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Lovelight #1
Lovelight Farms
Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.
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 of 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 Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn 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.
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 of 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 Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn 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.
416 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 10, 2021
11125 people are currently reading
195380 people want to read
About the author
B.K. Borison
10 books15.5k followersNew York Times, Sunday Times, and USA Today Bestselling author B.K. Borison is the author of cozy, contemporary romances featuring emotionally vulnerable characters and swoon-worthy settings. When she’s not daydreaming about fictional characters doing fictional things, she’s at home with her family, more than likely buying books she doesn’t have room for.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 26,032 reviews
September 25, 2022
You know what the worst type of fake-dating, friends to lovers romance is? When the hero and the heroine clearly have romantic feelings towards each other from the start, but the heroine does everything to sabotage their relationship. Like come on, just talk to each other and the problem is solved.
Dnf at around 60% I’m so disappointed! Not sure where all these 5-star reviews are coming from 🫣
Dnf at around 60% I’m so disappointed! Not sure where all these 5-star reviews are coming from 🫣
December 7, 2022
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Narrated by Pippa Jayne
Stella Bloom is the owner of Lovelight Farms. She loves the place and has been trying to make it all work but a lot of bad things have been happening that have caused the farm to be in financial trouble. The trees in the south field have all died, the fence has been damaged, pumpkins have been destroyed, decorations have been ruined, shipment orders have never arrived and now the farm is in the financial hole.
So Stella enters a contest that could win her farm publicity and $100,000. To help spruce up her story she says she owns the farm with her boyfriend despite the fact she doesn't have a boyfriend. No worries, she'll get someone to fake it with her.
Stella's best friend of ten years is a good fit. Luka Peters and Stella would never want anything to hurt their best friend-ness but they can make this fake thing work. Of course the town thinks it's about time, they've known the pair were in love for the last ten years. And Luka's mom, grandmother, and aunts think it's the real thing, too. But for now Stella and Luka will fake it and deal with the fake breakup fallout later.
I really enjoyed the story and just about every character in the story. I'd love to visit the little town and Stella's farm. The most frustrating thing about the story is Stella because she's got this one spot in her brain that is dumber than dumb and that spot is the area that deals with romance and love. She's going to second guess what is right in front of her until the cows come home. But with Luka in the story, it's worth hanging in there, that guy is a keeper and now I can't wait to read/hear the second book in this series because I want to be with these people again.
Pub June 1st 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Pippa Jayne
Stella Bloom is the owner of Lovelight Farms. She loves the place and has been trying to make it all work but a lot of bad things have been happening that have caused the farm to be in financial trouble. The trees in the south field have all died, the fence has been damaged, pumpkins have been destroyed, decorations have been ruined, shipment orders have never arrived and now the farm is in the financial hole.
So Stella enters a contest that could win her farm publicity and $100,000. To help spruce up her story she says she owns the farm with her boyfriend despite the fact she doesn't have a boyfriend. No worries, she'll get someone to fake it with her.
Stella's best friend of ten years is a good fit. Luka Peters and Stella would never want anything to hurt their best friend-ness but they can make this fake thing work. Of course the town thinks it's about time, they've known the pair were in love for the last ten years. And Luka's mom, grandmother, and aunts think it's the real thing, too. But for now Stella and Luka will fake it and deal with the fake breakup fallout later.
I really enjoyed the story and just about every character in the story. I'd love to visit the little town and Stella's farm. The most frustrating thing about the story is Stella because she's got this one spot in her brain that is dumber than dumb and that spot is the area that deals with romance and love. She's going to second guess what is right in front of her until the cows come home. But with Luka in the story, it's worth hanging in there, that guy is a keeper and now I can't wait to read/hear the second book in this series because I want to be with these people again.
Pub June 1st 2022
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
December 8, 2022
4.5 stars!!! This book had SO many of my favorite elements like fake dating, friends to lovers, small town romance, and great side characters. Plus it’s perfect for Christmas. I loved how it takes place on a Christmas tree farm and has so many cute Christmas moments. Big fan and I will be reading the rest of the books in this series
December 22, 2024
second read:
actual rating: 3.5 stars
first read:
actual rating: 4.5 stars 💗
actual rating: 3.5 stars
first read:
actual rating: 4.5 stars 💗
December 25, 2023
4 ☆
“No matter where you go, you will always end up at home.”
I wanted a cute Chritmas read, and that is exactly what I got. It wasn't full on Christmas, but that didn't bother me. It gave me all the holiday vibes and feelings that I was looking for.
Lovelight Farms is the first book in the Lovelight series. It is a small town, fake dating, best friends to lovers romance with banter, many laugh out loud moments, and their sexual tension was everything. It was warm and cozy, giving me feelings of wanting to curl up with a blanket, a fire, and hot cocoa.
Stella Bloom owns Lovelight Farms, a Christmas tree farm in the small town of Inglewild that is struggling. The trees are dying, supply trucks aren't showing up, and she is barely keeping it afloat. She enters a contest that could help save her farm not only financially but also with publicity. There's just one problem when she entered she had lied on the application saying that she owns the farm with her boyfriend, thinking it would be more romantic. Only Stella is very much single and now needs someone to stand in as her fake boyfriend.
That's where her best friend of nearly ten years Luka Peters comes in. He agrees to being her fake boyfriend for five days while the woman holding the contest visits the farm. Will they be able to save the farm? Will they stay friends or develop stronger feelings for one another?
"I was only thinking of you. I wanted an excuse, to have to pretend. I thought I could have you for a week, and it would be enough to make my feelings go away.”
“But all this week did was make it easier for me to love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest."
Stella
She is strong and determined and tries not to let things get to her, but it's hard at times when everything around her seems to be falling apart. I enjoyed her, but at times, she frustrated me. She has this humbleness to her, having grown up not having much. The one thing that she has and can call her own is the farm that she has worked so hard for, and to her, it is home. She does have fear of losing things because she feels that everything she loves ends up leaving her, Luka included, which is why she hasn't told him she's had feelings for him for a while. I wanted to wrap my arms around her so many times between this and the farm.
“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?”
Luka
Oh, he is so sweet, thoughtful, and handsome. He had me swooning on many occasions, and I just loved him. He cooks, he cuddles in his sleep, and i adored that when he feels embarrassed that the tips of his ears turn pink. The absolute cutest thing he does is leave tree air freshners for Stella to find every time he visits. He also had feelings that stretched further for Stella than friendship for quite some time. I felt bad for him when he poured his heart out to her and told her how he feels for her and she was so scared of losing him that everthing she said came out wrong making him feel like it was one sided. I just wanted to hold him and never let go.
“I’m really glad I asked you to be my fake boyfriend,” I confess. “I’m really glad I agreed to be your fake boyfriend.” “I love you.”
"I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways."
Luka and Stella are perfect for one another. They had so much chemistry and didn't realize it for so long. Doing most things that couples do. They had been so close as friends that no one questioned the "new" relationship between them. In fact, some of the townspeople had a betting pool going when they would become a couple. I loved watching their relationship slowly fade into more. The burn slowly built up, but when the sparks finally hit, the spice was hot between them.
Side characters
I loved them both so much! Beckett is so grumpy, but he has a soft spot for cats. If that didn't have me melting, then it was that he has tattoos. Layla is the sweetest soul, and she bakes. When I tell you that everything she baked sounded so good and made me want to taste test all of it. They are not only good friends and a support system for Stella but a family, and I was here for it.
“I want to dance with you in the kitchen, and I want— I want to keep holding your hand. Every day."
There was a third act conflict, but it kind of made sense to me. It was annoying and could have been avoided had there been communication. I'm happy that it was resolved quickly. Besides, the epilogue made up for it. I did see the ending coming, but it was still adorable. And we got a bonus chapter in Luka's pov that was everything! This made me wish Lovelight Farms was real so I could go visit. I can't wait to read the other books in the series as the next book is Beckett's. If you’re looking for something to get you into the holiday spirit, this will definitely do it.
~~~~~~
Pre-review: The last book fooled me on being a cute Christmas read. I'm hoping this doesn't disappoint 🤞🤍🎄
“No matter where you go, you will always end up at home.”
I wanted a cute Chritmas read, and that is exactly what I got. It wasn't full on Christmas, but that didn't bother me. It gave me all the holiday vibes and feelings that I was looking for.
Lovelight Farms is the first book in the Lovelight series. It is a small town, fake dating, best friends to lovers romance with banter, many laugh out loud moments, and their sexual tension was everything. It was warm and cozy, giving me feelings of wanting to curl up with a blanket, a fire, and hot cocoa.
Stella Bloom owns Lovelight Farms, a Christmas tree farm in the small town of Inglewild that is struggling. The trees are dying, supply trucks aren't showing up, and she is barely keeping it afloat. She enters a contest that could help save her farm not only financially but also with publicity. There's just one problem when she entered she had lied on the application saying that she owns the farm with her boyfriend, thinking it would be more romantic. Only Stella is very much single and now needs someone to stand in as her fake boyfriend.
That's where her best friend of nearly ten years Luka Peters comes in. He agrees to being her fake boyfriend for five days while the woman holding the contest visits the farm. Will they be able to save the farm? Will they stay friends or develop stronger feelings for one another?
"I was only thinking of you. I wanted an excuse, to have to pretend. I thought I could have you for a week, and it would be enough to make my feelings go away.”
“But all this week did was make it easier for me to love you. I’m sorry I wasn’t honest."
Stella
She is strong and determined and tries not to let things get to her, but it's hard at times when everything around her seems to be falling apart. I enjoyed her, but at times, she frustrated me. She has this humbleness to her, having grown up not having much. The one thing that she has and can call her own is the farm that she has worked so hard for, and to her, it is home. She does have fear of losing things because she feels that everything she loves ends up leaving her, Luka included, which is why she hasn't told him she's had feelings for him for a while. I wanted to wrap my arms around her so many times between this and the farm.
