Corinne is a no-nonsense, hard-hitting boss with a reputation for being tough and unyielding. A bit of a "ball-breaker" if Wesley understands it correctly when fronting up to his first day of work as Corinne's intern. Wesley is a little delayed in his career having cared for his ailing mother, returning to the work-force keen and eager, until he meets Corinne. They end up getting involved - even though she's his boss and he's her intern. Hmmm.

I admit I liked this book. When I think about why, it's because I liked Wesley and the way Barrett portrayed aspects of his character. He was soft, caring and emotional, but still masculine and knew what he wanted. Stereotypical gender roles were reversed. BUT I still struggled to accept this as a "romance" given the power imbalance - Corinne's his boss! And I considered what if the roles were reversed ... and remembered they often have been in many books, you know those "work place romances" usually involving a rich or affluent senior executive, and a younger woman, usually their assistant, secretary or other subordinate. 

So many questions and things to consider - was Wesley's consent freely given? Why was it not okay for Corinne's boss to exert his power and influence against her, but it was okay for Corinne to act the way she did towards Wesley? Were they not the same?  Not only is he Corinne's subordinate, there is a slight age-gap, that is further emphasised by Wesley's stalled career trajectory. He's also emotionally vulnerable after the death of his mother. Wesley made excuses for Corinne and placated her. Corinne didn't seem to move an inch for Wesley, and continued not wanting to declare the relationship. There is much discussion of the power imbalance in the book, and it's interesting to consider whether it went far enough. 

So just for the record ... Wesley for the win for me.

Despite my uncertainty I recommend this one - I think more people will like it than won't. And Barrett CAN write a steamy scene, or two, or three.

I'm looking forward to reading more from her.

Thank you for an advance copy of this book. Unfortunately this workplace romance didn’t work for me. I know some readers are into taboo romance. A couple of my friends raved about this book. However I just couldn’t get passed through power difference in this book.

I'm sad to say Hot Copy didn't reach its potential.

I'm a big fan of office romances and I understand that the power dynamic is questionable in these kind of relationships, but for me it's a romance, not necessarily real life.

So for me to enjoy this kind of relationship, I need to enjoy and root for the characters and would want to put myself into such a situation. The prospect of an office romance has to be something exiting and appealing, but sadly that just wasn't the case with Corrine and Wesley's relationship.

I feel the author bit off too much. It was a bit much for an office romance to also delve into the topic of sexual harassment at the workplace.

It didn't make much sense to me. Nor did the amount of sexual intercourse, or the back and forth between the cool demeanours of Corrine, and Wesley taking it all without a word, enamour me to the couple.

Sorry to say, but this book wasn't the right one for me.

A good quick read that deals with some heavier issues in the corporate world. I enjoyed Corrine and Wesley's story but I'm not sure if was the dual POV or what but I didn't feel like I cared enough about them and their happiness. Still the story was good with a nice ending that wrapped everything up. I'm looking forward to try ou another Ruby Barrett book in the future.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for the advance reader copy!

This was emotional and intense, exactly what I expect from a solid workplace contemporary romance! I appreciate all that Miss Barrett tackled in this story: cancer, grief, sexism in the workplace, and the many different ways we can find ourselves falling for someone even if we’re not exactly ready for love; and the work it takes to be worthy of them and a healthy relationship.

I love a good romantic comedy book, but this was not my favorite. Corinne is a high powered employee at an advertising agency, and she is struggling with workplace sexual harassment from her boss and other men in the office. When she is assigned Wesley as an intern, the attraction is instant, and a steamy relationship quickly ensues.

I found it unsettling that in a book where workplace harassment is a major issue, a female boss is sleeping with her male intern and it's not supposed to raise a red flag. I found it hypocritical at worst, and just plain boring at best. I was not a fan of this book.

Wes and Corrine in Hot Copy by Ruby Barret
Wow, what a beautiful, vulnerable yet powerful story! Vulnerable yet strong is how I would describe this book. Wes was the hero we’d all love to love: vulnerable yet ultimately strong. His grief for his mother is so real, his love for Corrine is convincing. With her he is vulnerable in their relationship yet ultimately he becomes strong enough to let her go, to realize he needs to let her go to understand himself. This is also a book about the vulnerability we have in a workplace sexual harassment situation. Corrine is being harassed by her boss and feels powerless and disgusted. Ultimately she is able to blow the whistle on the boss and retake her strength that way. There is so much more to this book; I would gladly recommend this book to my patrons.

#HotCopy #NetGalley

Special thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin publishing for providing me with ARC.

