Double Standards is a novel by Judith McNaught. The novel tells the story of Lauren Danner and Nick Sinclair. Lauren is an innocent young pianist who has come to the big city to find a job that will help rescue her father from a perilous financial situation. Lauren gets a job with Nick's company, Sinco, and quickly finds herself in a situation beyond her experience and control. Nick is fascinated with Lauren, attracted to her in ways he never believed himself capable of. However, when Nick learns that Lauren is a spy for his mortal enemy, Nick cuts Lauren out of his life without allowing her the chance to explain herself. Double Standards is a powerful novel that makes McNaught a shining star within the romance genre.

Lauren Danner has come to Detroit to ask a job from a distant relative in order to rescue her family from sure financial disaster. Lauren's father is a sick man with no health insurance, leaving Lauren desperate to find a way to deal with the mounting medical bills. When Philip Whitworth, a distant relative of her father's, offers Lauren a job spying on one of his competitors, Lauren is desperate enough to take the offer. However, Lauren changes her mind on the way to the interview and purposely fails her employment tests. Later, Lauren meets Nick Sinclair, whom she believes to be an engineer working for the company housed across the street, and charms him enough to make him promise to pull some strings with Sinco to get Lauren that much needed job.

That very night, Lauren is informed that she had a job interview the following day. When Lauren is offered a job at Sinco despite her disastrous first interview, she accepts with the hopes that she will run into Nick again. As luck would have it, Lauren runs into Nick on the way to her car and asks him to lunch to help her celebrate. Nick is once again charmed by Lauren and finds himself inviting her to a party in Harbor Springs he was planning to attend that weekend. Lauren accepts, fully aware of Nick's intentions. At first Lauren believes she can put Nick off, but quickly finds herself falling in love with her charming companion.

In Harbor Springs, Lauren charms her way through the celebrities at the party, impressed with Nick's acquaintances who appear to be so far above him in class and economic standing. Later, Lauren goes sailing with Nick and finds herself unable to resist his temptations any longer. Lauren willingly offers Nick her virtue, only to have him tease her for her naivety. The following morning Lauren is put off when Nick rushes her out the door, only to convince herself that Nick has done it out of fear for his own feelings. Lauren is convinced Nick will call. However, he never does.

Lauren is heartbroken, so she throws herself into her work. After only a few days, Lauren learns the truth about Nick Sinclair. Nick owns the corporation for which Lauren is employed. Lauren is devastated by this, convinced that Nick lied to her by not telling her the truth. When Lauren learns she is required to attend a party where Nick will be, she tries to refuse. When she cannot refuse, Lauren decides to make Nick believe his rebuff did not hurt her at all. Lauren fails, however, when Nick makes a passionate claim to her physically and she is forced to refuse.

Lauren decides she will never again be alone with Nick. However, when Lauren is assigned to a special project, she finds herself forced to work with Nick for hours at a time. Nick takes advantage of the situation and attempts to coax Lauren into an affair, but she refuses. Nick is frustrated by Lauren's refusal and slowly finds that he cannot stop thinking about her. When Lauren learns about Nick's relationship with the Whitworths, she tries to quit her job, but Nick refuses to allow her. Nick rushes to Lauren and begs her to remain, promising to marry her if she stays. Nick and Lauren are insanely happy until Philip tells Lauren that he will tell Nick she is a spy and Philip's mistress unless she agrees to steal the cover sheets to four bids Sinco is about to submit.

Lauren finds herself in a difficult position and decides to give Philip what he wants. However, Lauren is unaware that Sinco security has her under surveillance. When Nick returns from a trip, ready to whisk Lauren away on a surprise wedding trip, he is confronted with the evidence against Lauren. Nick refuses to allow Lauren to explain herself, instead believing the evidence over her word. Nick throws Lauren out of his office. Lauren goes home to her father's. Sometime later Nick learns that Lauren changed the dollar amounts of the bids, causing Philip to lose his bids. Nick forgives Lauren and begs her to come back to him. They marry and live happily ever after.