Reviews with content warning for Alcohol - Lovelight Farms

I absolutely loved thisss - would have 100% read it in one sitting if I hadn’t had work in the morning
The relationships between the characters felt real and fleshed out and I really believed in the couples tho I wish we’d gotten a bit of a closer glimpse into at least one of the side character romances that are briefly mentioned
Overall so so glad I finally got around to reading this I had a great time :)

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rickireadss's review against another edition

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4.5

you literally got me when it says the book is fake dating & best friends to lovers!! LITERALLY LOVE THESE TROPES SO MUCH. and oh my gosh, b.k. absolutely DELIVERED in giving all the best parts of besties to lovers that i love - the angst, the mutual pining, “i’ve always been in love with you”, “i don’t want us to ruin our friendship” AHHH. i had the best time, i LOVED the side characters (and can’t wait to read their books!!), and loved the small town so much.

⚠️: death of parent, grief, abandonment, cancer, alcohol

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books_tea_blanket's review

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lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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mandathebiblio's review

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lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Here's the thing. I did enjoy this book. But there were a few times where Harry Potter was mentioned and in a book released in 2021, that's just not going to do it for me. It took me out of the story and I just found myself cringing and just frustrated.

But. overall, I did enjoy the book. It was a cute Christmas romance and I had a lot of fun hearing these characters interacting. That said, I feel the "conflict" they had that all romances have was just... meh. It. was miscommunication to a level I just found frustrating and led me to just not really feel moved by the makeup. Which really took away from the relationship between these two characters. I can't say much more without spoiling, so I'll leave it at that.

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immovabletype's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can see how this won't be for everyone. it's slow-paced and for the most part low conflict. innately so given this is friends to lovers, but the author also mostly* nips misunderstandings in the bud by actually having her characters communicate. (I don't mind miscommunication, it's human, but the lack of it here makes sense given the kind of long running intimacy the author is trying to build.) for my part, I loved this. friends to lovers is my jam, and I really, really jive with the writing style, the way Borison lends detail to action in a way that makes the characters come to life so vividly. the relationship feels complex enough that I feel like I could reread this and get things out of it that I didn't the first time, which isn't something I'd generally say about romance. weirdly, I really connected with our main character's business ownership woes and how it can be hard to balance your vision with financial realities. the steam was very, very hot even though it's probably a 4/5 spice level. my only quibble is that I always have to suspend my disbelief when the ensemble cast is overly invested in the outcome of the relationship, and there's a lot of that here. people are just not this invested in other people's romantic relationships unless they're your mother. it's silly hijinks in a novel that otherwise feels fairly grounded, so it pulled me out of the atmosphere a bit. however, it's still very cozy and lovely and sexy, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

there is a third act conflict/"break up" but the misunderstanding involved is rooted in the characterization.

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bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

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lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I enjoyed the found family aspect and the relationships Stella has with different townspeople!

I loved Beckett and Layla! They were so fun and I can’t wait to read their books in the series, hopefully enjoying them more. I also loved Luka’s interactions with his family and wish we had more of that!

I wish it had also explored Stella’s issues with her dad more as it’s brought up in the beginning but never really addressed ever again? It felt kind of pointless to introduce him and that storyline but then abandon it by the second half.

I also usually prefer romances with switching POVs to see both sides but Borison did a great job of showing Luka’s feelings even through Stella’s own POV.

The pacing was okay. It was a lot of slow build up just for everything (conflict wise) to explode and be solved, all within the last third of the novel.

The romance was cute but towards the end I wanted to shake Stella 😅 She was being so frustrating!

Overall it’s cute, fun story that was a quick and easy read! It’s not a favorite for me and didn’t make me swoon or smile as much as I usually do with romances but I’m interested to read more from Borison. Recommend for anyone who wants an easy read with a Hallmark type holiday romance 🎄

Tropes: friends to lovers, fake dating, found family, small town

Spice: 🌶️ (1.5/3)

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