PERFECT. This book was perfect in every way.
I'm a thriller lover, but I requested this book during a pretty heavy reading slump. I love women's fiction, and I couldn't pass this up after reading the synopsis. I needed something light, funny, and empowering. Anastasia Ryan delivered!
Can we also talk about how adorable Indiana's Dad is?! And Margaret?! And Indy's team?! I just loved everyone so much. I highly recommend this to ANY book lover, and I look forward to reading more from this author!

i think the fact that i read this book in one sitting says enough. it's so so good and i really loved almost everyone's character, especially heidi, patrick, shane and of course indiana. the entire premise of this book to begin with was pretty interesting to me as i hadn't read anything like it before. i really do appreciate the mention of important topics (which is apparent from the title itself) and i think it was executed really well. this book was so easy to breeze through because it wasn't overly long or draggy and there were no unnecessary details. even the small little mentions about the side characters were really lovely to me and i just adore this book. props to anastasia ryan for writing such a wonderful and funny read! i will definitely be reading her other book too. 4.2/5

𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 𝙗𝙮 𝘼𝙣𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙖 𝙍𝙮𝙖𝙣
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I absolutely adored this book! After reading Anastasia Ryan’s debut, 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙎𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚 and loving it, I knew I had to jump into this one right away.

𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝘽𝙖𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡 is the perfect mix of humor, working through workplace conflicts, fighting for women’s rights in a male dominated industry and a dabble in romance.

The story line is brilliant and kept me dialed in the entire time. The main character, Indiana is such a badass and I love her outspoken personality and her ability to say things how it is. I loved her story, where she came from as well as her family. Her dad, Margaret and her landlords gave the story such a wholesome feel.

The hilarious twists and turns the story continued to take made it hard to put this book down. I truly loved every second of it and was so excited of how far Indiana got in the end.

Thank you Anastasia Ryan, NetGalley and Source Books for this ARC copy

Not bad for a girl, Anastasia Ryan, not bad at all! This was such a great read, it held me so captive within the story that I forgot to take notes in the one day I smashed this.
I judged this book by its cover and I'm so glad I did. The cute, bright cover ties in with our main character Indiana so well. Indiana, Ana, is a boss ass b**** who stands up for what she believes in and isn't afraid to give as much as she takes.
Someone else described this novel as 'women's fiction' and I wholeheartedly agree. I've never read a woman's fiction novel so we could be wrong but Not Bad For A Girl centered more around proving that a woman has every right to receive the same respect and standards as men. Not just in a workplace environment but in life too. It did this in a way that wasn't overbearing or pushy and made Ana a character I rooted for.
Back to judging this book by its cover - I would have expected more romance based on this, and don't get me wrong the relationship between Ana and Shane was adorable, but I'm glad the fun cartoonish covers still has a chokehold over me otherwise I'm not sure I would have been lucky to experience reading this one.
Thank you to NetGalley, Anastasia Ryan, and team for providing me with an eARC of this novel. Much appreciated!

Although advertised as a romance, this book is more of just a feminist rant on discrimination in the workplace, It is overdone and frustrating, as this kind of discrimination isn't this overt and overreaching. A lot of us have been overlooked and disrespected as women in the workplace, but a lot of the characters and situations just felt forced and fake. I gave it 3 stars because I loved all the humor and the FMC was so relatable and entertaining.

good romance and mixed up with a name. love that she is trying to do the right thing and love her friends and the way that the romance came to be.

Tis the damn season to curl up and get lost in this feeling good kinda cozy romance. And this book suits the bill. I loved heroine for being unapologetically herself. Plus, the ending was sweet too.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of the book in exchange for a review.

This book was so funny. Some of the hijinks were wild, but I loved watching it happen and Indiana's friends were a great ride or die group. This could've just been a rant about men and there were definitely moments of that, but overall it was a story of how to stand your ground and I love how Indiana supports her team. As she finally gets the chance to lead and show her experience. I do feel like this was missing most of the backstory of Ana and her friends and more of what the company was like before it went off the rails.

Indiana "Ana" Aaron is a talented coder and IT specialist, but she doesn't always fit in at work. When she speaks up one too many times for her boss's ego, she's transferred to a remote team—and it's clear this is her last chance to blend in.
Ana sees working from home as a chance at redemption; she can keep her head down and her camera off. But when her new boss praises her assertiveness and thanks Mr. Aaron, she sees no reason to correct him.
But the longer Ana waits to set things straight, the more complicated things get. Soon the legend of "Indiana" begins to take on a life of its own, and Ana is in over her head. Fortunately, she has friends at work, including Shane, a handsome tech guy who's smart enough to put the puzzle together and to help her triumph over workplace preconceptions and other nonsense.

