I am definitely a fan of this book and author! This book was exactly what I needed to make me laugh out loud and improve my mood. I could see the images in my head so clearly as I was reading. It was so easy to visualize. I loved Vanessa, Jane and Trisha. Vanessa's mom and her friends were hysterical. I laughed so much at their antics. While it was reminiscent of 9 to 5, the story felt fresh and really worked for me. I will definitely look for more stories from this author in the future. I received an advance copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romp that gave me serious vibes of the classic movie "9 to 5"; I even laughed out loud.
The villains of the story were absolutely ridiculous yet felt so real. I think just about everyone would have had at least a taste of a wackadoo workplace and will feel solidarity with Vanessa, Jane, and Trisha.
There was a little bit of everything in the novel - the meddling mom, the Latin degree, the murder board, the foster kittens, the love interest, the Art of War. It could have been a complete mess, but to me at least the balance of all of those elements was measured just right. The humor varied from almost slapstick <spoiler> Under the Sea Dance </spoiler> to tiny jokes<spoiler> like a mom calling it "The Facebook" </spoiler>; it understood the value of restraint and didn't reach too far for a cheap laugh.
I appreciated how being fired because your boss doesn't like your face was actually integrated into the novel and wasn't merely an opening gambit. I felt like Vanessa reacted like a real person, and that it would randomly pop up throughout grounded the narrative. It felt like all of the characters has full lives even when we only saw snippets of them.
If you're in the mood for a madcap comedy with a satisfying happy ending, give this one a try.

DNF @ 10%. Thank you to the publisher for sending me an e-ARC of You Should Smile More. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story. I completely relate to the experience of being to smile more at work, to look happy and approachable, but the style of writing in this one just wasn't my cup of tea. This very much could be a "it's not the book, it's me" situation. I haven't been in the mood for tongue-in-cheek, silly, snarky, over the top books lately.

Definitely give it a try if you like workplace comedies with evil barefoot bosses. From the very beginning, it was funny and obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. It's supposed to be a bit screw-ball, I think, but ultimately that's what didn't work for me.

I confess that I wasn't sure I was going to like this one when I first began to read it because it starts off on a really sour note. But Vanessa grew on me once I realized she was the rational, calm in the crazy storm that is her friends, loved ones, and coworkers. Or maybe it was the fact that the place she gets fired from is such an insane place where the inmates run the asylum that you can't help but feel a kinship to the one that managed to get away with her sanity intact.
Vanessa works as a telemarketer at a company that's run by incompetent lunatics but she likes to eat and live by herself so she jumps through all the hoops her crazy boss, Xavier Adams, makes all the employees jump through. Until she's unceremoniously fired for 'her face'. That's it. That's the reason she's given. So as she wallows in being fired for something she didn't know was a problem or that she can do anything about, her mom, friends, and former coworkers all band together to find out what is really going on inside Directis. Meanwhile, Vanessa filing for unemployment leads to meeting the handsome, cat-lover Carter Beckett and a bright side to finding herself sans job.
This is one of those books where so many unexpected things happen one after another that I'm afraid to discuss the specifics for fear of ruining the loony surprises awaiting readers. Just know that it will all be fun, not everything is entirely legal, and it's all done with love.
And there are kittens! Did I almost forget to mention the kittens?


Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Casablanca for the fun early read!

When Vanessa is wrongfully fired from her telemarketing job and receives only "her face" and "dark soul" as the reasons, she's left spiraling. When her best friend also gets fired for no good reason and another friend is put on "permanent probation" just for interacting with them, the three friends begin plotting their revenge during a drunken pity party. Follow along with Vanessa, Jane, and Trisha as they embark on a mission to take down Xavier. What they uncover is so far beyond what they could have expected during that first night of peppermint schnapps shots.

This fast-paced novel will keep you engaged and have you laughing out loud. It simply is just a feel-good, funny read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

Anastasia writes a quirky cast of characters who are on a mission. Vanessa is terminated from her marketing job because of “her face” and her “dark soul”. When they notice a string of employees being fired, mostly women, they realize something has to be up.

Vanessa’s mom and her Bridge friends along with Jane and Trisha push Vanessa into solving this mystery. What is really happening at Directus?

There are funny moments, a crime board (red string included), and a lot of cats. This is a book I could see you liking if you enjoyed the craziness of Dial A for Aunties! It is a women’s fiction, there is talk of romance, but it is really all off page and not a main plot point.

I think my only problem is that the story talks about calico cats and yet the cat on the cover is orange.

I can’t fully explain what I disliked about this book, so I guess it just wasn’t for me. This book took forever for me to get through, I just had no desire to pick it up.

It really bugged me that the main male character had the exact same name (Carter Beckett) as the one in my last read (Consider Me by Becka Mack). A quick Google search points you right to that book…

I gave It 3⭐️ because the writing wasn’t terrible, and I could see how someone could enjoy it. It’s silly and light.

I received a complimentary copy from Sourcebooks Casablanca and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.

This is a laugh out loud book that had an interesting plot . The book follows Vanessa a telemarketer who is fired from her job wrongfully and thus decides to revenge .The novel was quirky , characters funny and relatable and a different take on romance . The characters are well developed, the plot different and it's a modern day espionage .

Anastasia Ryan’s novel “You Should Smile More” will have every woman who has experienced misogynistic comments in the work place cheering. Nessa is fired simply because her boss doesn’t like the look of her face, or her dark soul, but Nessa and her group of quirky friends quickly come up with a plan. Things quickly get out of hand as Nessa juggles filing for unemployment with the very attractive cat lover, Carter, and keeping her well meaning but out of control loved ones on the straight and narrow.

