Reading other reviews, I am in the minority on this one, but I felt it was dreadful in so many ways. The premise of this book held so much potential in terms of addressing the role of women in male-dominated industries like tech, but I think some of the plot choices ended up doing the opposite of what the author intended (yes there were some positives in the plot in addressing this but by creating two dimensional characters with cliche personalities as well as over-the-top cover-ups that no one in real life would believe, the negatives far outweigh the positives in my opinion). The romance was definitely more background which is fine, but the romance was boring and created no real tension for the reader. The backstory of Anna and her dad were VERY underdeveloped, and I felt like if I had known more, I might have been more invested in both of their lives. Overall, this one just missed the mark. If this were not an ALC, I would have DNFed it, but I do try to do a full review for any advance copies I receive.

I had so much fun reading this!

Not Bad For A Girl is essentially the romcom equivalent to the song The Man by Taylor Swift. In fact, pretty sure The Man is Indiana "Ana" Aaron's anthem.

This book made me laugh out loud so many times! I absolutely loved Ana's character. She was a strong woman, who knew her value and spoke out against injustices while also being hilariously quirky and a total nerd (being a nerd is cool). Ana was not only the only female coder on her team, but the best coder on her team. Except... with a name like Indiana (Jones anyone?) and working remotely, her misogynistic boss and new team made the wrong assumption that she was a man. Suddenly, she discovered what it was like to be the best coder on the team with the added bonus of male privilege. Except the excuses for not answering phone calls, showing up to in-person meetings or work events began to spiral out of control. After allegedly crash landing a plan, delivering a baby and (legitimately) putting out a building fire... Indiana was truly... THE MAN.

There were SO many moments that had me grinding my gears with frustrating on Ana's behalf, as a woman working in a male dominated industry. And even though some slights were more subtle than others, they were all incredibly relatable. I shared some of the moments in the book with a few men in my life who genuinely didn't believe that any of those things would happen in real life. I happily shared with them that their male privilege was showing.

This book was not only well written, but incredibly well executed. Throughout the story, I equally felt outrage, humour, butterflies, frustration, pride, heartwarmed, and complete satisfaction. Ana really put herself out there in a vulnerable position. Her character development was incredible. She wasn't constantly told to dim herself, but in the end she let her light shine through spectacularly.

Thank you to NetGalley and DreamScape Audio for the advanced listener copy of Not Bad For A Girl.
The narrator, Jesse Vilinsky, did an incredible job of bringing Ana to life. She perfectly delivered every punch line, quirk and boss girl moment. Highly recommend the audiobook to those who enjoy listening.

Indiana “Ana” Aaron desperately wants to fit in at work while still standing out. While she continues to deliver exceptional work she is often overlooked in place of her coworkers. After transferring to a team of remote workers, everything begins to go smoother until she finds out that her new boss has mistaken her for a man, due to her name. Things quickly spiral out of control when her coworkers begin praising and making assumptions about “Mr. Aaron” and “his” accomplishments in and out of the office.

Not Bad for a Girl is a contemporary fiction stand-alone. There is a vein of romance throughout but it’s not necessarily the main focus of the book. The plot really centers around Ana’s personal growth through unexpected friendships and reflection.

I don't know how Anastasia Ryan manages to accurately express office culture, especially male dominated spaces, but she does. The depictions are spot on. There were several times I found myself commenting “oh yeah. I've worked with someone like that”. There are quite a few hilariously relatable characters.

The audio for this book is excellent! It is solo narrated by Jesse Vilinsky. She does a terrific job capturing the characters’ moods as well as bringing out the humor throughout the storyline.

Not Bad For a Girl is Anastasia Ryan's sophomore novel. I loved her debut, You Should Smile More but this one really hit home. I can’t wait to see what she has next for her readers.

I voluntarily read, listened to, and reviewed advanced copies of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca, Dreamscape Media, and NetGalley!

