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Opening Belle
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
16 posts | 25 read | 24 to read
A smart, biting, and honest peek into what it means to be a woman on Wall Street. I loved this book. Reese Witherspoon Working Girl meets Wolf of Wall Street in this in-depth, behind-the-pinstripe peek inside a temple of elite finance, navigated by a sharp, smart woman in an old boys world. Jill Kargman, author and creator of Odd Mom Out Getting rich on Wall Street would be a lot more fun if the men would keep their hands off her assets. A whip-smart and funny novel told by a former Wall Street insider who reveals what its like for a working woman to balance love, ambition, and family in a world of glamorous excess, outrageous risk-taking, and jaw-dropping sexism. In 2008, Isabellea self-made, thirty-something Wall Street starappears to have it all: an Upper West Side apartment, three healthy children, a handsome husband, and a high-powered job. But her reality is something else. Her trading desk work environment resembles a 1980s frat party, her husband feels employment is beneath him, and the bulk of childcare and homecare still falls in Belles already full lap. Enter Henry, the former college fianc she never quite got over; now a hedge fund mogul. He becomes her largest client, and Belle gets to see the life she might have had with him. While Henry campaigns to win Belle back, the sexually harassed women in her office take action to improve their working conditions, and recruit a wary Belle into a secret glass ceiling club whose goal is to mellow the cowboy banking culture and get equal pay for their work. All along, Belle can sense the financial markets heading toward their soon-to-be historic crash and that something has to giveand when it does, everything is going to change: her marriage, her career, her world, and her need to keep her colleagues hands to themselves. From Maureen Sherry, a prize winning writer, a former Managing Director on Wall Street (who never signed a nondisclosure agreement when she left), Opening Belle takes readers into the adrenaline-fueled chaos of a Wall Street trading desk, the lavish parties, the lunch-time rendezvous, and ultimately into the heart of a woman who finds it easier to cook up millions at work than dinner at home.
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janeycanuck
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Mehso-so

Meh. The storylines were too disjointed for me and didn‘t come together with enough of a payoff to make them worth it.

1/14 for #14books14weeks

18 likes1 stack add
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janeycanuck
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Always a fan of reading on a balcony - today‘s view is a little more spectacular than normal.

Cinfhen I‘ll say!!!! 5y
AmyG 🙌🏻 (edited) 5y
28 likes3 comments
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janeycanuck
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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OMG, my #JuneTBR is out of control. I may have to wipe the slate clean for July... but for now, I‘ve got 3 books in progress, my June #GirlyBookClub pick, 4 of my #14books14weeks selections, 4 new books in my quest to #readmyowndamnbooks and 10 leftover from last month. Yikes.

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janeycanuck
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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I blame @kidamy - I didn‘t even think to look at Book Outlet for a Boxing Day sale until she mentioned it. Grand total after discount & taxes $65.52!

kspenmoll Great prices! 6y
Reviewsbylola I love that you got so many Tana French books! 6y
janeycanuck @kspenmoll I know! I couldn‘t resist 😊 6y
See All 10 Comments
kidamy That's funny, I was about to make a post blaming you! 😋😋😋 6y
janeycanuck @Reviewsbylola I‘ve been meaning to get to her for years but haven‘t gotten around to it yet. I will for sure now! 6y
janeycanuck @kidamy How is any of this MY fault?! 6y
kidamy @janeycanuck To be fair, this new Renaissance in reading and writing I'm experiencing is entirely your fault! You're like a drug dealer, sneaking in and letting me with friendship, supportiveness, and tea. #imontoyou #thegigisupmissy 6y
kidamy Luring, not letting, dammit 6y
janeycanuck @kidamy I HAVE NEVER GIVEN YOU TEA! 6y
Melissa_J I totally just put in my Book Outlet Boxing Day order, too. I just can‘t pass up a good book sale 😂 6y
31 likes10 comments
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jessberk13
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
Panpan

This book started bad, then had some promise, then ended even worse. The story was all over the place. The behavior of male characters was absolutely infuriating. The lead, Belle, flipped back and forth between a strong female character and a total dud. Just not good at all. One star ⭐️

minkyb 🙁 6y
BibliOphelia The title itself hardly holds feminist promise.... 😳🙄 6y
42 likes2 comments
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jessberk13
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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I started this a few days ago and wasn‘t sure after the first two chapters if I was going to finish. Glad to say it‘s turning out better than I expected and I‘m happy I didn‘t drop it in the DNF pile. This is one I found on the Reese Witherspoon book club list.

