I can’t believe this is the end of the Lovelight series. I edged this book so hard that I wanted to find the right time and mindset to read it so I could savor it and not rush through it, and I’m glad I did. I loved being back in Inglewild and hanging with my friends (yes, they are, and I would definitely be on the phone tree if I lived there). I loved getting to know Nova and Charlie and seeing their relationship blossom. Charlie’s feeling of being too much was relatable, and so was Nova’s feeling of not letting anyone in. Watching these two work through their own walls was beautiful, and I enjoyed it a lot. I’m glad there were cameos from the other characters and I love how this starts off.

I can’t wait to read Becs new book First Time Caller and maybe plan a reread for this series with every new season <3

Read This Book If…you are a chronic people pleaser!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5
Business Casual by B.K. Borison

Please note: this was an ARC provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

Genre: romance
Series: Lovelight # 4
Spice Level: 4/5🌶, 3-4 explicit scenes
Setting: small town in Maryland
POV: dual, 1st person, present tense
Tropes: opposites attract, black cat/golden retriever, forced proximity, just once to get it out of our system, friends with benefits, hurt/comfort

My Thoughts:
What a satisfying end to this series! I loved getting to know Charlie and Nova, who we’ve seen from the very beginning, along with all the meddling small town characters we’ve grown to love.

Stick two very different people-pleasers in a room and watch the sparks fly! The banter in this book was particularly wonderful and the author really stepped up the spice from previous books. I loved their separate-but-same journeys of self-discovery. I simply adore fake dating or “keeping it casual” relationships because there always comes a point when it becomes VERY REAL.

Overall, this was a wonderfully sweet and steamy read, and a perfect ending to the Lovelight series. I can’t wait to see what the author does next!

Memorable Quote: “I never felt like I was missing anything before.”

PLEASE NOTE: I plan on sharing a version of this review once I receive my physical copy of this book and will add the link below.

I received a free copy of this book thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group; all opinions expressed are exclusively my own..

First of all, this is the last book in a series that I have not read previously, BUT it in no way hindered my enjoyment of this book! It's an excellent rom-com read where the misunderstandings don't feel like they linger overlong, and people have conversations instead of just spending forever assuming what the other person is thinking. Not to say there are no misunderstandings or miscommunications, but it feels like they are handled in a reasonable time frame, and overall a strong sense of family and community pervades. All in all, an extremely satisfying entry in the genre that I would gladly recommend!

For sensitive readers, this book contains depictions of childhood neglect, emotional abuse, and trauma, as well as scenes of graphic sexuality.

I want to move to Inglewood.

The Lovelight Farms books are my latest obsession and I was so happy to read about Charlie and Nova!! This was the perfect ending to the series but I’m so sad for it to be over.

My heart goes out to Charlie because he’s just the best.

Read this series!

I’ve enjoyed every book in the ‘Lovelight’ series, but I think this one is my favorite. Charlie and Nora were perfect together and even though it made me laugh and smile loads, it also gave me so many feels.

Charlie is Stella’s brother and he’s staying a month at the farm to help things along while his sister is on her honeymoon. Nora is Beckett’s sister and is opening up a new tattoo parlor in town. Charlie and Nora have a fun friendship and dynamic and it quickly becomes something more while Charlie is in town for a more extended period.

Charlie appears to be the most fun-loving, sunshiney character, and in a way, he is. But he’s also lonely and looking for a place to belong. He finds that in Nora. She is very much the black cat to his golden retriever, but she also has a heart of gold. Watching them go from temporary to realizing they were falling for one another was my favorite thing.

I love books where the location feels like another character in the book and that is exactly how the town of Inglewild is. Business Casual is fun, charming, and emotional. I enjoyed it so much and it was the perfect way to end this series. I can’t wait to read more from BK Borison. She’s a must read author for me.

obsessed with this, who's surprised? novacharlie have my heart. seeing them fight for their happiness made me teary eyed. they were just so soft with each other, their relationship was wholesome and sweet. their banter was hilarious and sexy, the texts throughout the story were 10/10.

beyond the romance, the sibling dynamics in this book were A+. nova and beckett's relationship was extremely relatable and charlie and stella will just make you smile non-stop.

overall this series and these characters just feel like a hug. this really is the most adorable small town romance series.

This book made my heart soar! So sad that the Lovelight Farms series is over but such a great ending!!

The charm was out of this world! The character development was great and I adored seeing the precious characters from the series.

What I Liked:
•Opposites Attract
•Reverse Grumpy x Sunshine
•Secret Relationship
•Amazing MC Chemistry
•Great Banter
•Small Town Romance
•ADHD Representstion


What I Didn’t Like:
•I had a hard time believing that Charlie and Nova were friends before hooking up
•I felt like the one night stand pacing was off

“Being here makes me feel like…like the edges of myself that are too sharp everywhere else can be sanded down into something tolerable. Like I don’t have to put on a show.”

