This is a women’s fiction book with a bit of a romcom vibe. It follows Indiana “Ana” as she struggles to be seen in her tech company, until her new boss mistakes her for a man and actually gives her credit. The focus is definitely on the unfairness that women often face in the workplace, with the events of the story taking place in a comedy of errors to shed light on the issues, but not in a heavy way. The writing was good, but the plot seemed a bit over the top at times, especially the decision making of the friends. I also didn’t find Indiana’s character to be very enjoyable, as I think there is a way to be strong and honest without being rude. Then for some reason her honesty completely went out the window in the moments when she needed it most. It was more frustrating to read than it should have been, especially the first 50%. However, I did really enjoy the side-story of her dad and her neighbors, as well as the sweetness of the romance plot(s). The fish date was just adorable. The story ended on a way more enjoyable note than it began, and overall I’d give it 3 stars, rounding up to 3.5 for the audiobook performance, as the was well done and helped me stay engaged. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Not Bad for a Girl by Anastasia Ryan was a very cute listen.

Indiana "Ana" Aaron is an exceptional coder, and only one thing stands in her way to becoming the most sought after coder, the fact that she is a female. After speaking up one too many times, she is transferred to an undesirable remote team.

As she embarks on her new job, she quickly learns that her new boss, Melvin, is clueless. After reviewing a spreadsheet, Melvin is quick to tell his employees that they are underperforming. However, Ana realizes that Melvin does not know how to read an Excel spreadsheet, and despite worrying about speaking up and subsequently losing her job, she does. Much to Ana's surprise, Melvin is not angry, but is thankful that "Mr." Aaron has noticed this mistake and is grateful for Mr. Aaron's help.

Boy oh boy. Melvin and the team all think Ana is a man, and Ana quickly gains much respect. Melvin wants to meet Ana in person, but Ana insists that they only communicate via text/email.

What ensues is a whole lot of excuses, a whole lot of made up adventures, and a sweet love story.

Ana proves to everyone, except Melvin, that as a FEMALE, she is more than capable of getting the job done.

I enjoyed listening to this light-hearted romantic comedy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the advance listen in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my onn.

3,75 stars

This is such a great read/listen! It manages to be so full of heart and humor while also addressing the very real issues of workplace misogyny and providing a triumphant and adorable ending! I loved the unique storyline anc Anastasia was very relatable. The audiobook in partcular was fantastic, the narrator clearly gave a lot of thought to each character to make them all stand out. A must read for all!

Skilled coder Indiana struggles to fit in at work due to her outspokenness. When transferred to a remote team, her boss assumes Ana is a man and praises “his” assertiveness. Ana decides not to correct her boss’s sexist mistake. As the legend of Indiana grows, so do the complications.

I loved this book. The tone is light and fun, taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to the subject matter. Ana and Shane are adorable together. The audiobook narration is enjoyable.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Do you love a quirky, everything-that-could-go-wrong-does kind of story? Then this is the story for you! I loved the friend dynamics more than anything because every girl needs her tribe! I also adored the very real discussion of being a woman in a STEM field where men dominate.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook. I thought this book was great for workplace relationships and females working in a more male dominated environment. I thought this book was very funny and I found it very entertaining. Very far fetched in some ways but totally accurate with women being treated poorly in a male environment. It also had a strong girl boss vibe.

This was a quick read, focusing on gender discrimination in the STEM fields. I found the entire "She's the Man" concept interesting with Ana not correcting her bosses assumption that she's a man because of her gender neutral name. However, I felt that the execution was too over the top, with Ana and her friends coming up with the wildest stories about "Indiana", too much like a joke. While this book has some great things to say about gender discrimination in the workplace, I think the execution could have been better thought out. Especially how the author uses a TURF author as an example to show how gender stereotypes are perpetuated.

I was really drawn to this book because of the cover and the premise, which I thought would be more of a romcom, and in reality, the romance is a small part of this story. The romance was also a little weak, and I wish that it had been given more time on the page to grow so that the reader could see the two develop together.

Since I received an audiobook copy from Dreamscape Media, the narration by Jesse Vilinsky is well done, and I really enjoyed her deilvery.

This is a good readalike to fans of Ali Hazelwood and Christina Lauren, I can see myself using it in reader's advisory interactions for fans of those authors.

This was a cute romcom not heavy on romance its a subpart of the story. The main story is heavy on workplace misogyny and how Anna (Indiana) has to work harder for the job she deserves and doesn't get. She is outspoken which you know on a woman its her being emotional and that gets her moved to a remote team who's been sinking under the current leader for years. When he mistakes her in a email as a man because of her name she didn't think much to correct him when he calls her old office and her best friend answers and begins a wild story of Indiana and the mans man he is and it just becomes over the top. By the end she has to figure out how to come clean shes a woman and prove girls are doing it. This book took me on a wild ride with all the stories everyone started making up.


Thanks to NetGalley for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Embarking on this emotional journey through the audio, I was moved by the profound exploration of a woman's strengths and complexities. Throughout the solo listening experience, the narrative skillfully guided me through a heartfelt spectrum of emotions unique to her story.

As the audio intricately unveiled the highs and lows in her relationships, it painted a vivid narrative that not only immersed but genuinely stirred my feelings, creating a powerful connection to her life. Grounded in her perspective, the story subtly introduced moments of heartwarming support, adding layers to the overall experience. Fearlessly navigating through complexities, the narrative offered a deeply moving exploration of diverse emotions and experiences specific to her character.

For those yearning for a story that not only maintains a more distant tone but also stirs the heart with its nuanced narrative, this audio provided a profoundly emotional and fulfilling listening experience from my personal standpoint.

