Winner of 10 book awards including 2020 Readers’ Favorite and National Indie Excellence Awards for Women’s Fiction, IPPY Winner for adult fiction ebooks, 2021 Book Excellence award.Tech executive Carly can’t wait to marry the man of her dreams. But her world is turned upside down when she discovers her fiancé is already wed to Ryn – her company’s top investor! Can the two women overcome … overcome heartbreak together?
Silicon Valley investor Ryn Brennan is on the verge of achieving everything she dreamed. She’s succeeded in the sexist venture capital world, has a supportive husband, and is about to close the deal of her career. Everything is going exactly as planned, until she meets her husband’s mistress, across the negotiating table.
Carly clawed her way back from being a teenage runaway to become an accomplished scientist, caring single mom, and co-founder of her startup. Once she marries her loving fiancé, she’ll secure the complete family she craves. But she’s blindsided to discover her not so perfect fiancé is already married.
In an industry full of not-so-subtle sexism, can the two women rise above, and work together to overcome heartbreak, and ensure their success?
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This is my first Lainey book…won’t be my last. This is a great story with amazingly strong female characters that build each other up versus tearing each other down. Highly recommend!
I absolutely LOVED this book!! This was the first book that I have read by Lainey Cameron and I am glad that I was introduced to her! I think it is really cool that this book was inspired by experiences Lainey Cameron had in the tech world. This made me like the story even more because I know part is based in truth rather than a completely made-up story (don’t get me wrong, I love those too!!). I loved the characters that Lainey Cameron created. The book was full of amazingly strong women, who tackled the world head-on. If anyone could inspire you to live life by “taking the bull by the horns,” the characters in The Exit Strategy could! No matter what was thrown at them, the women in this book did not shy away. They did not rely on a man. They took charge and didn’t run away. If you can’t tell, I LOVED the go get ‘em attitude of the women! Besides the characters, I LOVED the storyline. The story had many twists and turns thrown in. It definitely made this book a page-turner as I could not wait to see what happened next! Overall, I thought this book was fantastic! I can say without a doubt that you MUST pick up this book!!
This book starts off with a bang: one wife (Ryn) and one mistress (Carly) sit across the negotiating table for a multi-million dollar deal essential to both their careers. The plot takes off from there with both women finding out they have been duped by the same man. Adding to the stakes are Ryn and Carly’s mutual struggles with succeeding in a male dominated industry. The characterization of Ryn and Carly is perfect and I found myself rooting for both. I look forward to Lainey Cameron’s next book!
A must read!
Talk about a book that makes you want to scream. The main characters in this book are the wife and mistress of a cheating man, who don’t know each other exist. Until they do. My frustration with his manipulation game was palpable.
Despite having an intense hatred for his games, I kept reading to see how things would play out for Ryn and Carly. Not only were their personal lives tossed into chaos, but their professional lives in corporate America were potentially being jeopardized. I appreciated the way the author wrote about this particular aspect. As someone who does not work in this setting, it felt authentic.
Women looking beyond themselves and their situations to better the lives of others. Ryn and Carly are an unlikely duo – one the wife, one the fiancé of the same man. But they come together in a difficult time and build each other up to success.
This book starts out with a one-two punch and keeps you hooked. Seriously, five kids at home and I devoured this book in 2 1/2 days. That’s saying something. While I really enjoyed the story, I did get annoyed at the repetitive negative introspection in both lead characters. But I can understand how they’d get it in their heads that they’re not worthy. Ryn lost her mom at ten and Carly was disowned by her family.
There is power in numbers and these two rally the troops to further the plight of incredibly talented yet often overlooked minorities in the med tech field. I’m interested to read more by this author.
I was asked to read a pre-publication copy of this book for an honest review.
Power. Sexism. Betrayal. Friendship. This book has it all!
Set against the seductive backdrop of Silicon Valley, Cameron draws us into the male-dominated world of Venture Capitalism; a world where women are expected to compromise their beliefs, defer to their male counterparts, and adhere to ridiculous stereotypes about women and their role in the workplace.
Ryn Brennan has spent her career battling the corporate powers-that-be, tirelessly working to prove she deserves to be respected among the uppermost echelon of investors. On the brink of achieving her highest career goals, she’s blindsided by a betrayal she never saw coming: her husband’s mistress, seated across from her at the negotiating table.
Ryn initially sees Carly as not only a threat to her happiness as well as her career ambitions; but as a woman who is everything Ryn is not: a younger, soft-spoken, petite, brunette who is attempting to climb the career ladder while juggling the demands of motherhood.
Ultimately, Ryn struggles to avoid tumbling into the stereotypical pit laid out before her; one that would have her attempting to tear another woman down, even if it jeopardized her own rise to the top.
Carly, also a victim of the same man’s lies, must overcome her own insecurities and attempt to decipher Ryn’s intentions: will she be a friend, or forever a foe?
Cameron’s succinct, well-written prose keeps the pace and the plot moving forward, and readers will anxiously turn the pages to see what fates befall Ryn, Carly and the man who betrayed them both.
. . .Grinning on demand wasn’t how a woman got taken seriously in a world where testosterone dripped down the walls. . .
How, in this day and age, can any woman with a brain, not appreciate such wisdom, grit, and determination?
Drawn in immediately, reading The Exit Strategy, a women’s fiction novel by Lainey Cameron and recent release out of the Wild Rose Press is a perfect marvel. An anthem to women supporting women, standing for each other in good times and bad, teaching and supporting.
