Leverage is an ambitious, thought-provoking novel that explores themes of power, strategy, and influence in both personal and professional arenas. I appreciated the intelligence behind the narrative and the way it challenges the reader to think critically about ambition and control. While the pacing lagged in a few spots and some characters could have used more depth, the overall concept was strong and engaging. It’s a smart, relevant read that stuck with me after I finished. If you enjoy layered stories that make you reflect on the moves people make to get ahead, Leverage is worth picking up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to preview Leverage by Amran Gowani in exchange for my honest review.
Having encountered numerous positive reviews, I decided to request Leverage, despite it not being in a genre I typically go for.. Having given it a try, I can still confirm that this genre isn't for me. I enjoyed the high stakes twists and turns; however, I had a hard time caring about any of the characters or the financial industry. I will say that if you are into Wall Street and corporate intrigue, there seems to be a lot of knowledge from the author on the subject matter. Just because this book wasn't my cup of tea doesn't mean it won't resonate more strongly with an audience that is into high-finance drama.

Wow, to say this isn’t my typical genre is an understatement but I am glad I had the opportunity to read it! I had the opportunity to read this book after the imprint Atria Books reached out to reviewers that may like it. I’ll be honest, the title is what drew me in as I am a fan of the TV series with the same name. However, while they share a name they are not connected at all!

The plot is very fast-paced and it shows the line between success and sacrifice. It explores greed, corruption and the moral implications of decisions in the financial world of hedge funds. The protagonist is an Indian American man which also was a large reason I wanted to read it as I haven’t had the opportunity to experience this culture in a thriller.

I will say that there is a lot of swearing and it does get a bit preachy and heavy. But it does keep the reader engaged especially with having the characters mental health and its challenges being at the forefront. While the book is fiction, it had a lot of truth on the page.

The book doesn’t come out until August 19th 2025 but get it on your TBR as I have a feeling folks are going to be hearing of this author and this book comes closer to release.


I am thankful to have gotten a complimentary eARC from Atria Books through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

This book was super fast paced, funny, and interesting. It was extremely thrilling and tackled a lot of sensitive subjects, like racism and mental health, in a really real way. This isn’t the style of book I would usually read but I’m glad I did!

Fast-paced, razor-smart, and emotionally charged, Leverage is a high-stakes descent into the morally murky heart of modern finance. Ali “Al” Jafar, once a rising star at the infamous Prism Capital, is teetering on the edge after a catastrophic $300 million loss. But instead of being fired, he’s handed a chilling ultimatum: recover the money—or take the fall for a looming federal investigation.

What follows is a gripping thriller that fuses the adrenaline of Wall Street ambition with the human cost of relentless pressure. Al’s unraveling is portrayed with sharp insight and unsettling realism, making his story as emotionally resonant as it is suspenseful.

At its core, this is more than a finance novel—it’s a story about self-worth, survival, and the actual price of success.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I don't normally read books like this (hedge fund stories written by dudes) but I devoured this book! Gowani's voice is so strong, immediately pulling me in. This book is fast-paced, witty, and insightful to how the Wall Street world works.

Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley!

I really enjoyed this book! It reminded me a little bit of Black Buck but more of a thriller edge to it. The main character Al was not the most sympathetic in certain situations but overall I was rooting for him throughout the novel! Especially to take down Paul and Bradley who were needless to say the worst.

I loved the team work that came together at the end. I think that the author made the topic of race a part of this novel which is important given the world we live in.

I would recommend to any friends!

Oh my gosh this book was amazing! Morally gray characters, plot twists and turns, betrayals, hang on to your hats, wild ride! I enjoyed this book and demolished it quickly. I have a business background, so understanding some of the terms helped, but I can see how the industry language might turn others off.

That is the beauty of reading this on the kindle though! You can define and search terms you don't understand at a blink of an eye. I will be recommending this work to my readers and am excited for the next Gowani work.

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Leverage. This is a financial thriller that is well written and has the mathematical properties to keep you interested.
This book does go into the weeds a bit so you might want to read it more closely to get the full power of the book.
Good characters and a steady plot.
3 stars

I picked up Leverage after seeing a lot of enthusiastic reviews, even though it’s not usually the kind of book I’m drawn to. I was curious to give it a try, but ultimately, it confirmed that this genre just isn’t for me. The world of hedge funds, high-stakes deals, and corporate power games is well-crafted and clearly drawn from deep knowledge. For readers who enjoy intense financial thrillers and morally complex characters, there’s definitely a lot to sink into. But personally, I found the pacing a bit uneven, and at times the story felt slow or hard to connect with. That said, I can appreciate what the author was doing, and it’s easy to see why it works for many others. While Leverage didn’t quite land for me, fans of high-finance drama and psychological tension may find it far more compelling.
Thanks to Netgalley and the author, and the publishing house for giving me the chance to read this book in advance.

