Bond Girl
Author: Erin Duffy
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Goodreads Summary:

When other little girls were dreaming about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett set her sights on conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. And though she’s prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys’ club, or duck the occasional errant football, she quickly realizes she’s in over her head when she’s relegated to a kiddie-size folding chair with her new moniker””Girlie””inscribed in Wite-Out across the back. 

No matter. She’s determined to make it in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street’s most esteemed brokerage firms. Keeping her eyes on the prize, the low Girlie on the totem pole will endure whatever comes her way””whether trekking to the Bronx for a $1,000 wheel of Parmesan cheese; discovering a secretary’s secret Friday night slumber/dance party in the conference room; fielding a constant barrage of “friendly” practical jokes; learning the ropes from Chick, her unpredictable, slightly scary, loyalty-demanding boss; babysitting a colleague while he consumes the contents of a vending machine on a $28,000 bet; or eluding the advances of a corporate stalker who’s also one of the firm’s biggest clients. 

Ignoring her friends’ pleas to quit, Alex excels (while learning how to roll with the punches and laugh at herself) and soon advances from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate. Suddenly, she’s addressed by her real name, and the impenetrable boys’ club has transformed into forty older brothers and one possible boyfriend. Then the apocalypse hits, and Alex is forced to choose between sticking with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster or kicking off her Jimmy Choos and running for higher ground. 

What I Thought:

BOND GIRL came into my life at the perfect time. I was in a serious reading slump, and I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical when I picked up this book. Described as “The Devil Wears Prada” but instead of fashion, finance, I found it hard to believe that this book was going to be exciting. But oh, I was SO wrong. So very wrong.

I tore through BOND GIRL in just a few days, often staying up late into the night to get in a few more pages. It was extremely easy to get lost in Alex’s world. Because to be completely honest? Alex’s world absolutely FASCINATED me. I loved watching this somewhat shy, recent college grad get thrusted into the big, bad (and scary) world of finance.

The setting of this book, Alex’s Wall Street office, was one of the things that made me absolutely fall in love with this book. From the guys on the ‘floor’ who called her ‘Girlie’ to the fact that she wasn’t even given a desk until six months into her job, I found the tiny nuances of life on Wall Street fascinating. I grew to love the guys Alex worked with and laughed out loud at some of the silly things that happened on a daily basis in Alex’s job.

While this book made me laugh and also shake my head at some of the ridiculous things Alex was forced to do in her job, it also brought up some pretty important points that made me think. First off, this book reminded me that there is still inequality in the workplace. It may be 2012, but men and women are still not held to the same standards when it comes to work. In this book, Alex literally has to prove herself time and time again to cement her place on the trading floor. She has to become one of the guys, and do as the guys say, to move forward in her career. But on a more serious note, she also deals with sexual harassment, which should NEVER be allowed or accepted in the workplace, or anywhere else.

Throughout the book, I grew to really appreciate the relationship between Alex and her boss Chick. Chick is difficult to deal with in the beginning of the book, but it’s easy to tell that with time, he really appreciates Alex’s brains and efforts, and becomes something of a mentor to her. It was fun to watch the relationship develop between the two, and some of my favorite scenes in the book involved Chick really taking Alex under his wing.

I often lament that there aren’t enough books for twenty-somethings. This book is the perfect example of what I would LOVE to see more of. In the beginning of this book, Alex is fresh out of college and struggling with all of the things that most young professionals are facing. I adored this book because I was able to relate to Alex and all of the things she was going through from succeeding in her first job, to moving into her first apartment to dealing with dating.

One of my favorite things about this book is that the author, Erin Duffy, actually worked on Wall Street! This book takes bits and pieces of things she experiences (dramatized for fiction, obviously) but gives a real glimpse into what life in finance is like. I loved how fast-paced this read was; I couldn’t put it down because I was so lost on Alex’s fascinating world. If you’re a twenty-something, relatively new professional looking for a fun and entertaining read, you will absolutely love BOND GIRL. I promise.

*Bonus* I was lucky enough to host author Eric Duffy for a fabulously hilarious guest post a few weeks ago. Be sure to check it out here.

5/5

Review copy provided by publicist.