Okay, let me start by saying Business Not As Usual was... well, not quite what I was expecting. First off, Dreamy Daniels’ mantra of "I am beautiful. I am confident. I am lovable. I am a lottery winner" might be the most motivational thing I’ve heard in a while — and let me tell you, I was rooting for Dreamy to win that lottery like it was her ticket out of the mess that is her life. Spoiler: She still doesn’t have it together by the end of the book, but hey, maybe next time.

Now let’s talk about Karter Redford, the dreamy venture capitalist (because of course his last name is "Redford" – he’s practically an investment prince). He’s all about doing good for the less fortunate, which is great, but really, he’s just looking for a quirky girl who doesn't come with a trust fund. And that’s Dreamy — with her earthquake-ready house, dead-end secretarial job, and a bachelor’s degree that’s more “in progress” than “completed." Ah, true love.

It’s the classic “Opposites Attract” trope, with a little “Rags to Riches” sprinkled in. Karter’s like, “She’s not rich, she’s not fancy, but wow, her humor’s contagious,” and Dreamy’s like, “I won’t be distracted, even if he looks like Idris Elba.” (Okay, I get it, he’s hot... but girl, focus on your lottery tickets!)

But here's the thing: The chemistry? Meh. It was like a stock market crash at times. I wanted more witty banter, more swoon-worthy moments. Instead, we got Dreamy’s constant internal struggle about whether or not she’s going to follow through with her goals... which is fine, but girl, just buy a new house at some point!

So yeah, the story’s cute but I didn’t get the sizzle I was hoping for. It’s like if you bought a ticket to an action movie and got a rom-com with no real romantic tension. It’s a 2-star book because I can see the potential, but Dreamy and Karter need to put their investments in a little more spark for the next go-round.

I struggled with Business Not as Usual. Billionaire romances are hit or miss for me. The power dynamic differences in this book were an issue for me. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This was cute, but not my favorite. It was a little overly fluffy (which is saying something for a romance) and the relationship didn't feel well-developed. That said, it was fun, light and quick, but I'm not sure this is one I'd recommend to others.

A great fluffy and fun romcom.

Our mc is a bright, eccentric, funny, and confident, though she sometimes has self-doubts, character that will worm her way into anyones heart. So, it’s no surprise that Karter fell hard and fast.

I’m a huge fan of billionaire romances. Seeing Dreamy and Karter navigate their budding romance alongside the harsh realities of being from two separate worlds was a joy to read. I loved the restaurant scene because you don’t normally see the workaholic billionaires messing up and embarrassing themselves.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the ‘pick me’ energy that came from both Dreamy and Karter sometimes, though. Also, the whole reliance on winning the lottery was a bit strange to me. Nevertheless, this was still a great romance and one all romcom lovers should go read.

The attraction and chemistry wasn't developed enough for me, and the power dynamics were also hard to ignore.

The mantra felt forced and seemed to feed into stereotypes that we are trying to dismantle. I struggled to finish this one as I could not connect with the characters, they just weren't very memorable for me.

I think I will definitely read another novel by Cooper, her writing is strong.

I really enjoyed the heroine of this novel, Dreamy Daniels. She was confident and sure of herself, wearing what she wanted and creating a reaffirming mantra to help her get to the future she was working toward. Dreamy was in school and working a job she may not have loved, but was getting her by until she completed her degree. When Dreamy meets Karter, a a possible investor at her workplaces, he likes her for who she is. Both characters have areas they grow in as the story progresses, and it is refreshing to see how Cooper accomplishes this. Overall, I really enjoyed this grumpy-sunshine read.

If you love romantic comedies with great characters, steam and a fun plot then you should give this one a try!

This quick, lighthearted romantic comedy was a joy to read. There was very little conflict, lots of compassion, and a lot of spiciness. I loved that both the male MC and female MC were BIPOC/POC which sadly isn't seen in a lot of romance books. It was great to see diversity and more representation in this genre.

I also really loved that there was a definite emphasis on the value/importance of women in the workplace. The female MC was not a simpering mess, who needed a billionaire prince charming to sweep her off her feet... it was a lucky coincidence that he was sweet, compassionate, and really rich.

Cooper did a great job entertaining me and keeping a smile on my face with a more realistic portrayal of love & family relationships and struggles. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Super cute! Super low angst! No third act breakup! She read his mother to filth! A lil bit steamy! Real life fairytale ✨

I loved both characters and I read liked each POV. I definitely wish the lottery was a bigger part of the story, but this was so light and fun!

Cute and fun, super enjoyable BUT I think it was a little too much at times? I feel like the characters felt a bit unrealistic, like their love story was like you see in a movie, like a Disney movie, I'd have loved to see a more realistic relationship!

Rating: 2.5 Stars

I was very excited for this book upon receiving it. I love a grumpy/sunshine trope, and Dreamy and Karter's first meeting was quite fun and seemed quite authentic and unique. But as the story progressed, I found it increasingly difficult to stay invested in the story.

