Delightful and sexy! Obsessed with this incredibly romantic story with big Capricorn energy and small town spice!

I liked this one! I would say it's about a 4 to 5-flame rating. The storyline was very on-brand for the holidays, throwing in a family reunion after much distance after a loss.

WOW. In The Event is book 1 of the Fern Falls series and it is hotter than fireworks on the fourth of July.
Morgan and Rachel are a couple of friends turned lovers. Rachel has a problem with her business and Morgan has the ability to step in and help but is that really a good idea?
This has a delightful story that will keep you reading and the sexy parts will keep you wanting even more, much more.

If you enjoy some well written women loving women stories then you like this.

Thank you #NetGalley #Kensington for this ARC

Got an audiobook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Of course, I requested the audiobook edition of In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae. I ADORE this book when I read it last month. Listening to the audiobook edition made me so happy for Courtney Kae and grateful to our narrator, Melissa Moran. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing In the Event of Love to life.

Now, I'll be copy-pasting my review to the story...

Old flames trope? Check!
Friends to strangers to lovers trope? Check!
'I stayed near you so you won't have a hard time finding me' trope? Check!
'It has always been you' trope? Check!
Angst? Loved it!

I don't know what y'all are waiting for, but this book deserves to be read!

The short memories going back and forth on Morgan's mind made me know her and Rachel in the past. Young innocent love. (Insert a song by The Neighbourhood: Are we too young for this~~~) There was more to Rachel's story than Morgan ever knew. I deeply understand why Morgan avoided going back to where she was from and the unintentional self-sabotage due to her emotional capacity. I mean, why go back to a place you had your heart broken? They were young and naive, but now that they've matured, the chance of getting back with your old flame is higher than they think.

I love Courtney Kae's writing style, how she put the story together, how Morgan found out the little details about Rachel after she left Fern Falls, and overall the POV of Morgan. This book captivated me the moment I read the first chapters, and a hard time putting the book down. I even forgot to keep track of what chapter I'm in; when I was at the end of the chapter, I wasn't ready to let go. I was left speechless for days because I couldn't convert my love for this book into words. Until now, this review falls short of conveying my adoration for In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae.

-Disclaimer: I received this book for free through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.-

1.5 stars

Okay?

Dull and undeveloped characters with questionable chemistry. The storyline was predictable and unrealistic. Normal writing. Nothing here was attention-grabbing. The cringey Epilogue did me in and made it lose half a star. The narrator was alright. Just wasn't living for this since I've read a lot of books.

4.5 stars

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.

I was very excited to read this debut sapphic romance from Courtney Kae - so many amazing reviews and incredible things posted on Instagram and Goodreads.

I was very much enjoying it, and overall it was a great read - but I reduced the star rating from the 4.5 that I would have given it, to only 3.5 (rounded up), because the “conflict”, when it was simply thrown in for conflicts sake (because you can’t have a romance novel without some form of it), which was **read on the next paragraph only if seeking my specific reasoning behind, and a bit about the conflict. I don’t say what the conflict is or be spoilers, but I put this disclaimer just in case!


*-The one girl basically has a temper tantrum out of absolutely nowhere, behaving like an immature 13 year old, all “me, me, me” - it was so unrealistic it brought the entire feel and mood of the book down. She didn’t communicate and kept a huge piece of information to herself and blew a fuse when the other was disappointed and upset once told, and suddenly the other was the one in the wrong (the one who just learned the hidden info), so she (the one hiding the info) left in a huff and she of course was not “the bad guy” and couldn’t see what she did wrong or why people were angry with her. A 13 year old’s immature reaction. An adult wouldn’t behave that way. I would have hoped that editors or beta readers would have helped a newbie writer to smooth this out or make it far more realistic for how an adult would behave! It’s almost as if she behaved like a person suffering from Borderline Personality Disorder, but this was the only appearance of it. (It was out of nowhere, unfounded, overreacting, all about her. BPD are extremely self-centered and would 100% react like this)


Other than this part that I couldn’t believe or wrap my head around fitting into the book or character’s previous behavior and attitude, everything else was quite well written, flowed smoothly and chemistry was great between all of the characters, not just Morgan and Rachel.

Narrated by Melissa Moran - I’ve been finding a lot of books narrated by her recently, and I’m really loving her voice. She did another fantastic job here with In the Event of Love!

If you as a reader can get around the unrealistic “conflict” section, and enjoy sapphic romance as much as I do, then this would be a great one to pick up!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Tantor Audio, and this is my review and (sorry, but brutally) honest feedback.

This one was just ok. I thought they forgave each other really really quickly. It was almost like things just went too well. Plus it reminded me a lot of The Wedding Planner. I didn’t love the narrator on this one either.

