It took me way too long to read this book but I'm glad I did! This was an enjoyable story, I loved the characters, their personalities, and the mystery was fun to unpack! Recommend if you are looking for something fun to switch up genres.

Emma Rosenblum’s Very Bad Company is a satire that takes readers behind the scenes of a tech startup retreat gone terribly wrong. With a laugh, Rosenblum has a lot of social commentary. The result is a darkly comic critique of corporate culture, where appearances, status, and power are prioritized over genuine connections.

I went in blind with this one and wasn't sure what to expect. I had actually assumed that it was contemporary fiction or a rom-com, but I loved that there was a mystery to solve. The plot was entertaining, and it was a pretty easy and quick read. And with its unlikeable characters, drama, and secrets, it makes the perfect poolside or beach read this summer. Emma Rosenblum is definitely one to watch! "Very Bad Company" is only her second novel, and I am excited to read her future works.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by January LaVoy. As always, she was an excellent narrator. She made the story come to life and did a great job voicing all of the characters. I am always impressed by how many unique voices she can do, especially when it comes to multiple POVs. Definitely recommend this one on audio!

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

Thank you to @netgalley and @macmillan.audio for a free audio copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Emma Rosenbaum consistently delivers exactly what I crave in a summer read, and "Very Bad Company" is no exception! Give me terrible people, excessive wealth, glamorous locales, and overflowing drama, and I'm hooked. This book is the perfect way to launch the summer reading season.

It's almost easy to forget someone did die amidst all the revelry. Realistically, a work trip would be cut short after such an event, but the slightly unrealistic premise made for deliciously compelling reading.

I was constantly trying to figure out who to trust (spoiler: no one). The characters' nonchalance about the death made me question whether it was truly an accident. As secrets unraveled, it became clear that everyone had something to hide, and any scenario seemed plausible.

I loved the way the story unfolded, how wonderfully despicable all the characters were, and the (admittedly, perhaps a bit unrealistic) peek into the world of a wildly successful startup and its eventual sale.

The audiobook version is fantastic. While I often prefer multiple narrators for multi-POV books, January LaVoy's talent shines through, making a single narrator more than sufficient. Her narration is spot-on, bringing the story to life.

"Very Bad Company" is a must-read (or listen!). I highly recommend it and eagerly await Rosenbaum's next dose of delicious mayhem.

4 Stars

#books #bookishlife #booklover #readingisfun #iowabookstagrammers #iowabookstagram #netgalley #macmillanaudio #verybadcompany #emmarosenbaum

A bit of much needed brain candy, and a fun an funny romp of a mystery set mostly in Miami at an executive retreat.

I really liked Bad Summer People despite struggling with a lot of this type of fiction, and I thought this was also a really good example of the fact that not everything has to be a literary masterpiece in order to be enjoyed. This is well written and truly funny, and Rosenblum is so, so good at keeping the story and the cast from becoming too irritating despite the fact that there’s a lot of unlikable people and actions going on here.

The mystery was well conceived and has a light touch, and while there are definitely a few holes in the story and some things that stretch credulity, it’s good enough to where it doesn’t distract significantly from how entertaining this is.

Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum is a wickedly dark, sharp, and gripping corporate thriller that explores the high-stakes world of tech execs and their cutthroat ambition. Set during an exclusive retreat in Miami for the powerful employees of Aurora, the novel follows Caitlin Levy, the company’s newest hire, as she is thrust into the middle of a high-profile crisis. After a fellow executive goes missing, the entire retreat is thrown into chaos, with tensions running high and the future of the company hanging in the balance.

Rosenblum expertly weaves a narrative of greed, ambition, and deception as Caitlin navigates the world of wealthy, entitled executives, all while trying to maintain the image of corporate success despite the growing suspicion surrounding the disappearance. The novel is filled with dark humor, biting commentary on corporate culture, and a cast of morally ambiguous characters who are as fascinating as they are flawed.