Business Not As Usual is a fun workplace, age gap, grumpy/sunshine millionaire romance that follows main character Dreamy Daniels and her love interest, Karter Redford. Dreamy is a free-spirited, quirky gal who has big dreams for herself – the biggest of which include her winning the lottery. Love interest Karter is a wealthy venture capitalist who isn't looking for a relationship when he stumbles across Dreamy.

The characters of Dreamy and Karter ended up being problems for me. Throughout the relationship, Dreamy continually brought up the socio-economic differences between her and Karter – to the point where she was always saying something along the lines of "wow you're rich." She valued herself as lesser because of it, and she thought Karter way too out of her league. It got a little repetitive at times.

Karter's character, like Dreamy's, originally stood out to me, but the more we got to know him the more I started to dislike him. A lot of Karter's dialogue read very misogynistic. The way he spoke about other women in his life as super shallow and materialistic didn't sit overly well with me. He constantly pointed out where Dreamy differed from the women in his life and praised Dreamy for being so unlike his mother and ex-girlfriend. It wasn't easy to root for Karter as a love interest after seeing this side of him.

Throughout a good portion of the book, both Dreamy and Karter brought up a number of reasons as to why they shouldn’t be together (socio-economic differences, age gap, etc.) and it got to the point where I quite honestly was like "if you don’t want to date, then don't."

The overall plot of Business Not as Usual was fun! I enjoy workplace romances and the circumstance in which the main characters met was just as quirky as Dreamy herself. There were moments of laugh out loud funny and opportunities for me to really connect to the main characters. Sprinkled in as well were some steamy scenes and a good deal of witty banter.

Business Not as Usual just wasn't the book for me. I had no issues with the general plot of the story, I enjoyed the premise as it's what initially drew me to the book. But Dreamy and Karter's dialogue was hard to ignore and make the book drag on a little too much for me. I encourage other readers to give this romance a chance as there is really great potential for a wonderful story.

Thank you to Netgalley for giving me an early edition of the book in exchange for an honest review!

This was a great book that teaches a lesson about mixing business with pleasure. I really enjoyed the character and world building and will definitely be reading more of Cooper in the future.

I was a big fan of this and I was kind of surprised. I felt like this book had so much good stuff going on. It had tropes such as age gap, billionaire boyfriend and even some office romance.

Dreamy Daniels is the eternal optimist and as she works through school she seeks to help others when she makes it to the other side of her education and secures some funding. When she meets venture capitalist Karter Redford as he is being pitched to invest in the company she works at sparks fly.

What I liked the most about this is that the characters both needed to grow independently and that was the central conflict. They done blow up on each other or break up over nothing but rather the threats to their relationship are family only with the two love interests helping each other to better themselves personally:

The side characters were amazing, I loves Morgan and Jordyn and Gran and Gramps. The supportive members of the families were stellar and just hysterically written.

I would definitely recommend this to someone who wants a low drama romance. Sometimes volatility is fun but in this case the realsim of the relationship really shines and is the winner.

Thank you to Berkeley and NetGalley for the opportunity to check this book out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2

Is this age gap, millionaire/secretary, low conflict Black romance 100% over-the-top wish fulfillment? Absolutely. And?? What of it? If there's something we can always use more of it's BIPOC women getting it all - the job, the man, the money, etc. #BlackJoy

Really enjoyed the characters (especially Dreamy and her love of wigs) and writing style. I definitely had a hard time suspending my disbelief and personally, I'm waaayyyy over the "not like the other girls" character type. That being said, I'm definitely looking forward to more from this author!

💛Book Review💛

A huge thank you to @berkleyromance for the free copy of Business Not As Usual! @authorsharonccooper, how did you know exactly what I needed to pull myself out of a reading, work, life rut?! I loved the spirit and vivacious energy Dreamy had in this book. I wanted to be her friend from page one and that feeling never changed. I found her inner dialogues relatable. Her self-doubt made me root for her and her incredible optimism made me want her dreams to come true! Sharon C. Cooper made such a lively fashionista of a character with Dreamy that I couldn’t put this book down. I just wanted to see what happened next. As you may have guessed based on the two people on the cover, this is a romcom and the beau of the book is also alluring and enjoyable to discover through the pages. Karter is deeper than initially meets the eye and watching the sparks sizzle and fly between these two is just 🔥!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#berkleyromance #penguinrandomhousepartner #penguinrandomhouse #berkleyig #businessnotasusual #sharonccooper #romcombooks #bipocbookstagram #bipocbooks #bookreview #netgalleyreview #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview #readmorebooks #readmorewomen #bipocwomenauthors

Dreamy Daniels dreams of one day securing the big win. Winning the lottery. Being her own boss. Succeeding against all odds. Meanwhile, she works as a secretary, begrudgingly, and only for the paycheck that helps to keep a roof over her head in a not-so-nice part of Los Angeles. Her only hope is to keep buying lottery tickets on the off-chance that strategy pays off. Yet, one day, a venture capitalist by the name of Karter waltzes into her workplace, and Dreamy immediately begins daydreaming of-- no, stop it! Focus on your dreams, Dreamy! She's going to try, at least, but as Karter turns his eyes, and attention, on Dreamy, her dreams begin to shift under her feet, and she may just be alright with that.

