Thank you, Courtney Kae, Kensington Books, and Netgalley for the gifted book.

Ben is the owner of a cafe that's known for its famous cinnamon rolls. He's just entered a competition that has him featured on TV. He's also been secretly in love with his friend Adam since they were children. Ben gets two unexpected pieces of bad news on the same day. The next day, he heads to his Grandma's house at the beach for two weeks to celebrate her birthday and recalibrate. Just when he thinks he is getting a break from his heartbreak, on stage in full pirate regalia is none other than Adam Reed, who his Grandma hired as entertainment for her birthday celebration. Now, Ben's only choice is to drink his Grandma's Heartbreak Tea. Will Ben find his happily ever after with Adam? Or will Ben's cinnamon rolls be covered in his salty tears?

In The Case of Heartbreak is the second book of the Fern Falls book series but can easily be read as a standalone. This is a MM, friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance that is swoon-worthy but also delves into some deep mental health issues. There were parts I loved about this book and parts that I wanted so much more of. I absolutely adored the relationship between Ben and Adam. I thought they were so sweet and perfect together. The way they both loved each other and supported each other is relationship goals. There was a tad bit of spice in this book, but when things started getting hot, it was fade to black. I do wish that Ben's character arc, especially with his mental health and anxiety journey, was developed better. The way it was developed and the way he communicated his past and current issues with Adam seemed a bit stilted to me. I wouldn't have minded a longer book to get a better character development of Ben. Other than that, I did love the story and found myself hooked and staying up way past my bedtime reading. I really hope there is another book in the Fern Falls series.

3.5ish*

Ben is such a sweet cinnamon roll who puts way too much on his plate, literally. Between running his bakery and appearing on a reality show, (and all the headaches that brings- hello absentee father), worrying about his mom and grandma, and then throw in Adam, the love of his life, I'm not sure how he handles it all. But is he, really, handling it all? Sometimes it was tough being in his head, with all his angst and anxiety and feelings of abandonment. But he's just so darling, you want all the good things for him.

Ever since reading In the Event of Love, I've been waiting for Ben and Adam's book and I was not disappointed. This was a heartfelt, fun story, with some heavier themes. I loved how inclusive it was, and how Ben's mental health was dealt with. Adam was a surprise, in a good way! After that scene in the beginning I wasn't sure what to think, but Ms. Kae didn't do me wrong.
Ben and Adam were perfect together and I was so happy to be along as they figured things out.

This book is perfect for anyone who wants to turn their brain off for a little and just feel okay about life. However, I believe that the characters were a little too underdeveloped for me to feel truly invested. The story dragged a bit in the middle, where seemingly nothing important would happen for chapters at a time, and then the scenes that mattered to the plot were rushed. I love a good “the almost-first-kiss gets interrupted” trope, but when it happens this many times in a row? It’s a little much for me.

I did really enjoy that there was no angst around the main characters being queer in this story. It gets sad and tiring after a while reading novel after novel about prejudice against LGBTQ+ people, so reading a story that focuses around queer love and joy with absolutely no homophobia to be found is a great change of pace.

Overall, I was hoping for a little more out of this book, but it was fluffy and sweet.

5 stars!

I enjoyed the first book from the Fern Falls series, but I absolutely LOVED this one! I knew I already loved Ben and Adam, and them together, of course, but this book honestly just blew me away. I read 85% in less than 24 hours (and stayed up until 3am) because I couldn't put it down!

Ben is taking part of a baking show to help out his bakery in his small hometown, but the initial filming goes awry and he's happy to be able to escape to the shoretown of Maywell Bay for 2 weeks for his G-Ma's extravagant birthday party/family reunion. He's happy to have some time away and to work through his feelings for his unrequited crush Adam. But the night he arrives, he runs into Adam, and he's set up for 2 weeks living in a little seaside cottage with him, while trying to get over him. Easy, right?

Seeing Ben and Adam as both flawed humans really made me love this. They weren't , but they were adults and able to talk about act as adults, which I loved seeing. Their chemistry was magnificent and their interactions were so genuine. We got to dive into who they are now, and parts of why they are this way too. The therapy, trauma, and mental health aspect was done well and really added to their love story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down. From the writing to the plot to the romance, I truly just enjoyed this and will find myself coming back to it many times. Plus, who doesn't love a book that makes you crave cinnamon rolls the whole time?

The Shadow Girls is the fourth book in the Natalie Lockhart series by Courtney Kae. I really liked this book but wish I had read the first three book in the series. Things would have made more sense.

This was a really good mystery that I really enjoyed. The scenes were very detailed and authentic.

I am going to go back and read the previous three books to learn more about Natalie.

