This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Luwi Nyakansaila for Readers' Favorite
Luxuries and Lies by Long Temple is a thought-provoking story about the invisible labor and emotional endurance that often go unseen in the workplace. Mercedes is a hardworking woman whose work is taken for granted. When the company's leaders try to erase her name from a deal silently, and it does not go as planned, she becomes the center of attention. No longer invisible, Mercedes quietly retaliates until they finally begin to acknowledge her and her work. They try to offer her deals to control her, but she refuses. She finds a work balance that lets the institution finally acknowledge the invisible labor and structures that truly run the system.
Luxuries and Lies by Long Temple is deeply introspective and shows how power is often silent. It brings the people who make up the backbone of institutions, who are always overlooked, to the forefront, allowing readers to witness them and appreciate their hard work. Mercedes's story might be fiction, but it covers many truths that readers will find relatable: the office language that seems calm but is authoritative, leaders who take credit for others' work, and deals that come in the form of gifts but are meant to hush you. Mercedes leaves a legacy that exposes all these issues and gives power to those who deserve it. Even though this story is about institutional structures, it focuses on the cost of carrying unacknowledged weight that happens not only in professional lives but also in personal lives. I truly enjoyed this book. Its pacing, intricate storytelling, and calmness were well done. This is a must-read for anyone interested in stories that shed light on the unseen struggles faced by hardworking individuals who are often not acknowledged or appreciated.
