This was a really sweet friends to lovers, fake dating romance. Friends to lovers is not usually my favorite trope but I thought it was really well done in this book. On the other hand I usually love fake dating, but did not love that aspect of this book. The setup for the leads to need to fake date seemed completely ridiculous. Even with not really liking that aspect I was still able to enjoy the book.

I loved the writing, the cast of characters introduced, and the small town! The narrator also did a good job. I am really looking forward to reading the other books in this series now.

I would recommend this to fans of friends to lovers, small town romance, and anyone looking for a sweet (and a little spicy) love story.

4.5 stars, rounded up.

A delightful holiday, small town, fake-dating romcom.

This is the type of romcom that has your cheeks hurting with all of the smiling you are doing at the cheesy wonderfulness of the sweet romance and overwhelmingly adorable pining.

The lead guy is an adorable golden retriever who would do anything for her and knows her so very well that he is able to anticipate her needs and care for her in the best ways. The lead gal is so overloaded with her own feelings for him (and some emotional baggage) that she is blinded to seeing that he has had feelings for her all along. Read along as these two figure out their emotions and see if they can maintain their friendship along the way.

I loved this story. It was so fun. I read this one after reading book 2, as they can be read as stand-alones. I am officially a fan of this series. I really enjoyed and highly recommend both books (unless you hate all miscommunication, because both have at least some of that, but not enough that you want to shake the characters).

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Pippa Jayne, via NetGalley. An advanced reader's copy of this audiobook was provided to me via NetGalley by Dreamscape Media in exchange for an honest review.

This story is so lovely. Warm an inviting, and although it states it doesn't want to be a Hallmark Movie, it most definitely is! But was nice to have a LITTLE twist at the end. Didn't realize going in that it was a part of a series. I now have to get my hands on the other books. But I think I will get the actual books. I did not care too much for the audiobook on this one. At first I thought it was computer generated, but wanted to read it so bad I stuck it out, and figured out that it wasn't a computer voice. So that kind of stuck with me almost the whole way through.

Loved the story. Just wish there was some more meat at the end. More heat in the argument.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this audiobook!

This book was so incredibly cute and you find yourself rooting for all of the characters. Stella Bloom recently purchased lovelight farms which is supposed to be a magical winter wonderland that just brings joy to everyone. However, everything that could go wrong- has gone wrong and she is hemorrhaging money. She needs to figure out how to save the farm! So she enters a contest with an Instagram influencer, where in her letter she says she is running this farm with her boyfriend... only problem... she does not have a boyfriend. This is where her bestfriend Luka comes in, they start pretending to date to give the farm the edge it needs to impress Evelyn St. James. Now, will this ruin their friendship? or will they finally get the push they need to follow their long standing feelings? I absolutely loved this book in audio form, and fell in love with each of the characters. I cannot wait to read the second one!

Stella runs a Christmas tree farm. It was her dream. Except things are not going well. Things keep breaking, trees are dying, raccoons take over, etc.... In an act of desperation, she enters a contest. In order to make her story seem more romantic, she says she runs the farm with her boyfriend. Except she doesn't have her boyfriend. So she gets her best friend, Luka, to pretend to be her boyfriend. The struggle is immediate- she has had feelings for Luka since they met. The act and reality begin to blur.

Luka is a good candidate for best book boyfriend. He cooks, he cleans, he is seemingly perfect.

Now, my opinions. When something is off for me, I tend to fixate on it. My fixation typically ruins the book for me. In this book, the timeline repeatedly did not make sense. I listened to the audiobook, which makes it worse, since it is way harder to go back and find something. There are two different instances of this. First, Luka and Stella's relationship. They met as adults, yet some of the memories seem like they were much younger. Second, Stella has only owned the Christmas tree farm for a year. The way it is spoken about often makes it seem like she'd had it much longer. While these are not major issues, as I said, I tend to get "stuck" focusing on that it is ruins the book. The book is good, but I just couldn't stop focusing on timelines.

I do look forward to the rest of the series.

