Next up in the NetGalley BackLog is How to Slay at Work by Sarah Bonner

This book can best be described as a captivating blend of "The Devil Wears Prada" and a thrilling serial killer narrative. The storyline had me laughing out loud at some of the outrageous predicaments Freya found herself in, especially considering the creative and often absurd methods she used to get to her victims. The premise intrigued me, as it balanced humour with darker elements in an engaging way.

The first half of the book was particularly enjoyable, filled with witty moments and clever commentary that kept me entertained. Freya's character was both relatable and hilarious, which added to the overall charm of the narrative. However, I felt that the second half of the book took a turn that wasn’t as satisfying. It seemed rushed and somewhat far-fetched, which detracted from my overall enjoyment. By the end, I was left wanting more closure, as the resolution felt incomplete and lacking the depth that the first half had promised.
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“My boss is a stone-cold bitch. But please don’t think I hate her, far from it, I admire her. She’s an icon”
It’s kind of Devil wear Prada but with jaw dropping twist and turns and laugh out loud funny moments
Keeps your attention with the office satire and suspense, raced through it as the chapters fast paced and short
Would recommend for anyone who likes dark humour

Catchy cover and headline I really wanted to get into this book more but I struggled to keep focused. Will definitely be buying this book maybe having it in paper format will help. Love the idea and concept of the plot of this story tho

This book started strong for me, but it lost me a bit as it went on. I think it would've worked better for me if it had been shorter/tighter. That said, the story as a whole was funny and twisty and absurd. I didn't really connect with the characters in this one, but I was entertained (for the most part).

A brilliant bloody tale about how climbing the corporate ladder really can be Murder.

How To Slay at Work is like if someone turned the Devil Wears Prada into an amateur detective thriller — giving us opulence and luxury but never letting us enjoy it because of the sheer mounting stress and anxiety.

As for Millie, she was a riot. Her voice was absolutely perfect — she was so easy to read, her voice flowed like a conversation even when she was spiralling. It was a little jarring we first changed from Millie’s to Freya’s perspective as they take turns in each “part” rather than regular changes - but I loved it when we got her point of view, seeing two sides of the same mystery as they slowly got closer and closer, watching them try to figure each other out and everybody being a potential suspect, a risk.

We jet across the world on business trips, two women sitting right next to each other but somehow chasing each other at the same time. Each trip gives us more clues — is she a killer? And what’s the motivation? Most importantly, what do we do when Millie figures it out and every deliciously dark twist gets set in motion. It was a wild ride - compulsive, obsessive and absolutely electric, with a smooth finish that was almost anticlimactic but actually flowed perfectly.

A devilishly decadent revenge fantasy full of murder, mystery and misdirection.

I really enjoyed this book , it was my first time reading from this author and have to say it won’t be the last time , I really enjoyed the authors writing style.

A serial killer boss…yes please. I was so invested in this and every time I thought I figured this out I was completely wrong. The ending was wild and I did not even come close to figuring it out. Absolutely recommend!!

I loved this book! It was snappy, snarky and full of intrigue! It definitely kept me guessing and kept me on my toes!

Thinking about my terrible boss I found myself in front of "how to slay at work", hoping it was also a guide in reality (jokes aside) it is a very nice comedy by Sarah Bonner. Millie travels for work, unfortunately she travels with her boss, and a series of strange coincidences, or should I say murders, make Millie think that her boss is not only a little bad on a human level, but also on an ethical level (is she perhaps a serial killer?). The story has several pov, and if this in some books is a pro, here I found it a little chaotic. The story could have flowed smoothly even with only Millie's pov. Also, yes the story is a little out of the ordinary, but in the end I also found it too absurde. Maybe too much. The fun is lost like that, in my opinion. This is the first book I read by this author, before cataloging her as "to avoid" I would like to give it another chance. Thanks to BoldwoodBooks and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this story in advance.

This book was okay. I didn’t particularly care for the ending but it was a complete surprise so I think it accomplished its purpose.

This book started strong for me, but it lost me a bit as it went on. I think it would've worked better for me if it had been shorter/tighter. That said, the story as a whole was funny and twisty and absurd. I didn't really connect with the characters in this one, but I was entertained (for the most part).

I read an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All comments are my own.

I was excited to check this book out and I'm glad I did. It's a really interesting premise. I'll be recommending it to others.

Thank you Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the ARC on this one. I had such a great time with Freya, Millie, Lissa, Kieran and Sam. Such hilarious but also serious characters. I loved their interactions and the sleuthing of course. The twists kept on coming - always at the right moment.
The story kept me awake at night and on the edge of my seat during the day when i had time to read.
Sarah Bonner absolutely slayed this! So fun.