The pacing is taut, and the mystery of the missing executive adds an air of suspense that keeps readers hooked. As Caitlin delves deeper into the company’s secrets, she realizes just how much is at stake—not just for Aurora’s future, but for her own personal safety and moral compass. Very Bad Company is a brilliant blend of satire and suspense, making it a must-read for fans of dark comedies and corporate thrillers.

This book didn’t quite live up to the expectations I had. While I was surprised by the frequent mentions of corporate culture and the challenges women face—particularly the recurring references to the cold temperatures in office environments—there was a lack of sharp commentary or deeper exploration of these themes. It was more of a casual observation within the female POVs rather than something that added significant weight to the story. Interestingly, there was very little mention of race or sexual orientation within their respective perspectives, so I expected the narrative to take a stronger feminist stance, but that angle didn’t fully materialize.

Audiobook Notes:
The narrator delivers a clear performance, skillfully distinguishing each character by adjusting her voice and accents to reflect their personalities and perspectives. This added a nice layer to the storytelling and made the transitions between voices seamless.

This book portrays a very bad company with very bad people in it - there was not one likeable character and, while that normally doesn't bother me and I find myself mostly cheering for said unlikeable characters, these were SO UNLIKELY that I really didn't care what happened to any of them (and there was absolutely no character development). I'm still trying to figure out if the author meant for her characters to be as over the top as they were or whether it was just me. The jumping timelines also didn't work for me.

I will say that I did enjoy the Winston Churchill idolization of the company's owner. It seemed like a fun little idiosyncrasy that an immature man-child genius would have.

I do always enjoy January Lavoy's narration and this audiobook was no exception.

2.5 stars rounded up to 3.

In an intriguing twist, the book Very Bad Company presents a narrative centered around a rather morally questionable company. If you enjoy plots that explore the lives of difficult characters in a high-stakes corporate environment, this could be an engaging read for you! The story is packed with corporate intrigue and dramatic tension, featuring a diverse cast of complex characters and multiple points of view that add depth to the narrative. Emma Rosenblum’s ability to create unlikable yet fascinating characters is evident in both this book and Bad Summer People.

While the book compellingly portrays unredeemable individuals, some readers might find it challenging to connect with the characters, as their flaws can create a barrier to empathy. Overall, it’s a fascinating exploration of the darker side of corporate culture, though personal investment in the characters may vary.

Not bad for a thriller type book. From what I read in the summary, this book definitely seemed like something I would enjoy. It certainly was able to keep my attention.

There was a whirlwind of corporate chaos, secrets, and unexpected allies. The “Finger Wagers” gave corporate mean girl clique, which made things entertaining.

However the twists weren’t really twisting for me. The characters felt very one note, they didn’t bring any uniqueness to the story in my opinion. I often found myself confused on who is who.

It was a nice corporate soap opera, but it wasn’t really giving the energy I was hoping for. 3 ‘s

Thank you to the Author Emma Rosenblum for writing this story and to January LaVoy for narrating it.

If you need a book with at least one likable character, this is not the book for you. The drama was a little over the top for my taste, but it was an entertaining story.

I went in blindly and I’m so glad that I did!

There’s just something about rich people behaving badly that is so enjoyable ha. With a large cast of characters, it was still easy to keep up with everyone’s motives and storyline.

I listened to the audio format and loved this style of reading. It was easy to keep up with everyone and I thought the narration by January LaVoy was great. I would definitely recommend this route!

*many thanks to Flatiron, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

VERY BAD COMPANY review

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

🌴Let’s pretend I read and reviewed this one in the summer like I fully intended to. 🤪 I went into this one mostly blind, expecting a workplace thriller. Buuuut that wasn’t the vibes this one delivered.

🌴Here’s a summary of the plot:👇
Caitlin is the newest hire at a big tech company. When she’s invited to an all new expenses paid exec retreat in Miami, she can’t wait to get to know her new coworkers. But when one of the execs goes missing the first night of the retreat, she starts to suspect her new job may be too good to be true.