I am feeling so disappointed because i can't finish this one and waist my time to read, i am feeling excited when i requested it but now i lost my passion.

Debut romance Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett delves into some heavy issues like the loss of a parent, grief, and sexual harassment. The author also delivers some scorchingly hot steam!

We've got a meet-cute gone wrong right off. Wesley's nervous awkwardness gets worse and Corinne's determination to not repeat the mistakes of the past amp up the tension between the two.

Wesley's not just a cinnamon roll of a love interest; he's a cashmere scarf. He's determined to make the internship work and convince Corinne that he has good ideas. But he also wants to give her support in other ways, like backing her up about reporting the other intern's inappropriate remarks or caring for her when she has a migraine.

Because of what's happened in the past, Corinne is hesitant to depend on anyone other than herself. And she worries that reporting anything to HR won't end well for her.

The story's told in alternating POV between Wes and Corinne allowing us to peek into both of their heads as their relationship develops. If you love forbidden romances, Hot Copy checks the box on the boss/intern trope. You also get an age difference with Corinne as the (slightly) older woman.

The story is fast-paced and you can't help but cheer for things to work out for Wesley and Corinne. As well as hoping for repercussions for other characters. The tension between the MCs is undeniable and the intimate scenes are incredibly steamy. The "hot" in the title is no joke!

While not always likable, I found Corinne to be relatable. Even in today's workplace, women bear the brunt of gossip and are maligned for traits that are praised in male coworkers. Sexual harassment victims are often told that it happened because of their actions, not the harassers. So her reserved exterior is definitely understandable.

Wesley was totally likable and relatable - the consummate caretaker and supporter. I even understood why he shut people out or was afraid to share with friends and even his twin sister about his grief and even his conflicted feelings about being his mom's caretaker. Even cinnamon rolls can feel guilt. Ruby Barrett has created the most adork-able cashmere sweater of a male lead ever.

Hot Copy is a contemporary workplace romance with mega-hot steam and a cinnamon roll male MC coupled with some weightier topics.


CW: Death of a parent, grief, sexual harassment

I don't know what it is about having a protagonist woman be SO tough and cold, but it never feels right to me. This was a miss, but I know others may enjoy Hot Copy. I get being a woman in a workplace is a very tough environment, but Corinne was just too much for me.

I cannot even word the words about how much I love this book.

Wesley Chambers is thrilled to be starting his new job, working in marketing, after putting his career on hold to care for his mother as she went through chemotherapy. But things definitely do not start out well, when he is unknowingly stuck in the elevator with his new (hot) boss. Corrine is none too impressed with her new mentee, especially when she overhears him laughing at a colleague's sexist joke. But Corrine is not one to let anything faze her--not even the increasingly blatant sexual harassment from the company's CEO. Despite not getting off to the best start, Wes and Corrine have immediate chemistry, and after a spur of the moment office hook up, they can't seem to keep their hands off each other. But their romance is forbidden since Corrine is Wes's boss, and both are dealing with some pretty serious family issues. But of course, they won't let that keep them from living their happily ever after.

Alright, since it's right there in the title, let's jump right to the good stuff. This book is hot. Mega hot. Like seriously, some of the best, steamiest hook up scenes I have ever read. So sexy and so good. But I think part of the reason why the scenes were so sexy and so good (aside from the seriously hot sex) is because these characters are precious. Wesley might be my new favorite hero. He is a super cinnamon roll and just kind and good and caring and a little bit broken and I will fight anyone who tries to hurt him. And Corrine, though she comes off as this super strong badass (which she is), is also so broken, and I loved her broken heart so so much. Watching her find her voice and find herself and find a way to rely on Wes was just so lovely. Honestly, I could gush about this book forever and ever, but the truest thing is it's a practically perfect romance. The characters are fabulous, their emotional connection is beautiful, and the sexy times are off the chart. Basically everything I could ever want in a romance.

