I really liked the setup however i was a bit more hesitant about the romance which i did find awkward and strangely paced.

The resolution felt too easy but i guess it is the point of a hallmark romance

3.5 stars for me — A pretty solid queer romance! I enjoyed the entire ensemble of characters, which I find is rare, and the story gave Gilmore Girls/Stars Hollow energy, which I loved. I found that the lead up to the actual relationship was more enticing for me than the later chapters when the characters were together, and it tied everything up a little too perfectly for my taste. All in all though, a very cute holiday romance!

This was exactly what I was expecting... A Hallmark movie but make it hella gay!

This book has lots of LGBTQIA+ representation all through it and my little pansexual heart was soaring while reading this.

Also, it was incredibly immersive and atmospheric. I could really could picture being in this little mountain town, surrounded by all the friendly, lovely people of the town. I could imagine the snow drifting down and surrounding me. I loved all of the imagery.

I really loved all of the characters in this book! From Ben and his coffee shop, to Rachel and her pine tree farm. My favorites were definitely Ben, Whit and Rachel. And especially Natasha, the town's trans mayor.

Some of my favorite quotes were"

"Drink first okay? Coffee makes everything better."

But I'm really good at breaking things before they break me.

"The world needs more queer holiday romances don't you think?"

What an incredibly sweet winter book! I love it when authors are like here have a christmas romance with a side of anti capitalism. That’s my favourite combo.

This book focuses on Morgan as she takes a sabbatical from her job after accidentally kissing her client’s fiancé (his fault not hers). But she’s a workaholic so she decides to plan a fundraiser for her hometown’s christmas tree farm so that the greedy mega corps can’t buy it out. There’s something about writing a book that somehow actually captures the emotional spirit of a family holiday while emphasising that consumerism and capitalism ISNT what makes it a celebration that does it for me. Bravo.

Morgan is emotionally distant and Very Sad but quickly breaks down as she realizes maybe she was perceiving actions wrong because she was in her own head and therefore makes an active effort to build back relationships. That made her really relatable and wonderful. Of course her emotional arc is an oscillating rollercoaster because she’s conflicted but it resolves beautifully.

I also loved how not chill she was about her crush on Rachel. Like it was a high school crush that never went away and she just Cannot Stop. It’s too cute. And funny enough despite not having Rachel’s pov you can also clearly tell Rachel is also Not Chill about being in love with Morgan. Their whole romance is too cute for words. And there were three lengthy smut scenes. Chefs kiss.

The small town vibes, close knit friends and found family, and ambience were just immensely perfect. This was the quintessential cozy winter romance. Loved it.

[3.5 stars rounded]
A sweet and spicy Christmas romcom about Morgan, an event planner who heads back after years to her home town in Fern Falls to help with a fundraiser, reconnecting with friends and acquaintances from her past. Between juggling the pressures of an impending promotion, the lack of sponsorship for the event, and the threat of privatization looming over her childhood community, Morgan must make amends and mend bridges with all the people she had cast aside for her new and glamourous life in LA- which includes the sexy, charismatic lumberjack Rachel, Morgan's former flame and biggest what-if. This is a second chance Hallmark romance at its peak.
To list the positives: firstly, I'm glad that there was no fake dating, because nowadays apparently every romance needs that awful trope to work. Morgan's POV voice is pretty strong and assertive, and her romance with Rachel is steady and mature (unlike some other Christmas sapphic novels i could name). Like they genuinely seem to care for each other beyond lust or sex. They have great chemistry! I also liked all the background characters and the queer found family of sorts (again, not naming names but some romcom authors can take tips on how to write supportive but not overbearing friends). Plus, there was a serious emphasis on familial love and community service, which is great to see in a romcom novel. Fern Falls was beautifully portrayed as this quaint mountain town with its small businesses and wintry postcard aesthetic, which made for a good reading experience.
As for the bad, there is unfortunately, the usual third act conflict caused by miscommunication, which could've been avoided completely. There is a lot of emphasis on grand gestures of love (which is not something I really warm up to, imo public proposals are very performative and put pressure upon the party). Most importantly, while there are multiple characters of colour in the novel, all of them are relegated to the background (passing references to brown skin and typical "Asian" bobs), while the main cast of friends and family who get good character work are firmly white.

This book was cute. 2nd chance romance FF. This was one of those books where I wanted to slap several characters for being so dumb, but I still loved them. I’m excited to see the other love stories she clearly set up for sequels. I always love bi representation and while some of the banter/ dialogue was cringy, over all I was still swoony and desperate for some Christmas magic! 3/5 spicy, but just barely.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

I received an advanced copy of In the Event of Love through Netgalley so I could share my review with you! This book is a wonderful bisexual holiday romance, and was the perfect read to celebrate today with!