Indiana "Ana" Aaron is a coding specialist but one look at her Strawberry Shortcake stature and color and most men dismiss her as small, inferior, and weak. When her fiery temper and willingness to stand up to injustice fights back when her supervisor passes her up for a promotion and declares there is no longer room for advancement or bonuses in the same meeting, she ends up being transferred to a dying branch of the company that works virtually. Because of this, when she speaks up against an error made by her boss, no one had seen or heard her to counter the praise given to "Mr. Aaron." As the legend of her male alter ego "Indiana Aaron" grows, it's harder for 4'11" Ana to stand up tall enough to meet those expectations, though her work easily scales the legacy her name apparently leaves.

I love books about smart women doing smart women things. And while I hate that the story is almost always she has to convince a man or a team of men that she's worth it, or pretend to be a man to get the attention on her work instead of her gender, I know that it's absolutely, and unfortunately, a normal thing. I love the way this particular story made that happen. It was so satisfying. Also I love the embracing the nerdiness and all the kinds of nerdy. Bring it all on.

#arc
#netgalley
#notbadforagirl

This workplace comedy strikes the perfect balance of humor, seriousness, and sweet romance. If you've ever felt unappreciated in your career because of your gender, this one's for you! Indiana "Ana" Aaron, is a talented coder and IT specialist whose workplace journey is relatable and entertaining. From Zoom calls to awkward lunch breaks, Annastasia Ryan captures the modern workplace perfect;y. Ana's experiences had me nodding along, laughing, and sometimes cringing in solidarity.

Ana's transfer to a remote team is where she really begins to shine. When her new boss mistakes her for a "Mr. Aaron" and praises "his" assertiveness I get why she didn't correct him and why Ana decides to roll with it. And so, the legend of "Indiana" is born, taking on a wild and crazy life of its own.

The strength of "Not Bad for a Girl" lies in its exploration of workplace preconceptions and gender bias. Ana's journey to navigate and triumph over these challenges is heartwarming and really empowering. The story delves into the struggles many women face in their careers, giving us a story that's both relatable and inspiring.

When we meet Shane, the handsome tech-finance guy who becomes Ana's ally in this workplace comedy of errors the chemistry between Ana and Shane adds a sweet layer to the story. Their interactions are filled with charm, making the romance a delightful subplot that complements the overall story but does not detract from the strong themes of female empowerment.

As for the 4.5 stars, the only reason for the slight deduction is my personal preference for a touch more exploration in certain plot points. I feel like I know almost nothing about Shane from before he met Ana and knowing that would have made this a perfect read for me. However, this doesn't overshadow my overall enjoyment and impact of the story.

Overall I really enjoyed this book!
Towards the end it got a little too ridiculous to be believable, but it IS fiction, so I can’t be mad.
It’s definitely not a RomCom like the cover may lead you to believe, but more of a women’s fiction that exposes misogyny in the workplace.
A solid 4 stars!

Thank you to Dreamscape Media for providing me with an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review. ✨

I received a free ARC audio copy of this book from Netgalley for review.

This book has my WHOLE heart. Somehow Anastasia Ryan captured the exact struggles of women in the workplace, especially in male-dominated fields, the struggle of being a 4'11" woman who can often get mistaken for a child (yeah, me too Indiana, me too) and the joy of quirky friendships in and out of the workplace while folding it all into a sweet and hilarious rom-com package.
I laughed, I felt rage, I wanted to learn more about Indiana's friends and father... I hope so deeply for this to become a series with a focus on each character in her friend group, starting with Evan, or maybe what's to come next with Heidi and Jason's wedding and relationship and find out what the heck happened with Heidi in New Orleans and Vegas haha.
All in all, this was amazing and I can't wait for more from Anastasia Ryan!

I enjoyed this book so much! I have to say that it's not much of a rom com as it's just a fun, witty book. It really reminds me of Didn't See That Coming by Jesse Q Sutanto, a YA book about a girl who games under a boyish username.

Of course, this book felt more grown up and mature, dealing with explicit sexism in the workspace with the MC being a coder in a male dominated world. As outrageous as some of the treatment towards Anna seemed to be, I wasn't surprised because that's how the world does unfortunately function. The author has used a ton of humor in her writing to bring the seriousness of the topic to an entertaining level. I think the writing style resembled what you would find in a comedic diary format novel, with Anna narrating her POV with a ton of emotion and rawness.

