I must admit I didn't enjoy this book and overall found it quite a difficult read which didn't flow at all. I didn't take to the main character who I felt was weak plus there was her unhealthy relationship with her mother which was bubbling underneath the main Me Too issue of the book. It seemed weaker than other books dealing with the Me Too subject, or maybe I've just read too many similar books. I felt the ending totally unsatisfactory and unresolved in any way. However, there were some well written sections with plenty of dark drama but this wasn't a book for me.

It took me a while to get in to this book. The mother daughter relationship is difficult and the world of television industry is foreign to me. It was insightful and unsettling. Made me look at things from a different perspective and that's not a bad thing.

I am surprised that this hasn't had better reviews. I think, perhaps, either you click with it or you don't - I absolutely did, and tore through it, finding it utterly compelling. Yes, there have been plenty of novels in this area over the past five years or so, but they aren't all written nearly as well as this one. The spare, pacy prose is deceptively simple but very well-executed, and though it isn't covering anything new thematically, it was so deftly written and psychologically insightful that it felt fresh and absorbing.

This was a deep yet fun read which is exactly right for the me too era, showing the true colors of some Hollywood big hitters, and the women that have the misfortune to stand in their way.

A timely and topical novel that looks at the film movie industry and abuse of power that goes on behind the scenes. This was an intriguing read and I really wanted to like it but several things let me down:
- the underplaying of the fact that the protagonist gets a role in tv productions, that is made up, albeit low paying, through nepotism. Her mother is best friends with the CEO Roberts, so he invents a “floating assistant” role. Yet the protagonist is oblivious to her privilege and the fact she got a job not based on merit irked me. The protagonist just drops this in as a matter of fact.
- the toxic relationship with her mother was poorly executed and the protagonist comes across as whiny. I thought her mother was more fascinating than she was, as a rape victims lawyer.
- the passiveness of the protagonist. A lot of the drama happens to people around the protagonist and not to her which takes away from the tension of the story. Overall I felt very dissatisfied. There wasn’t much closure.

I really enjoyed 'Not safe for work' by Isabel Kaplan. A relatable read about a young woman trying to make her way in the world of Hollywood. 'Not safe for work' is both witty and poignant, a sharp reminder of the expectations of women. I enjoyed this book but, felt the feminist angle was a constant theme throughout. I feel for the main character who just wants to fit in where she works. Interestingly, the main character never seems to be named nor is her high profile mother. It is an interesting choice to focus on the other characters, downplaying their own achievements and not giving them the recognition they deserve.

There is a repeated theme of self-loathing throughout and the main character has a complicated relationship with her mother. There was a sinister undercurrent running throughout as the mother constantly calls and texts her daughter both abusive messages and cries for help. It was often quite hard to read about the controlling tendencies of the mother and the, therefore, subsequent effect this has on her adult children.

'Not safe for work' is a fast paced read through; Hollywood, feminism, the male gaze and fighting the patriarchy.
I enjoyed this but, I wanted more from the ending; what happens in the end? Does Robert get off with the claim? Does the main character get the promotion or switch jobs? So much is left unsaid.

Likened to 'My Dark Vanessa', I can see the parallels as both books made me very uncomfortable at times. I also thought there were similarities to 'Lessons in Chemistry' with the strong, witty female lead fighting against a male dominated society. A very relatable read that many young women live through.

Themes of; rape, mental health, substance abuse, drugs, eating disorders, therapy, abuse, emotional abuse, body image, control, MeToo movement, feminism, sex, sexual abuse.

This is a heavy book, detailing the toxic and dark natured world of Hollywood. Working at a network, our unnamed narrator is at war with herself about whether to stand up and argue for change but lose all prospects of job advancement, or to stay quiet and earn a higher ranking position that might allow her to bring change. We see the unspoken expectations put on women through standards of beauty, fitness, grooming, etc. Undergoing all this she compares this to why men are allowed to wear the same outfit every day to work. As the book progresses, the patriarchal structure of the workplace worsens. There are scenes of sexual assault, rape, and harassment included and the ramifications that women face when they come forward.

The other side of the book examines the narrator's relationship with her mother, a high profile lawyer who campaigns for women’s rights and against rape. Her mother is demanding of her time, not allowing the narrator to have time to herself as an adult and admonishes her for not loving her. However, her mother can also be affectionate and loving and pay for anything the narrator needs that she can’t afford. Her mother’s ethics and morality can be questioned very heavily in the book. Her actions do not follow what she has preached during her career. When a close friend is accused of sexual assault, she is going to represent them. Her view on victims’ rights seem to fade when it’s a friend who is accused.

I find that I would have preferred less interaction between the mother and narrator as their arguments tended to all be the same. I think some of the conversations they have are important as it highlights the hypocritical nature of the mother and leaves the narrator questioning her own values. I think what lets this book down is more the execution. The beginning was a brief history of our narrators life, and learning of her immense privilege. It then took a while for the substance to appear in the book, as we got more observational notes from the narrator than plot. I think this is a book that covers a very important and vital topic, it just missed the mark at a few places.

I have mixed feelings about this book, but the overwhelming feeling is, you should read it.

A well-written, fictional take on Hollywood, the most fascinating parts of this book were the ones spearing the insanity of the industry. The politics, the sexism, the backbiting.

I gave it three stars partly because I viciously hated the toxic relationship with the mother, which doesn’t seem to go anywhere. It’s dialogue heavy and rehashes the same arguments again and again, which was probably the point, but for the reader was incredibly dull. The other reason was the completely ambiguous ending, for which I did knock a star off.

