Love love loved this one!
I loved the Queer/Lesbian Representation in this book. and the second chance, friends to lovers tropes were absolutely PERFECT!
The plot and steaminess of the book were what kept me from putting this book down at all.
Such a perfect holiday hallmarky type of book

If you need a Hallmark Christmas movie fix...but sapphic...look no further. It might not appeal to everyone, since not everyone is into that Hallmark formula. The two main characters are really cute together and everyone in the town is impossibility sweet...except the one or two who very much aren't. There's flannel, delicious coffee and cupcakes, a cute Christmas town, the big city gal returning home with improper footwear...everything you'd need to curl up and let things unfold. I went with 3.5 (rounded up) for the rating because I did enjoy it, but it lacked a bit of depth. But if framed in the context of the Hallmark formula it accomplished that and was a great light and fluffy read.

Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Kensington Books for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

The story truly feels like your typical holiday romcom: Morgan Ross, hotshot event planner in Los Angeles, receives an invitation to plan a fundraiser at her mountain hometown of Fern Falls. Having moved away seven years ago, she's not keen on going back to face everyone she wasn't good enough for, but her plans change after her career takes a hit and she realizes she could use a Christmas miracle. There, she runs head-first into her former best friend and crush, Rachel Reed, struggling to save her family tree farm; her widowed father, and the rest of the friends she left behind. Saving Fern Falls soon becomes about more than saving her old job.

The main couple follows the tropes of childhood friends to lovers and second chances, a great combination for fans of relationships built on a solid foundation and characters who have to find their way back to each other. I enjoyed seeing Morgan and Rachel reconnect as friends first, how their previous knowledge of each other came into play, and how they tried to put the past behind them and build something new. I appreciated the way they supported and encouraged each other. There's a lot of unresolved sexual tension, and several scenes of generally well-written explicit smut.

The writer did an amazing job at making you feel as if you were in Fern Falls, with beautiful descriptions and details as she shows you around town. The word "cozy" is appropriate, because that's the way the settings and the team dynamics make you feel. The plot conflict makes you root for these people, and it's fun to see them all come together to pull off the fundraiser.

The angst and conflict come from Morgan feeling like she was both let down and let down people herself when she ran away, so there are some nice emotional moments and heart-to-hearts (although I thought the crying was a bit excessive). It was interesting to see her healing and mending relationships.

On the downside, I felt deceived and like I couldn't trust Morgan as a narrator, because the story starts setting you up to believe that everybody wronged her, and then it turns out it's not quite as she claimed. While it's totally possible to let things get in your head and run away instead of facing your problems, especially at 18, it still felt like she painted this picture of Rachel as this big bad that she absolutely loathed... and then it wasn't so. Especially when it seems that Rachel was only mildly hurt by the whole thing and more eager to pick things up than to really talk about it. Seeing the characters repeat old mistakes contributed to this being an issue for me to fully swoon.

The resolution felt a little too convenient for my taste... but I suppose it is in line with the Hallmark-style story the author was going for.

I appreciated the diversity of the whole book, the fact that a woman wasn't blamed for a man's actions, and that women weren't pitted against each other.

Despite some character beats that fell flat, "In the event of love" is a feel-good queer romance perfect to add a dose of sweet and spicy to the holiday season.

I wasn’t expecting to like this story as much as I did. The characters and charm of the town enraptured me. I wish it was a real place and they were real people. It’s not always easy going home, but there’s something beautiful about the welcome. Recommended book. Easy read. Happy endings and humor along the way.

In The Event of Love by Courtney Kae was the sapphic Hallmark holiday story I needed! (But seriously, Hallmark we NEED more queer holiday movies. Get on it stat.)

This book was too cute and as someone who watches Hallmark holiday movies obsessively every year, it was absolutely made for me. I loved this book - the characters (especially Rachel & their chosen family), the plot, the tropes, the spice! and so much more. It's giving queer love, it's giving second chances, it's giving friends to lovers, it's giving city girl returns home during the holidays and reunites with her best friend turned first love who is now a sexy lumberjane. 😍

If you love Hallmark holiday movies, this book is for you. If you don't, maybe pass because this follows that formula exactly and you may find it a bit meh.

Overall, it was super cute, cozy, sexy, joyful, and just a delight. Definitely recommend if it feels up your alley! ❤️

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an eCopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was the sapphic Christmas romance book of my dreams. I loved the main characters who definitely went through a lot of growth over the course of the book which I loved. I also really liked how it was a second chance romance and was so cute and steamy. Overall, I highly recommend it.

