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While other little girls were fantasizing about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett dreamed of conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. Now she's grown and determined to make it big in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. Though she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, she starts out small, relegated to a kiddie-size folding chair with her new moniker, "Girlie," inscribed in Wite-Out across the back.
Always keeping her eyes on the prize (and ignoring her friends' pleas for her to quit), Alex quickly learns how to roll with the punches, rising from lowly analyst to slightly-less-lowly associate in no time. Suddenly she's being addressed by her real name, and the boys' club has transformed into forty older brothers . . . and one possible boyfriend. But then the apocalypse hits, and Alex is faced with the most difficult choice of her life: to stick with Cromwell Pierce as it teeters on the brink of disaster . . . or to kick off her Jimmy Choos and go running for higher ground.
3 1/2 Stars. The author has a very engaging voice, and the trip through the workplace from hell to the financial meltdown was interesting.
What I found missing was the personal. Alex chooses to work on Wall Street because her father does, and she has wanted to do with since she was a little girl. But when she does, actually, get a job on Wall Street, we don't see her communicating with or even thinking about her father very much.
When she strikes up a workplace romance, I wasn't even sure that she had. She's out for drinks and flirting with a co-worker (something that could cost her her job). Next she's waking up in his bed - did she pass out, or did they have sex? As you continue reading, yes, apparently she and said co-worker are "hooking up" and she is becoming emotionally involved, but there is no THERE there. We don't see them kissing, having sex, or her daydreaming about him very much, just some innocuous emails.
Since we already know about the financial meltdown, that wasn't a surprise, and since I wasn't emotionally invested in Alex's romance, the ending to that doesn't really pay off, either. I would certainly read another book by this author, but hope she'll include some closer looks inside her character's heart.
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.Book_Monster_Reviews
Posted February 1, 2012
Erin Duffy wows us in “Bond Girl” with her wicked humor, her wit and sense of honor and duty. She is a new voice in literature to be reckoned with and her first novel has set a bar that many will not be able to match.
Alex Garrett has always been a tomboy; having more fun playing sports with the boys in the neighborhood than hanging with her girl friends. So when she decides to follow her father’s footsteps and enter the financial world of Wall Street, no one is really surprised. Her Mom was the only one to offer advice – to put her pride in second place.
Alex arrives at Cromwell Pierce with a big smile and a heart full of hope, soon to be extinguished by the boys club she encounters. All the stories about Wall Street and the craziness of the trading floor are true. The brokers are petty, malicious, liars, flirts, tricksters and down-right embarrassing! Her boss, Chick, is crazy, demanding but loyal. Her first day, she is forced to sit on a folding chair behind everyone working at their desks so she can watch what is going on. No one will talk to her or answer any questions but at lunch time, she is the gopher who must pick up overwhelming amounts of food by herself – 100 pizzas, 200 philly cheesesteaks from Pennsylvania and as a punishment from Chick for disobeying his rules, a 50 lb. wheel of cheese from the Bronx!
But Alex hangs in, no matter what is thrown at her. Chick realizes her strengths and starts to work with her, teaching her everything he knows and giving her advice how to handle all the men in her department. And she does, even making some friends. But life at Cromwell Pierce is always two steps forward and 5 steps backwards – the worst being the antagonistic men who want to help her climb the ladder of success by offering her a place in their bed!! Mom was right: should she put her honor and pride in second place so she can earn oodles and oodles of money??? When the crash of 2008 happens, and Chick is fired, Alex has a lot of decisions to make, not only about her personal life but also relating to the reorganization of Cromwell Pierce and the golden handcuffs she’d have to wear.
Not only do we read a well-told tale about life on Wall Street but we also learn quite a bit about Wall Street itself – which makes me eternally grateful I’ve never had the desire to spend one iota of time there!!
Kudos to Ms. Duffy for a wonderful, fun-filled ride!
Definitely 5 stars!!!!!
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Posted June 9, 2012
This book is definitely a funny page turner and I loved it at first, I only wish the ending hadnt been so abrupt. I feel like nothing was resolved and it could have had more closure. That being said, the 2008 financial crisis still doesnt have a happy ending so it makes some sense. I recommend the read overall.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.The cover of Erin Duffy's debut novel, Bond Girl, is striking and catches the eye right away. A black stiletto with a blood red sole placed on top of The Wall Street Journal newspaper. So if you thought by the title alone that this book was about a female spy, the cover sets you straight- it's about a woman working in the world of finance.