Pippa Jayne narrates the audiobook. I was not a fan- although I did get used to it. I am not sure what bothered me- I suppose her tone. I also felt it was slow and sped it up.

I received an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

I struggled with this one more than I thought I would. I love Christmas books (and Christmas hallmark movies). I saw this one pop up a few times and I got super intrigued.

The writing style threw me off a little, I think. It reads very removed from the characters and so I never really felt like I knew any of them super well. It’s hard to support characters when you don’t connect with them. Which is a bummer because I enjoy a good friends to lovers.

Also it is about saving a Christmas tree farm! How could I not love that?! But again, I felt so removed from the reader. I never felt caught up in the Christmas joy or the holiday spirit or even felt like there was a tree farm. I don’t know. I want to be immersed and I just wasn’t.

Nothing is better than a Christmas romance in my eyes and this audiobook by B.K. Borison is one that has left me with so much warmth in my heart and it has left me satisfied all the way down to my bones. This author is new to me and I read that this was her debut novel (a couple of years ago). What a way to start a career.

The book is about best friends Stella and Luka. Stella has entered a competition from a social media influencer to try to win the money she needs desperately to try to save her Christmas tree farm. She put down on the entry paperwork that she has a boyfriend to lend a little romance. Then she asks Luka to be her pretend boyfriend for a week while the influencer is there. From their "practice kissing" to the sweet glances and hand holding, the feelings slowly ramp up. Will a week be enough? Who will walk away?

I loved, loved, loved Luka. He reminds me so much of my husband and yes, we still hold hands and snuggle after 41 years of marriage. I adore a well written love story and this certainly was that! I need more B.K. Borison.

The narration of this book by Pippa Jayne was perfect. Her voice is soft and sophisticated. I totally believed her voice for Luka and the other males. Very easy to listen to.

Thanks to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the gifted copy. All thoughts are my own.

This book is like a Hallmark movie on HBO. It's got all the charm with the small town romance at a Christmas tree farm, but definitely brings the steam as well. Why did I wait so long to read this? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4.25⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, friends to lovers, fake dating, small town, slow burn, Christmas

Stella has entered a contest to try to save a Christmas tree farm. The only problem is is that she said she owns the place with her boyfriend, but there is no boyfriend. Stella and Luka have been best friends for years, so what could go wrong when she asks him if he'll be her fake boyfriend in order to win the prize money?

This was a really cute and delightful debut. Stella bugged me for a minute at the end there, but it all worked out just as we knew it would. The epilogue was a nice addition with Luka's perspective. I'm looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

Narrated by Pippa Jayne for 10 hours and 16 minutes, easy to follow at 2x. Not overly in love with her male voice, but I've heard worse over the years.

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the audio version of this book. Everything I write is my own opinion and feelings of the book. I am not paid or compensated in any way.
I loved this book! Such a fun read! It has fake dating- Christmas- mystery-deception and lies that get brought to light. I really enjoyed this book.

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison
Narrated by Pippa Jayne

Stella Bloom is the owner of Lovelight Farms. She loves the place and has been trying to make it all work but a lot of bad things have been happening that have caused the farm to be in financial trouble. The trees in the south field have all died, the fence has been damaged, pumpkins have been destroyed, decorations have been ruined, shipment orders have never arrived and now the farm is in the financial hole.

So Stella enters a contest that could win her farm publicity and $100,000. To help spruce up her story she says she owns the farm with her boyfriend despite the fact she doesn't have a boyfriend. No worries, she'll get someone to fake it with her.

Stella's best friend of ten years is a good fit. Luka Peters and Stella would never want anything to hurt their best friend-ness but they can make this fake thing work. Of course the town thinks it's about time, they've known the pair were in love for the last ten years. And Luka's mom, grandmother, and aunts think it's the real thing, too. But for now Stella and Luka will fake it and deal with the fake breakup fallout later.

