#inglewild

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?

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.

Review:

What was only suppose to be a one night stand turns into something more as two polar opposites find themselves constantly going back to one another in this charming romance. Nova Porter is a free spirited tattoo artist who isn't looking for love yet she can't explain her attraction Charlie Porter,, the three piece suit wearing charmer of an investment banker. In an effort to try and get Charlie out of her system, Nova proposes they have a one night stand... but little does she know that Charlie is in it for the long game and he wants to convince Nova to invest in their relationship and to prove to her that they are meant to be together. This was such a charming and sweet read, it's got cozy small town romance vibes but also the spice too which is fantastic. It is a part of the Lovelight farm series however you can read it as a standalone and not get lost at all. Charlie was such a sweet love interest for Nova and I loved their relationship progressing. It's definitely a cute read and I would absolutely recommend this series!

Release Date: July 16,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group | Berkley for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[mercerislandbooks]

Book Notes: Business Casual and the Lovelight Farms series

For all you contemporary romance readers, Business Casual, the fourth book in the Lovelight Farms Series came out the other week and I couldn’t wait to put it on my staff rec shelf! When the first book in the series, Lovelight Farms, came out a year ago this summer, I was not in the mood for its Christmas tree farm setting and holiday vibe. Despite my enjoyment of Christmas in July on Hallmark, I don’t want to be thinking about festive romance books while wearing sandals and sunglasses. But after a friend raved about how good it was, I finally picked Lovelight Farms up in the fall and was instantly hooked.

The entire series is set in the charming East Coast town of Inglewild, with all the quirks of a Stars Hollow. There’s a Harvest Festival and a phone tree and trivia night at the local bar that everyone takes VERY seriously. The series is centered around Lovelight Farms (thus the name), a rundown Christmas tree farm that Stella Bloom owns and, as the series opens, is secretly struggling to keep afloat. To raise funds, she’s decided to enter a contest held by a social media influencer. The only trouble is that single Stella lied on her application and said she ran the farm with her boyfriend, thinking that would help her story. So she asks her best friend (and longtime crush) Luka, to step in, pretend to be her boyfriend, and help her win the contest. Any seasoned romance reader will see where this steamy friends-to-lovers/fake-dating plot is going, but the little details of the town and the small town characters also made Lovelight Farms such a fun, heart-warming escape.

Subsequent books (In the Weeds, and Mixed Signals) follow the stories of Stella’s two partners, Beckett and Layla, and in Business Casual, we finally get to Stella’s half-brother, Charlie, and Beckett’s younger sister, Nova. Both of them have made appearances throughout the other books, and while I was intrigued by Nova, a tattoo artist with the ability to match a person to just the right body art, Charlie came off as a goofball stuck in a suit and a city job. Every time he’d make an appearance in Inglewood, chaos and hijinks seemed to follow. Well, B.K. Borison definitely buried the lead on Charlie, because in Business Casual, the reader gets to finally see what’s going on beneath that jokey exterior and it’s an intensely tender-hearted guy who just wants to belong and be wanted, somewhere.

Charlie’s father is a piece of work, and his affair with Stella’s mother is how these two happened to be half-siblings. Charlie has followed in his father’s footsteps, career-wise, but couldn’t be more different than him in personality. In Business Casual, while Stella and Luka are off on their honeymoon, Charlie steps in to cover things at Lovelight Farms, in addition to working his finance job remotely. He’s pretty sure he can handle everything, even if he's doing two full time jobs. What he’s not sure he can handle is Nova finally making a pass at him after he's been flirting with her for months.

Nova is on the cusp of opening her own tattoo parlor in her hometown and, while Charlie’s been very helpful as a consultant on all the small business things she needs to have in order, she’s also working all the hours of the day and in need of some “stress relief”. Maybe she’ll finally take all the flirting Charlie’s been doing with her seriously and see if he’s up for a fling. Just while he’s in Inglewild. Of course, no one can know. Not her family and definitely not the town.

Again, it’s not hard to see where all this is going, but while there’s plenty of steaminess to this romance, the parts that really stay with me are the ways in which Charlie and Nova slowly open up to each other. Their vulnerabilities and the quiet moments they share add a deeper layer to their intimacy.

I’m sad that with Business Casual B.K. Borison seems to be done with Lovelight Farms for the moment. But for those of you who haven’t tried this series yet, take heart in knowing you have four great books to discover!

