in 1920s Paris and it has everything you'd expect and hope for that time and period: flappers, scandals, gossip, glamour, and fashion couture. With a dash of love troubles and a heroine who wants to make something out of herself for herself, not as what's expected of her by her family and peers. I liked how the fashion competition was set...and because the inside of my brain is a circus, I kept thinking how this would make a great episode of Drag Race. And it wasn't because we have men in couture dresses. Okay, maybe it's because of the men in dresses but that was such a great twist. And I liked how the focus was on the clothes and the people making them, not "oh no, a man in a flapper dress". The French are just build different I guess.
I loved every scene and interaction between Celine and Bastien. They had such great chemistry and the banter was bantering. I found myself laughing out loud at the things they were telling each other. Their bickering was endearing. But it's not just the FMC and MMC, the side characters were also well written and rounded. I need to know more about Juliana and Anaïs, and the Dalmatians! A sapphic sidestory with doggos, when????
I loved every scene and interaction between Celine and Bastien. They had such great chemistry and the banter was bantering. I found myself laughing out loud at the things they were telling each other. Their bickering was endearing. But it's not just the FMC and MMC, the side characters were also well written and rounded. I need to know more about Juliana and Anaïs, and the Dalmatians! A sapphic sidestory with doggos, when????
June 25, 2026
"And maybe that meant he wanted only one girl. One that wasn’t even his."
There is nothing better than following a debut's author journey on social media and rushing over to purchase an edition the second it releases (which, if you know me, is proof of how excited I was about reading this).
Celine and Bastien won my heart from page 1, but so did all the other characters in this book. Anna Harmon perfectly shows the diverse (and often complicated) dynamics of family life, friendships, and love while immersing the reader in the most beautiful setting while also putting us through the wringer (the stakes were HIGH for the mcs).
Personally cannot wait until the release of PMAS, and every other future work, but in the meanwhile I'll be content with recommending Lovesick Mannequins to everyone I know...and perhaps also making #1 LM fan-merch for myself.
There is nothing better than following a debut's author journey on social media and rushing over to purchase an edition the second it releases (which, if you know me, is proof of how excited I was about reading this).
Celine and Bastien won my heart from page 1, but so did all the other characters in this book. Anna Harmon perfectly shows the diverse (and often complicated) dynamics of family life, friendships, and love while immersing the reader in the most beautiful setting while also putting us through the wringer (the stakes were HIGH for the mcs).
Personally cannot wait until the release of PMAS, and every other future work, but in the meanwhile I'll be content with recommending Lovesick Mannequins to everyone I know...and perhaps also making #1 LM fan-merch for myself.
May 7, 2026
I was lucky enough to be allowed to read Anna's work prior to publishing, and without bias, I have to say WOW, this book is wonderful??
You can tell when an author writes because they truly love the art and like reading and books in general. Lovesick Mannequins reads easily, while also having intricate language. Whereas it is easy for authors to word-vomit on their pages in an effort to create a scene in such detail, Anna managed to write in a perfect manner that shares enough with us to set the ambience and setting of a scene, without making one want to skim due to irrelevance. BASICALLY, good stuff x
I have not even discussed the characters, which are all so unique and lovable in their own way. Each character has a distinct personality and adds to the story in their own way.
Specifically, Bastien and Celine. They are complex with dreams and ambitions, they have insecurities and things that hold them back. Most importantly, while great on their own, they are capable of thriving together without diminishing their counterpart. (Also, the banter is SOOO funny)
There is so much I want to say about Lovesick Mannequins, but I fear I'd end up spoiling way too much. Bottomline, this book will hold a special place in my heart forever <3 Great job Anna!!!
You can tell when an author writes because they truly love the art and like reading and books in general. Lovesick Mannequins reads easily, while also having intricate language. Whereas it is easy for authors to word-vomit on their pages in an effort to create a scene in such detail, Anna managed to write in a perfect manner that shares enough with us to set the ambience and setting of a scene, without making one want to skim due to irrelevance. BASICALLY, good stuff x
I have not even discussed the characters, which are all so unique and lovable in their own way. Each character has a distinct personality and adds to the story in their own way.
Specifically, Bastien and Celine. They are complex with dreams and ambitions, they have insecurities and things that hold them back. Most importantly, while great on their own, they are capable of thriving together without diminishing their counterpart. (Also, the banter is SOOO funny)
There is so much I want to say about Lovesick Mannequins, but I fear I'd end up spoiling way too much. Bottomline, this book will hold a special place in my heart forever <3 Great job Anna!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
[I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from the author Anna Harmon in return for an honest review.]