“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?”
Luka
Oh, he is so sweet, thoughtful, and handsome. He had me swooning on many occasions, and I just loved him. He cooks, he cuddles in his sleep, and i adored that when he feels embarrassed that the tips of his ears turn pink. The absolute cutest thing he does is leave tree air freshners for Stella to find every time he visits. He also had feelings that stretched further for Stella than friendship for quite some time. I felt bad for him when he poured his heart out to her and told her how he feels for her and she was so scared of losing him that everthing she said came out wrong making him feel like it was one sided. I just wanted to hold him and never let go.
“I’m really glad I asked you to be my fake boyfriend,” I confess. “I’m really glad I agreed to be your fake boyfriend.” “I love you.”
"I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways."
Luka and Stella are perfect for one another. They had so much chemistry and didn't realize it for so long. Doing most things that couples do. They had been so close as friends that no one questioned the "new" relationship between them. In fact, some of the townspeople had a betting pool going when they would become a couple. I loved watching their relationship slowly fade into more. The burn slowly built up, but when the sparks finally hit, the spice was hot between them.
Side characters
I loved them both so much! Beckett is so grumpy, but he has a soft spot for cats. If that didn't have me melting, then it was that he has tattoos. Layla is the sweetest soul, and she bakes. When I tell you that everything she baked sounded so good and made me want to taste test all of it. They are not only good friends and a support system for Stella but a family, and I was here for it.
“I want to dance with you in the kitchen, and I want— I want to keep holding your hand. Every day."
There was a third act conflict, but it kind of made sense to me. It was annoying and could have been avoided had there been communication. I'm happy that it was resolved quickly. Besides, the epilogue made up for it. I did see the ending coming, but it was still adorable. And we got a bonus chapter in Luka's pov that was everything! This made me wish Lovelight Farms was real so I could go visit. I can't wait to read the other books in the series as the next book is Beckett's. If you’re looking for something to get you into the holiday spirit, this will definitely do it.
~~~~~~
Pre-review: The last book fooled me on being a cute Christmas read. I'm hoping this doesn't disappoint 🤞🤍🎄
January 2, 2024
★ 3 stars
“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.”
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn't love this book. It did have a cute and cozy feeling, however, it felt like a chore to read at points. It should not have taken me a week to read 350 pages but i've also been in a slump so I'm probably the issue. While I did really enjoy parts of it, it didn't stick with me.
The tropes:
❥ Small town
❥ Friends to lovers
❥ Fake dating
❥ Festive themed romance
➸ The Plot:
Stella is an owner of a tree farm in a small town and is under financial stress. Her farm is also being vandalised and they are trying to uncover the culprit. In an attempt to get her business back on track, she applies to a competition to have a viral online influencer visit the farm. The visit would promote the farm by featuring it on the influencer's social media pages, but there was also prize money up for grabs if they won the contest.
In her application, she told them that she owns the farm with her boyfriend to make application more appealing as the influencer is a hopeless romantic. The issue? Stella ends up getting picked to participate in the competition but she lied on her application and doesn't actually have a boyfriend. Cue Stella's longtime best friend Luka, who agreed to step in and convince the influencer of their ruse.
╰⪼ Thoughts:
This book did get super cute but it just took way too long to get there. It didn't get my interest until around the 50% mark and the influencer didn't arrive at the farm until 61% of the way in? The whole premise for the fake dating relationship was that the influencer would be in town but these two were practicality in love with each other and had already been intimate before she arrived. Maybe if I knew this beforehand my expectations might have been different because fake dating is one of my favourite tropes.
Luka was great. He's a super sweet golden retriever MMC with the patience of a saint. I do wish we got to see more of his POV so I got to know him a bit more. I had a love/hate relationship with Stella for the majority of the book. The fact that she didn't realise for nearly 10 YEARS of friendship that he was in love with her and she didn't share her own feelings is insane to me. I normally love getting caught up in delusional, unrealistic romances but this was too unbelievable for me, which stopped me from enjoying it as much as I wanted to. They were quite affectionate as friends before the fake dating started so all of this could have been resolved if they communicated.
I thought the intimacy scenes and tension between Luka and Stella were chef's kiss 🤌 When they weren't "pretending" I actually loved their moments together, they had great chemistry. The writing was good and I really enjoyed the way the book captured the characters grief and struggles. The side character friendships were also super cute - I loved Becket and his family of kittens 🤭 (I need to read Becket's book). Despite this being a fluffy romance, I didn't find it cringy at all. It did have an overall feel-good Christmas vibe.
I was tossing up what my rating for this book would be but the third act breakup really solidified that this book did not deserve more than 3 stars for me. It was completely unnecessary.
Regarding the subplot, the reveal of the offender doing the vandalism was so predictable. I mainly picked this book up for a cute festive read so this wasn't a dealbreaker for me.
I guess this makes me the Grinch? 🤭 I'm sorry, I did want to love it more but I did really enjoy parts of it! I would still recommend it if you are in the vibe for a fluffy festive read.
Quotes
“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.”
“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?”
"I don't tell him the other things. That my smiles have always belonged to him. A big chunk of my heart too. All my best memories."
“I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways.”
“I want to dance with you in the kitchen and I want—I want to keep holding your hand. Every day.”
- - -
Pre read: Time to get back into the festive spirit and see what the fuss is about 🎄🧑🎄✨
“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.”
This might be an unpopular opinion, but I didn't love this book. It did have a cute and cozy feeling, however, it felt like a chore to read at points. It should not have taken me a week to read 350 pages but i've also been in a slump so I'm probably the issue. While I did really enjoy parts of it, it didn't stick with me.
The tropes:
❥ Small town
❥ Friends to lovers
❥ Fake dating
❥ Festive themed romance
➸ The Plot:
Stella is an owner of a tree farm in a small town and is under financial stress. Her farm is also being vandalised and they are trying to uncover the culprit. In an attempt to get her business back on track, she applies to a competition to have a viral online influencer visit the farm. The visit would promote the farm by featuring it on the influencer's social media pages, but there was also prize money up for grabs if they won the contest.
In her application, she told them that she owns the farm with her boyfriend to make application more appealing as the influencer is a hopeless romantic. The issue? Stella ends up getting picked to participate in the competition but she lied on her application and doesn't actually have a boyfriend. Cue Stella's longtime best friend Luka, who agreed to step in and convince the influencer of their ruse.
╰⪼ Thoughts:
This book did get super cute but it just took way too long to get there. It didn't get my interest until around the 50% mark and the influencer didn't arrive at the farm until 61% of the way in? The whole premise for the fake dating relationship was that the influencer would be in town but these two were practicality in love with each other and had already been intimate before she arrived. Maybe if I knew this beforehand my expectations might have been different because fake dating is one of my favourite tropes.
Luka was great. He's a super sweet golden retriever MMC with the patience of a saint. I do wish we got to see more of his POV so I got to know him a bit more. I had a love/hate relationship with Stella for the majority of the book. The fact that she didn't realise for nearly 10 YEARS of friendship that he was in love with her and she didn't share her own feelings is insane to me. I normally love getting caught up in delusional, unrealistic romances but this was too unbelievable for me, which stopped me from enjoying it as much as I wanted to. They were quite affectionate as friends before the fake dating started so all of this could have been resolved if they communicated.
I thought the intimacy scenes and tension between Luka and Stella were chef's kiss 🤌 When they weren't "pretending" I actually loved their moments together, they had great chemistry. The writing was good and I really enjoyed the way the book captured the characters grief and struggles. The side character friendships were also super cute - I loved Becket and his family of kittens 🤭 (I need to read Becket's book). Despite this being a fluffy romance, I didn't find it cringy at all. It did have an overall feel-good Christmas vibe.
I was tossing up what my rating for this book would be but the third act breakup really solidified that this book did not deserve more than 3 stars for me. It was completely unnecessary.
Regarding the subplot, the reveal of the offender doing the vandalism was so predictable. I mainly picked this book up for a cute festive read so this wasn't a dealbreaker for me.
I guess this makes me the Grinch? 🤭 I'm sorry, I did want to love it more but I did really enjoy parts of it! I would still recommend it if you are in the vibe for a fluffy festive read.
Quotes
“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.”
“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?”
"I don't tell him the other things. That my smiles have always belonged to him. A big chunk of my heart too. All my best memories."
“I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways.”
“I want to dance with you in the kitchen and I want—I want to keep holding your hand. Every day.”
- - -
Pre read: Time to get back into the festive spirit and see what the fuss is about 🎄🧑🎄✨
May 6, 2023
I was a little skeptical about this book before I started reading it.
But on the first page itself, I saw the above lines, which are also my favorite ones. It is the lyrics of the song I'll be home for Christmas written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent, which became more famous after Bing Crosby's version. I took it as a good omen to start reading this book.
B.K. Borison tells the story of Stella Bloom and her Lovelight farms. Things are not running as smoothly as Stella wanted them to on the farm. So she decided to enter a contest run by a social media influencer. She thinks that winning this contest is the best advertisement she can get for her farm. In addition, there is also a good amount offered for the winner. The only problem Stella is facing is regarding what she wrote in the application. Evelyn, who runs the contest, is very adamant regarding the accuracy of the application, and Stella lied about her boyfriend in the application.
Will Stella's best friend, Luka Peters, be able to save Stella from getting her application rejected? Will Stella fall into a relationship with her best friend? Will Stella win the contest? What will happen to the farm's future if she fails in her endeavor? The author tries to discuss all these topics in this book.
What I learned from this book
1) What is the problem with the "Fake it till you make it" approach?
There are many people who try to follow the “fake it till you make it” principle. Some of them will ultimately become successful, while many others won't. We hear only the success stories related to it.