Ryn Brennan is brainy, courageous, and has worked her tail off to get where she is. Unfortunately, her choice in husbands sucks. Adding insult to injury, said suckee, not only cheats on Ryn but also sets her up to fail in her latest business venture by manipulating a boardroom confrontation between her and his side piece. A perfect guarantee to submarine both women’s lives and careers. This then becomes the perfect fantasy for the reader as she turns the pages: how will these two women exact revenge on a less than sterling mate? While it may not be what some of us would have liked, in the end it is perfect.
Not to be out-classed, the supporting cast in this truer than life novel are equally diverse and incredibly well drawn. Dialogue is snappy and laugh out loud at times. We see good things in Lainey Cameron’s future.
On a scale of 1-5, The Exit Strategy deserves a 10.
Kat Henry Doran, Wild Women Reviews
Fans of Liane Moriarty’s The Husband’s Secret will dive right in. Anyone with loyal friends should give them this book as an expression of gratitude.
Cameron brings her insider knowledge of the Silicon Valley boys club to life in this impressive debut. A must read.
Silicon Valley tale of bad choices, deceit, sexism, but ultimately, POWER. Specifically, the power of women, who raise their voices, instead of remaining silent.
A #MeToo story powered by real life, real hope, and an unlikely friendship. Cameron brings warmth and emotion to this Silicon Valley story of power, ambition, and friendship.
What would you do if you found out your husband was cheating on you?
Now what would you do if you found out you were about to fund his mistress’ company and she was headed to your office to pitch her project?
That’s how this book started out. Way to get my attention right from the start! I was furious for Ryn. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes.
Then we meet Carly and realize that she had NO idea and that she had been duped as well. Once she and Ryn talked, they both realized that he was the bad guy, and they both needed to get rid of him.
They stood together against Todd and all of his deceit. It was fabulous to see! They should have been mortal enemies and instead they chose to stick together. They got through Todd’s mess, harassment from male bosses, and so much more. Cheers to Ryn and Carly!
This was a fantastic read about the power of women, their battles for success in the workplace, and unlikely friendships. This is a timely book coming on the heels of the “Me Too” movement. Man oh man, the things that can change the world when women come together and support each other rather than tear each other down! In the book Ryn and Carly, two surprising allies, take on sexism in a Silicon Valley industry as well as heartbreak and deceit in their own personal lives.
A timely story about female empowerment handled with honesty, empathy, wit, and humour.
You will want to finish the book over a weekend.
How would you feel if you were at the top of your game, had almost everything you could always dream of, then BAM you meet your husband’s mistress whom he’s currently engaged to?
Ryn Brennan has it all – the job in Silicon Valley, the husband that supports her dreams and then she meets the fiancé of her husband. Yes, I said fiancé of her husband.
Carly doesn’t have the picture perfect world that Ryn has. She used to be a runaway but got her life together to get an education and start a company of her own and every company needs investors to help them get off the ground.
What kind of crazy karma is it that Carly’s biggest investor is her fiancé’s wife, Ryn. Yes, I said wife.
I know personally there is no way I could work together with the woman my husband is cheating with behind my back AND to help her become successful at that? Oh hell no! Haha.
Without giving away too much, I feel this book is a situation that you need to experience for yourself. The writing is superb, the feelings feel real and raw. You’ll keep wanting more page after page.
As a former executive herself, Lainey Cameron writes from experience. The Exit Strategy is chock full of whip-smart women destined to be rivals in male-dominated Silicon Valley. When Ryn and Carly confront the reality of a gaslighting man, they must work out a way to deal with him. An insightful novel that highlights how strong women can be when they work together.
The Exit Strategy is an excellent debut novel about the unlikely friendship of two women betrayed by the same man. A very timely book as it deals with sexual discrimination and harassment in the venture capital business mostly dominated by men. This book was captivating with its wonderful prose, compelling characters, and a twist that I didn’t see coming. I read until the wee hours of the night until I could no longer keep my eyes open. It is fast-paced and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend it, and I look forward to reading more by Lainey Cameron.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Exit Strategy” by Lainey Cameron, The Wild Rose Press, July 2020 for Suzy Approved Book Tours
Lainey Cameron, author of “The Exit Strategy” has written an intriguing, captivating, and entertaining novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Suspense. The timeline for this story is set in the present and goes to the past or future when it pertains to the characters or events. The themes for this story are sisterhood friendship, revenge, and “the Me-Too Movement.” The dramatic cast of characters is complex and complicated. There are betrayals, lies, and secrets.
Ryn Brennan appears to have it all. She’s headed for a partnership in a male-dominated company, and a husband who seems to support her. Her world falls apart when she realizes that many of her husband’s business trips involve a mistress, and she is becoming disgusted the way the men in the business world seem to feel so entitled and belittle women.
Carly is a scientist who has struggled hard to be where she is. She believes that she has the means to help prevent people from getting heart attacks. Her company is seeking funds. She has an adorable son and a loving fiance. Unfortunately, the said fiance is Ryn’s cheating husband. Ryn is very aware and Carly has no idea.
Coincidentally these two women are sitting across the negotiation table to see if Carly can get the funds, and Ryan can close this deal for her company. Is it possible for these two resourceful women to come together to help each other in more ways than one?
I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel! I was the cheerleader for certain characters!! Happy Reading!