I have never read a book by this author before, but was excited to get an early copy to read based off the description. I was a satisfied with the read but was somewhat disappointed with the dialogue in it. I would read something else from this author and would hope the dialogue is better.

Enemies to Lovers? Check!

Work place romance? Check! Check!

Sexy, flirtatious and fun? Check! Check! Check!

I literally read this book in one sitting. I started it at 10pm and finished around 3am. I just could not put it down. I had to know what was going to happen between Tara and Richard!

This story is everything i want in a romance. I thoroughly enjoyed every part of it. Katerina's writing is beautiful. My only negative, is I want more! More Tara and Richard. More for Katerina!

An unusual enemies-to-lovers romance, TCO features a in-depth view of the corporate world, and is told from the POV of Tara, a brilliant exec in her mid 30’s who sacrificed everything to her career. She’s about to get a coveted executive director position, but there’s a formidable douche standing in her way to the top, the flamboyant Richard, and she’s getting involved with one of her subordinates, the mysterious Aidan… Not everything is what it seems though, something Tara learns the hard way as her life unravels in and out of the office…
I was lucky enough to read a very early version of The Corner office, and back then, I fell in love with Tara, Aidan… and Richard! 🙂 This isn’t your usual enemies-to-lovers romance, as others have pointed. Katerina Baker give flesh and depth to the corporate world. It’s not just billionaires vaguely doing nondescript business: there’re stakes, characters are fully developed, and The Corner Office builds its suspense masterfully, as Tara spirals down and things get way out of control in and out of the office…
Easy 5 stars!

Refreshing and unexpected read! I thought this would just be some chick lit fun, but it really had a strong female vibe to it. Tara was kicking butt in the corporate world and was just a relatable character to read about.

The synopsis for this book sounded great and the chemistry between Tara and Richard was awesome, but the plot was really confusing and not at all what I was expecting. It ended up taking a pretty dark turn and I felt very unprepared for it. I came for an office romance and got a bit of fluff with a heavy amount of dark and twisty.

I liked the storyline but the book fell flat. Needed more depth, characterization.

A subtle piece of drama, this plot-driven novel is inclusionary of a layered, dimensional female protagonist. The Corner Office captures the female experience in corporate America through a sustained portrait of one fiercely independent woman. Strong and capable, though sensitive when appropriate, Tara has made choices in order to succeed into the upper echelon of Fortunate Start.

This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. The story flowed very well and was very enjoyable. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

There is goodness somewhere in this book. However, a lot of it is drowned out with overwrought plotting. I appreciate the desire to show us a career woman doing the executive path, but the LeanIn propaganda got a little thick. Because of that, and some messy plotting elements, I never really gave any damns about the romance, which is what I'm primarily here for.

With some more aggressive editing, perhaps, and some greater focus, Ms. Baker could really shine. Sadly, I was frustrated through most of this particular work.

As a modern career woman, I dreamt of having a corner office. I finally got one. It's in my house, but it still counts. In The Corner Office by Katerina Baker chronicles Tara Johnson's journey on the corporate ladder. Tara's got one eye on the prize and the other on her rival Richard and still another on the looker underling. No, she doesn't have three eyes, but girlfriend could have used an active intuition as she makes the most mind boggling romantic choices.
She engages with two male coworkers, but it's no love triangle. In fact, love factors little into this story. The male character development tends to the misogynistic with permanent black marks that a late in the story redemption can't erase. Barker spends so much time painting Richard as the arrogant ass it is hard to buy his personality transformation in the third act. The villain is overdrawn so much that the storyline doesn't translate since Tara spends much of the second act swooning over him.
The narrative is simple, maybe too simple as what passes for character development is the lead protagonist lamenting on having a glass of wine, then "someone handed me another," and reoccurring "temple pounding." Tara Johnson loves complaining and her self-help books. I love a self-discovery journey, but the awkward lean in references do not blend well with the narrative. I liked the ideas of, career focus, female empowerment, and women networking, but Tara is not the character to pull it off. The addition of a third act turnover with the big clash seems incomplete especially since it quickly fades away with no lasting aftermath.
The author notes that Tara is an "imperfect character," which is an understatement, but she does not give the reader any reason to root for her. The insecure career woman story is relatable, but the execution and lead character are drawn too thin to be substantive. The Corner Office has a relatable concept, but the execution is too weak to stand out from the crowd.