So I actually called Sam about this one. Her insight is invaluable, and I needed to sort through why this book made me so incredibly uncomfortable.
For starters, the workplace situation creates a power imbalance that’s tough to overcome. That’s not to say I haven’t enjoyed a workplace romance - just to say you’re starting behind the eight ball when one of the characters has this kind of power over another.
“But the woman’s in charge here. That makes it okay!” No. No it doesn’t.
“But they talk about it. They get it out in the open and communicate.” Still not okay.
I’m not sure that efforts to be sensitive to an issue of this nature actually make it any better. Consent is great. But there’s never the feeling that it is freely given. Wesley’s status as subordinate is constantly thrown in his face - including during sex. It just feels wrong.
And then there’s this entire issue with unrelated workplace sexual harassment but we’re still supposed to cheer for the hero and heroine who are doing their own inappropriate work sex thing?
This circles back to my recent thoughts about the tension in a book. I read that Bybee that had no tension. None. Zero. Not necessarily terrible now that I’m prepared for the next one. And then we arrive at this book - where the tension is a sort of career-suicide that has me worrying about the characters. Like people who steal because they need to get caught. How can sex that threatens to destroy everything be okay? And if your job means so little that you’re willing to throw it away like this why not quit and see if the boning is still oh-so-steamy when it isn’t naughty.
I was uncomfortable throughout the book. Confused as to what I should be feeling. And overwhelmed by the sex. So. Much. Sex. Which actually added to my confusion - Bc again - what am I feeling? What was the author trying to do?
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to offer my unbiased opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: workplace sexual harassment, cancer, parental death, grief

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f enemies to lovers
-workplace romance
-close proximity
-forbidden romance
-older heroine/younger hero
-sick/comfort
-migraine rep
-so much love for Boston
-a very sturdy desk

Ever since I heard Ruby Barrett describe her hero as a soft cashmere boy I knew I needed him in my life. This book was such a rollercoaster of emotion. Returning to his life after taking care of his dying mother Wes does not have the best meet-cute with Corinne, the supervisor for his internship. They instantly clash pulling you into the story.

This book was a great example of how romance can cover difficult topics. Double standards and what women face in the workforce every day, the delicate decision of do I complain, what am I risking if I speak up? With the added complication of a sick family member, I was along for the ride. These topics were handled well without being bogged down by them.

By the constant was the story of Wes and Corinne, a forbidden romance, the book didn't shy away from dealing with the issues of a supervisor dating an employee. Consent was always at the forefront and the steam was sooo good. Even when I got frustrated with the characters their decisions were so grounded and understandable. It was so nice to see the softer hero giving the heroine the emotional space she needed and just being there for each other. Corinne was so relatable and assertive and sweet to Wes in her own way. This book did not take the easy way out in bringing the characters together, making the HEA that much sweeter.

I hope so much that there are more books in this series and can't wait to read more from Ruby.

Rating: 5
Steam: 4

The role reversal that ‘Hot Copy’ presents—a hard, confident and goal-driven boss and an intern, the former of whom misconstrued a meeting and set them both on a path of dislike and spite—is story I couldn’t wait to get my hands on. 

‘Hot Copy’ delves into sexual politics in the office and I definitely cringed at the very real issue of sexual harassment here and the delicate navigating it takes around this thorny issue especially when a woman worms her way around it in order to stay ‘professional’. On the one hand, I felt for Corinne, overly-sensitive and spiteful because of her own gender trying to climb the corporate ladder while taking all sorts of harassment along with it. 

But if the story explored this question and put it all in form of Corinne and her struggles, inequality seemed to define her and Wesley’s relationship from the start: from boss to intern, from older career-woman to younger greenhorn-subordinate. I simply saw Wesley differing to Corinne at every point, taking her rejections and her whiplash mood-swings and pushing away like punches to the gut without really stepping up on his own to challenger her. 

On every front, Wesley stayed the passive one, shifting the blame of everything going wrong onto himself, while refusing to recognise that Corinne needed to own her own part in her fickle ways. That she seemed ashamed of their relationship—admittedly a secret one in the office—while taking only the pieces of Wesley she wanted was too selfish and too one-sided for me to call this a pairing I wanted to get behind. 

Above all, where was the communication between them, or worse yet, the reciprocity? There were pages and pages of Wesley cajoling, his rationalising monologues about wanting to be with her, taking the first step of action to do the things to make Corinne comfortable, but her reciprocity was sorely lacking throughout. For once, I wanted her to step up and out of her own comfort zone the way Wesley had done for her, but time and again, it was her tucking tail, keeping quiet and then pushing away when it mattered the most when all the sacrifices were made on his side. 

Even towards the end, Corinne seemed more concerned with her job and career status than wanting to be with Wesley—after all that he’d done for her selflessly!—, displaying a mean-spirited, small-heartedness that I just couldn’t get over. She took and took and took, gave too little while Wesley did too much of the opposite. I never saw her taking the big leap forward but instead relegated him to a side matter; instead it was up to serendipity and chance that that they were together by the end of the book. What could have been a way more satisfying conclusion turned out to be a frustrating, hair-pulling one, where the romance wasn’t one made of a couple fighting for each other, but rather, one where Corinne wanted a foot out at all times.

Disclaimer: I got this book in exchange for an honest review!

