If you are looking for a funny and clean story this is for you. This is a fun and light-hearted girl power story about office revenge and a group of friends who don’t tolerate the narcissistic boss.

This is a story about fighting back.  When Vanessa Blair graduated college with a degree in Latin, she did not have many career options.  She ended up working as a telemarketer.  She does not much like the job and really does not like the company's CEO, Xavier Adams.  But it pays the rent, allows her to feed her five foster kittens, and does provide some social outlet, with her work friends Jane and Trisha.  But then, out of the blue, Xavier fires Vanessa -- and says the reason for her termination is her face, even though she always met her targets and was an active (if reluctant) participant in the company's "team-building activities."

After a night of venting and heavy drinking, Vanessa wakes up to learn that Trisha, still employed at the company, has launched a plan to get revenge on Xavier and the company based on the lessons from The Art of War by Sun Tzu.  Vanessa thinks she just wants to get unemployment and move on with her life.  But when Xavier contests her unemployment and seems determined to prevent her from getting another job, she decides to join Trisha's plan -- and with her work friends and other unlikely allies (including her mom and her mom's bridge club), Vanessa sets out to show she won't be messed with.

This was a fun read!  It was a funny take on companies led by seemingly charismatic but actually unhinged leaders -- almost like a comedic take on the stories portrayed in The Dropout and WeCrashed.  The book is full of highly enjoyable supporting characters, including Vanessa's mom and her friends as well as Carter, the staffer at the unemployment offices originally assigned to her case who shares Vanessa's love of cats.  And is is great to go on Vanessa's journey as she learns to trust herself and go after what she wants.

Highly recommended!

If you've ever fantasized about getting revenge against your boss, this is the book for you. It's the humorous account of a woman who sets out with her friends to get back at a boss who fires her because "he doesn't like her face". There were definitely some bits that were a little ridiculous and far-fetched, especially the parts with Vanessa's mom, but I found this too be entertaining overall, especially if you're looking for a quick, light read.

There's also a cute romance subplot, but since this book is on the shorter side, there isn't time for much development or anything. Also, kittens.

The cover of this book is what drew me in. Sadly the story didn’t draw me in as quickly. It was hard for me to get into the story. It seemed a little unbelievable. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

If you look at the book cover, the book looks adorable. I felt like I had to read it based on the cover and the description. I would have been fine with it being a cute, light book but it brought a lot of depth too. This book starts by addressing something most women have probably had to deal with: commentary on their face. I speak as a woman on this one, “you should smile more” and comments about rbf or facial expressions are definitely comments we get. Maybe men hear them too. But women definitely hear them. I’ve heard “you should smile more” etc.

Vanessa is great at her job as a telemarketer. It’s not the job she’d have wanted or dreamt about but it’s the job she has. She excels at it. The work environment is a nightmare though. Her boss actually walks around barefoot all day. He forces group bonding activities on lunch breaks. He sets impossible goals and fires people who don’t meet the goals. And before he fires them, he likes to embarrass them.
So, is this a dream job? Absolutely not. But it pays the bills and feeds Vanessa’s rescue kittens.

When she gets fired because her boss doesn’t like her face or her facial expressions (despite having a phone job!) Vanessa doesn’t know what to do next. She almost signs the paper for three paid days and a promise to give up unemployment. Fortunately her mom talks her out of signing and into applying for unemployment and that’s when things start to get crazier in Vanessa’s life.

Her two best friends from work are in similar situations: one gets fire right along with Vanessa and one gets out on a warning.

Vanessa meets with the unemployments benefits representative because he has some questions for clarity on how exactly she got let go. And, of course, he turns out to be a love interest for Vanessa. And a rather sweet one!

Vanessa’s mom and her friends feel like there is more to the story about why Vanessa got fired. Her old boss has been making life really bad for Vanessa since she filed for unemployment, clearly that move upset him for some reason. He’s even trying to ruin her chances at getting a new job.
So now Vanessa and her crew are out for revenge. They are going to figure out why Vanessa really got fired and they’re going to make their old boss pay for it.

In addition to the lovable, entertaining human characters in the book there is also an adorable litter of calico kittens that Vanessa is fostering and they are wonderful characters too.