"Fake it till you make it" compounds feelings of imposter syndrome when people start doubting their own skills.
We can see the protagonist trying to win a contest by faking a relationship and telling the problems associated with faking something in life.
2) The magic of Christmas
Christmas season is the favorite season of almost everyone. It is a time of happiness, love, and peace. It is a time of bonding with our loved ones. In this book, we can see Stella describing why she loves Christmas.
3) When does nature look at its best?
Most people will have different answers to it depending on their preferences and the places they live. In my opinion, nature looks at its best during the sunset in the winter near the end of December, close to Christmas.
There are both Scientific and emotional reasons for it. The low humidity and cleaner air will give more colors to the sunset. Similarly, winter solstice causes the sun to set at an angle that causes a time to set, which means we can enjoy a more extended sunset.
The celebration of Christmas and the memories associated with it makes us more excited, and everything we do and see becomes more exciting, including the sunset.
My favourite three lines from this book
What could have been better?
There is nothing new in the story that the author is discussing. We have read many books or seen many movies with similar stories. She is just discussing the best friends-to-lovers trope, and the story proceeds precisely as we expect. Still, the author beautifully linked it to a farm and the Christmas season to give us an enjoyable reading experience.
Rating
3.5/5 This book will be a good choice to read during the cold winter nights.
—————————————————————————
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But on the first page itself, I saw the above lines, which are also my favorite ones. It is the lyrics of the song I'll be home for Christmas written by Kim Gannon and Walter Kent, which became more famous after Bing Crosby's version. I took it as a good omen to start reading this book.
B.K. Borison tells the story of Stella Bloom and her Lovelight farms. Things are not running as smoothly as Stella wanted them to on the farm. So she decided to enter a contest run by a social media influencer. She thinks that winning this contest is the best advertisement she can get for her farm. In addition, there is also a good amount offered for the winner. The only problem Stella is facing is regarding what she wrote in the application. Evelyn, who runs the contest, is very adamant regarding the accuracy of the application, and Stella lied about her boyfriend in the application.
Will Stella's best friend, Luka Peters, be able to save Stella from getting her application rejected? Will Stella fall into a relationship with her best friend? Will Stella win the contest? What will happen to the farm's future if she fails in her endeavor? The author tries to discuss all these topics in this book.
What I learned from this book
1) What is the problem with the "Fake it till you make it" approach?
There are many people who try to follow the “fake it till you make it” principle. Some of them will ultimately become successful, while many others won't. We hear only the success stories related to it.
"Fake it till you make it" compounds feelings of imposter syndrome when people start doubting their own skills.
We can see the protagonist trying to win a contest by faking a relationship and telling the problems associated with faking something in life.
"I do like the pretending. Too much, probably. It's the end of the pretending that'll be the problem. The part that comes after. I can't stop thinking about it, despite Luka's plan to just continue."
2) The magic of Christmas
Christmas season is the favorite season of almost everyone. It is a time of happiness, love, and peace. It is a time of bonding with our loved ones. In this book, we can see Stella describing why she loves Christmas.
“It’s true. I've always loved Christmas and everything that comes with it. It's the one time of year where everything feels like magic. Hopeful. Earnest and kind. The whole world slows down and ... believes for once.
Mom and I would do the same thing every Christmas, no matter where we were. The large, colorful bulbs on the tree by the fireplace. Thick, red stockings in the hallway. Pie for breakfast on Christmas morning and ice skating in the afternoon. I still keep those traditions, even though she's not here. It's like holding a piece of her close, the sweet ache of it always sharpest in the center of my chest."
3) When does nature look at its best?
Most people will have different answers to it depending on their preferences and the places they live. In my opinion, nature looks at its best during the sunset in the winter near the end of December, close to Christmas.
There are both Scientific and emotional reasons for it. The low humidity and cleaner air will give more colors to the sunset. Similarly, winter solstice causes the sun to set at an angle that causes a time to set, which means we can enjoy a more extended sunset.
The celebration of Christmas and the memories associated with it makes us more excited, and everything we do and see becomes more exciting, including the sunset.
"I step down to where she's gazing out at the fields with her hand shielding her eyes against the setting sun. I asked her to meet me at this time for a reason. There's nothing like the farm just as the sun begins to dip in the sky, bright blue fading to deep cobalt, pink just starting to bloom from behind the clouds. I stand next to her and try to see it the way she does as a first-time visitor; the endless rows of full, green trees. The lights that string throughout, just starting to blink awake in the early evening."
My favourite three lines from this book
"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."
"People get too caught up in how things look instead of how things feel"
"I don't chase after people who don't want to be chased."
What could have been better?
There is nothing new in the story that the author is discussing. We have read many books or seen many movies with similar stories. She is just discussing the best friends-to-lovers trope, and the story proceeds precisely as we expect. Still, the author beautifully linked it to a farm and the Christmas season to give us an enjoyable reading experience.
Rating
3.5/5 This book will be a good choice to read during the cold winter nights.
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December 22, 2023
Christmas read #2: on the nicest of nice lists 🎅🏻
(4.5 stars) 🎄✨
this was nearly perfect. pick this up before Christmas, i’m begging you. this book is the perfect mix of Christmas magic and romance without being cheesy or superficial.
soft boy superiority is real... i’m absolutely in love with luka peters. 🥹 (don’t worry, my husband knows & understands.)
UGH this was just so magical and cute, i think my reading slump has been cured. i need more Christmas romance ASAP.
i am most definitely re-reading this one each holiday season.
"i’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways."
LUKA PETERS SUPREMACY.
(4.5 stars) 🎄✨
this was nearly perfect. pick this up before Christmas, i’m begging you. this book is the perfect mix of Christmas magic and romance without being cheesy or superficial.
soft boy superiority is real... i’m absolutely in love with luka peters. 🥹 (don’t worry, my husband knows & understands.)
UGH this was just so magical and cute, i think my reading slump has been cured. i need more Christmas romance ASAP.
i am most definitely re-reading this one each holiday season.
"i’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways."
LUKA PETERS SUPREMACY.
December 21, 2021
wowwowowow I LOVED THIS!!!!!!
Perfect for the holidays, great romance, FAKE DATING, FRIENDS TO LOVERS!!!
AHHH IM IN LOVE
Perfect for the holidays, great romance, FAKE DATING, FRIENDS TO LOVERS!!!
AHHH IM IN LOVE
December 22, 2024
2.5 stars
This book follows Stella Bloom, who is trying to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since childhood. To win a $100,000 prize from an influencer contest, she lies on her application, claiming to have a boyfriend. With no boyfriend in sight, she convinces her best friend Luka to pretend they’re a couple. As they fake-date to boost the farm’s appeal, their feelings for each other grow, turning their holiday scheme into something more.
➸ I found this book to be pretty mid. It checks all the usual boxes for a romance but doesn’t do anything new or exciting. It was cute while reading, but I’ll probably forget about it in a few weeks. It’s the kind of book that’s fun in the moment but doesn’t leave a lasting impression.
First off, I wasn’t a fan of the fmc Stella. She just didn’t click with me and could be frustrating, especially in her interactions with Luka. It was so obvious he was in love with her from the first interaction we get between them, but she repeatedly completely missed the hints.
Luka, on the other hand, was great. I actually really liked him! He was charming, sweet, and I loved how jealous he got over Stella at times. 🤭
The romance was cute, but it got kind of boring. The biggest issue for me was that it felt flat and dragged on. I found myself zoning out at times because I wasn’t invested in what was happening.
The writing was average—nothing special but not bad either. It did the job but didn’t elevate the story in any way.
The Christmas setting was cute and gave off nice holiday vibes. If you're looking for a quick, festive read, this could work. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
I was initially going to give this a solid 3 stars, but the final conflict pissed me off so much that I had to drop it to 2.5 stars instead. The fmc’s actions in the last 20% were so irritating. Luka had been clearly in love with her the whole time, and when he confesses, she says something COMPLETELY out of left field. If someone told me they’d been in love with me for that many years, I would have said anything BUT what she said. 🙄
Also, the hints about the next couple in the series didn’t do anything for me. I wasn’t curious about the next book at all. I’ll probably continue this series eventually, but I’m not excited about it.
Overall, this was an okay, light read. If you're looking for something easy and festive, it works, but don’t expect it to blow you away or leave a lasting impact. Sadly, for me, it’s just a solid, forgettable romance. I have no idea why all my Christmas reads this year have been total flops—maybe I'm just turning into the Grinch. 🤷🏻♀️
_________________________
Last Christmas book I'm reading this year 🎄✨
This book follows Stella Bloom, who is trying to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since childhood. To win a $100,000 prize from an influencer contest, she lies on her application, claiming to have a boyfriend. With no boyfriend in sight, she convinces her best friend Luka to pretend they’re a couple. As they fake-date to boost the farm’s appeal, their feelings for each other grow, turning their holiday scheme into something more.
➸ I found this book to be pretty mid. It checks all the usual boxes for a romance but doesn’t do anything new or exciting. It was cute while reading, but I’ll probably forget about it in a few weeks. It’s the kind of book that’s fun in the moment but doesn’t leave a lasting impression.
First off, I wasn’t a fan of the fmc Stella. She just didn’t click with me and could be frustrating, especially in her interactions with Luka. It was so obvious he was in love with her from the first interaction we get between them, but she repeatedly completely missed the hints.
Luka, on the other hand, was great. I actually really liked him! He was charming, sweet, and I loved how jealous he got over Stella at times. 🤭
The romance was cute, but it got kind of boring. The biggest issue for me was that it felt flat and dragged on. I found myself zoning out at times because I wasn’t invested in what was happening.
The writing was average—nothing special but not bad either. It did the job but didn’t elevate the story in any way.
The Christmas setting was cute and gave off nice holiday vibes. If you're looking for a quick, festive read, this could work. Just don’t expect anything groundbreaking.
