The way to my heart is certainly through the stomach.

At least my stomach and my heart were fully involved when I decided on requesting and reading this book. I suddenly felt a strong compassion for the protagonist baker overwhelmed by not only an upcoming TV show but his unrequited love for a want-to-be rockstar. Nena Tramoutani recently evoked my love for protagonists employed in any kind of kitchen, while S.C. Stephens made me grave a rockstar romance years ago. This combination (plus a pinch of queerness) was a sure catch for me. Delving into the first chapters, I was immediately involved with Ben’s emotional, chaotic encounters with the cameras and his love interest. Courtney Kae playfully and humorously got us engaged with his friends, his business, and his fears.


This romcom is fun but seems forced from time to time.

Which is not ultimately a bad thing. Romcoms live from these moments in which you think: Of course, that was about to happen. For example, two weeks are set not only as the time Ben will spend at his grandmother’s place but also for him to create some positive PR to stay in the baking contest. I enjoyed things coming together as Ben is unable to escape his embarrassing moment with Adam.

Nonetheless, the romcom was too much for my taste when it heavily drew on miscommunication. Ben is that afraid of being rejected and not good enough that he simply cuts Adam off before he even has the chance to speak the truth. Thus, they get into this web of misunderstandings for the first part of the book. I totally understand when people are thrown off by that as I was inclined to be as well. Nevertheless, I was certain there was more to come and was proven right.


Finding another and oneself.

No one is surprised by the developments between Ben and Adam. Nonetheless, the book does not resolve their eventually revealed feelings to an immediate happy ending. Looking at the number of pages left afterwards, I was sure to be confronted with another drama. And I was certainly glad that this one wasn’t one of miscommunication but rather an inner struggle to be fought. Of course, there were external problems as well. But Ben foremostly needed to find his way out of his self-destructive/-dismissing, persistent thoughts shaped by his childhood experiences of neglect.

I loved this dive into his past, as much as the moving (and hilarious) moments with his family in the present. Adam and Ben’s open and gentle communication (after the difficult start) was heartwarming and joyful to read. Ben’s found friends offered little but truthful support when needed and excited me enough to look into the first Fern Falls installment.

In Conclusion
A (supposedly unrequited) friends to lovers story about a baker, a rockstar, a TV show, a hip grandma and a lot of family complexes. This mixture worked out pretty well for Courtney Kae’s next publication. I hope you give this cheerful (but emotional as well) read a chance. If you’re really allergique to miscommunication, then simply be careful in the first half of the book.

Excellent read--angsty but with alot of cinnamon roll sweetness. and fun mixed in! The author creates two too good to be true locations--Fern Falls and Maywell Bay--where things like homophobia and racism don't exist. I am fine with this concept--kind of like Daryl Banner's Spruce, Texas. I want to move there!

Our hero is Ben, a 26-year-old baker in Fern Falls, who, as a child, suffered abuse at the hands of his narcissistic father. The story is told from Ben's viewpoint. His love interest is the hunky guitarist/auto mechanic, Adam, on whom Ben has had a crush since childhood. In the course of the novel, we see Ben realistically work toward overcoming his childhood trauma. His Grandma, or G-ma, provides much comic relief as do many of his relatives who gather to celebrate G-ma's 80th birthday in Maywell Bay.

We are engaged in the story throughout--there are several major challenges for poor Ben and his HEA is well-deserved. It took a while for the story to settle down--is it about a baking contest? about an over the top birthday party and G-ma's finances?, is it about the challenges of a relationship with someone who tours? how about defeating the nasty father? The author settles in though on the effects of childhood trauma on the main character. And these are the best parts of the book. One particularly memorable scene is Ben's first meeting with Adam when Ben is only 8 or 9, his father is recently gone and he comes to Adam's tree lot and cuts down and carries his own tree. Loved it!

Are the seemingly overwhelming odds against Ben resolved too neatly and quickly? Yes. Is the device of interrupting a crucial conversation at coincidentally the worst possible moment overdone? Yes. Does it seem odd that it has taken Ben and Adam this long to get to this point despite living in the same small town? Yes. Is Adam's return from the tour after only month too quick? Yes. BUT the heart in this book is what carries it past all of these plot quibbles. Enjoy this one and get the feels!

Had a lot of miscommunication getting started, but once they finally communicate, it gets very swoon-worthy.

I have been waiting for Adam and Ben’s story and was so happy to be able to return to hte people of Fern Falls. “In the Case of Heartbreak” is an incredibly romantic, sweet and relatable MM romance story.