***I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***

This was the first book I have read from Katerina Baker and it was alright. The biggest thing I would change would be the book blurb as I thought the book was going to be very different. When I say I expected the book to be different, I don't mean it in a bad way or good way. It was just misleading. I am that person who chooses which book I read by the cover and I have been trying to get over this so this was a book that was chosen not based on the cover but by the blurb. So when I can say I am personally disappointed in this book, I really am. I expected something much different and put my expectations somewhere else.

Even though this book was a disappointment to me, it wasn't a bad read. The story line was good and the characters were enjoyable. I felt that it was a little too cliche in areas, but overall the book was not bad.
With that being said, my rating is based on the story and characters not what I was expecting. Moving forward, I would make sure the blurb goes along with the actual book better.

This was a well written page turning book. I enjoyed seeing Tara, Aiden and Richard's stories play out with complications, drama and entertainment. I can't wait to read more books by Katerina Baker she is an amazing storyteller. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book on NetGalley.

Tara Johnson is a rare female executive in a male dominated career. At the cost of a personal life and friends, she has almost reached the pinnacle of her career. In addition, she takes care of her mom who has early dementia. Tara also speaks at a women’s forum to encourage women to reach their potential. When you’ve advanced in your career by not having any kind of personal life or marriage and kids, how can you speak to balancing both to a women’s group? Other than the way she takes care of her mom, I did not like Tara.

Richard Boyd has been her competition/rival for 15 years. They have not gotten along since they did their training together, he asked her out and she turned him down by humiliating him in front of their peers. The last 15 years have been spent trying to best each other. He is a smooth talker, charming, good looking and hard working.

Tara has an affair with a subordinate she personally hired. When it turns stalker/abusive rather quickly, Richard comes to her rescue. After 15 years of being a total jerk, he suddenly becomes her knight in shining armor, and the best thing to ever happen to her?

The book starts off slow then finishes too quickly. There are many inconsistencies. The story itself needs much more development.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley.

How far will one go to achieve the corner office in the fortune 500 company? For Tara that is sacrfice her personal life over everything in the name of work. One problem with getting her office of her dreams... Richard her arch nemsis. They rose up through the corporate ranks together and have been competing since day one. Author Baker takes a fear many women has and writes a compelling love story. Great twist and turns you will not see coming.

This book was an enjoyable contemporary romance and was more than a typical office romance. Tara is hard-working woman in the running for a upper level position in a fortune 500 company. She isn't the only one trying to get thr job. Richard is a playboy who wants the same promotion Tara wants.
This book is like a rollercoaster of emotions, but it was worth the read.

I was so excited to read The Corner Office because I am an absolute sucker for office romances! Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations. I didn't hate it, but it never quite got off the ground for me. The premise is this: Tara is a hard working, ambitious woman aiming for the MD (Managing Director) position at her company FortunateStart. She's not the only one, though. Richard, a coworker who started at the company at around the same time, is also after the position. They spend 15 years gunning for the position (and each other) and we readers are treated to lots of witty, snarky banter between the two. I could feel the sexual tension between the two reaching out from my Kindle to strangle me with it. Unfortunately, Tara gets the wrong impression of Richard from the very start, so spends the rest of the book disliking (while at the same time being attracted to) Richard because of it. Richard comes across for most of the book, as a chauvinistic, womanizing playboy who riles Tara up just for the hell of it. Tara, as smart as she is in her work life, doesn't see what the reader can plainly see, that Richard is totally in love with her, and is just bugging her because he likes her. So, she responds in kind to his snark, and they take barbs at each other throughout. It got a little tiring, but it was truly the best part of the book. Sigh...

