This Could Hurt - by Jillian Medoff (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"Periodically a writer captures the pattern of comedy and tragedy that peppers office life like alternating colors of carpet squares. . . . As smart as Medoff's critique of corporate inanity is, it's tempered by compassion for these people, who are ultimately tender with each other, too. . . . Medoff finds plenty of hurt--but strains of hope, too." --Ron Charles, The Washington Post

The acclaimed and deeply felt novel that illuminates the pivotal role of work in our lives.

Rosa Guerrero beat the odds as she rose to the top of the corporate world. An attractive woman of a certain age, the longtime chief of human resources at Ellery Consumer Research is still a formidable presence, even if her most vital days are behind her. A leader who wields power with grace and discretion, she has earned the devotion and loyalty of her staff. No one admires Rosa more than her doting lieutenant Leo Smalls, a benefits vice president whose whole world is Ellery.

While Rosa is consumed with trying to address the needs of her staff within the ever-constricting limits of the company's bottom line, her associate director, Rob Hirsch, a middle-aged, happily married father of two, finds himself drawing closer to his "work wife," Lucy Bender, an enterprising single woman searching for something--a romance, a promotion--to fill the vacuum in her personal life. For Kenny Verville, a senior manager with an MBA, Ellery is a temporary stepping-stone to bigger and better places--that is, if his high-powered wife has her way.

Compelling, flawed, and heartbreakingly human, these men and women scheme, fall in and out of love, and nurture dreams big and small. As their individual circumstances shift, one thing remains constant--Rosa, the sun around whom they all orbit. When her world begins to crumble, the implications for everyone are profound, and Leo, Rob, Lucy, and Kenny find themselves changed in ways beyond their reckoning.

Jillian Medoff explores the inner workings of an American company in all its brilliant, insane, comforting, and terrifying glory. Authentic, razor-sharp, and achingly funny, This Could Hurt is a novel about work, loneliness, love, and loyalty; about sudden reversals and unexpected windfalls; a novel about life.

From the Back Cover

Against all odds, Rosa Guerrero became a high-ranking executive. By wielding power with grace and compassion, the longtime chief of human resources at Ellery Consumer Research has earned the devotion and loyalty of her senior staff.

With the economy in the tank and unemployment on the rise, Ellery'sfuture looks grim. While Rosa fights to insulate her people from the harsh realities of business, they're facing crises of their own. Unlike Leo Smalls, who has no life outside of Ellery (or Rosa), Rob Hirsch's existential dread pushes him closer to his "work wife," Lucy Bender--a brainy, ambitious VP who is desperate to find meaning in her life. For Kenny Verville, a Wharton MBA, Ellery is a temporary stepping-stone to better things--that is, if he can get out of his own way.

Day after day, Leo, Rob, Lucy, and Kenny scheme and dream, fall in and out of love, and chase ideas big and small. But when Rosa begins to unravel, they find themselves changed in ways beyond their reckoning.

Authentic, razor-sharp, and achingly funny, This Could Hurt is a masterful novel about work, loneliness, love, and loyalty; about sudden reversals and unexpected windfalls; a novel about life.

Review Quotes

"A smart, sympathetic dramedy. . . . It's like a New York novelization of The Office--with less winky, fourth wall-breaking satire and more heart." - Entertainment Weekly, "Best New Books"

"Medoff delves into the working and personal lives of those who work for Rosa and creates layered characters rather than clichés. . . . This Could Hurt is a very enjoyable read and Medoff moves between the characters and their stories seamlessly. If there is a silver lining within the financial crisis, This Could Hurt might be it." - Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, VA)

"A penetrative novel about how work--even the work we might resent or despise at times--forges strange and wonderful relationships and forces difficult choices." - Bookreporter

"Bitingly relatable and unexpectedly touching."

"Set within the cogs of corporate America, This Could Hurt tells the story of five colleagues struggling with professional tumult, uncertainty, and ambition. Jillian Medoff unfolds these characters' daily lives, the hours spent at the office, with precision and a strong dose of humanity." - Southern Living

"Uplifting and hilarious." - Real Simple

"A delicious, satisfying book. . . . This Could Hurt is a worthy follow-up to Medoff's bestseller I Couldn't Love You More. Filled with heart and humor, it will ring true to anyone who's experienced both the cruelty and the camaraderie that make up the modern American workplace." - BookPage

"A sweet, sharp, funny tale." - Parade

"[A] smart novel of corporate life." - Newsday

"A workplace saga with heart. . . . Like Tom Rachman's The Imperfectionists, its strength lies in its motley crew of flawed but relatable characters--the staff who are left clinging to their jobs amidst all the downsizing, while also coping with personal lives that leave much to be desired. . . . Ultimately, Medoff's book is about finding oneself -- and satisfaction -- in a combination of absorbing work and personal relationships." - NPR

"Witty. . . . wry and ironic. . . . a sharp and moving read." - Publishers Weekly

"A thoroughly satisfying character study and exploration of the social microcosm that is the modern workplace. Medoff . . . is a master of the small, telling detail that completely nails a person's psyche, delivering a cast of characters flawed yet struggling to redeem themselves. An ultimately hopeful, completely inventive tale." - Library Journal (starred review)

"Incisive. . . .Medoff's scenarios will be familiar to everyone employed everywhere, no matter the company size, and she cogently captures the angst and celebrates the camaraderie of coworkers committed to group success while struggling with personal demons." - Booklist

"Shrewd and deeply affecting. . . . Sharply drawn intimate details about the lives of each character add even greater depth and broaden the timeless appeal of this very smart, thoroughly absorbing story." - Shelf Awareness

"All too often, characters in novels live in that rarified novel-world where real-life concerns like jobs and bills and the sudden vital need for a flowchart simply don't exist. Jillian Medoff remedies this with a refreshingly authentic portrait of corporate America and the varied souls that dream, conspire, flounder and triumph there, and this she does with a great deal of affection and charm. A very enjoyable book." - Joshua Ferris

"Corporate America has been trying to stamp out individuality for decades but Jillian Medoff brings it back to fresh, sexy, sharply funny life again. This Could Hurt is a missive to everyone who feels stranded in an office: You are not alone." - Katherine Heiny, author of Standard Deviation

"This smart, jaunty novel takes the lid off a small company's faltering human resources department to reveal intrigue and backstabbing that only intensify when the boss gets sick. But, as Medoff deftly reminds us, decency can find a way of surfacing even among the filing cabinets." - People

"Clear your Outlook calendar and have tissues at the ready for this huge-hearted page turner that reaffirms the healing power of plain old human kindness." - Courtney Maum, author of Touch and I Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You

"Searing, sexy and surprisingly funny, Jillian Medoff's This Could Hurt burns through the pages. No one is safe in this cruel but compassionate take on corporate America. I loved it." - Marcy Dermansky, author of The Red Car

"You wouldn't expect a corporate HR department to house a thrill-ride of a novel, but Jillian Medoff pulls off the impossible here. Funny, searing and wholly original, THIS COULD HURT illuminates an ordinary American workplace and the characters who animate it. With a sharp eye for the absurdities of modern office life, and even deeper compassion for her characters, Medoff knocks this one out of the park." - Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You and Half a Life

"This bighearted dramedy of manners stars Rosa, one of the most intriguing characters ever to walk the halls of an HR department, and her supporting cast of flawed but devoted employees, who set aside their differences to rescue their leader--for once, the one who needs help." - O, The Oprah Magazine