3.5 stars
This was my first Rachel Lynn Solomon, despite being drawn to a few of her other books. But sadly this wasn't quite what I was hoping for when I read the blurb.
It was a totally fine story but not all that memorable, which was a shame.
A few of the scenes and even the way the two main characters spoke to and acted around one another just felt a bit too cringey for me.
I also didn't feel that chemistry I was looking for between them either.
It took me a number of months, after picking this up and putting it down, to finish it too, which wasn't ideal.
I am, however, open to reading more from this author as the premise was a really interesting one, it just didn't blow me away.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5* rounded down

I had mixed feelings on this one. I enjoyed the whole 'sex lessons' aspect of the story and I thought that the terrible one night stand was a great way to start a book- it really felt different in that respect, however it felt quite uneven at times and the pacing was a bit hit and miss so it felt a bit too long. That being said, I found that there was good anxiety and OCD rep in this and I liked the characters together!

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to review this book.

Business or Pleasure - Rachel Lynn Solomon

I was really looking forward to this one, having read this author before, however I was left feeling a little disappointed. I really struggled to find a connection with the characters and invest in their story- However this is just a personal feeling, and from reading other reviews I can see I am in a minority with this view. Thank you to Netgalley, Michael Joseph and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read it.

This was perfectly average. It was nice, but honestly I'd struggle to say more about it. The characters got along well, the dialogue was fine, the plot was fine. But altogether it just didn't leave much of an impression on me.

3.5 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. I apologise for getting to it so late. I’m still working on catching up with everything!

I normally don’t like the “one of us is famous” trope and haven’t had the best luck with it in the past but I was pleasantly surprised with this one. I really liked the snapshots from the show Finn was in and found it didn’t overwhelm the plot, it was just a nice addition. I also found the fact that Chandler was a ghostwriter added to the story as well, it was really interesting to get a look inside the industry. The two main characters were really cute together and I felt the chemistry between them and rooted for them. The OCD representation was also really solid and I liked that Finn was using his experiences to educate and help others.

However, one of my least favourite tropes is the “I’m not going to let myself fall for him because I don’t think he likes me back even though he quite obviously does and has told me multiple times I’m just too stubborn to listen” trope. That is this book. I was so sick of the lackluster excuses Chandler was making as to why they couldn’t be together and she was doing some real mental gymnastics during some conversations in regards to how she would take what Finn was saying.

Overall this was a cute and fun read, I enjoyed my time reading it once I picked it up and I would recommend it to romance readers who enjoy a spicy book with a good amount of plot alongside it. It was released on 6th July 2023 so it’s been out for a while!

I loved this book!. Rachel Lynn Solomon knows how to mix up that love and spice to make an addictive romance.

I absolutely loved this book - Rachel Lynn Solomon is quickly becoming one of my standout romance authors after reading Business or Pleasure, The Ex Talk AND Weather Girl. I really enjoyed the characters and their dynamics throughout this book and a good old-fashioned slow-burn romance is definitely what hits home with me!

Unfortunately this book just didn't do it for me. I enjoyed the authors previous book and the concept of this one but the delivery just didn't feel... right. A lot of the content was worthy of reading about: a man learning how to communicate better in sex after thinking he was doing everything right for years. An author hiding her anxiety for failure by ghostwriting instead of writing her own book. Mental health in Hollywood. Yet... I felt like the book tried too hard to give the couple chemistry. There was a lot of "and we burst out laughing" yet at no point did I feel like I was buying into the joy.

The cringy sex scene at the beginning of the book gave me hope this could be good but getting into the "lessons" it was like reading two different men. The one who was good at sex the one who wasn't. There was no connect between the two versions. However, the instructions on how he could be better at sex were good.

The snippets of shows and interviews that began each chapter didn't feel like they added anything to plot and for a book about Hollywood and acting, and comic con tours, I never got the feeling it was real or well researched.

