Business or Pleasure & Play to Win

I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Narrator: Hathaway Lee
Published by Berkley Publishing Group, Penguin Random House Audio on July 4, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Length: 10 hours 3 minutes
Pages: 384
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

An Indie Next Pick
A LibraryReads Hall of Fame Pick

Named a Most Anticipated Summer Read by Buzzfeed, Glamour, Town & Country, BookRiot, and more!

A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk.
 
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.

This was delightful! This is the first time that I have picked up any of Rachel Lynn Solomon’s work but I already consider myself to be a new fan. Once I started reading this book, I did not want to put it down because I was so invested in the story. I loved the humor that was worked into the story and found myself chuckling several times before the story drew to a close. I am so glad that I finally decided to try this author’s work.

Chandler and Finn were both amazing characters and the chemistry between them was off the charts. I loved that they actually communicated with each other even when it wasn’t easy and worked hard to grow as individuals. I couldn’t imagine working together after their initial meeting but I was glad to see them decided to give it a try. I just couldn’t wait to see this pair figure out a way to be each other’s happily ever after.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a great job with the story. I believe that this is the first time that I have listened to Hathaway Lee’s narration but I was impressed. I thought that she added just the right amount of emotion to her reading. I found her voice to be incredibly pleasant and had no problems listening for hours at a time. I do believe that her narration added to my overall enjoyment of the story.

I would highly recommend this book to others. I thought that it was an incredibly well-done romance with fantastic characters and just the right amount of humor. I cannot wait to read more of this author’s work.

I received a review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group and Penguin Random House Audio.

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter
Narrator: Lacy Laurel
Published by Macmillan Audio, St. Martin's Griffin on July 11, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Length: 7 hours 51 minutes
Pages: 320
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm

A sizzling romance where a winning lottery ticket is meant to be a new start but instead becomes a second chance at love.
Miriam Butler’s life is going nowhere in the slowest, most excruciating way possible. Stuck in the same barely-paying job she’s had since she was sixteen and spending every night sleeping in the spare twin bed in her mother’s house, her existence might be hilarious if it wasn’t so bleak. One trip to her favorite corner store upends everything when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Unfortunately, not even life-altering roses come without their painful thorns. Hers just so happen to be in the form of an estranged husband who has the right to claim his share of her money.

It’s been eight years since Leo Vaughn has had a conversation with his wife. When she calls out of the blue, practically begging him to come back to Greenbelt, the last thing he expects her to tell him when he gets there is that she’s come into a whole heap of money. She offers him a life-changing proposition of his own. Take a lump sum, finally sign the divorce papers, and be done with her for good. Only, a forever without her is the last thing Leo wants. So he gives a proposition of his own. One that won’t cost her nearly as many millions, but will buy him the time to do the one thing he’s been hungry to do since he left—win her back.

I enjoyed this one! Miri takes a chance and buys a lottery ticket never expecting to win. But that is exactly what happens. She learns that her estranged husband may have a claim to her winnings so she needs to deal with that situation once and for all. I had a great time getting to know this cast of characters and couldn’t wait to see how things would work out in the end.

I liked Miri and Leo a lot and I could tell that the chemistry between them was still very much alive. I feel like eight years seems like a very long time for them to be apart to have any hope for a reconciliation but I was excited to see them give it a try. It takes a long time for the romance of the story to fully kick in but I was eager to see how things would develop.

I listened to the audiobook and thought that the narrator did a great job with the story. I think that this is the first time that I have listened to Lacy Laurel’s narration and I wouldn’t hesitate to listen to her work again in the future. I thought that she had a very pleasant voice and that the character voices that she used helped to bring the story to life. I do believe that her performance only added to my overall enjoyment.

I would recommend this book to others. I thought that the characters were very well done and I loved the overall premise. I would love to read more of this author’s work in the future.

I received a review copy of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin and Macmillan Audio.

Related Posts