If you know me then you probably know that Romance isn’t a genre that I pick up very often, so for LOVESICK MANNEQUINS to hold my attention and heart the way it did says a lot. At least to me, and perhaps those that have similar reading tastes. The narration was fun and punchy, with such an obvious love of the genre, the characters, and the 1920’s setting and its fashion that made this novel so delightful to read.
I loved Celine and Bastien, both as our main couple, but also as our two POV characters. They both felt very honest, each with their dreams and their flaws, virtues and vices, and most specifically their uncertainties of who they wanted to be versus what the world allowed them to be. They both also had very unique personalities that didn’t suffer at all when put together, where some romance books have an issue with diminishing one character’s personality (usually the woman’s) when the romance begins, LM succeeded at keeping both of the leads the bold, confident characters that they are to very amusing and heartfelt degrees.
If you’re a lover of fashion, 1920’s France, 90’s/00’s romcoms, and historical love stories (or even if you’re not), I’d definitely recommend picking up LOVESICK MANNQUINS when it releases on 18th June!
If you know me then you probably know that Romance isn’t a genre that I pick up very often, so for LOVESICK MANNEQUINS to hold my attention and heart the way it did says a lot. At least to me, and perhaps those that have similar reading tastes. The narration was fun and punchy, with such an obvious love of the genre, the characters, and the 1920’s setting and its fashion that made this novel so delightful to read.
I loved Celine and Bastien, both as our main couple, but also as our two POV characters. They both felt very honest, each with their dreams and their flaws, virtues and vices, and most specifically their uncertainties of who they wanted to be versus what the world allowed them to be. They both also had very unique personalities that didn’t suffer at all when put together, where some romance books have an issue with diminishing one character’s personality (usually the woman’s) when the romance begins, LM succeeded at keeping both of the leads the bold, confident characters that they are to very amusing and heartfelt degrees.
If you’re a lover of fashion, 1920’s France, 90’s/00’s romcoms, and historical love stories (or even if you’re not), I’d definitely recommend picking up LOVESICK MANNQUINS when it releases on 18th June!
June 16, 2026
final rating: 4.75
June 25, 2026
I was originally sent an ARC epub of Lovesick Mannequins from the author in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars
When I was told this was set in 1920s France, I was immediately interested and knew this would be right up my alley. While I knew nothing about fashion, that didn’t matter when I fell in love with all aspects of the story. It was fun, hilarious, and even made me cry actual tears near the end. Forgive me, I’m terrible at writing reviews, and this one I just want to scream from the rooftops how much I loved it.
Celine LeBeau is the lovable, headstrong, funny “Glamour Girl” and Bastien Ménard is the heartbreak boy, who loves to party and show the world this is what he’s all about. But behind closed doors, or in dark attics, they both have different stories to tell.
Celine and Bastien stole my heart and I’ve never wanted to wrap characters up in a soft, cozy blanket and take care of them quite like these two. From the beginning I knew I was going to love the banter these two shared, but even more so, my heart melted at their deep, meaningful conversations. Harmon also put so much thought and care into their other characters, and I’d give anything to hang out with Anaïs and Juliana. I wish I had gotten to see a little bit more of these two together, but I shall use my imagination.
Without giving anything away, Lovesick Mannequins has rushed its way to the top of my all time favorite reads, and I haven’t been this captivated by a book in a long time. Immediately after reading the last page, I wanted to flip back to the beginning and start again. This will genuinely be one that I will re-read over and over again.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5 stars
When I was told this was set in 1920s France, I was immediately interested and knew this would be right up my alley. While I knew nothing about fashion, that didn’t matter when I fell in love with all aspects of the story. It was fun, hilarious, and even made me cry actual tears near the end. Forgive me, I’m terrible at writing reviews, and this one I just want to scream from the rooftops how much I loved it.
Celine LeBeau is the lovable, headstrong, funny “Glamour Girl” and Bastien Ménard is the heartbreak boy, who loves to party and show the world this is what he’s all about. But behind closed doors, or in dark attics, they both have different stories to tell.
Celine and Bastien stole my heart and I’ve never wanted to wrap characters up in a soft, cozy blanket and take care of them quite like these two. From the beginning I knew I was going to love the banter these two shared, but even more so, my heart melted at their deep, meaningful conversations. Harmon also put so much thought and care into their other characters, and I’d give anything to hang out with Anaïs and Juliana. I wish I had gotten to see a little bit more of these two together, but I shall use my imagination.