Sadly I just wasn't invested in this book but it did have some good jewish representation in the book as both leads were jewish and the MMC's mum was a Rabbi which was a refreshing change from the white, middle class protagonists that dominate a lot of romances.

4.5 stars

I was unsure about this book for the first 25% - I was struggling to stay invested in the story and it felt a bit stiff at times; I worried that I was going to be one of those rare people who don't hype up Rachel Lynn Solomon's work! But after the 25% mark, I was IN. The chemistry between Chandler and Finn kicked off, Finn was the PERFECT book boyfriend, the communication and respect was out of this world - I loved it. It was also so funny, and yet at the same time could touch on serious notes with topics such as OCD, abortion, and generalised anxiety disorder. There was also Jewish representation, which I felt was done well (although I am not Jewish myself so please refer to Jewish OwnVoices reviewers!).

This romance felt really unique, and I loved the discussion on careers as well, and how sometimes you can be working a job that just drains you and isn't your dream - and whether you should change your career in your thirties. I loved the nerdiness involved as well, with Lord of the Rings and ComicCons abounding throughout the novel!

This has made me really excited to read Rachel Lynn Solomon's past romances, and I would highly recommend reading this!

RLS is one of my auto buy authors. I loved this one so much that I even got a special edition physical copy for my bookshelf

Thank you for the opportunity to review this new novel.

My apologies but this one was boring and kind of disheartening with an almost 40 year old guy who doesn't even know the anatomy of the female body... I really liked The Weather Girl but this one was not for me so I put it down :(
The story was slow and reading about his life was not what I wanted. Why would a C-celebrity write a memoir and why would anyone read it? Whole thing is unbelievable.

I really enjoyed this rom-com! Chandler is a ghostwriter hired to write the memoir of actor Finn Walsh, who was in a huge teen werewolf drama ten years ago (gave me stronggg Vampire Diaries vibes) – but the only catch is that Finn was the worst one-night stand of her life. Chandler and Finn have a really great relationship with lots of communication and fun, and I actually preferred this to the Ex-Talk. Also love Rachel Lynn Solomon's niche of Seattle-dwelling Jewish protagonists! Solid four stars, although I wish there had been more atmosphere with all the cities they visited. The NetGalley epub was really glitchy though, and it made it quite difficult to read – lots of random numbers scattered across the page and letters kept disappearing from words.

I have loved both of Rachel Lynn's adult books before this, but this one is my favourite. I loved watching Chandler and Finn discover themselves, and each other's bodies, and the slight Pygmalion hint to the whole story was hilarious as well as heartwarming. Though, I can't imagine how much of an ego hit it must be to hear "you are CRAP in bed!"

I also, like the other books from RLS, enjoyed the Jewish representation. It's clearly something important to her, and I felt here it was well portrayed. There were however a couple of things I didn't particularly understand, like a Jewish character eating pork, but overall it was well done.

It also dealt with some tougher topics, and I felt those were done with a lot of tact and respect. It's fantastically written book and I can't wait to see where Rachel Lynn goes next.

Rachel's writing is spicy and addicting, and this novel is no exception. The FMC is a ghost writer and is about to start her latest project. The story is based around the FMC having a one night stand which then leads into a few months of ghost writing by day and sexual satisfaction by night. I loved the characters and couldn't put the book down!

I enjoyed all novels by Rachel Lynn Solomon (her adult novels): her writing is addictive, her stories are enjoyable and immersive, and her characters are well-developed and relatable.

Business or Pleasure is her latest novel and I think it’s my favourite so far. The protagonist is Chandler Cohen, a thirty-something woman living in Seattle. She went to university full of dreams of becoming a journalist, but that’s not what happened. All her friends seem to have pursued their career, while Chandler, after the closure of the newspaper she worked for, has only found work as a ghost-writer for a few influencers. The job is not satisfying, especially when the fitness celebrity, whose book she wrote, has no idea who she is, but it pays the bills. Also, it keeps her distracted from the secret manuscript on her computer that she hasn’t opened in months and from her unrequited crush on her friend from college.

