There is so much to consider, so much to unpack, and so much to learn about in “Boss Lady,” the newest brainchild of coauthors Alli Frank and Asha Youmans. Fans of these writers know that they write intriguing novels about people we find extremely relatable; people who are stuck or need a bit of luck, but people with whom we can connect. Their main characters are always flawed, but we like that because aren’t we all flawed in some respect?

Main character Antonia Arroyo is biracial; she’s Black and Puerto Rican. At the start of the novel, she’s working nonstop to make money to support her two daughters after her husband walked out on them two years before to “find himself.” She misses having that support—both financial and emotional—and she thinks she misses him, even while she resents the fact that he simply dumped his family when they became inconvenient. Antonia, or Toni, has two good friends she’s made at the airport in San Francisco where she works, helping passengers who need assistance get to and from their gates. Her favorite “client” is Sylvia Eisenberg.

Mrs. Eisenberg becomes a very important character in this novel, and it’s through her inspiration that Toni grows and ends up on the path to realize her dreams; Toni’s life has not gone according to the plans she made as a young woman. She earned a scholarship to UCLA, but after two years there, her father died. Her mother had never worked, and Toni had two younger brothers. She left school to work and help her mother keep their family together, and then life got in the way. She met Simon, married Simon, and had her twin daughters with Simon.

But Toni never stopped dreaming of becoming an entrepreneur; creating a product that she could sell. She loves science, and she wants to build a business. She just needs to think of something to develop. We learn about some near-misses, and we learn about Toni’s lack of self-confidence. Mrs. Eisenberg, she of the two homes and wealthy lifestyle, is one of Toni’s biggest cheerleaders. She’s constantly giving Toni advice and aphorisms about not giving up, sticking with it, demonstrating perseverance. Toni really cares for Mrs. Eisenberg, but while Mrs. Eisenberg talks a lot about her grandchildren and other people, she doesn’t share much about herself. Toni is left wondering what Eddie, Mrs. Eisenberg’s much beloved late husband, did to generate the wealth that she clearly enjoys.

In addition to a really admirable main character, there is a romantic interest who happens to be Mrs. Eisenberg’s Black grandson. At first, Toni isn’t sure how that happened because Mrs. Eisenberg is clearly a senior white Jewish woman. As we read more and more of the story, we find that like Toni, we readers have let our prejudices get in the way of seeing the truth in more ways than just considering race.

But Toni has her eyes on the prize, and thanks to some inside help, she manages to get a spot on Innovation Nation, a reality show where venture capitalists find companies to invest in. Will they decide to invest in hers? And with Simon, her almost ex-husband (the papers are prepared and sitting on the bookshelf), competing for his own idea, we have no idea what will happen. By this time, we love to hate Simon, whose real character is readily apparent with his comments and actions on returning after two years of a disappearing act.

There’s joy, there’s love of family and friends, there are two teenagers who are mostly a delight, there’s a handsome love interest, and there’s a really wonderful woman who captures the reader’s heart and imagination. We are really rooting for her to find her “happy ever after,” although we know, thanks to Mrs. Eisenberg’s very sage and plentiful advice, that we must make our own HEA. This is a novel that’s full of heart, and it’s a delightful read. You won’t be able to put it down.

This review was first posted on Bookreporter.com.