This voluntary review is based on an ARC I was provided, all opinions are my own. Jaycee, a cynical film industry exec, is wrongfully terminated from a sexist and toxic workplace. Looking for a fresh start, her sister Meredith finds her a marketing job for a female-staffed Wisconsin doll company. Faced with subterfuge and corporate backstabbing, Jaycee finds herself questioning who she can trust amongst her "Prairie Karen" co-workers. And there are a LOT of them, so many I couldn't keep track. (And it was a little hard to believe that Jaycee, who worked at a cut-throat Hollywood firm, so easily let down her guard and was taken in by her colleagues. I'd have thought she would have been less trusting given her previous work experiences.)

I loved the premise (and the book cover was especially cute). This book is written with a hard and clipped writing style, the plot is a bit dense and the story felt overly complicated at times with a very large cast of characters. The author has some impressive descriptive skills, and I loved the narrative details like the gifts from Jaycee's neighbors and her house of dubious origins. And Jaycee uses a hefty dose of sarcasm to get through her life, of which I approve. But, I didn't enjoy this book as much as I thought I would, which was disappointing. Jaycee is over-dependent on her lawyer sister Meredith, although that's explained by the fact that Meredith is a hovering older sister, with both of them impacted by their mother's abandonment in childhood. They both seem to have dysfunctional personality styles, with each other but also in their interpersonal relationships. Which is not a deal-breaker for me, that can keep things interesting. However, the biggest roadblock for me to finishing this book is that I found Jaycee (and Meredith at times) to be unlikeable. I struggled to think of reasons to root for Jaycee, other than that she's the main character and I was supposed to, but it got harder to do as the story went on. I *really* didn't like Jaycee's frequent mentions of her sister's weight and her unflattering comparisons between their body types (as well as the snarky inner commentary about her co-workers' bodies). It was unkind and unnecessary, other than to depict Jaycee as a superficial and fat-shaming/body-shaming mean girl. And it got to the point where it was enough to make me DNF at around the 50% point after a surprisingly hurtful weight comment (that was masked as a joke) made to her sister at an especially vulnerable time.

Overall I struggled to invest in Jaycee and I didn't warm up to her, which hindered my enjoyment of the book. While her character wasn't very inviting, I did admire her tenacity with her job and with getting to know those in her new community. I do think this author writes well, and I loved the chapter headings, but this book wasn't for me. But if you enjoy women's literature about a quasi business-savvy fish-out-of-water FMC in a Midwestern setting, who has the guts to successfully butt heads with a whole herd of Prairie Karens, then this is the book for you. 2.5 stars rounded up to a very generous 3 stars for Jaycee's snark and the author's writing skills.

When the bottom drops out of her carefully planned career, Jaycee retreats to Betty Ford to regroup. An offer to work for a well known doll manufacturing company in Wisconsin promises her the chance to take positive steps away from her history. The story line is an original look at one woman's feverish efforts to succeed. A considerable cast of supporting characters displays the lengths Jaycee goes to never be in "that space" again. Her actions and the consequences of them will lend an unbelievably comic touch to her earnest efforts. The book is enjoyable in a "oh my goodness" type of reaction. It definitely would play out as a television series where Murphy's law dictates.

It took me a minute to figure out how to rate this book. I really enjoyed reading it, it is highly entertaining and I found the whole set-up hilarious. Being from the Upper Midwest, it is always interesting to see how outsiders (from one of the coasts) deal with the culture here. Ms. Sipos can really paint a picture, and I was consistently surprised and delighted by her descriptions and characterizations. That said, the book is not perfect. I had a difficult time following who all the characters were, and an even harder time figuring out what they were doing and why. The narrator is unreliable (I think by design) but in a novel that is about duplicity, it would have helped to feel I could trust at least one of the characters to relate what was actually happening. The central relationship, between Jaycee and her sister, is well-drawn and heartfelt, but all the other relationships within the story are sketchy and the characters a little hard to get a read on. In the end, I rated this one highly because it was fun, and the world-building was impressive. If you get a chance to download the cookbook, do it. Despite being a bit messy, I highly recommend this one. I hope to read more from Ms. Sipos.

I was drawn to this book because of the cover and the title. I was also excited by the description. It was kind of a tough read because it jumped around a bit in the timeline and in location so I had to flip back a lot to see if I missed something or if we were somewhere else in the story.

I liked the concept of the book and the prairie Karen's were very funny. I pictured them like that pack of moms who come after Lorelei in that one Gilmore girls episode.

I definitely had some laugh out loud moments, but overall I'm not sure this book was for me.

Thank you to Net Galley and Dartmouth Park for this advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

I was immediately intrigued by this amazing cover and flashy title. Then I read it took place in Wisconsin and reminded me of a certain doll company that used to have an office near Madison. 👀 Say less.

📖: After an embarrassing incident at company gathering, Jaycee Grayson lands a new job at Wonderful Girl, a Wisconsin-based doll company. As Jaycee acclimates to and embraces her new home, her struggles at Wonderful Girl build.

🤝: This could be a good fit if you enjoy:
- Midwestern settings
- Chaotic, sarcastic main characters
- Corporate Mean Girls but Midwest nice (IYKYK)

👍: What worked for me:
- As a Madison-dwelling Wisconsinite, the shoutouts to local places was fun.
- The vibe reminded me of one of my favorite midwest satires, Drop Dead Gorgeous, but instead of a beauty pageant, it was a dominant all-women run doll company.
- I liked the emotional moments and who came through in the end.

👎: What didn’t work for me:
- The narrative seemed chaotic and jumpy which left me feeling like I missed something multiple times. Being in Jaycee's head made mine spin sometimes. 😅
- It was easy to lose track of the similar-seeming characters working at the company.

The concept of this book is amazing. The execution wasn't for me, but I think it could work for others. I'm curious to see how other locals receive this one!

Thank you to Dartmouth Park, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook early in exchange for an honest review.