I did love the relationship she rebuilt with her father and the pieces where she learned more about her mom too.

🌀Synopsis
Morgan heads home to her small town after a big city scandal. Her boss challenges her to go home & put on a fundraiser as part of getting a promotion.

Morgan hasn’t been home since her family was humiliated and she hurt the one person she loved the most. Now she has to face both her father and Rachel - the one she’s loved since before she left town.

When Rachel & Morgan find a way to work together they also find a way back into each other’s hearts. Plus, they pull off the fundraiser in spectacular fashion. With the promotion looming Morgan has some tough decisions to make.

From the cover and the summary I expected a squeaky clean Sapphic version of the standard holiday romance, which to be honest qpuld have been perfectly fine for me because I am a sucker for a sweet holiday romance. This was however a lot steamier, with a lot more developed characters. Yes the premise of our heroine returning to her hometown to reconnect with her childhood best friend is somewhat standard but the execution was superb. Really excited to read the rest of the series which the author set up pretty well

This didn't work for me unfortunately. I really didn't enjoy Morgan's POV or the "scandal" to send her back home. Felt a bit lacking.

Bring the feeling of the holiday season to your life at anytime with this romance! Morgan returns to her hometown with the hopes of out running a publicity scandal, along with assisting a local business with an event. Not only does Morgan get a second chance at romance with her ex, Rachel; she also gets a second chance to mend some other relationships. The setting of the idyllic small town at the holidays with snow and holiday charm was perfect for this story! I wasn't sure about Morgan at first, but after a few chapters I found myself warming to her and then rooting for her throughout the story. I enjoyed this story and will be keeping my eye out for future books by Courtney Kae.
I listened to an advanced audio copy of this book and the narrator, Melissa Moran was great! With Melissa's voice and rhythm, I was able to get swept into the story like I was watching it unfold in front of me. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!

HALLMARK -ESQUE READS I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE GAY! SLAY! childhood best friends to lovers and second chance wlw? set during christmas? yeah babe. you got me. the inclusion in this book with not just the wlw mains but the side characters too? yeah. cannot wait fo rben and adam's book either OMG i love them sm thank u for this courtney kae i love u

thank u netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review <3

In The Event Of Love by Courtney Kae

Morgan Ross is an event planner and is tasked to do an event in her home town. This event could get her a promotion. Morgan though is not really thrilled to return back to her home town. She rather stay in Los Angeles. She returns home and runs into her best friend/crush Rachel Reed. Morgan remembers their first kiss years ago. This is a sapphic lesbian romcom that is written in the style of a hallmark movie.

I liked both Morgan and Rachel with the story taking place in a small town. There are sex scenes in the book that are not sugar coated. I am here for it and looking forward to more from this author in the future.

I loved the simplicity feel to the story and characters with some angst in the story but watching two people who have reconcile their past to move forward together in the future. Who wouldn't want a sexy hot lady lumberjack.

I am loving the lesbian rom/com that have release this year they are so entertaining and loving the representation of the community. I recommend this rom/com for anyone who love LGBTQ romances.

Melissa Moran narrated the story and did a fantastic job bringing voice to each character. This was a four star book for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tantor Media for a free audio copy of this book for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

2.25.
I have mix feelings about this book. I want to like it for being a sapphic hallmark romcom. However, it felt absurd for like 80% of the book while 20% is steamy spicy scenes as fillers.

The whole plot just felt make-believe. Character development instantly happened with no real growth, it seemed like they just adopted a new personality.
I was anxious about the fundraiser and corporate overtake plots that just conclude too nicely. Everything seemed to work out instantly. And they jumped the gun in the epilogue that makes everything seems unbelievable.

Writing style wise, it was ok-ish. It felt dry and factual instead of descriptive. The timeline is a bit confusing.
Honestly I didn’t find Morgan that interesting, she seemed so immature and have low self esteem, but at the same time she was also confident and strong headed. Her character just seemed unbelievable. Rachel was the most interesting one.

The chemistry between Morgan and Rachel at the beginning was confusing to me, they went back and forth between hating and teasing each other like best friends. And since we only get Morgan’s POV, it’s more like hating and lusting after each other. Then the progression of their relationship was odd too, I just had a hard time believing that they should be together.

I was disappointed that it left me such a bad aftertaste when I finished reading.

I already wrote a review of the book itself which I pasted below. I do want to say I enjoyed the audio book because the voice was easy to listen to and inflected in all the right ways. Great book and audio!