JanuarieTimewalker13 Oh boy, this is a must read for me! 6y
Pamwurtzler I‘ve read this - it did turn out to be pretty good. 6y
56 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Sydsavvy
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Just a few more hours until I open my first Litsy book swap. #beachinbookswap Total fun, all the way around!! I always like giving more than receiving so I'm hoping I guessed good, too. 😎 My husband thinks we are so goofy but I ❤️ the Litsy community!

EllieDottie I hope you like everything!!! 7y
Sydsavvy @EllieDottie Are you kidding? 😂 I never met a book or bookish beachish item I didn't like! And it's been like Christmas having to just WAIT to open. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🎉👸 7y
Onlaughterandliteracy So excited!! 🎉🎊🎈👯 7y
See All 8 Comments
Onlaughterandliteracy Also, this picture is adorable! How did you do this? 7y
Sydsavvy @Onlaughterandliteracy thanks! I love filter apps and my favorite right now is PicArt, and before that I loved PixIromatic and I also love SketchGuru 7y
Onlaughterandliteracy @Sydsavvy awesome! Thanks for the suggestions! I'll have to try them out 7y
MaleficentBookDragon Fun photo! 7y
54 likes8 comments
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simonbooks
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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"Funny, relevant, and often shocking....Even if your own life is far from a fairy tale, OPENING BELLE will allow you to laugh, learn, and maybe even lean in - to hug your own family a little closer." -The Washington Post

12 likes1 stack add
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LadyBrik
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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#SundayRead outside before it's too cold & snowy to do so!

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Audrey
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Pickpick

This is closer to a pick then a so so. Really strong beginning and middle. Lots of great issues for discussion on women on Wall Street, work/family balance and the sub prime mortgage issue pre financial collapse. It's clear the author used her personal experiences for this book. But, the former fiancé and current husband issues fell flat as did the ending.

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Audrey
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Starting a book group book.

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Lauren.Archer
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
Bailedbailed

This book is making me so angry. There is absolutely no redeeming characters in this book. I am getting more and more upset reading this. Sometimes I can stick with these types of books, but this is to the extreme.

Mamashep Bummer! 8y
jessdean Sometimes you've just gotta do it! My reading life has been better now that I give myself permission to bail on a book if I'm just not feelin' it!☺️ 8y
Yournewfriendsam @jessdean I completely agree with you! Refusing to quit books often made me frustrated with reading. Now that I've allowed myself to put something down, books are much more fun! 8y
Bkwurm Let it go. Life is too short to read books you don't love. 8y
jessdean @Yournewfriendsam EXACTLY!!😀 8y
19 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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Lauren.Archer
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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My library haul today. Gotta get reading.

Sweettartlaura Only Love can Break your Heart is beautiful 😍 8y
Beckys_Books @Sweettartlaura I agree, loved it 👍👍 8y
bookchickdi I loved Opening Belle! 8y
See All 7 Comments
MrBook Nice haul! 8y
L_auren I just picked up Invincible Summer myself! 8y
stacybmartin All the Rage gave me all the feelings - I still think about that book! 8y
Deserthorror Only love can break your heart looks really good 8y
51 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Traveler13
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
Mehso-so

This gets a solid enh.

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Bookgirl96
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry

Next up on my reading list!

7 likes2 stack adds
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LivingReflections
Opening Belle: A Novel | Maureen Sherry
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Ready to be infuriated, but not surprised...

1 like2 stack adds