Enjoyed the worldbuilding and context-setting (which I feel are Zhao’s strongest points) but there were some moments that just felt a bit too preachy for me. Storytelling was a little heavy-handed but overall a light and intriguing read, especially if you have fun reading about drama.

2.5 stars

This offers a look behind the scenes of a tech start-up, which isn't a concept that I've ever read before; as someone not particularly interested in either the tech or fashion worlds, I actually enjoyed getting this little feeler into what it must be like to work in such a stressful, high-stakes environment. However, there was a lot about this book where I just found myself not wanting to pick it up. The characters felt very two-dimensional and barely indistinguishable from each other; the dialogue was quite stilted; and it does read very YA for a book marketed as Adult.

I also felt that there was quite a lot that happened which was just unrealistic. Firstly, she was offered this job within LITERALLY five minutes of meeting this CEO - no background check, no interviews, no CV - and would that really happen?? Not only was it insta-job, it was also insta-friendship, because our main character becomes best friends with somebody again with five minutes of meeting them and from then on they are at her beck and call, and can drop all of their plans to hang out with her at a second's notice.

This wasn't the book for me, unfortunately, but that's not to say that it won't be for other people. I think that sadly this author and I just don't gel, and that's okay! It will for someone else, so if you like books about fashion or tech, if you like books with a lot of workplace drama, then this might be for you! Sadly for me though, I was pretty bored.

Valley Verified was a quick and relaxing read for me. It’s sweet and heart-warming, even though it touches on more serious topics, like gender equality or business morality. I enjoyed reading about Zoe, a young woman who decided to change her life drastically and has to adapt to the new situation. The novel also has a cute romantic plot, making it a perfect read for those looking for an easy and enjoyable book.

I've never ready anything quite like Valley Verified before - which is a good thing! I've been really into more contemporary reads lately and this checked all the boxes I wanted it too. We love to see strong FMCs and that's exactly what we got!

I love good women’s fiction about girl bosses and that’s definitely why I picked up this book. I didn’t know anything about it beyond that but the cover is also gorgeous, so I was really excited.

Zoe Zeng is an overworked, underappreciated fashion writer in New York, so when she’s offered a job as VP of Marketing at an exciting new Silicon Valley fashion app, she jumps at the opportunity -even if it does involve moving across the country. But she soon realises that she is a bit out of her depth at FitPick and she’s not sure she’s cut out for securing the huge investment that the company needs or fitting in with her new colleagues.

The app itself sounds like it could be a cool idea but having worked in marketing for a tech start-up myself that had a strikingly similar concept, I knew that it was nowhere near unique enough to survive in an extremely saturated market. To be honest, because of that, I was waiting for it to fail, so without a big plot turn, I wasn’t expecting a happy ending.

I was really confused how Zoe managed to get herself such an important job during a brief informal conversation with the CEO and no interview. Even at a small start-up, it just didn’t seem realistic at all.

It also felt very unrealistic for Zoe to be on a six figure salary at a start-up in an industry she had very little relevant experience in. I know very little about Silicon Valley but I refuse to believe that this is normal.

The whole FitPick workforce looks down on Zoe seemingly just because she has a vibrant, unique style. Considering it’s a fashion app, this seemed a bit strange. The only other female employee Lillian later reveals why she doesn’t dress similarly to Zoe and it makes sense but I really couldn’t understand why any of this small team of people would make a fashion app. There didn’t seem to be anyone into fashion before Zoe showed up, so I’m not sure how or why the concept was developed.

There were a few moments where Zoe talked about her parents and how important they were to her. However, she apparently never visited them or really spoke to them for the entire course of the narrative. So, it felt strange to even mention them really, as it didn’t feel like they were her motivation.

Valley Verified was an easy read and I liked how Zoe and Lillian’s friendship developed over time. However, I didn’t really understand how Zoe managed to instantly become close to Bernadette, a random woman she met while shopping. So, several things about the book didn’t really make sense to me but I did appreciate the insight into corporate California and the trials of fashion marketing.

unfortunately this was archived before i got the chance to read it, which means i can’t give a review. i’ll be looking out for it though as i’m excited to read it. :)

This was really sweet and fun. I liked that it wasn’t about the romance (although that was there) but really focused on the main character coming into herself. I find it hard to connect to the characters in any real meaningful way, which meant things started to drag towards the second half of the book

This was such a delight!
I went into this specifically for the plus size fashion girlie representation, but so much of it was such a pleasant surprise in so many ways beyond that.
I *adored* following Zoe as a protagonist, and felt like so much of her journey rang so true to life. Like any great coming-of-age-in-your-20s story (think this in the style of the best early 2000s romcoms - the Devil Wears Prada comp works so well on so many levels), VALLEY VERIFIED explores so well the tension between loving something so much that it defines your personal and professional lives at once, but having to deal with the reality of the fact that the job will simply never love you back the way you want it to, and thus you have to compromise. For Zoe, this compromise led to using her passion to carve an altogether new life for herself that is so different from what she's known before, but no less challenging, exciting or fulfilling. I loved seeing Zoe open herself up to this new world and negotiating a new life between her two worlds. I thought so many of her worries felt so palpable and real - she doesn't know where she belongs, she doesn't know how she fits in her new world, or what the one she's left behind will shape up to be now that she's left. She doesn't know where she stands with people and how they can measure up to the expectations of one another (be this with the people she just meets and tries to make sense of, or with those who've felt like constants in her life for so long that she doesn't know where they find themselves once out of each other's orbits).
I can take or leave the romance, and this felt so sweet and self-indulgent at times that it came across as a bit twee, but overall this was wonderful and I look forward to anything else Zhao has in store!