Ben is the local baker for Fern Falls and when he gets an opportunity to expand his business by being on a competition TV show, he takes the chance. But when his Dad makes a false claim, Ben is temporarily off the show. Needing some time to collect himself, he goes down the coast to celebrate his grandma’s 80th birthday. Also there is the man he’s been crushing on for the longest time, the mechanic and musician of Fern Falls, Adam.

Ben and Adam are so incredibly sweet and so genuine. I loved both of them from the start and how they were just so connected. They both had crushes on each other from afar and I loved that it was Grandma’s party that helped bring them together. Ben’s family is so supportive of him, when it comes to his bakery and to being happy and true to himself. Adam has his sister in his corner and the support of Fern Falls too. The spicy scenes are romantic as they start but are fade to black scenes. I don’t need a bunch of raunchy scenes but it would be nice to show more of the intimacy between them. Overall, this is a romantic MM story that is enjoyable and I hope we get more from Fern Falls soon.

In the Case of Heartbreak is a new queer romance novel set in the same universe as In the Event of Love. Heartbreak follows Ben and Adam, childhood best friends who have never found the right time to admit their feelings for one another. Until they do, and are immediately caught in a whirlwind of love, family, and healing, among other things.

While this did not affect my opinion of the book itself, the summary provided on Goodreads and Netgalley was redundant and long-winded, making the book seem overly complicated. It provided many unnecessary details and somewhat spoiled the book for me.

Onto the book itself, I adored the portrayal of best friends to lovers, although I wish there was at least one scene of Ben and Adam interacting before the Bake-Off to add a contrast between what their relationship is typically like, versus them as a pseudo-couple. I don't think I would have enjoyed the book, or at least the beginning of it, if not for the context from the previous book. I believe that this book was lacking the small-town seasonal romance troupe the first book nailed as well. Since this book took place in the same town with the same characters, I was disappointed when it didn't achieve the small-town dream quite like its predecessor.

One thing that this book did very well was its discussions of childhood trauma and emotional abuse. Ben's reactions were realistic and it was very satisfying to watch him take control over his choices and actions throughout the course of the book.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the ending. It was just the right amount of cliche, with its own distinct twist. In lieu of spoilers, I'll just say that it was very well done.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a fun summertime read, and although I did have a couple of issues with it, the exceptional characters and romance by far made up for it. Thank you to Netgalley and to the publishers for providing me with this ARC.

I had high hopes from this book but it, sadly, didn't deliver.
The emotional roller-coaster that Ben was, switching from reliving traumatic childhood memories to horny at the drop of a hat, so many times gave me emotional whiplash tbh.
Adam was so...flat. All I know about him is that he is in a band, he looks like a Greek God or some such, owns an auto shop, and has shitty parents. That's it.
Now that I think about it, Idk much about Ben either except for his shitty dad, his childhood trauma and his bakery. With his g-ma and mom constantly having to come through for him (both romantically and resolving the main conflict for him???? How does that make any sense????? It felt like his G-ma was the main character and not him.) left a sour taste in my mouth. Asking for help is great but just being handed things, again and again, is...not.
No, I get it, you don't have to ask when it's your family, they'll just see you struggling and do it but ugh.
Specially given how his whole arc was about not trusting people wanted to actually stay with him and not asking for help...which just doesn't happen even by the end is not very satisfying.
It had so much potential and but, alas.

The second book set in Fern Falls centers around Ben, a baker who is competing on a baking TV show. Things are complicated by his dad who is a jerk and by his unrequited feelings for Adam. When he goes to his Grandma’s birthday party, things get even more complicated when Adam is hired as the entertainment.

A cute book. It does spoil some things (kind of, in the sense of can romances really be spoiled?) from the first in Fern Falls. If you are worried about that, read the other one first then come back to this one!

This started out really well, I liked Ben a lot and the fact he runs a bakery. He lives in a quaint town with supportive friends. He’s had a crush on his friend, Adam, for years but Ben has suffered his father leaving and he blames himself. He has a lot of self doubt and is guilty for things that he believes he caused.

Once the book changes settings to Ben’s grandmother’s house in a seaside town things started to get over the top. I’m not a fan of the flashy and sexual like grandmother. She is throwing herself a 2 week party at her mansion for her 80th birthday. Ben’s mother thinks that g-ma (as she obnoxiously wants to be called all of a sudden) is in financial distress. She’s counting on Ben’s success with a food competition show to save the day. This is for a lavish, over the top 2 week bash for a rich white woman who has married something like 6 times (that’s how she made her fortune). And this wasn’t just a run of the mill type of party, these were all out costume themed parties with major vendors setting things up and the property being transformed.

