Workhorse: A Novel by Caroline PalmerPublication Date: October 14, 2025
Pages: 560
Add on: Goodreads
Buy the Book: Amazon
Rating: ★★★★½
Source: From the Publisher
Genre: Fiction / Women
Publisher: Flatiron Books / Macmillan
A richly drawn, unsettling, and wickedly funny story of envy and ambition set against the glamor and privilege of media and high society in New York City at its height.
At the turn of the millennium, editorial assistant Clodagh “Clo” Harmon wants nothing more than to rise through the ranks at the world’s most prestigious fashion magazine. There’s just one problem: She doesn’t have the right pedigree. Instead, Clo is a “workhorse” surrounded by beautiful, wealthy, impossibly well-connected “show horses” who get ahead without effort, including her beguiling cubicle-mate, Davis Lawrence, the daughter of a beloved but fading Broadway actress. Harry Wood, Davis’s boarding school classmate and a reporter with visions of his own media empire, might be Clo’s ally in gaming the system—or he might be the only thing standing between Clo and her rightful place at the top.In a career punctuated by moments of high absurdity, sudden windfalls, and devastating reversals of fortune, Clo wades across boundaries, taking ever greater and more dangerous risks to become the important person she wants to be within the confines of a world where female ambition remains cloaked. But who really is Clo underneath all the borrowed designer clothes and studied manners—and who are we if we share her desires?
Hilariously observant and insightful, Workhorse is a brilliant page-turner about what it means to be in thrall to wealth, beauty, and influence, and the outrageous sacrifices women must make for the sake of success.
REVIEW
Caroline Palmer’s Workhorse is a razor-sharp, darkly funny ride through the glossy, unforgiving world of New York’s magazine industry. At its center is Clodagh Harmon, a self-proclaimed “Work Horse” hustling among the “Show Horses,”; the privileged insiders who glide through life on connections and polish. Clodagh’s relentless push to crack these gilded circles drives the novel, revealing just how much grit it takes to be seen in a world obsessed with status and style.
Palmer conjures Manhattan’s glitter and grit with cinematic detail, making you feel the intoxicating lure of power and the sting of being on the outside looking in. Her wit is biting but never cruel; the satire lands because it’s rooted in empathy. Clodagh’s journey, full of awkward missteps and small victories, feels honest and utterly relatable. The supporting cast forms a vivid backdrop of privilege and insecurity, each character mirroring another facet of the city’s social maze.
What sets Workhorse apart is its unflinching look at envy, ambition, and the subtle humiliations of being underestimated, especially for outsiders and women. Palmer’s prose is crisp and poetic, cutting straight to the heart of identity and self-worth amid the chaos of a changing media landscape. The book’s pace is brisk, the atmosphere immersive, and the humour lands just when the narrative edges toward darkness.
The insider’s view of magazine life will hit home for anyone who’s done time in media, but Palmer’s themes: ambition, self-invention, the hunger to belong, are universal. The novel’s length is never a drag; Palmer keeps things moving and never lets the energy flag.
For audiobook fans, Helen Laser’s narration is a treat; her skillful performance adds a new dimension to Clodagh and the cast, drawing out the humour and vulnerability that make Palmer’s writing sing.
Workhorse is a smart, stylish, and surprisingly moving debut, equal parts love letter and takedown of the media world’s intoxicating highs and brutal lows. If you’re drawn to sharp literary fiction, workplace dramas, or stories about ambition’s price, this one’s for you.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