We meet Alex, a twenty-something who works in the bond department at Cromwell Pierce, "one of Wall Street's biggest powerhouses". She describes an overheard encounter in the elevator between two men trying to one-up each other in where they went to college, what college their sons' attend, which lacrosse position their sons' play, which golf course they played at this past weekend, and says that she works in "the giant sandbox from hell".
Duffy herself worked in the financial industry and this book is filled with anecdotes that you just know are true. On a slow day, one coworker takes a bet that he can eat one of everything in the vending machine before the end of the day. Alex is forced to keep track of everything he eats on a clipboard and keep every wrapper. That scene just rang with veracity, it made me wonder if the guy who did this has read this book.
Alex is a female in a mostly male environment, a hostile environment at times. The men that work at Cromwell are competitive, masters-of-the-universe type. Her boss, Chick, tells Alex that the job won't be easy but he will cut her no slack.
She doesn't get a desk, she has to sit on a folding chair while she shadows salesmen at their desks. Since she is the last hired, she has to do the scut work- making several trips up to the trading floor bringing boxes and boxes of pizza to rally the troops, running to Starbucks to get 33 cups of coffee, (each with specific instructions), and once as punishment, she had to go from lower Manhattan all the way up to Arthur Avenue in the Bronx to get hot sandwiches and a 50 pound wheel of parmesan cheese and get back before the sandwiches got cold. (Food is a big part of the reward system there.)
Working at Cromwell isn't for sissies, and Alex has to prove herself. She battles sexism, long hours, and a powerful, lecherous client who wants Alex to sleep with him or lose her job. She makes a few friends at work, and eventually becomes romantically involved with a good guy whose biggest fault is that he disappears on the weekends.
I don't know much about the bond trading world, and Duffy educates her readers while keeping them interested in her story. This is a fantastic debut, with terrific, real characters and snappy writing. Her characters aren't stock; her boss Chick at first seems cruel, but he grows on you once you get to know him, and Alex herself changes as she gains more confidence.
I raced through this book and thoroughly enjoyed my trip through the hectic, crazy finance world of Bond Girl. This book is ripe for a movie treatment, and I would look forward to seeing on screen soon. This is a terrific book to curl up with on cold, snowy day; once you start it, you will want to finish it in one sitting, rooting Alex on the whole way. It's one of the most enjoyable reads of this year.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 27, 2012
Highly enjoyed this page turner. Was interesting and engaging from the first page to the last. I personally found it very interesting and appreciated the lack of sutelty; you know what this girl is thinking and there is never any effort to hide her thoughts from the reader.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted January 25, 2012
Pre-ordered after seeing good reviews in magazines. Entertaining read. Great perspective of life in the investment world from a young woman's point of view. As someone who has worked in a male dominated environment, I felt like I was sitting in the folding chair right along with her!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted March 24, 2013
From page one Bond Girl takes us on the roller coaster ride that is Alex's life as she adjusts to being the new girl on the floor at the prestigious Cromwell Pierce, one of Wall Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. We get unique insight into the "real" life of an analyst, including events and actions that you have to read (or be there) to believe. Alex has dreamed of following in her father's footsteps and working on Wall Street. With the image of the father/daughter work days that she remembers as a kid, she excitedly joins Cromwell Pierce where she hopes to start a lucrative career where she can work 9 to 5. From day one Alex's life is thrown off-kilter as work is nothing that she expects. She finds herself in situations she never imagined and making surprising life-long friends.
I really enjoyed this story for its unique story-line that kept me returning time and time again for more fun and craziness that I could never imagine on my own. I found Bond Girl to be quite a page turner with some really wonderful side characters. I didn't fall in love with all the side characters but they all had something to add to the story and made it that much better. I absolutely loved Chick, Alex's boss, and most of Alex's work friends. I felt as if I truly knew him (I have a soft spot for Chick). Where things fell a little flat was Alex herself and the romance that any person over the age of 3 could see through. The fact that Alex didn't have clue was very annoying and silly. The book would have been so much better if it had just been left out. While I found many of the side characters to be well-developed and interesting, I didn't feel the same about Alex. I just didn't really connect with or like Alex.
This unpredictable tale falls quite short on the romance but surpasses all expectations for an engrossing story.
If you want a peek into an industry that everyone talks about but no one seems to really know anything about, this is the book for you.
P.S. If you are person who was seriously affected by the downward turn of events in the financial sector (circa 2008) the excess described in this book might make you a little bit sick.
