cover image Business Not as Usual

Business Not as Usual

Sharon C. Cooper. Berkley, $16 trade paper (320p) ISBN 978-0-593-33525-3

Cooper (the Reunited series) effortlessly blends the worlds of two characters from wildly different socioeconomic backgrounds in this hilarious, bighearted rom-com. Persistent Powerball player Dremetrious “Dreamy” Daniels plans to use her future winnings to fund her idea for a nonprofit organization. When she meets multimillionaire investor Karter Redford, her boss’s new client, he volunteers to help her with her business plan, leaving Dreamy sure her life’s about to turn around. High-strung Karter, whose best friend recently died of a heart attack, is trying to relax more, a goal he finds easy around the zealous, intelligent, and fun Dreamy, and they agree to give a relationship a try. But Dreamy can still hear her ex saying she’s “not cultured, not sophisticated, not educated enough,” and this, combined with mounting financial woes, has her worried that Karter’s world is too different from hers to make things work. His snobbish mother’s objections don’t help matters. But will a Powerball win be enough to even the playing field? The supporting cast is a hoot—especially Dreamy’s grandfather—and every obstacle Cooper throws at the central couple only serves to showcase their compatibility and strength. This sexy, feel-good love story will leave readers breathless. Agent: Melissa Jeglinski, Knight Agency. (Apr.)