I really enjoyed the story and just about every character in the story. I'd love to visit the little town and Stella's farm. The most frustrating thing about the story is Stella because she's got this one spot in her brain that is dumber than dumb and that spot is the area that deals with romance and love. She's going to second guess what is right in front of her until the cows come home. But with Luka in the story, it's worth hanging in there, that guy is a keeper and now I can't wait to read/hear the second book in this series because I want to be with these people again.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.

Lovelight Farms by B. K. Borison
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

In a few words this tremendously charming friends-to-lovers story is charismatic, engaging, cheeky and enchanting in a lyrically elegant and flirty way that would make L. M. Montgomery proud and blush in equal measure.

In the face of impending financial failure, Stella, a Christmas tree farm owner, lies on an Insta Influencer’s contest application — stating she owns her farm with her [𝒏𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕] boyfriend — in an effort to appeal to Evelyn St. James’ love-loving heart and present the farm as a romantic destination for the holidays.

Consequently, long-time best friends Stella and Luka embark on a festive farce when forced to faux-couple up. In typical small town fashion, the well-meaning hearts of locals become invested as the two town sweethearts explore real feelings in the fog of a fake relationship.

With a dash of Thanksgiving glitter and a sprinkle of Christmas magic this novel is a perfect, quintessential romcom to enjoy in October, November and December.

The deeply empathetic and caring relationships forged between the found family of characters brings the small town to life with vibrant, romantic and illustrious intention.

B. K.’s creative and literary talents shine in this novel — her relatable and romantic characters, quaint and cute town, narrative depth and easily flowing plot combine to offer readers a true escape with a subtle festive flare.

Pippa Jayne’s narration is tender, thoughtful, energetic, romantic and emotive. We adored her audio adaptations of B. K. Borison’s 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝑭𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒔 and 𝑰𝒏 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒔.

Thank you sincerely Dreamscape Media, Netgalley and B. K. Borison for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

***IG post and review coming soon!

Stella Bloom is willing to do anything to save her beloved Christmas tree farm. When she finds out about a contest offering a $100,000 prize and exposure, Stella enters without hesitation. To make her application and the farm seem more desirable she decides that it needs a twist of romance so she says that she owns the property with her boyfriend. Now she has to convince her best friend, Luka Peters to play along and pretend to be her boyfriend so she can win the competition and save the farm.

Lovelight Farms is the first book in the Lovelight series. While this is part of a series it could be read as a stand alone but I highly recommend reading the other two books as well. This book is a friend to lovers, fake-dating romance with just the right amount of sweet and spicy. There is a little bit a angsty pining as Stella and Luka work through their feelings for one another.

I like the way the author weaves the history of the characters throughout the storyline rather than just dumping it at the beginning of the book. As much as I love Stella and Luka and their imperfectly perfect relationship, Beckett is really a stand out character for me. Even when he’s not the main character, he is a scene stealer.

The audiobook is solo narrated by Piper Jayne. Her performance is excellent and she does well with separating the different character voices.

I have now read or listened to all three books in this series. B.K. Borison is definitely one of my favorite “new to me” authors of this year (2022) and I can’t wait to read more of her work in the future.

I voluntarily listened to and reviewed an advanced copy of this audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media!

I adored this friends to lovers/fake dating romance. Plus, the setting was on a Christmas tree farm! This book gave me all the feels. Stella was sweet, kind and a great friend. Her backstory explained so much about the issues she had being in a relationship with Luka. The hero, Luka was sexy and so great to Stella. This book was well written with just the right amount of spice and conflict to keep me listening all day. The narrator did a great job. She has a pleasant voice and did a good job with the make voices. The secondary characters in this story were well developed, unique and fun. I would definitely listen/read a book by this author again. Huge thanks to Netgalley and the audiobook publisher for allowing me to read and review this book!

Absolutely loved this!
I have heard so much hype around this series that I knew I had to listen to the audiobook.
This is friends to lovers with some fake dating set in a small town during Christmastime.
I think I listened to this at the perfect time since I have been super in the mood for holiday romances. The Christmas spirit is hitting me early this year. Lovelight Farms hit the spot for me. This is a steamy Hallmark Christmas movie and it was perfect.
I think the romance was superb. It was slow burn, friends to lovers who agree to fake date for a contest. I believed the friendship between these two and felt the connection between them. The romance was heartwarming and sweet. I really enjoyed it.
The narrator was great too. Really drew me into the story.