Sometimes all you need is a romantic, comedic story with plenty of fun, and two people who want to connect with the right person, at least at some point. Karter is sick of socialites and wants to meet somebody real for once, and Dreamy just wants to focus on her own life after being burned in the past, yet somehow they both know something is up when they take an instant liking to each other.

Dreamy is funny and has amusing quirks. I thought it was nice that one of her primary goals for her imagined lottery winnings was opening a non-profit to support women. Karter is a little rough around the edges, and Dreamy's biggest problem is she hasn't won the lottery (yet!), but that's part of what makes this romance so sweet. Business Not As Usual is the story of two people from different ends of the wealth spectrum meeting by chance, liking each other from the beginning, and coming together for business, and pleasure. Recommended for readers who want a nice, bright romance that will leave them feeling better at the end than when they began reading.

A delightful romp with a serious guy who is warm and fuzzy on the inside and a unique and quirky girl who just can't seem to win. It was a fun read to get lost in!

Dreamy Daniels has been gifted with the power of positive thinking. She speaks things into existence and sees life no other way. She knows her beauty. Her worth. Her future - in a sense. In fact, one of the things she says is that she is a lottery winner. Well, one day her mantra rings true. She wins millions.

Dreamy wasn't just waiting around for lady luck. She had a good job, albeit unfulfilling. She was even working to finish her bachelor's degree. Her career goals are important to her, but there is one thing she hadn't expected. Or person. That would be venture capitalist Karter Redford. He grew up with wealthy parents, and is wealthy in his own right, and work has always been important to him. But he wants more in life. Could the beauty named Dreamy be the one who will bring his life to complete fulfillment?

Instant attraction, sure? Manifesting a lottery winning? Well, who knows? But, both worked in this book. Dreamy. Karter. Altruism. Millions. Fun. Yes, all of it together worked in this delightful read by Sharon C. Cooper.

Many thanks to Berkley Books and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

Please enjoy the following YouTube video review -

https://youtu.be/9zLxSBFopeo

Sharon Cooper’s latest novel Business Not As Usual is hilarious and heartwarming, it’s what I would call a literary Rom-Com. I was laughing throughout the story and at the same time rooting for the main characters to succeed in their personal endeavors and find a way to make their relationship work.

Dreamy Daniels is hard working, optimistic, colorful on the inside and out, and true to her name, a dreamer. She believes with all her heart that she is going to win the lottery, help her family out of the poor house and make all their dreams come true.

She and her cousin, Jordyn, lives with their grandfather aka Gramps in an old house located in Los Angeles that is falling apart. Dreamy is in night school trying to finish her bachelors and Jordyn is trying to finish law school. Both young ladies work full time jobs and take care of Gramps, and they were both raised by their grandparents. What I truly admire about Dreamy is not just her optimistic spirit despite many setbacks but also her belief, which is so tangible that as a reader I could feel it too.

Our leading man, Karter Redford, owns and manages his own Venture Capitalist firm. Karter is the son of a famous actor, and his mother is a socialite who throws other socialites in front of Karter hoping he would make a match, but he is not interested in that kind of woman, especially after a past relationship and one of his best friends passes away at 40. Karter is now looking at his life and even though he has money, success, great friends and family, he is still not living a fulfilling life.

When Karter and Dreamy meet it’s attraction at first site. Dreamy is the executive assistant for the President of a tech company who needs funding for his business. They are doing a presentation for Karter in hopes that his company will fund the tech company. That’s where the two meet and Karter soon realizes that Dreamy knows the ends and outs of the company as well as the individuals who work diligently for the company. It’s because of the information Dreamy shares about the work and the people that he decides to take a closer look into the company.

After the meeting, Karter just couldn’t resist asking Dreamy out, however Dreamy turned him down. She was doing her best to protect her heart since she former boyfriend ended their relationship implying that Dreamy was not the type of woman who would fit in to the social scene he was trying to get into as a wannabe high powered attorney. That shook her confidence which is why she has sworn off men for the time being, and that included Cutie Pie Karter with a K (I love that nickname).

I don’t want to give the whole story away so you will have to read and find out how Karter convinced Dreamy to give him a chance and enjoy all the antics that happens between the two.

I also really enjoyed the supporting characters in this story as well. You have the feisty and no-nonsense cousin Jordyn and Karter’s sister, the talented designer Morgan, and Gramps who is so funny and a Mac Daddy, and that’s just a few of the character’s you will find in this novel. I hope that Sharon Cooper writes a story for both ladies making this a three-part book series.

This is great read from beginning to end.

Sincerely,

KB

Brown Book Series