Oh, my heart, I loved this book! In the Event of Love is the outstanding debut novel by Courtney Kae. It’s a small-town, wintery, second chance queer romcom. When Morgan Ross gets swept up in a scandal, her boss sends Morgan back home to her childhood mountain town. Run-ins with old friends and flames make her first few days home a bit rocky. As truths surface, and old wounds mend, Morgan rekindles friendships and sparks fly with the one that got away.

“Sometimes mistakes are the start of something wonderful.”

If you love heartwarming Hallmark movies where small town residents battle corporate greed, you’ll love In the Event of Love! Courtney Kae wrote a beautiful, spicy LGBTQ+ love story with endearing characters in a dreamy ski town. Morgan and Rachel are lifelong besties who missed their first chance at love. But if they can open their hearts to forgiveness, they just might make it work the second time around. Courtney Kae’s zany & endearing characters add heaps of fun and charm to the sweet story.

Where are my Hallmark holiday movie fans at???

I know, it’s basically the start of spooky season, but my spooky vibes begin and end at Disney’s Hocus Pocus. And you know what? I think I’ve really been sleeping on reading holiday romances year round.

We’ve got a fantastically trope-y premise: big city event planner Morgan is sent to her hometown for a forced vacation after some bad press. Her high school best friend / crush Rachel has a family Christmas tree farm that needs saving. The two have been estranged since an end of high school falling out. Do we all know where this is going? It is exactly as joyful, swoony, and steamy as you could hope.

I divided my time between the ebook and audiobook for this one, and Melissa Moran’s narration was spot on! Thank you to @netgalley and #HoliGays22 for my ARC & thank you to @tantoraudio for my ALC! I really enjoyed this one.

DNF at 33%. Couldn’t care less about any of the wet blanket characters or the whoa is me MC returning to her home town to try to save her career. Literally NOTHING exciting took place in the entire first 1/3 of the book. The dynamic between the two female MCs felt so forced and unrealistic that it would ever be able to turn romantic. Decided to quit while I was ahead. Not the book for me.

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! A Hallmark-style romance with bite, heart, and just the right about of steam. I absolutely devoured this book and can't wait for more!

I really enjoyed this book. It was steamy and fun. The blend of small-town charm, romance, heat and heart read smoothly and was easy to get into.

there were so many great things about this book. it had lovable characters, was very wholesome, and i loved the queer representation

unfortunately, it did fall flat for me in a couple areas. while the writing as a whole was alright, there were certain lines that made me cringe so hard i had to put my phone down (for example, reading the line “my sweet girl came like a legend” made me shudder). i felt like there were one too many pop culture references and the word “growl” was used far too often. there actually was quite a bit of repetition like that, which definitely drew me out of the story. sometimes the dialogue and plot felt really unrealistic, and to be completely honest, Morgan was a VERY frustrating protagonist to follow.

overall i think it just came down to personal preference. however, i do appreciate the tropes (second chance romance, small town etc) and the queer representation

In the event of Love is a sapphic holiday romance that feels like a Hallmark Christmas movie... with some added spice (if ya know what I mean lol).

The story follows Morgan, who after a scandal at her event planning job in L.A. returns home to Fern Falls. where she runs into Rachel, her former friend, and crush. They don't have the best history, but when Morgan discovers Rachel's Christmas Tree Farm is in danger of being bought out she decides to truly test her skills to try and save the farm.... and maybe win Rachel over. Morgan and Rachel have fantastic chemistry during the story and really seem to grow and work through things together. My only complaint is the romance part of it felt very very rushed.

2.75 Stars. I’m sorry to say but overall this was disappointing. It was okay at times, but other times I had to force myself to keep reading. I have been so happy and supportive of mainstream publishers finally catching up with LGBTQ+ books, and for my personal tastes sapphic books, these past few years. It has been wonderful to see and I was really excited about this read (Kingston is a smaller publisher but distributed by Penguin) since I like sappy Hallmark stories, and dream of watching a day full of gay stories, and not just the rare LGBTQ+ Hallmark story here or there. But as excited as I was to see the book blurb shout-out names like McQuiston and Bellefleur, I’m sorry to say this book didn’t live up to that type of hype. While mainstream is working on catching up, I’ve read dozens of sapphic holiday romance books by self-published and small sapphic publishing houses so I have to compare this book to them all, and while it does okay, it just doesn’t really hold up like I had hoped. But who knows, just because this is not my dream “halmark” holiday read, doesn’t mean it won’t be for someone else.

