Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao. a contemporary fiction story, strips away the technology world's shield, exposing it for the hotbed of misogynistic attitudes it actually is. The realization about what goes on in this world has only recently come to light, and Valley Verified tells the tale through a fashion writer's eyes in a way that illuminates it authentically and approachably.

My favorite character had to be Damien. I loved watching his growth during the story and how he comes through for the main character, Zoe. He's a minor character story-wise but a main character in terms of impact. Zoe, on the other hand, could have been more likable. She is unapologetically herself, and I love that about her. But, she has a naivety that sparked extreme reactions that are often so wrong. I just wanted to take her by the hand and explain my wisdom, which was born of many more experiences than her own. How her instincts were not screaming "danger" to her in certain situations baffled me.

I found the tech world more authentically portrayed than not. My only critique is that I think the story took on too many issues. I would rather read about one issue in depth than many issues addressed just on the surface. The misogyny in the tech profession and, by extension, some of its more social products has been a very troubling revelation, especially in our tech-filled world. Valley Verified has taken an interesting angle to illuminate those issues, even when it stretched to take on a bit too much.

I devoured this book. It was so fast paced and full of tension that moved the story forward. It felt very reminiscent of the "chick lit" books I adored years ago like The Devil Wear's Prada and Bond Girl. I really love a book that explores a twenty-somethings trials and tribulations in their early career and this one, combining fashion and tech with a feminist bend, was fabulous. And like those earlier books, this one also has a romantic subplot that, while not prominent, was adorable. I enjoyed the author's debut but liked this one even more! I wish there were more of these books!

I loved this book! I will definitely recommend it. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If this book had a play list it would include The Man and Karma by TS. While this book dealt with some deeper societal themes (f*ck the patriarchy!), the aspects I loved the most were the strong friendships and the way women supported other women. That made it such a feel good read. I really loved it. I can't wait to see what Zhao writes next!

I really enjoyed this coming of age story featuring Asian American fashion writer, Zoe who is finding life in NYC dissatisfying after making it nowhere in her current job. When she gets an offer to join a new tech startup, FitPick, she jumps at the chance and embraces the Silicon Valley life. Unfortunately trying to make it as a woman in a male dominated industry is no easy feat, especially when she discovers what a shady guy her boss is.

Full of female empowerment, found family and taking down the man justice, plus a touch of secret office romance and I was all in on this story. Great on audio too and perfect for fans of books like Technically yours by Denise Williams. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy and @prhaudio for complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, author Kyla Zhao, and Berkley for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book was unfortunately not for me. I was very intrigued by the fashion aspect side of it, and although I knew she would be going into the tech world, I did not expect for how much tech jargon or stereotypical start-up people/behavior/settings would be included. That is on me, as I am not into tech stuff at all personally and should have read the synopsis more carefully. Ultimately though, I also found the writing to be pretty basic, and Zoey's character irritated me quite a bit. I would have loved to see her friendships/relationships with her coworkers fleshed out more and had less time spent on a cheesy office romance that added nothing to the story. I also didn't like how Zoey was immediately against the only other woman in the office. There was too much "telling" and not "showing" of things happening in the book, and I felt like this was just a forgettable read for me.

This book landed on my kindle at the best time. I accepted a massive job promotion and change after 17 years. Though I'm almost 20 years older than these characters, my empathy was totally there. And of course the casual ignoring of Zoe, especially by the male coworkers ran so true from my own work experiences over the decades.
Zoe really resonated - leaving her found family. massive changes and the strong desire to succeed in a completely different field. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you so much to Berkley and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Can we first talk about the lovely cover? I really enjoyed Kyla Zhao's The Fraud Squad, and I liked Valley Verified even better. The author's voice is very poised. I really like that there was a lot of everything, much of all quick wit and insight!

I really enjoyed Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao. Loved the premise of the story, a fashion writer from NYC moves across the country to run the marketing department for a new tech start up company. Zoe was a great character to get to know and I really liked reading about how she navigated her way thru Silicon Valley. There was a little bit of everything is this book; romance, humor, suspense, mystery. Would totally recommend!

This book spoke my love language on Corporate Fashion for Women - "Especially when that way of Corporate dressing just doesn't fit my personal style." My style is more free spirited like the character Zoe.

Valley Verified can best be described as The Devil Wears Prada or in this case Patagonia with techie talk in Silicon Valley. I appreciated the authors frankness on the fashion industry, body image and women in the workplace. Zoe is a fashionista who finds herself the VP of Marketing for a tech start-up dabbling in fashion. The intersection of these two industries was fun with a accessory of romance.

The story moves along nicely as we leave one coast for the other as Zoe begins her new career. I was pulled into the storyline, its characters and the work it takes to create apps. Definitely a book to have on your radar in 2024.

Thank you Berkley for the complimentary copy.

Thank you so much for an advanced copy of Valley Verified! I enjoyed this book a lot.