If you enjoy small town romances, there is no doubt you won't love The Lovelight Farms series. BK Borison's writing is phenomenal- descriptive, engaging and atmospheric- and this book is the perfect ending to the series.

Nova and Charlie started off as friends who wanted to “bang it out of their system.” Their chemistry was so good, and I loved both their emotional and physical connection. The spicy was spicy but it never took away from the plot while the tender moments allowed them to be their true athentic selves. There were so many moments where I was full on smiling and feeling my favorites being when Nova gave Charlie a tattoo and when Charlie took care of Nova with grapes shaped like hearts. Plus, I loved seeing all the past couples meddling, and meeting Nessa, who will be the heroine in Borison’s next series

Read if you like: One night stand turned more, Friends to lovers, He falls first, Found family, Small town shenanigans, Black cat heroine/ golden retriever hero

Thank you Berkley for the ARC!!

If you're a fan of Lovelight Farms, you'll love the fourth installment to the series. Charlie has always been such a fun character, so it's great to see him get his HEA. I loved the hints we got in the previous book that there was something brewing between Charlie and Nova and this book didn't disappoint. On the surface, Charlie has been portrayed as silly and fun-loving, so I loved that this book dove more into Charlie's very complicated and traumatic relationship with his and Stella's father. Nova is a force of nature that is strong and confident, but is worried about disappointing her family, especially her brother Beckett. Charlie and Nova's dynamic is delightful and they have great chemistry. The author does such a great job of making us care about not only the MC's but also the supporting cast. Her writing style is fun and engaging. She does such a great job of painting the perfect picture of a small town romance. I'm so sad this is the last installment in the series, but I'm so excited for her next series. I would recommend this book to fans of sweet, small-town romance like Virgin River and Sweet Magnolias, but are looking for a bit more spice.

Rounding this up to a 4.5 review! I fell in love with Nova and Charlie and their incredible growth throughout the book, and of course the added spice was not overlooked here. B.K. Borison turned up the heat on her spice for this book, and I was here for it. I'm glad she also went into more depth regarding the various mental health struggles that both Nova and Charlie face in their adulthood. It truly got me reflecting on my own life and inspired me to rethink how I approach my own obstacles. On a lighter note, the banter in this book was absolutely incredible! I'm a sucker for banter that actually gets me to crack a smile while reading (I'm typically stoic no matter what's on the page). I wish I could live in Inglewood with each and every single one of these characters. I hope we get to go back to Inglewood in some form in future B.K. Borison books.

Aaahhhh. It’s such a delight to return to Inglewild! I love these characters so much I feel like it’s my hometown!

Charlie’s taking over Lovelight Farms temporarily while big sister Stella and new husband Luka are on their honeymoon. Charlie’s balancing the farm and also his job in the city that he’s frankly not happy with. Nova, Beckett’s younger sister is setting up her tattoo shop in town. Charlie’s been helping her with some of the paperwork for it. Both are extremely attracted to each other. Charlie’s flirts nonstop and Nova finally decides that maybe they should be friends-with-benefits. Keeping it on the DL in this nosey town is going to be a challenge.

I loved Charlie and Nova’s banter, and I was especially giddy when they texted each other. Charlie’s that harmless cheeky kind of guy who puts Nova on a pedestal. Nova, for all her talent still struggles to believe in herself sometimes. These two share some steamy and spicy moments which can be quite hilarious, too! Charlie’s story reinforces the found family nature of this series - the disappointment of not getting on with his dad who’s toxic AF, but finding that support and unconditional love amongst these friends and community. I knew he was a good guy from previous books and it’s nice to get to know him here. It’s also nice to see Nova shine.

Highlights:
* Found family
* Friends to lovers
* Asserting yourself
* Banter & texting
* Spicy romance, open door

Be aware of: toxic parent (who drinks heavily)

I’d been eagerly awaiting Charlie and Nova’s story to come around and it was worth the wait! I can’t stop smiling thinking of them and Inglewild. You want that cozy small town vibe with fun personalities? This is it!

Thanks to @berkleypub @berkleyromance & @netgalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Me, before reading Business Casual: "I don't really care about these two but okay"
Me, while reading Business Casual: "If anyone in Inglewild is mean to Charlie I SWEAR TO GOD"

B.K. Borison turned up the spice with this one!! *kicks feet*

Nova and Charlie's black cat + golden retriever, friends to lovers dynamic is so easy to love. Their banter and jokes and their soft squishy hearts!! I really appreciated that their relationship felt like it reflected their maturity - these are both full ass adults - and we avoided unnecessary drama. While I don't think this is my top fav of the series, these two are my new favorite couple. 🖤

I do think this would not work nearly as well as a standalone, and needs to be read after the rest of the first three to be appreciated. Each book in the series just builds on the found family created at Lovelight, and Inglewild being the ultimate small town setting.