While this was a relatively short read, the pacing was off and the ending made it feel like the story never really goes anywhere. I would recommend but beware, some very heavy topics that some readers could find upsetting.

Well written, but there isn't quite enough to make it stand out from a similar crop of books out there right now. The focus also seems to dwell on the heroine's relationship with her mother, which is fine and compellingly observed, but the book is supposed to be about dodgy sexual politics at a TV network, not about 'my dysfunctional relationship with my co-dependent, weed-smoking mom' - and there was a LOT of that.

Like a darker Devil Wears Prada, the book dwells on the painful situations junior executives with family connections (boo hoo) have to go through, but like a lot of these books - and indeed, the world - provides no alternatives as to how they might be better looked after and progress in their careers, and stops short of suggesting the whole system be burned down. I actually liked the details about the TV show Unsung and the police procedural show the heroine has commissioned, and wished there had been more about them. Needs to decide what it's saying and doing, and the twisty open ending does it no favours.

A somewhat intriguing debut following a young woman in LA, after graduating from Harvard getting a “floating temp” role (a made up role specifically created for her) via her mother’s connection in television production at a network. At this network she navigates the tricky rope of being a woman, how television and women specifically are commodified and how to get ahead in a toxic male environment. Halfway through we get some meat of the promised plot when our protagonist’s mother discloses to her that a prominent executive has a sexual assault allegation.
This was an okay read. There are some sharp observations on LA and Hollywood however the writing does meander and there was no overall plot. I found the protagonist passive; she doesn’t do much in the first half of the book besides detachedly observing what’s happening around her. I think more plot would’ve helped. At times reading this felt like reading a blog post. Also amongst so many MeToo suspense books being published recently this one doesn’t stand out. It’s a shame cause the author could’ve dug more into the nepotism part. I found the secondary characters such as the mother more fascinating and drivers of the story and felt the story would’ve more exciting if written from their POV. But a good time pass book. However nothing memorable.

I’d describe this book as realistic fiction. The author has done an amazing job at creating imaginary characters and situations that depict the world and society. The characters focus on themes of growing, self-discovery and confronting personal and social problems. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

Stories about difficult relationships between young women and their relationships with their difficult/famous/toxic mothers seem very popular lately. I quite enjoyed this book, but mostly because of the descriptions of working in an office at the lowest level, and how office friendships and humour can compensate for the office politics, underappreciation, and overwork. The twist at the end was good.

This book covers an important message however due to reading several books similar to this already I felt it was quite weak in its execution. Saying that it was still an okay read.

It took me a while to really get into the story itself and I also felt like the main themes of the book were side lined for more focus on the relationship between mother and daughter.

Overall not really for me but I can see some of my fellow readers enjoying this.

Like a darker Devil Wears Prada with a #me too feel. There has been a lot of books published recently about toxic work places particularly focusing on the #me too movement, this book fits into that although it is set before the me too movement It gives an insight to how toxic the world of Hollywood was and the pressure young women feel, parts were hard to read and at times quite disturbing.. This book is a good read but doesn’t really offer anything ground breaking or different for it to stand out from the crowds of books like this, there is focus on her relationship with her mother which was interesting but the full book lacked something to make it stand out from the many books like this. Although I think there is lot of books exploring this topic I do think even the not so strong ones still should be praised as it is important subject matter that should be discussed for years to come.

A very topical story set in Hollywood, before the days of #MeToo, highlighting the nature of the entertainment business.
The story follows our narrator, who is an intern in a TV network office, and details the sexual harassment and discrimination women faced, and still do, within the industry.
Not only is she contending with competing for recognition within this company, but she is dealing with a loving, but extremely controlling mother.
Quite a tough read, in some aspects but some light moments, too.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is about the toxic world of sexual politics in the American workplace. It's slightly reminiscent of The Devil Wears Prada in the lengths junior recruits and interns have go to to succeed. This is darker and involves rape, sexual harassment, abuse and patriarchy. The main character also has a toxic relationship with her controlling lawyer mother. There were some humorous moments but overall it is quite disturbing.

There seems to be a churn of these books coming out at the moment, and whilst its topical, very important, and should be discussed, I just didn't find that this offered anything new or different.
Was forever hoping and looking for that spark for this to stand out but it felt like a few other books ive read on this matter.
A good read, but not a great one.

Hollywood before metoo, this gripping read follows a female protagonist you can’t turn away from.
Well timed, perfectly executed, brilliantly written. A book worth the investment of time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph for my copy

3.5 stars.
TWs: sexual assault, abuse, disordered eating.

‘Not Safe for Work’ is a book about a young, feminist woman who takes a job as an assistant in a Hollywood development company - exploring themes of sexual assault and power abuse that exist in the industry.

This is an important book with an important subject matter - but as somebody who has read several similar books this year, it felt weak in its execution. There seemed to be a greater focus between the relationship between the author and her mother, who has perhaps the most bizarre arc of the book, than almost anything else. The themes of assault and abuse of Hollywood almost take a back seat for descriptions of what the author wants to do with her hair — it frequently felt needless and, despite the first person narrative, I was unable to truly get attached to her.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Excellent read the toxic mother/ daughter dynamic is explored so well and thoroughly that it's almost impossible to stop reading this. The entire unsettling undertone of SA and men abusing their power is very real and terrifying- and it's written as such. It wouldn't be fair to say that I enjoyed reading this book because of aforementioned topics, but I can say it was a book that resonated with what it means to constantly be wary of men and the world we live in. It's definitely a read I won't be able to stop thinking about.