Book Summary: 

Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in “ghostwriter” until she attends a signing for a book she wrote—and the author doesn’t even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten.

Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps.

Chandler’s determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he’s distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they’re not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure—or if there’s a way for them to have both.

My Review:

The splayed open honest communication in this book was so refreshing that I had to make sure I mentioned it. There was no “saving face” or long breaks due to miscommunication. Rachel Lynn Solomon did what every romance reader begs authors to do, she made the characters talk to each other, not just about the easy things but the hard, embarrassing, vulnerable truths we have a tendency to avoid. Add in the humor, sultry scenes, and (as always) fantastic writing and Business or Pleasure will be yet another book by Rachel that you simply can’t put down.

“Reach for the moon. Even if you fail, you will land amongst the stars!” What a load of crap! Chandler had reached for the stars when she graduated with her journalism degree and landed her dream job. She reached for the stars when her unrequited love for Wyatt finally lead somewhere. Where has all of that gotten her! Sitting in the back of a bookstore watching yet another author take full credit for her ghostwriting work, nursing a broken heart. All she ever wanted to be when she was a child was an author. Cozy mysteries were her passion and her family loved the ones she would share. Now, sans a real job since the company she worked for folded, making do in the land of freelance writing, Chandler doesn’t know which way is up and she is drowning. Seeking refuge from her spinning thoughts and quickly recognized rock bottom, Chandler meets a gorgeous man at the bar and hits it off instantly. Never one to be a risk taker, Chandler decides to throw caution to the wind as Drew invites her to enjoy the evening with him. Mind blowing connection, sparks everywhere, this night looks all kinds of promising until it ends with the worst sex she has ever had in her life! How?! How could a connection so strong go south so fast! Mortified on his behalf, Chandler sneaks out to survive yet another day only to receive a call from her agent that a potential ghostwriting job is up for grabs and she has minutes to make it to the interview. Not what she pictures but a fan of job security and paying her bills, Chandler walks in to find no other than her one night stand sitting at the table. Turns out the illustrious “Drew” is no other than Finn Walsh from the hit show “The Nocturnals”. Realizing she definitely did something to warrant this level of bad luck, Chandler pretends to not know Drew/Finn until the agent leaves the table. Frustration, confusion, and hushed whispers aside, Chandler knows she can’t possibly take this job but can’t argue against Finn’s reasoning for wanting her talent. She concedes but quickly regrets her decision when a truce to forget the past reveals how she truly felt about their night together. Hoping that brief moment of confession is forgotten, once they reconnect to work – Finn shares that he did some “research” to validate her claim and finds out it is absolutely true! Simply making a joke to lighten the mood, Chandler offers to give Finn a few pointers to improve his bedroom etiquette. She can’t believe her surprise (and excitement?) when he agrees. As if her life wasn’t a mess before, now she has been tasked with not only writing a memoir, but helping Finn become a rockstar between the sheets. What is happening?!

While this was not a dual POV book, it almost felt like it as Finn was so transparent with everything – what he was thinking, how he was feeling, what was going on his life. Yes, Chandler was writing his memoir so that setup was perfect for the reader but the way Rachel presented it just seemed so natural. I loved how they were from different walks of life but were able to relate on the same level. The night they met, Finn was just “Drew”, in town for a conference as a tech salesman. Stripping away his “Hollywood status”, there was nothing glamorous about the life he lived and the woes he faced. I agree, if he had introduced himself as the guy who played Hux on television and the one girls swoon for at Cons, their connection would have been very different.

I loved Chandler’s spiraling as a character. She didn’t just look at that world and say “Here I am, take me or leave me”. She felt like her life was a dumpster fire but she was doing what she could to just stay above water and be happy. She didn’t want to rock the boat and her safety net had become her lifeline. She had no problem saying what needed to be said, speaking her truth, and being honest with others. It was being honest with herself, facing her fears, believing in her own capabilities that always tripped her up. Again, I applaud the communication throughout the story – it was so open and freeing. Her discussions with Noemie, her parents, no one sugar-coated in this story and it was never taken as an insult when someone said what “needed” to be said instead of what someone wanted to hear. The characters Rachel created were thoughtful, well-rounded, relatable, and simply the best.

As for Finn’s character, I don’t think it is possible to talk about him without hearts in my eyes. He was sweet, dorky (I nearly lost it when he started speaking the elfish language), kind, loving, and very self-aware (in all but one area but Chandler fixed that!) His struggle with his father and his OCD just made my heart sink. The fact that Ethan was such a jerk about it made me hate that guy even more but I loved his ex Hallie and the other characters from the show. Not going to lie, I kinda wish The Nocturnals was a real show, I can see why fans were addicted! Back to Finn, I constantly waited for a Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde moment with him because no one can be that sweet and caring all the time. Apparently they can! Who he was never wavered and your heart is a puddle by the end of the book.

Seeing the fact that part of Finn and Chandler’s time together was spent giving intimacy lessons, yes – yes it was steamy and educational. With Chandler’s gender and sexuality educational background, Rachel had a chance to provide knowledge as well as heat to the reader. Asides for the initial mishap that will have you peeking through your fingers and cringing on Chandler’s behalf, their spicy moments could melt the pages but the communication factor between knowing one’s desires and feeling empowered to share them was invaluable. I did appreciate that all of this started because Finn put his ego aside and actually reached out to prior partners to see how he was in bed. Who does that?! Just one more reason why his character quickly became a personal favorite.

While I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, the one area I truly agreed with is Chandler’s need to think things through when she needed time away from Finn to figure out her life. If she had stayed with him to figure it out, she would have always resented him because she wouldn’t know if she made the decision for herself or to spare his feelings. She needed to come to terms with her reality that fear was the driving force in everything that she was doing in her life. She projected her fears on everyone else and used them as a shadow over her own wants and needs. She couldn’t leave Seattle because of her family. She couldn’t be an author because her parents would worry about her and her future. She hid behind others because the truth was she was too afraid to fall, to fail, to reach for the moon and fall on her face.

I thought it was interesting how much weight Chandler put on sharing that she had an abortion. In a world split on the issue, I can see how that little morsel can make or break a connection between two people. It is the ultimate meter of judgement for her. Will those she shares her truth with look at her differently, silently judge her, hold it against her, or just see it as a part of who she is as a whole person – no different than being born on leap day. 

If the review hasn’t reveal it by now, communication, as well as acceptance, was the cornerstone of this book. Whether it was accepting who you are despite what others believed, communicating the good as well as the bad and being open to speaking and listening – without judgement, or simply trusting your own inner voice – Rachel reminds us that the journey of finding ourselves and following our hearts can be arduous but worth it in the end.