I was initially going to give this a solid 3 stars, but the final conflict pissed me off so much that I had to drop it to 2.5 stars instead. The fmc’s actions in the last 20% were so irritating. Luka had been clearly in love with her the whole time, and when he confesses, she says something COMPLETELY out of left field. If someone told me they’d been in love with me for that many years, I would have said anything BUT what she said. 🙄
Also, the hints about the next couple in the series didn’t do anything for me. I wasn’t curious about the next book at all. I’ll probably continue this series eventually, but I’m not excited about it.
Overall, this was an okay, light read. If you're looking for something easy and festive, it works, but don’t expect it to blow you away or leave a lasting impact. Sadly, for me, it’s just a solid, forgettable romance. I have no idea why all my Christmas reads this year have been total flops—maybe I'm just turning into the Grinch. 🤷🏻♀️
_________________________
Last Christmas book I'm reading this year 🎄✨
May 2, 2024
4.5 stars
This is how you write a good friends to lovers story folks!
Lovelight Farms is a warm cup of tea on a chilly winter’s night, it's like your homey and snugly cardigan. This book will lift your spirits as you read this cozy story about two idiot bestfriends who have been in love with each other for a decade and how they fell in this fake-dating situationship and the Christmas vibes and it's magic only adds more to its allure.
This book has everything you need in your romance books. Lovable characters, a charming setting in a small nozy town, healthy and amazing friendships, plenty of humor, and of course, heated chemistry and slow-burn, a healthy serving of swoon-worthy romance. I was laughing, giggling and crying all the way throughout this book and it has become my top favourite holiday romance book.
The fact this was a debut novel? I am amazed by B.K. Borison's writing and her story-telling. The characters are well-written and Borison's witty and bright writing breathes life into this book through laugh, charming romance that will melt your heart, and engaging and immersive narrative. The side characters also had their own personalities and I can't wait to read Beckett the Cat daddy's book 🤭 and Layla and Caleb's book!
➸ Stella Bloom
The independent, responsible and soft-hearted Stella always wanted one thing in her life and that's family, connection, love and roots. Stella is a closed off person but Luka brings out her fiery and extrovert side. I love how she cares about the people she works with and how she would do anything for them and her Christmas farm even if it means fake-dating her bestfriend. Stella was always comfortable with Luka being her bestfriend and I understand her choices because she has abandonment issues and she didn't wanted to complicate things between them with the love thing. I liked how she came out of her friends-only-comfort zone and gave Luka a chance.
➸ Luka Peters
Luka is a charmer with a shy and reserved personality. He is a perfect man to ever exists and sadly he's not real. He's kind, genuine, thoughtful, selfless and funny and hot enough to melt your heart. I wish this book was a dual pov because he killed me with only single pov in the end and it was everything. Luka getting all shy and flustered whenever he is in the close vicinity of Stella is my kryptonite. The way he cares for Stella and is ready to do anything for her was so precious. He was always so patient with her, despite her ignoring the attraction between them. Also, the fact that he wears cute socks everytime and blushes 🥹🫠🤌🏻💘🦋💗 He is truly a gem.
╰┈➤ Stella and Luka
What happens when you have to fake-date your bestfriend to get into the good graces of the Instagram influencer who has the key to bring back your dead farm to life? You end up realising that it was never just friendship. Luka and Stella's friendship is the heart of this book. The simplicity, effortless connection and vulnerability they have makes their relationship/friendship even more beautiful. The longing and stolen glances, the emotional intimacy, the unrequited love, the fake-dating practice and make believes, the blurring the lines of friendship moments — everything added fire to what they already have.
The tension between these two had me melting and it was just palpable and hot and that's one of the best thing in this book. The way they take care of each other without making the other feel like they are too much or not enough. The transition from being bestfriends to blurring the lines of their fake-dating relationship to finally confessing their feelings, love and fears to each other was realistic and normal and just the way I like in a friends to lovers arc.
The ending could've done without the third-act breakup. I wish Stella just talked with Luka about her issues instead of just ignoring them. It's the only thing that bothered me in this book. The epilogue was so perfect and everything I wanted. I can't wait to see more of Lukastella in the next books of this series. This series is slowly becoming my new obsession!
————
Pre-review: Its spring season rn but all i want is a cute small town holiday romance 😗
“I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways, the loud and obnoxious ways.”
This is how you write a good friends to lovers story folks!
Lovelight Farms is a warm cup of tea on a chilly winter’s night, it's like your homey and snugly cardigan. This book will lift your spirits as you read this cozy story about two idiot bestfriends who have been in love with each other for a decade and how they fell in this fake-dating situationship and the Christmas vibes and it's magic only adds more to its allure.
This book has everything you need in your romance books. Lovable characters, a charming setting in a small nozy town, healthy and amazing friendships, plenty of humor, and of course, heated chemistry and slow-burn, a healthy serving of swoon-worthy romance. I was laughing, giggling and crying all the way throughout this book and it has become my top favourite holiday romance book.
“Once when we were younger, we got drunk off tequila and I drew constellations on his skin, hovering over him with my hair curtained around us. I remember the weight of his eyes on me, sprawled across my living room floor, how he curled his fingers around my ankle like he was holding himself steady.”
The fact this was a debut novel? I am amazed by B.K. Borison's writing and her story-telling. The characters are well-written and Borison's witty and bright writing breathes life into this book through laugh, charming romance that will melt your heart, and engaging and immersive narrative. The side characters also had their own personalities and I can't wait to read Beckett the Cat daddy's book 🤭 and Layla and Caleb's book!
➸ Stella Bloom
The independent, responsible and soft-hearted Stella always wanted one thing in her life and that's family, connection, love and roots. Stella is a closed off person but Luka brings out her fiery and extrovert side. I love how she cares about the people she works with and how she would do anything for them and her Christmas farm even if it means fake-dating her bestfriend. Stella was always comfortable with Luka being her bestfriend and I understand her choices because she has abandonment issues and she didn't wanted to complicate things between them with the love thing. I liked how she came out of her friends-only-comfort zone and gave Luka a chance.
“I laugh and his smile tips up into something beautiful. It’s a moment I want to stamp into my soul for the nights when I feel a little bit lonely and a lot bit sad.”
➸ Luka Peters
Luka is a charmer with a shy and reserved personality. He is a perfect man to ever exists and sadly he's not real. He's kind, genuine, thoughtful, selfless and funny and hot enough to melt your heart. I wish this book was a dual pov because he killed me with only single pov in the end and it was everything. Luka getting all shy and flustered whenever he is in the close vicinity of Stella is my kryptonite. The way he cares for Stella and is ready to do anything for her was so precious. He was always so patient with her, despite her ignoring the attraction between them. Also, the fact that he wears cute socks everytime and blushes 🥹🫠🤌🏻💘🦋💗 He is truly a gem.
“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?”
╰┈➤ Stella and Luka
What happens when you have to fake-date your bestfriend to get into the good graces of the Instagram influencer who has the key to bring back your dead farm to life? You end up realising that it was never just friendship. Luka and Stella's friendship is the heart of this book. The simplicity, effortless connection and vulnerability they have makes their relationship/friendship even more beautiful. The longing and stolen glances, the emotional intimacy, the unrequited love, the fake-dating practice and make believes, the blurring the lines of friendship moments — everything added fire to what they already have.
“She presses a kiss into my palm and everything in me settles. I swear I didn’t know how much I was rattling around in there until Stella curled her hand around my heart and tugged.”
The tension between these two had me melting and it was just palpable and hot and that's one of the best thing in this book. The way they take care of each other without making the other feel like they are too much or not enough. The transition from being bestfriends to blurring the lines of their fake-dating relationship to finally confessing their feelings, love and fears to each other was realistic and normal and just the way I like in a friends to lovers arc.
“I wonder if they can hear all the things I’m not saying. That I don’t remember what he was wearing, but I do remember he smelled like fresh orange slices and basil. That I could hardly catch my breath the whole time we were sitting in the tiny bakery, eating our grilled cheese. That I’ve liked him forever, and loved him just as long.”
The ending could've done without the third-act breakup. I wish Stella just talked with Luka about her issues instead of just ignoring them. It's the only thing that bothered me in this book. The epilogue was so perfect and everything I wanted. I can't wait to see more of Lukastella in the next books of this series. This series is slowly becoming my new obsession!
————
Pre-review: Its spring season rn but all i want is a cute small town holiday romance 😗
December 21, 2022
i'm frustrated because parts of this book are 5 stars, but overall, rounding up to 3 is generous. we all know by now that fake dating books to me are not my fave because plausibly it just never happens, but i stuck to this one because it was also friends to lovers, which is my shit! however, i haaaated how the main character was so naive and had an "omg he'll never love me we're gonna ruin our friendship" even though it's VERY clear the opposite.
this book had some amazing moments of cozy description which I loved, but those moments were so specific to scenes where the love interests are together. the entire plot around them was just a mess and i'm no longer the kind of reader who can forgive a plot for being unrealistic and corny, so i was rolling my eyes a lot at the convenience of a lot of these plot points falling into place and the sickly sweet language the main character used to talk about her job and her romantic life.
this definitely scratched the itch of a christmas romance even though tbh christmas never even happens in this book. and i would argue not a lot of wintry things happen except its setting is mentioned so frequently. basically i have a lot of complaints and hate that i do because i wish i could just shut up and enjoy things.
this book had some amazing moments of cozy description which I loved, but those moments were so specific to scenes where the love interests are together. the entire plot around them was just a mess and i'm no longer the kind of reader who can forgive a plot for being unrealistic and corny, so i was rolling my eyes a lot at the convenience of a lot of these plot points falling into place and the sickly sweet language the main character used to talk about her job and her romantic life.
this definitely scratched the itch of a christmas romance even though tbh christmas never even happens in this book. and i would argue not a lot of wintry things happen except its setting is mentioned so frequently. basically i have a lot of complaints and hate that i do because i wish i could just shut up and enjoy things.
