Meet Lucy Jo Ellis. When she moved from a small town in Minnesota to New York City, she had big dreams. She wanted to be a successful fashion designer with her clothing showcased on the runway and in fashion magazines like Vogue. Sadly, she’s working for harridan designer, cutting patterns, and struggling to survive.
Now meet Wyatt Hayes the IV. Wyatt is a wealthy man about town from an old-money family. He’s just broken up with Cornelia Rockwood, a high society rich girl who fancies the idea of becoming a big celebrity. Wyatt also fancies himself as an anthropologist (he does have a Ph.D in anthropology) who tells his best friend, Trip, he can transform any woman of lowly birth to a glamorous and respectful doyenne of the rich and richer.
As Lucy and Wyatt meet, Lucy has had a horrible night. She just lost her job with the designer due to a very unfortunate incident, and she’s just had her cab ride stolen. She’s caught up in a downpour and contemplating moving back to Minnesota when Wyatt offers to make her into the toast of the town. At first, Lucy is insulted. But the more she thinks about it, she wonders if getting this makeover will help her connect with the right people and get her fashion career back on track. As for Wyatt, well, he has some rather nefarious plans. He wants to use this little experiment to write about and perhaps set the high society he grew up in on its ear.
Lucy has to go through several transformations to reach A-List status. The first is her name. Despite knowing people named Topsy, Libet, and Binkie, Wyatt considered Lucy Jo to be low class. So she is named Lucia Haverford Ellis, Lucy for short. Wyatt helps her create a background story that belies her upbringing by a single mom in Minnesota. Lucy is also put through a strict regiment of diet and exercise so she can fit into size two designer frocks. Lucy also has to learn certain sensibilities of the upper crust and is put through several arduous tasks. Wyatt hopes all of this will pay off when Lucy is presented at the highly regarded Fashion Forum Ball.
No dummy or slouch, Lucy catches on quickly and becomes the delight of New York society, getting her name mentioned in print media and blogs that cover the rich and famous. Along for the ride is Trip’s girlfriend, Eloise, who is a top notch fashion stylist. Eloise gives Lucy the ins and outs of acceptable haute couture. Despite their dissimilar backgrounds, they develop a true friendship. Eloise encourages Lucy’s fashion design aspirations and Lucy gets busy designing many stunning frocks while also keeping a full calendar of engagements.
Of course, not everybody loves Lucy. Cornelia (that bitch on Jimmy Choo heels) is spitting mad that Lucy has usurped her in the social pecking order and she starts sleuthing Lucy’s past. She couldn’t possibly be the “real thing,” could she? And Wyatt’s mother isn’t too thrilled with her son using Lucy as some type of experiment. What if Lucy finds out she’s essentially a pawn in Wyatt’s life? And what if Lucy and Wyatt have feelings for each other?
Just as things get heated and Lucy is to attend the Fashion Forum Ball, her mother Rita comes into town. Lucy is horrified. Rita hasn’t always been a good mother to Lucy, and Lucy fears her mother may out her as Lucy Jo Ellis not Lucia Haverford Ellis. And there’s also talk in the media that the Lucy the upper crust knows and loves isn’t quite what she seems.
The Overnight Socialite is a delightful frothy read. It reminds me a lot of the musical My Fair Lady. And like Eliza Doolittle, Lucy Jo Ellis is a character you just want to root for. And I loved how supportive most of the Manhattan blue bloods were towards her. Sure, Lucy was born with a plastic spork in her mouth, not a silver spoon. But she’s kind, smart, and talented, and those qualities should be lauded. Though Wyatt sees Lucy as an anthropology experiment, he grows incredibly fond of Lucy. The Overnight Socialite is also filled with name dropping and gossip of celebrities, fashion designers, and highest of Manhattan society. And though it does end a bit abruptly, The Overnight Socialite leaves you with wanting more. I think a sequel is definitely needed. Do Lucy and Wyatt end up together? Does Lucy end up a successful fashion designer? Does Cornelia fall into a volcano? Bridie Clark, please write that sequel!
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