🌴 Hmmmm... this one just fell flat for me. More of a workplace drama than the thriller I was hoping for. A tooooon of characters who were all crappy people?! I wasn’t rooting for a single one of them. 🤷‍♀️ I did enjoy the narration for this one so if you’re planning to read it I’d definitely go the audiobook route!

🌴Thanks @macmillan.audio for my digital copy!

I read Bad Summer People, by the same author, and enjoyed it-- enough for a four start review, at least. Very Bad Company is a whole other ball game, and one that I wasn't expecting.

Bad Summer People was a beachy read, one that I felt like fit in with summer vibes of people, at their summer home, behaving badly. I could definitely get on board with that. So I was expecting Very Bad Company to be a little bit like that as well. Although I knew it was about a company and more of a work place book, for some reason I was just not expecting the book that I read.

I almost quit the book several times. I literally asked myself if I cared what happened to these people, and always the answer was "no". I kept at it, just to see if it got better-- spoiler alert-- it didn't. This was literally a work place drama, with a little murder mystery on the side. ALL the characters, with the exception of maybe Debra, were unlikable and just plain disgusting. It was hard to read, and I should have stopped.

The only redeeming quality was the narrator, who I love (usually). Even she couldn't bring this book out from its miserable state.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. And thank you to the narrator for making lemonade out of lemons for the insufferable 10 hours this book ran.

I loved this! I enjoy books that are told from multiple points of view. I really like Rosenblum's first novel, Bad Summer People, so I couldn't wait to listen to Very Bad Company. The audio was great and I would highly recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for a review.

This one was just ok for me. I went in expecting something way different. I did enjoy the multiple POV’s but I disliked almost all of the characters. The only thing that kept me listening is that January LaVoy narrated it!

Read if you enjoy:
▪️workplace drama
▪️rich people behaving badly
▪️multiple POV’s
▪️dark humor
▪️mystery
▪️scandal

Every year the executives of Aurora, a profitable tech company, are forced to go on a retreat with their narcissistic boss. On the first night one of the executives goes missing. She’s found the next morning dead of an overdose. Since Aurora is about to be acquired for $800 million, everyone wants to keep this scandal out of the media, but that’s not the only secret this company is keeping.

This author always does a great job of creating unlikable, morally bankrupt characters. You don’t like them, but you wanna know what happens to them. This novel is all about corporate greed, and backstabbing ladder climbers.

This was billed as a mystery but that didn't really end up being the focus of the story. I enjoyed it, but I wanted more intrigue and less company drama.

Corporate Retreat Gone Wrong

Very Bad Company is a gripping, darkly comic novel that takes readers on a wild ride through the chaotic world of a tech startup's annual retreat in Miami. The plot revolves around a group of wealthy and powerful executives whose retreat turns disastrous when one of them ends up murdered. Amidst the opulence and extravagance, secrets unravel as everyone becomes a suspect, each harbouring their own hidden agendas and dark secrets.

Very Bad Company by Emma Rosenblum is a captivating and darkly humorous novel that explores the murky waters of corporate culture and the lengths people will go to protect their secrets. With its engaging plot and well-crafted characters, it’s a must-read for fans of satirical thrillers.

Very Bad Company is an engaging, highly entertaining, at times laugh out loud funny book about the complete disaster that is American corporate culture, especially in the startup world. I enjoyed listening to it on audio and appreciated the narrator especially. At times the plot seemed a little thin, but the constant challenges kept me guessing and wanting to read more. Overall, I thought this was well done.

Caitlin's a new hire at the tech startup, Aurora, and despite just coming on board, she's been invited to the executives retreat at a lush resort in Miami. The weekend is meant to solidify the team, but it's clouded in mystery when one of their own goes missing. This is a dark comedy that I found compulsively readable. The characters are not especially likeable, but it's the kind of story where the reader just wants to know how it will all unfold. I loved this book as much as Rosenblum's Bad Summer People.

Many thanks to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listener's copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.