Ben has a passion for baking and has been quietly baking cinnamon rolls, among other tasty delights, in his hometown of Fern Falls for years. And he's been in love with Adam for almost as long. But when he enters a baking competition with his family's prized cinnamon roll recipe he plans to also tell Adam how he feels. Until he's turned down on national tv before he can even say a word. He flees to the quiet seaside town where his Grandmother is celebrating her 80th birthday in the loudest fashion she can looking to get over his heartache. And then a familiar face appears, making that impossible, but maybe. Just maybe, it's all for the best.

I devoured this book, one might say as they would a cinnamon roll. Unfortunately, I'm not a huge fan of cinnamon rolls, so I can't make that comparison truthfully. A delightful Danish would work better for me. I absolutely adored G-ma and seeing some friendly faces again, like Rachel and Morgan, Whitney, and of course the trio of aunts. But even more so I loved Ben and Adam. They were so homey and warm and comforting. I loved how they could relate to one another's heartaches. I highly recommend reading this curled up with a cup of coffee (or tea!) and a warm cinnamon roll or other preferred pastry.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author via Netgalley and Kensington Books.

I received this book as an ARC from Kensington Books through NetGalley and this review is based on my own opinion.

Ben runs the family bakery and is currently being filmed for a reality baking show.
He has been in love with his childhood best friend Adam for a while now, but to him it doesn't seem mutual.

On top of being rejected for the whole world to see, he then receives a D&C from his fathers company about the Cinnamon Roll recipe he is using on the baking show.

I only received the ARC a week before the publishing date, while reading another ARC so I did my best to finish it in time but I couldn't make it.

I'm halfway through the book now and I kind of like the story but it has nothing special for me so far. Apparently both Ben and Adam have been mentioned in the writers previous book which takes place in the same town and I've read other reviews of people that like this one. Maybe it's because I haven't read the first book that I'm not super enthusiastic after reading the first half because I was really excited to read the book after I read the synopsis.

I wouldn't say I hated it and it's good enough for me to keep reading because I'm curious how it will end.
I am considering to read the first book if I find some time to see if I will like this book more.

I went into this unsure of how to feel…the concept of a reality tv show romance gone wrong has been done, and rather successfully, with The Charm Offensive. ITCOHB take the fake dating, friends to lovers and miscommunication and throws them all at this pair of guys. While the romance and humor of this book were delightful, the main plots were convoluted and melodramatic. Ben’s relationship with his father as a plot point was relatively weak…most of this book Ben is threatened by his father, and then in the blink of an eye that is no longer a problem. The reality tv show seems to be fun but hard to follow, I wish some more time was spent flushing out that idea rather then throwing multiple tropes at this couple to see what sticks

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me an opportunity to read a digital advanced copy of this book!

To start, I want to acknowledge the work and thoughtfulness of the author. The note at the beginning that includes trigger warnings was very lovely and had me excited to read ahead.

This book is a very romcom summer vibe. The author has a lot of quirky references to things I love and enjoy (i.e. witchy stuff, "we can do hard things" - Glennon Doyle).

Ultimately though, I had to DNF this book around 40%. I do hope to buy the book in the future and try a read through again at a different time. Right now, the biggest barrier to me finishing this was the writing. The story itself felt slow and choppy at the beginning, otherwise I would have pushed through it. The characters didn't hook me from the start, but thats okay.

I think this book has a lot of potential and will absolutely find its target audience. While I love, love queer romcom style books and authors, this just wasn't my vibe but I acknowledge that could even just be because of where I'm at in my reading right now. You ever have those books that don't vibe with you the first time around but the second they grib you and it's a different experience? I feel as though this may be that kind of book in the future.

I am rating this 3 stars, even though I don't like rating books I couldn't finish, as that doesn't really seem fair. But 3 stars for what I did read because I enjoyed the setting and some aspects of the characters.

I'd still definitely recommend folks who enjoy queer, quirky, romance, comedy, cinnamon rolls to check it out and make their own opinion!

I enjoyed the second installment in this series! I think the events of the competition and the dad were a lot more interesting than the actual romance, but overall a really enjoyable book.

This is such a sweet and heartwarming story! Not to mention a perfect summertime beach read. I fell in love with these characters, and enjoyed every page I got to spend with them. While this book definitely gives off classic RomCom vibes, it is still an original story that kept me guessing as to how things would play out in the end. I loved it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Courtney Kae for sending me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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In The Case of Heartbreak follows Ben Parrish, a pastry chef and Adam Reed, guitarist. The two have been crushing on each other, but never have shared their feelings. Ben enters a baking competition to compete with his family’s famous cinnamon rolls. What happens when Adam rejects Ben on LIVE TV?!

Ben then leaves to go and celebrate his G-Ma’s 80th birthday - for 2 weeks. Who happens to be there? You’ll never guess! ADAM. Invited by none other than Ben’s G-Ma! The two explore their relationship and get to know one each other more than ever before.

