Introduction
If you are searching for a romance book that combines humor, celebrity fandom, career uncertainty, forced proximity, and a decidedly steamy relationship, Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon has a lot to offer. Published by Berkley on July 4, 2023, the novel is an adult contemporary romantic comedy centered on ghostwriter Chandler Cohen and actor Finn Walsh.
The premise immediately creates an unusual problem: Chandler has a disastrous one night encounter with a man she later discovers is her new celebrity client. Instead of simply avoiding him, the two have to work together while traveling to fan conventions.
That setup gives Solomon plenty of room for awkward humor, romantic tension, vulnerability, and emotional growth.
What Is Business or Pleasure About?
Business or Pleasure follows Chandler Cohen, a ghostwriter who is struggling with her confidence and career. After an awkward encounter with a charming stranger, she discovers that the same man is Finn Walsh, the actor whose memoir she has been hired to ghostwrite.
Finn is a C list actor known for a cult television series and now spends much of his time appearing at fan conventions. Chandler wants to keep their professional relationship separate from their disastrous first encounter.
That becomes increasingly difficult.
When Chandler is honest about the problems with their hookup, Finn asks her to help him understand what went wrong. Their arrangement begins as something they believe they can keep separate from their professional relationship, but emotional feelings gradually complicate the situation.
The publisher describes the novel as a story about a ghostwriter and struggling actor helping each other professionally and personally while the boundary between work and pleasure becomes increasingly difficult to maintain.
Business or Pleasure Plot and Story Overview
The story begins with Chandler attending a book signing for a celebrity influencer whose book she helped write. The experience leaves her feeling invisible because the credited author barely recognizes her.
Later, Chandler meets Drew at a bar.
Their connection seems promising, but the evening takes an unexpectedly awkward turn. Chandler leaves the encounter behind, only to discover that Drew is actually Finn Walsh, her new celebrity client.
Now she has to ghostwrite his memoir while spending considerable time with him.
The forced proximity becomes particularly important because Chandler and Finn travel together for fan conventions. Their professional responsibilities repeatedly put them in situations where avoiding their attraction becomes difficult.
The central conflict is therefore not simply whether Chandler and Finn will become a couple. It is also about whether they can understand themselves, their careers, and their expectations while navigating an increasingly complicated relationship.
The book is a standalone novel and was first published in 2023.
Who Are the Main Business or Pleasure Characters?
Chandler Cohen
Chandler is the novel’s ghostwriter and central protagonist. Her professional situation gives the story an interesting perspective on celebrity culture because she helps create books that are publicly associated with other people.
Her career also connects to one of the novel’s larger themes: the difference between doing creative work and receiving recognition for that work.
Finn Walsh
Finn is a struggling actor whose biggest claim to fame comes from a cult television series. His career has not developed exactly as he hoped, but his celebrity status still brings him into contact with dedicated fans at conventions.
His relationship with Chandler develops from an extremely awkward beginning into something considerably more meaningful.
Chandler and Finn
The chemistry between Chandler and Finn is one of the central attractions of the novel.
Their relationship combines:
- Humor
- Attraction
- Vulnerability
- Professional conflict
- Emotional honesty
- Forced proximity
- Personal growth
- Romantic tension
Instead of making their relationship instantly uncomplicated, Solomon allows their feelings to develop alongside their individual career concerns.
What Romance Tropes Does the Book Use?
Business or Pleasure brings together several recognizable contemporary romance tropes.
Forced Proximity
Chandler and Finn cannot simply walk away from one another because they have professional responsibilities together. Their work repeatedly places them in close proximity.
Second Chance Romance
The relationship also has a second chance quality because the pair meet under awkward circumstances before discovering that they must work together.
Celebrity Romance
Finn’s career adds a celebrity element to the relationship. He is recognizable to fans but is also dealing with the less glamorous side of maintaining an acting career.
No Strings Attached
The relationship initially attempts to establish boundaries around physical attraction and emotional commitment. Naturally, those boundaries become harder to maintain.
Education in Seduction
One of the book’s more distinctive elements is its reversal of a familiar romance setup. Instead of an experienced man teaching an inexperienced woman, Chandler helps Finn become more confident and attentive.
This gives the familiar trope a different perspective.
What Makes Business or Pleasure a Steamy Romance?
The novel is openly intended for adult romance readers and is considerably spicier than some of Solomon’s earlier work. Solomon herself described it before publication as her third adult rom com and said it was much spicier than her previous books.