“You Should Smile More” is a delightful read that will make you laugh and cheer for Nessa and her friends.

I bet most of us have had a boss like Xavier. Not specifically like Xavier but in spirit-rotten, self aggrandizing, awful. Vanessa, who he fires because he doesn't like her face, finds herself in a bind because she has to feed her rescue kittens, but she's got her friends Jane and Trisha, as well as a group of bridge playing women to not only help out but also to see that Xavier gets his comeuppance. I liked that The Art of War is used to frame the revenge (and seriously- go read it) and that Vanessa graduated with a degree in Latin! Then there's Carter who tips this into rom com territory in spots. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This gets a little out there but it also made me smile.

You Should Smile More is the story of a woman, Vanessa, who is fired from her job because her boss doesn’t like her face. After that, Vanessa and her colleagues form a revenge plan against her former boss based on the book The Art of War. Why is no one pumping this book up? It had me cackling. A true laugh out loud book. Between Nessa and her friends and her mom’s gaggle of friends, these characters were snarky and hilarious with such clever and witty banter. The office antics were straight out of a sitcom. There were some romance storylines but the focus was really the strength of friendship and the importance of self worth. And the entertaining revenge plots, of course. So. Much. Fun.

✨You Should Smile More by Anastasia Ryan✨

Genre: Fiction
Pages: 256
Pub Date: Jan 17

📚When Vanessa Blair is fired because of her "resting bitch face," her friends help her get revenge...

Telemarketer Vanessa Blair isn't in love with her job. It pays the bills and feeds her foster kittens, but offers only one other perk: her friendships with Jane Delaney and Trisha Lam. But, as mind-numbing as her job is, things are about to get worse. Xavier Adams, her self-absorbed boss, calls Vanessa into the conference room and fires her. The reason? Her facial expressions. Apparently, she has resting bitch face, and it doesn't matter that her sales numbers are stellar or that she organizes office events.

After a girls' night of schnapps and imaginary retribution, Vanessa awakens to find her friends bent on a revenge strategy based on the classic business book The Art of War by Sun Tzu. At first, Vanessa wants nothing to do with it. She wants to file for unemployment and move on with her life, possibly with Carter Beckett, the cute, cat-loving unemployment rep assigned to her case. But when Xavier contests her unemployment and ruins her shot at her dream job, Vanessa is all in…

📝This is a perfect vacation read! It’s light-hearted, hilarious and a quick read!

The book combines several elements: friendship, romance, workplace issues, and cute foster kittens. I particularly loved the scenes that displayed heart-warming and honest female friendship.

The characters are quirky and the plot - although pretty ridiculous - is a bunch of fun!

💫Thank you @sourcebookscasa and @netgalley for my eGalley💫

When Vanessa Blair was unceremoniously dismissed due to her seemingly emotionless expression, her friends rallied around her to devise a plan of retribution that would bring the entire company to its knees. With a newfound sense of purpose, they set out to exact their revenge and restore Vanessa's reputation.

3.5 stars
This book was definitely unique & hilarious in so many ways. The several Laugh-out-loud moments had me appreciate the plot even more.

Vanessa's ex-boss was a piece of shit & scenes involving him frustrated me. But the revenge plan by Vanessa & her friends were the perfect solution the book needed! The trio's friendship was solid & everlasting.

There was also a very sweet & subtle romance that wasn't the main focus of the book but definitely made things feel lighter. And I loved the kittens so much.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a funny book but can be a bit much at times. Good for a beach read!

What a wonderful debut novel by Anastasia Ryan! I don't know if she took some inspiration from the tv show The Office, but it definitely had some of the vibes of the things they would do in the office (now Xavier was a way worse boss than Michael Scott). This story had a fun revenge plot that involved the MC's hilarious mom and friends, as well as plenty of glitter. I always have a soft spot for stories that involve animals, and having a foster kitten storyline was perfect. There is a small amount of romance, and honestly it was the right amount to not take away from the main part of the story. It didn't feel forced, and thank you for no ridiculous third act breakup. This story had good pacing, and wrapped up the main plot nicely. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this story! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of this book is a bit unbelievable. The writing is weak, especially the dialogue. It just doesn't sound like how people really talk. I had a hard time finding the main character likable.

The premises of the book is a woman get's fired from her telemarketing job due to her face. She and a few coworkers decide to get revenge using "The Art Of War" the writing style is to simple for me and the made up words are annoying after while. I stopped reading at 25% DNF 1.75 stars.



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

A sweet and hilarious tale about friendship, seeking revenge and everything in between!

When Vanessa is called into her boss' office, she never expects to be fired. She most definitely does not expect to be fired because her boss doesn't like her face. As a telemarketer, her call rate is always above average and she's an overall dependable employee, so she just can't fathom being fired for such an absurd reason. With one friend fired alongside her for an equally absurd reason and another friend still at the company, the trio form a revenge plot for the books!

This was such a cute, fun read. I found myself laughing out loud so often. From the mischievous foster kittens to the Bridge Brigade, this book is full of imaginative, hilarious characters. Some of the situations were way out there (and funny!), while others were not too terribly far fetched and unfortunately relatable for women in the workplace (including myself). This book pulls from The Art of War with a quote to start every chapter and I loved seeing Vanessa's very relatable struggle as she goes through the motions of being unexpectedly unemployed. There was a light romance brewing throughout, but the star of the show was definitely Vanessa's journey.

Thank you to SourceBooks Casablanca for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

A great read, with fun and quirky characters.
Vanessa loses her job, told by her boss that he doesn't like her face. She tries to get unemployment, but something odd is going on at her old.place of work so can she uncover it and save the day?