Corinne and Wesley have an office romance that reminds me of Jim and Pam. Except this is about a boss getting together with an intern. Wesley's an intern who is also tending to his sick mother. He's depressed and struggling to connect with friends. He lives with his twin sister and refuses to give up the family house. When the other interns make fun of the new boss, he laughs until he's caught ... by his boss in the elevator. Corrine's not as heartless as others seem to think. In fact, she's an empath and cares way too much! After finding out about her mother's sickness, she ends up having a meltdown in front of Wesley... the new intern who made a terrible first impression. This book does have some steamy scenes so if that's not your thing, you've been warned! I really enjoyed this one and I'm going to be keeping an eye out for Ruby's other books.

Wowwww! I’m dipping my fingers into water bucket! They’re burning! The extremely high chemistry between Corinne and Wesley put the pages in fire! It’s freaking hot, intense, steamy, pant melting, mind blowing! You keep hyperventilating as you flip the pages faster, turning on AC to cool down !

Office romance, boss heroine and intern hero’s forbidden attraction are my favorite delicious topics and I’m telling you my friends, I haven’t seen so hot, well matched couple who can set your bedrooms on fire! They’re amazing!

Especially Wesley: loyal, kind hearted, healer, honest, sweet boy: taking care of his sick mother and after his death, he’s struggling to adopt in his old life, socializing with old friends, rejecting to sell family house he lives with his twin sister.

Two years ago he already found a job at the company his father’s close friend Richard work as CEO. Now at age 25, he’s fidgety, trying to adjust in his intern position but when some of the other interns make humiliating comment about his new boss by calling her Blunt the C*nt at the elevator, he lets out a nervous laugh just like he did at the inappropriate conditions he finds himself into before but guess who is already at the elevator ?

Yes, her new boss Corinne Blunt is back to them, looking at her phone and eavesdropping their conversation!

Sorry Wesley you made terrible first impression and ice queen, ruthless, perfectionist boss of yours are adamant to see you bleed!

On the other hand, Richard who acts fatherly around Wesley starts giving the worst Weinstein vibes around Corinne.

Classy, workaholic, reserved Corinne isn’t like a ruthless b*tch as people think about: She cares too much! Her reputation already ruined because of her previous intern’s sneaky attitudes who tried to use her to climb corporate ladders. She needs to cover her ears to ignore the unfair comments people make about her and focus on her job. But when her mother suffers from big C and her intern is too kind, caring, she gets more confused about her feelings.

When she cries in front of him after hearing her mother’s illness and suffering from one of the most painful migraine attacks, he helped her to get through one of the most challenging presentations she’s made.

Well, Corinne cannot hold herself any longer and after their first kiss, things between them growing intenser and getting more complicated!

I’m stopping right now! I already gave too much away! This book is hot as well, but also emotional, heartfelt. It’s thought provoking and its powerful approach to #metoomovenent was well crafted and impressively motivational!

Both of the MCs are so likable. They find themselves one of the most complicated situation: the forbidden affair at work place where the stakes are way too much high!

Thankfully the conclusion of the story was relieving.

Overall: I loved this book so much! Instead of romance and steamy scenes, I enjoyed the family relationships, approach to the grief and struggles to move on when you lost your loved ones and its fair and realistic perspective to mansplaining at the work place was bold objective.

I’m only cutting half star because at the last third: I found some of heroine’s actions a little annoying. I loved Wesley so much! He was the younger one of the relationship but he was the wiser one from the beginning.

I still round up 4.5 to 5 provocative, feminism vibes with forbidden but extremely hot like hell stars!

I’m looking forward to read more works of Ms. Barrett! This was one of the best office romances I’ve read for so long!

Special thanks to Netgalley and HARLEQUIN-Carina Press for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

This debut author BLEW ME AWAY!! I didn't go into this book with any expectations really--and truthfully the hot-for-my-boss, enemies-to-lovers tropes are so overdone, but I liked the cover and I love giving debut authors a chance. And WOW can Ruby Barrett write! Fantastic banter and dialogue, perfectly steamy but not over-the-top sex scenes, and a leading man who will steal your heart. The character development is outstanding and the pacing of the book is fabulous. Putting Ruby Barrett on my MUST READ list from now on!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the kind ARC copy of this book.

It's difficult to put into words how much I loved this beautiful story. A raw and honest view of the shameful reality we live in where the lack of respect and degradation of women's humanity is so normalized that it's so difficult to talk about and to report in workplaces. Corrine and Wesley's story dives so beautifully into this problematic and touches base on all the consequences women (and men who stand up for what is right) get when they decide that enough is enough. That's why this romance story felt so realistic and relevant for today's society.