I purposely waited as long as I could to read this so it would be closer to the holidays and hopefully I would be more in the mood. I didn’t think early July and 90 degree weather was going to work for this book. This summer has been so brutal that even imagining snow has been a hard task. I’m glad I waited as it was easier to get into the book but still, I really struggled with this read. It took me a whole week to finish and this was not a long book. It was average size for a romance and I just kept picking it up and putting it back down. It wasn’t anything bad or awful, it was just that there was nothing to grab me and to keep me reading. I have paint by numbers app, on my phone, that is great for when my mind is racing and my anxiety is bothering me a bit, it’s so peaceful that I love it. I can’t tell you how many times I went to pick up the book and instead I thought oh I’ll just paint a few pictures and just skip reading the book and after that it started to feel like a chore to actually read this.

I love first person, I’m a big fan, but plain romances, were there is no mystery or big fantasy adventure or anything else, is not the best for first person. Not really getting to know anything about the other love interest really limits us readers and we just don’t know what to feel about the other character. In this case we think she was pretty great, but we don’t know enough about her to know for sure so we mostly feel bad for her and we end up thinking the main character doesn’t deserve her, well at least I did. The main character was in first so you do know her pretty well, but it doesn’t mean you like what you know. I also didn’t feel much of a connection between the mains so I’m a bit worried about their relationship as a whole.

This is getting long already so I don’t really want to go into how much sap actually formed on top of the sap already there, like the ending was sappiness to the extreme. Plus add in the whole dead mom part and the evil almost mom thing and eh it just got really super corny/eye roll maximus at the end. And the worst part of the whole book, IMHO, was the EPILOGUE. I actually didn’t even realize what it was at first and I thought it was a sneak peek for the next book in the series. That’s how much it doesn’t fit into the book and just stands out so oddly. The book didn’t need an epilogue at all and it was forced and felt weird. In seven years of reviewing, this is only the second time I have ever had to complain about a book epilogue.

TLDR: There was some potential here but I cannot recommend this holiday romance. The setting was cute, but it was hard to form a first person connection with a character I did not care for. While I wanted to believe in the couple, I could not feel the sparks between this sapphic couple with lines like “It’s convenient for me that I can’t get a visible boner, because everything you do turns me on.” This was not the “hallmark” romance I was looking for but I hope others might enjoy this one more than I did.

An ARC was given to me for a honest review.

In the Event of Love is described as having the makings of a hallmark movie and it did. For instance, the meddling of a secondary character in the main characters’ matchmaking, and corporate zealots wanting to invest in the small town for their agenda.

I enjoyed the author’s humour and wit which was mostly reflected in the inner dialogues and playful banter. The whole cast was a delight to read, from their quirks, strengths, and weaknesses, but most importantly, their camaraderie. The characters were so likable that I even managed to like a character that was only mentioned briefly. I was touched by the sense of community that Kae was able to convey across the pages.

The romance between the main characters was sweet and their chemistry together was undeniably steamy.
Even though it mostly felt like a rom-com, I was deeply affected by the descriptions of a character’s grief or heartbreak. These scenes were written well and it made me want to give them a warm hug (and I’m not much of a hugger).

This is kind of like a sapphic Hallmark movie, and that's pretty awesome. It was cozy, funny and sweet. It wasn't without faults, but it had the right vibe for sure!

Book review coming at ya!

In The Event of Love by Courtney Kae.

Thank you to @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Y'all, who even AM I? A self-proclaimed Grinch that thrives at Halloween ENJOYING this Christmas #sapphic book? So we have Morgan, an event planner that left her small town to pursue her dream of event planning in LA, and then we have Rachel, the girl who runs a tree farm in said quaint village. This is a second-chance at love trope with TWO #bisexual girls here! What's not to love, another chance at love? A swoony love-interest? Rachel is just my type 😍

This was published on 30 Aug, 2022 and I highly recommend if you need a #christmas #lgbtqia #winterromance novel to set the mood of the seasons changing!

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨/5

Will you be picking this one up for winter?

