Bond Girl: A Novel
After a childhood introduction to the fast-paced world of Wall Street, sweetly naive Alex has landed a position at one of the finance industry’s most prestigious firms. Instead of being guided through the finer points of bond trading, however, Alex is initially given tasks mostly centered on taking lunch orders and keeping everyone’s nicknames straight. As she is accorded more responsibility, the realities of the financial industry and the mostly male egos around her conspire to make her job a little more difficult than she anticipated. Like The Devil Wears Prada (2003) set on Wall Street, Duffy’s first novel is a sharp, witty look at the intricacies of the trading floor and the people who populate it. The writing is clever and articulate, and Alex’s story of personal growth makes her a sympathetic, likable heroine. Filled with too-good-to-be-true anecdotes and enough of a biting, cynical bent to offset the chick-lit romance angle, Bond Girl is a fun read-alike to the canons of Weisberger, Kinsella, and Green. Duffy’s acknowledgment of the recent financial collapse and ensuing recession makes Bond Girl an entertaining and timely read. --Stephanie Turza