Without giving anything away, Lovesick Mannequins has rushed its way to the top of my all time favorite reads, and I haven’t been this captivated by a book in a long time. Immediately after reading the last page, I wanted to flip back to the beginning and start again. This will genuinely be one that I will re-read over and over again.
June 16, 2026
Paris. 1920's. Flappers. Need I say more?
Reading Lovesick Mannequins felt like being wrapped up in a glamorous whirlwind of haute couture and taking a peek into cabarets. In the midst of all this, I was rooting for Celine LeBeau to make her dreams come true of her own accord. Anna Harmon did an incredible job pulling at my heartstrings stitch by stitch with her writing and making me want to see Celine not only be the designer of a fashion house, but also the designer of her own life!
Speaking of pulling heartstrings, I love how Bastien Ménard thought he had the upper hand until the ground completely and utterly crumbled apart beneath him and Down. He. Fell. In this house, we love when a man yearns and cries!!! >>>>
Without giving too much away, Bastien saw Celine when no one else did 🥺
Also, side note: I am so intrigued by Juliana, I need more of her and Anaïs!!
What an honor it was to have first been an alpha reader for Lovesick Mannequins in 2024, and now an ARC reader before its official publication!!! Huuuge congrats to Anna, and I can't wait to read more of your work!!!
Reading Lovesick Mannequins felt like being wrapped up in a glamorous whirlwind of haute couture and taking a peek into cabarets. In the midst of all this, I was rooting for Celine LeBeau to make her dreams come true of her own accord. Anna Harmon did an incredible job pulling at my heartstrings stitch by stitch with her writing and making me want to see Celine not only be the designer of a fashion house, but also the designer of her own life!
Speaking of pulling heartstrings, I love how Bastien Ménard thought he had the upper hand until the ground completely and utterly crumbled apart beneath him and Down. He. Fell. In this house, we love when a man yearns and cries!!! >>>>
Without giving too much away, Bastien saw Celine when no one else did 🥺
Also, side note: I am so intrigued by Juliana, I need more of her and Anaïs!!
What an honor it was to have first been an alpha reader for Lovesick Mannequins in 2024, and now an ARC reader before its official publication!!! Huuuge congrats to Anna, and I can't wait to read more of your work!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.5 ★ messy, charming and unexpectedly cozy. lovesick mannequins is a 1920s set romcom that offers a fresh take on familiar tropes written in an incredibly compelling way.
performance, facades, and people trying very hard to be loved authentically for who they are. harmon romanticizes the mundane in a way i really enjoyed. paris felt vivid and lived in and charming (even whimsical) without becoming idealized. really just felt grounded. the characters are flawed people making frustrating choices while remaining understandable.
bas and celine especially had a lovely push and pull (yearners will love) that could have very easily become exhausting/boring, but harmon is skilled enough to make sure those moments remained fun to read.
imo: bas, celine, juliana (my babies my angels) >>> jacques and anais (😒)
the writing is confident. i especially loved the character dynamics. while the prose is imperfect (repetition and stylistic… choooices weakened the prose for me), the dialogue and banter were genuinely excellent. this did not need to be almost 500 pages but as someone who rewatches gossip girl every autumn this was the familiar rich people problems (complete with socialites, legacy, nightclubs, gossip and it girls) set in a cozy city that i wanted to linger in. so make it a 1000 pages. fuck it.
(੭ ;´ - `;)੭ ♡ j’adore.
🌶️ fade to black
💖 ??? to friends to lovers, slow burn, third act “break up”
‼️ promiscuous bisexual, poc treated poorly by non-poc family
content & trigger warnings:
anxiety, death of a parent, diet culture, toxic friendship, toxic relationship, cheating, “mommy issues” // toxic mother
☆ thank you to the author for my gifted advanced book copy. all my reviews are my own opinion.
performance, facades, and people trying very hard to be loved authentically for who they are. harmon romanticizes the mundane in a way i really enjoyed. paris felt vivid and lived in and charming (even whimsical) without becoming idealized. really just felt grounded. the characters are flawed people making frustrating choices while remaining understandable.
bas and celine especially had a lovely push and pull (yearners will love) that could have very easily become exhausting/boring, but harmon is skilled enough to make sure those moments remained fun to read.
imo: bas, celine, juliana (my babies my angels) >>> jacques and anais (😒)
the writing is confident. i especially loved the character dynamics. while the prose is imperfect (repetition and stylistic… choooices weakened the prose for me), the dialogue and banter were genuinely excellent. this did not need to be almost 500 pages but as someone who rewatches gossip girl every autumn this was the familiar rich people problems (complete with socialites, legacy, nightclubs, gossip and it girls) set in a cozy city that i wanted to linger in. so make it a 1000 pages. fuck it.
