Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.6 AVERAGE
3.6 AVERAGE
"Not Bad for a Girl" by Anastasia Ryan is a delightful workplace comedy that skillfully blends humor, relatable moments, and a touch of romance. The story follows Indiana "Ana" Aaron, a talented coder and IT specialist who finds herself transferred to a remote team after a series of awkward encounters in the office.
The novel navigates the hilarious mishaps of remote work, from cringe-worthy Zoom calls to the challenges of blending in when you're not exactly the office norm. Ana's decision to keep a low profile while working from home takes an unexpected turn when her new boss mistakes her for a male colleague, Mr. Aaron. Instead of correcting the error, Ana decides to let the misconception linger, leading to a series of laugh-out-loud moments and a growing workplace legend.
Anastasia Ryan crafts a witty and engaging narrative that captures the essence of workplace dynamics and the lengths one might go to fit in. The characters, especially Ana, are endearing, and the camaraderie she shares with her friends at work adds depth to the story. The introduction of Shane, a handsome tech guy, adds a charming layer of romance to the mix.
"Not Bad for a Girl" is a light-hearted and enjoyable read, offering a humorous take on the quirks of office life, even in a remote setting. Ryan's storytelling is filled with clever observations and relatable anecdotes, making this workplace comedy a perfect choice for those looking for a fun escape with a generous dose of laughter and heartwarming moments.
The novel navigates the hilarious mishaps of remote work, from cringe-worthy Zoom calls to the challenges of blending in when you're not exactly the office norm. Ana's decision to keep a low profile while working from home takes an unexpected turn when her new boss mistakes her for a male colleague, Mr. Aaron. Instead of correcting the error, Ana decides to let the misconception linger, leading to a series of laugh-out-loud moments and a growing workplace legend.
Anastasia Ryan crafts a witty and engaging narrative that captures the essence of workplace dynamics and the lengths one might go to fit in. The characters, especially Ana, are endearing, and the camaraderie she shares with her friends at work adds depth to the story. The introduction of Shane, a handsome tech guy, adds a charming layer of romance to the mix.
"Not Bad for a Girl" is a light-hearted and enjoyable read, offering a humorous take on the quirks of office life, even in a remote setting. Ryan's storytelling is filled with clever observations and relatable anecdotes, making this workplace comedy a perfect choice for those looking for a fun escape with a generous dose of laughter and heartwarming moments.
Women’s Fiction
Female in a Male Dominated Career
Hidden Identity
Indiana Aaron is a female coder. The story begins with her being passed for a promotion to a male colleague. Shes outspoken and gets transferred to a different remote team where her new boss assumes she’s male because of her name. Indiana who goes by Ana lets him think she’s a male so maybe she get a little more respect for the work she does and it kind of snowballs from there.
I think the cover is slightly misleading. It looks like a cute romcom but it’s barely a romance. There is a subplot romance but it’s just sprinkled in a little bit. It is being marketed as Women’s Fiction so I am happy with that.
This book is about gender and other forms of workplace discrimination. It took a very real and serious matter and made it quirky and funny at times. There was a quote from Indiana/Ana in this book that describes her character well “I have an opinion about everything. That makes me bossy, insubordinate, and emotional. It makes my counterpart, the manly Indiana, assertive, a risk-taker, and an innovator." It was really nice reading this book and seeing the recognition of the bias we all have when we meet someone. We have to fight those biases that are instilled in us. It is sad that we have come along way from our history but we still have so much further to go.
I liked the depiction of misogyny in the workplace in this book. I think it was pretty well done. Not only was her boss a misogynist but he was also just plain terrible at his job. The rest of her coworkers were nice and supportive though. The way they stood up for and with her was pretty great.
The rest of the book was a little weird though. There’s a lot of ‘nerd’ lingo that I’m not really all that familiar with so it didn’t really hit for me. I didn’t hate it because it is sweet that everyone lets Ana be herself with no apologies. It was still a little much though like just random long winded conversations about nothing. I didn’t really feel like any of the characters including the FMC had that much depth to them.
Also, the romance was a subplot but overall it was just meh. There was really nothing to them. It was a healthy relationship though I guess so once again I didn’t hate it but it fell a little flat for me.