January 13, 2023
I finally get it now! Thank you, to all of you that reviewed and shelved this book, swaying me to read it! 🫶 I needed to take a break from the books I am currently reading, and this was such a beautiful surprise.
Things.
1. I want to join the Sleepless in Seattle and Die Hard movie nights.
2. I want to try a pumpkin cannoli. Not so secretly basic.
3. I have never teared up over grilled cheese before. 🥺
4. I want a Comet, Cupid, or Vixen boop. The boopiest of boops.
5. mmmm…coffee…
6. Luka with kitty nest hair or Luka with a pink baseball bat or Luka in little duckling socks. 🫦
7. Suddenly, I have an urge to make a gingerbread house.
8. I don’t know why someone decided to cut onions when I was reading the business plan. 🥹
9. “Weird that it wasn’t weird,” is officially my new favorite relationship status.
10. Must buy a Christmas tree farm right now.
Overall
Lovelight Farms is the sun kissing every exposed surface, the warmest hug, a familiar and comforting scent, and a Sunday state of mind that I am not ready to leave. I’m choosing to ignore the mishap in the third act. Everything else made up for it. Are phantom boops a thing or is it just me?
Quotes
“I don’t know if they make gum strong enough for Luka withdrawal”
“The restorative properties of dry humping, I guess.”
“No matter where you go, you will always end up at home.”
“…my smiles have always belonged to him.”
“I have no idea what he’s talking about, but he’s hot when he talks about data.”
“I sometimes pretend I haven’t seen a movie, just so you can point out the best parts.”
Things.
1. I want to join the Sleepless in Seattle and Die Hard movie nights.
2. I want to try a pumpkin cannoli. Not so secretly basic.
3. I have never teared up over grilled cheese before. 🥺
4. I want a Comet, Cupid, or Vixen boop. The boopiest of boops.
5. mmmm…coffee…
6. Luka with kitty nest hair or Luka with a pink baseball bat or Luka in little duckling socks. 🫦
7. Suddenly, I have an urge to make a gingerbread house.
8. I don’t know why someone decided to cut onions when I was reading the business plan. 🥹
9. “Weird that it wasn’t weird,” is officially my new favorite relationship status.
10. Must buy a Christmas tree farm right now.
Overall
Lovelight Farms is the sun kissing every exposed surface, the warmest hug, a familiar and comforting scent, and a Sunday state of mind that I am not ready to leave. I’m choosing to ignore the mishap in the third act. Everything else made up for it. Are phantom boops a thing or is it just me?
Quotes
“I don’t know if they make gum strong enough for Luka withdrawal”
“The restorative properties of dry humping, I guess.”
“No matter where you go, you will always end up at home.”
“…my smiles have always belonged to him.”
“I have no idea what he’s talking about, but he’s hot when he talks about data.”
“I sometimes pretend I haven’t seen a movie, just so you can point out the best parts.”
December 24, 2023
I am so glad I bought all the books in this series without ever having read them first. I think this is about to become a new favourite romance series. 🥰
This was achingly beautiful and I fell for these two. Hard.
“He’s more than my best friend—he’s tradition and familiarity.”
This is for sure friends-to-lovers done right.
The writing? Exquisite. Honestly, chef’s kiss. It was just…beautiful. There was something about it that felt elegant almost. It conveyed so much about the characters and their vulnerabilities as well as the town that had so much life to it.
The overall feel of this book doesn’t come from the fact that it’s set during the Christmas period. There’s an air of warmth to the story. The vibe is romantic, the town is whimsy, it’s cosy, and then there’s the pining, which seemed to speak in a language of its own.
I loved seeing how solid their friendship felt. It ran deep. We got glimpses of how they were there for one another throughout the years and how that grew and flourished. It made their romance all the more believable. It made you want to root for them.
“That I’ve liked him forever, and loved him just as long.”
The transition into them becoming something more had me aching. These two were almost desperate for one another to the point where it made me want to crawl out of my skin.
Fuck knows how they’ve managed to keep it together for years! 😮💨
But they felt like they had to. Stella, in particular. The abandonment issues she had were heartbreaking and I loved how Luka was her steady companion.
There’s this particular significance grilled cheese sandwiches have in this story that had me tearing up! 😭
I know. Out of all the things that could’ve gotten me in my feelings, it was a moment to do with cheese. But if you know, you know.
Halfway through the book, I was thinking I could stay in this small town and with these characters forever. I’m so damn giddy about Beckett and Layla getting their own books. They were incredibly supportive side characters and business partners to Stella and I cannot wait for more from this whole series.
4.5 ✨
CW: loss of parents, grief, cancer.
This was achingly beautiful and I fell for these two. Hard.
“He’s more than my best friend—he’s tradition and familiarity.”
This is for sure friends-to-lovers done right.
The writing? Exquisite. Honestly, chef’s kiss. It was just…beautiful. There was something about it that felt elegant almost. It conveyed so much about the characters and their vulnerabilities as well as the town that had so much life to it.
The overall feel of this book doesn’t come from the fact that it’s set during the Christmas period. There’s an air of warmth to the story. The vibe is romantic, the town is whimsy, it’s cosy, and then there’s the pining, which seemed to speak in a language of its own.
I loved seeing how solid their friendship felt. It ran deep. We got glimpses of how they were there for one another throughout the years and how that grew and flourished. It made their romance all the more believable. It made you want to root for them.
“That I’ve liked him forever, and loved him just as long.”
The transition into them becoming something more had me aching. These two were almost desperate for one another to the point where it made me want to crawl out of my skin.
Fuck knows how they’ve managed to keep it together for years! 😮💨
But they felt like they had to. Stella, in particular. The abandonment issues she had were heartbreaking and I loved how Luka was her steady companion.
There’s this particular significance grilled cheese sandwiches have in this story that had me tearing up! 😭
I know. Out of all the things that could’ve gotten me in my feelings, it was a moment to do with cheese. But if you know, you know.
Halfway through the book, I was thinking I could stay in this small town and with these characters forever. I’m so damn giddy about Beckett and Layla getting their own books. They were incredibly supportive side characters and business partners to Stella and I cannot wait for more from this whole series.
4.5 ✨
CW: loss of parents, grief, cancer.
December 26, 2023
3.5⭐️ this read was a warm, comfortable blanket on a snowy day ❄️🎄
i loved the familiarity, the pining, the plot, theforced proximity and how sweet Luka was 🥺🥰 it was beyond cuteeeee.
probably my only issue was that halfway through the book and the reality show competition online feature by the influencer had still not started yet. i mean it was a HUGEEE part of the reason behind fake dating.
and it would have made the novel a bit less 'small town everyone in the business of the newest couple' and fluffy holiday romance, and more a plot focused holiday themed novel. if that aspect was well-considered, it would be an easy 5 stars for me 😊💖💖 can't wait to read the other books in the series though I'm not sure yet if they are seasonal too
find lovelight farms on amazon/kindle/audible 🌟💚
***
trying to squeeze in this read before saying goodbye to 2023, it feels like I'm on a fake dating binge and I don't mind 🤭💖💖
i loved the familiarity, the pining, the plot, the
probably my only issue was that halfway through the book and the reality show competition online feature by the influencer had still not started yet. i mean it was a HUGEEE part of the reason behind fake dating.
and it would have made the novel a bit less 'small town everyone in the business of the newest couple' and fluffy holiday romance, and more a plot focused holiday themed novel. if that aspect was well-considered, it would be an easy 5 stars for me 😊💖💖 can't wait to read the other books in the series though I'm not sure yet if they are seasonal too
find lovelight farms on amazon/kindle/audible 🌟💚
***
trying to squeeze in this read before saying goodbye to 2023, it feels like I'm on a fake dating binge and I don't mind 🤭💖💖
September 13, 2024
❆⋆꙳•☃︎⋆ “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.” ·⁀ ༄.°❅ ₊⭒˚｡⋆
❆⋆꙳•☃︎⋆ “𝐼’𝓂 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒷𝓃𝑜𝓍𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈.” ·⁀ ༄.°❅ ₊⭒˚｡⋆
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
If this book didn't give me a sprinkle of the Christmasy/Holiday feels I'd probably have rated it lower lol. 🤦♀️ I mean, the book was kinda cute in a really cheesy way but I feel like this is one of those romance books that you need to go in with suspension of dibelief. There are way too many things that you will end up questioning otherwise.
I'm not so great at suspending my disbelief in contemporary romances lol - so for me, it wasn't believable and I probably would have loved it much more if it was a slower burn.
The miscommunication and the third act nonsense made me want to pull my hair out. Felt so ridiculous.
╰⪼ 🎄Hallmark Vibes
╰⪼ 🎄Holiday Season
╰⪼ 🎄Friends to Lovers
╰⪼ 🎄Fake Dating
╰⪼ 🎄Cheesy Romance
“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."
⋆꙳·̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
❆⋆꙳•☃︎⋆ “𝐼’𝓂 𝑔𝑜𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝑜 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝓇 𝒾𝓃 𝒶𝓁𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓆𝓊𝒾𝑒𝓉 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓈𝓁𝑜𝓌 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈, 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓁𝑜𝓊𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝑜𝒷𝓃𝑜𝓍𝒾𝑜𝓊𝓈 𝓌𝒶𝓎𝓈.” ·⁀ ༄.°❅ ₊⭒˚｡⋆
˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ 3 𝓢𝓽𝓪𝓻𝓼 ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗
If this book didn't give me a sprinkle of the Christmasy/Holiday feels I'd probably have rated it lower lol. 🤦♀️ I mean, the book was kinda cute in a really cheesy way but I feel like this is one of those romance books that you need to go in with suspension of dibelief. There are way too many things that you will end up questioning otherwise.