Anonymous
Posted January 3, 2013
Wow, I absolutely loved the fact that the main character went to work in a field dominated by men and handled her business! I loved this book! I could not put the book down! I left me hanging on the edge of my seat at the end. I want a sequel!!!
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Posted December 16, 2012
Let me start by saying that I'm not really interested in wall street or the antics they get up to but this book is so well written and the events are so believeable and wellw ritten that I was enthrawed. Quite an accomplishment for any writer. The chapter were the protagonists goes to work with her father as a child was a brilliant piece of wrting that could stand and it's own and the authors penchant for using asides to convey the thoughts - ( often contrary to what she is saying) - was a great device and boht comical and insightful to the reader. I could have done wihtout the romantic angle though it dosen't really add anythign to the story and is very light never rarely moves beyond the office. It's lightwieght and the payoff at eh end dosen't work. The fact that the male in the romance is a douche from beginning ot end dosen't help.Alex is a likeable cahracter and I got a sense of what her relationship was to the male chaacters - ( Cool Chick - hot chick - someone who makes the room grow brighter.) - and female characters - ( Good friend - mentor - cool girl) - and I truley wanted things to turn out well for her.
The story has a positive open-ended feeling despite taking place during hte finanicial collaspe and I did feel rewarded as a reader. I would easily read another book by this writer based upon this novel. As i said her characters are engaging and the events in the story plausiable and entertaining and although I have no love for wall streeters i didn't mind spend time wiht most of them and in paticular Alex. And isn't tha all a reader can ask for?
Anonymous
Posted November 27, 2012
I really enjoyed this book, it was definitely a page turner for me. I wish it had a sequel to it!
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Posted September 26, 2012
Loved the book. Light, refreshing, and not exactly like everything else on the shelf. Wonderful to have a heroine with morals and the ability to laugh at herself (and everyone elses) mishaps. Thank you BOND GIRL for the great read.
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Posted September 8, 2012
Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings
What a great behind the scenes look of what happens on Wall Street and a glimpse of how it was before our latest financial meltdown and as it was going down. I experienced it while in the workforce and felt the impact at my former job, but didn't even think to see it from inside the belly of the beast - on Wall Street.
Bwitchd3
Posted July 11, 2012
Alex Garrett is a great character. She’s fiercely loyal, strong, trustworthy, and knows what she’s doing…most of the time. She has a reasonable balance between her head and her heart, and she seems like someone most 20-something girls would want as a friend. The story is current and fresh. Think The Devil Wears Prada, but on Wall Street. The plot has some great twists and the ending is hopeful. People with knowledge of the stock market will appreciate the references, but you don’t have to know anything in order to enjoy the book. This is a great read!
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Posted March 23, 2012
I must admit the nice shoe on the cover is what initially attracted me - what can I say, I'm a shoe girl to my core. As a woman who spent 10 years in a national public accounting firm, I totally identified with the story Erin Duffy unpacked in Bond Girl. I was literally laughing out loud at some of the practical jokes the played. Anyone who wants to know what it's REALLY like for a woman in a tough corporate company, read this book.
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Posted February 26, 2012
I loved this book and looked forward to reading it every night. I have been looking for a book I like as much, so far no luck.
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Posted February 24, 2012
This was a fun and interesting read. Very similar to Devil Wears Prada...but not a copycat of it. I can easily see this becoming a movie!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.livre027
Posted February 24, 2012
This was a great book for a first-time author. Extremely funny. A quick, easy read. The situation with the boyfriend was a bit predicable but overall the book was very enjoyable.
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Posted February 11, 2012
Really enjoyed this book, fun read.
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Posted February 9, 2012
The book started out great....so I had high expectations. The author's depiction of Wall Street was on target..reflective of her experience there. I liked the flow of the book until about three quarters through and then it seemed to drag a bit. The ending was abrupt and left me with an empty feeling.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Posted February 3, 2012
Very entertaining. I look forward to her next book!
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Overview
While other little girls were fantasizing about becoming doctors or lawyers, Alex Garrett dreamed of conquering the high-powered world of Wall Street. Now she's grown and determined to make it big in bond sales at Cromwell Pierce, one of the Street's most esteemed brokerage firms. Though she's prepared to fight her way into an elitist boys' club, she starts out small, relegated to a kiddie-size folding chair with her new moniker, "Girlie," inscribed in Wite-Out across the back.
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