More Than Fashion
Chasing the Dream #3
Elizabeth Briggs
Genre: New Adult
Publication Date: July 30, 2015

They’re enemies who will do anything to win…including each other.

When pre-med student Julie Hong wins a spot on a fashion design reality TV show, she celebrates by picking up a hot English guy in a hotel bar. But too many drinks leads to a night of embarrassment and a major hangover, and wow is she glad she’ll never see him again.

Until the show starts, and he’s on it too.

Julie quickly realizes she’s out of her league among the other designers, and Gavin Bennett, with his cocky grin and sexy accent, is her biggest competition. Julie can’t decide if she wants to kiss him or kill him. Or both.

After she’s almost kicked off, Julie convinces Gavin to pretend they’re sleeping together for the camera. The ploy works, but as they get closer to the show’s finale their fake relationship starts to become too real. But only one of them can win the show—and they might both end up heartbroken.

I feel like I read this book in record time, wanting to know what would happen and who the winner of the competition would be. Elizabeth Briggs has a fantastic habit of taking unique themes and creating something that the reader will remember long after the last page is read. More Than Fashion is no different. This story takes the reader behind the scenes of the fashion world, giving us a glimpse into a new realm of exciting and competitive reality TV. I think one of the things I loved the most about this story is that it reads like a show. There is drama and fierce competition. You have those secondary characters that are as annoying as can be- too full of themselves and their talent. Alliances are formed and romances bloom. Basically everything that would sell a reality TV show brought to life in a vibrant and intriguing book. That right there is a recipe for greatness.

Julie is such a fun character to read. Her culture bleeds through in this story and I loved that fresh angle. She has been raised to respect her parents and to honor their wishes- a tough thing to do when they clash so strongly with her own. She takes a chance to find her place in the fashion world and strives to leave her mark. Julie is quite a character. She is full of spunk and determination and at times confusion and frustration. Watching her grow into a confident woman was a roller coaster but well written and developed. The book shows the struggle she has on the show, a struggle to find the balance of being herself but adhering to the rules of the game. I feel like every emotion she felt was validated in this story. She was all over the place at points but it displays the reality of the situation- sleep deprived, stressed, and expected to meet seemingly unrealistic expectations.

Gavin is quite the swoon worthy man! His passion is intense and his flair for the fashion world is founded on a unique perspective that adds more. He is so unlike the fashion stereotype for men in the industry and that was fun to read. When these two first meet, is it lust at first sight. Then they meet again and all hell breaks loose. I loved their banter and flirtation. Gavin is hilarious in his antics and I loved watching him tease Julie. Their is a tension between the two that is natural given the circumstances but it grows even greater when their emotions are tangled in the mix. Elizabeth does a great job of progressing their relationship. It is well rounded and realistic for the situation at hand. It is attraction laced in annoyance and competition- one where Julie is always second guessing everything happening. I loved the drama of it all and despite the fact I hardly watch reality TV, if Behind the Seams actually aired I would be glued to the screen!

This story seemed like it should be predictable on some basic level but it isn’t. There are twists and turns that you will not see coming and surprises that will leave you stunned. This story is about more than a fashion show. It is about a young woman finding herself amidst the confusion of life and hold onto her dreams, both old and new, to find her place in the world. More Than Fashion is a refreshing tale of choosing to follow your dreams and finding new ones along the way.

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