If I Ruled the World (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781250378125)

A fast-paced, juicy debut novel that peeks behind the curtain at the cutthroat world of hip-hop music and the glamorous magazine scene in the late 1990s, written by the ultimate insider

It's 1999, and Nikki Rose is the only Black editor on the staff of a prestigious fashion magazine she once thought would be her ticket to becoming a respected editor-in-chief. But after being told one too many times by her boss that "Black girls don't sell magazines," she walks away to take over Sugar, a struggling hip-hop music and lifestyle magazine with untapped potential.

Thrown into an entirely new world of wealth, decadence, and debauchery, Nikki has just six months to save Sugar--and her own dreams. As she pulls all-nighters at the office and parties with the era's most influential bad boys, Nikki must prove she has what it takes to lead. Along the way, Nikki leans on a circle of loyal friends, and navigates unexpected romances that force her to reckon with what--and who--she truly wants. But her most dangerous challenge is evading Alonzo Griffin, her very married, very powerful ex-boyfriend and former boss, who's determined to destroy both her and Sugar.

If I Ruled the World is a smart, utterly immersive romp through one of the most dynamic eras in pop culture history--a story of ambition, friendship, love, and the journey to finding your own voice.

Author: Amy DuBois Barnett
ISBN-10: 1250378125
ISBN-13: 9781250378125
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Language: English
Published: 01/27/2026
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.25h x 6.12w x 1.00d