-- Lori

[deadmunds-ghostbee]

just dropping by to remind you that Caleb fucks x

Caleb, the man who got fired from the Sheriffs office because he was too nice. Because he waived parking tickets and didn’t want people to have to pay. Caleb the man who zoomed around Inglewild all day to rally the troops to help Layla prepare for her newspaper shoot. Caleb who exhaustedly deals with teenagers all day and is afraid of his grandma. CALEB THE DESIGNATED DRIVER IN A HAWAIIAN SHIRT IS THE FREAKIEST FREAK IN ALL OF INGLEWILD??!???😭😭😭

I just feel like Luka knew that Caleb could fuck that good and that’s why he was so jealous when Dane left Caleb behind with Stella bc he would be useless in catching the vandal. Luka was privy to this info and he was so real for that! Luka knew and he doesnt even live in Inglewild 🧐

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Business Casual - B.K. Borison

"Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough?

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."

Listen Date - August 2024

Length - 384 pages

Genre - Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary

Rating - 6/10

Stars - ★★★★☆

Notes - I think the start of this book has such beautiful imagery, and I can’t get over the dialogue between the sisters. It’s so carefree and to die for. The talk of sex culture, and in turn, hook up culture was interesting, and i like the way it’s played out in this book. The scenes between Nova and Charlie are so spicy in the best way, and i think its perfect. I think the sexual tension between the two is just really good, and the fact that Charlie and Nova DON’T end up sleeping together is really smart. I wasn’t expecting it, to be honest. I think its cute that Charlie’s sister was put up for adoption, and later in life they reconnected. It’s cool representation I wasn’t expecting! Charlie giving his sister tickets to Italy was also so sweet, and goes to show who he is as a character. The general attitude that Nova and Charlie have together is so firey for me, and i really love them together already. Something about it just hits all the right buttons for me. The way Charlie’s dad acts is a perfect odd man out in the way everyone else is acting. He’s insane and emotionally abusive. The spice is so sweet and I love how the dirty talk is written. It so realistic and not too soft. It’s perfect. I love how sensual the entire thing is and its honestly very sweet, and spicy. The moments where they try talking THROUGH THE PLEASURE is so fucking juicy and good and unique imo. I like how life just goes back to normal for the two, and Charlie has to go back to running the business with Nova’s brother, and in turn, Nova has to deal with Jeremy. The argument between Charlie and Nova over their standing is understandable and makes sense in reality, and compared to other miscommunication tropes, i actually like this one. The way it’s cleared up was really quick and after that, the spice was really good again. I like how domestic and real this book feels. It’s not overdone and it hits all the right spots. Nova’s brother almost walking in on them and eventually making up with each other was sweet. They’re just siblings and they want to care for each other. Nova working through the issues that Charlie has while tattooing him is so sweet. Him addressing his jealousy was a nice moment and i like the way they show everything off. It’s just really nice and played out properly and it’s very cute. I love ALL the tattoo scenes, and how we see Nova’s artistry. The talks of Charlie having to leave back to New York is dramatic when long distance dating is a very real thing. they just believe it wont work for them. Stella and Charlie talking about the phone tree (social media) and talking about his true feeling for Nova is so sweet, and i think it’s cute how Charlie tries to hard. He’s just a good man deep down. He wants the best for people, and for his relationships. The texts between Nova and Charlie are sweet but it shows why the two don’t work in a long distance relationship. Nova breaking down at family dinner was such a dramatic scene in the best ways, and i like the way it was played out. She couldn’t hold it in anymore, and she just went insane. The reveal that everyone knew and literally doesn’t care is so cute. They also just want the best for Nova. Charlie teling off his dad to his face was so satisfying and well deserved, and like he said, it wont change the hurt and suffering, nor will it change his fathers actions in the future-- but its just well deserved calling out of his behavior. And I loved it. The reveal that Nova goes to New York to see Charlie in person is also an amazing idea and the way it played out was so nice. The business proposal that gets Charlie to move back home with Nova and Stella to keep running the business is so sweet and it gets Charlie away from his dad and the business back in NYC. It’s genuinely so sweet and i adore it a lot. The reveal that Charlie is getting a tattoo engagement ring is so cool way to propose as a tattoo artist. I’ve heard of tattoo wedding rings for those who work in hard labor or with machinery that makes it so that your ring is a hazard. but THIS is just sentimental because of her job! This book was really sweet and i think the smut was honestly really good and i could see myself coming back to it as different periods. It’s such a cute read and so worth it. 