Brb packing my bags


Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy!

I absolutely love the Lovelight Farms series and couldn’t wait for this one - the fourth and final book! Charlie and Nova had me kicking my feet with glee.
I love the age old “oh let’s just mess around and get it out of our system” that *never* actually works that way - they just become more infatuated.
This one was exceptionally spectacular because Charlie is clearly head over heels for Nova, and it takes her a bit to realize she’s just as obsessed with him. He is an absolute sweetie pie who has no idea what a catch he is (not just romantically, he’s an all-around gem of a human being) and Nova is guarded and goal-focused.
This book is sweet, sexy, and funny - and the perfect conclusion to the Lovelight series.

I’ve not really been wild about the last few books I’ve read, but luckily the slump didn’t last too long. All I needed was a return trip to Inglewild, and some time with the folks at Lovelight Farms.

Nova has always been fiercely independent and is used to getting things her way. But as she plans to open her own tattoo studio in Inglewild, she’s feeling the pressure to have everything perfect.

Charlie, whose half-sister Stella runs Lovelight Farms, is a hard-working businessman in NYC dealing with his pompous, power-hungry father, but he’s a frequent visitor in Inglewild. He loves joking around and flirting with Nova, although she mostly doesn’t take him seriously. He likes his job and likes living in NYC, but he's also really lonely.

Charlie is shocked when Nova flirts back with him, and she proposes they sleep together just once, to get it out of their systems. (Does that ever work?) With Charlie spending a month running the farm, it’s much harder for both of them to ignore the chemistry and the growing feelings between them. In the end, though, Charlie will head back to NYC, and everything can go back to normal.

I really love this series and the community B.K. Borison has created here. This is a fantastic story, romantic and seriously steamy, but full of complex emotions and the ways we make ourselves small because we don’t think we’re worthy of happiness. While this is the fourth (and apparently final) book in the series, each can be read as a standalone, but hopefully you'll fall in love with these characters, too. (B.K., please do a book with Dane and Matty at some point!)

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the advance copy! The book will publish 7/16.

𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝐵𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌

𝘽𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡
𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝘽𝙤𝙤𝙠 4
by B.K. Borison
384 pages
Due July 16, 2024

Thank you to the author, @berkleyromance and @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book.

The 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨 series concludes with the volume we have all been waiting for - Nova's story. She's my favorite - the tough, independent female fighting for her own identity and success in a small town.

Read this if you enjoy
🏘️ small town life
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ hot & steamy open door
♥️ sweet romance
👩‍❤️‍👨 fake dating, friends to lovers, found family, opposites attract
🥴complicated situations
🐭 a little City Mouse/ Country Mouse contrast

Totally enjoyable for my spice loving open door romance readers. The sun won't be the only thing heating you up at the beach. There's many sweet things to love about living in Inglewild for a while at Stella's picturesque Lovelight Christmas Tree Farm with the sweet scents emanating from Layla's bakery, and perenially grumpy Beckett pretending not to be overjoyed by every fake romance evolving into the real deal (the town phone tree keeping tabs). This is a spicy, slice of life, no surprises series with lovable characters and happily ever after endings.
A satisfying beach read ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫💫💫 3.75

Reading through my immense ARC TBR.
April and May have been filled with major life events and personal losses, so I am finally back to reading every day.
#arcreview #arcreader #bookreviews #netgalley #newbooks #currentlyreading #amreading #romancebooks #opendoorromance #smalltownromancebooks #lovelightfarms #businesscasualbook

B.K. Borison's Business Casual concludes the Lovelight Farms series with (multiple) glorious bangs and a gorgeous story all wrapped up in a hopeful sentiment about finding a place to belong. Nova and Charlie's story was always going to be loads of fun with the brief beats of banter we'd get in other stories, but it's how tender their romance becomes that propels the feels cascading like falling leaves in autumn. The relatable characterizations will hit many readers in the places where they're desperately longing to be seen and understood. It's wholesome, warm, and so very dreamy, you'll feel right at home with the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley, BK Borison, and Berkley for an advance review copy -- all opinions are my own.

FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2024/06/24/business-casual-by-b-k-borison-review/

Ahhh the Lovelight Farms books are perfection! I love the small town vibes, the sweet characters and always witty banter.

I am so sorry to leave Lovelight Farms.  I loved this little town.

