I really enjoyed the author’s previous book Bad Summer People so I was excited to get an arc of her latest- Very Bad Company.

This book was just fine. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it. The characters were mostly awful people which can be really fun to read about but this book lacked the fun.

I felt the author introduced too many people at once without a lot of backstory so that in the beginning I was struggling to keep all the characters straight. The book could improve quite a bit if the characters had more development or if there was some reason for the reader to root for them. I found I was just disinterested in the whole thing.

Overall, this one was forgettable and I wouldn’t recommend it.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc!

I was pulled into this mystery/thriller even if it wasn't the best. The real highlight for me was appreciating my job and not having to work in that insane environment. The character development was great especially for some the really atrocious people!

I think I may have hit my limit for rich people behaving badly books. Despite this being well written with a good amount of secrets and twists, I hated all of the characters. There honestly would have been no satisfying ending beyond all of them dying or being arrested. The characters are insufferable self absorbed rich jerks complaining about who's making a higher seven figure salary than the rest of the executive team. There was never really a satisfying payoff or a layer of satire and judgement that cued the reader in to the fact that the author also saw these characters as horrible people. Seeing them mostly move on from their actions made for a very unsatisfying, although realistic ending. I for one who prefer for rich sociopaths to at least get a taste of karma in fiction.

Pub day: May 14
Rating: 3.5/5

From the title I expected that most of these characters would be terrible humans with almost no redeeming qualities and that was exactly what was provided. A group of coworkers with gray morals head to Miami for a team building retreat where one member dies and a lot of drama ensues.

This was a solid audio experience and while I didn’t actually like most of the characters it was very entertaining . It was a story full of drama but the big “twist” didn’t really pack a punch because I had no real attachment or like of the characters who were involved. I enjoyed the spectacle of her previous book, Bad Summer People, as well and will try out whatever she writes next.


Thanks for the alc Macmillan Audio

Very Bad Company is a compelling story from multiple perspectives of top executives who work at a top performing tech company - and terrible boss who all would do anything for. Think Michael Scott vibes mixed with some Jordan Belfort and obsessed with Winston Churchill. Each employee's motives for their actions easily kept be hooked, with slight disappointment in Caitlin's actions and motives.

The story begins with a company paid employee retreat in Miami and slowly chaos ensues, secrets spill, and backs are stabbed. As a former corporate girlie myself, it felt very relatable in terms of corporate life and lingo.

Overall, the mystery and 'every man for himself' vibes will keep you hooked.

"Very Bad Company" promised another dive into a world of shady characters and questionable decisions, reminiscent of my experience with "Bad Summer People" last year. Thanks to NetGalley, I had the opportunity to explore this tale via the audiobook in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Initially, I struggled to distinguish between some of the characters, wishing for a bit less complexity, especially in audio format. However, the narration was a highlight, adding depth to the story.

While the beginning felt a bit overwhelming, the dark humor kept me engaged. Although the ending felt somewhat predictable, the book was still enjoyable.

Overall, "Very Bad Company" serves up a dose of entertainment, perfect for those seeking a little drama that doesn't involve their own personal life. While not my top pick, it certainly delivers on its promise of drama and amusement, making it a worthy summer read.

Very Bad Company follows a cast of executives on an over-the-top retreat in Miami. Their narcissistic CEO has a big announcement, each executive is hiding something and then one of them goes missing. Will they all survive the retreat?
This is a quick read; it’s written well and the story keeps moving. The audiobook is performed well. However, I found the characters to be one dimensional and so vapid it’s difficult to root for any of them. There’s little humor, sex without the spice and the mystery is fairly dull. Upping any of these features would improve the book greatly. As a result, I do not recommend.

Very Bad Company is an entertaining look at the lives of those in power. It centers around a corporate retreat where everyone has secrets. The setting and characters are well written and the book is great fun. Highly recommend.

Overall, this was an entertaining book that kept my attention through its entirety. The storyline, while not my favorite, definitely was executed in a way that helped you to visualize, being incorporated into the situations in Miami and led to an emotional response. You either like to character or definitely did not! Overall the book was well written, depicted the cut throat business world with a privileged Miami twist! I mean when you talk about getting multi million dollar salaries you definitely have a hard time relating!


Thanks again, NetGalley for another read!!

If you are looking for an escape read, and you like reading books about rich people behaving badly (apparently I must, because I've enjoyed many books with this premise), then Very Bad Company won't disappoint. It was a quick read at only 250 pages, and I didn't feel it needed to be longer. It's a perfect read for summer! The audio was well-done.

