"I don't believe in fate, or kismet, or any rule or reason to the universe and all its random, wonderful, terrible happenings. But I do believe I found Luka when I needed him the most, and I like to think my mom played a part in that. It's a comfort."
Release Date: November 10, 2021
Genre: Contemporary romance, Christmas romance, fiction
Rating:
Summary:
A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland on Stella Bloom's dreams.
In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she's loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with the Instagram-famous influencer, Evenlyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There's just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only...there is no boyfriend.
Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he's ever received.
Review:
I'm a bit overdue on this review for a Christmas romance novel, so while I know everyone has moved on from peppermint mochas and Christmas music, just bear with me!
This is the third Christmas romance book I've ever read in my existence. This is very exciting! I love reading themed books that match a holiday or season. It really gets me in the spirit. This book was SUCH a warm, comforting hug. This is 100% a comfort read for the holiday season.
B.K. Borrison does a phenomenal job with the descriptions to really make you envision this magical small town and Christmas tree farm. I absolutely adored the small town vibes. I also discovered there are three other spin-off books based off of the characters in Lovelight Farms! I absolutely cannot wait to read those books as well! I really enjoyed all the characters in this book and I cannot wait to go on more adventures with them!
If you know me, you are pretty familiar with my dislike for the fake dating trope. The miscommunication, the deceit, and third-act breakups. It is always the same and always predictable. NOW THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE. This book did it for me. It knew exactly how to win me over. It was so well done. I didn't find myself cringing or dreading any parts of the fake dating. It helped immensley that Luka and Stella are already such amazing friends prior to the fake dating scheme. Now, this continues my lifelong struggle of choosing which I love more...friends-to-lovers vs enemies-to-lovers? Because this is is such a fantastic book filled with the friends-to-lovers trope. Luka and Stella are so perfect for each other, absolutely fated. I loved reading about their connection, chemistry, and how well they've integrated into each others lives.
I think this is truly such a cozy, feel-good romance that you could read it even when it's not Christmas BUT it does make it more magical when you're reading this with a cup of hot cocoa, a warm blanket, sitting by your lit Christmas tree like I did. Definitely recommend picking this up to be your FIRST read for the 2024 Christmas season!
Quotes:
"The magic is in the details, my mom always used to say. And these details are perfect."
"I don't believe in date, or kismet, or any rule or reason to the universe and all its random, wonderful, terrible happenings. But I do believe I found Luka when I needed him the most, and I like to think my mom played a part in that. It's a comfort."
"Luka filled the empty places in my life slowly, carefully, with his easy smile and stupid jokes. He brought me back to myself."
"This feels like an oversimplification of a complicated addition to an irreplaceable relationship. I've watched enough romantic comedies to know that this is probably going to end badly for one of us, and my money is on me."
"There's a special kind of magic on nights like this, a certain sort of nostalgia when the past intermingles with the present and flirts with the future."
"And isn't it silly, to love the way someone's things look like next to yours? Little bits and pieces of a life lived in parallel."
"Leaning on other people doesn't make your achievements any less yours, La La. You can trust me to help you carry the load. You don't have to do all of this alone. I know you can take care of yourself. You've been doing that as long as I've known you. But let me hold your hand while you do it, okay?"
"It's hard to love someone without restraint. To give yourself over to the swell and pull of it without fear of what might happen. I think it's only natural to hold a part of yourself back and protect what you can."
"I'm going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways. My heart has been moving steadily in that direction since she fell down the steps of a hardware store, right into my arms."
