Thoroughly enjoyed this queer romp through a Christmas wonderland. The characters were relatable and the love story believable. Add this to your holiday romance reads list!

Perhaps I might have had too high hopes for this book and that's why I ended up being slightly disappointed?
Or it might be the fact that... all of it, it was way too easy? Don't get me wrong, I love cozy books where not much happens and it's just cozy and sweet and everyone is so welcoming and understanding and accepting of each other, but it isn't an always applicable rule; it depends on the genre, on the tone of the book, its setting... so many factors have to blend in together to create that feeling, that vibe.

This book is set in a small town in the United States. A small town where the mayor is Asian and trans and beloved? I'm sorry, but that already makes it utterly unbelievable to me. It just can't happen. Fiction is made up events, sure, but those events have to make sense within that fictional world to create that sense of believability, of a story that could be real even though you perfectly know in your subconscious that, in fact, it is not real.

These two women have last seen each other in high school and they went their seperate ways - and not on good terms. They haven't spoken in 7 or 8 years, Morgan left Fern Falls angry at Rachel for not giving her a second chance after she messed things up and that anger was so strong it influenced some important life decisions, it wasn't just a random quarrel with someone she had a crush on. And now Morgan comes back, she sees Rachel and... the sparks are still there? The past is forgotten? One week and they're madly in love with each other all over and ready to send all their life plans up in the air because they want to be together?
And it goes further than that, but I'll stop here as to not give any more spoilers (even though it is so predictable that you can probably guess where it's headed, all in the span of less than a month).

It's always nice to read about a queer love story, there are other queer characters (and your token very secondary character / black friend can't miss, of course), the steamy scenes were actually pretty well written and the audiobook narrator Melissa Moran did a great job but all in all, this book was average and I hated how I couldn't stop thinking how so unbelievable everything was, how everything was just pushed too far, everything was just too much, to actually be able to relax and be swept off my feet by a lovely sapphic romance.

Bisexual hallmark Christmas movie

Second chance, small town romance, throwing a fundraiser to save a Christmas tree farm

Good times we’re had by all

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced review copy of “In the Event of Love” by Courtney Kae. Thoughts and opinions are my own.

The beginning of this book really did it no favors. I strongly disliked Morgan and unfortunately we are in her head for the whole rest of the book. I liked it slightly better once she got to her hometown but I spent the whole book wishing we were following a different protagonist. I just couldn’t root for her and I felt like everyone else in the story deserved so much better. It felt really unbelievable that Morgan didn’t recognize her own client who is also a celebrity and made out with him. There really didn’t feel like there were any high stakes with her job since she was so close to her boss and pretty much guaranteed the promotion.

Morgan goes back to her hometown to throw a fundraiser and save her job but this didn’t really make sense and just felt like an excuse to get her back to her past. A past she seems to spend most of the book sneering at and looking down on everyone even while they give her chance after chance not to be so awful. Everyone deserved better than Morgan.

An annoying dialogue tick of the characters was how many times someone would say “Yeah?” And then another character would answer their own “yeah.” I get that the author was trying to make the dialogue sound realistic but this really got on my nerves and easily could have been edited out several times.

The third act breakup showed Morgan hadn’t learned anything and was still awful. Morgan demands Rachel give up her life and then gets mad when she flips it on her and Morgan just doesn’t get what she’s asking and trashes the town she claims to love. It felt like Morgan didn’t change for the whole book but the structure of the romance novel demanded that everyone forgive her even though she was consistently awful.

The story ends with an ambush wedding which seems like a mean thing to do to someone who is an event planner for a living.

2/5 stars

I loved this adorable, small-town, sapphic romance! It warmed my tiny Grinch heart! I love the inclusion this author brought into the book with bi characters. When books are compared to authors such as Casey McQuiston, that is a hard standard to live up to, but this book preformed! This book had all the sweet elements I crave in a Christmas book- snowy weather, Christmas trees, romance, a cute love story between the MC's, and a home-for-the-holidays feel! I can't wait to read the next in the series!