This book was so funny. I loved how Indiana’s friends were ready to makeup up scenarios about Mr. Aaron after Melvin’s mistake. Even loved it more when Shane started going in on the fun. It made me really happy seeing the other men in the remote IT team in New York accept Indiana when they found out the truth. Really enjoyed seeing how Evan and Jason ended up supporting Ana in the end. Heidi and Patrick were a good laugh. Would have really liked to see more of Ana and Shanes’s relationship.

4.5 stars rounded up. Anastasia Ryan’s debut ‘You Should Smile More’ was one of my most pleasant surprise reads earlier this year, so I was really looking forward to reading this one. I was not disappointed.

Indiana ‘Ana’ Aaron is a talented coder who doesn’t get taken seriously at her company, due in large part to the fact that she is a woman. When a transfer leads to her joining a remote team, an identity misunderstanding gives her a taste of what it’s like to be part of the boys club.

The theme of this book is very clear in that it’s calling out the disparity in treatment of women and men in the workplace, in the tech world specifically here. It addresses very real issues in a very endearing way, while still also having a thread of humor throughout.

There is something I find so charming in the way Anastasia Ryan writes comedy. Her characters find themselves in so many quirky situations that it should be ridiculous and yet I constantly find myself genuinely laughing. As off-the-wall as some of it can be, the characters and their actions or reactions feel genuine. I also felt like there was a step up in the romance subplot in this one—we got a bit more time and development with the relationship here than in ‘YSSM’ and I enjoyed it. I also loved the relationship between Ana and her dad. It was very sweet.

Anastasia Ryan is now 2-for-2 for me with her books and I can’t wait to read whatever comes next whenever that may be.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Ana is a coder and IT specialist but she's been having some difficulty in her workplace with fitting in. When she's moved into a new team, and has to now work from home, she accidentally gets mistaken for a guy by her new team lead, she thinks it'd be easier to just keep her head down and not correct him. But as time goes on, things become a little too messy and Ana realises she's definitely in way over her head.
I liked Ana. She was a great character and the issues she faces in the workplace were things I could relate to whole heartedly. The side characters weren't my favourite.
My only complaint is that, despite this book having a romcom cover and feel, it really isn't too much of a romcom. In fact, romance comes a secondary plot and in my opinion, isn't written very convincingly. Ana and the person she eventually ends up with have very little interaction and I feel that could have been addressed more.

This was funny and cute. However, it's not really a romance as the cover and synopsis implies. Instead it's just humorous chick lit. I don't read women's fiction, so the romance part was a bit of a disappointment. That said, I still enjoyed this since it kept me chuckling.

Indiana is a female in a man's world (tech). She's never taken seriously and ends up getting demoted when she speaks out. Her new boss thinks she's a guy based on her name and what happens after that is so outlandish that you wonder just how stupid her co-workers can be. They believed every made-up story about this fictional male Indiana and you're just left wondering how all these supposed coders could be that oblivious and gullible. But it made for a funny storyline.

Indiana has a 'I am woman, hear me roar' moment at the end. The author didn't need to preach to us (mostly female readers I assume); we know just how unfair it is that women make less for the same or better jobs. But I guess it made for a climatic moment in the story.

The ending is cute, but I wish we had gotten more of an update on Indiana and Shane. But again, this wasn't really a romance, so I guess that's why any relationship they had is just an afterthought and doesn't even come into play until the end.

Would I read another book by the author? I probably would when I need something light and funny.

This was a cute book that did a great job depicting struggles that women endure in various professions.

I laughed out loud, so many times at the crazy events that unfolded and appreciated the moment where we got to see the right people stand up for and accept Indiana when she was struggling herself. I was glad to see the romance element of this play a very minimal role and act as a true sublot...this allowed the read to focus on what this story was truly about.

The absurdity in some moments in this novel was absolutely hilarious and had me laughing my buns off. The main character, Ana, was incredibly relatable and made it way easier for me to settle in and read this quickly.

I absolutely loved how Ryan left no stone unturned, viciously exposing the difficulties women inevitably run into in a male dominated field as our FMC accidentally insults her boss and ends up on a remote team nobody wants to be on… only to be misgendered by her new boss.

Ryan handled this masterfully and I thoroughly loved how it did not overwhelm the whole story to the point of excess and still had that touch of romance even at the end. The idea of the mistaken gender and just running with it? Top notch. Her larger-than-life persona that was made up had me wondering how she was going to pull it off. But it had me rooting for her the entire length of the novel.

A book about setting the patriarchy on fire, with a subplot of romance.

If you are a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist series, this novel is directly up your alley.

4.5 stars, rounded up, though I may change it to 5 if I can’t stop thinking about it!

