I DNF'd at 25%. I just hated everybody. Perhaps if I had more time, I would slog on through- I'm sure the characters would be likeable at some point- but I just wasn't rooting for anybody.

I adored this book. It's a fun, thoughtful take on the sex lessons trope with lots heart and excellent mental health rep. It just might be my new favorite book by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Chandler Cohen is a journalist who took up ghostwriting celebrity memoirs when she got laid off from her job. After a disastrous launch event for her latest ghostwritten book, Chandler drowns her sorrows in the bookstore's bar. (I would love to go to a bookstore with a bar, just saying.) She starts talking to the guy next to her, and their connection is immediate. They have a one-night stand, and it's the worst sex of her life—only for her to discover the next day he's Finn Walsh, an actor and the new client she's ghostwriting for.

Over the course of the next few months, Chandler travels with Finn as he appears at fan conventions, gathering material for the book. He's a big deal on the con circuit thanks to his role on a 2010s teen paranormal drama called The Nocturnals, but his acting career has stalled. He's mostly appearing in Hallmark movies when he's not at conventions. The memoir is a chance for him to branch out into a cause near and dear to his heart, which is starting a mental health non-profit. As Chandler and Finn spend more time together, she's honest with him about how terrible their one-night stand was. She suggests almost jokingly that she give him some pointers in the bedroom... and he takes her up on it.

Their sex lessons were steamy, and I liked that Chandler never shamed Finn for his initial lack of prowess. Everything was super sex-positive. I loved their chemistry and their tenderness. I also liked they were two people who genuinely enjoyed getting to know each other and had fun together. The progression from the sex lessons to having real feelings felt natural, never rushed.

Solomon has a gift for creating fun premises and writing characters who feel like real people. This book is an absolute delight.

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC.

Okay, first of all let’s address the elephant in the room: This. Cover. It’s so fun and after reading Business or Pleasure I have to say the title AND cover are tres bien! Rachel Lynn Solomon knows how to write a romcom with depth and heart and I really enjoyed this one.

Chandler is a ghostwriter who is feeling a bit stuck in her career when she meets a dashing young man and proceeds to spend a charming evening with him bopping around Seattle. When they take things back to the bedroom things get… awkward.

I have to admit I’ve never read a romance novel like this and without spoiling the plot, I’ll just say it was refreshing. I always appreciate how Solomon addresses mental health in her novels and think she handles the subject with care while also helping to destigmatize it. There’s a very simple quote that I think sums things up perfectly: “An orange Rx bottle stands there without shame, exactly the way it should.” As someone who writes those prescriptions, I really loved seeing this.

As far as the romance goes, I’m not sure I felt the chemistry as much as I wanted to. There is a LOT of spice but the majority of it felt.. clinical? Educational? I’m not sure exactly how to describe it but let’s just say I wasn’t always feeling hot and bothered because of it.

I think this was a fantastic read and I really enjoyed the vulnerability. As a fellow millennial I could connect well with the characters at times and it’s always nice to see a mature healthy relationship built on compromise, communication, and respect.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book; all opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for allowing me to be an early reader.

Loved this steamy romance! The premise was a nice change up from other romance novel plots, and I found both characters endearing. I also appreciated the sex positive focus on open communication and female pleasure. Thanks #NetGalley—looking forward to adding this to my romance recs.

The two MCs have one of the healthiest relationships I have ever read about and I definitely think that's why this book is getting so many high ratings this early on.

The communication. The vulnerability. The acceptance. The flirting. The compromises. The openness. The positivity. The friendship. All of it is so good to see in a romance book.

The only reason this isn't getting a higher rating from me is because RLS commits one of my greatest pet peeves and that's the overuse of pop culture references.

But regardless of that, this is such a fun, cute read. The travelling from comic con to comic con definitely give this a summer holiday feel, so this is a story to look forward to this June.

Rachel Lynn Solomon has quickly become an author I know I can trust to deliver a delightful romance. I read Weather Girl last year and truly enjoyed her style, making Business or Pleasure a must-read in 2023!

In addition to the pretty pretty cover, the synopsis more than accomplished its mission of grabbing my attention. After a less than satisfying night together (wink wink), a ghostwriter takes on the task of helping the actor she's writing for improve his skills in the bedroom? Sign me up! From the very first chapter, the potential for forced proximity goodness and sexual tension galore had me feeling giddy.

Chandler and Finn's journey was one overflowing with both spicy (hot hot hot) and tender moments. As they traveled the country attending a carousel of conventions, an easy, comforting partnership developed that I adored. And as a reader who tends to prioritize characters over plot, I really valued the individual journeys Finn and Chandler navigated. Their feelings of inadequacy felt honest, a scary period of life that many have experienced. The mental health (OCD and anxiety) and Jewish representation were also appreciated.

Thanks to NetGalley, Berkley and Rachel Lynn Solomon for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel is an author I adore and her latest book does not disappoint. This book is honest in a way I wasn’t expecting. It’s raw in its depiction of self discovery and acceptance while being lighthearted and funny. I enjoyed how realistic this book felt. In a romance setting, there tends to be a bit of fantasy written in their pages, but with this author, she captures the messy reality and doesn’t sugarcoat or romanticize topics.

