19 Mar Book Review: Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

There is something endlessly fascinating about stories that peel back the curtain on glamorous industries, showing the reality beneath the glittering surface. Everyone Worth Knowing does exactly that for the world of New York’s elite social scene. Written by Lauren Weisberger, best known for The Devil Wears Prada, this novel dives into the cutthroat, image-obsessed world of PR, exploring the sacrifices and compromises required to thrive in an industry built on appearances. It is sharp, funny, and at times painfully real, making it an entertaining read for anyone who enjoys stories about high society, ambition, and personal reinvention.

What’s it about?

Bette Robinson is twenty-seven, single, and stuck in a job she hates. She works in a conservative Manhattan bank, spending her days staring at spreadsheets and dreading the moment she will have to interact with her snobby, judgmental coworkers. When she finally reaches her breaking point, she does something impulsive—she quits, with no backup plan, no safety net, and no idea what she will do next.

Unemployed and adrift, Bette spends the next few weeks sleeping in, watching daytime television, and ignoring the mounting pressure from her well-connected parents to figure out her next move. Her only true escape is her friendship with her eccentric uncle, Will, a columnist for a popular gossip magazine who thrives on Manhattan’s party scene. Through him, Bette is introduced to a world she never imagined herself being part of—one filled with socialites, celebrities, and endless invitations to the most exclusive parties in the city.

Through a stroke of luck (or fate, depending on how you look at it), Bette lands a job at Kelly & Company, one of New York’s hottest PR firms. She is thrown headfirst into a world that is completely foreign to her—a world where who you know matters more than what you do, where image is everything, and where working means attending glamorous events instead of sitting at a desk. Overnight, she goes from being a nobody to someone whose name is suddenly on guest lists.

At first, Bette is dazzled by the lifestyle. Her job consists of mingling with celebrities, dressing in designer clothes, and rubbing shoulders with New York’s most powerful people. But the more time she spends in this world, the more she realizes that it comes with a cost. Every aspect of her life becomes public, her relationships are scrutinized, and she finds herself tangled in rumors and scandals that she never wanted any part of.

Things become even more complicated when the media links her romantically to Philip Weston, a wealthy, charming playboy who is one of the most eligible bachelors in the city. The problem? Bette barely knows him. The supposed romance is entirely fabricated by her firm, designed to keep her in the public eye and keep their clients talking about her. But while the press is obsessed with Philip, Bette finds herself drawn to someone else—Sam, a quiet, down-to-earth bouncer who seems like the only real person she has met since starting her new job.

As the pressures of her new life build, Bette starts to question everything. Is this the life she actually wants? Is she willing to sacrifice her privacy, her friendships, and her sense of self for the sake of being part of New York’s elite? The more she tries to hold on to who she used to be, the harder it becomes to balance her old life with her new one.

The novel builds toward a moment of reckoning, where Bette is forced to decide whether she will continue playing by the rules of the PR world or walk away from it entirely. In classic Weisberger fashion, the ending is satisfying without being overly neat—Bette’s journey is about self-discovery, and while she may not have all the answers, she comes out of it with a stronger sense of who she is and what she truly values.

What This Chick Thinks

A fun and fast-paced look at high society

Like The Devil Wears Prada, this novel offers a behind-the-scenes look at a world most people will never experience. The PR industry, with its endless parties, impossible beauty standards, and ruthless obsession with status, is portrayed with both humor and sharp critique. The writing is witty, and the dialogue is filled with biting observations about the absurdity of the industry.

A relatable protagonist in an unrelatable world

Bette is the kind of character you root for because she is so out of place in the world she finds herself in. She starts out as an ordinary woman just trying to figure out her life, and watching her transformation is both entertaining and, at times, frustrating. She makes mistakes, gets swept up in the glamour, and loses sight of herself, but that only makes her feel more real.

A romance that takes a backseat to self-discovery

While there is a romantic subplot, it is not the main focus of the novel, which is refreshing. Bette’s relationship with Sam is sweet, but the heart of the story is about her personal growth. The novel is less about finding love and more about figuring out what kind of life she wants to live.

A biting critique of media and celebrity culture

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is how it explores the way the media manipulates public perception. Bette’s fabricated romance with Philip shows just how easy it is for the press to create narratives that have nothing to do with reality. The novel highlights the darker side of fame—the loss of privacy, the manufactured drama, and the way people are reduced to headlines rather than actual human beings.

Final Thoughts

Everyone Worth Knowing is a fun, fast-paced novel that blends humor with a sharp critique of celebrity culture. It is lighter than The Devil Wears Prada, but it carries a similar theme—what happens when an ordinary woman is thrown into a high-powered, high-pressure world. It is perfect for readers who love books that mix satire with personal growth, showing both the appeal and the emptiness of a life lived entirely in the public eye.

If you enjoy stories about reinvention, ambition, and the hidden costs of success, this one is worth picking up. It is entertaining, escapist, and just self-aware enough to make you think about the way the real world of PR and media operates.

Rating: 8/10

Try it if you like

• The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger – Another novel about a woman navigating an elite, high-pressure industry where appearances are everything.
• I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson – A witty look at the impossible standards placed on women, though in a very different setting.
• Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan – A satirical and glamorous look at extreme wealth, with plenty of drama and insight into high society.