I can't concisely put my thoughts down, but you get what I'm trying to say. I enjoyed it so much that I got through it in a single day. Valley Verified is one of those books that practically reads itself, it's that fun. But I will try, so find my full review in my blog as I talk about the themes, character achetypes, as well as the little details in this book!

This lovely contemporary story features strong, believable characters in a workplace romance that takes a backseat to work-related friendships that slowly develop as the protagonist, Zoe Zeng, makes the jump from barely scraping by in her job as a fashion writer in New York to a well-paying job as the marketing maven for the Silicon Valley tech start-up, FitPick. It definitely creates culture shock, both for Zoe and for her new coworkers. It's tough to leave your old friends behind, especially when the new coworkers are so very different in style. But although there are a great number of challenges, including an online blowup that tarnishes both Zoe and the company's reputation, how Zoe and her friends handle it is totally believable and leads to a very satisfying ending. This is well worth the read.

Zoe Zheng goes from fashion writer in New York to a tech job in fashion in California's Silicone Valley. How she manages, fails, and begins to thrive is the theme of this novel that focuses on tech startups and the pitfalls and challenges relating to them.

The themes are numerous, which I appreciated and learned from, from cutthroat rivalry in the tech sectors to male domination in almost all areas of work, which working women have to overcome.by helping each other and befriending helpful, non threatening males in the workplace.

Social media nfluencers also play a large part in this story. There is also romance in the mix for Zoe, who is recovering from a very bad previous relationship. It seems the author threw every current theme and topic into this novel, to make it appealing, I presume, to a diverse, younger female audience.

I enjoyed reading about the current state of affairs in the tech and fashion world, the use of social media in new startups, and the age old battle between domineering males and females.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me a free eARC of this book to read in exchange for my review!

A compelling story that showcases the many colourful facets of these characters, phenomenal writing; and I loved every addictive minute of it.

"Valley Verified" by Kyla Zhao deserves a resounding 5-star rating! This book took me on a rollercoaster of emotions, and I couldn't put it down.

Zoe Zeng, a woman in the world of Silicon Valley and fashion marketing, is a character who resonated deeply with me. From the very start, I was worried about how she would navigate the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated tech industry. Kyla Zhao skillfully portrays the struggles and biases Zoe faces, which made me both anxious and determined to see her succeed.

The concept of "Valley Verified," a website that delves into the tech world's fab or fad, adds a layer of intrigue to the story. As Zoe starts to find her footing, I couldn't help but hold my breath, fearing that adversity would strike again. The plot twists and turns had me on the edge of my seat, and I even managed to guess who was sabotaging Zoe, but it didn't diminish the excitement of seeing how it all unfolded.

The ending caught me by surprise and left me feeling satisfied and inspired. Zoe's journey from the fashion industry to Silicon Valley was a testament to her resilience and determination. It's a story of a woman breaking barriers and challenging stereotypes, and it's a narrative that needs to be told more often.

This was truly for the girlies that just want to have fun, and while I usually count myself among that number, there was something very lifeless about this reading experience. It was easy to get into, and while I was reading it was enjoyable enough, but the characters felt familiar in a referential sense and not because of anything the narrative had done to establish them in their own right here. It's very much the kind of book you could spend a day reading poolside and have a good enough time reading but it will in no way linger with you once you finish the final page and pack up your bag to go home.

The story follows Zoe as a chance encounter at a launch party she's writing up for her current job leads her to accept a new marketing role for a fashion-adjacent start-up across the country. Honestly, I could have had a better time here if this hadn't been set in the nebulous present and had really invested in being part of the late aughts. Instead, the book just kind of flounders for a lot of the run time. We have obligatory scenes of Zoe adjusting to a new work culture, her making friends, something of a low simmering office space romance that is given a moderate amount of page-time. I wasn't prepared for where the narrative goes, even with the Legally Blonde comparisons in the marketing. Is there a correlation? Absolutely, but if anything by that point in the narrative the book was so steeped in feeling referential that it just felt like another brick in that house, and a mislaid one at that given how disconnected it was all coming together.

I will likely continue to read what Zhao puts out because I did have a really good time with their debut, and while this didn't fully click with me, I did have an enjoyable enough time. If anything I would like the relationships, platonic and romantic, to feel more like these characters matter to each other. If nothing else just that would have gone a pretty long way to making the experience that much better as a reader.

Zoe Zeng leaves a New York City fashion magazine to work at FitPick, a Silicon Valley startup based on voting on outfits. This would be great for book club reader as she deals with these changes and sexism. For readers of Kathy Wang and Helen Hoang.

Outdated commentary does absolutely nothing for this story. Zoe has no identity. The story is not unique and has no progression.

A caper and amusing to read; a story of young ambition in the workplace. Thank you to the publisher.

A fun and positive read that also explored topics such as workplace dynamics, body positivity, and sexism.

This was fine and fun, though it was a little bit caught up with never making its mind whether it was a romance without a lot of romance or a roman à clef or just general fiction, and it especially had so much fun namedropping Silicon Valley shit that I think occasionally Zhao forgot when she was both namedropping real people AND namedropping the made-up versions of them as if they exist in the same universe, so that was sloppy. Like there's a Kim Kardashian reference in a made-up character but also actual Kim Kardashian is referenced a few pages later. Basically I think the failure here is in editing--a tighter novel would have picked either namedropping or clef-dropping, not both, and also I found myself constantly getting caught up with how the author's Singaporean-tinged, British-influenced English influenced all of the characters and the way they spoke, even though they were all supposed to be American-born, and it just kept throwing me because the rhythm was often off, the way they formed sentences wasn't accurate to the dialect of English they were supposed to be speaking, and the word choice was often British. Again, editing should have caught this! Do people not have internal ears when they read? (And write, not to place all the blame on editorial?) Sometimes I feel like Mugatu and like I'm the only person who notices when the wrong English for the location is being used in books and everyone else acts like they have no idea that English even has multiple dialects, which is actually like Mugatu but also a reverse Mugatu because what he notices is that they're all the same look, but anyway, I digress..