Thank you @lovearctually @netgalley and @kensingtonbooks for my advance e copy in exchange for my review

What a breath of fresh air! This book is the first in the Fern Falls series and I’ll be here for the sequels. This book hooked me in from the beginning and that’s a term I usually don’t use when reading a rom com. Oh, this author provides such snarky dialogue! I absolutely loved the humor and sarcasm - what uplifting humor. There’s also so much emotion, and soul searching heart - the characters really make themselves vulnerable in the best way. I really haven’t read a romantic F/F book like this before, but I feel the author did such a great job.

What a perfect, fun read! Hallmark worthy, it’s romance and family and what’s most important in life.

I think readers, without regard to identity or orientation, will enjoy this second chance romance.

Steam level - Open door

4 stars and two thumbs up!

Pub date 8/30

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

OMG! You guys, this book is the whole reason I joined NetGalley to start reviewing books back in January. When I first read the blurb for this book, I knew I HAD to read it! I was FINALLY granted an ARC and just consumed it in the last 24 hours!

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advanced ebook in exchange for my honest review!

Let me start by saying, that if you’ve ever been in need of a LGBTQ+ version of a Hallmark Christmas Story, this is the book for you!

Morgan Ross grew up in small town Fern Falls, in the mountains of California. After a very public rejection 7 years ago, she left town and hasn’t looked back. Now she is a very successful event planner in LA, and everyone wants her business until she finds herself the face of a major scandal!

She receives an email invitation back to Fern Falls to plan a last minute event and quickly sends it to the archives without a second thought. Then the scandal hits and she realizes it’s her best chance to get her reputation back on track. She’s terrified to return home to a father who didn’t want her around, and a best friend/crush, Rachel Reed, whom she had feelings for and got rejected by.

Rachel Reed is the daughter of a tree farmer who is now running the family business on her own. She’s struggling to keep the business going and considering selling the farm to an “evil corporation”! Out of nowhere, Morgan drives into town and crashes right into the Reed Family Farm sign and falls into Rachel’s arms.

What happens when these two literally collide and see each other again after 7 years?!

Ben is one of their best friends, and he has a plan! (Also, I LOVE BEN!)

Courtney Kae has written a beautiful holiday love story, with an incredible cast of characters. Set in a town that I wish I could hop in my car and drive to RIGHT NOW! I am in love with this book, with Rachel and Morgan, and have just pre-ordered it!

I DARE you not to fall in love with this book as well!!!!

Set to hit shelves on August 30!

An interesting novel with a great premise. However, at times I found the relationship dynamics to fall a bit too flat. Nevertheless, it would make for a great winter read, to scratch that Hallmark style story itch!

MOVE OVER ONE BED TROUPE WE’VE ONLY GOT ONE TENT RIGHT NOW

This was everything I wanted it to be and more! I adore romcoms, film, literature, it doesn’t matter the form i’ll take them all but something I’ve struggled to find is a great romance that not only represents who I am but does it with joy. I quite literally squealed and did a happy dance when I realised that both Morgan and Rachel are Bisexual. The representation as whole in this book is fantastic with a diverse array of queer and poc characters the fictional world of Fern Falls is truly a special place.

In the Event of Love was truly a pleasure to read and left me with all the cosy feelings that come from a great romcom and I can’t wait to fall back into this world with book two.

Give it up for this trope-y but entirely fun and fresh take on second chance romance between two terrific women. Morgan left town years ago when Christy Vaughn, a rich and wealthy woman, rejected her father. It might have been her dad but the whole fall out also messed up Morgan's relations with Rachel. Now, Morgan's had her own scandal in Santa Monica and opts to take a fundraising job at home- for Rachel. Turns out Christy is about to take over Rachel's family Christmas tree farm, knock down the downtown, and build a giant outlet mall to go with her ski resort. The let's put on a show and save a business aspect of this is as engaging as the renewed romance between Morgan and Rachel. This has just the right amount of grit to go with the sparks (even though you know more or less how it will end). Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This is the queer holiday cinematic romance we’ve been waiting for. It has all the cheesy holiday tropes that make those movies so lovable and comforting, and it has a lot more spice to it as well. A lovely comfort read for the holidays.

