While the authors writing style had me unable to put the book down, the FMC's personality and choices were a struggle to get through. I would like to read more by this author to see their craft from a different perspective.

Truly just came off a little too girlboss 2016. I wish there was more story to initially grab a reader and convince them that this plot and characters are worth sticking around for.

I started reading this complimentary copy from NetGalley, assuming it was a new release. About half way in, there were a few episodes that had me baffled and scrambling to see when the book came out. It released in 2018 and I am grateful that language around consent and sexual assault has moved forward since that time. I found several parts of this book cringey and difficult to read. Some because the attitudes of powerful female characters seemed outdated and mismatched to their personalities, and some because the actions of women were so manipulative and gross.

I finished it more out of some of the female guilt that I hated in the book though - it was a free copy in exchange for a review. I guess I did sell out in that way.

This was a rare DNF for me. I just really didn't connect with Casey and found her annoying as a protagonist. She didn't seem very self aware in terms of what she wanted and needed to grow in, and because I didn't find that she was relatable, it was tough for me to read through. Celeste was hard to connect with as well. Because I didn't connect with the core characters, it was tough for me to be invested in the story, even though I really liked the premise and felt that it had a lot of potential.

I'm 37% through this book, and I can't finish it. The main character is so annoying that I don't want to finish the book. I know she changes as the book continues, but this is too much to handle. I've spent the past three days reading a third of this book. Casey is in denial about who she really is, and I think she's living against her values, even though I don't think she actually knows what those values are. She has a judgemental best friend and an overbearing boss that she looks to as a mother figure, and she has an awful relationship with her mom and deceased father. She's a horrible person, and I can't keep reading this book from her point of view.

Casey Pendergast was in advertising, and she was good. She knew just how to tell a story to make the sale. She could woo clients and create selling points with the best of them. As part of PR (People’s Republic), one of the largest ad agencies in her Midwestern city, Casey ran her group with good humor and strength. Se works hard, and her work is noticed by Celeste, the owner of PR.

Celeste has a new idea, a blue ocean in business terms, where she pairs respected writers with companies in need of new marketing copy, or a reset after some bad press. The writers can elevate the social media and packaging with their artistry, and the writers get paid handsomely for a small amount of effort. Celeste is calling this new venture Nanü, and she has tapped Celeste as the one to travel around the country, recruiting the writers that Celeste has hand chosen for this new venture.

At first Celeste is overjoyed. She loves the idea of being in on the ground floor of Nanü and wants to make it successful. The first writer she meets with, Ben, will be promoting pens, and he’s excited for the opportunity. He is caring for his aging mother, and the payout for this project will help a lot. Plus, Celeste can’t deny the chemistry she is feeling with him.

Ben has something else going for him. He’s a good writer, according to Celeste’s best friend Susan. Susan is a writer, as yet unpublished, and in Celeste’s opinion, a little stuck. Celeste wants Susan to release her writing into the world, and Celeste is hoping that her working with authors will put her in a position to promote Susan’s writing too.

But as Celeste continues to meet writers and sign them up for Nanü, she starts to feel like she is selling out the art and artists she loved for so long. Will she be able to find her way back to the person she wants to be, or will she continue to sell her soul, and the souls of others, for exotic vacations and a custom closet in her condo? A series of bad choices puts Celeste face to face with her biggest fears, and she has to decide if she’s going to hide under the shame or fight back for the life she really wants.

A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out is a modern myth. It’s a strange story about what’s most important in life and how we spend our time. It’s about the power of friendship to heal and the power of stories to save us. But mostly it’s the story of one woman trying to figure out how to love herself after a lifetime of rejecting herself.

I can see how not everyone would love this book. Celeste is a difficult character to listen to. She can be incredibly shallow, even vapid, at times, but then she will turn around and point out a powerful piece of insight about the human condition. She works in advertising to make money, but she can also get lost in a novel or in poetry like a true former English major. She is selfish and insecure and uses power to intimidate when she wants to. But she is also kind and compassionate and generous, which is why her friends stick with her no matter what.