(੭ ;´ - `;)੭ ♡ j’adore.
🌶️ fade to black
💖 ??? to friends to lovers, slow burn, third act “break up”
‼️ promiscuous bisexual, poc treated poorly by non-poc family
content & trigger warnings:
anxiety, death of a parent, diet culture, toxic friendship, toxic relationship, cheating, “mommy issues” // toxic mother
☆ thank you to the author for my gifted advanced book copy. all my reviews are my own opinion.
June 28, 2026
there are books you enjoy, and then there are books that feel like they were written specifically for you.
lovesick mannequins was the latter.
i genuinely don't think i stood a chance. paris in the '90s, the fashion world, a designer × model romance, an ambitious heroine, a charming reformed rake, delicious slow burn, mutual yearning, tension that had me kicking my feet every other chapter...it was basically a checklist of everything i love in romance.
what surprised me most, though, was how quickly i fell in love with the characters.
celine was such an easy heroine to root for. i loved that her greatest dream was never overshadowed by the romance. becoming a designer was always at the core of who she was, and i adored watching her navigate an industry that constantly underestimated her while refusing to compromise on what she wanted.
and bastien...
aksjsksksksgdhsjskksks 🤭💗
yes, he's charming. yes, he's flirtatious. yes, he's ridiculously attractive. but what made me love him was how supportive he was. he never tried to outshine celine. he simply wanted to stand beside her. he believed in her talent, celebrated her victories, and somehow managed to be both incredibly confident and incredibly considerate.
their relationship never felt like one person saving the other. it felt like a partnership.
and that's probably my favorite thing about this romance.
the banter was effortless, the chemistry felt natural, and every conversation somehow made me fall a little harder for them. i loved that they could tease each other one moment and have genuinely vulnerable conversations the next. the slow burn was exactly the kind i enjoy: enough tension to make me impatient, but enough emotional development that every step forward felt earned.
the supporting cast deserves so much love too.
anaïs is officially one of my favorite fictional best friends. every time she appeared, i knew i was going to have a good time. juliana absolutely stole my heart as well, and i adored her friendship with bastien just as much as i adored anaïs' friendship with celine. i only wish we'd gotten a little more of anaïs and juliana because i became so invested in them so quickly.
my only tiny complaint is that i never felt like i truly got to know jacques. i kept waiting for that deeper connection, but i always felt one step removed from him. ironically, by the time the book hinted at something involving him and coco, i immediately wanted more of that too.
i also have to mention how immersive this book became for me.
i'm usually someone who highlights constantly while reading. with this one, i was highlighting everything at first...and then somewhere towards the end, i completely stopped. not because there wasn't anything worth highlighting, but because i didn't want to break the flow. i just kept reading.
i also told myself i'd stop around 73% because it was already late.
reader, i did not stop.
i finished the entire thing at 3:30 in the morning because i physically could not leave after those confessions.
this book made me laugh, squeal, smile, and stay up far later than i should have. more importantly, it made me care. by the end, i wasn't just rooting for celine and bastien... i wanted every single character to find happiness.
and that's probably the highest compliment i can give.
i closed this book feeling ridiculously happy...and immediately wished i had another 200 pages to spend with these characters.
and finally, to anna: thank you for writing a story that brought me so much joy. i don't think you realize how much fun i had reading thi. and yes, constantly yapping to you along the way. 😭 this genuinely felt like one of those books that found exactly the right reader at exactly the right time. you've gained a very enthusiastic reader in me, and i can't wait to see what you write next. i'll be cheering you on every step of the way. 🩷
lovesick mannequins was the latter.
i genuinely don't think i stood a chance. paris in the '90s, the fashion world, a designer × model romance, an ambitious heroine, a charming reformed rake, delicious slow burn, mutual yearning, tension that had me kicking my feet every other chapter...it was basically a checklist of everything i love in romance.
what surprised me most, though, was how quickly i fell in love with the characters.
celine was such an easy heroine to root for. i loved that her greatest dream was never overshadowed by the romance. becoming a designer was always at the core of who she was, and i adored watching her navigate an industry that constantly underestimated her while refusing to compromise on what she wanted.
and bastien...
aksjsksksksgdhsjskksks 🤭💗
yes, he's charming. yes, he's flirtatious. yes, he's ridiculously attractive. but what made me love him was how supportive he was. he never tried to outshine celine. he simply wanted to stand beside her. he believed in her talent, celebrated her victories, and somehow managed to be both incredibly confident and incredibly considerate.