Ben’s deadbeat father re-enters the picture to try to save his own failing business by ruining his sons chances at success. This man was one of the worst characters!

In between all of this Adam, Ben’s crush, is also at this 2 week party to play with the band. Him and Ben hang out, kiss but then there’s miscommunication. Then every time Adam tries to talk to Ben there is a distraction! That is the most annoying plot ever!

I didn’t like that Ben pushed Adam away telling him to fulfill his dream even though Adam told him that’s not his choice multiple times! Ben’s been in therapy for years but it’s not like he’s come that far. He’s holding everything up to his father leaving, which wasn’t fair to Adam. Plus you would think his mother would have explained things to him eventually because he has no issue mentioning why he was insecure.

The “steamy” times were basically fade to black scenes which would’ve been fine but I was hoping something could save this story.

Unfortunately this did not work for me.

This is a tooth rotting sweet romcom, that doesn't shy away from the hard parts of life, which really sounds like it should be mutually exclusive. But this had me crying and laughing and swooning. Even the third act breakup was foe the right reasons, and allowed Ben to grow on his own and I adore that. The biggest criticism I can manage is just a personal pet peeve in how people talk on occasion, the introductions to new characters start to feel a little like an office ice breaker type beat, and it can pull you out for a second, especially since it pops up midway through the book for the first time. But thats literally all I've got negative to say about it. A sweet as a cinnamon roll romance that I will be highly reccomending

Parts of this novel were addicting. In some places, it was so incredibly sweet and engaging. Unfortunately, those parts were sporadic and spread haphazardly throughout the book. I didn't like the beginning of the book (the characters just irked me) and while it did get better, I never really got attached. It's pretty well written though and an easy read with a sweet premise.

This book gave me continuous butterflies. The characters, the town, the story...I love them all. I very much enjoyed the story within the story; one of family, given and chosen, and how both have their own importance in one's life.

Lovely, lovely novel. A bit of a slow start, but fits perfectly within the world of Fern Falls, and takes us right back to the small town feel. The portrayal of mental health and the journey of working through one’s trauma felt incredibly real and authentic and it’s so nice to see things being talked about. The pacing was a bit inconsistent at times, but all in all, a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to Courtney Kae and Netgalley for an arc!

Back in the magic of Fern Falls!

Ben Parrish doesn't want much: baking his family’s famous cinnamon rolls in his bakery, living life in the small town where he was born, and being in love from afar with his best friend Adam. Okay maybe the last one is less than ideal. But when Peak Perk Café is thrust into the social media spotlight, Ben finds himself as a constant on a reality baking show. The icing on this anxiety-riddled bun? His unrequited love shoots him down on live television.

Thankfully, Ben is spending the next two weeks away at his Grandmother's costal estate. He can tend to his broken heart, figure out how to redeem himself in the eyes of the baking show (and the world), and celebrate his G-ma's eightieth. That is, until an unexpected guest arrives in the form of Adam Reed.

This cinnamon-sweet queer romance is about finding your voice, standing up for yourself, and letting go of old-held fears. With a bi main character, a pan love interest, and a cast of gay, nonbinary and queer side characters, this story is so full of heart and acceptance that leaves no room for bigotry.

As much as I enjoyed 'In the Event of Love' (which you don't have to read to enjoy this book, but totally should), I think I liked this sequel even better. Maybe it's because I relate to the anxiety-riddled Ben far closer than I'd like to admit.

My only point of contention was over the eccentric "G-ma." Maybe because I don't have a filthy rich grandmother, but her lavish parties seemed just north of believable. They did, however, create a beautifully magical backdrop for Ben and Adam's blossoming relationship. Even if her characterization felt a little wild, she was still filled to the brim with love.

I rated this 4 stars because 4.5 wasn't an option. While the love story was predictable (and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that! We stan a good friends-to-lovers trope!), it did sprinkle in some surprises. Not to mention genuine character growth that can be lacking in many rom-coms. I have already recommended it to friends, and look forward to the next story from Fern Falls!

I received this book as an advanced reader copy from NetGalley

This was super sweet! I enjoyed the summery setting and loved the bakery background. The first novel in this series didn’t work for me but I loved Ben and Adam, and look forward to hopefully another in this world!

