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bffbookclubbritt's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is the Christmas book I’ve been searching for this season! I loved it so much.
Stella needs to save her Christmas tree farm, and the only way to do it is for her best friend — who she’s secretly been in love with for 3 billion years — to become her fake boyfriend. I absolutely loved the relationship between Stella and Luka — who knew I was a friends to lovers girly?!
The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I need just a liiiiiittle more plot, and it ended too abruptly for me. But the vibes and writing style in this are just *chef’s kiss*
4/5 twinkly light stars
Stella needs to save her Christmas tree farm, and the only way to do it is for her best friend — who she’s secretly been in love with for 3 billion years — to become her fake boyfriend. I absolutely loved the relationship between Stella and Luka — who knew I was a friends to lovers girly?!
The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is because I need just a liiiiiittle more plot, and it ended too abruptly for me. But the vibes and writing style in this are just *chef’s kiss*
4/5 twinkly light stars
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Grief
marleywrites's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book was fantastic. I was rooting for the couple from the very first page and was so happy with their development. I love Luka and I wanted to shake Stella so many times. I’m so glad I decided to read this book- it deserves every bit of hype it’s gotten.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent, Cursing, and Grief
Minor: Alcohol
itsmeyseniab's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Terminal illness and Infidelity
anastashamarie's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
❄️ I can't take how sweet this romance was. Like hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows sweet. It was slow and gentle and cozy. A perfectly Christmas-y, small town romance.
🎄 The relationship between the leads felt believable and warm. The writing was atmospheric and made me really wish Lovelight Farms was real. I loved the supporting characters and I'm glad they all get their own books. I was just giddy throughout the whole thing.
⛸️ This felt like Emily Henry meets Hallmark Channel movie. Lower stakes than Henry's stuff and generally less emotional. But still playful, still focusing on relationships first, and still hard to put down.
🧣 Honestly, the reason I would take half a star is because I wish there was more friendship detailed before the fake dating scheme at the beginning and because I still felt like there were a few threads dangling at the end (maybe they'll be tied up in the other books?). But in total, this tips more toward perfect than not, and I feel like it was what it needed to be for what it was, if that makes sense.
☃️ A+ holiday read. Best enjoyed with hot chocolate and Christmas cookies
🎄 The relationship between the leads felt believable and warm. The writing was atmospheric and made me really wish Lovelight Farms was real. I loved the supporting characters and I'm glad they all get their own books. I was just giddy throughout the whole thing.
⛸️ This felt like Emily Henry meets Hallmark Channel movie. Lower stakes than Henry's stuff and generally less emotional. But still playful, still focusing on relationships first, and still hard to put down.
🧣 Honestly, the reason I would take half a star is because I wish there was more friendship detailed before the fake dating scheme at the beginning and because I still felt like there were a few threads dangling at the end (maybe they'll be tied up in the other books?). But in total, this tips more toward perfect than not, and I feel like it was what it needed to be for what it was, if that makes sense.
☃️ A+ holiday read. Best enjoyed with hot chocolate and Christmas cookies
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Bullying, and Alcohol
ecobookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The writing is quite nice, and the story was reasonably enjoyable. However I was looking for a light, feel-good holiday romance, and was surprised at the serious tone of the book. There were light moments, but a lot of time was spent on Estelle and Luka's grief about their respective parents' deaths (her mother, his father). I feel like this bogged down the story. It's not that it was bad, but it's not what I was looking for. I enjoyed the mystery aspect of the sabotage on the farm, and the influencer's visit was enjoyable as well. I also enjoyed the side characters, especially Beckett and Layla. I liked the conclusion of the story, especially regarding the farm's financial woes. If you're looking for a Christmas story with some serious themes, this would work for you. The spicy scenes were alright as well, I'd say this is a medium-high heat book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Estelle's father had abandoned her and her mother when her mother got pregnant. She sees him sporadically as an adult and has a tense relationship with him.mandaraffe's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
lizgriffinwords's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Utterly adorable. Were there a couple plot elements that were a wee bit farfetched? Sure. Did that take away from the overall enjoyment? Not one bit.
Friends-to-lovers, fake dating, proximity, “kissing for practice” -it’s adorably tropey and makes readers as invested in their happy ending as the Inglewood phone tree.
Friends-to-lovers, fake dating, proximity, “kissing for practice” -it’s adorably tropey and makes readers as invested in their happy ending as the Inglewood phone tree.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Grief
just_klaudia's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
the_bookishmum's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
4.0
I don’t typically read romance books, it’s honestly not a genre I’ve ever been drawn to and it’s nice to get out of my comfort zone every once in a while. If a hallmark movie was a book it would be this book.
Stella, the main pov character, is incredibly irritating in that she literally can’t see what’s in front of her face in so many instances not just romantically. And Luka…well apart from calling her ‘La La’ is almost too perfect a guy
Stella, the main pov character, is incredibly irritating in that she literally can’t see what’s in front of her face in so many instances not just romantically. And Luka…well apart from calling her ‘La La’ is almost too perfect a guy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Grief
booksofautumn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Death of parent