Bond Girl    by Erin Duffy Order:  USA  Can William Morrow, 2012 (2012) Hardcover, CD, e-Book Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Bond Girl is Erin Duffy's first novel. Alex Garret always wanted to work on Wall Street. When her friends were dreaming of becoming prima ballerinas or famous movie stars or maybe vocalists with fans screaming their names, Alex could see herself as a titan in the financial world. Her dream comes true – at least working on Wall Street – but becoming a moving force takes time and effort and lots of grunt work. Almost treated as a plebe at the Navel Academy, she must make food runs for the entire desk (the employees in one department). One such run includes a whole wheel of Parmesan cheese, which she has to pay for out of her own pocket at $1000 a wheel! Sending a new employee to Philadelphia from New York to buy Philly cheese steaks for the whole desk boggles the mind. There are practical jokes at every turn. Takes someone more dedicated than I would have been. Duffy's take on the financial world comes from her ten-year experience working in fixed-income sales on Wall Street. Fact or fiction, the episodes and friends she writes of, based on this time, are well worth reading about. One of her clients made his pursuit of her his main goal in life – he seemed to forget that he was married. Which is rather hard to do. Her determination to elude him is classic – her description of trying to keep him as a very profitable client but at arm's length is priceless. Bond Girl is written with a great understanding of human nature and the fortitude to excel. Subtle humor stands out on almost every page. It's a delightful read. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews