From the New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada comes an irresistible novel about what happens when a girl on the fringe enters the realm of New York’s chic, party-hopping elite. On paper, Bette Robinson’s life is good. At twenty-six, she’s got a great deal on an apartment in Manhattan, and she’s on target to become an associate at the prestigious investment bank where she works with her best friend. Her eighty-hour workweeks might keep her from socializing or dating outside her office walls—but she’s paying her dues on the well-trod path to wealth and happiness. So when Bette quits her job like the impulsive girl she’s never been, she not only shocks her friends and family—she has no idea what to do next. For months, Bette gets out and about by walking her four-pound dog around her decidedly unglamorous Murray Hill neighborhood. Then she meets Kelly, head of Manhattan’s hottest PR and events planning firm, and suddenly Bette has a brand-new job where the primary requirement is to see and be seen. The work at Kelly & Company takes Bette inside the VIP rooms of the city’s most exclusive nightclubs, to parties crowded with celebrities and socialites. Bette learns not to blink at the famous faces, the black Amex cards, the magnums of Cristal, or the ruthless paparazzi. Soon she’s dating an infamous playboy who’s great for her career but bad for her sanity—and scaring off the one decent guy she meets. Still, as her coworkers repeatedly point out, how can you complain about a job that pays you to party? Bette has to agree—until she begins appearing in a vicious new gossip column. That's when Bette’s life on paper takes on a whole new meaning—and she learns the line between her personal and professional lives is...invisible. "Packed with celebrity mentions and insider takes on exclusive Manhattan nightspots.... Weisberger's fans...are sure to enjoy the dishy details." -- Booklist "Deliciously entertaining." -- Life magazine Lauren Weisberger is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Devil Wears Prada , which was published in forty languages and made into a major motion picture starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway. Filming is currently underway in New York and Milan for a sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2 , which will premiere in the spring of 2026. The Devil Wears Prada is also now a musical on London’s West End, featuring music by Elton John and starring Vanessa Williams as the iconic Miranda Priestly. Lauren’s seven other novels, Everyone Worth Knowing , Chasing Harry Winston , Last Night at Chateau Marmont , Revenge Wears Prada , The Singles Game , When Life Gives You Lululemons , and Where The Grass Is Green and The Girls Are Pretty were all New York Times bestsellers. Her books have sold more than 12 million copies worldwide. A graduate of Cornell University with a major in English and a concentration in Near Eastern studies, she lives in Connecticut with her husband and two teenage children. Visit LaurenWeisberger.com to learn more. Chapter One How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people? -- From "Baby, You're a Rich Man" (1967) by John Lennon and Paul McCartney Though I'd caught only the briefest glimpse from the corner of my eye, I knew immediately that the brown creature darting across my warped hardwood floors was a water bug -- the largest, meatiest insect I'd ever seen. The superbug had narrowly avoided skimming across my bare feet before it disappeared under the bookcase. Trembling, I forced myself to practice the chakra breathing I'd learned during an involuntary week at an ashram with my parents. My heart rate slowed slightly after a few concentrated breaths of re on the inhale and lax on the exhale, and within a few minutes I was functional enough to take some necessary precautions. First I rescued Millington (who was also cowering in terror) from her hiding place under the couch. Then, in quick succession, I zipped on a pair of knee-high leather boots to cover my exposed legs, opened the door to the hallway to encourage the bug's departure, and began spraying the extra-strong black-market vermin poison on every available surface in my minuscule one-bedroom. I gripped the trigger as though it were an assault weapon and was still spraying when the phone rang nearly ten minutes later. The caller ID flashed with Penelope's number. I almost screened her before I realized that she was one of only two potential refuges. Should the water bug manage to live through the fumigation and cruise through my living room again, I'd need to crash with her or Uncle Will. Unsure where Will was tonight, I decided it'd be wise to keep the lines of communication intact. I answered. "Pen, I'm under attack by the largest roach in Manhattan. What do I do?" I asked the second I picked up the phone. "Bette, I have NEWS!" she boomed back, clearly indifferent to my panic. "News more important than my infestation?" "Avery just proposed