I'm not so great at suspending my disbelief in contemporary romances lol - so for me, it wasn't believable and I probably would have loved it much more if it was a slower burn.
The miscommunication and the third act nonsense made me want to pull my hair out. Felt so ridiculous.
╰⪼ 🎄Hallmark Vibes
╰⪼ 🎄Holiday Season
╰⪼ 🎄Friends to Lovers
╰⪼ 🎄Fake Dating
╰⪼ 🎄Cheesy Romance
“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."
⋆꙳·̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆
December 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐️
If you’ve ever wanted a fake dating romance that takes place on a Christmas tree farm - this is the book for you! Not perfect, but was very Hallmark with some spice.
If you’ve ever wanted a fake dating romance that takes place on a Christmas tree farm - this is the book for you! Not perfect, but was very Hallmark with some spice.
December 8, 2022
4.5 🌟 falalalalalala. small town. friends to lovers. fake dating. christmas magic. of course i loved it.
i had no doubts i’d like this book but wow it was so cute. the characters had me right from the beginning and i need to read the rest of the series immediately. i’m so invested in their stories already & i haven’t even read their books yet.
i loved the christmas spirit + the small town cozy feeling this gave. it really is the perfect holiday read.
i did think the first half was stronger than the last half. they kind of lost me a little along the way there, i think if it was dual pov that wouldn’t have happened. but it was still so so good.
“we continue..” <3
i had no doubts i’d like this book but wow it was so cute. the characters had me right from the beginning and i need to read the rest of the series immediately. i’m so invested in their stories already & i haven’t even read their books yet.
i loved the christmas spirit + the small town cozy feeling this gave. it really is the perfect holiday read.
i did think the first half was stronger than the last half. they kind of lost me a little along the way there, i think if it was dual pov that wouldn’t have happened. but it was still so so good.
“we continue..” <3
December 18, 2022
Pure tender, friends-to-lovers, holiday magic. Adored it.
January 4, 2024
for december 2023, i really was trying to embrace my holiday book era! and lovelight farms was my favorite of them all. but i do want to preface this with the fact that this doesn’t really feel like a winter holiday book, but more of a autumn holiday book! but i still really just fell in love with this story, these people, and this small cozy town.
in this story, we follow stella who has recently purchased a farm and lives in the cottage on the property! she is really struggling financially, and decides to enter a competition held by a very famous social media person, but while she is applying she says that she is in a relationship and they both are renovating this old farm. so when she is picked for the final portion of the contest, where the host will visit the destinations, stella recruits her best friend, luka, to pretend to be her boyfriend.
this was truly the best friends to lovers i have ever read. it was so believable, so beautiful, and was truly a joy to read. Both of these characters always showing up and being there for each other during some of their darkest parts of life to some of the brightest joys of life was just so endearing to read. to see them prioritize their relationship platonically through the years was just very sweet, and i know these are fictional characters, but oh my gosh do i wish them just lifetimes of happiness together.
i really enjoyed this one and i can’t wait to continue on with this series and fall more in love with this community.
trigger + content warnings: storylines surround financial debt, loss of a parent in past, talk of cancer in past, talk of hospital settings in past, childhood abandonment in past, anxiety, grief, panic attacks, ptsd, a harry potter mention, a lot of alcohol consumption, mention of infidelity (not mcs)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
in this story, we follow stella who has recently purchased a farm and lives in the cottage on the property! she is really struggling financially, and decides to enter a competition held by a very famous social media person, but while she is applying she says that she is in a relationship and they both are renovating this old farm. so when she is picked for the final portion of the contest, where the host will visit the destinations, stella recruits her best friend, luka, to pretend to be her boyfriend.
this was truly the best friends to lovers i have ever read. it was so believable, so beautiful, and was truly a joy to read. Both of these characters always showing up and being there for each other during some of their darkest parts of life to some of the brightest joys of life was just so endearing to read. to see them prioritize their relationship platonically through the years was just very sweet, and i know these are fictional characters, but oh my gosh do i wish them just lifetimes of happiness together.
i really enjoyed this one and i can’t wait to continue on with this series and fall more in love with this community.
trigger + content warnings: storylines surround financial debt, loss of a parent in past, talk of cancer in past, talk of hospital settings in past, childhood abandonment in past, anxiety, grief, panic attacks, ptsd, a harry potter mention, a lot of alcohol consumption, mention of infidelity (not mcs)
blog | instagram | youtube | kofi | spotify | amazon
December 13, 2022
I can’t really explain how or why this happens - but every time I’ve started a book that later on will end up becoming an all time favorite… I get the same exact nervous stomach/heart starts racing/surge of anxiety feeling that lasts for the entirety of the time I’m reading the story —— and omigoddd did I get those feelings for this book. I almost forgot what it felt like since it’s been a hot minute… but nope, those feelings are still possible. Thank you B.K Borison for the reminder.
This book was so f*cking good!! I’m not even a huge friends to lovers fan - and I’ve never been that big on unrequited love either… but this book is making me rethink my stance on both of those tropes 😵💫. The longing, the tension, all the touching… 😮💨😮💨😮💨 —— the vibes/atmosphere, the side characters, all the adorable scenes, the whole storyline - literally everything.
I really appreciated how we so seamlessly got a good amount of backstory of their almost decade long friendship without doing any ‘past’ chapters or story-time moment dumping in middle of scenes… we got to see their current relationship alongside all their history in a way that really worked for me. (this is something that usually turns me off from friends to lovers… when the balance of telling us of their past while showing us their present is somehow off… but I think this book built up all of that really well.)
Also… a man who cooks and has OCD is my Kryptonite so I’m officially adding Luka to my book boyfriend roster 🤤 — and I’m not even gonna complain about how it wasn’t dual POV because I still felt all of his feelings and longing for her just from her POV, so I didn’t feel like it was missing (but I still very much enjoyed his epilogue & bonus scene 😏)
This book was so f*cking good!! I’m not even a huge friends to lovers fan - and I’ve never been that big on unrequited love either… but this book is making me rethink my stance on both of those tropes 😵💫. The longing, the tension, all the touching… 😮💨😮💨😮💨 —— the vibes/atmosphere, the side characters, all the adorable scenes, the whole storyline - literally everything.
I really appreciated how we so seamlessly got a good amount of backstory of their almost decade long friendship without doing any ‘past’ chapters or story-time moment dumping in middle of scenes… we got to see their current relationship alongside all their history in a way that really worked for me. (this is something that usually turns me off from friends to lovers… when the balance of telling us of their past while showing us their present is somehow off… but I think this book built up all of that really well.)
Also… a man who cooks and has OCD is my Kryptonite so I’m officially adding Luka to my book boyfriend roster 🤤 — and I’m not even gonna complain about how it wasn’t dual POV because I still felt all of his feelings and longing for her just from her POV, so I didn’t feel like it was missing (but I still very much enjoyed his epilogue & bonus scene 😏)
April 19, 2024
5/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️
🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄
The Lovelight Farm was sweet and charming friends to lovers stories. The story is sweet and perfect for the holidays! Stella Bloom’s dream was to own the Christmas Tree Farm in the small town of Inglewild. This book honestly gave me all the feels! This book is about dreams coming true, both in personal and professional life, and it is one of my favorite tropes — friends to lovers.. There is two more books in this series which I didn’t realize when I started this book. I thought it was just a holiday book can’t wait to read In the Weeds.
Quotes:
I wanted it to feel like stepping inside a Dolly Parton Christmas special.
I’m grateful. I send up a wish to the ghosts of holiday past, present, and future. I just need this little bit of magic to continue through the end of the month.
It’s like instead of easing something, we unleashed it instead. Amplified it. I just want more.
Luka rests his chin on top of my head. “This is how my parents argued,” he confesses quietly, a grin in his voice. “Or I guess, this is how they had big conversations. My dad said he liked to keep my mom close, but I really think he wanted a way to politely restrain her.”
“Weird that it wasn’t weird,”
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.
🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄
2/5 🌶️
🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄
The Lovelight Farm was sweet and charming friends to lovers stories. The story is sweet and perfect for the holidays! Stella Bloom’s dream was to own the Christmas Tree Farm in the small town of Inglewild. This book honestly gave me all the feels! This book is about dreams coming true, both in personal and professional life, and it is one of my favorite tropes — friends to lovers.. There is two more books in this series which I didn’t realize when I started this book. I thought it was just a holiday book can’t wait to read In the Weeds.
Quotes:
I wanted it to feel like stepping inside a Dolly Parton Christmas special.
I’m grateful. I send up a wish to the ghosts of holiday past, present, and future. I just need this little bit of magic to continue through the end of the month.
It’s like instead of easing something, we unleashed it instead. Amplified it. I just want more.
Luka rests his chin on top of my head. “This is how my parents argued,” he confesses quietly, a grin in his voice. “Or I guess, this is how they had big conversations. My dad said he liked to keep my mom close, but I really think he wanted a way to politely restrain her.”
“Weird that it wasn’t weird,”
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.
🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄❄ 🎄
December 11, 2023
4⭐️
This book is absolutely adorable!! I had the best time reading this it is the perfect winter read 🤭
THE PLOT
Stella runs a Christmas tree farm that has been struggling financially for a while. In an effort to save her farm and bring in money, she signs up for a contest that a popular influencer hosts. She says she runs the tree farm with her boyfriend...but there is no boyfriend. Stella asks her best friend, Luka, to pretend to date. Evelyn, the influencer, loves romance. Stella thought this plan would be perfect to get recognition and bring in the cash. However, someone has been vandalizing the farm and it's up to Stella and her friends to figure out who is causing mayhem right before Evelyn arrives.
