Book Review: Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar by Margaret Gardiner

Welcome to the world of model Joey Superstar – a whirlwind of cocaine, sex, and money.

Josaphina Brinkley seems to have it all: she’s a superstar model in 1980s America, a cover girl plastered naked on fashion billboards above Sunset Blvd. Women want to be her. Men simply want her.

But underneath the glossy veneer she hides a traumatic past. The end of her marriage to Italian Aristocracy led to a stint in rehab. As she returns to parties, premiers and modeling, she’s hoping a life of designer clothes and beautiful people won’t take her back to blow. If only she could be truly seen, heard and understood, perhaps she wouldn’t self-destruct again?

Joey sets out to confront the roots of her wildness – but must admit to a youthful act that haunts her. As Joey fights from addiction to redemption, can she change the course of her life, deal with her dark past and become the superstar she was always destined to be? Former Miss Universe Margaret Gardiner gives readers the key to a secret world of supermodels, sex, style and scandal in her deliciously intoxicating debut, Joey Superstar, the first in an exciting Damaged Beauty series.

*****

It’s the 80’s and Joey is a successful model, well, until her marriage ends with her being sent to rehab. When she is released, she tries to pick herself up again but it isn’t an easy road and it’s not long before Joey is falling into familiar destructive patterns.

I am going to talk about this book as much as I can without giving away too many spoilers (I hope).

I have to admit, it did take me a couple of chapters to get into this story. However, the plot grabbed hold of me and before long, it’s was the middle of the night and I hadn’t realised how long I’d been reading.

At the beginning, I didn’t like Joey at all. That being said, the further I got into the book, the more compelling she became and before long, I felt much empathy for her. That’s all I will say about Joey as I believe one of the brilliant things about this novel is the layers it has to it. Nothing is as it seems on the surface – much like celebrity status.

Margaret Gardiner has done a good job at giving us a snapshot of what it was like for women in the 80’s. You would hope that in this day and age, the behaviour exhibited by some of the characters would be a thing of the past. I get the feeling it isn’t and that makes me incredibly worried and sad. Some of what happens within the story is shocking. I found myself getting angry at injustices portrayed within this book. It definitely is an emotional rollercoaster that, by the end, had me wanting to know what happens next. As this is the first book in the Damaged Beauty series, I am hoping I won’t have to wait long to find out.

Told mainly from the point of view of Joey with offshoots to her friend, Fran, this book is about a woman’s battle to become more than what is expected of her, including from herself. It also explores how devastating trauma can be especially when it goes unchecked. This book is an fascinating study into human psychology.

Overall, I found Joey Superstar to be a haunting , complex and addictive tale with a main character that is relatable in many surprising ways.

About Margaret Gardiner –

A cover girl in Paris at 16, Miss Universe at 18 & fashion editor for Golden Globes, Margaret Gardiner has worked with A-list actors from Angelina Jolie to Zendaya. She’s walked the red carpet & seen behind the scenes.

Nominated for Media and Entertainment Journalism Awards her first Best Seller was ‘Margaret Gardiner’s Complete Health & Beauty Guide’.

With a BSci in Psychology she’s co-hosted Miss Universe, Miss South Africa, Good Morning South Africa, panels for influencers on mental health, stylists on fashion, women on inequity & podcast. She’s organized panels for The American Pavilion, Cannes Film Festival, she’s guested on Miss Universe 2023, Telemundo’s No. 1 entertainment program that night in adults 18-49, walked in & covered Paris Fashion Week. 

‘Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar’ is the first in the ‘Damaged Beauty’ series about good girls who play nice, get damaged & find their voice to become who they really are.

For every would-be fashionista, influencer, or model, here’s a peek behind the proscenium.

Connect with Margaret Gardiner on Instagram.

Damaged Beauty: Joey Superstar was released by Nightstar in February 2025. Click here to buy on Amazon UK, Waterstones and Amazon US. 

by

Laura

I'm Laura. I started Novel Kicks back in 2009 as I wanted a place to discuss books and writing - two loves of my life. As someone who has anxiety, these two things give me, and I am sure countless others, a much needed escape.
There is a monthly book club, writing exercises, prompts, reviews, author interviews, competitions and guest posts. I cover many genres and I hope there is something for everyone.
I grew up by the sea in Dorset and currently live in Poole with my husband, Chris and three cats. I love writing and have a BA (Hons) in Creative Writing from Falmouth University. I am writing my first book. If only I could stop pressing delete. Chris has threatened to stop it from working. Haha.
I have always loved creative writing since I was in first school and would very much like to meet my teacher, Miss Sayers, to say thank you for all the encouragement she gave me then.
When not writing, I love reading, cats, Disney, singing (I can't sing but this doesn't stop me,) and falling into a good TV show or film. If I could step into any fictional world, it would be amongst the characters in ABC's Once Upon a Time.
I love reading many genres and discovering new authors.