This was very literature driven. Definitely not a sit down and devour book. If you like Jane Austen it was an interesting read.

I really liked the premise of this book but it wasn't quite what I was expecting. There was a lot of anecdotal stories and less practical advice. I do love Jane Austen but felt that some of the key messages just don't align to 2021 values. Other reviewers have commented that the girl does always get the guy and doesn't care about falling into poverty which isnt practical! I appreciate these are stories but found the link to modern day slightly tenuous.

Thank you for the arc.

This book was awesome as a whole. I am not a non-fiction reader and I'm not ashamed of that. I prefer to be diverted by stories than read about things I deal with on a daily basis. This book is an exception.

Because I'm so inclined to read fiction, I thought, "Here's a book that can put these concepts in a frame I can follow without dying of boredom!" I was right. Now, I don't agree with everything the author throws in there, but I would highly recommend this book to any female in leadership that loves some Jane Austen.

The author takes you through the plots of the six most popular Jane Austen stories and explains how each brings some new (and needed) skill or way of thinking to the table. It's pretty brilliant. I found myself highly motivated to be the best leader I could be, regardless of what's happening around me.

Now, I'm sure people who read a ton of business and leadership book will find tons of fault with this. That's cool. This one's not really for you guys.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I was intrigued by the premise of this book - the idea that Jane Austen's heroines would provide the principles one needed to be an effective female leader. I like Jane Austen, and I am certainly interested in the principles of female leadership, even though I am now retired. However, although the book was interesting, I don't think that it added anything to the ever-growing volume of books on the same subject. It appears that the author loves Jane Austen, and wanted to review her books, pegging them to a current "hot topic." And, if I never hear the phrase "internally referenced leadership" (vastly overused, sometimes 2 or 3 times per page) again, it will be too soon.

One thing that did annoy me - the whole point of the book seemed to be that all gender based discrimination can be dealt with by being like Jane Austen's heroines - fix your own head and all will be well. Just make yourself ethical and strong and calm and so on, and just walk away if that doesn't change the world around you. And, if that means you can't pay the rent and provide for your family, oh well - Jane's heroines were perfectly happy to retreat into whatever conditions of poverty their stands resulted in, and things came out just fine in the end.

Interesting as a review of Austen's book - not so much, really, as a guide to dealing with the actual world.

Books on leadership are rarely enjoyable to read, let alone easy to get through and understand. Kicking Ass in a Corset is a brilliant introduction into how women can become leaders without having to push away our femininity or become hardened while making our own way to the top, whilst referencing, of all things, some of Jane Austen's heroines.

Although this leadership manual in heavy on terminology, Andrea Kayne creates an easy awareness on the self, your values & beliefs, and those of others to encourage and internalise what can be, coupled by exercises that challenge what you've read and how you think.

Kicking Ass in a Corset takes the major heroines in each of Jane Austens book and applies leadership and personal mindset teaching in each one. The concept is great and an Austen fan will like the approach. However there is so much repetition and filler that it loses its message. I think it would make a better pocket guide style book instead of a full length narrative.

As a stay at home mother, and not particularly a leader, I was at first concerned that this book wouldn't be a good fit for me! However, there was a lot to glean from this creative book which matches principles of leadership to Jane Austen heroines. An accessible read, it was fun to analyze the leading ladies of the Austen novels, and glean life lessons and applications from them. If this book doesn't inspire you to look inside and seek growth, I dont know what will.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

Andrea Kayne’s Kicking Ass in a Corset uses the work of Jane Austen to identify six qualities that can help organizational leaders survive, thrive and make change today. What could be a cute but silly concept in other hands achieves genuine depth and impact here thanks to Kayne’s expertise in gender and leadership issues as well as her understanding of Austen’s emotional and social landscapes. While the novels of "The Great Jane" yield the book’s framework, detailed discussions of contemporary leaders, institutions and strategies make it both timely and useful.

I requested this book because I love the literature of Jane Austen and also leadership books. I was the CFO of a small public college for 25 years and was the first woman in leadership at that level for our university, so I have experience working as a a woman-leader in a non-traditional environment. I thought the author's take on reviewing leadership through the lens of Jane Austen's characters was an interesting one. However I could not finish this book. The author takes a new-age gender discrimination view of the world that I jus could not stomach.
I received a complementary copy for review from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.