Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
3.5 stars rounded up

There is much to like in this book. I really liked that the old lady who chatted to Toni at the airport really was the entrepreneur and innovations guru who had supported some of the biggest names in the business – it was a clever reminder not to judge a book by its cover!

Toni has a brain which cannot stop coming up with bright ideas – she just needs one to work and be picked up by an investor so she can stop her job driving airport transfers. Her ex walked out, leaving her bringing up twins and shouldering all the bills and burdens. When Sylvia, her favourite client, falls ill and she goes with her to the hospital, their lives become more entwined.

Meeting Sylvia's grandson, Ash, changes everything – she finds someone attractive for the first time in forever, but he is completely out of reach... let alone she is still married. And now he is in a position to give her a chance at her dream on a TV investment show. Of course, her ex pops up, like a bad penny, and chaos ensues.

I felt that the plot got a bit overly twisted in places and could have been rejigged a bit to reduce the need for explanation, but I did really enjoy the characters and the storyline, as well as the outcome!

This book screams "girl power" all the way. Antonia “Toni” Arroyo is holding onto the strings of her life, raising her twin teenage daughters as her husband has left to "find himself". While doing this she has built a community of women of all ages who support and encourage her to chart her own path. It speaks to the importance of this and all that can be learned from women of all walks of life and all ages. It's good and enjoyable on many levels.

This book was an interesting read, as someone getting closer to 40 it’s not often you read a book with characters in your age bracket anymore. Toni who has been a self determined woman most of her life, is dealing with the struggles with a husband who disappears on them (by his choice), raising twin daughters, and dealing with her family. With her job at the airport she becomes friends with a variety pack of side characters. Some of which refuse to acknowledge that they are. (Looking at you Sylvia Eisenberg). Can Toni figure out a business venture that will help her make it on her own, while juggling very strong personalities in her life, and should she get divorced and love again. This is a fun quick read for anyone looking for people who are over the age of 30. Thank you NetGalley, Montlake, Alli Frank & Asha Youmans for picking me to be an arc reader of this book.

I know I keep saying this, but I absolutely adore Alli Frank and Asha Youmans, and so far, I have not read a single book by them I haven't loved. Boss Lady was no different and their blend of uniqueness, humor, and tear-jerking topics get me every single time, so it's no wonder this book blew me away! I love where they got their idea for Toni's job and their not-so-subtle references to a famous TV show and a certain male entrepreneur. 😏 The family and motherhood elements were on point as always and I loved Toni's character immensely, even as she debates taking her crappy ex back.

The cast of characters is very eclectic, and I couldn't help but fall head over heels in love with Mrs. Eisenberg. The banter between her and Toni was hilarious, and there were plenty of both funny and heart-wrenching moments. The audiobook is narrated by Bahni Turpin who has been the narrator for all of Frank and Youmans books to date, and once again she knocked it out of the park. Turpin is one of my favorite narrators for a very good reason, and she was a joy and pleasure to listen to. The romance between Toni and Ash took a bit to get going but the tension and chemistry were there, and I was rooting for this 'second chance' romance to win out. Boss Lady is inspiring, has lots of depth, and made my heart happy. And I dare you not to cry at the end...

Clever, humorous, and inspiring!

Boss Lady is a flirty, charming tale about the hardworking, driven Antonia Arroyo who, after her husband walks out and doesn’t return for more than a year learns to juggle her love of science, her extreme creativity and drive to succeed, the raising of her twin teen girls, her monotonous job in airport transportation, and the reappearance of a crush from a lifetime ago.

The prose is smooth and sharp. The characters are focused, amusing, and dependable. And the plot is a lighthearted, funny blend of life, love, introspection, friendship, awkward situations, embarrassing moments, taking chances, and the ups and downs of being a single mother and an entrepreneur.

Overall, I found Boss Lady to be a smart, simmering, entertaining read by Frank & Youmans that’s brimming with empowerment, female friendships, and delectable romance.

Boss Lady by Alli Frank; Asha Youmans was a wonderfully written story.
I enjoyed everything about this one.
The writing was fun, the characters are engaging and the storytelling was entertaining.

Thank You NetGalley and Montlake for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

This is very much about female empowerment. Toni's husband went off to find himself and now that she's got something going_ having dealt with the mess he left behind-he wants to come back. She's focused on her business and with the help of Mrs. Eisenberg (great character), it's going very well. And it's getting even better. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc. A good read.

Toni works in airport transportation, shuttling people to their gates. She has always had a fascination for science and entrepreneurship, and with Puerto Rican heritage, she is trying to formulate a body lotion for women with different skin colours. And Toni, whose husband Simon upped and left her and their twin daughters to go find himself, is used to hustling.
One of her favourite airport clients, the elderly Mrs Eisenberg, has a grandson, Ash, who is a venture capitalist. Toni may have once had a crush on him at college – and maybe still does.
This was an inspiring read about her pursuit to invent a successful product as Toni faces various challenges in her personal and entrepreneurial life. It centres around her business dreams, strong friendships with work colleagues, her burgeoning ties with the Eisenbergs, and the unwelcome return of her self-absorbed ex.

Toni is a recently single mother of twins trying her best. When she has a new business endeavor and an opportunity to pitch it on a tv show, she is excited but her past will get in the way.