MY THOUGHTS
I truly do think this is the perfect book to read before Christmas. There were so many high points in this book. I loved Stella, besides the fact that she acts like a child sometimes. I could've done without that to be honest. However, Stella's friends provide such light-hearted comedic relief that really pulls this book together. Sigh, Luke is now yet ANOTHER book boyfriend to add to my list. His whole relationship with Stella was absolutely adorable! He's so golden retriever boyfriend 😮💨 The world building in this book really made me want to visit Lovelight Farms. I can just picture it as a perfect winter festive location to visit for the holidays and I am LIVING for it.
Ya'll know I always say this and make it very apparent in my reviews...there is indeed a third act break up. BOOOOO. It was so unnecessary and stupid and childish like girl please. You can't think about being with this man for 9 years and when the perfect opportunity pops up you back away without a second thought. Girly pop. Be so fr. It literally lasted like 8 pages MAX it shouldn't have even been included.
Side note: I can't be the only one to read this and wanted to learn more about the Alpaca farm. That would have been gold in a book I'm just saying 😭
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend anyone looking for a festive, comforting read to pick this up for the holidays (as long as you can handle the third act break up).
FAVORITE QUOTES AND SCENES
He pulls me close and tucks his chin on top of my head. I fit perfectly there, folded in close to his body. I find my space.
I nod, still focused on the one square inch of skin where his thumb is pressing little circles. Half of me wants to collapse face-first into the pavement, the other half wants to strip off all of my clothes.
It's the deliciousness of a kiss that isn't intended for more. Patient. Chaste. It drives me insane.
"Luke, could you--"
"I'll do whatever you want, Stella,"
"I think if it feels right, we should follow it."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning if we're here, and I want to press you into the countertop and see what you taste like, then I can try that."
I don't tell him the other things. That my smiles have always belonged to him. A big chunk of my heart too. All my best memories.
"You look pretty when you come."
His smile grows into something bigger, snowflakes landing on his hair. He looks divine like this. Utterly mine.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
festive festive festive 🎄✨
This book is absolutely adorable!! I had the best time reading this it is the perfect winter read 🤭
THE PLOT
Stella runs a Christmas tree farm that has been struggling financially for a while. In an effort to save her farm and bring in money, she signs up for a contest that a popular influencer hosts. She says she runs the tree farm with her boyfriend...but there is no boyfriend. Stella asks her best friend, Luka, to pretend to date. Evelyn, the influencer, loves romance. Stella thought this plan would be perfect to get recognition and bring in the cash. However, someone has been vandalizing the farm and it's up to Stella and her friends to figure out who is causing mayhem right before Evelyn arrives.
MY THOUGHTS
I truly do think this is the perfect book to read before Christmas. There were so many high points in this book. I loved Stella, besides the fact that she acts like a child sometimes. I could've done without that to be honest. However, Stella's friends provide such light-hearted comedic relief that really pulls this book together. Sigh, Luke is now yet ANOTHER book boyfriend to add to my list. His whole relationship with Stella was absolutely adorable! He's so golden retriever boyfriend 😮💨 The world building in this book really made me want to visit Lovelight Farms. I can just picture it as a perfect winter festive location to visit for the holidays and I am LIVING for it.
Ya'll know I always say this and make it very apparent in my reviews...there is indeed a third act break up. BOOOOO. It was so unnecessary and stupid and childish like girl please. You can't think about being with this man for 9 years and when the perfect opportunity pops up you back away without a second thought. Girly pop. Be so fr. It literally lasted like 8 pages MAX it shouldn't have even been included.
Side note: I can't be the only one to read this and wanted to learn more about the Alpaca farm. That would have been gold in a book I'm just saying 😭
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend anyone looking for a festive, comforting read to pick this up for the holidays (as long as you can handle the third act break up).
FAVORITE QUOTES AND SCENES
He pulls me close and tucks his chin on top of my head. I fit perfectly there, folded in close to his body. I find my space.
I nod, still focused on the one square inch of skin where his thumb is pressing little circles. Half of me wants to collapse face-first into the pavement, the other half wants to strip off all of my clothes.
It's the deliciousness of a kiss that isn't intended for more. Patient. Chaste. It drives me insane.
"Luke, could you--"
"I'll do whatever you want, Stella,"
"I think if it feels right, we should follow it."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning if we're here, and I want to press you into the countertop and see what you taste like, then I can try that."
I don't tell him the other things. That my smiles have always belonged to him. A big chunk of my heart too. All my best memories.
"You look pretty when you come."
His smile grows into something bigger, snowflakes landing on his hair. He looks divine like this. Utterly mine.
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.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
festive festive festive 🎄✨
September 15, 2022
Stella Bloom has loved Christmas tree farms since she was a child. She loved getting lost in the rows and rows of fragrant pine trees. She had finally fulfilled her dream and purchased a tree farm which she has named Lovelight Farms.
She didn’t realize at the time that running a tree farm can also come with lots of things besides hard work.
As an example there has been vandalism in the adjourning pumpkin patch, just when all of the pumpkins were ready for Halloween. There is an area in the south part of her farm where the trees have suddenly stopped flourishing and turned into what looks like “skeleton trees”.
“Stella finally has to admit that her finances and the tree farm are in serious financial trouble.
She enters a contest run by a famed Instagram influencer (the contest also comes with a $100,000 prize), she mentions she owns the farm with her boyfriend—because she thought it would sound more romantic. But when she becomes a finalist, the woman is planning to come to the farm, so where is Stella going to get a boyfriend? “
Enter our leading man and Stella’s best friend Luka. They have known each other for a decade and Luka, kind guy that he is, decides to go along with her somewhat crazy idea to pose as her “fake boyfriend” for the duration of the Instagrammers stay.
What follows is a great story of a small town determined to help one of their own, friends who help out in every way they can and of course, some romance.
What I loved about this book was that there was a great story here! The Lighted Lovelight Farms was well described and made me yearn for the small tree farms I remember from my childhood which also included Santa, hot chocolate and candy canes.
This is one Christmas book that I can recommend. It’s not OTT romance, but there definitely is some steam here. In the end this book just made me feel good.
The novel is even more impressive considering this is a debut novel. The narrator was excellent which made the listen very enjoyable.
I received an audiobook of this novel from the publisher and Dreamscape Media through NetGalley.
She didn’t realize at the time that running a tree farm can also come with lots of things besides hard work.
As an example there has been vandalism in the adjourning pumpkin patch, just when all of the pumpkins were ready for Halloween. There is an area in the south part of her farm where the trees have suddenly stopped flourishing and turned into what looks like “skeleton trees”.
“Stella finally has to admit that her finances and the tree farm are in serious financial trouble.
She enters a contest run by a famed Instagram influencer (the contest also comes with a $100,000 prize), she mentions she owns the farm with her boyfriend—because she thought it would sound more romantic. But when she becomes a finalist, the woman is planning to come to the farm, so where is Stella going to get a boyfriend? “
Enter our leading man and Stella’s best friend Luka. They have known each other for a decade and Luka, kind guy that he is, decides to go along with her somewhat crazy idea to pose as her “fake boyfriend” for the duration of the Instagrammers stay.
What follows is a great story of a small town determined to help one of their own, friends who help out in every way they can and of course, some romance.
What I loved about this book was that there was a great story here! The Lighted Lovelight Farms was well described and made me yearn for the small tree farms I remember from my childhood which also included Santa, hot chocolate and candy canes.
This is one Christmas book that I can recommend. It’s not OTT romance, but there definitely is some steam here. In the end this book just made me feel good.
The novel is even more impressive considering this is a debut novel. The narrator was excellent which made the listen very enjoyable.
I received an audiobook of this novel from the publisher and Dreamscape Media through NetGalley.
December 27, 2022
“I’m going to love her in all the quiet ways, the slow ways the loud and obnoxious ways.”
This was such a cute and festive rom-com about love, family, and friendship. Lovelight Farms follows Stella who owns a Christmas tree farm, but when someone is sabotaging the farm, Stella's dreams of owning a tree farm may be ruined. To save the farm, Stella enters a contest with an influencer to win $100,000, but Stella lied on her application saying she owns the farm with her boyfriend. Stella doesn't have a boyfriend, but she does have a best friend, Luka who she asks to be her fake-boyfriend. Will they be still be best friends or something more?
"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."
This book was so good!! I was invested in this cozy holiday romance from the very beginning. The pacing in this book was great and the plot kept me interested. This book had so many amazing tropes including friends to lovers, small town, and fake dating. I really liked the writing style, it was descriptive and easy to follow. The characters were so relatable and great! I loved Stella, she is kind, independent, compassionate and helpful, although she is naive at times. I'm so glad that Stella realized that it's okay to ask for help and that so many people care about her. I loved Luka so much, he is kind, smart, very handsome, caring, helpful and I love that he can cook. I really liked the side characters especially Beckett and Layla. I loved seeing Luka and Stella grow throughout the book and realize they are perfect for each other. The holiday and cozy vibes in this book were so perfect! The chemistry and sexual tension between Luka and Stella was amazing! The spice was so hot! I loved the banter between Luka and Stella. The only thing I didn't like was the third-act break-up, but the epilogue made up for it. I really enjoyed seeing where the characters ended up a few years later. I can't wait to read Beckett's story!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves holiday romantic comedies, friends to lovers romance, fake dating and great characters.
This was such a cute and festive rom-com about love, family, and friendship. Lovelight Farms follows Stella who owns a Christmas tree farm, but when someone is sabotaging the farm, Stella's dreams of owning a tree farm may be ruined. To save the farm, Stella enters a contest with an influencer to win $100,000, but Stella lied on her application saying she owns the farm with her boyfriend. Stella doesn't have a boyfriend, but she does have a best friend, Luka who she asks to be her fake-boyfriend. Will they be still be best friends or something more?
"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."