I think my favorite thing about this book is how it blends together a Devil Wear Prada vibe with Silicon Valley. I thought Kyla Zhao's attention to detail was flawless in this story, and I loved all the little Easter eggs sprinkled throughout. I've always been fascinated by the fashion world, and honestly, I felt like this book transported me to a different world that I could immerse myself in throughout the story!

Women's fiction is usually hit or miss for me, but I found myself really enjoying the overall plot of this one more than the romance subplot! That's rare an author can evoke that feeling from me, but Kyla did a wonderful job making me care and making me root for the characters in this book. I was really pulled in the world Kyla builds throughout out, and I didn't want to leave when the story finished!

This was also a quick read for me, which I liked! The plot moves along quickly, and the chapters felt short to me (whether they were or weren't), and that kept me reading long into the night! Highly recommend this one as an early read for 2024!

Star Rating: 4⭐️

Sometimes you just need a charming contemporary novel and Kyla Zhao nailed it. As someone who works in tech, she accurately portrayed the start-up atmosphere and how it feels to be a woman in tech. I cheered when each plot beat hit, especially because of how she foreshadowed each of them. Zoe is so optimistic and naive at the beginning and grows to be a confident marketing boss by the end. I enjoyed the merging of tech and fashion - it kind of felt like a merging of The Devil Wears Prada and The Internship. Just be prepared - this isn't a romcom or romance, though there are some mild romantic elements. It's a solid contemporary. If you want something soapy in the best way and set in Silicon Valley, check this one out!

*Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and to PRH Audio for the gifted ALC*

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of Valley Verified by Kyla Zhao!

Valley Verified is Kyla Zhao's sophomore novel and I'll say that I enjoyed this one more than Fraud Squad.

VV is a contemporary adult novel that follows a young fashion columnist who is pumped to carve a mark in the busy streets of New York only to end up being stuck in the steps towards her goal of being an editor.

I like how Kyla Zhao wrote Zoe and the story focused on her professional life - we need more realistic portrayal of how modern professional settings work.

I also enjoyed reading about startup businesses and I tend to enjoy books that are equally entertaining and informative.

The romance (even though it's technically a subplot only) was also a nice addition to the story and I like how it didn't take the spotlight away from Zoe's career as a columnist.

Overall, this is a fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more of Kyla Zhao's novels.

RATING: 4stars

I thought this was an enjoyable enough coming-of-age story about Zoe, who leaves Manhattan, New York to take a new job in Silicon Valley, California to work for a tech start up FitPick (where the public votes on your outfits, sounds like my personal nightmare!). She was in Manhattan for four years, feeling stuck in her job, living in a shoebox apartment with roommates, and not getting any closer to becoming the fashion writer she had aspired to be when she was a doe-eyed newbie to NYC.

I enjoyed her arc and the tying together of fashion and the Silicon Valley startup world. It felt authentic enough (I'm from Silicon Valley and btw, there's no specific "town" called Silicon Valley, it's just an area, mostly referring to the South Bay in my opinion lol), and I appreciated that Zoe had a bit of a romantic subplot too! Mostly, I was pulled in by the commentary on body positivity and diversity, especially when it comes to the fashion world. The erasure of fat models in fashion is wild, and I'd generally just like to see diversity of all kinds of bodies in fashion, and represented across media everywhere.

Overall, sometimes the writing felt a bit too forced (I thought multiple times, "do people really speak like this?" and I'm surrounded by engineers sooooo I feel like I'd know?) or too perfect if that makes sense. However, I'd still read another book by the author, especially since I think she is local to the bay area.

cw: misogyny, sexual harassment, fatphobia, diet culture/what I call a religion of thinness lol, sexism

From the premise to the execution Kyla Zhao delivers! With an eight figure investment on the line, Zoe hilariously saves the day.

Valley Verified is an inspirational book with contemporary themes.
Zoe is stuck in a rut at her fashion writer job until she takes a leap of faith to move to Silicon Valley and work at a start up app company. Fashion is fickle and so are many elements of her new job as she quickly discovers.
I know nothing about fashion nor technology so the marriage of the two made for an interesting read. What was exhausting to read about was all the influencers and clicks and likes and all the lexicon of social media.
Zoe comes out on top and even stronger about her sense of self and her worth.
From casual attire to haute couture, this book is just the click you’ve been looking for.

This was such a fun fish-out-of-water story with almost Devil Wears Prada vibes. I love the underdog story, the romance, the setting, and the friendships throughout—super fun read!

I can’t think of a better way to describe Valley Verified, than to quote one reviewer who said Kyla Zhao’s sophomore novel “is one of those books that practically reads itself.”

I picked up the book because I was sick, right? I had slight headache and figured I read a chapter or two and then take a nap.

I did not take the nap.

I had to force myself to put down the book so I could eat dinner. I started to get another headache, so I washed up, told myself I’d read a chapter or two…and had to physically force myself to put the book down when I reached the midpoint.