This was a really fun and cute queer holiday romcom perfect for the lovers of second chance romances, big city girl goes back to small town and falls in love, and really anyone that likes anything reality-tv-esque.

A very cute holiday read.

I felt like this book had a lot of potential, but our MC wasn't very like-able and I found myself more invested in the side love story than in the main one. Half the events of this book just seemed unlikely or convenient.

DNF'd this book at about 50%, the amount of mystery that the author attempted to create around the characters pasts just felt frustrating to me, and I was annoyed with waiting for more information about Morgan's history and her relationship with her father and with Rachel from before she left Fern Falls.

I was so excited to read In the Event of Love because look at that cover. I just love those cozy, Hallmark vibes and both girls look beautiful. Also, I'm a fan of celebrity romance, so that's why I was really interested in reading this story. But unfortunately, this book just didn’t live up to my expectations.

The main disappointment in this book for me was the main character. We get to know all the events through Morgan's eyes. She works as an event planner in LA, who comes back to her hometown Fern Falls, and reunites there with her teenage best friend and crush Rachel. I loved queer representation in this book, but Morgan was annoying to me. Also, I didn't really like her interactions with Rachel, because they just acted like they were still teens.

Overall, I recommend reading this book if you are into Hallmark movies about the main character coming back to their small hometown and spending a cozy Christmas there with their first love.

A great holiday read. I enjoyed the writing, the characters, and all the queer reps in this one. The friendship group was amazing, and I loved the small town vibes. This is a queer hallmark movie in a book! Looking forward to book two!

I was not expecting this book to be as good as it was. It's the quintessential holiday Rom-Com, even if I did read it in July! Add the LGBTQ love story to a long time no see trope and In the Event of Love equals perfection. I also enjoyed the daughter father connection and the return home "just to retreat" which we all knows doesn't last long. My favorite character was the tree farm, how wintery and magical for a love duo to reconnect and potentially save some friendship, love, and careers.

This was not a closed door romance, which is fine with me but just incase. It was however predictable and somewhat cheesy but it all the right ways.

I gave this 4 stars and would highly recommend it to several friends although most have already read it!

Thank you Netgalley, Courtney Kae and Kensington Paperback for the opportunity to review this book with the promise of an honest review.

I received In The Event of Love by Courtney Kae for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much to the publishers for my advanced copy!

This was such a cute book! As soon as I saw that it was great for fans of Alexandria Bellefleur & Casey McQuiston, I knew that I was going to LOVE this book as they are two of my favourite authors! I loved the chemistry between Rachel & Morgan and the second chance romance trope was so sweet! I flew through this story and it is perfect for the holiday season! It had all of the perfect elements for a great sapphic Christmas story and I'm looking forward to rereading it next Christmas!

In the Event of Love is a very cute Christmas read. I loved how it used so many familiar tropes (friends to lovers, second chance romance, every Hallmark movie ever) and turned it just slightly on its head. There's snow, there's winter camping, there's lots of flirtation over coffee and cocoa. And unusually the characters do actually start to communicate with each other (with caveats, because romance novel). Adorable holiday romance, tied up in a curling ribbon by the end, though many of the characters were... overly caricatured. Four fun stars!

I’m normally not a big fan of holiday romance books, mostly because the books are too straight and personally I just don’t really like the holidays, but when I first heard about In The Event of Love, I immediately wanted to read it. And I’m glad I did, because I really enjoyed it!

Morgan was a great main character and getting to read everything from her perspective was really nice. Her relationship with the other characters and her love interest were very enjoyable to read. The rest of the characters were fun and easy to like, and they really made the story better.

The romance between Morgan and Rachel was very fun. They had great chemistry and I loved how they already had a history before the events of the book happened. It made me want to figure out more about their past.

My only real critique would be that the romance moved a bit too fast for my liking, personally I really love slow burn so this all felt a bit too rushed for me.

Overall a great, maybe a little predictable, holiday sapphic romance story. It gave me exactly what I wanted: great romance, great characters and a great setting.