their relationship never felt like one person saving the other. it felt like a partnership.
and that's probably my favorite thing about this romance.
the banter was effortless, the chemistry felt natural, and every conversation somehow made me fall a little harder for them. i loved that they could tease each other one moment and have genuinely vulnerable conversations the next. the slow burn was exactly the kind i enjoy: enough tension to make me impatient, but enough emotional development that every step forward felt earned.
the supporting cast deserves so much love too.
anaïs is officially one of my favorite fictional best friends. every time she appeared, i knew i was going to have a good time. juliana absolutely stole my heart as well, and i adored her friendship with bastien just as much as i adored anaïs' friendship with celine. i only wish we'd gotten a little more of anaïs and juliana because i became so invested in them so quickly.
my only tiny complaint is that i never felt like i truly got to know jacques. i kept waiting for that deeper connection, but i always felt one step removed from him. ironically, by the time the book hinted at something involving him and coco, i immediately wanted more of that too.
i also have to mention how immersive this book became for me.
i'm usually someone who highlights constantly while reading. with this one, i was highlighting everything at first...and then somewhere towards the end, i completely stopped. not because there wasn't anything worth highlighting, but because i didn't want to break the flow. i just kept reading.
i also told myself i'd stop around 73% because it was already late.
reader, i did not stop.
i finished the entire thing at 3:30 in the morning because i physically could not leave after those confessions.
this book made me laugh, squeal, smile, and stay up far later than i should have. more importantly, it made me care. by the end, i wasn't just rooting for celine and bastien... i wanted every single character to find happiness.
and that's probably the highest compliment i can give.
i closed this book feeling ridiculously happy...and immediately wished i had another 200 pages to spend with these characters.
and finally, to anna: thank you for writing a story that brought me so much joy. i don't think you realize how much fun i had reading thi. and yes, constantly yapping to you along the way. 😭 this genuinely felt like one of those books that found exactly the right reader at exactly the right time. you've gained a very enthusiastic reader in me, and i can't wait to see what you write next. i'll be cheering you on every step of the way. 🩷
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2026
him being the lovesick mannequin😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
June 16, 2026
A totally biased rating~
July 8, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
i had high hopes and this book didn’t really deliver the concept was very fun and i enjoyed the overall premise but beyond that it kind of fell apart for me.
my first issue was that it didn’t feel very historical at all. the 1920s is one of my favorite eras and i was disappointed by the book as besides some general references to the 20s it really read like it might as well have been set in the modern day. one of my biggest problems was a general laziness with character identities. this book featured 2 black characters but there’s 1. no mention of racism or any of the problems they would’ve realistically faced and 2. no mention of their background (were they african-american? caribbean?). this was really disappointing because the history of black people in the 20s in france (ex. josephine baker) is so very interesting and for it to be completely glossed over felt really low effort. same for the love interest, bastien, who’s persian but there is literally hardly any reference to this beyond a few sentences of farsi and his skin being brown… would’ve been much more interesting and intentional for these aspects of identity to actually be explored (especially as to how it relates to their place in society) but it unfortunately just feels like a sad effort to meet a diversity quota.
for the most part i enjoyed the rest but i also had issues specifically with how the romance unfolded. it revolved around cheating which i hate particularly in situations like this book. despite our fmc celine cheating while in a relationship, she never faces any genuine consequences for her actions and the only real conflict still seems to be the fault of bastien. there’s like two times throughout the books she gets mad at him and he has to ask for her forgiveness but neither time did i understand why she was so mad? 😭 i didn’t really like celine in general. she was a very tell not show character, she’s supposedly so rebellious but also a people pleaser and i conclude this not from anything she actually does in the book, but from just being told this (like she literally says i’m a people pleaser). again there are virtually no consequences for anything she does which ruins all the stakes of the book. cheating on your boyfriend? not a problem because he forgets about it and befriends her by the next page! lying to your parents about something that would supposedly ruin your life? not a problem because they’ve changed their minds by the next page! it was also pretty predictable i had figured out the ending by the time i was halfway 🥀
yeah so i’m a bit disappointed but i don’t regret reading it. the majority was enjoyable, the ending was mostly what knocked the rating for me 😛
i had high hopes and this book didn’t really deliver the concept was very fun and i enjoyed the overall premise but beyond that it kind of fell apart for me.
