I didn’t expect to enjoy *Christmas Tree Farm* as much as I did, but it turned out to be the perfect dose of joy and holiday spirit to wrap up the month.

The story follows Kira, who finds herself on her own for the first time after using her trust fund to purchase a farm. Her dreams for the farm are big, but first, she has to survive the Christmas season—and sell trees from the farm to keep her plans afloat.

Enter Ben, living in California no real intention of sticking around to help (just visiting his sister). But as Kira struggles (though she’d never admit it), Ben can’t help but lend a hand—even if his return to California keeps calling.

The story is undeniably cute, though it doesn’t dive too deep. That said, I went into it knowing this would be a light, quick read, and it delivered exactly what I hoped for. Sometimes, there’s something so comforting about a simple, heartwarming story, and I can see why readers are drawn to books like this. It’s the perfect cozy escape.

This small town romance series is such a fun time. It feels so cozy coming back every time I pick up the next book in the series. I enjoyed this one but it is honestly my least favorite of the series.

What I Liked:
1. The setting. The opening of the Christmas tree farm and the way the author described it was so cozy and Christmasy.
2. The appearances of the other couples. It’s fun to continue to see how their lives progress.

What I didn’t Like:
1. The chemistry of the couple. Honestly, it didn’t feel like there was much chemistry between the FMC and MMC. I felt it more toward the end of the book but it felt like purely smut for most of the book.
2. Kira. Kira obviously had a lot going on in her life but she was not grumpy. She was just kind of mean.

Overall, this was a fun read but not one I would read again. I will definitely be continuing to read this series though.

This series hasn't been my most favourite, but at least I did have an enjoyable time reading the first two books. I was quite hyped for this one, because who doesn't love a Christmas romance set in a small town. However, I figured out quite quickly that this book just wouldn't be for me. I did decide to stick with it just in case things might change, and it would prove me wrong. Spoiler alert: it never did that. This book just objectively wasn't good.
Let's start with Kira, because I have the most to say about her. She is written so inconsitantly. It got painful. To start of the book she was supposed to be our grinch like character, but she truly was WAY too mean. I could not stand her. Before you knew it she was dumb, immature, and completely helpless. The next scene she was a cinnamon roll like character, and then in another scene she just is an ex spoiled brat. It's like this author decided upon a completely different personality for Kira every scene. It's not even like, the more time we spend with her, the more of her actual personality comes true, because so many of these things just clash with each other.
Her weird codependancy on her sister was also so strange. For like the first half of this book Kira constantly defines her character based upon her twin sister, keeps complaining about she's just so lost without her and so on. It gave me such a massive ick. I also feel like this part of the storyline could be explained better if her twin had passed away, and this was just Kira's grief talking. However, her twin just got married and moved to Denmark. It didn't work in Kira's favor for me.
Now don't think Ben is devoid of any critism, because he is not. He's the actual definition of a doormat. This is a bit of a part of his storyline, but I truly think that Ben has never made an actual decision in his life. He just goes along with whatever anyone else wants. That is never quite adressed in this book. Instead it's just portrayed as an evil ex who took advantage of his people pleasing ways, and now he has learned that helping people isn't a bad thing as long as people aren't taking advantage of you. That doesn't include the fact that this entire book his actions are completely based on whatever Kira or his sister want him to do. Even by the end of the book he makes a BIG life decision and it just seems like he did it because throoughout the entire book his sister was pushing him in that direction. A true doormat!
Then we get to the romance: insta-love to the most extreme. This entire series has had some underdeveloped romances, but it wasn't bothersome. These two are in love after 1 meeting. Everything moves so quickly, and I never truly got it. There was 0 chemistry or tension between them. It just was so poorly developed. I still can't stand it. They also get together so early on in the book, and I truly did NOT care. The third act break-up was also just extremely stupid, and their reconsilation was rushed as well.
There isn't much of a plot in this book, and so many of the scenes just feel forced. The needed suspension of disbelief was way too high for a Christmas romance like this. On top of that this book is also very insular on our two main characters. We don't really get a whole lot of time with any side characters. It made all my frustrations with the leads even more obvious as I never got a reprieve with the silly towns people. I truly did not like a single aspect of this book because of all of that. It's just such a disapointement to me, but nothing about this book actually made me care.

Laurie Gilmore's writing just keeps getting better and better! My favorite part about this book is that it stayed Christmas themed 110% throughout the entire time. I had to find myself some stroopwaffles because.. YUM! The way it was described in this book had me drooling. If you are a dog lover, you will love this a little more extra because they first meet by Bennett's dogs running a muck and the last chapter was just oh so cute. My least fav was Bennett's ex getting her one and only chapter, she irritated me af and I didn't think there needed to be closure about that. You also get some spice (steamy snow storm 😉 ) and all of the other characters from her previous series!

As someone who already loves Dream Harbour, I was expecting this book to be my favorite published thus far. However, I was sadly disappointed due to the fact that I expected Bennett the MMC to be a gay man based on his appearances in the previous books. Additionally, I felt that Kira the FMC was too privileged to be as prickly as she was. I didn’t find her sad backstory to be very believable. However, since I do appreciate this contribution to the Dream Harbour series. I do plan on finishing out with the next two books once published.

This was such a cute Christmas read. Just like a Hallmark Christmas movie. Exactly what I love in my holiday books! Kira buys a Christmas tree farm but is not a very “cheerful” owner and hates Christmas. Bennett is from California and is visiting Dream Harbor. He meets Kira at her Christmas tree farm! Their first meeting is less than perfect, but after a few chances things heat up. I really enjoyed this one. The characters are adorable and I loved the small town vibes too. It has funny parts and also steamy scenes. A quick, fun and festive read!