First thing’s first: thank you Netgalley for the ALC of this book!
Not Bad For A Girl was a fun story about Ana (short for Indiana), a woman in IT, who accidentally impersonates a man to be taken more seriously. What started as a misunderstanding about her masculine name quickly snowballs out of her control when a sexist, self serving project manager enters the scene and assumes Indiana is a man.
I thought this book was cute and funny with a likable cast of characters. I found myself rooting for the FMC and the romance theme took a believable back seat. (I was thrilled to see that the author didn’t write a career driven woman just to have her throw it all away for a man she’d known for two months)! The author really highlighted how problematic workplace sexism is while still writing a lighthearted and enjoyable story. I really enjoyed this one!
4 ⭐️

5/5 stars! Thank you, NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook of Not Bad for a Girl by Anastasia Ryan narrated by Jesse Vilinsky for a free review.

First off, the narrator did a fantastic job with this - it was very fun and easy to follow and I love the different voices of the characters in this book - loved it! Second, love the story!!! Based on the title and cover of the book, I thought I was going to read a smoky book, but it turned out to be an awesome woman-power small romance book. I LOVED IT! Especially with having a corporate background and dealing with the same sort of situation in being a boys club. I love the women supporting other women in this story - there is never enough of it and the crap we still have to deal with in the corporate world based on our gender and even on our name! Anyway, I loved everything about this book - Lord of the Ring Jokes, Guppy Mom, oldies songs, and other witty references. Easy book to read and again, the narrator did a fantastic job - got me hooked from the beginning.

Overall, the ending was awesome and just leaves your heart warm. I am definitely a fan of Anastasia Ryan now and will be checking out her other books.

First thoughts: Only two chapters into this book and I see where it’s going and I LOVE it!! I have already laughed out loud several times. I hope this continues! I tend to jump in blind to books, I judge them by their cover 🫣, don’t hate me. I think her friend Patrick is my favorite!!

OMG, I loved this book! I loved the story line and Ana’s character. But I also laughed out loud so many times while reading this. Any book that has me laughing is a win! Ana was a strong female character in a male dominated world of IT. She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, no matter how others viewed her when she did it. Definitely read this one for a quick feel good romance!!

Thank you to Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio-arc of this story!

This was a nice change to what I usually read. Indiana Aaron finds herself in a new job because she spoke her mind... to her male boss...in a full team meeting. Fortunately, she gets to hide behind her computer (and pretend like her camera isn't working, of course) since this new position is a work-from-home position. So when her new team thinks she's a man, and her boss praises her for speaking up and telling him that he was wrong, she obviously rolls with it.

As a romance reader, I wasn't overly interested in it in this book, but I did love the familial and friend relationships in this. Her dad was just precious!

This was quite funny and had an excellent start. I can't tell if it lost a bit of intrigue at the 50% mark, or I just started paying less attention, but I wasn't as into it for the second half. I still had fun listening though, and thought it was a solid read. I would definitely be interested in reading more books from this author.

Indiana's story was one that is so true for many women working in a male dominated field. She was looked over for promotions and seen as rude and emotional, so was transferred to a remote team. In her new position, she was mistaken for a man and quickly became a key player who was praised. While the crazy stories everyone came up with for the legendary Indiana were a bit crazy, they definitely made for a good laugh. This book made my feminist heart happy as well as outraged at times. I enjoyed the touch of romance that was included. I was just left wanting to know about Heidi and Jason!

This was a GREAT story to listen to! AWESOME narration! Great main characters. The plot was easy to find. The story was engaging and easy to follow. Will be purchasing this book. Shout out to Netgalley and publishing for allowing me to listen and review this story.

4 STARS!

This book has 2000's RomCom written all over it and devoured it. I laughed so many times and rooted for Indiana the whole time . Girl Power at its finest.

This was a cute listen. I enjoyed the narration. I think that the narrator’s male voice was tolerable and that’s all I ask for in single or dual narrated books.

The book itself was fine but I felt like there was a character/plot hole with the boss bc he came off as more nefarious than he turned out to be.

This book was perfect for me. Lord of the Ring jokes, women in a male dominated field, some of romance, the FMC lives in Denver, mention of the Colorado Avalanche. What else could you want?! I loved Indiana as the FMC and loved watching her grow throughout the book. This book is laugh out loud funny, has a good pace, and was such a fun enjoyable read. The perfect beach read! If you like Ali Hazelwood, you will enjoy this one!

The Narrator was good and held my attention the entire book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for an audio-arc! I loved it!

Definitely a short and quick happy and comic book but with a very important topic of the current time, the biased perceptive to the male employees in the market. Even though there are females who are equally talented like males but aren't offered the same opportunities due to their gender. I love how well the author has used such an important topic and use it nicely for the book.

I was cringing this whole book, in the best way possible lol

As a woman in a corporate workplace, this story is hysterical and so relatable. I loved everything about Indiana and seeing her become this powerhouse of a corporate girly!!

Plot - so good. a bit long IMO but I think all the details did make for a great story. I loved seeing Indiana discover herself at work and also in her romantic life. I wish we saw more of her love story with you know who, but the epilogue was perfect for this. Would've just liked a little more romance and maybe spice during the book. Other than that, the plot was great! (side note but they mention the Denver airport conspiracy in this book and I LOVED it lmao). the whole time I was just cringing because I wanted her to confess but when she finally did it felt slightly cheesy but I ate it up haha.

Characters - loved them all and loved how the narrator portrayed them. I think the development and stories of every character were really great. all the guys in Diana were great and I had so much fun with the dad/Maggie side story :) so sweet

I listened to this book, so I don't have much to say about the writing other than Anastasia does a wonderful job storytelling.

Would definitely read more by Anastasia!

Thank you, Anastasia, NetGalley, and Dreamscape media for a copy of this book! I had a blast listening to it :)