courtney kae’s <i>in the event of love</i> is second chance sapphic love meets hallmark. the book is steamy enough that if turned into a classic christmas film, i am convinced it would kill a large portion of hallmark’s target audience. an extra star from me.

i say this as a compliment, this is everything you imagine it will be - cute, funny, full of tropes, and set in a small town that needs saving from a ruthless corporation at christmas time. kae’s writing is simple and easy but full of care for lgbt stories, allowing for a quick read. to put it simply, i loved it. i was invested in morgan and rachel’s love the moment they met again after years of them both secretly pining for the other as they were separated by a misunderstanding, distance and silence. the payoff of their shared journey was special to witness after spending countless years watching and reading heterosexual couples get their happy endings in the hallmark rom-coms that came before this one.

<i>thank you to netgalley and kensington books for this arc and for allowing me the opportunity to visit fern falls before the publication date.</i>

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington for the ARC!

As a cheesy Christmas movie lover, this book was right up my alley. I loved the set-up of Morgan having to return to her home town, the big holiday event, the small town setting. The book definitely gives you a warm and cozy feeling.

The characters were a likeable bunch, I especially loved Ben as one of the side characters, because he seemed like such a genuinely lovely person. I was also a fan of the queer rep in the story – it was great to see more than one bi character.

The relationship between Morgan and Rachel worked for me, although I sometimes wished things weren't happening as quickly, particularly at the beginning and the end of the story. A very subjective note: I wasn't exactly a fan of how the sex scenes were written.

Overall it was a lovely wintery holiday read that I'm hoping to revisit when it's not burning hot out anymore.

I really wanted to like this. The setup is so great. Morgan Ross must come back to her sleepy mountain town after an embarrassing mishap that causes all of her fancy event-planning clients to drop her. In order for her to obtain the shiny New York event planning job she wants she has to return to her hometown and make nice with all of those people she had left/ seemingly been betrayed by years prior.

A lot of this did work for me. I liked the premise and I really loved the inhabitants of the town as they slowly wormed their way back into Morgan's heart. Ben was a particular standout and I am deeply invested in his relationship with Adam (book 2?). I also thought there was a lot of potential with Morgan's relationship with her dad and the repair of that and what happened with him and the woman who dumped him (and this storyline was not really resolved).

I loved Rachel too, the hometown Christmas tree best friend turned old flame who Morgan tries to reconnect too.

I think this book would have benefited from being dual pov because just being in Morgan's pov was not enough. She SHOULD have gotten fired from her job and I don't think she is very good at planning. One passage in the book is made a joke because she's so good at planning but seemingly forgot to bring boots to the mountain town she GREW UP IN, in December.

Maybe it's because I'm not as big of a fan of childhood friends turned more turned second chance romance storylines but this one felt both slow and too fast at the same time. Something felt off with the pacing and I never really felt the two of them fall in love to the extent I was rooting for them or that their ending felt earned.

I'm disappointed because I had really high expectations for this book but if you are looking for a fun, queer romance to read this holiday season I do think I would recommend this.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“The world needs more queer holiday romances, don’t you think?”

When her holiday plans blow up after a tabloid scandal cancels the event she was planning, Morgan Ross takes a chance on heading home to Fern Falls to help organise a holiday fundraiser, hoping it’ll help her tarnished image. She hasn’t been back to her mountain-side home for years, not since she packed up her life for bigger things in LA, leaving behind her father, friends, and her former best friend-turned-crush Rachel Reed. Morgan’s plan is to be in and out of town before she has to see too many people, especially Rachel, but that plan is foiled the moment she arrives and accidentally crashes into the sign for Reed Family Tree Farm, and she’s suddenly face-to-face with the girl who broke her heart. Turns out, her other best friend Ben has set her up, hoping that Morgan’s event planning expertise can help raise funds for the tree farm to save it from the corporate business sucking the life out of a neighbouring town. Morgan and Rachel have to face their feelings for one another, and the events that lead to their heartbreak after graduation, if they stand a chance at saving Fern Falls, their friendship, and maybe even a future together.

This book had me at Hallmark vibes and had me hooked from the very first page! There’s nothing like a cute Hallmark holiday film, so I adored having those vibes in book form – Courtney aced all the cute, snow-filled Christmas fun with a generous serving of sapphic goodness! If Hallmark is looking to make their Christmas films a little more queer, this is a story they need to adapt!

