Book Review: Business Casual by B. K. Borison
Nova Porter doesn’t have time for distractions. With her homegrown tattoo shop opening soon, she has a hundred and one things on her mind and she doesn’t need buttoned-up, chino-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford to be one of them. Arriving in town to celebrate his sister Stella’s wedding and oversee her beloved Christmas tree farm whilst she’s on her honeymoon, Charlie wants nothing more than for unattainable Nova to think about him. He’s been flirting with her for months but never in his wildest dreams did he think the attraction was reciprocated. So when Nova suggests they have a no-strings night together, with the intention of getting their inconvenient attraction out of their systems and then swiftly moving on, Charlie is all too willing to take Nova up on her offer.
It’s too bad for Nova – and quite delightful for Charlie – that her plan has the exact opposite effect. Rather than getting Charlie off her mind, their night together only leaves her wanting more. And with Charlie determined to make himself invaluable to her in any way she needs for the duration of his stay in the small town of Inglewild, Nova can’t exactly avoid him. The more time she spends with Charlie, the more Nova begins to understand who he is beyond the charming, frivolous and smart-talking corporate executive. But letting herself care about Charlie means dropping the defences she’s built around her heart and allowing someone to see the deeply vulnerable side she hides from the world. Something Nova doesn’t find easy to do.
Returning to Lovelight Farms always feels like coming home. Granted, not all of us are lucky enough to live in a town quite so idyllic and Pinterest board aesthetically pleasing as Inglewild, but B. K. Borison has created such a welcoming and wholesome setting that opening the first page genuinely feels like a warm hug from an old friend. It’s full of cosy, fall vibes and the kind of close-knit, small-town community that most readers this side of the pond have only experienced in Hallmark movies. Thankfully that’s where the Hallmark comparisons end because as wholesome as Borison’s contemporary romances are, they’re also bursting with sizzling chemistry, realistic storylines and vulnerable characters; Nova and Charlie being the epitome of this.
As the final book in the Lovelight Farms quartet, Business Casual had some seriously heart-stealing central couples to live up to. But Borison was holding out on us, because she kept the best pairing for last. Nova and Charlie shouldn’t work on paper. He’s a nepo baby living the high life in NYC, she’s a tattoo artist and small-town business owner. He has an affinity for three-piece suits and Rolex watches, she complements her tattooed body with leather jackets, Converse and punk rock tees. He’s playful and shamelessly flirtatious, she’s grumpy and whip-sharp sarcastic. And it’s this dynamite dynamic that makes sparks fly whenever they’re within five feet of each other. They constantly challenge each other, whilst also offering a deep-rooted sense of comfort that softens their insecurities and vulnerabilities. As such, every moment they share together is a genuine joy to read.
If you’re going to write an opposites attract romance, this is exactly how you do it: by infusing the story with so much witty banter and heart-soothing tenderness that readers can’t bear to put the book down for even a second (who needs to eat or sleep anyway?). It hits all the right emotional beats, giving readers two impulsive and imperfect but down-right perfect-for-each-other characters to sympathise with and root for from the moment they appear on page to the very end of the book. It feels even more rewarding because we’re already familiar with the wider world and characters of the story too. Sure, Business Casual is billed as a standalone but why would you settle for just one trip to Lightlove Farms when you can live the romance, friendship, family and cosy, small town atmosphere over the course of four unputdownable books?
★★★★★
Business Casual is published by Pan 0n 18 July 2024