“Sometimes, mistakes are the beginning of something wonderful.”

Morgan Ross is a high profile event planner in LA working towards a big promotion. While out for drinks one night photos are snapped of her dancing with a mysterious partner who turns out to be the soon to be groom of the biggest wedding of her career. To escape the social media firestorm her boss sends her home to rest and regroup. Home means dealing with a strained relationship with her father and avoiding her childhood best friend turned crush who now runs the local Christmas tree farm, Rachel. Of course Morgan runs into Rachel the moment she gets to town and after finding out that the local small businesses are struggling, uses her skills to plan a fundraiser to save the town and maybe her relationships.

I have enjoyed my holiday romance binge-a-thon and this one was great. I loved the characters and the awesome hallmark vibes without being overly sweet. Even though Morgan was a bit stuck up and kind of awful to her childhood friends I was still rooting for her the whole time and enjoyed her Scrooge to elf transition. The minor characters are also great and I can’t wait for more romance in Fern Falls. If you’re looking for a fun romance with a bit of spice for the winter this book is for you.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Kensington Books, and the author for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I thought this was super cute. I feel the conflict was overblown and caused unnecessary fallout. It's a cheesy sapphic Christmas romance in a small town and I am 100% here for that at all times.

I definitely recommend it to anyone who wants a cute sapphic holiday romance.

I read this book in one sitting and I was all in. This is the perfect second chance romance set at Christmastime and I was hooked. Morgan is headed home for the holidays as her career is on the brink of collapse. The first person she runs into, quite literally is Rachel, her old best-friend and crush. Since this is a great Christmas book, it of course has a struggling Christmas Tree farm, corporate greed and a great small town setting with a phenomenal cast of side characters. I totally loved this one and it was one of my favorite Christmas reads of the season.

Thank you #kensington and #NetGalley for an advnaced copy in exchange for an honest review.

this book promised me hallmark movie if it was sapphic, and that is exactly what it is. hallmark movies are known for their cliche plots, forgettable but sweet romances, and holiday joy. and that is absolutely what this book was! my love for it doesn’t necessarily come from the story itself, rather, the fact that it’s a story i’ve seen so many tines and yet it is queer. it’s a story that has permeating holiday cheer, and yet, it makes my lesbian heart a little more connected.

not every story i read has to be memorable and perfect. especially for me, oftentimes, i read romance for joy in the moment. i had some issues with how quickly the romance moved- i didn’t have time to fully get to know the characters before their stories collided. i wish we got more time with the love interest, and i think it’s important to develop more of a depth in romance. again, i loved the story as a whole, and it is very sweet and christmassy.

i also think the epilogue was fully unnecessary- if there’s going to be an epilogue, pushing a proposal and wedding into one feels rushed and not as sweet of a moment that it should have been. however, i’m still very excited for the sequel to dive into more fern falls.

I’m hoping to squeeze in one more holiday read before the New Year but for those of you planning your December 2023 reads, consider adding In The Event of Love to your list.

In The Event of Love is a second chance romance with a backdrop of Christmas. After a scandal, event-planner Morgan escapes to her hometown for a vacation and to plan a mystery event. The event turns out to be saving a Christmas tree farm owned by ex-friend/crush, Rachel.

What I liked: the author played on traditional holiday movie tropes (ex big city character falls for small town farmer) but it still made a cute read. The town would be the perfect setup for a Hallmark movie.

The romance is steamy but also sweet, I felt like the characters cared about each other.

What didn’t work for me: Some readers may find the plot a little too predictable.

Who should read it: You’re looking for a book version of a Lifetime movie with a female/female romance. Read with peppermint hot chocolate while sitting in a Christmas tree farm (or your living room).

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for my gifted copy. This is out now.

sapphic holiday read? sign me up!! i love watching hallmark holiday movies and this book gave me all of the same feels the romance, the spice and characters were just chefs kiss. i cannot wait to read this every year. 💕