This book was so good!! I was invested in this cozy holiday romance from the very beginning. The pacing in this book was great and the plot kept me interested. This book had so many amazing tropes including friends to lovers, small town, and fake dating. I really liked the writing style, it was descriptive and easy to follow. The characters were so relatable and great! I loved Stella, she is kind, independent, compassionate and helpful, although she is naive at times. I'm so glad that Stella realized that it's okay to ask for help and that so many people care about her. I loved Luka so much, he is kind, smart, very handsome, caring, helpful and I love that he can cook. I really liked the side characters especially Beckett and Layla. I loved seeing Luka and Stella grow throughout the book and realize they are perfect for each other. The holiday and cozy vibes in this book were so perfect! The chemistry and sexual tension between Luka and Stella was amazing! The spice was so hot! I loved the banter between Luka and Stella. The only thing I didn't like was the third-act break-up, but the epilogue made up for it. I really enjoyed seeing where the characters ended up a few years later. I can't wait to read Beckett's story!
I recommend this book to anyone who loves holiday romantic comedies, friends to lovers romance, fake dating and great characters.
August 9, 2022
this book has been one of my favorite books I’ve read this year! This is perfect for Christmas time, I’m definitely gonna reread it around that time. This is the perfect slow burn friends to lovers. The conflict in the book was short-lived and it wasn’t a stupid one, I know it’s a weird thing to say but I mean it. I really did love the story and made my heart flutter, I love Luka and Stella so much I’m just smiling really big right now!
September 9, 2023
This was one helluva book. Gave me all the feels. They were absolutely adorable 🥰
I managed to read it all in one night. Stayed up from 10pm to 6am to finish this masterpiece. It was so worth it!
That thing towards the end riled me up. It had me screaming in irritation because WHYYYY??!!
I managed to read it all in one night. Stayed up from 10pm to 6am to finish this masterpiece. It was so worth it!
That thing towards the end riled me up. It had me screaming in irritation because WHYYYY??!!
April 27, 2023
There’s a difference between a book that’s properly planned and constructed in detail with a book that’s filled with a lot of fillers- you just know when you read it. Unfortunately, Lovelight Farms fell into the latter category and it’s not going to look good in this review.
1.75⭐️
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison was disappointing imo. I ain’t gonna trust booktok again for a recommendation but that obviously is a lie because I’m weak and get easily swayed by just a single-line quote taken from a book. I decided to buy Lovelight Farms to see if the hype is real. Plus, it’s a holiday romance and I’ve been craving to read any books that featured friends to lovers as the romance trope.
Sadly, it was disappointing & hopefully the writing has improved for the other books featured in the series.
***
The plot for Lovelight Farm is almost non-existent due to the amount of inner monologues. Too long, too many sentences that could end up being tricky. Not when the book itself was written in first-person point of view featuring a single character alone. That only made the book seemed repetitive.
Romance-wise,
it was lacking. I’m such a big simp for friends to lovers trope because I mostly enjoy the feeling of hurting and longing 🤡. A good friends-to-lovers book would have at least, successfully makes me feel the tension between the two main characters, the angsty feeling, the pinning, frustration, like bloody hell why can’t these 2 characters be in love already??!
I didn’t catch those feelings whilst reading Lovelight Farms. The chemistry between Luka and Estrella was minimal.I failed to feel the love mingling between them.
Next, I’d also like to talk about the writing.
Pace- The first 200 pages of the book moved too slow for my liking because nothing interesting happened within these chapters. It felt like I’ve been reading the same things over and over again, they were always the same thoughts of Estella/La La being so afraid to ask Luka to be her fake boyfriend. For real Estella, it was just a freaking fake date after all, why were you turning into an extremely overthinking person 😭,
Still on the topic of writing, personally, I felt like the book needed a balance between conversations among the characters and those inner monologues placed in between. There’s no need for an extremely long inner monologue (to avoid repetition, obviously), or if you want to write that, don’t make it often. For Lovelight Farms, it took forever until I got to see the next reply/conversation, so I found myself always skipping those lines and searching for the next “...”.
Also, for the first 80 pages, I failed to remember Estrella’s name. Maybe it would be better for the author to include her name a couple more times so it would stick closely to readers. When I checked it again (and if I wasn’t wrong) there were only 2 times where her name get mentioned, and one of them wasn’t even part of a conversation.
There was a sub-plot of a mystery involving the farm but it wasn’t deep or anything, it was just a tiny, tiny little one where when you brushed it off, the conflict became easily forgettable.
2 things I liked about Lovelight Farms;
-chapter 16 where the intimacy between Luka and La La was enjoyable to read.
-description of the world-building.
but overall, the book was pretty much a snoozefest.
1.75⭐️
Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison was disappointing imo. I ain’t gonna trust booktok again for a recommendation but that obviously is a lie because I’m weak and get easily swayed by just a single-line quote taken from a book. I decided to buy Lovelight Farms to see if the hype is real. Plus, it’s a holiday romance and I’ve been craving to read any books that featured friends to lovers as the romance trope.
Sadly, it was disappointing & hopefully the writing has improved for the other books featured in the series.
***
The plot for Lovelight Farm is almost non-existent due to the amount of inner monologues. Too long, too many sentences that could end up being tricky. Not when the book itself was written in first-person point of view featuring a single character alone. That only made the book seemed repetitive.
Romance-wise,
it was lacking. I’m such a big simp for friends to lovers trope because I mostly enjoy the feeling of hurting and longing 🤡. A good friends-to-lovers book would have at least, successfully makes me feel the tension between the two main characters, the angsty feeling, the pinning, frustration, like bloody hell why can’t these 2 characters be in love already??!
I didn’t catch those feelings whilst reading Lovelight Farms. The chemistry between Luka and Estrella was minimal.I failed to feel the love mingling between them.
Next, I’d also like to talk about the writing.
Pace- The first 200 pages of the book moved too slow for my liking because nothing interesting happened within these chapters. It felt like I’ve been reading the same things over and over again, they were always the same thoughts of Estella/La La being so afraid to ask Luka to be her fake boyfriend. For real Estella, it was just a freaking fake date after all, why were you turning into an extremely overthinking person 😭,
Still on the topic of writing, personally, I felt like the book needed a balance between conversations among the characters and those inner monologues placed in between. There’s no need for an extremely long inner monologue (to avoid repetition, obviously), or if you want to write that, don’t make it often. For Lovelight Farms, it took forever until I got to see the next reply/conversation, so I found myself always skipping those lines and searching for the next “...”.
Also, for the first 80 pages, I failed to remember Estrella’s name. Maybe it would be better for the author to include her name a couple more times so it would stick closely to readers. When I checked it again (and if I wasn’t wrong) there were only 2 times where her name get mentioned, and one of them wasn’t even part of a conversation.
There was a sub-plot of a mystery involving the farm but it wasn’t deep or anything, it was just a tiny, tiny little one where when you brushed it off, the conflict became easily forgettable.
2 things I liked about Lovelight Farms;
-chapter 16 where the intimacy between Luka and La La was enjoyable to read.
-description of the world-building.
but overall, the book was pretty much a snoozefest.
July 25, 2022
not terrible. not great either. true definition of a 3 stars romance. doesn’t hurt anyone, doesn’t rock your world either.
February 12, 2023
I have been deceived.
This was what I'm calling a lazy and fake friends-to-lovers where the characters wanted to bone each other from the moment they first met years ago, but where the "friendship" element was added just so the author could have the characters thirsting over each other as soon as possible into the story without showing any emotional development from platonic to romantic feelings. When I read a friends-to-lovers I want to SEE the friendship before romantic feelings happen and this was the farthest thing from that.
Don't even make me start on the stupidity that is the plot and fake dating. The plotline that supposedly leads the characters to fake date only happens 70% into the book, so these two pretend and practice as a "trial" for the majority of the story – to only actually fake date in 2 chapters. By then, no tension or emotional turmoil that could arise from such a situation added anything to the story.
The characters? I'm begging romance authors to write female characters with functional brain cells and male love interests who have a personality other than looking cute with a beanie and being taller than the MC. There were some cute moments between Luka and Stella no doubt, the two steamy scenes weren't bad, but all those were undercut by the lack of angst that's supposed to be born out of two best friends being forced into a situation where romance would bloom – because romance has been blooming ever since this "friendship" started! And the third-act conflict... why, oh why, do authors so enjoy writing female characters acting dumb?
I'm also still looking for anything of interest that came out of this farm storyline. Christmas vibes? Didn't see them either.
It's been a minute since it happened, but it looks like I've been a victim of the hype train again.
This was what I'm calling a lazy and fake friends-to-lovers where the characters wanted to bone each other from the moment they first met years ago, but where the "friendship" element was added just so the author could have the characters thirsting over each other as soon as possible into the story without showing any emotional development from platonic to romantic feelings. When I read a friends-to-lovers I want to SEE the friendship before romantic feelings happen and this was the farthest thing from that.
Don't even make me start on the stupidity that is the plot and fake dating. The plotline that supposedly leads the characters to fake date only happens 70% into the book, so these two pretend and practice as a "trial" for the majority of the story – to only actually fake date in 2 chapters. By then, no tension or emotional turmoil that could arise from such a situation added anything to the story.
The characters? I'm begging romance authors to write female characters with functional brain cells and male love interests who have a personality other than looking cute with a beanie and being taller than the MC. There were some cute moments between Luka and Stella no doubt, the two steamy scenes weren't bad, but all those were undercut by the lack of angst that's supposed to be born out of two best friends being forced into a situation where romance would bloom – because romance has been blooming ever since this "friendship" started! And the third-act conflict... why, oh why, do authors so enjoy writing female characters acting dumb?
I'm also still looking for anything of interest that came out of this farm storyline. Christmas vibes? Didn't see them either.
It's been a minute since it happened, but it looks like I've been a victim of the hype train again.
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