The vulnerable Finn showcases were a surprise to see in a romance book. It felt as if his POV was as predominant as Chandlers though it was written from Chandlers POV. The author seamlessly incorporated mental health issues without it overtaking the whole book or having this book be a soapbox in this topic. Both Finn and Chandler are the perfect examples on how to normalize embracing therapy, acknowledging and identifying coping mechanisms, and not letting the stigma of mental health be a deterrent in your lives.

This author also did an amazing job of redefining what a healthy sexual relationship should be by empowering her female lead to own her sexuality and stopping gender cliches when it comes to the bedroom. She showed that people shouldn’t be ashamed to ask for what they want and shouldn’t be scared to learn. Reading a sex positive romance book was refreshing and enlightening.

This book is a knockout. Between the fantastic writing and entertaining plot lies a thoughtful story laced with unadulterated emotions. You would be doing yourself a disservice not reading this book. Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for making my day and giving me this ARC

Oh my GAH do I love Chandler and Finn! And Rachel Lynn Solomon, I love you, too!

Synopsis: Ghostwriter Chandler Cohen gets an offer to write a book with struggling, once famous heartthrob actor Finn Walsh. But when she sits down to lunch to learn more about the project, she realizes she already knows Finn - she had met him the night before at a bar and had a terrible one night stand. But Chandler needs to get out of her writing rut and challenge herself to hit the road with Finn, and when Chandler is honest with Finn that their sexual encounter was...less than stellar...he realized she could help him get out of a rut, too, but in the bedroom.

Wow, the chemistry between this couple is so darn sweet. I love how assuring and honest Chandler is, and how eager Finn is to learn and be vulnerable. And not to mention - this book is HOT. Once Finn starts learning the ropes in the bedroom...phew - this couple's physical chemistry is on fire! But on another note, it was really interesting to read about ghostwriting (I've always been curious about that career), and about what it's like to be a "teenage heartthrob" actor who's now trying to find footing after such a successful early career.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is by far Rachel Lynn Solomons BEST book yet!!! A perfect read for fans of Rosie Danan’s The Roommate and Helen Hoang’s The Kiss Quotient.

When the boy from Chandler Cohen’s disastrous one night stand turns out to be the the person she is ghostwriting for, forgetting an awkward hookup and remaining strictly professional is easier said than done. Especially when Chandler tells Finn their night together wasn’t as great as he thought, and thus, the two strike a deal to give Finn lessons in the bedroom.

This book was laugh out loud funny, extremely entertaining, unique and filled with some of the BEST Jewish/ mental health rep. I LOVED Chandler and Finn’s slow burn romance and how the two took the time to actually get to know each other and have open and honest conversations, even about the most sensitive of topics. The bedroom lessons were definitely graphic and steamy, but Rachel Lynn Solomon wrote them in so well, especially the dirty talk!!! I also loved the added element of a TV star navigating life after the end of a hit show and all the Comicon events he went to. The only piece that was not for me were the actual scenes from the show itself. I did not really connect with those sections that came up between chapters and often found myself skimming through.

Read if you like:
-Sex positivity
-Both cultural and religious Jewish rep
-Mental health rep
-Cross country travels
-Forced proximity galore
-Teen hit paranormal TV show
-Ghostwriting

Thank you Berkley Romance for the ARC! Pub date 7/4/23

I adored this book so much! Rachel Lynn Solomon is quickly becoming one of my must-read authors.

The two main characters are so perfect for each other, and their "meet cute" and first night together are written SO WELL. Meeting at a bar and chatting it up, flirting the night away, and taking the next step toward a one-night stand is not too unusual for a romance, but having the man (an utterly sexy, charming, seemingly perfect man) be downright terrible in bed was a twist I was not expecting at all.

This sets them up for a "lessons in love" trope that is handled beautifully, as well as the mental illnesses depicted in the story.

I loved this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This is a super fun (and spicy) read! Ghostwriter Chandler Cohen and TV heartthrob Finn Walsh have an instant chemistry, but an awkward start. What they think is a one night thing ends up being so much more. As they get to know each other (in more ways than one), they can't help but wonder if it's something real. For Rachel Solomon fans, there is also an Easter egg or two to watch for!

I was hesitant starting this book because I wasn't a fan of Weather Girl but love all of Solomon's previous books. They are steamy while also feeling like a warm hug. I was intrigued by the "sex lessons" premise in this one and it didn't disappoint. It was romantic and steamy but also included realistic conversations and consent. Definitely recommend this one!

This quirky couple is adorable! Especially Finn, talking Elf language, coy, shy, eccentric, nerdy, so much huggable! I adore him!
I want to give more hints about the characters and plotline. Here we go!