Then there's the side story of Tara's stupid (yes, stupid) fling with one of the coworkers she manages, Aidan. He comes across as sexy and sweet, at first, but soon turns into a true psycho. The fact that he has a tattoo seems to of some sort of fascination to Tara, and she constantly thinks about it (in her mind only). It's as if the tattoo is some sort of omen of what's to come with him. That's honestly a really ridiculous stereotype, and I'm pretty ashamed that Katerina Baker included this in The Corner Office.

I like the fact that Tara spends most of the book speaking to the Women's Network at her office about how women can empower themselves, find balance between their personal lives and their professional lives. And I like how inspiring she is to them. That Tara is a successful career woman is awesome, but she's a hot mess elsewhere in her life. I like her, even respect her, but for all her smarts, she is incredibly stupid to have a fling with someone who works under her. And when she doesn't come clean to HR about him when he starts harassing her, even more stupid of her. If only she had been as good with her love life as she was with her professional life.

I dislike how all the sexual encounters (until the end) are with Aidan, because I could tell from the very beginning that Richard was going to be her One. The One to capture her heart and give her the love she needed and deserved. I really don't like it when MCs spend significant amounts of time with other people in their lives when their true partner is present. It's obviously not cheating because Tara was never together with Richard until the end, but I think the whole Aidan thing could have been deleted entirely and it would have made The Corner Office that much tighter and more entertaining. I would have loved it if all the sexual tension between Tara and Richard had built and built and they finally gave in and spent the rest of the book running around trying to disguise that they were falling in love. Aidan would have been entirely unnecessary in this scenario, and it would have made The Corner Office much more palatable for me.

I guess I can just summarize this and say I like The Corner Office but I never quite connected with it. There were unnecessary plot points and details that added to the disconnect I felt and I just could not get on board completely with either the story or its lead characters.

Tara is a driven business women who loves her job so much, she often stays in the office over night. She worries about her mother and tries to make time for her in her busy schedule. She sticks to the rules, until that day when she doesn't and her (love) life get's an interesting new spin.

Let me tell you, I don't like Tara. She is too full of clichés, there is too much going on in her head, trying to be the tough business women who isn't bothered by anything and can handle her own shit.

Apart from my not liking the heroine, I also didn't like the development of her relationships throughout the book.

Then there are several inconsitencies in this ARC that interrupted my reading stride.

Tara Johnson has always kept her end goal in sight, she's never really allowed herself to deviate from her career aspirations for multiple reasons. And she's not about to be derailed from a big promotion because of her coworker Richard Boyd, who is her direct competition for that advancement. Tara was interesting to me because she's incredibly intelligent and ambitious, she's also got a deeply caring side to her that doesn't really manifest at work, but it shows at home with her mother. Her coworkers don't view her as the fun and free spirited type, she seems cold and business oriented. At the same time, Tara isn't perfect because it's obvious that she sees things from a tainted perspective, especially with regards to Richard, and she refuses to ask anyone for help.

When Aidan, Tara's newest subordinate, comes along and seduces Tara, I could see how Tara was tempted and did everything she could to back away before putting herself in an irreversible and risky situation. With her current situation, I understood how she needed to be admired and appreciated and to take a break from the cutthroat environment, but still, I wanted her to put the brakes on. In the office, there are always secrets and rumors, the kind that can jeopardize one's entire career if there's any truth behind it. What I could appreciate about this story was how things aren't what they seem and that people on the outside are not always the same as on the inside. This could apply to Tara, Aidan and Richard. I enjoyed the story and the character development in Tara, as well as the work relationship dynamics with Richard. I wish there had been a little more at the end once Tara realized what her priorities in life were and whom she belonged with.

