This book refuses to fit into any sort of box. Is it a romance novel? Is it a phycological thriller? Is it a coming of age saga? Is it a finding myself story? It is all of that and more. A perfect book for someone who doesn't know what to read next. It is definitely not like anything else out there to read.

Ava Simon is not, as the jacket copy would have you believe, another Eleanor Oliphant. She's grieving, having lost her fiancée in a car accident several years ago, and has shut herself off from nearly all social interactions. Her life is quiet, steady, and calm, consisting of engineering work that she loves at STÄDA (an Ikea look-alike), Monday lunches with a colleague, podcasts, and her dog. But when Mat Putman blows into her office like a charismatic hurricane, this self-contained existence is quite upended.

The novel follows Ava as she somewhat grudingly re-enters the world, learns that it is possible to love again, and navigates the truly asinine corporate culture at STÄDA. The office culture is almost a character in itself; think Eggers's The Circle, without the menancing undertones. The tone here is much more lighthearted, although it's clear that Mat Putnam is not what he seems. He's too goofy to seem truly threatening though, unless you count his misguided sense of self-worth to be a threat (and by the end, I'm not so sure that you'd be wrong to do so). Ava and Mat's personal drama, and the scandal-in-the-making that's been building up at STÄDA all come together for a satisfying, if slighly ridiculous resolution.

I love quirky characters. And snark. And Capital Letters. And all of the pronouns. And dogs. Don't forget the dogs.

Thanks to the delightful folks at NetGalley for the chance to read an advanced copy of this wonderful debut novel. It was a great big fat 5-star read, for me.

Digital ARC from NetGalley. Sweet and sad and quietly funny. You will need to suspend disbelief to make it all work in the end, but go with it.

March LGBTQ Fave read
#theverynicebox
By Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett

Five ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thanks @netgalley for this funny ; suspenseful with one hell of an ending
#debutnovel

Suspense/ LGBTQ/ Situational Humor

What I liked:
🏳️‍🌈This story took all the quirky elements of the Office, and set it in a Scandinavian furniture design company . It could be IKEA..it could be the Container Store..because Ava designs boxes.. I love the Home Edit..I can just imagine a design team set up to design accessories for home minimalism..I loved the names..like The Very Nice Box , the Practical Couch , the Simple Dinner plate,the Tiny Desk Chair. The authors immersed you into the atmosphere of their world..Ava's world. Her character was much like Will Ferrell in Stranger than Fiction, she had a lot of internal monologue..her life was practical and broken into manageable units.
🏳️‍🌈 Ava is a strong queer woman who overcomes everything..we learn she sets her life in units and buries her life into work and her dog Brutus . I am struggling not to give more spoilers but I read this in one sitting. When you think you know what is happening there is another gotcha, another layer, another whoa ...we learn about the accident that has left her single and buried in work. We learn that people are never who they appear to us..just the version they wish us to see.

🏳️‍🌈 Mat Putnam was her boss..he should never have pursued her, at first we think he is pure in motivation..but he has created the perfect illusion for the world. He and the main character of the series YOU could have gone to the same fraternity learned how to craft their game from the.same manual..a narcissist manipulator..but never fear..Ava is smart and strong and has a great friend who makes her question..then the lies begin..one after another unfold like origami.

I cannot wait to read more from this writing team!

The Very Nice Box is—weird? I'm not totally sure how to categorize this book, which is half unbelievable office romance and half semi-unhinged psychological thriller. The story revolves around Ava Simon, a product engineer at an Ikea-esque furniture company whose dedication to her work masks her persistent grief after the death of her partner. Ava reminds me of Eleanor Oliphant: practical, competent, and impatient with social norms. Where Eleanor remains essentially herself throughout that novel, though, Ava makes a somewhat startling shift in personality after meeting Mat, the new marketing director. Mat is, in the words of the book's blurb, not what he seems, which is only true if you aren't inherently suspicious of young, entitled white men who speak in self help platitudes and crumble at the first sign of criticism. If you, like me, do not believe Mat's act for one solitary second, then you will likely read the first part of the book, ostensibly the beginning of their romance, with the theme song from "Jaws" blaring in the background.

