Here’s a short description of Lainey Cameron’s debut novel, The Exit Strategy, taken from the author’s website:

“A wife. A mistress. The friendship that saves them both.
Fierce. Fun. Feminist.” 

After reading The Exit Strategy, I can say those words accurately describe this story of female friendship. In fact the only “negative” thing I can say about Ms. Cameron’s novel is that it made me lose sleep. Meaning, there were several nights I had planned to read for just a few minutes, or just a few pages, and instead, I stayed awake and kept reading. I couldn’t help but become invested in Ryn’s and Carly’s story, their friendship, and the world of Silicon Valley (which I knew very little about).

Here are just some of the passages that stood out to me:

From the book’s dedication page: “To my mum Irene — Thanks for teaching me that  women don’t need to fear their strength or minimize their voice, and can be badass resilient, smart, caring, and open-hearted — everything I needed to know in life.”

Loved this line: “The man spun out lies like a spider on speed.”

I liked Ryn’s fondness for Nutella: “After being shown to her adobe casita, she rummaged in her bag for the Nutella and settled with the jar and a spoon on her patio…”
“She closed her eyes and sank into the smooth swirl. The velvety taste always took her back to sitting on the hay bales in the loft above the barn with Mom, savoring their latest contraband.”

“… wondering whether she’d ever deserve the true warmth of love. Not the fictitious kind filled with Todd’s false promises, or her parents’ type of love with the impossible expectation that she turn back time, but acceptance of a person as they are, complete with their history and flaws. Like the type of honest warmth she felt developing with Ryn over the last weeks.” 

“Last night, Carly wished she could offer more than hugs when Ryn shared she felt as if she were stuck in quicksand and slowly sinking, just waiting for the final moment of suffocation to arrive.”

“Ryn pulled out a tiny wooden plaque with flowers painted on either end. In the middle a quote was printed across the wood in cursive. She ran her finger along it. It is better to have loved and lost than live with the psycho for the rest of your life.”

“I know it seems hopeless lately, and I’m sure seeing Todd didn’t help, but don’t lose faith. My Uncle Remy used to say two things: It’s never too late to become the person you want to see in the mirror, and you’re already as strong as you’ll need to be. I know it feels hard right now, but when it comes to strength, you have more than any other woman I know.”

“Her whole career she’d ensured every investment had an exit strategy: If a company didn’t go public as planned, then it could be acquired or merged, or its assets sold. But she didn’t have a backup plan for her own life.” 

The Exit Strategy has won fifteen book awards and has been positively reviewed by hundreds of readers. 

By the way – My copy of The Exit Strategy features the novel’s original cover. The cover has since been changed, but the story remains the same. 

Please note: I am including a link to buy the book that I’m highlighting this week. If you use my link, I do make a small commission on your purchase at no additional cost to you. I am working with Bookshop.org which also sends a portion of the profit to support local, independent bookstores.