Very Bad Company is a fabulous read! Set at a corporate retreat in Miami, the cast of characters is wild. Some are truly unlikeable, others merely quirky—but they all have secrets and/or problems that are going to get in the way during this 4-day adventure. Forced to interact with their colleagues non-stop, while dining, drinking, and engaging in a host of activities, these tech company execs will face some unexpected challenges, including the death of one of their group. I loved their interactions, the gossip, the intrigue, and the back-stabbing. There are some truly laugh-out-loud scenes, and I found the audiobook very entertaining. January LaVoy is an excellent narrator and I enjoyed every minute. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

I thought I was really going to enjoy this story, I am always up for a good rom-com, but about half way it lost me. The author was well written, and I enjoyed the structure of the story, so I think it was the subject matter to me. It was a bit to tech/corporate for my liking.

Audio narrarator was enjoyable and her voice was pleasant.

File this under: startup c-suite behaving very, very badly. I love a rich people behaving badly story and my only regret is not saving this to read by the pool with a cocktail this summer.

I really enjoyed this first book by this author and I think this one was even better! It had the perfect light summer read vibes without sacrifcing plot or fun, interesting characters. Will be talking about this one a lot with my bookish friends!

3.5 stars rounded up because I really enjoyed this audiobook narrator.

While I did not prefer this book to Rosenblum's Bad Summer People, it was still a quick and enjoyable listen. I typically do not appreciate stories with unlikable and narcissistic characters, but Rosenblum is the exception to the rule for me. She always has a way of combining a dash of satire with drama and scandal to create a binge-worthy novel about the lives of the elite, this time focusing on the top players in a tech company.

The novel is told from the POV of multiple employees while on a lavish company retreat in Miami that results in one of their colleagues going missing and winding up dead after a night of partying. My one criticism is that the characters were not as well developed, so it was a bit hard to keep track of who was who throughout the book. I would still recommend the book for fans of this author, as well as those who enjoy the work of Elin Hilderbrand and Mary Kay Andrews.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for my review.

I received an arc of this audiobook through NetGalley.

I gave this book 4 stars. It took a little time for me to get into good, but once I did I enjoyed listening to it. I enjoyed the narrator as well.

It starts with a new of a up and coming tech company hire going on a team building retreat. The head of the company tries to be everybody’s buddy and friends while asking them to do team exercises. Soon after they arrive, after a wild night of partying, a woman on the team goes missing. At first nobody seems too bothered by it and the boss just wants to focus on moving forward with their retreat, but the answer finally comes to them.

I did like hearing some of the stories of the different workers, but I wasn’t too invested in any of them. I did enjoy the boss and trying to figure him out.

This book has multiple points of views which made it a little confusing while listening.

Very Bad Comapny ….. Is a very, very good audio book! Scandal, lovable characters, and lots of dark humor. January LaVoy did an amazing job narrating this story. My first book by Rosenblum & I’m already on the hunt for more!

Thank you NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for an ARC copy of this title.

I had some high hopes for this book was kind of on the fence about how I felt about it in the end. I really liked the plot of the executive retreat that leaves someone dead but the story fell flat for me. While I'm usually a big an of multiple POVs I felt like it was overdone and there was way more backstories for each character which was necessary and did not move the story of the murder mystery forward. Overall, I finished this book still not fully understanding what happened and wanting more closure.

I listened to this audiobook and thought January LaVoy did a nice job distinguishing each character.

Macmillan Audio ALC
This is a perfect popcorn thriller for summer. If you like stories with rich people behaving badly that moves at a fast pace, pick this one up. At first, there are quite a few characters to keep track of, but Rosenblum made them all so distinct that once I got going, it was easy to keep all of the characters straight. What I liked about this story was the behind the scenes look into a tech company with an interesting leader and all of the employee drama that came from working here. There is also a bit of mystery and the author built the tension so well. I had to keep listening to know what was going to unravel next.
I love January LaVoy's narration for these types of books. She captured the characters so well and made it easy to get fully immersed into the story.

It was meant to be that I would read this book at this time. I started listening to the audiobook on Tuesday, April 23rd, which was the exact date that the agenda for the executive retreat in this novel began. I’m also preparing for a “leadership meeting” in Florida next week which will contain an agenda of forced-fun teambuilding activities, strategizing, and socializing, but I don’t anticipate my event will be anywhere near as exciting as these characters experienced.

Similar to the previous novel I read by Emma Rosenblum, Bad Summer People, there is a mysterious death and the potential motives from various characters are explored, while they proceed with their lives as usual, sweeping the murder under the rug and succumbing to scandalous secrecy.

There is a cut-throat corporate culture of colleagues in the C-suite covering up conspiracies. A young executive assistant is promoted to “Chief of Staff” for her loyalty to her boss. While other smart “Chief of Something” are challenged to prove their worth and usefulness.
Many of the scenarios in this story are things that I’ve encountered myself in the business world, so that would be the only drawback for me. I read to escape the stress of my day job, and in many ways reading this book was like reliving it.