A Most Anticipated Book ( Oprah Daily, Essence, Bustle, Stylist, Missing Perspectives ) A Best Book of the Month ( People ) "A sharp, glossy throwback to 1999 New York.Barnett''s insider industry perspective gives every office power play and party scene a lived-in charge.This is set to be the first can''t-miss page-turner of 2026." --Oprah Daily "Fast-paced, juicy, glamorous. If I Ruled the World does an exceptional job of shining a light on the underbelly of taxing and toxic workplaces, and provides an unflinching look at what it costs women to succeed in male-dominated spaces." -- Forbes "Packed with glitzy fashion, steamy sex, delicious drama, and fierce ambition.The page-turner is fast-paced and offers healthy doses of ambition, drama and love all with a sexy backdrop of the 1990s hip-hop, fashion and magazine industries. It is guaranteed to have your group chat buzzing!" -- Essence "A nostalgic debut about ambition, power and self-discovery.
Barnett taps into her years as an industry insider to capture the glamorous toxicity and debauchery of the 1990s magazine industry. In this story about a Black editor who quits a gig at a glossy to take over a struggling hip-hop magazine, main character Nikki is Carrie Bradshaw meets Kimora Lee Simmons." -- People "Barnett offers a unique vantage point.[Shebr>"A nostalgic debut about ambition, power and self-discovery.Barnett taps into her years as an industry insider to capture the glamorous toxicity and debauchery of the 1990s magazine industry. In this story about a Black editor who quits a gig at a glossy to take over a struggling hip-hop magazine, main character Nikki is Carrie Bradshaw meets Kimora Lee Simmons." -- People "Barnett offers a unique vantage point.[Shebr>"A nostalgic debut about ambition, power and self-discovery.
Barnett taps into her years as an industry insider to capture the glamorous toxicity and debauchery of the 1990s magazine industry. In this story about a Black editor who quits a gig at a glossy to take over a struggling hip-hop magazine, main character Nikki is Carrie Bradshaw meets Kimora Lee Simmons." -- People "Barnett offers a unique vantage point.[Shebr>"A nostalgic debut about ambition, power and self-discovery.Barnett taps into her years as an industry insider to capture the glamorous toxicity and debauchery of the 1990s magazine industry. In this story about a Black editor who quits a gig at a glossy to take over a struggling hip-hop magazine, main character Nikki is Carrie Bradshaw meets Kimora Lee Simmons." -- People "Barnett offers a unique vantage point.[She] draws on her lived experience of the late nineties, built into a fictional world that reflects the cost of ambition, the politics of media power, and the personal trade-offs Black women dealt with to achieve success.
" -- Ebony "A young editor navigates the sleek, sexy, and competitive world of late-''90s magazines in Amy DuBois Barnett''s irresistible debut. After reading about fictional Nikki Rose, you''ll want to learn more about Barnett--herself a major voice in media who''s helmed magazines such as Ebony , Honey , and Teen People." -- Bustle "The novel is sexy and nostalgic, built to be devoured. A glossy, propulsive page turner, it revels in the heady thrill of the era.while remaining clear-eyed about the danger that simmered beneath the surface. Asks a question that still resonates: What would it look like if women didn''t just participate in culture but ruled it?" -- UPTOWN Magazine "A grand, sizzling, and fun ride down memory lane.Challenges readers to look beyond the surface in both love and life to better understand what truly drives our attachments." -- The Grio "The novel has serious things to say about Black women''s empowerment while also dishing up plenty of sex, fashion, and friendship.