my first issue was that it didn’t feel very historical at all. the 1920s is one of my favorite eras and i was disappointed by the book as besides some general references to the 20s it really read like it might as well have been set in the modern day. one of my biggest problems was a general laziness with character identities. this book featured 2 black characters but there’s 1. no mention of racism or any of the problems they would’ve realistically faced and 2. no mention of their background (were they african-american? caribbean?). this was really disappointing because the history of black people in the 20s in france (ex. josephine baker) is so very interesting and for it to be completely glossed over felt really low effort. same for the love interest, bastien, who’s persian but there is literally hardly any reference to this beyond a few sentences of farsi and his skin being brown… would’ve been much more interesting and intentional for these aspects of identity to actually be explored (especially as to how it relates to their place in society) but it unfortunately just feels like a sad effort to meet a diversity quota.
for the most part i enjoyed the rest but i also had issues specifically with how the romance unfolded. it revolved around cheating which i hate particularly in situations like this book. despite our fmc celine cheating while in a relationship, she never faces any genuine consequences for her actions and the only real conflict still seems to be the fault of bastien. there’s like two times throughout the books she gets mad at him and he has to ask for her forgiveness but neither time did i understand why she was so mad? 😭 i didn’t really like celine in general. she was a very tell not show character, she’s supposedly so rebellious but also a people pleaser and i conclude this not from anything she actually does in the book, but from just being told this (like she literally says i’m a people pleaser). again there are virtually no consequences for anything she does which ruins all the stakes of the book. cheating on your boyfriend? not a problem because he forgets about it and befriends her by the next page! lying to your parents about something that would supposedly ruin your life? not a problem because they’ve changed their minds by the next page! it was also pretty predictable i had figured out the ending by the time i was halfway 🥀
yeah so i’m a bit disappointed but i don’t regret reading it. the majority was enjoyable, the ending was mostly what knocked the rating for me 😛
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC review - a big thank you to Anna Harmon for sending me the copy!
If you are looking for a story that feels like a cozy romcom wrapped in the silk of the Roaring Twenties, Anna Harmon’s Lovesick Mannequins is the book you’ve been waiting for. Set in 1921 Paris, this novel manages to be both messy and charming while offering a look at the world of haute couture.
The story follows Celine LeBeau, a famous socialite and model whose face is on every magazine. While she spends her days modelling for legendary houses, her true dream is to be a designer. When the prestigious Maison Baudelaire announces a competition to inherit the fashion house and a massive cash prize, Celine enters in secret.
All she needs is a model and a way to keep her participation hidden from her controlling mother and her boyfriend, Jacques. Easy, right? No. Add Bastien Ménard, Jacques’ brother and a notorious womanizer who has recently been disowned by his family. Desperate for money and wanting to get back at his brother, Bastien agrees to be Celine’s model.
What makes this book even better is the chemistry between Celine and Bastien. Harmon uses the annoyances-to-lovers trope to perfection. The supporting cast also adds incredible depth. You’ll meet Anaïs, the sister who keeps everyone in line, and Jacques, who is portrayed with surprising nuance rather than being a simple villainous obstacle to the main romance.
You know a romance book is amazing when I rate it this highly. Romance has never been my go-to genre, so the fact that I’m giving Lovesick Mannequins five stars should tell you how much I enjoyed it. From beginning to end, the story completely held my attention. There was never a point where I felt tempted to put it down and every character felt layered and believable rather than existing solely to move the plot forward.
As for favourite characters, Bastien easily stole the show for me. He somehow feels like a perfect combination of several of my childhood fictional crushes: charming, frustrating, charismatic and surprisingly vulnerable beneath the surface. It would have been easy for him to become a cliché, but Harmon gives him enough depth and growth to make him genuinely memorable.
Overall, Lovesick Mannequins is a witty, heartfelt and wonderfully entertaining romance that combines memorable characters, sharp banter and a fascinating historical setting. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or someone like me who rarely picks up the genre, this is a book well worth reading.
If you are looking for a story that feels like a cozy romcom wrapped in the silk of the Roaring Twenties, Anna Harmon’s Lovesick Mannequins is the book you’ve been waiting for. Set in 1921 Paris, this novel manages to be both messy and charming while offering a look at the world of haute couture.
The story follows Celine LeBeau, a famous socialite and model whose face is on every magazine. While she spends her days modelling for legendary houses, her true dream is to be a designer. When the prestigious Maison Baudelaire announces a competition to inherit the fashion house and a massive cash prize, Celine enters in secret.
All she needs is a model and a way to keep her participation hidden from her controlling mother and her boyfriend, Jacques. Easy, right? No. Add Bastien Ménard, Jacques’ brother and a notorious womanizer who has recently been disowned by his family. Desperate for money and wanting to get back at his brother, Bastien agrees to be Celine’s model.