There were so many things I loved about the book, but here are the main points:

1. The fact that Ana was super chaotic - it was extremely relatable.

2. Her relationship with her dad - it was really sweet and it was nice to see a female main character have a good relationship with a parent where they love and support each other. I feel like this doesn’t happen a lot, but even if it does, this relationship really stuck out to me. It was like they went the extra mile to look out for and care for each other, which was amazing.

3. This book was HILARIOUS - and it was also absurd in the best ways.

4. The feminism! I loved how the book exposes the difficulties that women have in male dominated fields. Not only does the author handle this very well, but this is actually the main point and plot of the story. The romance is a sub plot - but there’s still a good amount of it and the balance is perfect for the story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for this copy in exchange for a review!

Read if you like:
• Laugh-out-loud comedy
• Strong female heroines
• Mistaken identity
• Workplace romance

Indiana "Ana" Aaron is a talented coder and IT specialist at Apollo IT, but she doesn't always fit in at work. After being passed over for a well-earned promotion, Ana speaks up at a company meeting and ends up being transferred to a remote team that no one wants to be on. It's clear this is Ana's last chance, and she sees working from home as an opportunity for redemption. On her new remote team, Ana keeps her head down and her camera off. But when Ana corrects her new boss in an email, suddenly "Mr. Aaron" is praised for being assertive, and Ana sees no reason to correct her mistaken identity. The longer Ana waits to set things straight, though, the more complicated things get. Soon, the legend of "Indiana" begins to take on a life of its own, and Ana is in over her head. She doesn't know how to compete with her alter-ego, a former Navy SEAL, emergency back-up goalie, hang-glider, pilot, and life-saving hero. Fortunately, she has friends at work, including Shane, a handsome tech guy who's smart enough to put the pieces together and to help her triumph over workplace preconceptions and other nonsense.

I need a minute to finish this review, because I am still laughing just thinking about all of the hijinks and shenanigans that Ana and her friends got into. This book was absolutely hilarious and had so much heart. While this book made me smile, it also made me angry because there is so much truth to what Ana experienced in her male-dominated field. Ryan tackles a lot of tough subjects in this book—gender discrimination, the patriarchy, and female empowerment—but does so in a way that doesn't feel overly preachy. This was such a thoughtful and fun workplace comedy that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Professionally, Indiana “Ana” Aaron is a woman in a man’s world. She’s excellent at IT and coding, but not always great at relating to her male coworkers and bosses. She’s not afraid to speak her mind though, and after she offends her boss, winds up assigned to a remote team no one wants to be on.

Working from home, her camera off during zoom calls, and a first name that evokes Indiana Jones all lead to her new boss mistakenly assuming she’s a man. Instead of correcting him, Ana decides to roll with it. With the help of her friends, she invents a larger-than-life persona for Indiana: pilot, emergency back-up goalie for the Avalanche, and other crazy hijinks. I was simultaneously laughing out loud while being anxious that she was going to get found out and also rooting for her to take down her jerk of a boss.

As a woman who works in a male-dominated field myself, I totally identified with Ana and found myself infuriated by the sexist nonsense she had to endure. Luckily, there was plenty of raucous laughter to cancel out my flares of irritation at the patriarchy. This book is a hoot! It has a romcom vibe but the romance is just a side plot and the workplace shenanigans take center stage, which is awesome! Ana’s friends are fantastic, and her relationship with her dad is adorable.

This is Anastasia Ryan’s second workplace comedy and after loving this one and her debut, “You Should Smile More”, I can safely say I would read absolutely anything she writes in the future! Many thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for providing me an advance copy of this book.

Fans of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist novels, Anastasia Ryan’s Not Bad For A Girl should be next on your list! Indiana is a coder and is used to being overlooked, told to be quiet, or completely left out in her field simply due to her gender. So, when her new boss accidentally assumes she is a man, she decides to roll with it and see what happens. It’s night and day! She’s getting listening to, receiving positive feedback, and kicking ass at her job! Just one thing…she’s still a woman, and figuring out how to keep this secret is a bit more complicated than she first thought.

4 stars

This was absolutely wonderful.
You should smile more is one of my favorite books and when I saw this one I knew I had to read it too.
Our Heroine is amazing. Just amazing. Her resilience and the way she faces life is inspiring.
This book was funny and emotional (I love our heroine's relationship with her dad) and although it's technically not romance, I adored the romantic elements here. I was swooning so hard!!!!
Friendships are one of my favorite things from Anastasia's books and the one here was amazing 👏
Overall this was so much fun and I can't wait for everyone to read this book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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:
🐟 workplace stories
🐟 banter
🐟 hijinks
🐟 laughing out loud
🐟 dismantling the patriarchy