Business Casual by B.K. Borison 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 Porter and Charlie Milford’s story was always going to be loads of fun with the quick beats of banter we’d get in the other books, but it’s how tender their romance becomes that propels the emotions 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, making it the kind of narrative someone somewhere will need with everything in them.
Starting something that’s entirely your own is formidable. No business, no matter how fun it is and seems on the outside, blossoms without hard work, blood, sweat, and a lot of tears. Whether it’s a tree farm, a tattoo shop, or even an entertainment website, building something from the ground up takes so much out of you at times that it’s almost impossible to fully describe what it’s like. But in the end, when you’re doing what you love (writing reviews, it’s me, hi) or Nova Porter inking clients—every little moment is worth it. And in a nutshell, Business Casual by B.K. Borisonemphasizes the heartaches of imposter syndrome through the perspectives of characters who are easy to fall in love with it.
Both Charlie and Nova, to a degree, feel they need to earn the love and support they have, which makes complete sense when they lock into a friends-with-benefits relationship. It makes even more sense when that naturally evolves into catching feelings. Pair their inner demons with the deliciously hot and equally delicate bits of longing, and you’ve got a winning couple whose love story is worth investing in. We’ve been with these characters for quite a while now, so it makes saying goodbye hard to do.
And that ultimately means the scenes involving everyone from Inglewild hit a little harder. Both Charlie and Nova get stunning moments with their siblings that touch base with who they are at their core and why the things they do matter so much.
And in this regard, it’s Charlie’s character journey that takes us by surprise the most. You think you know him from the other books—or at least bits of him—but what we get in Business Casual by B.K. Borison is something else entirely. He’s so deeply nurturing, kind, honest, and openly expressive. How he goes from the investment banker to where we find him at the end of the last chapter results in the best kind of decision a writer could make for their characters. (One that deserves to be spoiler-free, so this is all I’ll say on that topic.)
In a nutshell, Business Casual is a fitting, worthy conclusion to a wholesome series that’s felt like home to many readers. It’s the necessary cozy blanket on a cold rainy day, and it’s the piece of cake you forget is waiting for you in the fridge when you wake up in the morning. It deals with complex character motives with two incredibly fleshed-out characters whose interactions are so much fun that they’ll evoke all the squeals and butterflies.
Business Casual by B.K. Borison releases wherever books are sold on July 16.
First Featured Image | Book Cover Credit: ©B.K. Borison | Berkley