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fanboyriot's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
♡ Winter Vibes
♡ Second Chance
♡ Hallmark Movie Vibes
📖𓋼𓍊 REVIEW 𓍊𓋼📖
Entertaining from the start, I loved the winter romance vibes. Going back home after publicly causing some work drama things get worse before they get better for Morgan. I really enjoyed this plot, it was so good. While second chance romance might not be my favorite this book writes it so well!
This had all the cozy elements of a Hallmark movie, but with an interesting plot and well written characters. It’s a classic; party planner heads back home only to try and save her home town’s local businesses and reconnect with old friends… and of course fall head over heels for the woman she left behind. Super wholesome and cute with hints of on page spice.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (3/5)
Angst Level: 💧 (1/5)
POV: First Person
Release Date: 30, August 2022
Rep: Bisexual (Main Character and Love Interest), LGBTQIA+ (Main and Side Characters)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, and Cursing
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Car accident, Vomit, Alcoholism, Grief, Infidelity, and Cancer
offbrandclubsoda's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcoholism
oernst02's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Gay, mature Hallmark movie in a book. The queer representation that was needed, but not super high-level read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism
jane_cs's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer
monicalaurette's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ever wanted a Hallmark/sappy Christmas romance movie but in book format that was also queer? May I introduce you to this book. It was such a simple read that I was able to get it done in two days (really like half a day if you don’t count when I had to break for work & sleep). A lot of the book was predictable due to the premise but I loved the different twists that made it original. This is not the best book that I’ve read, but it’s one that I’m glad that I at least took a chance with.
Things did happen very fast in this book timeline wise and there was a promise of a slow-burn that was instead almost a quick burn so that was upsetting but the second-chance romance and friends-to-lovers aspects were right on the money.
Wished there was more of a climactic or satisfying ending with Christy & Vaughn Enterprises but I guess her realizing she wasn’t being true to herself was fine and fit in more with the Hallmark-esque vibe going on. Lots of stuff happened and got fixed what seemed like really quickly afterwards but this quote I think summed that up and made me rethink things and mistakes I’ve made in the past.
“Sometimes, mistakes are the beginning of something wonderful.”
Do I think I’ll read the next Fern Falls book about Adam & Ben? Probably not, but that one is archillian in romance so if that’s more your style I’m sure you could just read that one and not have to read this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcoholism
Minor: Vomit and Misogyny
callmekt's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It's a Hallmark Christmas movie with a sapphic romance at its center, and is something I would recommend to people looking for a cute, queer romance.
I love a good romance that starts with a complicated relationship. This book had a great setup with a lot of promise, but no pay out. The MC Morgan and her love interest Rachel were former besties in high school, but while Morgan took off for the city to start a life and career of her own, Rachel stuck around the small town where they grew up. Their parting was not amicable, and I loved the allusions to the big fight and fallout.
Unfortunately, that level of complication did not extend beyond the middle of the book. I felt Morgan and Rachel reconciled too easily before starting their relationship.
The main plot involved Morgan setting up a big fundraiser to save Rachel's tree farm. This also had an easy resolution, especially with Christy, who is the main villain. Christy is part of a large enterprise that had taken over a neighboring small town, and she's leading the charge to do the same in Fern Falls. The decisions she makes in the climax of the fundraiser plot are such a 180 from what she had been doing until that point that it took me out of the book.
The book ends with the standard Hallmark plot of the Big City Girl staying in the small town indefinitely. And while there's a lot of lead up to that sort of ending, it's still disappointing to me, the person who would like the Big City Girl to return to the Big City with her love interest in tow for once.
My final thought involves the description of attraction Morgan has to Rachel. It's entirely based on Rachel's appearance and descriptions therein. I guess that's great for some people, but love is more than looks. I wanted to know what Rachel did to make Morgan feel wanted and welcome. I wanted Rachel to see Morgan for who she is, and I wanted Morgan to melt at every sign of Rachel putting her trust in her.
Despite these gripes, I did enjoy this book. It's a cozy, holiday story I would recommend for the holiday season.
I love a good romance that starts with a complicated relationship. This book had a great setup with a lot of promise, but no pay out. The MC Morgan and her love interest Rachel were former besties in high school, but while Morgan took off for the city to start a life and career of her own, Rachel stuck around the small town where they grew up. Their parting was not amicable, and I loved the allusions to the big fight and fallout.
Unfortunately, that level of complication did not extend beyond the middle of the book. I felt Morgan and Rachel reconciled too easily before starting their relationship.
The main plot involved Morgan setting up a big fundraiser to save Rachel's tree farm. This also had an easy resolution, especially with Christy, who is the main villain. Christy is part of a large enterprise that had taken over a neighboring small town, and she's leading the charge to do the same in Fern Falls. The decisions she makes in the climax of the fundraiser plot are such a 180 from what she had been doing until that point that it took me out of the book.
The book ends with the standard Hallmark plot of the Big City Girl staying in the small town indefinitely. And while there's a lot of lead up to that sort of ending, it's still disappointing to me, the person who would like the Big City Girl to return to the Big City with her love interest in tow for once.
My final thought involves the description of attraction Morgan has to Rachel. It's entirely based on Rachel's appearance and descriptions therein. I guess that's great for some people, but love is more than looks. I wanted to know what Rachel did to make Morgan feel wanted and welcome. I wanted Rachel to see Morgan for who she is, and I wanted Morgan to melt at every sign of Rachel putting her trust in her.
Despite these gripes, I did enjoy this book. It's a cozy, holiday story I would recommend for the holiday season.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcoholism
joensign's review
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Grief
zoepagereader's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I was never really with this book, but the ending did it in for me. The writing style felt clunky and awkward the entire time. All the characters felt like they had the exact same personality. I would have appreciated more on the event planning side of things and maybe a little less of Morgan and Rachel’s sexy talk. I’ve also never felt that there should be a limit to the amount of times the word naval is used in a book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
haileyhardcover's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
The premise of this book is so cute… it’s a damn shame that the writing is absolutely god awful and most of the characters, especially Morgan, are insufferable. Jesus 🤦🏼♀️
This is just personal preference, but I hate first person point of view. It just never reads well, but especially in this case when the main character has almost no redeeming qualities. Morgan is the ✨worst✨ and did not deserve the HAE.
Beyond the point of view issues, the writing is lazy and all over the place at best and SO cringey at worst. Like, so bad it even ruined the spicy scenes. I felt like I got whiplash from how fast characters would contradict themselves or do a complete 180°. For a book about a planner, it seems like absolutely no planning went into this book. The epilogue had me literally screaming it was so absurd.
I read this junk in two sittings - at first hoping it would get better, and then just out of spite and determination to not waste another day on it. One star for the cute premise, zero stars for execution.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Alcohol
the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
If you love Hallmark movies, I think you'd love this book! The plot and characters are perfectly reminiscent of a sapphic Hallmark film complete with a big city person returning to their small town and falling in love with a lumberjack.
As someone who does not particularly like Hallmark films, I found it pretty boring. This being said, I really do think it'd be a different experience for someone who enjoys the cheesy Christmas love story elements more than I do!
As someone who does not particularly like Hallmark films, I found it pretty boring. This being said, I really do think it'd be a different experience for someone who enjoys the cheesy Christmas love story elements more than I do!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, and Death of parent