First, I want to highlight how in love I am with Wesley. This is the guy who is fully aware of his privilege and is willing to keep learning about it and use it for the greater good, to believe women and defend women from the injustices of the corporate world. He was so kind, caring and understanding, even when he was hurt by the walls she had around her heart. His heart of service and true care for her was unbelievably sweet. He was willing to dig into her heart and show her how beautiful it is to be vulnerable with the right person. He was a guy who didn't pretend and gave exactly what Corrine saw in him, even if the first impression was unfortunate. He was a good man at heart, awkward in the cutest way and the way his anxiety triggered was incredibly relatable. His journey to self love and finding his own worth was beautiful and brought tears to my eyes to see him taking such difficult but crucial decisions before being able to move forward with Corrine.

Corrine is the epitome of courage and hard work. A woman that has had to do twice the effort to prove to the world what she knows she's worth, even when the world doesn't want to see her, and refuses to give her a chance because of her gender. She had her heart in a vault because it was fragile and tender, waiting for someone like Wesley to cherish it and keep it safe. My heart broke millions of times with all the things she had to endure all at once and even though she made a few mistakes misjudging Wesley at the beginning, I rooted for her and her happy ending from start to finish. Because of the themes of this book, it had so many moments that made me uncomfortable for all the right reasons, I was able to put myself in Corrine's shoes and reassured my feminism in so many ways.

One of the most romantic aspects of this story is the ability they both had to empathize with each other and share each other's burden. It was so refreshing to see them talking and sharing about their pain because they knew exactly what the other was feeling. Wesley found that the biggest purpose of his pain was to be a witness to Corrine that in the end, everything was going to be OK and she was going to conquer whatever life threw at her. He believed in her just as she believed in him, his insecurities and his wounds allowed him to be the safe place she needed when she was tired of being so tough. Their relationship was so deep and intense from the very start because they were able to carry each other's burdens and being understanding with one another without pressures or obligations.

The relationships they had with their families were tough and realistic as well, the author did an amazing job describing how all their relationships were being affected by the way they saw themselves, and how important it is for a person to understand that we cannot love others the way they deserve if we don't love ourselves first.

I don't think I consider this book as a slow burn, but the climax of the sexual tension was exquisitely developed, the emotion and the connection they had from the first encounter was vivid because by the time of release, they were already half in love with each other, even if they hadn't acknowledged it. One of the most romantic part in opinion of all the physical touch they shared, was the amazing and heartwarming way they practiced consent. The respect they both had for each other, the worry they both experienced about crossing boundaries with each other made the steam of this book the sexiest I've ever read in my life. I always thought consent is sexy, but this book made it explosive.

Their happy ending brought tears to my eyes, it was a breath of fresh air seeing both of them getting to a point were they were mentally and emotionally healthy and finally be able to give each other what they needed, including the sense of family and belonging.

I loved this book so much and I'm honored to have read it before the release!

Hot Copy is one of those warm, cozy books that pulls you in from the very first sentence. I think it's a combination of Barrett's easy, natural writing style and the loveliness of the main characters, Wes and Corrine, that makes reading it feel like sinking into a warm bath. I am not exaggerating when I say I put down the book at one point and thought, wow, I actually *needed* this. I never wanted to finish.

Barrett writes about an office romance with a significant power imbalance, which could be tricky, but she handles it so well by confronting issues head-on and making it part of Wes and Corrine's back and forth and what they have to work out to get to their HEA. It was so smart and well done.

Everyone who reads this book is going to adore Wes, and rightly so, because he is the most adorable, relatable, charming character, but I want to shout out Corrine, who has to carry a lot of weight on her shoulders and make most of the big decisons. I love her fierce, no-nonsense self (covering a tender heart).

The dialogue is witty and incredibly natural, the supporting characters are *adorable* (shout out to Jeremy, my favorite), the sex scenes are literal fire (still sweating), and this was just one of those books you think about all day, waiting to get back to. One of my favorite romance reads ever.

Though boss and employee tropes can be overused, this was delightful. Wesley is executive Corrine’s new intern, but the first meeting is a disaster. From there, Corrine freezes him out till time and Wesley’s charm and apologies get through. There’s a huge spark that that chill has been suppressing, so once they get on better terms it’s not long before something happens between the two.

On top of this romance, Corrine is also dealing with a toxic workplace from her superior, who’s constantly harassing her, and her mom has just been diagnosed with cancer.

Can Corrine pull things together or will everything go wrong?