Leverage by Amran Gowani is interesting. AL Jafa works as a manager of a hedge fund which overnight loses over $300 million. His boss gives him 3 months to make it back or he would report him to the SEC. He ends up joining a secret group that makes money for the members. This book is a dark comedy in the first person. It is not a subject I know much about – I am sure it was for me – a lot of profanity which might or might not have been necessary.
The writing was good – the subject matter—high finance was a little confusing. If you enjoy high stake money storytelling—this will be good for you.

This book is so out of my wheelhouse but was enjoyably intense and well written. It has dark moments and could be triggering for some but overall it's a very good book.
Thank you NetGalley and Atria Marketing for early access!

Leverage by Amran Gowani is a fast paced, gripping debut that pulled me in from the very first page. I haven't read many books set in the cutthroat world of hedge funds, and Gowani absolutely nails it. He delivers a thrilling, darkly funny story that's sharp, timely, and impossible to put down.

We follow Al, a Pakistani American rising star at Prism Capital, a hedge fund filled with some of the most toxic coworkers imaginable. After a catastrophic $300 million loss, Al is given an ultimatum: either recover the money or become the scapegoat in an insider trading scandal. What unfolds is a rollercoaster through betrayal, greed, ambition, and the heavy toll it all takes on a person's mental health.

Thematically, this book cuts deep, examining race, power, and capitalism's insatiable appetite through a lens that's witty, raw, and brutally honest. It's a very timely book for the world we live in now. Al's narration is filled with humor, cultural references, and a vulnerability that makes you root for him, even when his choices get murky. If you love HBO's Succession and Industry, you will absolutely devour this one.

I especially appreciated how Gowani wove in the impact of systemic injustice and the mental health struggles that come with trying to survive in a world built to tear you down. I do recommend checking content warnings, especially for depictions of suicidal ideation, but if you’re looking for a smart, thought provoking thriller, Leverage needs to be on your radar.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amran Gowani, and Atria Books for the eARC of this book.

It was entertaining and interesting especially in light of what’s happening in the real world. The writing was good and I can’t wait to see what he writes next

The main character, a man of color, working at a hedge fund finds himself in trouble in this thriller set in the world of high finance/hedge funds. He inadvertently loses a huge amount of company money and he given an offer, replace the losses or find himself in jail based on false insider trading charges. Main character, has a sarcastic sense of humor and lots of observations about the world he is in, in particular the white male dominated hedge fund. Twisty and fast moving and learned a few things about that world.

I was invited by the publisher to review to this book. Al works at a hedge fund founded by the wealthy and politically connected. When his investment fails, he loses $300 million in an instant. Assuming he will get fired by the founder, he learns instead that he must earn the money back in three months or be the fall man for the government's investigation into insider-trading.

This was a fast-paced book with a lot of interesting content. There was also humor in this book, which balanced out the darker elements. The author also made this book accessible, as he opens up a window into trading that the public rarely sees; the reader actually feels the tension in the writing. This was not a book I would have normally picked up for myself, but I am very glad I read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Entertaining account of a nightmare job in the financial markets. I recommend it for anyone who likes thrillers set in the financial world and isn’t bothered by an obnoxious white male cultural setting or frequent suicide references. The story is fast-paced and well-written.

This is the authors debut Novel
It’s about an investment broker AL that looses a lot of money and Paul the boss is not happy
Al takes things into his own hands and eventually gets revenge

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for trusting me with an ARC of Leverage by Amran Gowani. This book is the first book by this author and, I hope, will not be his last. This book tells the story of Ali Jafar, a manager at a hedge fund, who has just lost $300 million on an investment. Rather than fire him, his boss and owner of the fund, Paul, threatens him with insider trading (false) and gives him a few months to make up the loss. A college friend, Damon, gives him a "tip" to help replace some of the loss and also gives him a contact who can give him more insider information.

This book is a page-turner filled with plenty of twists and turns especially if you can keep up with the financial lingo. Clearly, Mr. Gowani has a lot of experience in the hedge fund field making this book very realistic. I highly recommend and look forward to more from this author.

In the meantime, keep turning those pages....

I received a free copy of, Leverage, by Amran Gowani, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Al Jafar works in hedge funds, he loses big time millions of dollars, his boss gives him a deal, get his money back or get out. This was an interesting read.