BOOK REVIEW: SHAGGING THE BOSS BY REBECCA ROWLAND

Set in the cut-throat world of the publishing world, Rowlands's tight and compelling thriller is the perfect metaphor for the dog-eat-dog world of writing and publishing.  

Shagging the Boss by Rebecca Rowland
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Indy Pub (30 Jun. 2022)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 82 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1088029043
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1088029046

A Book Review by Jim Mcleod 

Who has never thought about shagging the Boss? I'm saying nothing, as a few of my bosses see my posts here. Wink, Wink!


Despite the title of this novella, Rebecca Rowland's Shagging the Boss does not have any scenes of rumpy-pumpy; it is instead a clever play on the words and the concept that to get ahead in business, you have to shag your way to the top.  


Set in the cut-throat world of the publishing world, Rowlands's tight and compelling thriller is the perfect metaphor for the dog-eat-dog world of writing and publishing.  


When a recent liberal arts graduate accepts a position at a publishing house that specialises in biographies from B-list and C-List celebrities, her life will soon be on a journey she could never have imagined. As she catches the eye of the enigmatic and sinister owner of the publishing company, craving a taste for success, she might have just bitten off more than she can chew.  


Shagging the Boss is a clever novella that uses its pages to take a scalpel precision look at the publishing world and the lengths some people will go to get ahead. Tightly plotted with a hot and claustrophobic narrative, Rowland has created a thought-provoking and highly readable story that never fails to keep the reader fully invested in the story. Her use of relatively unknown, certainly in the west Australian figure of folklore, was an inspired touch, and she handles its use with a fair and sympathetic eye to the mythology of the creature.  


I particularly enjoyed the development of the unnamed protagonist. However, I wish Rowland had named her as the tease about her name at the beginning of the novella still has me thinking about what her name could be weeks after reading this book. Rowlands's protagonist is a brilliant example of what can be achieved with this trope when talking about final girls.  


If you are looking for a quick read that perfectly hits all of its aims, then Shagging the Boss is an excellent read.  

Shagging the Boss 
by Rebecca Rowland  

"Lesson number one: don't get attached to anyone. Being a cannibal is the only way to truly succeed in this business."

He placed one hand on the door handle, then thought a moment and smiled to himself. "The problem is, once you take a bite, it will never be enough."


After a fortuitous encounter at a local book convention, a liberal arts graduate accepts a position at a flashy publishing company under the tutelage of its charismatic owner only to learn that the press is led, and fed, by a literal boogeyman.

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