This book reminded me a bit of a murder mystery without a murder. It’s kind of like Arsenic and Adobo but without a dead body. It’s funny, it’s entertaining, it’s about strong, resilience women who have been pushed too far, it’s got a bit of a love story, and a bunch of adorable kittens.

I really enjoyed this book and look forward to seeing what the author writes next.

I got to read an early ebook edition from NetGalley. Thank you!

3.5 stars

I wasn't sure where this story was going to go, but as things progressed and it was more apparent what all was going on behind the scenes, I was all on board!

I'm sure every woman out there has been unjustly reprimanded for their facial expressions at one point, and this story took that to the extreme. I can't even believe this happened to poor Vanessa, but I was so glad to see things pan out for her! Her friends, mom, former co-workers, and Carter all made a great little ragtag bunch perfectly fit for sabotage, and the sprinkling of foster kitten shenanigans made things all the better.

Xavier was the literal worst, and the saddest part is that there are all too many companies out there truly treating employees like this.

Overall, this was a fun read with good characters, a compelling story, precious kitties, and some very crafty undercover sleuthing/sabotaging.

Protagonist Vanessa Blaire hates her job. It pays the bills and feeds her foster kittens, but the only other perk it offers is her work besties. When Vanessa gets fired for RBF, her friends devise the perfect plan to sabotage their chauvinist boss. Vanessa wants to move on with her life: file for unemployment, get a new job, live happily ever after with her cats…and maybe go out for a cup of coffee with the unemployment rep assigned to her case. But when her former employer contests her unemployment and ruins her shot at her dream job with a snide, bigoted negative recommendation, she’s all in. She soon discovers that something is rotten at the company, and that revenge really is sweet.

For anyone who has ever dealt with misogyny, man-splaining, work place sexism, or being told your looks affect someone else’s opinion of who you really are. With lots of floors kittens, San Tzu’s Art of War quotes and references this novel is funny and heart warming with a sweet side of revenge. I loved the cast of characters and I enjoyed Vanessa’s story arc. I recommend this novel.

I was amazed with this book and really enjoyed it. Who would think of firing someone because of their face? That is just too awful and offensive. At least make it believable!

I found myself reading one chapter after the other even if it was already past my bedtime. I just love the dynamics of this book. The characters are great and they are not simply there to fill in the gaps but they made the entire plot enjoyable and less complicated. I love the idea of this book and I have to say, I laughed a lot while reading it.

It's great, funny and smart book.

Vanessa was fired because of her facial expressions that her boss told her when he did it and other woman from the office too. Trisha was on probation period. They get drunk and making fun of the situation and their ex boss and made plan how to ruin him. Except they are joking but Trisha doesn't. And it started.

I chose this book from NetGalley because of the synopsis and I didn't regret. It is 💯% entertaining. First of all I deeply connect with a main character Vanessa because she has degree in Classics( Latin and Greek) and I love her mom replays on it.
“That’s what a college education gets you. Random sayings no one understands.” ( so true and hilarious)
"Turns out a degree in Latin wasn’t the key to financial success. My education had emphasized other things, like homo doctus in se semper divitias habet."( when she understood it)

Enjoying in reading I find Vanessa and her friends who are fired from a job like her so ok like many people. They are realistic and things they do to show their ex boss that he was wrong are funny.

There are very smart sentences, Latin sayings and I love them.
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When Vanessa Blair is fired because of her "resting b**ch face," her friends help her launch a revenge plan that'll bring down the whole company. It’s time for war, and this time, they’ll be doing it with style!

You Should Smile More was the perfect blend of heart and comedy that I didn’t know my January needed - the perfect escape from the stresses of one’s own job. A fun satire bursting with laugh out loud moments, cozy twists, and strong female heroines, Ryan has delivered it all. I loved the eccentricities of what has been crafted, and the toxic work culture paired perfectly with the machinations of the overworked employees who’d just had enough of it all. 

Ryan has done a great job in shaping the drama into a light and fun package that readers will enjoy, and Vanessa’s insecurities were handled equally well. Her anxiety was natural and realistic, and I loved the support network she found in her friends - new and old - and even her mom’s exuberant bridge group. The plot twists were believable and I enjoyed the romance subplot paired with the “crime board” vibes as Vanessa and her friends cracked the case behind Directis and their ridiculous grounds for firing so many before.