You can not get me to stop watching Christmas romance movies during the season and this book was just like those in all the best ways. The big city back to small town feel was great. The tension was there along with the family drama. In this story we have an event planner and a a woman who owns a tree farm. They have to work together to save the farm and the town. There was spice in this book so I do recommend it be read by mature audiences and those that enjoy spice in their romance books. I personally related to Rachel in the book and sometimes wished it was from her perspective. A great story and one I want to reread over the holidays!

In The Event of Love is a Christmas Hallmark movie in a book! A second chance romance with two strong, endearing women just trying to find their way in the world after significant loss. Rachel and Morgan have such spectacular chemistry, I’m surprised my pages weren’t melting. With the beautiful scenery descriptions and romantic gestures, the writing held my interest throughout. And of course, you throw in a save the town Festival, and it’s the perfect holiday read.

Okay, first of all, this is not a book for kids, so please ignore my educator badge for a minute.

I was really anticipating this since I am constantly looking for new holiday books, especially queer ones. In the Event of Love was just what I expected and hoped it would be. It follows Morgan, an event planner who is forced to leave her life in LA after making a career-altering mistake. Like in any good Christmas romance, she ends up back in her small hometown, working with the girl that broke her heart. It's cute. The setting is perfect and Christmasy, and the romance is great too. The love interest, Rachel, is pretty much pulled from my dreams. I mean she's a lady who runs a tree farm and isn't afraid to wield an ax. I also really liked the supporting characters, especially Ben and Adam, and I can't wait to read their story.

My main issue with this is one I have with most romances, and that is that Morgan acts and communicates like a teenager for a lot of this. When her bad communication skills come back to bite her, we get a little bit of her wondering why everyone is so mean, before she quickly realizes what she's done wrong. We barely see her learn from her actions. Still, I was rooting for her happy ending and ADORED how this wrapped up.

Overall, I like this and will recommend it more this holiday season. It was a good audio experience, although I find that audiobooks can really enunciate some of the more cringey parts of steamy scenes. Like I did laugh a few times during the smut, But yeah this was cute and is easily near the top of my holiday romance recommendation list.

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, bar, past break-up, cursing, vomit, car crash, past death of a parent, cancer, alcoholism, rehab, divorce, grief, big corporate greed, masturbation, sex

Representation: Bisexual, Asian and Trans side character, Pansexual

In the Event of Love is the perfect sapphic romance for Christmas time! Morgan is trying to advance her career and move to NY to take over a new branch of the event planning firm she works for. Back in her home town, Rachel works hard to try to keep her family’s tree farm afloat. After a drunken mishap, Morgan winds up back in Fern Falls hosting a fundraiser to help save the town.

This story is absolutely adorable! Fern Falls sounds like the perfect winter getaway and I loved all of the characters! And oh boy, do I love a grand gesture!! And a double one!

I love how Morgan provides for Rachel. Her ability to inspire Rachel and allow her to take risks, knowing if she were to fail, it would be okay. I love how Rachel takes care of Morgan. I love how she sees where Morgan lacks and can help strengthen those areas. I also love how she can take some of the burden off Morgan. Their relationship is so beautiful and inspiring.

The narration on this story was amazing! I could feel the emotions and characteristics for each person. The narrator did an amazing job!

Rep: bi mc, bi li, gay sc, bi sc, Asian trans sc, Black sc, Jewish sc
Rating: 3.5

This was a cute sapphic holiday book. Very Hallmark style, but steamy. It’s a holiday romcom set in a small town.

I finished this a few days ago and am kind of struggling to remember what all happened. It was a bit unmemorable for me. It’s nowhere near bad, I just didn’t love it.

Morgan was ok but I didn’t feel super connected to her. At times she felt immature and selfish. I would have also liked to see Rachel’s pov. I liked her more than I liked Morgan. It would have also been nice to see them get to know each other more and learn how they’ve changed in the 7 years apart.

The town was really nice. They really had a sense of community and had each other’s backs.

What happened in the epilogue felt rushed and seemed like it would have been too soon to be realistic. I was pretty surprised. But that’s sapphics for ya haha

This book has lots of diversity, from queer to POC characters. Always love to see that. It’s also queer joy and has no homophobia!

Overall, a pretty fun and cute book. If you like holiday Hallmark movies but make it sapphic, this will be right up your alley.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book

This was a Hallmark-ish Christmas story about first loves coming back around and I enjoyed it. It was like 85% wholesome and 15% spice so it was a fun combo. I was mad at Morgan for Sweet Home Alabama-ing these people twice in her life by acting like their lives are small because they still live and work in their hometown. These people are business owners and have solid relationships with their friends and community so they're doing alright.

I cannot wait for Ben and Adam's book. I need that story desperately.

Thank you to Courtney Kae and the Holigays22 group for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.