Thanks to @dreamscape_media for an advance copy of the audiobook of Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison, out Sept. 20th!

I so enjoyed listening to this audio, narrated by Pippa Jayne! The vibes were perfect: seasonal (Halloween/Thanksgiving/Christmas) without being too holiday-y and the banter and narration was laugh out loud in my car funny.

Lovelight Farms is the friends to lovers, fake dating, small town, Christmas tree farm romance that Hallmark movie dreams are made of!

Stella and Luka have such a genuine bond and it was so fun to see their story unfold. I loved that there wasn’t a drawn out third act breakup but rather a conflict that fit these characters. This book was the ultimate cozy read and I can’t wait to pick up the others in the series and return to Inglewood. Lovelight Farms has been published for a while, but the audio format is out today!

CW: grief/loss of a parent, parental estrangement, sexual content

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read this if you love:
🎄 friends to lovers
🎄 fake dating
🎄 small town
🎄 small business owner
🎄 lots of longing glances

This book is worth the hype! I wasn't sure what to expect with this story, having seen it around bookstagram and super hyped on social media I was a bit skeptical. However, I took a chance on this when I saw the audiobook available on NetGalley. Little did I expect to be sucked in to this story and engrossed from early on in the book. I listened to this audiobook in 24 hours because I was so invested in the story. I really appreciate the way this author creates dynamic characters, riveting storylines and a charming cast of main and side characters. I was invested in the romance, transported to a delightful Hallmark-esque small town in Delaware with a newly owned Christmas tree farm.

I was invested in Stella and Luca's relationship, cheering them on and riveted to see how the were going to finally admit that they were head over heels for each other. What a sweet happily ever after! This is a new auto-read author for me. I really appreciate her writing style, her world building and her characters. Can't wait to read more of this series!

Many thanks to the author and NetGalley for an advanced audiobook copy of this story. All thoughts are my own. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the narration.

Content: grief (loss of a parent years earlier), parental neglect, vandalism, one open door scene that's easily skippable if preferred

I try and wait until after Thanksgiving but the pub day timeline got me on Lovelight Farms AND it includes Halloween and pumpkins so it is like a hybrid holiday book. Or is the story of Stella, the owner of a flailing Christmas tree farm, who enters a contest with a cash prize big enough to save the fake, except she made up a boyfriend. Yup, a fake boyfriend trope which I always love. This was absolutely a Hallmark movie kind of book and I am here for it. I love the small town coming together vibe. I love the festive holiday feels. I love the quirky side characters in the town. and I loved the sweet romance. It also made me really hungry because they had so many yummy sounding treats.

Luka rests his chin on top of my head. “This is how my parents argued,” he confesses quietly, a grin in his voice. “Or I guess, this is how they had big conversations. My dad said he liked to keep my mom close, but I really think he wanted a way to politely restrain her.”

This was a perfect low stakes, low angst Christmas story. She’s been in love with him for years. He’s been in love with her for years. Despite telling each other literally everything else, they assume the other feels only friendship.

All of a sudden she needs a fake boyfriend for a contest she’s entered and Luka all but screams “I volunteer as tribute!” Very light shenanigans happen from there.

So if you like your Hallmark with a bit of spice, look no further.

This book has been around for a bit but the audiobook is new!

Thank you to @dreamscape_media and @netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.

This book - oh my heart. Luca is definitely a new book boyfriend. This was the most authentic friends to lovers stories I’ve ever read and I loved every second. The setting was also so magical and cozy. Beckett and Layla were also such fun side characters. And the spice mixed with Luca’s nerdy talk was perfect!

My only issue is how the narrator made Beckett sound like an airhead. I’m glad that in In The Weeds he does not sound like he does in this book.

Other than that it was a perfect cozy rom-com.