#bookreview #intheevenroflove #courtneykae #lgbtbooks #lgbtromance #queerbooks #readqueerallyear #gaybookstagram #instagay #wlw #lgbtqia #lgbtbookstagram #lgbtq🌈 #bookstagram #netgalley

This book charmed the heck out of me. It's tropey and an obvious love letter to the Hallmark Christmas movies, but with a F/F relationship at the center and a lot of other representation that shows how dedicated the author was to her mission to write a story that centered identities we don't get to see represented in that type of media very often. Also, it's significantly steamier than any Hallmark movie I've ever watched! The "save the tree farm and the town" plot and the community of creative characters was excellent. Can't wait for more from this author!

What in the Taylor Swift - a Hallmark-worthy queer rom com set on a
Christmas tree farm?! I'd say this is more Alexandria Bellefleur than Casey McQuiston in rom-com / romance vibes,
so if you were more a fan of Darcy and Elle / Margot and Olivia than August and Jane, this one will probably be up your street. It's pretty cheesy and predictable, but isn't that why we all love a sappy romance every now and then?
I did like that there wasn't a (hugely) super
cringey miscommunication leading to a break up or otherwise manufactured drama in the third act, but I do have an absolutely stone cold heart, and this one didn't really make me connect with either of the protagonists - like, I wasn't really rooting for their relationship either
way particularly? It *did* leave me with the
overwhelming urge to wear my Carhartt
overalls out into the woods and impress my wife with my axe-wielding skills though... So I guess that's something?

3.5 Stars

Kai’s debut is holiday story with lots of heart, and a good debut.

At first, I was skeptical. This book took me longer than normal, over a week, to read. Mainly because the heroine, Morgan Ross, was a little difficult to relate to. I didn’t quite catch up to her voice. But, like a true give a book a chance I pushed past chapter one and Chapter two onward is really where Morgan snapped me up.

Add in a scandal, that puts Morgan’s chances of a promotion on the line and her only shot at redemption involves returning to the small town of Fern Falls that she left behind. Though it’s not just a town, it’s her friends and the one woman who always made her heart race, Rachel Reed. Boom, got me like a fish well-hooked.

Small town romance, at Christmastime… my catnip. Not only did I get a walking disaster in the form of Morgan, who gets to eat some serious crow when she crashes back in Fern Falls. Legit, woman drives her car right into a pine tree farm sign. Add in a slew of secondary characters, like bakery owner Ben, Rachel’s older brother Adam, and a sexy, charity-driven bartender Tanner. There’s nothing I don’t like about Fern Falls and would love to visit the town straight away.

Rachel is a female lumberjack and boy howdy did I love Kai’s take on this type of character. From flannel, to rough and tough. Gruff, yet kind and sweet. Rachel is fabulous. She’s got lots to unpack and since this book is a single POV, I was often left longing for Rachel’s inner thoughts that I didn’t get unless Morgan was clued into something.

Now there’s more plot here than just a rekindling romance between once-upon-a-time-best-friends. There’s Rachel’s tree farm to save and Morgan’s career trajectory. There are a couple of antagonists and the past plays a decent-sized role in Morgan and Rachel’s quest to be together. All in all, this story had plenty going for it, but where it missed the mark for me was those early chapters, and there were times when I found myself skimming pages instead of being gripped to the point I needed every word etched in my brain.

Overall, this is a decent debut. I hope it will yield more Fern Falls stories because that baker, Ben is at the top of the list of characters I want to read next. For folks who enjoy Jill Shalvis or Maisey Yates.

~ Landra

I adore these characters so much! The steamy and cosiness in this book is amazing! This is one of the best holiday books I've read :) pick this book up right now! You won't regret it

I enjoyed this second chance romance between childhood best friends. Both Morgan and Rachel were delightful. I liked experiencing them catching up and exploring both of their relationships with their dads. It had a fun cast of side characters and felt like an updated, queer Hallmark movie. I thought the end was a little too much, but I enjoyed the sweetness.

I occasionally had a hard time which text was part of a text message. Italicizing the text or creating a new line to indicate it's a text message would have helped immensely.

In the Event of Love (Fern Falls #1)
Author: Courtney Law
Publisher: Kensington Books
Release date: 30th Aug 2022


The closest thing to a "Hallmark style" #LGBTQIA movie recently was shown Christmas 2021 on Netflix. And it was 'Single All the Way'.
Instead of the token gay characters normally prevalent, the whole film centered around two gay best friends in a friends-to-lovers trope Christmas rom com.
And it was bloody wonderful.
It was also the first Netflix Christmas gay rom com featuring two male leads written by Chad Hodge and played by LGBTQIA actor, writer and director Michael Urie (Ugly Betty).
I loved this, because it addresses a massive gap in the market. I've been having this chat with my queer friends for years; Why had no one done this?
This also struck me as revelant when I read this dedication at the beginning of the novel.