Perhaps because I was unable to buy into their relationship, the first half of the book felt interminably long. I knew something bad would happen, so I wasn't invested in growing to like Mat, no matter how charming Ava found his spontaneity and confidence. The book picked up in the second half when Mat's issues become more clear, but even then I found myself wanting to shake Ava, whose last relationship was good and healthy and queer and clearly superior to this one. Grief makes you do strange things, I get it, but this strange?

I did like The Very Nice Box's skewering of corporate culture, and I would definitely watch a show that was just Ava and Jaime gossiping about the characters at Strada. I also wanted more of the Good Guys—not because they are actually good guys, but because they make excellent, believable villains. Gleichman and Blackett are onto something with their depiction of the dangers of a self help culture that provides the language of social responsibility without any of the accountability.

Overall, though, this was a tough read for me. Too slow at the beginning, too much information too quickly at the end, and too much time spent with the kind of manchild I avoid in my everyday life. Nevertheless, thanks to NetGalley and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for the ARC!

I didn’t realize this is going to be on the psychological thriller side. And I would have said I would not have liked it, but I did like it..? Ok so I did guess early on about Mat (if you’ve read one thriller you’ve read them all), but even so he was so creepy that I couldn’t stop reading. Also this book was pretty funny in that it was looking at white cis hetero male entitlement from other perspectives (gay, POC) and just how glaringly privileged and honestly delusional . Like I’m still thinking about how Ava was essentially building Mat’s casket for most of the book! Granted this book took it to the extremes (maybe not) but if you think about some of the men you see in the new for example, it highlights how self centered and myopic the average white male is. Perhaps I felt this more acutely because I read this in the midst of all these mass shootings and (white) police murdering innocent black men. Overall this book was predictable, a lot of the story lines were familiar, but I like Ava, her friendship with Jaimie, the lgtb representation and of course Brutus.

The Very Nice Box fits into that very specific genre of Ikea-pastiche stories, that say something about corporate culture and such (although quite what I have to admit to not knowing, never having been part of a corporation).

In this book, Ava is in the middle of designing the eponymous Very Nice Box when her boss steps down and is replaced by Mat. Initially reluctant to buy into his schtick, she eventually relents, and also starts up a relationship with him. But he isn’t all that he seems, and slowly Ava starts to realise something is up.

What worked for me in this book was the slow build to the realisation that this guy is dodgy. I mean, given the blurb and my general tendency to be suspicious of fictional men, I did know he was going to turn out bad, so it wasn’t a surprise as such. But the build up was enough to keep you guessing just how he would be.

And all of it leading to an end that was… wild to say the least. Probably this was the best part of the book. I won’t say a word about what happens because, trust me, you want to be surprised by it. The one thing I would say is that it went in a direction I was totally not expecting.

Aside from that though, I’d have to say nothing else really stood out for me. Yes, it was a good book, but I didn’t feel a whole lot about it. But I’m willing to chalk that up to my general dislike of adult contemporary. A three star read for that genre is basically worth at least four in any other.

So if this sounds your thing, I would say go on and pick it up. Even if it doesn’t sound it, I’d say that because you might be surprised.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The Very Nice Box revolves around Ava, a dependable engineer for STADA, a Nordic furniture company. When I read the synopsis and heard there was going to be a twist, I immediately thought of Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix, one of the more original books I've come across. The Very Nice Box is not a thriller, although there is a twist. At its core, for most of its plot, this book is actually a romance. Ava is dealing with a lot of things emotionally, such as PTSD from a car accident and the end of a long-term relationship with her ex-girlfriend. All she wants to do is make a Very Nice Box during her Passion Project hours at work. Unfortunately, or fortunately, she gets a handsome new boss who wants to draw her out of her shell. Here's an excerpt from Chapter One when Ava meets Matthew for the first time:

"His name was Matthew Putnam, and he had gripped the attention of Floor 12, not just because of his fancy degree but because he was categorically handsome... His charisma was palpable. Around him, her colleagues smiled and laughed more...
"Mat Putnam," he said, sticking out his hand. "It's awesome to finally meet you." His voice cut through Ava's Peaceful Headphones."