This book is a marvel. It made me giggle uncontrollably, cry softly, and smile until my face hurt. It tackles the emotional rollercoaster of living with and healing from trauma with nuance and grace. It normalizes mental health concerns and treatments in a way that I have never seen before in media. I cannot express how much it means to me that our MC can struggle with his mental health so much and still move his healing forward, and be surrounded by so much love and support from others too. This book is a romance, but it also reminds you to love yourself, too.
I would encourage all readers to read the author’s note at the beginning of the book, and to take breaks when they need to. The themes of trauma and mental illness can be heavy, so read with care and self-compassion. (Also, we love an author who tells you up front what triggers there may be in the book and reminds us that self-care is important!)
On a literary note I LOVED all the nods to romance tropes, including all of the puns. It makes the book read like a love letter to the genre itself, and its readers. It makes it feel like we are all part of an inside joke about how great romance books can be, especially when they’re corny,
I hope everyone gets to fall in love with this book as much as I did. But beware! You will crave cinnamon rolls!!

I am a big fan of Courtney Kae’s debut novel In the Event of Love (Aug 2022) and was excited to return to the friend group in Fern Falls. In the world Kae creates there is love and acceptance for queer characters but that doesn’t mean there aren’t problems. Ben Parrish is anxiety ridden when he is at the center of attention. He is going to be part of a reality baking competition that could help his bakery. But a shaky start has his heading to his beloved grandmother’s beach compound for the next few weeks. He is there to help celebrate her 80th birthday. The extravaganza is huge and includes multiple events. Ben is also pining for his forever crush and best friend Adam Reed. (Adam’s sister had the romance in the previous book.) In addition his father is claiming on social media that he created the recipe for cinnamon rolls that is the trademark of Ben’s business and reason for his tv appearance. Ben is trying his best to navigate the various pressures in his life.

This is actual a very sweet book but it is weighed down by Ben’s trauma as a child and the impact on him. The relationship with Adam can be a model for consent and communication but it doesn’t really explain or show how they jump from point A to F. They literally have one date and some wooing. I understand they’ve known each other for years but I wanted more.

I don’t think it is intentional but it is bewildering to me that the protagonist Ben actually does nothing to resolve any of the drama that happens in the story. He stews about things, talks to his father unsuccessfully and seeks comfort from his therapist. But it is only the actions of others that brings changes. His grandmother meddles in his love life, Adam makes the first move, mother and grandmother resolve other issues. About the only thing that Ben does is reach out to asking for help from an event organizer.

I swooned in the first book set in Fern Falls. And I was very hopeful for sweet Adam. I’m glad he gets his HEA but I wish he got to be a hero in his story. The light moments come from the antics of outrageous G’ma. This can be a read as a stand alone even though both MCs are introduced in the previous book. I am still hoping for a return to Fern Falls and a romance for lovable Whitney. Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

This book follows two background characters from Kae's previous book, In the Event of Love, and if you loved the first one, then I think you'll really like this book too. There are some very sweet romantic moments, and the whole book has a lovely summery vibe.

Unfortunately, for me, the miscommunication and the forced proximity set up felt a little too contrived, and the way Ben internalised everything without asking any for help as his problems grew and grew didn't make for a very enjoyable read. Especially when he finally did reach out, the problems were all immediately resolved without any input from him.

One thing I really did love about this book, though, was the sense of inclusion, and the wonderful little community Kae created for the characters in Fern Falls.

It's also lovely to see queer characters getting the 'hallmark movie' treatment, and if you like those kinds of stories, I think this will be perfect for you.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a heartwarming, fun and loving story between two people that have too many feelings and weren’t sure how to handle them. I truly enjoy the back story and how their relationship developed.

This was such a delight to read!!! It was such a great sequel to In the Event of Love. We got to know more about Ben and Adam and meet new characters like G-Ma while revisiting old favorites like Whitney, Tanner, Morgan and Rachel. Ben was truly relatable with his own struggles with anxiety and depression. I felt Courtney Kae showcased it very well and it was great to see Ben work through things. The scenes between him and Adam were also quite delightful!! I loved their relationship dynamic and seeing how things worked out for them. One thing I do wish more of is that we got some of Adam's pov especially regarding his feelings and how he's always felt about Ben.

Kae's writing style is lyrical and evocative, capturing the depth of emotions with delicate precision. The prose flows smoothly, immersing readers in a world of raw vulnerability and tender moments. The author's ability to express complex emotions with authenticity and grace adds depth to the narrative, allowing readers to connect deeply with the characters' experiences.

The plot of the book is character-driven and focuses on the emotional journey of the protagonist. While there may not be dramatic twists or high-action sequences, the narrative's strength lies in its ability to capture the nuances of human emotions and the subtleties of personal growth. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing for moments of introspection and self-reflection, as well as moments of hope and rediscovery.