So yeah, Valley Verified is compulsively readable book that’ll suck you in, cure your physical ailments and maybe give you some new ones if you stay up all night reading it.

Kyla Zhao’s writing is just fun. There’s a distinct quality to her third-person narration, and her story reads like a bingeable romcom. There’s a little bit of fashion, a little peek into the fast-paced Silcon Valley start-up life, and a whole lot of love for the Bay Area which you already know is a surefire way to get to this reader’s heart.

Look, I don’t know anything about fashion. I spend my days in scrubs and will chose comfort over couture any day of the week, but there’s something infectious about Zoe’s (and Kyla’s) passion for beautiful clothes that makes you want to go out and create cute outfits. As a tech-adjacent reader (aka someone who’s not in tech but loves a lot of people who are,) I loved the start-up setting. I’m a found family girlie, and the office friendships that develop during the course of the book have my whole heart. I’d also like to issue a formal apology to [REDACTED] who I thought was gonna end up being a tech bro but ended up being a really endearing side character.

The side romance is cute and fun and everything you want from a love story. I’ve always loved a good stoic love interest and would like to know where I can get a seemingly cold, pragmatic man who loves his mom and gets excited about banana bread from the farmer’s market. But I digress. The romance is soft and sweet and exactly what you want when you’re sick in bed and want to watch fictional people fall in love. He’s hot. He’s sensitive. He’s a secret softie. I don’t know what more you want.

The book opens with content warnings that it deals with sexual harassment, so it’s not all fun and games. Overall, the book is a light, easy read, but it does deal with some more difficult topics like sexism and sexual harassment in the workplace. Valley Verified is well-balanced in the sense that it’s serious when it needs to be but never loses the general breezy, fun vibes that makes it enjoyable. (If you see any Legally Blonde comparisons, this is why.) Zhao does a good job of planting seeds so that certain characters give you the ick before you even really know why. I do have some issue with how almost obtusely oblivious Zoe comes across when we start to get into the harder parts of the story. You know that moment in the horror movie when someone’s about to walk into the obviously creepy abandoned warehouse or whatever? I definitely had some “run, girl, RUN” moments when things started getting mucky around the midpoint. Still, I appreciate the attempt to tackle some heavier topics instead of simply making this a lighthearted story.

Side note. This is a very minor part of the story, but I love Zoe’s little moments of reflection on her relationship with her parents. Her parents don’t even make an appearance in the book, that’s how small a role they play. If you put it all together, it maybe would fill a page or two, but what little we get made me feel some feels and I want more (obviously). I’m a big fan of the complicated immigrant parent-second gen child dynamic and think Zhao portrays it in a really honest and genuine way.

Valley Verified is not a perfect book. You know me. I’m gonna be a picky reviewer whether we’re mutuals or not, so I’m going to be honest and admit that Valley Verified has its flaws. (Sorry Kyla if you end up reading this.) The story moves at a snappy pace which is great for inhaling the story but not so great for development. Toward the end, especially, the pacing pushes the plot along too quickly for the story to really sit and breathe. As much as I love the friendships and the minor romance, they move a little quickly for my tastes and would have been that much better if they’d been developed more. Zoe’s relationship with her fashion friends, especially, could be refined more. I like the idea of navigating loneliness and work friendships when you don’t actually work together, but I need the story to dig into it a little deeper.

There are some editing misses. There’s a random scene with the “Chef dream evangelist” of a fellow start-up that’s funny but doesn’t quite fit in with the rest of the narrative. I mentioned it earlier, but the midpoint on Zoe? Not a good look. I get it. The midpoint is usually where character arcs get a little messy, but Zoe gets a little too over-the-top dramatic for hers to feel really believable and satisfying.

Valley Verified is predictable and a little clichéd at times, but I think the entertainment value more than makes up for it. Exhibit A: Zhao pushes Zoe’s inclusivity agenda pretty hard (y’all know soapbox stories are usually one of my pet peeves,) and while it could be finessed a little better, I actually I didn’t mind it as much as I thought I would. (No one is more surprised than I am.) So yeah, not a perfect story.

Is it laughably convenient the way Zoe walks into Nordstroms looking for work clothing and walks out with a new bestie? Yes. Is the resolution a little rushed and easy? Yes. Did Valley Verified end up being a weirdly trashy gossip column that played a bigger role in the story than I expected (yes I know it’s the title of the book)? Yes. But you know? I had such a good time, I don’t really care.

The more I think about it, the more the Legally Blonde comp makes sense to me. If you’re looking for something that’s entertaining but also has a bit of feminist empowerment, check out Valley Verified.

This sounded like something I'd enjoy, but, sadly, it fell flat. The writing seemed stilted, and it was quite predictable overall. Pacing was uneven, as some points felt forced and others dragged. This is labeled as a romance, and some readers may be disappointed, as it was a minimal part of the storyline.