The premise here, and the reason we initially picked this book to read with you, is that it starts off in a Devil Wears Prada situation. Imagine Miranda Priestly as your boss. That’s exactly the situation Millie finds herself in with her boss Freya, especially after her colleague Sam mysteriously disappears (sorry, quits) and Millie has to take on her work load.

We can all relate.

But here’s where it becomes twisted… and hopefully like nothing you can relate to: During a work trip, Millie sees her boss Freya dressed all in black in the back alley behind the hotel and climbing back up to her room… This is where Devil Wears Prada turns into a suspense thriller.

Millie quickly suspects something dark is happening. A little bit of research reveals that men have been found dead in cities across the country (the world even) always on dates when Freya was there for work. Freya is spinning an intricate web though, creating alibis everywhere she goes and no one except Millie suspects a thing.

She did it though. She admits it. No spoilers, this is all at the beginning and this is where the true intrigue starts and it’s what makes it a real page turner (and as you know I use this word sparingly). Because suddenly everyone has an agenda, everyone needs an ally, but you never know what a person’s true motivations are, who they really are or what they are willing to do to get it.

It becomes a convoluted web of perspectives, Millie and Freya each telling their side of the truth, and while the end feels a little rushed, there are plenty of twists beforehand to keep you intrigued and guessing.

What would you do if you suspected your nightmare boss to be a serial killer? Meet Millie. Her boss, Freya, has always been beyond difficult and very hard to please, but could she possibly be connected to the suspicious deaths that seem to happen in every city she visits? Possibly. So now Millie needs to figure out what's going on because, honestly--if Freya truly is a killer--Millie might need to take advantage of her expertise...

The plot for this book is interesting, but, as a whole, it was not a book for me. The dialogue felt unrealistic and stilted, and I felt like the book focused on "telling" instead of "showing." I also didn't feel much of a connection to the characters. I might not jump to recommend this book to someone; however, I know that a lot of other readers have simply loved it so I recognize that I'm definitely in the minority here!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced reader copy.

I really liked this book, and give it 5 out of 5 stars. It had all the elements I look for in a 5 star rating. Story originality, page turner, great editing. The story line was a little far fetched, but it wasn’t totally unbelievable so it worked for me. It was a fun story that had me rooting for the protagonist even though what she was doing wasn’t exactly ethical. The story was entertaining and I couldn’t wait to see what happened next, and really that all I want, is to be entertained. I definitely recommend this book. It’s a little slow to start, but once it picks up you won’t be able to put it down:

4.25 stars rounded up!

Wow, what a fun time! I did not expect or anticipate the direction this story ended up going in, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. How to Slay at Work centers on Freya, whose boss Millie is a total psycho, and who starts to notice that whenever Millie goes out of town for a conference, a a suspicious death ends up happening in the city at that same time. Coincidence? Freya doesn't seem to think so.

At first, Freya was not the most likable character, but I think likability is a curse that plagues too many FMCs, and I ended up really enjoying her strong personality. This book is FULL of fantastic twists and turns that kept me turning pages to the very end. I had a fantastic time with this one and would highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and Sarah Bonner for providing this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I'm a bit of a sucker for these humorous female murderer books, and was so excited to read How To Slay At Work. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me.

There were some interesting takes for the genre, but ultimately the writing felt clumsy, with the author very much telling instead of showing and the twists were not surprising. They were also underdeveloped, with the twist about Verity losing any shock value with it just being shoehorned in at the end.

I also had no interest in the characters - with the two main characters being dull rip offs from The Devil Wears Prada - and so had no vested interest in what happened.

This book was so much fun! It took me a little while to get into the idea of switching perspectives between different characters, but I think it worked perfectly. Can’t wait to see what Sarah Bonner writes next!

In this complex and thrilling fiction novel, readers join Millie at her corporate assistant job for her psycho, demanding, and intense boss Freya shortly after the previous assistant mysteriously disappeared. When dead bodies start appearing (with accidental and unsuspicious causes of death) in cities where Freya had recently attended a conference, Millie starts to become suspicious and takes on a detective mantle. In a position to determine if Freya is the actual killer -- and if she will be useful to Millie’s own goals. Broken into several parts and shifting perspective each time, readers see this thrilling murder series from both Freya and Millie’s perspectives yet might not understand the full implications of the situation until the final moments of the novel. Freya and Millie are manipulative and clever characters, and seeing the novel unfold from both of their perspectives adds to the tension and the dramatic reveal. As far as corporate thrillers go, Bonner’s novel is exciting, complicated, and very high stakes, and the twists and turns in the novel will really keep readers on their toes. Exciting, tense, and with fantastic characters, Bonner’s new thriller novel is a fantastic read that fans of the genre will love for its many twists and turns.