Style, love, and hip hop converge in this lively, likable novel." -- Kirkus "Funny, sexy, witty, and full of grit, If I Ruled The World is for anyone who''s spent a lifetime climbing a ladder that keeps adding rungs. This fierce, unputdownable, guilty pleasure of a novel steps back into the uniquely fabulous and ruthless New York hustle at the turn of the century, through the eyes of a real Working Girl and industry insider, when the biggest players moving the needle of culture were grinding for recognition in a society that would rather look away. An utterly intoxicating debut." --Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming "I''m always here for 90''s nostalgia, especially of the NYC variety--and Amy Dubois Barnett''s If I Ruled the World scratches the itch. As a major player in the fashion and music scenes of the era, who better than Barnett to weave a world sizzling with such delicious romance, swagger, and intrigue? A sexy, fast-paced ride!" --Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde " If I Ruled the World had me hooked from the very first page. This fascinating story from inside magazine publishing--and the music world--really hits all the right notes: it''s meaningful, nostalgic, heartfelt, and resonant." --Kate Fagan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Cate Kay "With a keen eye and an accomplished voice, Amy DuBois Barnett takes us on a thrilling ride through the high-stakes world of magazine publishing in 1990s New York.
At the intersection of fashion and hip-hop, If I Ruled the World captures the glamour, danger, and magic of a defining moment in American culture. An utterly dazzling debut!" --Robinne Lee, international bestselling author of The Idea of You "Amy DuBois Barnett''s debut sparkles with drama, scandal, and ''90s New York energy. She powerfully captures a pressure-cooker moment of transition--the messy work of growing past bad choices, squaring ambition with integrity, and holding on to your ride-or-dies. It''s a pitch-perfect depiction of a world I didn''t want to leave." --Essie Chambers, national bestselling author of Swift River down memory lane.Challenges readers to look beyond the surface in both love and life to better understand what truly drives our attachments." -- The Grio "The novel has serious things to say about Black women''s empowerment while also dishing up plenty of sex, fashion, and friendship. Style, love, and hip hop converge in this lively, likable novel.
" -- Kirkus "Funny, sexy, witty, and full of grit, If I Ruled The World is for anyone who''s spent a lifetime climbing a ladder that keeps adding rungs. This fierce, unputdownable, guilty pleasure of a novel steps back into the uniquely fabulous and ruthless New York hustle at the turn of the century, through the eyes of a real Working Girl and industry insider, when the biggest players moving the needle of culture were grinding for recognition in a society that would rather look away. An utterly intoxicating debut." --Xochitl Gonzalez, New York Times bestselling author of Olga Dies Dreaming "I''m always here for 90''s nostalgia, especially of the NYC variety--and Amy Dubois Barnett''s If I Ruled the World scratches the itch. As a major player in the fashion and music scenes of the era, who better than Barnett to weave a world sizzling with such delicious romance, swagger, and intrigue? A sexy, fast-paced ride!" --Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde " If I Ruled the World had me hooked from the very first page. This fascinating story from inside magazine publishing--and the music world--really hits all the right notes: it''s meaningful, nostalgic, heartfelt, and resonant." --Kate Fagan, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Three Lives of Cate Kay "With a keen eye and an accomplished voice, Amy DuBois Barnett takes us on a thrilling ride through the high-stakes world of magazine publishing in 1990s New York. At the intersection of fashion and hip-hop, If I Ruled the World captures the glamour, danger, and magic of a defining moment in American culture.
An utterly dazzling debut!" --Robinne Lee, international bestselling author of The Idea of You "Amy DuBois Barnett''s debut sparkles with drama, scandal, and ''90s New York energy. She powerfully captures a pressure-cooker moment of transition--the messy work of growing past bad choices, squaring ambition with integrity, and holding on to your ride-or-dies. It''s a pitch-perfect depiction of a world I didn''t want to leave." --Essie Chambers, national bestselling author of Swift River b> "I''m always here for 90''s nostalgia, especially of the NYC variety--and Amy Dubois Barnett''s If I Ruled the World scratches the itch. As a major player in the fashion and music scenes of the era, who better than Barnett to weave a world sizzling with such delicious romance, swagger, and intrigue? A sexy, fast-paced ride!" --Tia Williams, New York Times bestselling author of A Love Song for Ricki Wilde " If I Ruled the World had me hooked from the very first page. This fascinating story from inside ma.