The Liar, the Bitch and the Wardrobe

In Kingsley’s fun debut, a talented and ambitious photographer named Lucy Butler leaves home in Seattle with best friend and aspiring actress Julie Kaplan to work in L.A. with mad genius photographer Stefano Lepres. Lucy is anything but careful in her new world, and like the sweetly naïve Andrea in The Devil Wears Prada, she gets a foot in the door only to discover that entry costs her family, friends, and self-respect. In this glitzed-out retelling of the rags-to-riches-to-reality tale (okay, not quite rags), the jading of Lucy features a starlet who showers her with designer duds, an adoring rock star, and a posse of fame-hungry friends. Back home for a bit, Lucy brags to old pals, “It’s not boring... or raining... and it’s never the same shit, different day... not a mundane day-to-day sort of life.” But the excitement, as expected, takes its toll. Lucy’s rise and eventual return to honesty, tried friendships, and true love are all too predictable, but Kingsley, a blogger and Hollywood insider, manages to infuse an old story with a fresh, gossipy dig at L.A.’s dark side. Agent: Kirsten Neuhaus, Kirsten Neuhaus Literary Agency. (Sept.)