What makes this book even better is the chemistry between Celine and Bastien. Harmon uses the annoyances-to-lovers trope to perfection. The supporting cast also adds incredible depth. You’ll meet Anaïs, the sister who keeps everyone in line, and Jacques, who is portrayed with surprising nuance rather than being a simple villainous obstacle to the main romance.
You know a romance book is amazing when I rate it this highly. Romance has never been my go-to genre, so the fact that I’m giving Lovesick Mannequins five stars should tell you how much I enjoyed it. From beginning to end, the story completely held my attention. There was never a point where I felt tempted to put it down and every character felt layered and believable rather than existing solely to move the plot forward.
As for favourite characters, Bastien easily stole the show for me. He somehow feels like a perfect combination of several of my childhood fictional crushes: charming, frustrating, charismatic and surprisingly vulnerable beneath the surface. It would have been easy for him to become a cliché, but Harmon gives him enough depth and growth to make him genuinely memorable.
Overall, Lovesick Mannequins is a witty, heartfelt and wonderfully entertaining romance that combines memorable characters, sharp banter and a fascinating historical setting. Whether you're a longtime romance reader or someone like me who rarely picks up the genre, this is a book well worth reading.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Set in the backdrops of the 20s, Lovesick Mannequins weaves a romantic thread of what it takes to chase your dream. Through this clear-cut, visual prose, the story of Celine and Bastien drapes over you in soft fabrics of gentle, unspoken gestures, pins you into place by its charming flirting, sketches a design of a lovesick story of two people finding the answers within one another.
Bastien, Heartbreak Boy, was irresistibly charming. Celine, Baby Vamp, was inspirationally lovable. Their chemistry was sparkling with tension even after they realized true love was in front of them all along.
This story was cozy, and charming and for the fashion girlies. The description of clothes and dressmaking was so fascinating because I got to learn so much! Anna truly treated her book with love and research and it showed in abundance in the writing and for how attractively it was to read.
Lovesick Mannequins releases tomorrow (18/06)!! Make sure to read this is rom-com that will have you blushing and swooning.
Thank you Anna for the arc <3
Bastien, Heartbreak Boy, was irresistibly charming. Celine, Baby Vamp, was inspirationally lovable. Their chemistry was sparkling with tension even after they realized true love was in front of them all along.
This story was cozy, and charming and for the fashion girlies. The description of clothes and dressmaking was so fascinating because I got to learn so much! Anna truly treated her book with love and research and it showed in abundance in the writing and for how attractively it was to read.
Lovesick Mannequins releases tomorrow (18/06)!! Make sure to read this is rom-com that will have you blushing and swooning.
Thank you Anna for the arc <3
July 3, 2026
All you need to know is that I spend (on average) 30 minutes thinking about this book every day.
Anna Harmon has scratched an itch in my brain with Lovesick Mannequins, and I need everyone to know! The story is a fantastic upper YA historical romance, set in Paris in the 1920s. It follows Celine as she tries to become the next designer for Maison Baudelaire. However, her status as a socialite forces her to keep her participation in the competition a secret. The only person who knows? Her boyfriend's brother, Bastien Ménard.
Anna has achieved perfection with this book. This standalone novel has a well-structured plot, with enough tension to keep you glued to the page (literally, I read it in one sitting!). But at its core, this story is an incredible portrait of Celine's and Bastien's relationships with the people in their lives, including each other. An immersive depiction of the 1920s Paris aesthetic is just the cherry on top.
If you're obsessed with fashion, rivals-to-lovers romances, and French socialites, this is THE PERFECT book for you.
Anna Harmon has scratched an itch in my brain with Lovesick Mannequins, and I need everyone to know! The story is a fantastic upper YA historical romance, set in Paris in the 1920s. It follows Celine as she tries to become the next designer for Maison Baudelaire. However, her status as a socialite forces her to keep her participation in the competition a secret. The only person who knows? Her boyfriend's brother, Bastien Ménard.
Anna has achieved perfection with this book. This standalone novel has a well-structured plot, with enough tension to keep you glued to the page (literally, I read it in one sitting!). But at its core, this story is an incredible portrait of Celine's and Bastien's relationships with the people in their lives, including each other. An immersive depiction of the 1920s Paris aesthetic is just the cherry on top.
If you're obsessed with fashion, rivals-to-lovers romances, and French socialites, this is THE PERFECT book for you.
Review of advance copy received from Author
If it wasn't for my exams, I would have devoured this book in a week, tops!