Second-chance romance is always a really fun trope, and I particularly loved Courtney’s use of flashbacks to help us experience first-hand the history between Morgan and Rachel, alongside their reconnection in present time. The development from high school crushes, to heartbroken ‘enemies’, to working together to try to save their town, to rekindling their relationship, was an absolute journey and I loved being on the ride. It was a rollercoaster of feels, and I couldn’t get enough of these characters and this world.

Escaping to Fern Falls was such a joy, and while I adored following the romance between Morgan and Rachel, I also really enjoyed exploring this setting and learning about all the townspeople – as someone from a small town, I felt very at home, even though I don’t live anywhere near the snow.

I am SO keen for the next book – In The Event Case Of Heartbreak – because I fell in love with the next two protagonists from the moment we met them and I just know Courtney is going to deliver another fun queer romance! Hurry up April 2023!

Make the holidays gay with this snow-filled queer romance that will have you booking a ticket for a snowy mountain escape to find your own flannel-wearing, axe-wielding girlfriend!

this was really really cute!!

this story follows morgan, an event planner, having to go home to the small town of fern falls when she’s involved in a scandal. when she arrives, she realizes that her former best friend and crush, rachel, has taken over her families tree farm. however, due to a corporate enterprise wanting to take over the town, the farm is struggling. morgan and rachel work together, along with some other friends, to try to save the farm and the rest of the town by having a fundraiser.

i absolutely loved the setting. while it starts in LA, the majority of the novel takes place in fern falls. fern falls is small but has beautiful mountains and amazing people. i’m a sucker for small town romances because i love seeing how close everyone is and all the small businesses.

morgan was an interesting character. i liked her for the most part but she definitely could’ve used more development. rachel was an excellent love interest. i just wish that we got her pov as well. the friends that morgan made were all so adorable. i loved ben a lot and im excited for his book with adam.

morgan and rachel’s relationship was very adorable once they hashed out their issues. they used to be best friends but everything changed for them after they kissed and morgan moved (ran) away. i thought the second chance was done really well. they had some tension but you could see they really cared for one another even after not seeing each other for so long. one thing i would've liked was more conversations between them about their adult lives because a lot was focused on the past. i do understand that they needed to talk about it a lot because they were best friends but i wanted their current relationship to be fleshed out a bit more.

thank you to netgalley and kensington books for giving me this e-arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Morgan Ross and Rachel Reed shared friendship and a kiss in high school. A few events after the kiss left them not speaking until 7 years later when Ross come barreling into her hometown to help run an event. Ross reconnects with her high school group of friends and some new people who run/work at local businesses. A main love story and some side love stories ensue as well as Ross reconnecting with her family. I especially loved the role the inn keeper, Mrs. Hart, and the B&B played. Most of this story revolves around a plethora of miscommunication or misperceptions.

I was very happy to see (and read) a queer hallmark-esque novel! While some parts/conversations of Ross's past were repetitive, I appreciated this story line and seeing some parts from both angles. It was also interesting to reflect on career vs relationships and what we think we want. I finished this book in a day and was entertained the whole time. Petunia pie and pickle pop forever!

3.5

THANKS NETGALLEY AND PUBLISHER FOR THE ARC!

This book is really cute! It’s a comfort Christmas romcom, like the movies I usually watched where I was a teenager. The fact that know we can have Christmas queer romcoms make me cry. This is unbelievable! We made it!
However, the novel is cute. The story is really simple, but the characters are very relatable and there are a found queer family! Love it! I can’t wait to read the story of Ben and Adam too!
The low of this book is the relationship between the two female leaders, Morgan and Rachel. They are cute together, but there is too much physical attraction (that’s okay, and I like it a lot!), but too little connection moments about the two. They don’t really resolve their past trauma, the things that broken their relationship years ago.
It’s a pity, because the book is good! However, this is a debut, do I’m sure the author will improve in the next ones. I will find for sure, I really want to read her new book!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a really high quality sapphic romance - I was impressed.

Small town, Christmassy, second chance vibes generally scream “Hallmark!” but this book had spice, sass and deeper plot lines that pulled it out of sugary-trope land.

My major piece of feedback is that it felt a little long - there were some descriptions of places that went over a page in length, and at times I was keen to jump ahead to the dialogue. I think it could be a fraction shorter and sharper to hold engagement.

I’ll be recommending this one at Christmas time! (Or in between, because the Christmas spirit lives year round….)