As a reader of chicklit and a feminist, I often find myself torn between the fun of a quick, fluffy read and utter annoyance with relentlessly trendy female protagonists who can only succeed with the aid of a man and a limitless Visa. Shaking Her Assets is a pleasant surprise in a world where chicklit tends to follow an all-too familiar formula: Girl loses everything: glamorous New York job, bad boyfriend, self-respect. She then attempts to find the one true job, the one true love, and the self-respect via her new lover. Why can’t women succeed and gain self-respect without the new romantic interest? Why does her strength have to be directly related to her happiness in love? Why can’t she be happy in her life—and then find love?

In Shaking Her Assets, Rachel finds herself suddenly fired from her high-end writing job, then dumped by her boyfriend of two years, thereby following the formula, at least at the beginning. Miserable, she visits her best friend, Ben—who, refreshingly, is straight but still able to comfort without ulterior motives. They brainstorm the plan that launches Rachel as an applications editor for students seeking admission to MBA programs. Though initially a joke (and it remains one for Ben until Rachel sets him straight), the project blooms into a full-grown business while Rachel works as a temp. As she struggles—and succeeds—in building her business and dealing with her father’s cancer, a stocky, cubicle-next-door guy enters her world, becoming first her new best pal and confidante, then, much later, her love interest. Zach takes her life and chronicles it in his online comic book site, turning Rachel into a She-Ra, capable of foibles and triumphs great and small. Epstein and Kaplan break away from the chicklit formula because the majority of the book finds Rachel making her way into the world of business, actively seeking clients with flyers and handouts, making excel spreadsheets of upcoming projects, researching business schools, and creating a client base. Only after she has succeeded does she get together with Zach who is also fighting to establish himself.

The writing is lively and engaging, and often quite funny. Rachel and Zach begin handing out flyers outside a business school and Rachel sights her prey, a dragon lady in a suit:

“And why do you think I’d need advice?” she says, unenthused.

I want to say, Because you’re a huge bitch and it would behoove you to show an admissions committee as little of your personality as possible. Instead, I say, “Because if you’re not using a company like this, I’m sure that you know your competition will be.” I walk away without waiting to see her reaction, but I hope it gives her pause. Actually, I hope it cuts like a machete to the bone and makes her beg for my help. But the pause will be enough for now.

The savvy, independent woman chicklit readers want to identify with is Rachel. She struggles in her relationships with her family, both envying her married sister and feeling blessed by and proud of her sister’s family. She imagines a romantic life with her best friend Ben and then dismisses it before ruining both of their lives unlike Julia Roberts character in My Best Friend’s Wedding. She handles her father’s death, figures out how to run a business, makes quick smart decisions that further her company. She demands to be taken seriously and respected, particularly by her best friend and his fiancée in one memorable restaurant showdown. Ah, the glory of it! Watching her business savvy is in itself a reason to read the book though ultimately, it is her entire coming of age, with her family, friends, romantic partners, and career, that make this story fascinating.

Interestingly, inside the cover page, the Library of Congress offers its variety of cross referencing categories for the book: “unemployed women workers—fiction,” “self-employed women—fiction,” “women editors—fiction,” and “businesswomen—fiction.” Like the Library of Congress, I see this particular book of chicklit as more than a beach read. It is testimony to what chicklit could be if authors chose to empower their characters and let their lives be about more than finding Prince Charming.