I really enjoyed A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out. I thought it was smart and funny and enduring. But if you’re someone who wats a likeable main character, then Celeste may not be for you. But if you think you can take it, then buckle up and grab a drink, and enjoy the wild ride you’re about to embark on.

Egalleys for A Lady’s Guide to Selling Out were provided by Mariner Books through NetGalley, with many thanks.

Thanks to Mariner Books for the ARC via NetGalley as well as the #gifted copy for a Bibliostyle Book Tour. All opinions are my own.
Over the last week I’ve read TWO books set in Minnesota, this one and Canadian Boyfriend - what a funny coincidence. My mom grew up in Minnesota and we spent many Thanksgiving and December breaks flying there to see family, usually with snow delays.
This book is a slow burn read, as the main conflict doesn’t happen until 3/4 of the way through. I didn’t connect much with Casey’s character, but I was willing to keep reading and witness her work and personal lives implode. Her love of reading comes in clutch, which I hope is the case for all bookworms 😍

A Lady's Guide to Selling Out by Sally Franson was a cute and entertaining story.
It was a bit of a slow-burn in my opinion. I did enjoy Casey’s character. She kept me interested in the story.

Thank You NetGalley and Mariner Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This book was overall an interesting read. It started off strong and engaging though did seem to lag in the middle a bit. I still enjoyed it and appreciate the opportunity to read it.

While I was hoping this would be a swing-up novel with a female protagonist finding her way, I was left disappointed. I think there was a disconnect between the jacket-copy and advertising with what the story was truly about. Casey, the protagonist, was just too unlikable. I wanted so badly to cheer for her but just couldn't.

This book reminded me of Hilary Duff’s character from the tv series, Younger!

Casey works in advertising and is awarded a new position with her boss where she gets to meet famous people and convince them to basically do as deals- she ends up falling for one of her clients and spirals a bit with the professional and personal lines being blurred.

With having watched Younger, I really wanted to like this book but ended up not liking it. I felt like Casey was negative to herself while trying to be positive- but it just came out as selfish and hateful sometimes. I also felt like this book was supposed to be between a comedy and drama - but it came off more as awkward.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The characters are not enjoyably to read. DNF



**********************I received an ARC for my honest opinion from NetGalley.*****************************

This novel focuses on Casey, who works at an ad agency. She must learn to balance success with her morals.

I just really didn’t connect with Casey or her journey here. I think part of this was the synopsis and what it was compared to. That set my expectations and they weren’t met.

Thank you to NetGalley, author Sally Franson, and Mariner Books for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was a cute and fun read!! I don't know why, but Franson's writing really reminded me of British chick-lit/British humor sometimes, and I think this book almost would have worked a bit better if she WAS British or if this book was set in England! (That is a compliment by the way, I greatly enjoy many female British authors' writing styles). I found Casey to be a super relatable narrator through her anxiety and attachment issues; I saw so much of my own uncertainty of self/romance/work/friendship reflected in the pages. I thought the story was interesting as well and felt realistic to Casey's situation/issues. I wish it would have went in a bit more into her relationship with her mom, and I could have done without as much romance overall, but I did like her scenes with Ben. I will check out Franson's other work in the future if I'm wanting a fun read.

I am a bit confused this book was published in 2018 and I read this in 2018. Not sure why they are republishing this. But I really liked this one when I first read it. It was a cute over all story.

I may not be the intended audience for this book. I found it to be very poorly written with choppy and awkward sentences. I also don't understand the premise of the book. The main character seems to think that authors who write for commercial companies is them "selling out" and that it's beneath them. The characters were not well developed so it made it difficult to care about them enough to drag through this train wreck of a novel. Thanks to Netgalley and Mariner Books for a free ebook of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I’m a little confused as it says this book was originally published in 2018 with a different cover which, to be honest, didn’t suit the story. Regardless, it took me a bit to warm up to Casey. I found her pretty unlikeable until the very end. I loved the TV show idea + wished someone would take Oprah’s place in this way. There were many funny parts layered with a lot of intelligent commentary on so many things - social media, the book industry, cycle breaking. It was a good escape but smart which is always welcome.