Janie Pember gave up work to look after her children, but when her unreliable husband decides to take time out in South America to find himself, she has to find herself a job. Janie’s lost most of her contacts since she quit work, but her best friend Cassie, the owner of a model agency, quickly fixes her up with an interview for the job of fashion editor on the International Gazette. Janie’s sure she won’t get it, and then when she does, sure she won’t enjoy it, but she soon finds out that five years makes not a bit of difference in the fashion industry. And though she’d much rather be gardening (and trying to get her husband back), Janie finds herself insidiously drawn back into the senseless world of fashion.
Newsletter Signup
By clicking ‘Sign Up,’ I acknowledge that I have read and agree to Hachette Book Group’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
Reviews
Lisa Armstrong has done for frocks what Jilly Cooper did for polo . . . She has a wry eye, and what she saw was the zeitgeist . . . a merrily entertaining novel with an eerie finger on the pulse of everything modern . . . irresistibly funny
FRONT ROW
'A must-read for those who want the lowdown - even if fictional - on what really goes on off the catwalk' -Red
Brilliant for the beach
Super-glossy . . . Has all the juice of a Jackie Collins plus the kind of fash pack details that Armstrong, as fashion features director at Vogue, knows all about. Very light-hearted and so this season
'Lisa Armstrong injects her playful tale of a former journalist's return to fashion-writing with enough credibility to imply she speaks from experience. . . Reads less like fantasy than a thinly veiled expose' - Tatler
Great escapism
'A colourful concoction . . . as substantial as a thong bikini - and just as brilliant for the beach' - Marie-Claire
'Anyone who has even a passing interest in fashion and glossy mags will savour Front Row which feeds on the absurdities of the fashion world. Although there are lots of Ab Fab moments, Janie's character is entirely rooted in reality' - U Magazine
Front Row will rank alongside the Bulgari sunglasses and Hermes beach towels as one of this summer's must-have accessories
'Not since The Vicious Circle . . . has a novel been set to cause such a stir' - The Sunday Times
'Front Row will rank alongside the Bulgari sunglasses and Hermes beach towels as one of this summer's must-have accessories' -Evening Standard
'Super-glossy . . . Has all the juice of a Jackie Collins plus the kind of fash pack details that Armstrong, as fashion features director at Vogue, knows all about. Very light-hearted and so this season' - Elle
'Lisa Armstrong has done for frocks what Jilly Cooper did for polo . . . She has a wry eye, and what she saw was the zeitgeist . . . a merrily entertaining novel with an eerie finger on the pulse of everything modern . . . irresistibly funny . . . Armstrong writes exceptionally well and, because she knows what she is writing about, this is a jolly page-turner but not a dirt-disher . . . Vogue insider's novel is as sharp, fun and fizzy as a bag of sherbert lemons' - Daily Mail
'Armstrong paints a wickedly accurate picture of the odious world of fashion . . . perfect for putting your daughters off modelling'
- Mail on Sunday
'Lisa Armstrong has a witty way with words and some intelligent side-swipes to make . . . gives us the thrill of her insider knowledge into the workings of the mad and manic world of high fashion' - Maeve Haran, Express
'Ideal beach reading' - The Times
'Intelligent, witty blockbuster . . . a fast and very funny novel - with substance' - The Big Issue
'A deliciously funny insider's snapshot of the frenetic international fashion arena' - Good Housekeeping
'Great escapism' Woman's Own
'A witty read with plenty of glamour' Woman's Weekly
'Hours of spot-the-supermodel fun - don't leave the airport without it' Company
'As fast-paced and frivolous as the fashion world in which it is set . . . Enjoyable confection of travel, humour and modern musings' - Times