#BookReview Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell @janelythell @HoZ_Books

Woman of the Hour by Jane Lythell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Meet Liz Lyon: respected TV producer, stressed-out executive, guilty single mother... woman of the hour.

StoryWorld is the nation's favourite morning show, and producer Liz Lyon wants to keep it that way. Her job is to turn real-life stories into thrilling TV – and keep a lid on the scandals and backbiting that happen off-stage.

But then simmering tensions erupt at the station, trapping Liz in a game of one-upmanship where she doesn't know the rules. As the power struggle intensifies, can Liz keep her cool and keep her job? Does she even want to?

In this gripping novel of power, rivalry and betrayal, Jane Lythell draws on her experiences of working in the glamorous, pressurised world of live TV.

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Women of the Hour is something completely different from what I usually read. Not a crime novel, nor a thriller or a historical novel. This is a contemporary novel set in the world of television. A story about a Liz Lyon TV producer and single mother and her struggle to combine both worlds. I quickly found myself caught up in her world. As a TV producer, Liz basically spent a lot of time trying to smooth things over, from cranky bosses to the divas on air. At the same time, she tries to make her relationship with her new boyfriend work and raise her daughter. And, she also has to try to not be stabbed in the back, not literary, but figuratively (this is as I said before not a murder mystery book LOL). The TV business is a vicious place and new arrives doesn't always play nice, but appearances can be deceiving and threats can come from other directions.

Women of the Hour brings up so many issues, how to combine motherhood with a career. Trying to keep peace in the workplace. Also, dealing with new employees and not to mention how to handle sexual harassment at work. Liz herself has some bad experience when it comes to that. She ponders during the books progress over the fact, where do you draw the line? Is she just overreacting? I can honestly say I thought she overreacted a bit while I read the book. But, on the other hand, I also know how terrible it is to feel doubt and angst over situations. Even years later. Anyhow, this is an interesting part of the book that fits very well into today's #metoo era. 

I found this book to be a great respite from all the usual thriller & crime novels to read and I recommend this book warmly.

Women of the Hour is the first book in the StoryWorld series and I'm looking forward to reading the sequel Behind Her Back. 

I want to thank the author for sending both this book and Behind the Back to me for an honest review!