Frankly, I loved Anna I loved Shane, and I loved the fish <3 Because I just can't get over the adorable descriptions of pets and children in books. It was captivating to see Anna's firm opinions and way of expression. I found that everything she said made a ton of sense.

Speaking of the narrator, I LOVED HER!! Jesse Vilinsky gave all the feels and vibes for me to rush through this book, which I finished in a day. I'm definitely gonna be on the lookout for more by this author and the narrator.

One case of a mistaken identity and the entire course of Ana’s life was forever changed.


What an unexpected gem! I have seen this one all over booksta and was having fomo. The ever-present wish granters at @NetGalley gave me the audio and I was quickly swept into Ana’s orbit. This book was enchanting and so heartwarming. It speaks to the power of being female in a male-centric world and it was so dang empowering.

Ana is smart, witty, and borderline outspoken. She knows her worth and knows what she deserves. I loved so much about this book from the relationship Ana has with her dad to the way she cares for her fish, Ana and the whole cast in this book were enchanting.

Thank you @Netgalley for this advanced copy, this one was so fun! Grab this one when it hits shelves on the 30th!

I am still listening to this pretty book and enjoying it.
I found this new love for audiobooks.
I will give ith 4 stars. and will be writing a detailed review after finishing it.

I recently listened to this audiobook (free review copy). A remote workplace mistaken gender-identity allows Indiana (Ana) to experience the workplace as a man would. I found the struggles about being a woman in a male-dominated industry to be relatable, having experienced some of the same challenges myself. After she is misgendered in an office-wide email, Ana finds herself caught up in the lie and has to resort to desperate measures with the help of her friends (faking a fire) to continue to keep "Indiana" alive. By thinking What Would A Man Do? (WWAMD), Ana carries herself with the confidence of a man through her written communications. I enjoyed the parts about the workplace challenges more than the romance part as I found myself not caring much about Shane. I loved the additional romance of Ana’s dad and fellow senior home resident. An enjoyable read overall with fun dialogue and serious discussions of misogyny that unfortunately continue happening today. I enjoyed the technology aspect as well and finding another female leader that Ana was able to connect with.

Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Anastasia Ryan for the chance to read this book for an honest review.
Not Bad for a Girl is a modern day Twelve Night story inspired by the assumptions and adversity women face in STEM jobs. It’s a hilarious story about what happens when a gender neutral name causes mistaken identity in a hybrid style job. This book had me laughing out loud multiple times, the side characters were hilarious, and the main character herself was wonderful in her unwillingness to stand down and be truly who she was. It’s the perfect book to follow Barbie by Greta Gerwig’s message. We have to fight our own biases.

Not only a hilarious rom com, but a hilarious look at a woman trying to smash the glass ceiling and combat stereotypes. Indiana is a cute woman who is extremely petite working in the tech industry as a coder and is never taken seriously even though she can not only out code most of the bros, but she is also the one teaching them how to do their jobs only to watch them get promoted over her to jobs they can't possibly do. When a misconception in an email happens and she doesn't immediately correct it, it gets blown out of proportion by well-meaning friends and suddenly the misconception takes on a life of its own. So, when do you come out as yourself and take ownership of who you are? What lengths would you go to in order to keep your job and possibly get the promotion? Is it worth killing a potentially awesome relationship over? I giggled, I laughed out loud, I stomped my foot in frustration, because let's face it all women know a misogynistic jerk who dismisses them without listening! This book was such a fun listen and I can't wait to read more from this author and soon!!! I have to say the narrator did an outstanding job of bringing Libby to life as well as the other characters, but particularly Libby! As the reader, you felt her frustration, angst, anger, anxiety, laughter and the gamut of emotions that she ran through during her saga. So, if you are an audiobook listener, this one should be on your list! Totally fun!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC! Indiana (Ana) Aaron is a talented coder and IT Specialist, but when the next big promotion goes to yet another male colleague (one she's been training!) and the rest are told no raises or bonuses will be in the works, Ana loses her cool and blows up at the meeting. Now transferred to the NY remote team, Ana is able to be an unknown entity working from online meetings with no camera, but when Ana sends a message correcting her new boss, she's surprised when he agrees with her, but even more so to see he's mistaken Indiana for a man. Now with new opportunities opening to her, but with no one knowing who she really is, Ana must decide how to be seen as the competent worker she is, rather than by gender. There is a sweet romance subplot, but the story focuses more on the quirky plotline and the escalation of Indiana Aaron's ever increasing reputation. Not Bad for a Girl is a fun and quirky rom com that leans a bit closer to relationship fiction, but is sure to please fans of both.