The best aspect of The Very Nice Box is that it is a wry and sarcastic send-up for corporate culture. Here's an excerpt from Chapter Two that explains how off-sync Ava is from the rest of the corporate culture at Stada:

"The walls were flanked with half-erased notes from the Manager Training that had taken place before the party.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Be aware of Unconscious Bias.
Climb the Ladder of Perception.
Practical Radical Compassion.
Am I in a cult? Ava wondered vaguely."

Reading this book reminded me of The Other Black Girl, which was actually the best book I've read this year.. Both of these books use sarcasm to point out the hypocrisies and idiosyncrasies of office culture from the point of view of an outsider. However, I took off a star because at the end of Part One, the book stopped seeming innovative and started seeming bland. The idea behind this book had so much potential, so I don't know why I started getting bored near the middle of the book. Overall, if you're into interesting stories that haven't been done before, you should check out The Very Nice Box when it comes out in July!

This book was a DNF @ 15%. From the description I was hoping for something more dark comedy with relatable, unlikable characters along the lines of Halle Butler, Ottessa Moshfegh or Sally Rooney; it’s certainly not that. While the book was not painful to read, I simply couldn’t get enough invested in the stories or characters to continue.

He de decir que es, con mucho, la mejor novela que he leído en lo que va de año. Y eso que este estilo no me va mucho. Pero tengo que reconocer que es muy muy buena.
LA TRAMA: Ava Simon, ingeniera de una empresa llamada Städa (versiòn novelada de Ikea), es seducida por Mat Putnam, un nuevo ejecutivo que ha contratado la compañía. Ava perdió a su pareja (una mujer) en un trágico accidente de coche, y la aparición de Mat le hace ver la luz de nuevo. Sin embargo, no todo es lo que parece...
LO MEJOR: el argumento es muy original, y está muy bien trabajado. Prosa ágil y accesible.
LO PEOR: poco de malo tiene. Si acaso, el final.... chirría un poquito. Pero no impide la calificación de 5 estrellas.

I really loved the first half of this book, the realistic habits of Ava and the contrast of her recent work environment with her actual job, the whirlwind romance, I was just as swept into Ava's new life as she was and totally into Mat. When he started with the pet names, everything it pulled me out and I could not stand the storyline then. I'm so glad it redeemed itself and Ava as a character, what a wild ride!

Ava is an engineer who specializes in designing storage products for STÄDA, which is parallel universe IKEA. They sell mostly furniture with satirically agreeable names like "Dependable Drying Rack" and "Appealing Dining Table." The title of this book is also Ava's current project, and on the anniversary of her 10th year working for STÄDA, her boss steps down and she draws the attention of the young man hired in his place...

I was convinced that I knew where this book was going for the first half, then was persuaded completely that no, I was wrong... only to be proven right in the end. But I was so thoroughly thrown off by what I perceived as the plot subverting my expectations that when the story...unsubverted itself, I was kind of relieved, but not all that surprised or excited. I don't know if I would call the book predictable, but there were some red flags that I should've known wouldn't just be ignored, especially considering the book description..

What else...? For the most part the writing was straightforward and without fluff. I didn't find much particularly funny, but I thought the same about Elinor Oliphant, so it may just be my sense of humor. I thought it was incredibly effective at portraying grief, though. I even got a bit emotional during the flashbacks of Ava in the hospital. Also, the fact that Ava compartmentalizes that grief for years worked thematically well with her profession and I do love that kind of thing.

There was some corporate satire but not enough, in my opinion, and I think more could have been done with the box motif as well. There was also one particular plot convenience near the end that irritated me... I did like it, overall, though.

I'm going to be completely honest. I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. Maybe because I am part of corporate america, and offices and get a lot of the satire that was going on in the books.

I started off the book not liking Ava, but as the book went on, I really REALLy liked her. I grew to love her crazy obessions. This was a really different sort of read for me and I'm glad I did it.

