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.

The Lovelight Farms books will always hold a special place in my heart, and this book out of all the incredible stories, romances, and heartfelt journeys, may be my favorite of the bunch (even though it is so hard to choose one!).

With the charming small-town setting transitioning into fall, the perfect grumpy and sunshine dynamic, the adorable cast of characters, and the inspiring romance, this story swept me away instantly. It’s not often I feel seen in both main characters, and I felt incredibly emotional watching these two navigate their struggles and complex feelings. Dealing with chronic migraine myself it was so comforting to see a similar journey expressed through this book, and Charlie’s emotions about feeling misunderstood, lonely, and having ADHD thoughts also hit home.

This is definitely a book I could reread over and over again and feel the butterflies every time!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

I loved the whole Lovelight farms series and I think this is a great conclusion. It's nice to see Charlie get his happy ending. The character work was great and I appreciated the lack of third act break up. All in all, a really great time!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
✨ Opposites Attract
🍁 All the Fall feels
💜 Best Friend’s Sister
☎️ Inglewild Phone Tree

Why must this be our last visit to Inglewild? 🥹😭

B.K knows how to write a small town romance and Business Casual is no exception. Between the cute nicknames and the Inglewild phone tree doing what it does best - being in other’s business - Business Casual left me once again wishing Inglewild was a real place.

Business Casual is full of my favorite tropes like friends to lovers, small town, ‘let’s just get this out of system’ and no third act breakup! On top of that we get a golden retriever hero and a grumpy heroine!

The town of Inglewild is what really makes this book special, especially getting to see all the other couples from this town that we have loved.

Business Casual easily secured its place in my rotation of fall reads and I can’t wait for everyone else to be able to read.

Thank you to Berkley and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

This is my second Lovelight Farms book, and I absolutely adored it. Nova and Charlie were just so adorable I almost couldn’t stand it. I loved the banter between them! This is very much a book of two sunshine characters meeting and falling in love. There is nothing about this book that I didn’t love.
The writing was impeccable, and I loved all the side characters as well. The book had tons of atmosphere, and I loved how real this place felt. Another thing that I loved was the friendships and family relationships between all the characters. That was one of the best parts of the book. I feel like B.K. writes those so authentically and so beautifully.
This book is one that is so easy to get lost in, and it is one that I absolutely did not want to put down.
There is one scene in particular that had me laughing – I was so amused by it. Charlie and Nova have so much chemistry together, and I loved every moment of it. It made me feel all mushy and happy, and when a book gives me feelings like that, then there is no better feeling.
When I finished I was smiling, happy and content. There is no better feeling than that – this book was truly SO GOOD and I highly, highly recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book. Nova and Charlie are so soft for each other but in their own ways and I loved watching them discover that about each other and find their footing in their relationship. Lovelight has been such a joy of a series and I thought this was a beautiful way to wrap everything up with two characters that most definitely deserve their happy ending. Every single peek into previous characters lives was so fun and Charlie's love for the town and everyone in it really enhanced the setting and made me love the small town aspect even more. Nova and Charlie's arcs as individuals were so heartfelt and important to me, they had me in the palm of their hands right away. I just love them so much.

I can't believe this series is over 😭

The Lovelight series is such a feel good series and when I think of each and every book, it gives me so many warm and happy feels. Each couple is so different and their relationship and stories shows you how love can come in so many different packages and no matter who you are, you are worthy of it. With Business Casual, that message is a central part of the plot.

Nova and Charlie are two characters who on the surface may seem very different--Nova, the tattooed, surly and black cat energy heroine and Charlie the suit-wearing, always grinning sunshine hero--but at their core they are two people who are afraid of commitment and afraid of love. They each have their backstories and reasons for why they have always felt like love is not something that would ever be in their lives, but what I really liked about them both is the way that they really helped each other see exactly why each of them deserved all the best things in life, including love.

I also loved seeing the crew again and I could honestly read a million bonus scenes just watching Stella and Luka or Evelyn and Beckett or Layla and Caleb just being so cute together living their happy, everyday lives. Truly, the best part of this book and this series is the characters and this little town that has soo much personality and feels so real in my head.

The only reason this is getting a 4 star rating and not a 5 star rating is because personally, I did not like Nova and Charlie romantic dynamic. Nova definitely plays more of a "dominant", in charge type of role both in the bed and outside of it and unfortunately, while I pride myself on being a feminist, I like my heroes to be the ones calling the shots and bossing people around 😂 To be clear: I love both of them individually and I love them together, I just couldn't totally click with them because their relationship dynamic was just not for me. There was a certain scene in particular in the epilogue that was just really cringe for me and while I am so happy they are together, they are probably my least favorite couple simply because I am not a fan of their relationship dynamic. But again, I LOVE THIS BOOK AND THIS COUPLE SO MUCH. Do not read this paragraph and think this is not worth reading because it 100% is and it honestly gives a pretty perfect ending to this series and the couples as well.

I love BK Borison's writing and I have no doubt whatever she writes next will be just as amazing, but for now, I'll be rereading this series and falling in love all over again with this small little town and its townspeople.

Business Casual by B.K. Borison is a captivating blend of coziness and heartwarming tenderness. This soul-satisfying romance will enchant you, leaving a lasting impression on your heart.

This was my first B.K. Borison and I'm afraid it'll also be my last. I'm beginning to have less and less patience for contemporary romances these days and don't feel like giving multiple chances to authors when one book tells me we're an author/reader mismatch. I know she's popular but not for me and that's ok. This book was a snooze. I was bored. I feel like I've read some version of this book and that's ok, I don't need romance authors to reinvent the wheel but I do expect them to give me some romance and this felt like, where was the yearning, the longing? Another thing that probably didn't help is that this is the final book in a series and having read none of the previous books, the side characters were hard for me to keep track of, too many of them and they all had books that I did not read. I think many people will love it, this book will absolutely find an audience, it just wasn't for me.

Content Notes: toxic parental relationship

Thank you Berkley Romance for my copy! All thoughts are my own.

Like many other romance readers, I stumbled across Lovelight Farms back in 2021 on Kindle Unlimited and was charmed by this small town of meddling folk and a quiet little tree farm. I couldn’t wait to read the final installment of this series, especially cause I loved every glimpse of Charlie we got in the other books. I think this might be my new favorite in the series! I thought it was so lovely and charming, an easy and comforting read while still being grounded in reality. Charlie Milford, we love you.

Synopsis:

“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.” —NetGalley

What I Liked:

The Cozy Vibes—I love this universe because it feels like a literally version of Stars Hollow from Gilmore Girls and the vibes of a Hallmark movie without the cheese. I love it so much.

The Witty Dialogue—The dialogue in this book was top notch. I could hear all the characters so clearly and it really came to life in my head. Out of all the books, I think this one would be such a fun one to watch on screen!

Charlie—I think he might have made it onto my ultimate book boyfriends list. I LOVED Charlie. He was so funny and warm and charming. It was fun to see a male character want to give up life in the “big city” for the small town as opposed to a female character!

What Didn’t Work for Me:

Wanted a Bit More Conflict—I am not bothered by third act break ups like other readers, I think it’s important to the genre. I love a book that doesn’t have one as much as the next reader, but I feel like some conflict is good for the characters and story. I just wanted a little bit more to add some oomf to the emotional resolution.

Character Authenticity: 4/5 Spice Rating: 2/5 Overall Rating: 4/5

The book felt like a giant hug! It’s so hard to finish a series effectively, and this one does it perfectly! I’m recommending this to my friends.