First published 2021
Nella Rogers works as an editorial assistant at Wagner Books in New York City. At twenty-six, she has grown weary of being the sole Black employee at the company. The microaggressions and isolation wear on her daily. Everything changes when Hazel arrives, a new hire from Harlem who takes the cubicle next to Nella's. The two women bond over hair care routines and shared experiences. But their friendship shifts when Hazel quickly becomes the office favorite while Nella watches from the sidelines. Anonymous notes start appearing on Nella's desk with a clear message: LEAVE WAGNER. NOW. Nella suspects Hazel might be responsible, though she struggles to believe it. As the threatening messages continue, Nella begins to unravel. She discovers that workplace politics hide something far more dangerous than she imagined. The stakes rise beyond her career as sinister forces emerge. Nella must navigate a web of manipulation and threats that target her very identity.
Genres: fiction, african-american, contemporary, 21st-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, manipulation, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Harlem, New York City, Wagner Books
Period: 21st Century
357 pages · Hardcover · Atria Books
Content warnings: racism, sexism