This story is perfect for someone in my age group: forties! The main character carves her one path at middle age and follows dreams, despite obstacles along the way. It was slow paced at times and parts were hard to get through but I appreciated the story, the strong female independence, and the support shown.

Boss Lady comes out 7/2.

Toni's life took an unexpected turn when her husband walked out to find himself through self actualization. It's two years later and he has now returned and wants to pick up like nothing has changed. During this time Toni has worked to find her place in the world and start the business she had always wanted.

I loved the idea of women supporting women and that help comes from where you least expect it. The story did a great job of highlighting the uniqueness of skin and the variations in color.

I needed this book to be more concise, there was a lot of set up and building that could have been done in less time. It took me a long time to get into the story.

Boss Lady is a quirky, fun story. The main character, Antonia, is a mother to twins whose husband has left to “find himself.” That leaves Antonia to pick up the pieces to support them. She has already had to quit school since her father had died and had to help support her mom and brothers. But Antonia has lots of ideas and wants to try to find “ the next big one.” She takes a job transporting people around the airport when she meets a woman, Mrs. Eisenberg. The story continues from there with their connection and Mrs. Eisenberg’s influence.
Definitely more of a beach read than a heavy novel.

I read about 16% of this title but I was getting bored. Unfortunately, the writing style is heavy on exposition. I suspect that the grandson the protagonist met will come back, but there is SO MUCH telling and not much showing. I think the premise is somewhat interesting and I really like the setting and many interesting side characters. Just too much backstory and explanations on the side.

Think rags to riches, meets set backs, divorce/estranged partner.

Overall I felt that the relationship of the main couple lacked any depth. It felt like this was forced, or just added for plot thickening or something.

The premise of the book seemed to be a great idea, but overall, it just wasn't for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Montlake Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Boss Lady is a heartwarming story of chosen family, self actualization, and grit. I couldn’t help but fall in love with the cast of characters as I followed along on Antonia’s journey. This is my second read of Alli Frank and Asha Youmans and I am a fan!

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited about this book but it wasn't the best I've ever read. I really liked the difference in characters, ethnicities, and the background behind the main character. Overall, I think that this book should have been longer with more information on the main male character and the relationships that were being built. It just seemed really fast to me. Overall - I love the concept of this book with empowering women that it's not to late to start your life and dream. I also really loved the company that the main character focuses on. We need that in real life!!

It's a cute story that I enjoyed in a few sittings. My first time reading a book by these authors. I don't know if it will be a memorable favorite of mine, but it was entertaining enough. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Three stars.

Antonia "Toni" Arroyo is a financially-strapped single mother of twins. She's married but her husband abandoned the family to find himself. *insert severe eye roll here* By day, Toni works in airport transportation; by night, she is a budding entrepreneur.

One of her frequent elderly travelers, Ms. Eisenberg, connects Toni with her handsome grandson who is a venture capitalist. Toni gets the opportunity to pitch her business idea on TV's Innovation Nation. Her unexpected challenger is the resurfaced not-quite-ex-husband. Oh, how the past collides with the present!

Antonia is the kind of chick you'd want to be friends with IRL. She is funny, loyal, responsible and self-aware of her flaws. She is playing the best she possibly can with the hand she was dealt. Yet there is no annoying self-pity. Antonia's circle of friends and daughters are quite likable too and a great representation of strong minority women.

Author duos are tricky. Some collaborate because of a mutual respect. Others are listed as a co-author to gain notoriety. But Alli Frank and Asha Youmans are meant to write together. Their writing styles complement perfectly. The dialogue and narrative passages intertwine. The tone of the main character did not change. I could hardly tell who wrote what until a few jumpy chapter transitions.

Boss Lady can be read fairly quickly; the story just flows and is very engaging. Don't let the romance genre mislead you. Boss Lady is about a strong female character determined to reach her goals with a positive support system. Very much like a "multicultural Golden Girls reboot." Readers will find themselves rooting for Toni the whole way. I totally recommend this new novel!

Happy Early Pub Day, Alli Frank and Asha Youmans! Boss Lady will be available Tuesday, July 2.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

This was a great book. I connected with the characters. I felt engrossed with the plot. I would read another book by this author.

Read for a Booklist review. I have enjoyed Frank and Youmans' other work--this is a little different because it revolves around only one character and is more of a love story. I loved the main character, Toni, and her rise to becoming a successful entrepreneur, even if her prickly love interest gets in her way.

Toni, or Antonia as some call her, is a single mom of twins with an ex named Simon that doesn't seem to leave her thoughts. She works at an airport, shuttling passengers from one gate to another and has one favorite lady who happens to have a gorgeous grandson that Toni had drooled over while in college. He didn't notice her then and it isn't looking like he is noticing her now, until he does.

Toni has a friend Zwena who is almost like her cheerleader. Between the two, there are too many references to heritage to make it feel real. I thought the references were over the top and acted as a stop sign to the flow of the story. Then it got boring. I kept trying to stay with it, but it lost me through too many pages of nothing happening and I just didn't care to finish the story.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy. I had liked books by these authors before, but the honest opinions expressed here are freely given about a book I just couldn't get into.