Bond Girl

October 31, 2011
Despite promising insider secrets about what really happens at a Wall Street firm, Duffy’s debut crashes as fast as the stock market did. Alex Garrett, a recent college graduate who began her Wall Street career in 2006, dreams of fast-talking days on the trading floor. Instead, she sits on a folding chair at a government bond desk, fetches ridiculously large takeout orders, and serves as a doormat for her colleagues, as well as the office ladies’ man she dates. While the peculiar tasks Alex is forced to fulfill with a “yes, sir” attitude, and the crazy tales of work life pique the reader’s curiosity, these stories quickly become boring. Unfortunately, Duffy’s attempt to sell her trade secrets doesn’t pan out, and it’s hard to sustain interest by the time she gets to the number one thing you’ll want to know about working on “the Street.”

September 15, 2011

Alex Garrett wants to make it big in bond sales at Wall Street's estimable Cromwell Pierce, but for now she's learning the basics from a forbidding boss while running low-level errands and shrugging off the nickname Girlie. Then she becomes an associate, and all's reasonably well until the 2008 recession hits. This debut novel is reportedly sparkly and hilarious, as is the author, who has worked on Wall Street herself. Lots of in-house enthusiasm and a 75,000-copy first printing to boot.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from November 15, 2011

Fresh out of college, Alex lands a job on Wall Street training in bond sales. While it's difficult to break into the boys' club of a trading firm (she is given a folding metal chair inscribed "Girlie" instead of a desk, she's the office gofer, and practical jokes abound), Alex makes the best of it and tries to work as hard as she can. She is often fixing her boss's spreadsheets until midnight, in between Starbucks runs juggling dozens of cups and dodging a slimy client who threatens to make her quit if she won't sleep with him. When Alex finally gets the chance to execute an actual trade, she loses the firm nearly $100,000 with one mistake. Despite this, she keeps her job and even finds time to date a cute coworker. When the financial crisis hits, it's time for Alex to take stock and figure out if the stress is worth it. VERDICT Despite financial details that may make your head spin and a workplace that will make your stomach churn, Duffy's fresh take on the single-in-the-city tale does a terrific job of reviving chick lit (not every girl works in publishing or PR, after all). [See Prepub Alert, 8/21/11; debut author Duffy has worked for over ten years on Wall Street.--Ed.]--Rebecca Vnuk, Forest Park, IL

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Ambitious young woman faces numerous obstacles after breaking into the male-dominated world of bond trading. Inspired by her father's long career in finance, Alex Garrett knew from an early age that she would end up working on the Street. So when top brokerage firm Cromwell Pierce recruits her right out of college, she feels a certain sense of destiny. Her optimism fades, naturally, when she arrives at the chaotic bond-trading floor to discover that she does not have a desk, just a folding chair. Her gruff boss Ed "Chick" Ciccone dubs her "Girlie" and makes it clear that she might be logging years as an indentured servant (aka analyst) for the team before the possibility of actually selling any bonds. Her duties include fetching coffees and lunches while trying to learn the super-complex workings of the finance business. The hours are grueling and the hazing never stops--at least until a new victim arrives. As punishment for showing up late one day, she is dispatched to the Bronx to procure meatball heroes and a 50-pound wheel of parmesan--and is stuck with the $1,200 lunch tab. Still, there is an absurd amount of money to be made, as she discovers when she is given a $110,000 bonus after her first full year with the company. Alex's good looks also attract the attention of colleagues and clients alike, and she begins a clandestine relationship with office cutie Will Patrick, a seemingly nice guy who mysteriously goes missing every weekend. At the same time, married (and filthy rich) hedge-fund manager Rick Kieriakis takes a shine to her, peppering her with unwanted, stalker-like messages. His behavior crosses the line, but knowing that it is her word against his, Alex grits her teeth and tolerates him--to a point. Then the 2008 financial crisis arrives, throwing the whole industry into a tailspin and prompting Alex to choose between money and self-respect. Finance veteran Duffy's topical fly-on-the-wall debut skirts the darker issues of Wall Street's role in the world, but still makes for a compelling, fun read. Testosterone-soaked take on the Devil Wears Prada model.

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