Set amid the world’s international airports and glamorous (and sometimes not so glamorous) hotels, the bestselling author of “The Copenhagen Affair, brings you story about what it really means for professional (but still human!) women to tackle the corporate world, scale the leadership ladder, and lean in to the lives they’ve always wanted, and truly deserve—Up in the Air meets 9 to 5 for today’s … today’s Pantsuit Nation.
Asmi knows that CPH (Copenhagen, Denmark) is the best airport to shop for clothes, and ATH (Athens, Greece) the best for shoes. The best Zara store is in BCN (Barcelona, Spain). The best airport to buy whiskey at is ARN (Stockholm, Sweden). When stopping at CDG (Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris), you must have a long layover because of those damn funiculars; and never forget that the international terminal in ORD (Chicago) has no food after ten in the evening. Airplanes, airports, and hotel lobby bars make Asmi feel just as much at home as her apartment in Laguna Beach does.
A marketing director in a biotech company, Asmi rose through the corporate ranks and never really took the time to think about couple-hood. She has good friends, a terrific sister who lives close by, and a married on-again, off-again lover in Paris she sees while she travels around the world for work.
But as Asmi reaches the big 4-0 and contemplates making some life choices; her boss announces he is retiring, and she is suddenly thrown into a corporate Hunger Games against her nemesis Scott Beauregard III to win a promotion.
Worried that her inability to commit to a real relationship with a man is a personality flaw and afraid that she’s unqualified for the job she desperately wants, Asmi must learn to lean in to have the career and life she wants and deserves, without worrying about what society expects from her.
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We’ve needed a book like this! Women will applaud Amulya Malladi’s talent for weaving a workbook for us on how to step forward in our lives and careers into a fictional tale. We are offered real life strategic advice and guidance as the main character, Asmi is actually living it in the story. It was truly brilliant!
To give a voice to the workbook is just a magnificent idea!
In the days where women need to learn to stand up for themselves and one another, Asmi sure takes us on a wonderful journey showing us how and why these two things are so important.
It is a very empowering journey that feels like a celebration of women.
From Asmi’s own career issues; where she was up for the Vice President position against a man named Scott and she felt a bit inferior. To Asmi having to stand up for Leticia; one of her employees that should have been promoted a long time ago…and all of the juicy drama in between. You will not be disappointed!
Amulya Malladi shows us how Asmi gains her own strength and determination to do what she must do for herself and others as a woman in the industry. We also learn how important our support system is because Asmi sure has excellent women she can count on; and I loved them all. So, will you.
Let Asmi show you the way to better yourself in today’s culture. She is super likeable, humorous, smart, and definitely a woman you would look up to!
This is undoubtedly a must read for women that are looking to get ahead and be entertained at the same time!
I was given a copy of this book by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review.
“The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You” by Amulya Malladi hooked me as soon as I saw the cover, the story inside did not disappoint. There are some books, which when once started are difficult to put down this is one of those books. I started as soon as I got to work and I hardly put it down until I went home. I read this cute and humorous book in 1 day. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this. It was well written, with good characters that were fun and an interesting plot. It is a light and quick read with all the usual ingredients: an independent young woman discovering her own strength and her doing what she wants no matter what society thinks or expects from her.
Lindas Book Obsession Reviews “The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You” by Amulya Malladi, She Writes Press, July 2019
Amulya Malladi, Author of “The Nearest Exit May Be Behind You” has written a wonderful, thought-provoking, intriguing and time-appropriate novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction and Women’s Fiction. The timeline for this story is in the present. The story takes place in corporate America and in companies around the world. There is a feeling of “The Hunger Games” as women and men compete for the management positions. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, motivated and insecure.
Asmi, almost 40 years old is single, and a marketing director in a big company. When the opportunity arises that there is an available position in top management. Asmi finds her competition is an aggressive man with less experience than she has. Asmi realizes that she really has a fight on her hands to get the position.
I appreciate that the author discusses contemporary issues that face women and careers, marriage, and children. The standards aren’t equal for women and men. What are the choices that women have? Asmi has to figure out what her goals in her life her. Then Asmi has to decide how to get what she wants. After speaking and helping other women, Asmi realizes that women have their work cut out for them. Can she get what she wants?
I recommend this novel for readers who enjoy a thought-provoking novel. The author discusses the importance of family, friends, self-worth, hard work, love and hope.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I really enjoyed this book. It was my second book by Amulya Malladi. I also read her book The Copenhagen Affair. I enjoy her writing style and both books were refreshing and unique stories. In this book, Asmi is a woman in a man’s corporate world. She is single and loves her job and traveling. With the upcoming retirement of a company VP comes the opportunity for advancement, but will Asmi be able to compete against one of the boys club. Enlightening, funny, and entertaining!
Riveting and relatable. My full review is at maidamalby.com
This clever and relatable novel shines a bright spotlight on the struggles women face in the corporate world. The main character, Asmi, is being considered for a promotion to the Vice President of marketing at her tech company. The other candidate,Scott, is a revolting frat boy type character who thrives in the boys club culture of his team. As Asmi faces a Hunger Games type set of challenges to prove herself worthy of the promotion, she learns a lot about the ways women hold themselves back in the workplace. Malladi uses her personal experience as a marketing executive for a global company to explore several important topics, including self doubt, leaning in, learning not to apologize and balancing personal life and fulfillment with career goals.
“Leaning in, she thought was not just about leaning in at work, it was about leaning in all the way Into life.”
Approaching forty and single, Asmi finds herself at a crossroads. The competition for the promotion forces her to reevaluate both her professional and personal priorities and decide how she wants to live the rest of her life. Malladi’s keen insights and realistic detail about the realities of the corporate world make Asmi and her colleagues feel authentic and human. Her writing is fresh and easy to read and the story flows nicely right up to the satisfying conclusion.
Though I don’t work in the corporate world, as a woman in a medical speciality that is 75% male (radiology), I have experienced so many of the feelings and situations Asmi encounters in this story—I’m sure Asmi’s story will ring true for women in all types of careers.
This book was a cross between a novel and a handbook for women in the corporate word. Not being in the corporate world(I work in medical field) I found it very interesting both as a novel and a resource.
This book was vastly different from the other books I have read by Malladi, and yet it still had a strong and determined female lead. I enjoyed this jaunt into the corporate world and was eager to see how things would pan out for Asmi and her career. Her internal and external struggles were both thought-provoking and entertaining. I really got hooked on her story as she battled finding balance in her work life and personal life. The work struggles especially had my hackles up at times as she fought the tide and rules of the boys’ club. I loved watching her pull herself up by her bootstrings and go for what she wanted, while still showing that she was human by wanting some time to herself thrown into the mix.
This book was brilliantly written and very entertaining. I loved the path of the story and when it all came back around, I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen. It took me to a new world that I won’t soon forget and also gave some great tips for moving forward in my own professional life as well.