A bit of a modern day 9 to 5, friendships and revenge collided and I couldn’t stop watching it all unfold; every ridiculous, humorous, and protective degree of this quirky slapstick that left me craving more. This was a brilliant debut for Anastasia Ryan and I cannot wait to see how they will be treating us next!

I received an early copy thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca, and I am voluntarily leaving my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. All opinions are mynown.

I think every female has been told they should smile more or be prettier if they smiled at least once in their life. I was really hoping to enjoy this book because it seems like it would be my style. Sadly it was not my cup of tea. I did however enjoy the friendships and characters in the story. I just could not get into the story itself

Kind of felt the connection to The Art of War was a pretty big stretch, and it took a while to get into the real plot/drama (by Chapter 5, we still had no clue what the revenge plot would be)... and was still not invested in the main character 20% in.

This was a great debut novel! Loved the characters especially Vanessa! The plot was great. Overall, the book made me laugh and was a nice change of pace from my previous reads. Definitely recommend.

Thank you netgalley for this ARC!

From the title alone, you know this is one you have to read. I loved Vanessa, I loved relationships both romantic and platonic. The flashback chapters were great and really added to the overall story and vibe of the book. And like I previously mentioned while I loved the romantic relationship, I also loved that it was the entire focus of the story it was more of a subplot. Overall, this book was just amazing to read. If you're looking for something that will make you laugh, smile, and is highly relatable with workplace issues, then I think this is for you.

I really appreciate the design of this covers but this was ultimately a DNF for me. A weak opening despite a fire description

Thank you to the author Anastasia Ryan, publishers Sourcebooks Casablanca, and as always NetGalley, for a review digital copy of YOU SHOULD SMILE MORE.

Vanessa Blair and her plucky army of former telemarketers have all recently been fired from their shared employer, Directis, or are on the docket awaiting offboarding. Vanessa refuses to sign the company's puny severance package and instead goes home and cuddles with her kittens, then to Job and Family services to file for unemployment. Upon learning she is the first person from Directis to ever apply, and several other curious tidbits, Vanessa decides to act. But not with help from, and in so, helping out, the funniest and most frazzled office workers in the US.

I really love books that make me lol, they're just like soul medicine! I really connected to this concept, and I think many readers will, as most of us has had at least one employer we don't remember fondly. This book is a richly ironic look at the sweat off our brow.

YOU SHOULD SMILE MORE is women's fiction and it's a caper, and I've never read anything quite like it. Gorgeous. Funny. A great ride.

Rating 📄📄📄📄.5 / 5 unemployment forms
Recommend? Indeed, if you want a laugh!
Finished: January 26 2033
Read this book if you like:
🙃 Irony and Sarcasm
😂 Satire
🏢 Work caper
👩‍💼 Strong female characters
🤪 Goofball bosses
🐈‍⬛ Kittens!

I did not expect to love this book so much, but it was such a great read and just what I needed right now to break up my thriller run. I must have laughed out loud for a good portion of this book! The author has such a great sense of humor, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading how it came through in her writing.

The plot was also pretty unique. The whole time I was reading, I kept imagining this being made into a romcom movie one day. Honestly, I hope it does because I would go see it.

The main character Vanessa was likable, and I appreciated how her and her coworker friends stuck up for each other, and had each other’s backs. It was so nice to see a group of women supporting one another.

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who likes a good laugh.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Casablanca and Netgalley for providing me with this #gifted ARC in return for an honest review.

3.5-4 rating.

The story is entertaining. The characters, especially her mom, bring more to the story. The side characters were the stars of the story. I would like to have seen more action, especially from the main character. The moments are there, but I didn't get the "wow" factor from them.

Overall this is a fun book to read.

Thank you Sourcebooks CasablancaNetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

To be honest I didn't have high expectations for this book, I thought it would just be a quick, okay read. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how funny and entertaining it was! I loved Vanessa from the beginning, I immediately warm to a fictional cat lover! Vanessa and her friends were wonderful and incredibly supportive. I loved seeing her awful boss, Xavier, get his comeuppance, and this book is definitely relatable to anyone who's dealt with a horrible boss! I was really surprised by this book and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to read this eARC. I've already recommended this to a few friends, and I will continue to recommend it as a light, funny, quick read.

oh geesh, i really wanted to enjoy this book. but alas, i did not. that doesn't mean it's not for you! i still hope you try it and that YOU love it! because that's what matters when you read! :)