Someone’s Gotta Give by Alisha Fernandez Miranda is a genre-bending workplace comedy, domestic drama, and contemporary women’s fiction novel! The book has serious “The Devil Wears Prada” vibes as it blends office satire with an emotional, character-driven story of identity & reinvention!

The story follows Lucia, a Cuban-American expat living in London, who finds herself pulled in every direction at once: she’s a new mom, a wife trying to keep her marriage afloat, and suddenly, an unlikely player in the world of high-net-worth philanthropy. When she lands a job at an exclusive private bank, she’s tasked with helping the ultra-wealthy decide where and how to give away their money—a role that’s both exhilarating and morally complicated!

The writing is witty and sharp and includes lots of banter between Lucia and her work colleagues that will have readers chuckling throughout. A lot of the comedy in the story comes from the absurdities of the wealthy characters and Lucia’s hilarious experiences as an expat. She’s the epitome of a “fish out of water”—not only because she’s moved from Austin, Texas, to London, UK, but also because her husband’s family and friends are of a completely different wealth class—and their snobbish, self-indulgent attitudes are at odds with Lucia’s humble immigrant-family upbringing! The story is told entirely from Lucia’s POV, giving readers a glimpse inside her head as she navigates new motherhood, marriage strain, and the surreal world of billionaire philanthropy! The tone of the book often shifts between laugh-out-loud funny moments and Lucia’s serious reflections on motherhood and identity—offering something for many kinds of readers.

Lucia is a funny, self-deprecating, and introspective protagonist—all qualities that make her inner monologues very entertaining! Her anxieties and stresses are very relatable, especially for new mothers—sleep deprivation, marital stress, and an identity crisis surrounding her role as a mother and need for a career!

As a Cuban-American in London navigating expat life and cultural displacement, she often feels out of place and questions if she’s made terrible life choices. Fortunately her husband’s strong devotion to her and her beautiful daughter constantly provides her reassurance. Her husband is very loving but imperfect, and when Alicia stretches herself too thin, their marriage becomes strained.

Lucia’s relationship with her French boss, Celeste, is very reminiscent of the employee-boss dynamic in The Devil Wears Prada book—Celeste is intimidating, bold, and ruthless and is ready to fire anyone who doesn’t go along with her agendas. Lucia’s colleagues and close clients are also all richly developed, often in a satirical manner that makes them somewhat absurd, adding a lot of humor to the story!

There are a lot of scenes that discuss philanthropy, especially after Lucia joins forces with her client Henry, the son of a duke and duchess who’s determined to have his family’s fortunes used for the greater good. Some of their discussions feel a bit repetitive, especially in the mid-section of the book. The last chapters are more interesting, bold, and faster paced as Lucia comes to terms with the fact that she can’t do it all—and this leads her to take some big risks while readying herself for the fallout—somewhat reminiscent of the later plot points of The Devil Wears Prada story. The ending is satisfying but also feels a bit rushed and could have incorporated some more resolution between Lucia and her husband.

Overall, Someone’s Gotta Give is a smart, funny, and heartfelt debut. It’s mashup of different genres—satirical workplace comedy, reinvention story, and family drama—will make it appeal to a larger audience than your typical contemporary women’s fiction novel. If all of this sounds intriguing and you enjoy novels that make you laugh and nod in recognition, then grab a copy ASAP!