Business Casual by B. K. Borison || Book Review

Every book in the Lovelight Farms series has been charming and Business Casual was no different. On the one hand, I'm sad that this series won't have any more books (as far as I know) and on the other hand, I love that it ended with this story.

Grab a drink or snack and listen to me gush about Business Casual 🌻

about Business Casual

Two opposites will find out if one night together is enough to get each other out of their systems in the final book in the beloved Lovelight series.

Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations. 

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him. 

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.

my review

It has been a while since I read the previous Lovelight Farms books so I've forgotten most of the plots. However, I still remember the feeling. I remember the coziness that they exuded and the warmth they brought to my heart. Those books were comforting and felt like a hug. In my review of Mixed Signals, I said that reading it was like receiving a mental and emotional hug.

I was highly looking forward to Business Casual because I expected to feel the same emotions from it with a new story. As I'm out of social media and hence am not aware of book release dates, I didn't know that it was out until I saw the paperback in the bookstore.* As soon as I saw it, I grabbed it. And I didn't wait long to read it like I tend to do with other books.

* I'm so happy that romance books are reaching bookstores in India so quickly nowadays. It used to take a year or more for popular books to hit our stores. But now, it's very fast. Every time I go to the store, the number of romance books on the front shelves is increasing too. It's clear that a lot of us want romances and the industry is finally catering them to us.

Flirting has always been easy for me, but flirting with Nova is a goddamn delight. Her whole body comes alive under the attention, like a flower tilting toward the sun. I’m greedy for her reactions. For the way pink lights up her cheeks.

The story starts with Luka and Stella's wedding. The scene is brimming with happiness and we get to see the couples from previous books being in love. It's the perfect setting for Nova and Charlie's romance to begin.

Charlie has always loved the town of Inglewild. He loves chatting with everyone he comes across and has managed to get added to the phone tree to keep up with the news. He's his usual bright extrovert self at the wedding.

He has been crushing on Nova for a while and flirts with her all the time with no expectations from her. When he badgers Nova to join him on the dance floor by shouting at her multiple times, she finally gives in and joins him. And she shocks him by flirting back for the first time.

Only, when she flirts with Charlie for the first time, his brain literally stutters. He is shocked and rendered speechless. When he recovers, he tells her that he wants her to be sure about it and ask him again.

I loved how the story started. Even though I had forgotten about most of the previous books, I was quickly sucked into the story without requiring any recap or specific introduction to the supporting characters.

I liked how the first chapter easily set the scene by showing us a glimpse of both Nova and Charlie's personalities and their dynamic. Despite not seeing them meet for the first time or reading about the first several months of their interactions, I understood their relationship and why they would work.

Being here makes me feel like... like the edges of myself that are sharp everywhere else can be sanded down into something tolerable. Like I don't have to put on a show. All the things that hold me in place in New York don't feel as tight around my neck when I'm here. It's easier to breathe in air that smells like pine with a cup of coffee from Ms. Beatrice's and a croissant from Layla's.

The main characters were too adorable. This is a grumpy x sunshine romance with Nova as the "grump" with a secret soft heart and Charlie as the "sunshine" with a few issues. The book is mainly a romance but it follows Charlie's and Nova's personal growth as well.

Charlie stole my heart. I loved reading about him right from page 1 and got attached to him as I got to know more about him.

Charlie is an investment banker in New York but he doesn't enjoy his job or the city he lives in. He was raised to take his father's place and manage portfolios for their clients. He works hard but doesn't have much of a life otherwise in New York. He doesn't fit there.

After meeting Stella, his half-sister whom he didn't know about, he found happiness with her as a family and in Inglewild. He frequently visits the town and tries to insert himself into all the happening things. Somehow, despite not living in Inglewild. he wrangled his way into the phone tree and doesn't take his position in it for granted.

Charlie is someone who keeps giving without expecting anything in return. He sent Stella and Luke to Italy for a month and offered to run the farm in their absence while also doing his job remotely. He has helped Nova multiple times with tax forms and other legal things related to her shop. He is best friends with pretty much everyone in town and is always just a call away.

Because of his dad—who is an egotistical ass—Charlie doesn't place a lot of worth in himself. He keeps giving and giving, hoping to earn his place in this town that he loves and among the people that he loves. He doesn't realize that people like him and want him without him bringing something to the table.

I loved watching him receive love from Nova and the town. I loved watching him get what he deserved. I loved watching him find peace in Inglewild. It took him time to accept it and not worry about being undeserving of the love and support but it was lovely to see him finally get there.

Why do I feel like if I want too many things, I'm going to lose all of it?

Nova has grown up in Inglewild with the chaotic Porter family. She is the youngest sibling and has received a ton of help and support from her family for her passions. Beckett, her brother, took up a ton of responsibility when things were hard and especially supported her with all his might.

Now that she's opening her tattoo shop in Inglewild—the first tattoo shop in town—she feels tremendous pressure to make it perfect. Her brother believes that she can do no wrong and she wants to prove that she stands up to his expectations and was worth his sacrifices in the previous years.

Nova imposes perfectionism on herself and has put a ton of pressure on herself. The town and her family mean so much to her and she wants to be worthy of their faith in her. Because of how busy she is with the shop, she does not have the time for dating or romance. At least, until she fell in love with Charlie.

I liked watching Nova admit to her vulnerabilities and, although it took time, take action to fix things and reduce the unseen pressure on herself.

Once upon a time I thought a relationship meant having shackles on my wrists, binding me to the needs of another person. I thought I’d have to sacrifice the things I’ve wanted most to be half of a whole. But now I know it just means I’ve got a safety net. Someone to lift me up and hold me steady. Someone to nag me about the spare key under my potted plant and someone to cut my grapes into tiny hearts. A partner. A friend.

Charlie and Nova start as a casual fling but it soon grows into more because they each provide the support that the other needs.

I liked how Nova realized Charlie's insecurities and decided to make him feel like he was worth the world. I liked how Charlie did not hide his attraction to her and was ready to run to her the second she texted him. They took the time to learn about each other and made an effort to make each other happy.

They knew each other at a surface level through their previous interactions but their fling brings them much closer. As they spend more time with each other, they fall in love pretty easily and very adorably. I loved watching them interact through texts, banter at random moments, and be soft when they can't help it.

The romance did not have a third-act breakup which I was super glad about. Considering the way Charlie and Nova fell in love and were used to putting in the effort for each other, it wouldn't have made sense to come up with a random reason for a breakup.

Instead, they had another struggle to go through together towards the end. It was sad to read about it but I liked how they finally made their way through it with the help of their friends.

I know he'd accept whatever it is I want from him, and it's that, I think, that makes my decision for me.

I absolutely loved the scene at the end with all the couples as they were discussing the future. It was such a nice note to end the book at and I couldn't have asked for anything better. The scene was natural it didn't feel like the author was simply throwing everyone in to show how happy they were.

Instead, the scene showed how these people found happiness with their partner and also formed a tight-knit group that would be together until the end of their days.

overall

A charming and cosy romance set in a beautiful small town that will steal your heart and make you want to move there. I genuinely wished that Inglewild existed to move there. I was having a stressful week and this book was the perfect escape. It was hard to let it go after the last page.

If you're looking for a comforting escape, pick this up. If you're looking for adorable characters and a slow, warm romance, pick this up. If you just want a good story, pick this up.

I highly recommend Business Casual and tbh the entire Lovelight Farms series.

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Have you read any of the Lovelight Farms books? Have you read Business Casual yet? What kind of books do you reach to for comfort after a long day? Tell me in the comments!