I can't tell whether Lillian's obvious protection and predatory-cock-blocking (as in, blocking a predatory cock, not predatorily cock-blocking was obvious to me because I'm older than Zoe and I would have been just as dumb as Zoe at her age or if it was silly because Zoomers seem to be more aware of shit like that than I would have been even ten years ago?? Like there were many moments while I was reading this book where I just did not find things believable, but I honestly don't know if that's me being crotchety and old or if Zoe was just extremely wide-eyed and impressionable. I dunno. She felt off as a character to me.

This was a lot of fun to read, and Kyla's writing always has a way of captivating me from the start. I loved the contrast between the fashion world of NYC and the tech world of Silicon Valley, and getting an insider's view on both. I also appreciated the emphasis on inclusivity and diversity, as well as the emphasis on female empowerment.

This was a very predictable cliche book. I could basically tell exactly what was going to happen with each storyline and everything seemed very surface level.

Exploring a storyline that seamlessly weaves the essence of "The Devil Wears Prada" with the fast-paced world of Silicon Valley is a truly irresistible endeavor. This book's ability to offer a thought-provoking and authentic perspective on the fashion industry is truly commendable. The author skillfully inserts surprising Easter eggs and references to real-life fashion bloggers and influencers, giving the narrative a rich and immersive texture. A standout feature is the cast of diverse characters and the genuine representation they bring, showcasing various backgrounds and cultures. Beyond that, the book delves into the crucial theme of resilience, teaching us how to armor ourselves with a thick skin and the mindset of a warrior, vital tools for navigating the cutthroat corporate landscape.

While the book maintains a subplot romance, it becomes evident that this aspect plays second fiddle to the more compelling and significant subjects at hand. This dynamic nudges the book into the realm of women's fiction, adding depth to its narrative layers.

Having previously enjoyed the author's works, I was pleased to find that this book carries forward the signature qualities that draw readers in, particularly the exploration of corporate rivalries within a reliable narrative tone. However, my sole qualm lies in the book's occasionally hurried pace. At times, it propels us into new timelines with little preparation, causing moments of confusion as we scramble to understand the context, characters, and ongoing events.

It is my hope that this breakneck pacing could be moderated somewhat, affording readers the opportunity to fully savor each incident and development without sacrificing the story's cohesion.

On the whole, I found the book's incisive critique of the corporate world, combined with themes of empowerment and multicultural diversity, to be the most engaging aspects. These elements prompt me to round up my initial 3.5-star assessment to a resolute 4 stars, underscoring the thought-provoking and thoroughly enjoyable nature of this read. I eagerly anticipate the author's next literary offering.

My heartfelt gratitude extends to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for graciously providing me with this digital reviewer's copy. Their generosity has allowed me to share these honest thoughts about the book.

I really really really wanted to love this book, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. I think it felt rushed and everything kind of happened very quickly for my taste. I do know that some of my patrons will love this book though, so I am looking forward to having this in my library so I can hear their reviews!

I would not recommend this book for purchase. The writing felt forced and the storyline was completely obvious from the beginning. I also did not appreciate that, though the book was all about inclusivity and anti-ableism, there was a blatantly negative (and untrue!) comment made about diabetes midway through the novel. That ableist comment was wholly unnecessary and felt bizarre in a book that was so loudly preaching acceptance.

What started out as a great slice-of-life novel on an aspect of society most people don't think twice about, ended flat and rushed. There are gaps in the story timeline that were great opportunities to further develop secondary characters and their relationship to the main, or to bring more vibrancy to the settings, but they were left empty. I am hopeful it is more due to sections being removed for the ARC than it being the finished product.

Pros: Great cast of diversity, with well-done humorous moments; brought the behind-the-scenes of fashion into the spotlight and also showed how art and science can merge into a beautiful product; so, so lovely to have the romance as a minor plot point and not the main focus; nods to real-life people such as Courtney Quinn of the Color Me Courtney/Magic brands; the way some of the food scenes were described created intrigue and a desire to try the foods or find a location similar to the novel; a moment that could go very badly for the main does not happen and it was nice to have a harassments acknowledgement without the actual scene. Overall an excellent break between heavier reads or in life moments that are just hard.

Cons: The aforementioned plot jumps really snap the reader out of the flow of story and force a reorientation to the timeline; some of the moments for character development or reconciliation don't happen; a depressive spiral comes across trivialized and invalidated; there was enough lead-up to the harassment scene [which again, does not happen!] it was a bit stressful and for other humans might be too much without warning.

I enjoyed the story and liked Zoe as a character. I was rooting for her to succeed. The last 30% dragged a bit. I’m confused about why it’s put in the romance category since that was a tiny subplot barely worth noting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

I absolutely loved Valley Verified! As someone who has a degree in fashion in addition to my library work this book took me back to my early days pounding the pavement trying to make my mark in the big city. I've loved Kyla's previous books so I knew I would love this one! I have ao much more to share on why I loved this book and I will be sure to add to my review here I just wanted to put down my initial thoughts as I was just so excited to share! I got Devil Wears Prada vibes which was great ...I think this would make a great movie or TV series. I cannot wait to share this title with our readers. The characters where great as was the dialogue and storyline. I didn't want to put it down.