SOUTHERN CHARM

Very much in the vein of Lauren Weisenberger's hugely bestselling roman a clef The Devil Wears Prada Tinsley Mortimer's début novel tells us the story of Minty Davenport, as she makes her way from naïve southern belle to NY socialite.

Small town girl Minty Davenport always dreamed of skyscrapers and yellow cabs. So upon graduation from college, she bids adieu to Charleston and makes a beeline for the Big Apple. Landing a job at a PR firm, she crosses paths with the city’s elite, who are charmed by her vivacious personality and no-strings-attached sincerity. When she finds her picture in fashion magazines alongside A-list celebrities, Minty realizes that her future is in front of the camera, not behind it. But it’s a long way from the deb balls of Charleston to Fashion Week in Lincoln Center, and the gatekeepers to New York society upper echelons aren’t easily charmed. At first, Minty’s attempts to apply etiquette lessons of a southern belle to big city life fail miserably—to comic effect. But she eventually morphs from the girl who alphabetizes the guest list to a boldface name, while also landing the city’s most eligible bachelor. When a fellow “It Girl” starts rumors that threaten to ruin Minty’s social standing, Minty is forced to reevaluate her values. Finally, she realizes that only by embracing her southern charm can she rule the city. Tinsley Mortimer grew up in Richmond, Virginia and is a graduate of the Lawrenceville School and Columbia University. Known for her self-proclaimed “girly girl” style, Tinsley has since been featured on the pages of Vogue, WWD, Harper’s Bazaar, and Marie Claire magazine, to name a few. She is frequently featured in celebrity publications, such as Us Weekly, OK!, Life & Style, and In Touch. Tinsley has also served as a “Beauty Ambassador” for Christian Dior and helped to create a lip gloss called Tinsley Pink for the brand. She designs a line of handbags for the Japanese company Samantha Thavasa and is currently working on her own ready-to-wear line available only in Japan. She has starred in the reality television show High Society, and has appeared on Dr. Phil, America’s Next Top Model, Extra, Access Hollywood, E!, E True Hollywood Story “Society Girls,” Bravo’s The Fashion Show, Gossip Girl, Germany’s RTL, LXTV, Good Day New York, Good Day LA, and CW11 Morning News.