In the Event of Love is packed with wonderful elements, including:

-Two bisexual leading ladies
-A workaholic forced to return to her small town home for the holidays
-Saving the farm!
-Lumberjack love interest
-LOTS of steamy scenes
-Second-chance romance

In the Event of Love has everything I look for in a good, queer holiday story! I loved the use of the “workaholic and home-town hunk” dynamic, and how well it paired with the second-chance romance trope used in the book. This book was sweet, and just the right length to keep me enthralled the whole time.
In addition to reading a physical copy of In the Event of Love, I also enjoyed listening to an audiobook copy from Tantor Audio! Melissa Moran was the perfect choice of narrator for this steamy holiday romance novel. Her vocal cadence was just right for the pacing of this more slow-going book, and it wrapped me up in the world of Fern Falls.

My Recommendation-
If you love a classic feel-good Hallmark holiday movie story, then you won’t want to miss In the Event of Love! I would especially recommend this book to fans of Under the Christmas Tree and Christmas at the Ranch!
Content Warning: Alcoholism (of a family member), parental death (past), feelings of abandonment

Morgan left her hometown for LA as soon as she could and has been enjoying her life as an event planner on the rise. Then something goes horribly wrong and her boss makes her take time off to stay out of the spotlight for a bit. Morgan decides to go home and plan an event she got an inquiry about, even though she doesn't really look forward to seeing her dad, her town, and her ex best friend and crush Rachel. She soon finds out she and Reed will be spending a lot of time together while prepping the event and that those feelings from long ago aren't really gone after all.

This book was so good!! It made me laugh, tear up, want to visit the welcoming little mountain town, join the found family friend group, and more. Plus, queer rep and Christmas! What else could I want besides a book two about Adam and Ben?! As you can see by the release date (Aug 30/22), I am posting about this rather late BUT I fully recommend you read this now or whenever you start your holiday reading this year.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the ARC! You can find my review in my story highlight ARC Reviews on my IG.

this was okay and I think if you're a super big fan of hallmark movies yeah it's pretty good, but it was slightly too cheesy for me and I also just didn't really connect with the characters. It took me a while to get through because I really just didn't care about the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing me an eARC of In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I actually really love stories when the main character is the type to put everyone at arm’s length and hide from their own feelings o ly to find themselves in an environment where they can let themselves feel closeness to others and acknowledge their own emotions. So naturally, I loved that character arc that Morgan goes through in this book.

Second chance love is always an interesting trope and I really enjoyed the way Courtney Kae utilizes it in this novel by having Morgan realize things were so much more complicated than she thought they were when she was seventeen. Without getting too far into spoiler territory, love that Morgan and Rachel have a chance to discuss their pasts as adults. I also thought the use of flashbacks throughout was clever so readers can understand young Morgan and how her seventeen year old and current selves react to things.

I was not expecting the ending, but I thought it was delightful. This book is so lovely and I highly recommend it.

Also, I love the Reading Group Discussion Guide. It’s book club ready!

5 out of 5 stars

This is such a perfect winter read. It has all the hallmarks of, well, a Hallmark Christmas Movie - my faves! - with some extra spice. Like the most perfect hot chocolate. It's not the spiciest book I've ever read so it was like the perfect level. AND IT'S A WLW story. Last year, I remember trawling through Goodreads list looking for a Sapphic Christmas story and I found it like, 10 months later. The only disappointment was that I read it outside of Christmas but that's all on me 🤣. I was full on crying at the end 💗

This is a cute, feel good queer romcom and it’s bound to be a great book to snuggle up with next to a fireplace on a cold winter night. The whole “big city girl gets a second chance with her small town first love when she offers to help save her Christmas tree farm” thing screams Hallmark movie and it definitely reads like one too- cute, funny, and a little sappy, with some spice thrown in to heat things up.

The story does get a little slow in the middle but the ending more than makes up for that. Overall, I enjoyed reading about Morgan and Rachel and their second chance at romance.

I also loved the friend group in this book and I hope every single one of them gets a book of their own!

I adored this book! The Hallmark vibes were impeccable, and I got all of the steam, emotional growth, and aww-inducing moments I crave. It went all-in on the pining and second chance, and the sweet love story was exactly what I needed to get me ready for all things holidays. The town itself felt like a character and I'm ready to pack my bags to move on up to Fern Falls. While the book tackles some heavier subjects (CWs for family member's alcoholism and past [off-page] loss of family members) the topics are included in a caring way and don't, by any means, take away from the lighthearted, low-angst storytelling that I look for in holiday media. SUPER refreshing to have a queer story told without the queerness or barriers to being queer being the plot. The characters were queer, everyone was cool with it, it was fab. I would absolutely recommend this as a cozy wintertime read.