In addition, Ben wants to win the competition so he can buy his family out of the pasty business! Ben’s dad happens to be a famous music manager and comes in to RUIN some things…

Can Ben figure it all out? Maybe with G-Ma’s heartbreak tea!
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I didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I didn’t think I’d love it as much as I did! I appreciated the genuine dialogue between Ben and Adam regarding their own past with trauma and pain. I thought it was so well done. I thought Ben and Adam were both lovely and likable characters! Their chemistry was perfection. That baking scene 🫣

I didn’t read the first book in the series but definitely want to now!

⭐ 4.5

I read this book while I was out for a mini vacation and it was a breath of joy to my heart, I fell in love with these two and I identified so much with them, a beautiful friends to lovers. We have Ben, our baker who has been in love with Adam forever, the relationship that was formed here was beautiful, full of ups and downs but in the end it was like those 2000 movies that fill us with so much love. This whole book is filled with such a beautiful representation that it makes me want to enter it and stay to live in the world that the author gives us, I did not see so much drama and for that reason it was one of the best summer readings that I could have; Also, Grandma? It's almost like seeing my grandmother and that was the point for me 🫶🏻❤️‍🩹

This book touches on some themes like anxiety and I felt it was well represented, I hope you give it a try because I feel it's so worth it 🫶🏻🥹


Thanks to NetGalley, Courntey Kae and Kensington Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review 📚 !!

This was such a gooey sweet summer romance! I loved Courtney Kae's "In The Event of Love", so I was VERY excited for Adam and Ben's story. Adam, Rachel's older brother, has been the object of Ben's affection since Ben knew what those feelings were. In this wonderful friends-to-lovers romcom, we meet a slew of new characters when Ben goes to his grandmother's birthday bash week. I adored the community that Kae expands on in this story. Ben's got a lot of emotional issues that he working through in this book. Adam surprised me with his insight and his steadfast energy throughout this book. It was a little heavier than I expected it to be but I really appreciate Kae addressing a lot of heavy topics in this book. I think it's important to see these characters grow and evolve in the stories we love because it inspires growth and changes in our own lives.

I also LOVE Morgan and Rachel in this book! I was positively smitten with those two and they just make my heart so happy.

Courtney Kae has done a great job of weaving humor and heavy through this story making it very relevant but also an enjoyable read. If you're looking for a sweet, funny summer m/m romance, I would highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley, Courntey Kae & Kensington Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really, really enjoyed this book! I had quite a few issues with the first in the Fern Falls series so I wasn't totally sure how this one was going to be (for me - I know there was a ton of love out there for the debut), but I definitely loved this one! My issues with the first were that the characters and their disagreement/reaction were written extremely immature (characters, conflict and resolution, and the whole situation were all so immature and not realistic), but this one felt like it was written by a different and more mature author. Kae's writing style improved immensely between releases!

I loved all of the characters, I totally loved G-Ma, the party atmosphere, and the bringing in of the characters from the previous book. I loved the friends to lovers LGBTQ aspect, and the parental dynamic that Ben is able to work through, and how he and Adam grow closer together, and he knows he's not alone anymore when he and Adam are finally able to sort through feelings from the past, and look back at previous interactions in a different light, as they handle Ben's Grandma's 80th birthday celebrations - over a 2 week period. Very swoon-worthy, and perfectly steamy!

It's a great story, growing up and growing together, letting go of toxic relationships and growing into new ones. A definite recommendation and makes me appreciate giving author's a second chance when you're not totally sold on the first book you read from them (and how much improvement you can find between a debut and sophomore release)!

I received an advance copy from NetGalley and Kensington Books, and this is my honest feedback.

"In the Case of Heartbreak" is the second in a series, but follows the point of view of a different character and works as a stand-alone. I never read the first book, but I was absolutely sold on the premise of a romance between a cinnamon roll baker (literally, he is a baker who is famous for his cinnamon roll recipe) and his childhood best friend.

Unfortunately, I didn't love this book as much as I hoped I would. I wasn't fully vibing with the writing, I think, and found the pacing a bit off. The love interest didn't start to feel fleshed out until a third of the way into the book, and then the romance seemed to happen very suddenly. I also found the writing to be overly descriptive for my taste and I was skipping over full paragraphs that detailed the setting or reiterated emotions/motivations that were already explained. And while I loved the level of communication between Adam and Ben, I couldn't help but think: "Why didn't y'all communicate sooner?"

That being said, I thought the conflict and themes were strong. I liked how it explored parental relationships and the lasting effects of trauma. And the story felt unique, even while featuring familiar tropes. There is a cast of interesting characters (G-ma is an icon, in particular) and I was invested in seeing how everything turned out. I also loved how queernormative the world was, even though it was a contemporary novel.

