Review: Nothing Serious by Emily J. Smith

Nothing Serious by Emily J. Smith

Blurb from Goodreads:

A disillusioned tech executive goes into an obsessive spiral when her best friend—and longtime crush—is implicated in a woman’s death.

Edie Walker’s life is not going as planned. At thirty-five she feels stuck: in her career, in her love life, and in her tiny San Francisco studio apartment. It doesn’t help that her best friend, Peter Masterson, is basically the über successful male version of her—and she’s hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with him. But when Peter breaks up with his girlfriend of seven years, Edie thinks her life might finally be turning around. He’ll discover how toxic dating-app culture is and realize Edie has been right for him all along.

Except Peter almost immediately lands a date with Anaya Thomas, a gorgeous, whip-smart professor and writer of feminist literature whom even Edie—reared in the culture of tech bros—is smitten by. Unlike the women Peter has dated before, Anaya is like an alternative-reality version of Edie—one with shampoo-commercial hair and a meaningful career, who definitely doesn’t spend her weekends scrolling social media alone in her apartment. It’s only a matter of time before Peter falls head over heels for this woman; Edie herself is infatuated after one meeting.

Then Anaya is found dead in her apartment—right after a date with Peter.

 

I liked the first 2/3 of this book immensely -- I had no idea where it was going but I easily inhabited Edie and was rooting for her. The last 1/3 of the book was not satisfying to me but I still enjoyed this overall.  I was hoping for more with the ending but I think this was so irreverent and such a commentary on women in tech.  I really enjoyed this author and can't wait for more from her.

Nothing Serious comes out next week on February 18, 2025 and you can purchase HERE.  

When messy, ambitious women meet someone who understands their layers, who sees and hears them and appreciates each complex detail, logistics are a mere afterthought. We spend our whole lives dealing with the complicated logistics of womanhood, dating logistics can be dealt with— easily. But men's self-acceptance doesn't hinge on whether there is a woman in their day-to-day who fundamentally gets them. In fact, if they are truly seen by a woman, they may have to confront weaknesses that society rarely requires them to consider. The mutual understanding some women seek can be the very thing that makes some men hide.