Morgan and Rachel’s story will wrap you up in a warm holiday hug. It has everything a cozy holiday romance should, including incredible holiday drinks, a cozy (and nosy) small town community, and an incredible show of friendship and love in tough times. This will be my top recommendation this holiday season!

The most comforting holiday book I've ever read touched my heart. It has a nice romance, endearing characters, and a fun yet straightforward plot.

It's about community and places gay people and romances right where we belong: at the centre of the narrative. The festive spirit, camaraderie, pride in being there for one another, and making something special with loved ones are all beautifully captured in this book.

Sapphic romances are bias, and I appreciate Courtney's writing style in this novel.

It sounds like Ben and Adam's story will come up next in this series, followed by Whitney and Tanner's, and I can't wait to see what happens.

After reading the description for this book, I was really excited about reading a sappy and hallmarkesque queer romance. But, I frequently had to force myself to keep reading. There were definitely entertaining portions that gave me hope about loving this book, but something just fell flat. Maybe it was the pacing of the story that threw me off or the narration style. I like Morgan's character a lot but wish I could have seen more of Rachel's perspective. Even though I didn't love this story, I appreciate the queer representation as well as the mountain vibes. I think this story would have been more impactful with greater character development and exploration.

I adored this book. Set just before the December holidays, Morgan has a snafu with her work and brings some negative publicity to her event planning company. Her boss, while understanding that it wasn't Morgan's fault, insists that Morgan take some time off to recuperate. Besides, she hasn't taken time off in years.

Morgan utilizes an event in her hometown as a win-win to show her boss she's taking time off (but not really) and improving her image. She hasn't been back in years and she has to face the people she's been avoiding.

She runs into an almost girlfriend/best friend Rachel pretty much immediately after getting into town. She wavers about if she should stay to do the event, or bail at the first sign of trouble. In finding out more about this event, she reconnects with some old friends Ben and Adam (Rachel's brother), as well as making some new friends. She also reconnects with her dad as they've had a disjointed relationship for the last few years.

Morgan slowly works on rebuilding relationships and finds that her crush on Rachel is very much in the present. I enjoyed seeing them discover the current versions of themselves and work through some of the past as well.

I would definitely recommend this one if you're in the mood for a small town, sapphic romance around the holidays. I'm definitely planning on checking out the next book in the series as well.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and Publishers for an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
I was so excited for a fun holiday read in the middle of summer, but I picked up and put down this book so many times. It's not a bad book by any means but I realized by roughly halfway (45-50%) into the novel I wasn't hooked on the couple's chemistry? I felt like we weren't seeing a lot of connection but rather a lot of lust.

I don't mind steamy scenes, nearly every romcom I read has them, but I think I didn't care for the scenes because I wasn't rooting for the couple?! We as readers understand they have past history but there isn't much happening in present day between them that I could possibly visualize their satisfying second chance love story.

I also received an ALC (audiobook) copy and have no complaints about the narration. I just think the pacing of this novel and the way the romance was going wasn't working for me.

If I gave half stars, it would be 2.5, as I'm mostly disappointed, I didn't enjoy this more.

This book was so cute!! I absolutely love hallmark Christmas movies. The cookie cutter formula for them never ceases to bring me joy even though I pretty much know exactly what’s going to happen in each one of them but that’s part of the joy of them, I think. My only complaint is that there just isn’t nearly enough queer hallmark Christmas movies. While they have become more progressive in the last few years, there’s still such a hole in the market for them and it makes me really sad. But this book fills that hole in a perfect way! It has all of the joy and ridiculousness of the most love hallmark Christmas movies but it is so unapologetically queer and I loved every second of it! Morgan and Rachel were both flawed characters with such big hearts and getting to see them find their way back to each other was just so beautiful. Also Fern Falls just seems like the most magical place and I can’t wait to read Ben and Adam’s story next year to get to live in the town again! Definitely recommend this one for any hopeless romantic and Christmas lover out there!

2.5

I'll be honest, I had high hopes for this, a sapphic hallmark-esque holiday romance. What more could a person want? Apparently, quite a bit more.

Generally, I'm not big on first-person POV, but something about the writing here was even less enjoyable than usual. Maybe it was because I found the MC slightly annoying, I honestly don't know.

I also found the characters pretty bland and I didn't care for their backstory at all. The MC was constantly going on about her issues and going "... if it weren't for Christy." My god woman, not all your problems are caused by a woman who was in your life for a year, like give it a break. And I found the main couples chemistry to be lacking.

The end of the book was also insanely rushed. The last two chapters, plus the epilogue plot wise went by so quickly, so much was happening and the resolution wasn't that good.

I did enjoy the small town setting, that was cute. Other than that... not much else.

So all in all... was not a fan, but it was not the worst thing ever.