While this book wasn't totally for me, I would recommend it for those after a cozy yet heartfelt queer story.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for providing an advanced copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

thank you to netgalley and kensington books for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for my thoughts <3

in the event of love follows ben parrish, a small town cafe owner with a cinnamon roll recipe that has rocketed him to the top of a baking competition. when the baking competition producers for ben and his long time crush adam into sharing their feelings on live tv, things don’t go quite as expected. ben packs up his car and drives down the coast to spend two weeks at his g-ma’s side for her extravagant birthday celebrations. he’s going to nurse his broken heart and get everything together for the show in the seaside town of maywell bay; except, the world has other plans because adam is the guitarist for the band his g-ma hired for the parties. two weeks of close quarters in the beachside cottage they are both staying in quickly lead to confessions. but will their confessions stand when the two weeks are up?

courtney kae writes the sweetest most swoon worthy heroes and the most honest anxiety rep in her mcs. i loved the soft nature of ben and adam’s friends to lovers romance. adam was constantly reminding ben how much he is loved. i truly believe that they were meant to be together after all the pining and waiting for each other these two went through. courtney kae constantly wows me with her small towns and how magical they sound. and like everyone said, you deserve every good and wonderful thing <3

Okay, well this was precious

The MC characters are mega cinnamon rolls and I really appreciated that this book tackled some really important topics, like complicated parental relationships, the development of self-compassion, and the struggle to find our place. I love Courtney Kae and was so glad I got to read the next installment in her Fern Fall series.

But overall, the book didn't quite work for me in a few ways. I felt like even though there was conflict in the book, the way the characters thought and talked with each other already felt emotionally mature -- exaggeratedly so. Like, in an over-the-top way? Not that that wasn't great to read (and refreshing!), but I just wanted to see more of a growth arc in the characters. It didn't feel very...real or believable to be that well-adjusted from the start. HA. (But maybe that's just me.)

Also, Ben and Adam's relationship just felt kind of like, sudden? Ben was pining over Adam for so long, then the friend-zone interview happened, then soon Adam reveals he's been in love with Adam all along? I don't know. It just wasn't quite believable for me. I need more buildup at the outset.

This book is fun to read and very sweet, but I do wish it was more developed in a few ways.

A thank you to Kensington and Netgalley for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. IN THE CASE OF HEARTBREAK is out 7/25!

This book overall was sweet and a light hearted easy read! In the beginning things felt slow and disconnected however, once Adam and Ben started seeing each other and trusting each other, there was a shift in the book.

I love how we see so much healthy communication between the two with boundaries and insecurities in the relationship. Adam and Ben went through similar childhood traumas but what is so interesting to read is how it impacting them so differently.

Like I said, the book was sort of middle of the road. The couple was adorable and I couldn’t stop cheering for them. On the other side though, it felt slow in some cases and I wish we got more with the conflict of Ben and his father.

4.5 out of 5 Stars. I absolutely loved “In the Event of Love” and was so excited when Courtney announced book 2 about Ben and Adam, even though I prefer sapphic romance (just me being a big ol’ lesbian you know 😜). But after meeting Ben and Adam in the first Fern Falls book and seeing the chemistry between them I really wanted to see them get their HEA. This one only starts and ends in Fern Falls and is predominately set in Maywell Bay, CA.

The story is told from Ben’s point of view so we get a lot more of Ben’s story than we do of Adam’s, but we do learn more about his back story, too. This book was lighthearted and fun at times and emotionally intense at other times. There is a lot of mental health rep in this book and I loved how Courtney handled those parts. Ben has a history of family trauma, parental abandonment, emotional abuse/manipulation, and more. And while he still has a long way to go, I love how Courtney highlights his progress and the fact that healing is a journey. And that triggers happen. I’m nearly 10 years out of an emotionally abusive relationship with a partner and I can tell you…healing takes time and is anything but linear. And when you’ve been through something like that, it’s hard to feel worthy of love. To accept love. To let people in.

There were a lot of plot lines running through this book and at times it felt a bit like “A Series of Unfortunate Events” for poor Ben. But in my opinion, all those various plot lines added to the power of the mental health arc in his story and helped paint a picture of why Ben is the way he is.

It was definitely intense at times and I LOATHED Ben’s deadbeat dad, who just kept popping up and infuriating me more and more every time. But it’s interspersed with cheeky humor, bun puns, romance, and a very quirky, eccentric grandma (aka G-Ma) who I absolutely loved (but would also kind of hate to have as a grandma…😳🫣😂).

All in all I really enjoyed this book! I do recommend you read book one first, though.

Also…I’m now craving cinnamon rolls. 🤤

Thanks NetGalley, Kensington Books, and Courtney Kae for the ARC!