Business Casual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison – heartwarming small-town romance

Business Casual is a delightful, charming, and heartwarming small-town romance with lovely characters and a perfect setting.

Previous Books In This Series –

Lovelight Farms (Book 1)
In the Weeds (Book 2)
Mixed Signals (Book 3)

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.

Review

Business Casual is a delightful and heartwarming conclusion to the Lovelight series, centering on the story of Charlie, Stella’s half-brother, and Nova, Beckett’s youngest sister.

In the previous book, we saw Charlie frequently visiting Inglewild, seemingly drawn to Nova and assisting her with her tattoo studio. But is Nova the only reason for his visits, or is there something more? Business Casual provides the answers.

Nova is busy establishing her tattoo studio in Inglewild, with her schedule packed and an opening party on the horizon. She’s not looking for a relationship, but Charlie’s frequent presence and undeniable charm become a distraction. She convinces herself that one night with Charlie might be enough to get him out of her system

As a wedding gift to Stella, Charlie sends her on a month-long vacation to Italy, promising to manage her farm while she’s away. Now that he’s in town for a month, he seizes the opportunity to spend more time around Nova. He agrees to her one-night proposal.

What begins as a one-night stand soon evolves into no strings attached casual relationship, something akin to friends with benefits and that quickly deepens to much more.

I loved getting to know Charlie better in this book. Throughout the series, he’s been a secondary character—a fun-loving, always-happy guy and an amazing brother to Stella. But this book reveals more about him, and now I love him even more.

He’s caring, observant, and selfless, always helping others and spreading joy. Yet, we also see his vulnerable side, particularly when it comes to his toxic relationship with his narcissistic father. It was heartbreaking to see how deeply this affected him—how he felt undeserving of anything without earning it and how taking something he wanted felt selfish to him.

I especially enjoyed how Inglewild brought out the best in Charlie, alleviating the loneliness of his New York life. Being with Nova helps him realize that he’s nothing like his father, that he deserves good things, and that he belongs in Inglewild—with Nova.

Nova is smart, funny, but reserved, often refusing help from her family and friends. She struggles with imposter syndrome, feeling like she hasn’t earned what she has, including her tattoo studio. She’s particularly anxious about showing the studio to Beckett, her first-ever customer, fearing she’ll disappoint him.

It was lovely to see her getting over her feelings, learning to have faith in herself and above all it was amazing how being with Charlie made her realize relationships are not distraction or she wouldn’t lose herself if she had a relationship.

The romance between Charlie and Nova is a captivating blend of opposites attract, secret relationship, and sizzling chemistry. Their flirty banter is delightful, and there are many memorable moments between them. Some of my favorites include their pizza and movie night, the time Charlie cares for Nova when she has a migraine, and when Charlie finally gets his tattoo.

Like all previous book Inglewild and its people once again shines as heart of the story. It was heartwarming to see how they embraced Charlie, making him a part of their close-knit community from the very beginning of the series. This meddling town and its phone tree once again conspired to bring the couple together and yet gave them enough time to get to their senses on their own.

I love the kindness, generosity, and nosiness of this town, and it was adorable how they became a found family for Charlie. The Porter family, in particular, stood out, and it was wonderful to see all the characters from the series come together at the end.

Overall, Business Casual is a delightful, charming, and heartwarming small-town romance with lovely characters and a perfect setting.

My Favorite lines/quotes from Business Casual-

(Charlie) “But Nove, you don’t have to be perfect.”
(Nova) “yes, she whispers, voice cracking. “Yes, I do”
(Charlie) I roll my lips against the desire to tell ger that she’s wrong. That doing her very best is good enough. That she deserves all the things she has.”

“This town cares entirely too much about what everyone is up to in their free time.”

“I’ve always liked flowers best. They’re pretty, but more resilient than people give them credit for.”

“Once upon a time I thought a relationship meant having shackles on my wrists, binding me to the needs of another person. I thought I’d have to sacrifice the things I’ve wanted most to be half of a whole. But now I know it just means I’ve got a safety net. Someone to lift me up and hold me steady. Someone to nag me about the spare key under my potted plant and someone to cut my grapes into tiny hearts. A partner. A friend.”

“Wanting and needing and loving and living are all strings on a braid twisted together.”

Book Links

Goodreads | Amazon.in | Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk

#BusinessCasual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison – delightful, charming, and heartwarming #smalltownromance with lovely characters and a perfect setting.Check out full review –> Share on X

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