The publisher likewise presents it as a steamy romantic comedy and highlights the combination of sex, consent, love, humor, and emotional vulnerability.
Rather than using spice as the only source of attraction, the story connects physical intimacy with communication and personal confidence.
That distinction matters because Chandler and Finn’s relationship is not simply about physical chemistry. Their growing ability to communicate changes the way they understand one another.
Readers should also know that the author has identified content involving explicit sex, light kink, a past abortion, parental abandonment and emotional abuse, and an on page panic attack.
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s Writing Style
Rachel Lynn Solomon is known for contemporary romantic comedies for both adult and teen audiences. Her published works include The Ex Talk, Weather Girl, and Business or Pleasure.
In this novel, her approach combines several elements:
Humor: Awkward situations and witty interactions keep the story from becoming overly heavy.
Romance: The relationship develops through attraction, vulnerability, communication, and emotional uncertainty.
Career themes: Both characters have complicated feelings about their professional lives.
Fandom: Finn’s connection to a cult television show and fan conventions gives the book a strong pop culture setting.
Emotional depth: The romance is supported by questions about confidence, identity, creativity, and personal fulfillment.
The publisher’s collection of reviews similarly emphasizes the book’s combination of humor, emotional depth, chemistry, and sex positivity.
What I Liked About the Book
One of the strongest elements is the unusual professional setup.
A ghostwriter falling for the subject of her next book creates an immediate conflict between personal feelings and professional responsibilities. That gives the romance more structure than simply putting two attractive people together.
I also like how the fan convention setting distinguishes the story from a typical workplace romance. The traveling element gives Chandler and Finn repeated opportunities to interact while exposing different sides of their personalities.
Another strength is the contrast between public identity and private insecurity. Finn may be recognizable to fans, but that does not mean his career feels secure. Chandler’s work may contribute to successful books, yet she does not necessarily receive public recognition for it.
That makes the romance part of a broader story about finding confidence and deciding what kind of life you actually want.
What I Didn’t Like
The story deliberately uses familiar romance conventions, so readers looking for an extremely unconventional plot may find parts predictable.
The basic trajectory is recognizable: an awkward first encounter leads to forced proximity, attraction grows, boundaries become complicated, and emotional questions eventually become unavoidable.
That predictability is not necessarily a weakness for romance readers. It depends on what you want from the genre.
The book’s appeal comes less from completely reinventing the romantic comedy and more from how Solomon combines familiar tropes with the ghostwriting and fandom settings.
Is Business or Pleasure Worth Reading?
For readers who enjoy steamy contemporary romance, romantic comedy, celebrity romance, and forced proximity, Business or Pleasure offers a strong combination of those elements.
The book was published in the United States by Berkley in 2023 and has also received UK and international editions.
It may particularly appeal to readers who enjoy:
- Contemporary romance
- Steamy romantic comedies
- Celebrity romance
- Forced proximity
- Fan culture
- Career focused protagonists
- Emotional character development
- Funny and awkward romantic situations
- Romance novels with explicit content
The novel has also accumulated substantial reader attention on Goodreads, where it is categorized under romance, contemporary romance, adult fiction, and rom com.
Who Should Read Business or Pleasure?
This book is a natural fit for readers who want spicy books with an actual romantic and emotional storyline.
It may be especially suitable if you enjoy:
- Celebrity romance stories
- Workplace romance with unusual professional dynamics
- Forced proximity
- Contemporary rom coms
- Characters dealing with career uncertainty
- Romance involving fandom and pop culture
- Stories where physical intimacy develops alongside emotional intimacy
Readers who prefer very low spice or who dislike explicit adult romance may want to choose a different Rachel Lynn Solomon title.
Themes of Love, Confidence, and Personal Growth
One reason Business or Pleasure works beyond its central romance is that both characters have issues outside their relationship.
Chandler’s work as a ghostwriter raises questions about creative identity and recognition. She is capable of producing successful work while remaining largely invisible to readers.
Finn, meanwhile, has to deal with the realities of an acting career that did not develop exactly as expected.
Their relationship therefore becomes connected to a larger question: What happens when the life you built no longer feels like the life you want?
That theme gives the romance more emotional weight.
The book also places emphasis on communication, intimacy, vulnerability, and confidence. These elements help distinguish the relationship from a purely physical arrangement.