One night, in a bar, she meets a man. He is handsome, witty, and they have fun exploring Seattle together. They go back to his hotel room where they have the worst sex of her life. Chandler is sure she will never see him again, but then, the next morning, her agent calls her to offer a ghost-writing job for an actor mostly known for a ten-year-old werewolf TV show she’s never seen and she is shocked to find out that he is none other the man from the night before, Finnegan Walsh. She wants to refuse the job not only for the awkwardness between her and Finn, but also because it would mean leaving Seattle for the first time, following him around for two months from Comic-Con to Comic-Con, while working on the book together. But the pay is good and they can keep things professional, right? Except, when she admits the truth about their night together, Finn asks her to help him improve in the bedroom and how can she refuse?

I love the characters of Chandler and Finn. Chandler feels trapped in her life, living with her accomplished cousin and stuck in a career writing for others because she is afraid to write on her own. Finn is a bit shy, nerdy, and I love that he can talk the Elf language from Lord of the Rings. After the TV show ended, he’s acted in a few Hallmark movies, but he wants more and he hopes that the book will help him. Together, they are adorable and have great chemistry and I loved how their relationship develops.

Full of saucy scenes, honest conversations, and nerdy moments, Business or Pleasure is a witty, compelling, and amazing story with a cast of wonderful characters!

Whenever I see an announcement that Rachel Lynn Solomon has another book coming out, it gets added to my TBR list immediately and for good reason. Her books always bring me a lot of joy and her characters are extraordinary, with Business or Pleasure I got all the joy I expected and more!

Chandler Cohen lies for a living. So, when she accepts her next ghostwriting gig to pen a memoir for actor Finnegan Walsh, it should be her dream job. However, Chandler knows him as her worst one-night stand.

She is determined to keep things professional but when she admits to Finn that their night together wasn’t mind-blowing like he thought, he is mortified. The pair strike a deal. During the day, they’ll work on the book and at night, Chandler will help him correct where he went wrong during their night together. But, as they grow closer, the line between business and pleasure starts to blur.

I absolutely adore Finn and Chandler! They are two of my favourite characters that Rachel Lynn Solomon has created. Chandler is a hilarious, likeable and joyful main character. She is so open with Finn and comfortable in her body. She shows him a lot of compassion and patience. There are a few things in her past that mean she holds back at first but it was lovely to see her open up as the book progressed.

Finn is introduced to us as a clueless and clumsy nerd but we learn that there is so much more to Finn. He is incredibly smart and so willing to learn. He is charming and his personality is one you can’t help but fall in love with. He is a truly refreshing male main character.

The relationship between Chandler and Finn is one of the healthiest relationships I’ve ever read. The way they communicate, are vulnerable with each other, flirt, compromise and accept each other is what I wish we saw so much more of in romance books. More Chandler and Finn, please.

Business or Pleasure also has an incredibly thoughtful portrayal of mental health too. It isn’t often that it is portrayed from the angle it is in this book and it was refreshing to see. It certainly sheds light on some of the deeper intricacies of OCD and how it can affect a person.

The way the characters travel from comic con to comic con made me feel like I was travelling on a summer holiday with the characters. So, I think this would be perfect to read either during the summer or when the weather gets colder and we are wishing it was still summer.

Rachel Lynn Solomon is still one of my favourite romance and YA authors and I cannot wait to see what she releases next. There is no doubt it will be put on my TBR straight away.

Overall, Business or Pleasure is a cute, funny and quick-paced romance novel that I would highly recommend. It discusses the deeper topics whilst still remaining a fun book at its heart.

This was a very spicy and refreshing read! I loved both main characters so much, and their relationship just felt so right. This was also a very funny read! As a romance, it just hit a bit differently with it’s deliberate false start - I loved that we were all set up for an insta love type scenario starting with what was heading for a mind blowing one night stand and it just… wasn’t. It’s not very often you read a romance and it’s not predictable! I also loved that their shaky start didn’t give Chandler the ick, which made her all the more loveable as a character.