"For readers who are here to see themselves: Welcome home."

And that, folks, is why this book is so important.

The book starts when event planner Morgan is invited to Fern Falls in December, her old home town, to head a last-minute fundraiser, and initially she balks at the idea. Too many memories, never mind her ok-on-the-surface relationship with her Dad.
Besides, she's successful, convinced she'll get the upcoming promotion and be able to set up her own offices in NYC with Sonia.
Or she would be, if it weren't for one little incident, that almost tanks her career.
So Fern Falls it is. And wow, that is where the fun, snark, banter, chemistry and cuteness kicks up a gear.
As with famous last words, Morgan thinks "A little fundraiser, a few weeks tops. How hard could it be?"
Well for starters, to say her relationship with her home town and dad is complicated, is like saying "ooh, that Black Friday sale is a bit busy".
In true rom-com fashion, the return to home is about to open Morgan's eyes in so many ways, and challenge many of her opinions and ideas.
As well as facing her with frenemy Rachel, the girl she once shared one doomed kiss with, seven years ago.
Morgan's ex bestie Ben is adorable and evil-cute, you'll see what I mean when we story hits Fern Falls. As for Rachel, she's the female version of the sexy flannel-clad Hallmark staple, whilst Morgan is the ex small town girl who made big, then slumped, returning home for the holidays.
In fact, the second chance meet-cute between the women is snort-worthy and had me laughing out loud.
Of course, what would any Christmas small town rom com be without some corporate greed thrown in for good measure? And a bit of dealing with past trauma and mistakes?
This novel was absolutely wonderful; brimming with Christmas cheer, pine trees, snow crested hills, the scent of gingerbread and vanilla cookies and all the warmth of being wrapped up in a cosy blanket in front of a log fire.
Yes, if its the right book, you can smell the setting.
And trust me, this is the right book.
I loved it with my whole being, especially because of the bisexual main character and the other LGBTQIA representation.
Sheer seasonal delight.
I want to read all the Fern Falls books on release.

I absolutely adored this book. It's cozy, it's joyful, and it's steamy! Read this if you love Christmas Romances, HEA, Second Chances, and Small Town Stories. I felt like I was IN a Hallmark Christmas movie while reading this book. Everything about this book felt natural and real with a little bit of comedy and drama added into the mix!

In IN THE EVENT OF LOVE, after a career mishap, event planner Morgan is sent back to her hometown to plan an event. In Fern Falls she has to face a lot of things from her past, including her former crush Rachel, who she may still have feelings for. Her work life and personal life mix when she realizes the event she's supposed to plan could save Rachel's family farm from a greedy corporation that's trying to buy out the whole town.

It took me a little while to get into this story, only because there was so much to learn about who all of these characters were to Morgan and the events from her past that caused her to leave town in the first place. Once I felt caught up, though, I really enjoyed this sweet small town romance. (Although I did keep getting the two male secondary characters confused, but maybe that was just me.) I love small town stories and Fern Falls definitely pulled me in.

Even though Morgan is trying to resolve the issues from her past, the book's tone was pretty light, but I did appreciate seeing her and her dad finally talk opening about their feelings. What I loved most about the book was the f/f love story. I'm so happy that there seems to be more and more sapphic romances being published lately. Morgan and Rachel were very cute together, and definitely had me rooting for them. With the sweet tone of the book, I honestly didn't expect their sex scenes to be so steamy. But that was totally a bonus!

I'll definitely be excited to check out Courtney Kae's next book in the Fern Falls series.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me to read an ARC of "In the Event of Love" by Courtney Kae, scheduled to release on August 30th, 2022!

Overall, I rated this novel a 4/5 stars!

This book tells the story of Morgan, who goes back home with her tail between her legs to do an event planning job in her hometown after rumors fly across social media at her previous place of employment. When she returns home, she runs into many people she left behind - including Ben and Rachel. Rachel and Morgan have a history with one another - back when they were 15. Can they find it in their hearts to forgive one another? Can Morgan help save the business of her hometown? Can Rachel & Morgan rekindle the spark that was thought to have burnt out all those years ago?

You'll have to read more to find out! :)