Business or Pleasure vs. Other Rachel Lynn Solomon Books
Readers searching for Rachel Lynn Solomon books may already know her from The Ex Talk or Weather Girl.
The Ex Talk centers on public radio and a complicated professional relationship, while Weather Girl follows a romance involving two coworkers and workplace complications. Business or Pleasure shifts toward celebrity culture, ghostwriting, fan conventions, and a much steamier adult-romance setup.
Solomon’s official bibliography currently also lists later work such as What Happens in Amsterdam, published in 2025.
That makes Business or Pleasure particularly useful for readers who want to explore the author’s adult romantic comedy work.
Business or Pleasure Meaning
The phrase business or pleasure generally describes a choice between professional activity and personal enjoyment.
In Solomon’s novel, however, the phrase becomes part of the central romantic question. Chandler and Finn begin with a professional arrangement, but their personal attraction makes separating work from pleasure increasingly difficult.
The title therefore reflects both the literal work relationship and the larger emotional conflict.
Business or Pleasure Movie: Is There an Adaptation?
As of September 2026, the official author and publisher pages identify Business or Pleasure as a novel and do not list a movie adaptation. The author’s official page identifies its publication as July 4, 2023, while Penguin Random House lists the book and audiobook editions.
So readers searching for a Business or Pleasure movie should distinguish the existing novel from an officially announced screen adaptation.
Business or Pleasure Summary
In short, Chandler Cohen is a ghostwriter who unexpectedly discovers that her new celebrity client, actor Finn Walsh, is the same man she had an extremely awkward encounter with the night before.
The two agree to work together on Finn’s memoir while traveling to fan conventions. Their professional relationship gradually becomes more personal, and the boundaries they attempt to establish become increasingly difficult to maintain.
At its core, the story combines romantic comedy, celebrity romance, forced proximity, career uncertainty, emotional vulnerability, and plenty of spice.
Business or Pleasure or Leisure?
Business or pleasure and leisure are related but not interchangeable.
- Business usually refers to work or professional activity.
- Pleasure refers to enjoyment or personal gratification.
- Leisure generally means free time spent away from work or obligations.
In the context of the novel, business or pleasure is the more relevant phrase because Chandler and Finn are specifically trying to navigate the boundary between their professional relationship and personal attraction.
Final Thoughts on Business or Pleasure
Business or Pleasure takes a familiar contemporary romance framework and gives it an entertaining twist through ghostwriting, celebrity culture, fandom, and forced proximity.
Rachel Lynn Solomon’s story is not trying to hide what kind of romance it is. It is funny, adult, emotionally focused, and unapologetically steamy.
The most interesting part is arguably the way the professional and romantic storylines overlap. Chandler and Finn are not simply falling for each other while working separate jobs. Their careers directly affect their relationship, while their relationship forces both characters to reconsider aspects of their professional lives.
For readers looking for a spicy romance novel with humor, emotional development, celebrity elements, and a strong contemporary rom com identity, this is a book worth putting on the reading list.
Custom FAQs
What is the meaning of Business or Pleasure?
Business or pleasure generally means choosing between professional activities and personal enjoyment. In Rachel Lynn Solomon’s novel, the phrase also represents the increasingly blurred boundary between Chandler and Finn’s professional arrangement and romantic relationship.
Is Business or Pleasure a movie?
As of September 2026, the official author and publisher pages identify Business or Pleasure as a novel and do not list an official movie adaptation.
What is the Business or Pleasure book about?
Business or Pleasure follows ghostwriter Chandler Cohen, who discovers that her new celebrity client, actor Finn Walsh, is the same man she had an awkward one night encounter with. They then travel together while working on his memoir, causing their professional and personal lives to collide.
What is the Business or Pleasure summary?
The novel follows Chandler and Finn as they move from an embarrassing first encounter to a professional collaboration and increasingly complicated romantic relationship. Their time together raises questions about intimacy, career goals, confidence, and whether business and pleasure can coexist.
Business or pleasure or leisure: What is the difference?
Business means work or professional activity, pleasure means enjoyment, and leisure generally means free time away from work. The phrase “business or pleasure” specifically contrasts professional activity with personal enjoyment.
Author Bio: johan harwen is a passionate book writer and reviewer who explores contemporary romance, romantic comedies, and popular fiction. He shares thoughtful, reader-focused insights to help audiences discover engaging books and make informed reading choices.
Email: johanharwen@314gmail.com
Author Name: Johan Harwen