For fans of the Chick Lit genre, this is going to be a smash hit. Fun, light-hearted and joyous in the best kind of way with a main character who decides the stereotypes of a protagonist in a fashion forward story (and an extra star for it too!!)

I received an e-arc and audioarc through Netgalley all opinions are my own.

I needed a light-hearted and easy read, which lead me to "Valley Verified" by Kyla Zhao. The narrator's voice was generally enjoyable, though it was occasionally gratinh, depending on the character. The writing style flowed pretty well for me. My intuition about Bill turned out to be accurate. Zoe's constant negative thoughts about Lillian and her obliviousness to Bill's shadiness became a bit annoying. The romance aspect was mediocre. What stood out was Zoe's initial struggle, which improved as she discovered and embraced genuine friendships. The fusion of fashion and IT, despite not typically being my interests, added a unique and engaging layer to the story.

I thought this second novel from Kyla Zhao would be more The Devil Wears Prada meets Uncanny Valley, but no: this is straightforward chick lit. Nothing wrong with that, and current fans of the genre may enjoy it more than I did. Valley Verified is about a fashion journalist, Zoe Zhang, who trades a job working on a magazine to work at a start-up for a new app in Silicon Valley. Feeling out of her depth, Zoe wonders if she will ever get the tech industry to take her ideas seriously, or connect with her new colleagues. This is a predictable novel and I have to admit I eyerolled a lot in the first third, when Zoe seemed unbelievably naive, assuming that she'd automatically be able to bond over clothes and gossip with her only female colleague, for example. However, I did like how her character developed over the course of the novel as she had to reassess her initial judgments, and I enjoyed her growing friendship with software engineers Bram and Austin. The romantic sub-plot is kept light and I appreciated that the focus was on Zoe's work problems, although there's still an incredibly clunky scene where the character development for the love interest is basically accomplished by him writing a personal essay which he shares with Zoe. Valley Verified is, however, readable, fun, and more intelligent than it initially seems. Also, gorgeous cover.

This book is a show stopper - one I would give to my friends. I would buy multiple copies of this book for people!

It was so refreshing having the main character not be a tall thin blonde woman, but instead a normally proportioned woman of Asian descent. The storyline follows our heroine leaving a fashion career in New York to join a tech company in California, feeling like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. There are several twists and turns in the story, but there is a HEA. I enjoyed this story, and I’m sure you would too.

Four stars!

Loved this - a fun little exploration of Uncanny Valley told from the point of view of a very likeable character!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reading copy.

Breezy, fun, and really very relatable. I think a lot of readers will have a great time with this one! Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in advance!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Valley Verified' by Kyla Zhao.

Kyla Zhao's second novel comes in the form of 'Valley Verified' about a soon to be VP of Marketing and my goodness it was fun. It reminded me of tv shows I've watched and enjoyed so I was hooked. Kyla Zhao knows how to write fabulous main characters and it showed in this novel. As usual, I'm excited to see what she does next.

Zoe Zeng appears to have arrived, with a job at the New York Fashion magazine, Chic, and access to all the parties and events that she could (and at some stage, undoubtedly did) want. The problem is, it all sounds a lot better than it is!

The job delivers as a lot less of the lifestyle than it promises, so Zoe's tiny shared apartment, her limited wardrobe, and her salary all leave something to be desired. When a chance meeting provides the opportunity of a job offer in Silicon Valley with far better benefits, she decides to up sticks and move to work at the FitPick start-up.

Inevitably, this involves a change in work culture and environment, and adjustments are required on Zoe's part. The question is whether or not she can deliver on what she has been hired for...

This is an easy read, but despite scoring high on the diversity factor and raising valid issues of elitism and privilege, it sometimes does feel lacking in depth. The book does a good job of analysing corporate culture and its underpinnings. Also, even taken at face value, it is a fairly entertaining story with characters recognisable from most American workplaces.

As someone who has a fashion background in addition to my library career I could do relate to this book and all the trials and tribulations that come along with it. I thought it was such a great story full of funny relatable dialogue, great characters and locations. This was a great read and I will definitely be eagerly be waiting for the next Kyla Zhao book and I cannot wait to share this with readers. This would make a great series of movie. I hope someone can acquire the rights.