This was a thoughtful portrayal of mental health as well, from an angle we don’t often see, and shedding a light on some of the intricacies of OCD.

Finn was such a refreshing male main character - the fact that he could take what Chandler had to say about his, ahem, performance and maturely deal with it. I also loved that he wasn’t some ripped Greek God actor type character like usual, and yet somehow read as extremely attractive.

Overall, this was a great read and something a bit different from the usual romance novel!

What to expect:

- very spicy, open door romance
- lessons…
- mental health rep
- disappointing one night stand
- celebrity romance
- forced proximity
- he falls first

OMG! My new favorite rom-com!

Why oh why did I take this long to read a book by Rachel Lynn Solomon! I'm now a die-hard fan!

Thanks NetGalley and Michael Joseph, Penguin Random House for the ARC!

Synopsis -

Chandler Cohen is an under-appreciated ghost-writer. When she is offered to write for Finn Walsh, the well-known C-list actor from his sensational werewolf TV drama, Chandler is in for a shock as she realizes that she knows him for her one night stand mishap. Soon, she is writing a memoir for Finn and while they try to keep things professional, they also enter into a certain “arrangement”.

Review -

What’s not to like in a book as good as this? I’ve found my new favorite literary couple! Chandler was so easy to warm to – full of quirks, socks obsession, cuteness and wit. Finn was absolutely adorable as well – what with his love for LOTR, Elfish language, shy and nerdy freckled outlook.

Finn’s memoir writing project is irresistible to Chandler given how overworked, underpaid and dejected she feels with her ghost-writing career. Their connection is instantaneous. However, their one night stand experience sets in motion, a one of a kind ‘deal’ where in - Chandler has to school Finn in the art of ‘pleasure’.

Chandler and Finn develop a ‘role-model’ relationship. Built solely on honesty, openness and clear communication – they share such great comfort levels, vulnerabilities and a fresh raw frankness.

Touring all over America, Finn begins Chandler’s unbelievably structured “spice lessons 🌶️” and what results is one of the most entertaining display of fireworks 😍🎇. The chemistry sizzles, ebbs and flows 🔥❤️‍🔥🥵. Throw in their endearing banter, delightful humour, sensual dialogues 💋 and easy camaraderie, not to mention a bit of Hollywood glitz and drama - wow! We can only handle so much sweetness😘.

With themes positive body image and intimacy, healthy, candid relationships and Jewish cultural references, Solomon also addresses a few mental health topics - anxiety and OCD with her characters.

Exuberant with fun, steam and ultimate charm - 𝘉𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 will certainly deliver on immense pleasure!

This was a fun, sexy and enjoyable read. I quite enjoy those rom-coms in which you know from the off set the characters will get together and you're here for the journey of how they get there. It did sometimes feel like the barrier between them was a little tenuous and drawn out but the sexy scenes carried it through (there are a lot!).

A sweet, honest and refreshing romance between a ghostwriter and a former TV star

This was my first book by Rachel Lynn Solomon and I was excited by the premise, but unfortunately it fell flat for me.
There were things that were good:
📚 The communication and friendship between Finn and Chandler
📚The rare Jewish rep
📚The OCD and anxiety rep
📚The positive sex talk
📚A few hot sex scenes
📚The caring and gentle way they treated each other
📚The man getting sex lessons from a woman

Having said that, I didn't feel any chemistry between Finn and Chandler whatsoever! In fact they were awkward and cringey.

I felt little connection to the characters. I liked them fine but that's it.

The pop culture references 🙄

Boring flashbacks, which I skimmed

The dirty talk was embarrassingly bad

It was an ok book, and both characters had issues to work through both separately and together, but it felt lacklustre and slow. I wasn't invested. In fact I found it quite forgettable and underwhelming.

On the plus side, I do want to visit Seattle now 😂The author did a great job with the setting!