ARC kindly provided by publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

----SPOILERS AHEAD----

This book should not have been catalogued under romance. It belongs under women's fiction alone, and if one has to narrow it down to another genre, then to chic lit at best.

I suppose I was disappointed coming in thinking it would have a wonderful office romance (I was on "The Hating Game" high) and then came to the quick realisation that the dialogue between the h and H was few and far between, and the backbone of this book had its roots stemming more from feminism and girl power - particularly breaking all the glass ceilings in one's career. It depicted the h's struggle in a male-dominated, patriarchal work environment, and a one-night stand with a colleague that quite quickly - too quickly in my opinion - built up to sexual harassment and stalking. As in, why is that if a female sleeps with someone, she needs to proclaim that she is in it for the long-haul, and if not then she's a tease/bitch/slut what-say-you? Why can't a woman, just like her male counterpart, satisfy a sexual urge after meeting an attractive "potential" without having to promise anything? So many males don't, and it's an acceptable norm in society. However, there was no slow, thriller-mired build up to this stalking element. It just came along, like 2 comes after 1, and 3 after 2. So yes, a lot of focus on the h and her stalker but not enough between h and her ultimate H.

The other major focus of the book was how the h was a motivational speaker for the women staff in her company and when trying to address the age old dilemma of work versus marriage and motherhood, the h herself kept facing fears and doubts in regards to this - she is human after all.

I came in looking for romance and had to struggle to finish the book when I realised it wasn't.

This gets a 3 star for me. The author clearly cares about women's issues, but her writing was just not tight and gripping enough for me. Elements were introduced in a rather untidy manner that left me feeling a bit unsatisfied.

In the Corner Office we follow Tara, a hard-working woman in the run for a well-deserved promotion. In her way stands a man who’s not afraid to throw her under the bus if he needs to. The two of them have been fighting for over fifteen years and Tara can’t wait to put him in his place and get the promotion they both want. But an unexpected love-affair with a new coworker turns into something more sinister and changes everything.

The Corner Office is marketed as a contemporary romance, and I suppose that’s when I usually turn away and choose to read something else. I’m not a fan of contemporary, and especially romance novels tend to make me want to roll my eyes and hide somewhere. But I liked the premise of this novel despite it all, and I am truly happy that I took the chance to read it. Underneath the romance is an exciting plot that made me eager to turn the page, and before I knew it the book was finished.

The writing is solid and the pacing is fast and constantly intriguing. I love the fact that it’s written in first person, this makes me feel closer to Tara and I immediately connected with her. She’s strong and determined, but inside there’s a different side to her that doesn’t necessarily show at work. Perhaps she ends up being a bit naïve when it comes to her love-affair with Aidan (and times I want to slap her in the face and tell her she’s an idiot), but I’m not sure one can blame her for it when she’s been alone and solely focused on work for so long.

For the most part I find that the relationship between the characters are genuine, but I do struggle a little bit with how Tara sees Richard. From the start, I thought their bickering sort of was a mutual love/hate thing that they shared. But at the same time, she constantly said she truly hated him and couldn’t even see him as a real person. Her actions towards him didn’t really reflect the things she claimed to feel about him. When it comes to their relationship I also believe that perhaps Richard changed a bit too fast to feel believable. He hadn’t exactly been kind before, so why the sudden change. I do have to add that it might perhaps be that Tara always initiated their quarrels and he just went along with her, and then his change isn’t as sudden as I think. But I’d have to go back and check the story to know if this is the case.

Aidan is another character that perhaps escalated and changed a bit too fast for my liking, it became violent very sudden. There were warning signs there, but perhaps some more signs would have been a good idea before it all “went to hell” so to speak.

But overall, The Corner Office is a very good book with lots of suspense, interesting characters, a theme that fits our current time, and lots of steamy sex. I do have to admit to skipping most of the steamy parts myself though, turns out I’m more of a prude that I thought I’d be.

A solid 4 stars out of 5 from me, and I highly recommend this book. You won’t regret reading it.