Satirical, witty and thrilling, The Very Nice Box introduces us to Ava - single, lonely, and ultimately the hero of a story she wants no part of. Ava's orderly world as an engineer at an Ikea-like furniture company is thrown for a loop when she finds herself unexpectedly enraptured by her new boss, Mat. Reeling from years of grief, Ava starts to discover who she really is. Unexpected from beiginning to end, this will appeal to fans of Gail Honeyman and Ruth Ware- an unlikely combination, to be sure.

The Very Nice Box is a quirky book in the vein of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and A Man Called Ove. It follows Ava, a sensible woman with her days divided into units, as she falls for her new boss while dealing with the grief of the death of her fiancée.
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This book was surprising. Once I thought I knew where it was going, it did a complete turn around and did the opposite. I loved the pacing of the plot and the characters really grew on me. While they all had their flaws, most of them became very lovable characters by the end.
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The Very Nice Box is equal parts a work romance story, an exploration of grief and moving on, and a psychological thriller. The authors did a masterful job of blending these together to create a captivating story.
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Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for people who like to add something extra to the normal office romance.
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TWs- car accident, grief, death, manipulation, sexual assault
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very Nice Story

This is astonishingly well written for a book with two authors, something I generally regard with suspicion and trepidation.

SHRNK great story device and at the same time, completely implausible and therefore immediately suspect. A therapist w/no name or credentials who is available 24/7? And provided by a workplace? Good luck finding anyone to log in - (*each account come with a free Brooklyn Bridge).

I enjoyed the virtual catharsis of calling out people( mostly white men) who IRL get ahead via connections and fakery. The struggle is real.

The Very Nice Box starts out as a pleasant ramble of a book, something that feels perfect for a beach chair or a vacation hammock. The focus is on engineer Ava Simon who works at an Ikea-like company in Brooklyn and is attempting to get past a tragic accident by focusing on her work and her dog. Enter a new, fast-talking, charming boss, five years her junior, who becomes her friend and eventual love interest. The first half of the book reads like a light romance, but the last fifty pages has a particularly juicy twist that I didn't see coming. I don't think I'll pick up the book again to reread it, but it was absorbing and fun, and I'll definitely be reading anything Blackett and Gleichman write next, either together or apart.

This is a book I never would have found, had it not been for Buzz Books. After reading an excerpt there, I had to read the whole thing and I was not disappointed. Ava is a lesbian (or is she) engineer with obsessive tendencies, and when a new employee, Mat, appears at work, that's where it gets interesting. It's clear that something is off about Mat right away, but the entertainment was in trying to figure out exactly what. I sort of guessed right, but I was way off in other parts. No spoilers ;)

Even though Ava was rather humorless and emotionless, I found myself liking her more and liking Mat less and less, gently nudged that way by the authors. It was an involving read that got me out of my own literary box.

I didn't see the "wry humor" but I've never been in an IKEA store, maybe that's why.

I received an ARC from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and NetGalley.com. I wasn't required to write a positive review & opinions expressed are my own. FTC 16 CFR, Pt 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements &Testimonials in Advertising.

This book was a fun read, but sadly it missed the mark in a few places for me. By far my favorite part of the book- and what kept me reading- was the main character, Ava. The authors did an amazing job bringing Ava to life. I also loved how the book poked fun at workplace culture, which kept things lighter when dealing with some heavy material at times.

What I didn't like is that this book didn't seem to know what it was. First it just seemed like a story about an overly-organized workaholic. Then I thought it might be more of a feel-good book about someone overcoming a tragedy in their life. Then it felt like a romance. And then, at around 80% through, it felt like a thriller. At that point of the book I was so completely thrown at the change in tone that I wasn't sure where the story was going to go. There were things along the way that clued the reader in that maybe something big was going to happen, but there was also a lot of evidence to the contrary, and things that felt like misdirection, so it still came as a surprise. After the twist, I feel like the book was wrapped up too quickly. The other characters in the book also felt a little flat to me, but maybe that's because Ava's character was so well-written.