Lovelight Farms

This book had everything that I usually don't gravitate towards: friends to lovers and a genuinely nice (no morally grey here) MMC. But oh my gosh, did I love this book! I am a sucker for fake dating, so that definitely helped.Stella and Luca have been friends for nearly a decade, and due to a lie on an application for a contest, Stella asks Luca to be her fake boyfriend. Set at a Christmas tree farm, it makes the perfect holiday read. It's cozy, cute, and the side characters are fantastic. I was a little worried when I started because I wanted Stella to end of with Beck, but I quickly changed my tune.The tension between Stella and Luca is so wonderful, and because they're best friends, it's full of really cute, sweet moments. It had me laughing, it had me giddy, and at one point, I was even tearing up. If I tear up while reading, I give it an automatic good rating. Luca is just such a genuinely nice guy: he's protective, takes care of her, is a mama's boy, and I love the sweet things he does for her. The author did a great job of weaving in special memories. I felt like I was witnessing something so real unfolding. I did get a little frustrated with Stella at one point, thinking her reaction was unrealistic, but the more I thought about it, the more I understood it. Plus it didn't last long.I thought about the characters when I wasn't reading. I want to visit this farm. And I can't wait to read more in the series because, as mentioned, the author does such a good job of laying the groundwork for other characters (*cough* Beckett).

I had this at five stars initially, but then I read the second book, and it made me downgrade this one, too, because it took all the shine off it.I'll start with why I initially liked it. I write spoiler-y reviews because otherwise what's the point so don't read this if you're weird about spoilers. I mean, it's basically a Hallmark movie, you KNOW how it ends.Anyway.The Good:The main character, Stella, while she got on my nerves at times with her commitment issues and secretive behavior, was interesting and well-rounded. Her relationship with Luka felt believable and natural. Their connection was warm and cozy, building into the right amount of steam.The plot is mostly silly, which is to be expected with the genre. I was looking for a good way to turn my brain off when I saw this so I didn't want or expect Les Miserables or something, and it delivered what I expected. The Christmas tree farm that needs saving is typical, but there's no "big city girl adjusting to small town." She's lived there since she was 16 and hasn't done anything else. There's admittedly a huge gap, as far as I recall from what I read, between when her mother died when she was 21 and where she is when the book starts and she's bought the tree farm. Did she work? Did she go to college? How did she pay for it? Where did she live? How did she pay bills or get health insurance? Not a clue, but that's fine, the plot still played out charmingly.Even better, there was a saboteur of the tree farm, which was quirky enough that it kept me reading, but not such a stressful mystery it affected the romantic plot. The way that turns out, while a little abrupt (needed a little more bread crumbs laid down in the beginning) is still adorable and pleasing.The roadblock around the 3/4 mark that's always part of these types of books was aggravating, but believable, for a character like Stella who believably has issues with commitment and trust. It's resolved fairly quickly.The writing is good. The dialogue tags can be stupid but that's apparently a thing in modern fiction now that I'll just have to grin and bear because I hate it ("Hi," I greeted--really, is 'hi' a greeting? Why thank you, mighty author, for letting me know that the character saying hi is issuing a greeting. News flash, you can just use 'said.') Otherwise, what blew me away about this and made it fly by was the style. The figurative language was deliciously Christmasy, but more than that, there were so many real-life details that made the story come alive in a way that even more poetic authors don't always manage, just by including the small things; looking out the window at someone walking across the street, that kind of thing. It's hard to describe but it was SO enjoyable to read.Now for the bad, which is even worse because of how bad these downfalls get in the second book.Stella's mother is the manic pixie dream girl trope and I cringed hard every time she was mentioned. She's quirky! She's a free spirit! She likes to dance in the kitchen to quirky classic songs! Whee! Frankly it's hard to be nostalgic along with Stella for a mother that moved her all over every two years for no clear reason and left her daughter with massive commitment, trust, and abandonment issues.Stella's father abandoned her mother after she got pregnant, and apparently the mother never pursued child support which would have made Stella's upbringing a lot less dramatic, and there's no reason given why she didn't. Stella didn't even know who her father was until she sought him out after her father died and met her half-brother, father, and his wife. The wife is inexplicably kind to Stella even though she was conceived by the woman's husband while he was cheating on her, but okay, I can let that slide. Some people might be that nice. There's a little bit of weird family drama with her dad right at the end that comes out of left field and is never explained or discussed further, so otherwise it just adds a little more depth to Stella's character and a sprinkle of pepper to an otherwise sugary plot.Luka is boring. He's an Italian boy who lives his mother and cooks great Italian food and has a big, loud, Italian family. He is, in every other way, not remotely Italian or even vaguely interesting. He works only in relation to Stella; I do still smile thinking of the way their dynamic is in the book, the idea of these absolute best friends who also happen to be in love with each other.Which is where we get to the stupid part.They are "best friends" after a gag-inducingly sweet meet-cute of literally running into each other and him offering to buy her a grilled cheese because she "seemed sad" for TEN YEARS without either making a move. SERIOUSLY. They date other people, too, which is especially confusing for Stella because she fell hard in insta-love with his biceps the moment they met and just...did...nothing? They've literally camped together, shared a bed, spooned, cuddled, the whole shebang, and not once did either of them make the smallest bit of a move or communicate anything about how they felt. At the very end it's revealed in a single chapter from Luka's perspective that he of course has been in love with her almost as long as she was with him but despite spooning her and cuddling her he, a guy who is apparently intensely lusting after her, never once even tried to make things more serious? What planet am I living on where two grown adults could lust that hard after each other and not make a move for TEN YEARS???There's also a cutesy coo town betting pool about Stella and Luka and when they'll get together, but apparently nobody thinks to communicate this to Stella or Luka and persuade them into doing what they obviously want to do anyway. It's all sort of hand-waved away on Stella's side by saying that she "doesn't want anyone to leave her" but honestly after the first couple years you could reasonably assume you've got a good shot at being more than friends and not get dumped. But whatever, they are emotionally ten years old, so okay. Actually, that's unfair to ten year olds, they're way smarter than that.On Luka's side there is zero explanation even attempted so I'll just leave it at that. He doesn't make a move because he...just...doesn't.Anyway the farm is saved, though in a funny way I didn't expect, the couple get together, break up over Stella being stupid because of her parental issues, they fix it, happily ever after. Cute, cuddly, and extremely simple, with a surprising depth of feeling in the writing and the way the setting is described.Worth a read if you lower your expectations, but I can't even remotely recommend the second book. I'll spoil that one for you, too: they lust, they pine, they get together, they get not together, they get back together. There is no plot. And the duckling never makes more than a momentary appearance. There, saved you some time and four dollars.

