“Workhorse” by Caroline Palmer: Long Live The Nobody (BOOK REVIEW)

Long Live The Nobody

Hey, Alex! What have you been reading lately?

I went into Workhorse fully convinced this was going to be my book. New York, fashion, an ambitious woman clawing her way up in a world built on connections? Let me have a seat. Caroline Palmer had all the ingredients to create a sharp but cautionary tale with a pinch of drama, gloss, and uncomfortable truths. I expected it to read like stepping into The Devil Wears Prada, but from Emily’s diary.

In some ways, it does do that. At its core, Workhorse is a story about performance – not just in the literal sense of dressing the part, of putting on clothes as drag, but in life itself. The calculated art of becoming someone else in order to survive in an environment that cuts off those who can’t keep up. But when there is very little underneath that is real, what happens when the performance is over? What is going to remain of you?

Tell me more. What is the book about?

Workhorse follows Clodagh Harmon after she lands a role as an editorial assistant at a fashion magazine in early-2000s New York. She is determined, hungry, and desperate to leave her mark. Soon, Clo realises that passion can’t get her far in a system built on privilege.

Hard work is not valued at this fashion empire. Connections are. So Clo befriends Davis, the daughter of a socialite, who becomes her entry point to the jet set. There are expensive dresses. Party invitations. Personal drivers. Holidays booked.

Over time, Clo bends her morals to participate in a system she once resented. She has made it to the top but is yet to feel like she belongs. In Workhorse, ambition dissolves to envy and identity is quickly erased in order to fit in.

What are some strong and weak points of the book?

I am convinced that Workhorse could have been incredible. A novel where money and glamour collide with class and the cost of always wanting more? That premise alone is enough to pull you in. There is something inherently compelling about watching someone try to break into a world that was never built for them, especially when that world is dressed up in designer brands.

The biggest issue I had with Workhorse is its lack of direction. The novel tries to be too many things at once – a satire of media, a character study, a critique of privilege, a story about female ambition – and instead of weaving those threads together, it gets lost in them. It is too ambitious of a novel. As a result, it is less of a layered narrative and more of a series of ideas competing for attention, none of which are given enough space to fully land.

What makes this more frustrating is the absence of a clear inciting incident or turning point. Sixty pages in, I was still waiting for the story to decide what it wanted to be. There is no defining moment that anchors the narrative or propels Clo forward in a way that is intentional.

That is not to say that barely anything happens in Workhorse. On the contrary, too many things happen. Events pile up, characters are introduced and then abandoned, conflicts appear only to be resolved without consequence. Because of this constant motion, nothing carries weight. Everything is narrated with the same level of disregard that you are forced to deem even the more dramatic scenes as insignificant.

Clo’s character arc suffers the most from this. She crosses boundaries unpunished, inserts herself into a life that isn’t hers, and slowly becomes the very thing she despises. Overall, she has potential but remains underdeveloped.

Any final thoughts? Should I read it too?

Workhorse is not a bad book. It is a frustrating one.

Even after reaching the end, I am not sure what its purpose is.

The idea of the “workhorse” itself could have been a powerful lens through which to understand the character of the protagonist. It creates a nice contrast between those who do the work from backstage and those who receive all the flowers. The concept of the workhorse is explained at least four times throughout the novel, to the point where it sounds redundant. Instead of trusting the reader, Palmer confines the potential of her story through over-explaining, thus, unfortunately, losing impact.

I really wanted to love Workhorse. But I found it very slow-paced, because it moved warily and with no clear direction.

I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone interested to peek into the world of fashion and read more about class and corruption. But if you are in the mood to kill some time, vent, and project your anger on Clo’s questionable, unexplained behaviour, maybe you will find it worth picking up.

One thing I learned about workhorses is that they are so underappreciated they feel the need to blame others for their misfortune. Maybe that is why I as a reader feel that way towards this book. And maybe that is okay.

Thank you so much!! Are there any similar books that you can recommend?

😈 The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger – enter the world of couture at its most brutal, where ambition meets impossible standards and survival becomes its own quiet performance.

💳 My Friend Anna by Rachel DeLoache Williams – a real-life story of deception, social climbing, and the illusion of belonging in elite circles.

📲 limaistyping…

rating: ☀️☀️
tropes: 📈 rags-to-riches | 🥇 proving oneself | 🫂 belonging | 🧲 self vs system | 📥 consumed by work
read if you like: Ugly Betty, fashion magazines, corporate girlies, PR gifts, con artistry
look out for: 👗 a dress that will fit | 💸 editor’s discount | 🐴 a horse statue | 🔎 the word ‘conspiratorial’ | 👩‍🍼 your best friend’s baby
Reading this feels like asking Santa for an iPad for Christmas and receiving a sketchbook with some watercolours instead.