Charlie Milford hates his philandering father.  As far as Charlie thinks, the only good thing he did was give Charlie one of his greatest gifts, a previously unknown half-sister in Stella Bloom-Peters. Getting to know his sister has brought him much happiness, included in that happiness is visiting her on her Christmas Tree Farm and including himself in her little town of Inglewild, Maryland. Charlie loves this quaint little town and its residents. He abandons his cold, lifeless apartment in Manhattan every chance he gets and visits Stella. He even made sure he is included as part of the Town's phone tree so he can be kept up to date on its happenings.

That is why Charlie is sending Stella and her new husband, Luka, to Italy for a month and offering to Stella's partners that he'll take care of Stella's duties at the farm while still working remotely for his NYC investment firm. Keeping busy keeps Charlie's busy mind occupied, so he has also taken over Stella's responsibilities for the upcoming Autumn festival. It's just a bonus that he gets to work on the committee with new business owner, Nova Porter.    Charlie continues his shameless flirting with Nova never believing that she gives him more than a fleeting thought whenever he encounters her.   Little does he know that Charlie is constantly in the back of Nova's thoughts.

Nova is beside herself with nerves getting the final touches on her tattoo studio. Opening a shop in her small home town is risky but its something she has dreamed of for years. Her family has backed her and trusted her for years and she is afraid of disappointing them, especially her big brother, Beckett.  Beckett was the first person to offer up his arm when she decided she wanted to be a tattoo artist and he has allowed her to practice on him ever since.  Nova just can't disappoint Beckett after all he has done for her so she is making herself crazy trying to obtain perfection before she can open her door and show him.

Nova has no time right now for a relationship but she thinks that flirty Charlie Milford might be up for a one time, no strings night of sex. At least she hopes that there was something behind all that flirting he always does when he is around her. Except it seems that neither one want to stop at just once and decide to keep their trysts as business casual at least while Charlie is filling in for Stella.

But what happens when two people who promise to keep things casual each find themselves getting way too attached to their casual fling, especially when Charlie will soon need to return to NYC?

THOUGHTS:
Another sweet, sweet story, and I am heartbroken that it will be the last of this series.  The author indicates that this is absolutely the last book, except maybe an short story or novella just for fun down the road.   I am so sad.  I liked this little town as much as Charlie does and he at least was on the phone tree.   Ha!  At least until he and Nova become the subject of the phone tree.  Always be wary of NOT receiving another call on the phone tree because then the gossip is about you.

Charlie's father always pushing him but also spends a lot of time sabotaging Charlie with his clients.  Charlie is always battling his need to impress his father, even while he hates his father.  Charlie always comes off as a fun guy because he doesn't believe he is worthy of anyone's attention.  He feels that if he didn't wear the mask of fun-time Charlie, no one would want to spend time with him.  It was heartbreaking to see him in tears when Nova chooses him.

Nova puts too much pressure on herself to succeed.  She feels that she can't let her family down. She is so stressed about failing that she pushes her brother, her most loyal supporter, away because she doesn't want to show him her studio until she deems it perfect and he is hurt that she won't let him see.

I absolutely loved watching these two get past their own feelings of failure and risk reaching out for the one person they want to spend their time with.  Even when thinking the other party didn't want anything serious, they each put themselves out there to support the other.

Just a sweet romance at the end of a sweet series.  I will be visiting Lovelight Farms again in the future.

This was such a beautifully written story! B. K. Borison has such a way with words and describes even the simplest of moments with eloquence and delicacy.

Charlie and Nova have known each other and interacted with each other before this book, but now that Charlie is staying in town for the next month at Lovelight Farms, the sparks between these two characters are tough to resist. What starts out as a short tern agreement quickly becomes a relationship that involves caretaking, family dinner and sharing vulnerabilities they haven't shared with anyone else. When it comes time for Charlie to return to his life in New York City, these two have to decide if the temporary situation they said they wanted at the start is what they want for their future.

This was so tended hearted and swoony. The character arcs that both of these characters go through tug on the heartstrings and have you rooting for them to find their happily ever after. Nova struggles with perfectionism and overcommitting herself. Charlie struggles with seeing his value while trying to go above and beyond to meet the needs of those around him. Their individual journeys as well as their romance arc together had me invested and turning page after page to see what happened next.

Many thanks to Berkley and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this story. All opinions are my own.

I'm a bit sad that Lovelight Farms is complete but I also look forward to reading whatever this author comes up with next!

This book has a charming small-town setting, witty dialog, and grumpy-sunshine vibes. It's the fourth book in a series of interconnected standalones, and unfortunately if you haven't read the other books then it's a big bogged down with side characters and storylines from the previous book. I'm sure readers of the full series appreciate these glimpses into past couples, but it was a lot to keep track of if you haven't read them all, and it takes time away from developing the primary couple in this book. Overall I enjoyed this romance but it wasn't a slam dunk. Those who have read the previous three books will enjoy this one too!

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Company for generously providing me with an advanced copy of this novel via Netgalley.