Chandler Cohen; stuck in a career as writing other people’s books by empathizing with way of their thinking- hopeless ghost writer, nursing unrequited feelings for his long time crush Wyatt, sharing a house with highly accomplished PR mogul cousin who makes double money to pay most of their expenses even though she’s two years younger than her. It’s obvious: Chandler is not happy with her life!

When she attends signing event of self-help author who has no idea who she is even though her book couldn’t be written without Chandler’s hard work, she decides to drink her feelings. Luckily she meets extra nerdy, sweet and charming salesman who is on a work trip. She becomes his tour guide. The attraction is undeniable. She breaks her rules to have one night stand with him. But…. It is COMPLETELY DISASTER! She has her worst sex experience. She decides to have run of shame ( she didn’t want to walk but escape from his room to erase the entire moments she had with him)

At the same dat, her agent arranges an appointment with C-List actor Finn Walsh best known for playing sweet nerdy gut on a cult classic werewolf series Nocturnals. It’s well paid job and Finn is at town for attending Comic-Con. She can meet him in person and his agent.

She excitedly dresses to kill, dashing out to be at their meeting place. And BANG! Finn Walsh is the same guy she had disastrous sex! But it seems like he is ready to move on. Actually he’s too hopeless to find the right writer to work it! Chandler is his last chance. He is stuck, hating making Hallmark movies. He needs a breakthrough! He believes that new book can give him a chance to live up to his true potential!

Chandler finally accepts the offer that will give her opportunity to travel to Oregon, moving away from her trapped life, giving her enough time what she has to do with her life.

When she admits to Finn, their one night stand was total disaster, Finn makes her interesting offer. He needs to learn art of seduction not to make the same mistakes in the bed. And Chandler accepts which means she crosses the thin line between business and pleasure! Things are about to get saucier! Enjoy their blooming, sexist romance!

Overall: I love Rachel Lynn Solomon’s brilliant writing style and adorable characters. This book is another exemplary work of hers that I truly enjoyed!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

I loved this book! I think compared to the authors two previous titles, this one knocks it out of the park! All the ingredients for a super fun, steamy romance! We'll be selecting this for our store bookclub for one of our summer picks for sure! The tension between Chandler and Finn was perfect and so steamy! Perfect balance of humor and sincerity. Lovely cast of supporting characters as well? Will her cousin get a follow up story?!

This book was so much fun! Really well written, spicy, and a fun plot premise that I haven't seen before.

It is so good, I read it in one sitting It is sex-positive and very sexy! I will read anything Rachel Lynn Solomon writes!

*contains spoilers*

CW: OCD, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, previous abortion.

This book greatly exceeded my expectations and I’m excited to read through Rachel’s backlog!

Business or Pleasure beautifully featured some of the genres most coveted tropes: Famous person-non famous person, meeting again after a one night stand, oops there’s only one bed and we are snowed into a BnB with no Wi-Fi, etc etc. It was a delightful romance that also took on a lot of important themes. I loved how Rachel wrote about Finn’s experience with OCD and Chandler’s previous abortion. Rachel didn’t make them feel like trauma checkboxes, they were perfectly woven into the character in a way that made them seem real.

But, my favorite part of the book was how Rachel wrote about sex. Most rom-coms feature magically sexy scenes where everything perfectly falls into place. Don’t get me wrong- I love it just as much as the next person- but the sex in this book was a breath of fresh air. I have never seen sex written about in such a relatable and realistic way while still being incredibly steamy. This book manages to be both a beautiful escape AND teach readers legitimate ways to communicate with your partner about sex. I loved it and can’t wait to recommend it!

Solomon maintains her ability to create rich, real life characters -- with anxiety, depression, worries, happiness, laughter -- all of the things that bring us humanity in a story. I really fell in love with both Chandler and Finn through the course of this story as they learned to trust each other and themselves. While both the split and the reunification could be a little predictable, it was predictable because it fit in so well with the character development that occurred over the course of the story. Solomon is rapidly becoming a must read in the area of romance for me.

This book was just as perfect as I expected it would be 👏👏 Sexy, and hilarious, and heartwarming. I cringed, I laughed, I swooned, I cried, I couldn’t put it down! Not to mention such lovingly crafted Jewish and OCD rep. Not to mention the straight sized characters with explicitly stated rolls and stretch marks! The first time I’ve ever read that and hopefully it’s something that becomes more normalized in romance, and all books, because it’s so important! Because it’s not just plus sized people with stretch marks and rolls!

I loved watching the relationship between Chandler and Finn develop. These two idiots are so clearly in love, and watching them fight it and pretend they aren’t was so much fun. Plus Rachel has such a beautiful way of tying these deeper struggles and feelings - struggling with OCD, antisemitism, emotional abuse both parental and romantic - so seamlessly into the heat and the humor. I’m really gonna need everyone to read these book ASAP so we can all fangirl over it together!

4.5

i love our leads here & they make the perfect pair. i think the whole awkward-one-night-stand-turned-pseuo-coworker really works. solomon is so easy to read while also being fresh, witty, and warm. great spice. i’d definitely recommend to repeat readers & those new to her work as well!

#netgalley