Business or Pleasure

April 1, 2023

A lackluster one-night stand becomes a ghostwriter's surprise next client in Solomon's (Weather Girl) latest contemporary romance. Chandler Cohen agrees to take on a C-list celebrity memoir client, Finn Walsh, despite their awkward mishaps in the bedroom. Together they hit the national comic-con circuit, where Finn connects with fans of his 2000s cult-favorite werewolf show. While on the road, Chandler admits her disappointment about their evening together and agrees to instruct Finn in the bedroom arts. As their connection grows deeper, they'll both have to determine if their arrangement is still strictly business. Chandler's first-person point of view recounts sensitive topics, including anxiety disorders, abortion, and antisemitism, but Solomon balances weightier passages with moments of levity throughout. Despite not having access to Finn's inner dialogue, readers will gain a full picture of him thanks to his years of therapy and earnest communication. VERDICT Sweet, steamy, and satisfying, this is sure to please readers.--Shanel Slater

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Starred review from May 1, 2023
Solomon (Weather Girl) delights with this hot and heartfelt rom-com. Ghostwriter Chandler Cohen heads straight to the bar after suffering through a book party for the celebrity memoir bestseller that no one knows she wrote. She feels an instant zing of attraction with the stranger who plops down next to her and decides a quick hookup is just what she needs—leading to some truly awkward and uncomfortable sex (“This man has no idea where the clitoris is”). At least she’ll never have to see him again, right? Unfortunately, her inept lover turns out to be washed-up heartthrob actor Finn Walsh, her new client. They’re going to collaborate on Finn’s memoir and agree to keep things professional—until Chandler lets slip that their night together wasn’t as mind-blowing as Finn seems to believe. She thinks she’s going to be fired, but instead Finn asks Chandler to coach him into being a better lover through a series of steamy “intimacy lessons.” While it’s no surprise that Finn and Chandler get a happy ending, Solomon fills the journey there with clever twists and turns and supportive, realistically drawn family and friends, who offer advice and encouragement along the way. This is a joy. Agent: Laura Bradford, Bradford Literary.

June 1, 2023
Ghostwriting celebrity memoirs is something Chandler Cohen is good at, though she secretly wishes she could write her own book. At a last-minute meeting with a potential new client, Chandler is shocked to discover the client is actually Finn Walsh, a former teen actor who also happens to be Chandler's one-night stand from the night before. She's ready to turn down the job, but the offer is more than she can refuse. Chandler finds herself touring the country with Finn as he attends various comic conventions, all so she can gather information to ghostwrite his memoir. But when Chandler lets it slip that Finn isn't great in the bedroom, he's determined to learn to be better, inspiring Chandler's offer to tutor him in the art of sexual pleasure. Fans of comic conventions and Hollywood crushes will adore Solomon's (Weather Girl, 2022) sexy celebrity romance. Chandler's emotional journey to decide what she really wants to do with her life will resonate with many, while nerdy Finn is exactly the book-boyfriend readers will adore.

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Starred review from June 15, 2023
A ghostwriter and a C-list actor supplement their working relationship with lessons in seduction. Chandler Cohen is a ghostwriter, and her insecurities about her work only grow larger when an author whose memoir she wrote fails to recognize her at their launch event. In need of commiseration, she strikes up a conversation with a fellow event attendee. Following an immediate attraction, they cap off the night with a surprisingly mediocre one-night stand. Her next assignment is yet another celebrity memoir, this one written with Finn Walsh, known mostly for playing the nerdy character in a werewolf drama with a cult following. It turns out that he was also her lackluster hookup. At first, they agree to keep things professional, but when Finn learns that Chandler was left unsatisfied by his bedroom prowess, he seeks to spice up their arrangement: Perhaps Chandler could improve not only his memoir, but his seduction skills as well. He thinks getting Chandler to go along with this plan is a long shot, but she readily agrees. It's always a pleasure to see the woman in a heterosexual couple being more experienced in intimate matters and having no problem communicating her desires. Chandler knows she deserves better at work and in her romantic life, and it's a joy to root for her as she makes changes for her own happiness and independence. Finn is pretty close to the definition of a cinnamon-roll hero; he's genuine, communicative, and has an earnest desire to make sure Chandler feels seen and heard in all aspects of their nebulous relationship. Solomon consistently balances spicy and sweet, making her romance novels a sure bet for a good read. A must-read modern romance that emphasizes silliness and sexiness in equal parts. Solomon's best yet.

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