Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon #Jewish #Contemporary #RomCom
CW: Sexual and Kink Content, Swearing, Drinking, Unhealthy Pining, Work Stress, Abusive Parent, Parental Abandonment, Mental Health Struggles, Creepy Dolls, Snow Storm, Ableism (Deliberate and Unintentional), Described Panic Attacks, Past Abortion with Protesters 4.5/5
I think this book found me at just the right time, and I do mean that it found me. I had no idea that Rachel Lynn Solomon was releasing a new book this month. When Libby notified me that the audiobook for Business or Pleasure was available, I jumped on it! I'm happy for Solomon that I was not the only one. I ended up second in line and others filed in after me. I didn't read what it was about until the book got to me. I was wary of the amount of sex it was sure to include, but I don't say no to Solomon's books.
Recently I have been thinking more about where I fall on the asexual spectrum and have been considering demisexuality again. Much of the sex in the book is treated in a healthy and informative way, providing me with information I feel that I needed to hear. Business or Pleasure is what I had hoped The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang would be.
The main character, Chandler Cohen, is a ghostwriter for celebrity memoirs, but this isn't what she really wants to do. Her third book is for an influencer who can't remember Chandler when she shows up for the book signing. After this leaves her feeling more ghostlike than author-like, she heads for the bookstore bar and bumps into a struggling actor. Not realizing who he is, they have a one-night stand. Unfortunately for Chandler, he's bad in bed. What's worse is that he ends up being her next client. When it comes out that he thought it was a great time and she didn't, she starts to give him lessons. Will they be able to keep things professional?
If you're looking for a lot of Jewish content in your contemporary adult romcom, this is not the book for you. I'd recommend Weather Girl or The Ex-Talk for that, both by Solomon. There is positive Jewish representation and content in Business or Pleasure, as both main characters are Jewish, but it's not a lot. It was joked about that Finn, Chandler's love interest, starred in a Christmas Hallmark-like movie, but that he snuck a menorah in the background. There were a few other small references like this. I would have liked more, but the book was still very enjoyable with the level of Judaism incorporated into it.
I love that Solomon always features mental health in her books. In Business or Pleasure we witness Chandler's anxiety, which is shown to involve panic attacks, imposter syndrome, and a fear of sticking up for herself. Finn has OCD, diagnosed and being treated before the book starts. Through the writing of his memoir, the audience learns more about his relationship with it and what it was like for him as a child. Both Chandler and Finn talk about going to therapy and loving it. It's unclear if Chandler is neurodivergent, but the romance in this story shows that it's beneficial to have a relationship with someone who can empathize with your own mental health struggles and experiences.
I'd like to circle back to the sexual content of Business or Pleasure now. The lessons that Chandler gives Finn are on things that make sex more enjoyable and healthier. As per usual, I found myself tuning out some during the more hard-core sex scenes, but the more informative ones caught my attention. Some of the important things were that you need to listen to your partner, penetration is not the only way to have sex and doesn't need to be the "main event", do not open a condom with your mouth, and that different people will like different things. Chandler is working on writing a book of her own. When she talks to her parents about it, she jokingly asks them to skip certain parts. These are all the sex scenes, of course. I wish I could have a guide like that for each romance book I read! Not for this one, though. As hesitant as I was, I believe I needed the information.
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon is a great romcom. All the best tropes, healthy romance, very nerdy, and a trip across America! It has a good plot and pace with well-developed characters all around! I definitely recommend this book to those who are looking for something like it and those who don't think they are. You may just find something you need!
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