Lovesick Mannequins is a historical romance set in the glittering world of Paris, 1920's. Think of glamour, haute couture fashion, love, and scandal! We follow the ever-galant Celine whose life has been planned out for her. She's meant to be married to her childhood friend Jacques Ménard, but despite him being kind and a real gentleman to her, her heart longs for something else: fashion! She dreams of being a fashion designer and thus secretly enters a competition at the fashion house she admires, with Jacques' brother, Bastien, nevertheless. Can you feel the drama? Bastien is a real heartthrob and gets disowned by his family...ouch. So he helps Celine by being her model in the competition, where he hopefully wins the prize money and gets revenge on Jacques. However, as these two bicker and banter, swear and insult each other with the most amusing threats, they connect emotionally. Harmon wrote a really touching, slow-burning romance about two passionate young adults trying to follow their hearts in a strict social system. Their chemistry was on point, and while it took them some time and heartbreaks, they got there (in an unexpected way).
The side characters were layered and contributed well to the story. Jacques was just as confined as Celine and Bastien, although it took some while to see that. He was really trying to be understanding and supportive towards Celine. This kind of character is what I would love to see more of, instead of portraying such a character as villainous. There's also Anaïs, the sister of Jacques and Bastien, and leaning towards the female side of the love spectrum. So she's a real feminist and knows all too well the social confinements gazing over their shoulders. She's such a girlboss, and I love her for putting everyone in place or being the one who shakes a character up, you know? Anaïs is the person who gives you a passive-aggressive motivation to follow your heart. Coco, a fellow competitor, was also really interesting. I hope we get to see more of her, because I could sense a story there👀 Despite being Celine's competitor, she knew the lines between competition and friends, which I think is really important (and complex) to know.
Finally, the overall themes and tropes were just amazing and fit the story perfectly. Harmon created this lavish world about social expectations, following your heart, trying to figure out what you want, and grief, all wrapped in 1920's Parisian fashion. As a fashion-lover, I can guarantee you that Harmon knows what she's writing about. Her passion is evident in her writing. The story is perfectly paced and easy to follow. You'll get immersed in the socialite parties and progressive costumes. It's important to note that she not only wrote about the elite class's world, but also showed its hardship and an emotionally darker undertone.
Overall, a 4.8! 🌟
Thank you, Anna Harmon, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Lovesick Mannequins is a historical romance set in the glittering world of Paris, 1920's. Think of glamour, haute couture fashion, love, and scandal! We follow the ever-galant Celine whose life has been planned out for her. She's meant to be married to her childhood friend Jacques Ménard, but despite him being kind and a real gentleman to her, her heart longs for something else: fashion! She dreams of being a fashion designer and thus secretly enters a competition at the fashion house she admires, with Jacques' brother, Bastien, nevertheless. Can you feel the drama? Bastien is a real heartthrob and gets disowned by his family...ouch. So he helps Celine by being her model in the competition, where he hopefully wins the prize money and gets revenge on Jacques. However, as these two bicker and banter, swear and insult each other with the most amusing threats, they connect emotionally. Harmon wrote a really touching, slow-burning romance about two passionate young adults trying to follow their hearts in a strict social system. Their chemistry was on point, and while it took them some time and heartbreaks, they got there (in an unexpected way).
The side characters were layered and contributed well to the story. Jacques was just as confined as Celine and Bastien, although it took some while to see that. He was really trying to be understanding and supportive towards Celine. This kind of character is what I would love to see more of, instead of portraying such a character as villainous. There's also Anaïs, the sister of Jacques and Bastien, and leaning towards the female side of the love spectrum. So she's a real feminist and knows all too well the social confinements gazing over their shoulders. She's such a girlboss, and I love her for putting everyone in place or being the one who shakes a character up, you know? Anaïs is the person who gives you a passive-aggressive motivation to follow your heart. Coco, a fellow competitor, was also really interesting. I hope we get to see more of her, because I could sense a story there👀 Despite being Celine's competitor, she knew the lines between competition and friends, which I think is really important (and complex) to know.
Finally, the overall themes and tropes were just amazing and fit the story perfectly. Harmon created this lavish world about social expectations, following your heart, trying to figure out what you want, and grief, all wrapped in 1920's Parisian fashion. As a fashion-lover, I can guarantee you that Harmon knows what she's writing about. Her passion is evident in her writing. The story is perfectly paced and easy to follow. You'll get immersed in the socialite parties and progressive costumes. It's important to note that she not only wrote about the elite class's world, but also showed its hardship and an emotionally darker undertone.
Overall, a 4.8! 🌟
Thank you, Anna Harmon, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
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