Overall, this was an ok book for me. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it.
Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Anastasia Ryan, and Netgalley for the eARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Synopsis: Indiana “Ana” Aaron is the best coder at her male-dominated IT company, hibut when she speaks out against her boss at a meeting, she is reassigned to a team doomed to fail. Ana helps turn things around for her new team, and, due to remit work, she is mistaken for a man. She doesn’t correct the assumption, and the “lie” quickly turns into the stuff of legends, fueled by her work besties. Ana finds herself fighting to keep her job and stand up for herself all while falling for her cute new coworker Shane.
Thoughts: Do you enjoy laughing out loud and tearing down the patriarchy? Then boy do I have a book for you! This book was so much fun. I expected a rom com but I loved that the focus was on Ana’s work story with the romance as a subplot. There were lots of hilarious moments to balance out the serious topic of women’s struggle for equality in the workplace. All of the characters were well written. Ana was smart and quirky, and her friends and family were a wonderful addition that brought a lot of the comedy. The men who were supposed to be unlikable certainly were, but I appreciated that there were some really great men at the company as a reminder that there are lots of good ones out there, too. I highly recommend this one - go preorder your copy ASAP!
Read this if you like:
Thoughts: Do you enjoy laughing out loud and tearing down the patriarchy? Then boy do I have a book for you! This book was so much fun. I expected a rom com but I loved that the focus was on Ana’s work story with the romance as a subplot. There were lots of hilarious moments to balance out the serious topic of women’s struggle for equality in the workplace. All of the characters were well written. Ana was smart and quirky, and her friends and family were a wonderful addition that brought a lot of the comedy. The men who were supposed to be unlikable certainly were, but I appreciated that there were some really great men at the company as a reminder that there are lots of good ones out there, too. I highly recommend this one - go preorder your copy ASAP!
Read this if you like:
I love the idea and the general plot of this book. I always love women in STEM fields represented and this book certainly represented. My main issue was that it came off very lecture heavy to point out that women can have a rougher path in male-dominated fields. Maybe some people aren’t as aware of that, but this book would make them very aware. Certain monologues are very preach-y and just don’t flow or add to the story. The FMC didn’t have much personality besides being small, liking fish, and being a woman in tech. The romance was completely forced and there were too many nerdy references that were also forced. This book could be good, but it needs some serious edits first. 2.75⭐️, 0.5🌶
I understand what the author was trying to do here, and I commend her to trying to make it comedic while also addressing the real issue of misogyny in the workplace. However, every character and scene was so stereotypical, this ended up becoming a caricature of both sides. The men were so overtly sexist, it put Mad Men to shame, and Ana was so crazy manic pixie dream girl she describes herself as “cartoonish” and talks of the struggle of not wearing pink or glitter to an office. When she’s faking being a man she sounds like she’s naming the most stupid things men have said on dates. And the way her and her friends act when keeping her identity secret was like they were 10, not late 20s.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I received an advanced copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I decided to start 2024 with this book because I adored Anastasia’s first book, so I knew this would also be great. This book made me laugh out loud, have a little bit of light swooning, and feel righteous anger for the FMC, Indiana. I really can’t remember the last time a book made me laugh as much as this one. This book touched on topics such as sexism and a little bit of racism. There were also some really interesting facts and stories sprinkled throughout with things in history I didn’t know about. Highly recommend!!!
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was so good! The focus wasn't on the love story but rather on Ana's growth as a character and I loved that. The mysogynist aspect had my blood boiling, but was very well handled. Funny at times as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC! I was so excited for this book and it did not disappoint. Anastasia Ryan’s debut, You Should Smile More, was hilarious and relatable and Not Bad For A Girl was even better! I adored Indiana and her friends, family and most of her co-workers
This was an okay book. Definitely more fiction than romance which was fine. The premise was literally ludicrous and I couldn’t stop laughing at some parts. A company directory search would have squashed this ridiculous notion but I digress. Good commentary on women in tech. I really hated the storyline with the fish. It was just not for me. Ending was satisfying enough. I gave it three stars (2.5 rounded up cause I laughed quite a bit). I would try another book by this author - but this one didn’t hit for me.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.