[dkehoe]

Nova Porter has a lot on her mind. She’s opening a tattoo studio in her hometown of Inglewild and filing paperwork, and setting the studio up to her specifications is taking up all her brain space. Well, almost all of it. Investment Banker Charlie Milford is best friends with her brother and is the brother of one of her best friends and despite his three piece suit wearing ways, she can not get him out of her mind. So she propositions him to one night, no strings in order to kick this attraction to the curb. What they discover is that one night will never be enough. This is the last book in the Lovelight series but the first of B.K. Borison’s novels I’ve read. That could’ve been disastrous but I was hooked by Nova and Charlie and loved this author’s style of writing. This opposites attract novel was surprisingly great and right up my alley. Nova was such an interesting character. A grumpy tattoo’d empress of ink, her outside was such a dichotomy to her gooey center. She was driven, but her family was her heart, especially her brother Beckett. Charlie, too, was a contradiction in a suit. He looked like a straight laced gentleman but inside he was kind of an insecure wreck. An overbearing father, a time consuming job in New York, and his attraction to Nova were all competing for his time. Their story was filled with heat, definitely, but even more important they understood each other and were there for each other 100%. I loved how they supported each other with not only words, but actions. Their journey started off with a question mark but ended with an exclamation point. After reading this novel I wanted to go back and read this series from the beginning. I’m not a B.K. Borison convert and looking forward to exploring all of her other books. I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest. Click this link to purchase this book!* Business Casual Copyright 2024 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved *Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

[jessread-s]

✩🎂✨:

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO…

🏒 The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey - Tallurgess has consumed my every waking thought since I picked this one up and I know I will be obsessing over them for a long time. 

🍁 Business Casual by BK Borison - One last trip to Inglewild…I’m not crying, you’re crying!!! (jk we’re all crying)

🎻 Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto - Still recovering from that cello scene! Julie Soto does not mess around and we’re all the better for it. 

🍇 The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce - This book altered my brain chemistry in more ways than one and I couldn’t be more grateful. I can remember my life before “The Ex Vows”, but I can’t imagine life without Eli Mora and his emotional support necklace!

I am so lucky to be living at the same time these authors are putting out such phenomenal romance books in the world 💖

Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph

[rukhsandbooks]

“From there, we fell into a routine. Whenever he was in town, he managed to find me and we got grilled cheese. Grilled cheese turned into afternoon walks through the park and early morning farmer’s markets. Afternoon happy hours and trivia nights. His trips to Inglewild became more frequent and he invited me to stop by if I ever found myself in New York. I got brave and tried, booking a bus ticket on a whim.

Luka filled the empty places in my life slowly, carefully, with his easy smile and stupid jokes. He brought me back to myself.”

Excerpt From

Lovelight Farms (The Lovelight Series Book 1)

B.K. Borison

[e-antoinette-reading]

I thought I was going to start a fantasy romance series, but this eagerly-anticipated beauty released early. I’m now going to spend Easter weekend with Evelyn + Beckett 😍🎉 . . . Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget. Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck. Also, her eyes. And her legs. So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is … confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on. But Evelyn St. James has a problem. Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, she’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild. It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with. Nothing at all. (at Highland Park, New Jersey) https://www.instagram.com/p/CcWbmyBMrjf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[dkehoe]

Temperatures are stretching into the upper 90’s in Nashville and I’m staying indoors to beat the heat. This is the perfect weather to really get into that book you’ve been looking forward to coming out. There are several on this list (ok all five!) that I’m going to be reading as soon as I can! #5 BOOK RELEASE I’m a sucker for sports romances and this series by Liz Tomforde has been really entertaining. Despite landing in my #5 spot, I’ll probably pick this one up first. LOL Synopsis: Kennedy I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago. But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand. Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake. Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband. They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas… sometimes it follows you right back home. Isaiah As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman. I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed. We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material. Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose. So come on, wife… play along. Click this link to purchase this book!* Play Along #4 BOOK RELEASE This cover is just it for me! It makes me want to pick up the book and read it, even before reading the synopsis! Synopsis: Two opposites decide to test their chemistry with one steamy night together. But will once be enough? 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. Click this link to purchase this book!* Business Casual *Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through any of these links I’ll receive a small stipend. #3 BOOK RELEASE Rainbow Rowell has a deft hand in enveloping her characters in all the emotions. I admit, sometimes I don’t want to go there but this synopsis makes me think “this is the one!”. Synopsis: Back in high school, everybody thought Shiloh and Cary would end up together . . . everybody but Shiloh and Cary. They were just friends. Best friends. Allies. They spent entire summers sitting on Shiloh’s porch steps, dreaming about the future. They were both going to get out of north Omaha—Shiloh would go to go to college and become an actress, and Cary would join the Navy. They promised each other that their friends...