After how much I enjoyed this author’s Lies Jane Austen Told Me last year, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get an ARC of this story. Added bonus, there’s a bit of crossover between the two books. Don’t worry, you absolutely do NOT have to read one in order to understand the other. They are not related in that type of way.

This story seems timely with all that is going on in Hollywood and the rest of the nation these days. I don’t mean to imply this is a story about sexual harassment or assault…it’s not. But it is about a woman being treated as an equal and not a mute servant. Yep, this story delves into the world of equality. But don’t worry, it doesn’t cross over to being so preachy it loses it’s flow or identity. This is a great story, and that story stays to the forefront of this book throughout regardless of what issues are being tackled.

Sylvia is a woman in a man’s world. A young woman, at that. Although she’s been raised to speak her mind and not get pushed around, she is also aware there is a fine line she has to walk if she truly wants her career to progress. While she doesn’t want to (nor should she need to) be a doormat, she also cannot go into meetings guns blazing with neon arrows pointing out her wonderful attributes. There are politics to be played and a tact that is needed. While she’s been able to walk that line for her career so far, this new job (more specifically her new boss) has made that difficult the last few months.

Ben is Sylvia’s previous boss. The man who basically mentored her early career and even recommended her for this bigger and better job she now has. Ben is, quite frankly, a stand-up guy. He’s the guy you want to have your back. The fact that he’s also good-looking, smart, charming, and caring just sweetens the total package.

There are times Ben did drive me crazy, though. As sweet and caring as the guy is, he’s also a bit clueless. I’m sure I’m not the only reader that will know what’s going on even while Ben and Sylvia seem to be stuck in some weird loop, neither trusting the overt signs and only reading (incorrectly) into the wrong signs. Such is the nature of humans. We always have to take the long way around.

I enjoyed watching the progression of Ben and Sylvia’s relationship. I adore their friendship and the word games they play…they just “get” each other. That’s a beautiful thing. Seeing Sylvia realize she has to take a stand is powerful. It happens more than once, I each time I was cheering her on.

I’m going to climb on a soapbox here for a minute. I’ve had plenty of female friends, family members, and acquaintances tell me they’ve never experienced misogyny. I always wonder if it’s just so ingrained in the female psyche after years of the world being a certain way, that it’s not even recognized by some women. I love that we see both sides of Sylvia here. The Sylvia that is strong and stands up for what is rightly hers and the Sylvia that feels she has to keep the peace between everyone. That it’s her job to keep things running smoothly no matter that nobody else is doing their assigned jobs so it all falls on her shoulders. The situation between Sylvia and her boss, Dean, is extreme. But even in other aspects of this story we see that subtle reminder that the woman is expected to act a certain way that is NOT expected of the man in the same situation. I think this author did a beautiful job of showing multiple angles to this issue without feeling like she was beating me over the head with the idea.

Stepping back down now to say one last thing. So far both stories I’ve read by this author have impressed me. I still haven’t had a chance to get to any of her other works but trust me, there are on my TBR list.

**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

This review can also be found on my blog at https://allingoodtimeblog.wordpress.com/2018/11/06/lies-love-and-breakfast-at-tiffanys-book-review/