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own!

Maybe I've read too many Christmas romances this year? The Christmas Tree Farm didn't hit with me the way I expected. It's grumpy x sunshine + a Christmas tree farm + cute town. I should have loved this. But it just felt a little flat.

I wanted to see more of Kira's evolution. She goes from being a hermit in a ramshackle house to having the farm ready for customers in very short time - and all by herself. We don't see any of those struggles or solutions. How did she find the people she hired? How did she get the hut ready for customers? How long did it take her to string lights and paint signs and decorate an old pick up truck? A little more of The Simple Life would have brought some comedy and made Kira likable sooner.

I did have big feels for those poor old dogs who had to take three cross-country flights in a month.

Thank you to Harper 360 and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. I am required by law to disclose this. #TheChristmasTreeFarm #NetGalley

I enjoyed the small town story and the characters. I wasn’t expecting the bedroom scenes, and felt they did not add to the story. It was overall a good read

Kira and Bennett were the couple of the hour in The Christmas Tree Farm, the third book in the Dream Harbor series. This was a cute book with strong Hallmark movie vibes. It was a great read to get me in the holiday spirit! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Although I enjoyed the Pumpkin Spice Café, I found The Christmas Tree Farm to be somewhat disappointing. I'm grateful for the chance to read the ARC, but this story didn't engage me as much as Pumpkin Spice Café did.

Finally got to this one after missing my Dream Harbor friends for too long! I picked up the first two in this series this year, and could not WAIT to get my hands on The Christmas Tree Farm. This one was just as sweet and cozy as the other two. I'm a little sad to have read through it so quickly as I now have quite a wait ahead before the next! Thanks Netgalley for the gifted copy!!

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Let me start off saying this is the 3rd book set in Dream Harbor, and I have not read the first two books before reading this one. The beautiful thing about these books is they are all standalones, even if they are set in the same world.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked both the FMC and MMC, I liked the Christmas tree farm setting. I liked that Kira was kind of the grump and Bennett was more of the sunshine. There are definitely some on-page steamy scenes. But I think what I liked most of all was these two people finding each other, clicking, and talking things through. Though there is the dreaded third act break up, it makes sense in this one, and it resolves smoothly. If you want holiday vibes, small town vibes, helpful and kind people, dogs, and lots on inner monologue through development and growth, I'd recommend checking this one out. After reading this I'll probably add her other two books to my TBR.

A perfect holiday read, get you favorite fluffy blanket, your hot beverage and snuggle in with this sweet Christmas read!
The FMC Kira hates Christmas and unknowingly buys a Christmas Tree Farm. She's stuck fixing it up to earn money to survive. When she meets out MMC Bennet who is only in town for a short time visiting with Family and getting some work done. He loves to help people too much and she's trying not to need anyone anymore. What a match made in heaven!

3.75⭐️ I enjoyed this book overall. I loved how characters from the previous books actually played a part in the story. The main characters relationship didn’t feel rushed, it felt genuine. I’m excited to read the next book in the series!

To say BookTok made me do it is a totally true statement. Sometimes I feel like fantastic authors, especially new ones are hidden behind all of the other mega famous authors and if it weren't for BookTok, I might have never discovered some cozy seasonal reads like these.
Forever grateful for NetGallery allowing me this early ebook copy in exchange for a review.

This was my least favorite book in the *Dream Harbor* series. I found it a bit dull and had trouble connecting with the characters. The story focuses on two new people who move to town, and I was hoping for a romance involving characters we already know and love, like Annie! Without that familiar dynamic, we lost some of the small-town charm and the community interactions that make these books so special.

The romance between the main characters felt rushed and lacked depth. Their relationship didn’t develop organically, and I couldn’t really buy into their love story—it seemed to happen too quickly without much emotional connection.

There were also mentions of social media and influencers, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. I like to escape into a book, not be reminded of the digital world, so that felt like a distraction.

Overall, while it wasn’t awful, it didn’t fully capture the magic of the other books in the series. It still has that cozy, Hallmark-style holiday vibe, but the pacing and the unlikable FMC, Kira, made it a bit hard to enjoy. The MMC was great, but I struggled to get invested in the romance.

If you’re a fan of the series, it’s still worth reading for a light, seasonal read, but it wasn’t as memorable as the others.

YOWZA! What a great read! I became a Laurie Gilmore fan after reading the first book in this series, but just wait until you read how she does Christmas! This is a must read!

These books make my head hurt, I love cozy holiday books and movies and this one did not work. Felt forced, like the others in the series. Trying to hard to fit into a mold. Others will love them, and have, I did not.

Thank you to NetGalley for the earlier copy of this book. Sorry my review is technically late. I like to read series in order and the second book in the series was ordered for me by my local library, but took over a month to come in. The first book in the series will definitely stay my favorite, but this story was great too. Other readers keep comparing the series to Gilmore Girls, but I don’t see it at all. This book follows Kira, the woman who bought the town Christmas tree farm but hates Christmas. This book gave hallmark vibes. However, it felt very unrealistic. Some would say that is just a romance novel thing, but not to me. This book had a grumpy/sunshine trope and also a one bed trope. While this wasn’t my favorite, I love the idea of Dream Harbor and will most likely continue the series.

Okay the third book was the cutest, in my opinion! Such a fun and super easy read with just the right about of spice. I loved how this book also balanced the friendships of Dream Harbor and wasn’t just about the love story. Such a fun a feel good series and read that is perfect for the holidays!!