"Lovelight Farms" is a delightful romp through the trials and tribulations of saving a cherished Christmas tree farm, wrapped up in the warmth of a romantic comedy—this first book in the Lovelight series by B.K. Borison is a sparkling addition to the holiday romance genre.Stella Bloom, the protagonist, is a character full of determination and heart, making her journey to save Lovelight Farms from financial ruin both engaging and relatable. The plot thickens deliciously with a pasture of dead trees, a raccoon family's coup of the Santa barn, and mysterious missing shipments, creating a perfect storm of challenges for Stella.The twist? Stella's spur-of-the-moment lie about having a boyfriend to enhance her farm's appeal in a contest. This is where Luka Peters, her best friend, transforms the story into a delightful fake dating escapade. The dynamics between Stella and Luka are electric, with their chemistry and deep-rooted friendship adding layers of humor and tenderness to their pretend romance.Borison excels in creating a setting that feels like a character in itself. The farm, with its festive chaos and looming financial peril, is depicted with such vividness that it becomes a central part of the story. The author's ability to weave in the charm of the holiday season with the high stakes of saving a beloved local business makes for an enthralling read.Overall, "Lovelight Farms" is a heartwarming tale of friendship, love, and the spirit of Christmas. It's a must-read for those who enjoy a good holiday romance with a twist of comedy and a testament to the power of community and the magic of the festive season.

Great Book, it didn't have the plasic wrap but it was in perfect conditions.

This book had me in all the feels and I wish I had the words to capture what's in my heart! The author had a way of really pulling you into all the little precious moments. The two main character love story had me in tears... a best friends relationship where the things are never said, it had me reminiscing of lost loves. I loved this friend to lovers holiday romance it's made me want to watch all the sappy Christmas romcoms while drinking peppermint mochas. BK Borison will be an autobuy author for me after this!

this book was so sweet and funny, one of my favs of this year! I just can’t wait for beckett’s and Layla’s books

I loved it, just the right mix between romance and comedy. I read it in two days and immediately it was like having a movie in my head

This is by far the cutest holiday romance I've ever read. Everything about it was perfect, and the book just felt like a cozy, warm hug🥰. Stella owns her own Lovelight Christmas farm, but it's been struggling this year. She doesn't tell her partners this because she doesn't want them to worry. So, she enters a contest from a social media influencer and makes up the story about owning the place with her boyfriend, creating this romantic, magical wonderland. Stella, however, doesn't have a boyfriend. Luckily for her, she does have a best friend who she's been madly in love with for 10 years. Wouldn't it be a great idea to ask him to be her fake boyfriend when social media star Evelyn comes to visit the farm for her blog🙄? Stella was amazing; I absolutely loved her character. She romanticizes life like no other and is just full of joy. Luka is PERFECT. He's boyfriend material: FUNNY, FLIRTY, and just such a good guy. He's the greenest of green flags🥰. Beckett and Layla were also amazing (her partners). I loved them, and it's pretty much the 'found family' trope. Dane, the sheriff, deserves an award for best supporting character🥺. I loved him; he was adorable, and his little love story? I'd love to read more about that. Same with Layla and Beckett's. Their love stories are written in the other two books in the series (all can be read as standalones, though!). I definitely recommend this one if you're looking for a cute, holiday romance🎄🎁❤️.