4.5 stars rounded up. I am all for standing up to misogyny and taking down the patriarchy. Every single job I have had, people receive better from the men employees vs. the females. It has even gone so far as a customer asking for a manager when they didn't like my solution and I was the manager. Then pointing to my only male coworker and wanting to speak to him, when I was his supervisor and he was a brand new employee. So that should tell you how much I related to this book, I can only imagine working in a male-dominated field. Also, we love a woman in STEM! It was funny, had a little romance thrown in, and I loved all of the non-sexist characters. The narrator did a great job keeping me engaged and entertained. I definitely recommend this if you need a little female empowerment and some good laughs.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5478533045

“Hearts don’t get full. They grow.”

Indiana “Ana” Aaron is a very talented IT specialist and coder, but can’t seem to catch a break from sexist bosses. She’s sent to a remote team on its last legs when she’s mistaken for a man due to her name and shown the respect she’s always deserved. But when she doesn’t correct the error, her manly persona snowballs into a mythical being that may just affect her profession and personal lives, including her budding romance with a coworker.

Not Bad for a Girl by Anastasia Ryan, narrated by Jesse Vilinsky, is a feminist romantic comedy set in the world of IT. It honestly felt like a very refreshing read and I loved how it pointed at sexism in the IT sector, which I’ve experienced myself.

Ana is such a niche person. I love how she’s very firm in social justice, then goes home to her pajamas, pet fishies, and Animal Crossing (which omg! Loving the references 🦝). She was a very fun character that I loved getting to know.

I loved all the side characters! I felt like every single one was so vivacious and weren’t just there to push the plot along. Her friends! Her dad! Even her new coworkers! I will say that the book’s ending had definite Hallmark vibes.

I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys a clean office romance and books where women stand up for themselves.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the audio ARC! ❤️

A fun story of mistaken identity and sexism in the workplace, this was a quick and easy listen for me. I enjoyed that it was an easy to follow story that I could listen to in a day, but it still had substance to it.

🥰Enjoyment: So this one started just a touch slow for me, but I did get completely sucked in and I’m so glad I stuck it out. I will say the sense of humor and situations the FMC finds herself in (thanks to the “help” of her friends) borders on ridiculous, but I found myself giggling and laughing out loud so frequently, that apparently it works for me. I would say the romance is almost secondary to the “steminist” & misogyny in the workplace plot, but I didn’t mind at all. Just a fun yet somehow serious read. The narrators were great too!

🎭Mood Reader Classification: I could see me listening to this again.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Not Bad for a Girl by Anastasia Ryan, an audiobook narrated by Jesse Vilinsky is such a joy! Even though this book faces real issues in many industries, it's written in a fun way! There were many parts where I literally laughed out loud! I absolutely loved Indiana as a character and her way of thinking. I could relate so much as I suffer from the same issues - I can't keep my mouth shut!

Indiana is a talented coder and IT specialist but her effort is not appreciated as she is a "girl". To add more issues to her already complicated life - she looks way younger than her actual age so often she is treated as a "girl just from the school". Indiana can't keep quiet in meetings as she feels that things are unfair so as a punishment she is sent to another team. To avoid any further problems she promises herself that she would keep her mouth shut so when her new boss addresses her as "He" she is not correcting him... She is not realising all the complications that will follow...

If you need something fun and easy, this is the book!

Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this book!

This was really sweet! It felt a little political and preachy about sexism throughout, but I did appreciate Indiana's struggles as a female in the workplace. The cast of characters was fun, and I do always love a happy ending! Overall, this was a fun, quick read that I would recommend to romance readers!

The Narrator was great, and I really enjoyed the audiobook!

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy to read!