azrah786's review against another edition
4.25
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was provided with a digital copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: death of parent, cancer, grief, infidelity, abandonment, alcohol, sexual content
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I’m late to the party but you bet I am now well and truly on the Lovelight bandwagon!!
Lovelight Farms was an absolutely delightful book.
This is a friends to lovers romance where two best friends pretend to be a couple for a competition in order to save a Christmas tree farm. Now friends to lovers is a trope that can be a hit or miss for me but the overall vibe of this book sounded like a fun time and I’m so glad that I gave it a chance because this was definitely a top tier friends to lovers story – I loved Stella and Luka so much!!
Plus the additional fake dating aspect, the small town setting and found family between the main group of friends all came together so well!
**I was provided with a digital copy through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review**
CW: death of parent, cancer, grief, infidelity, abandonment, alcohol, sexual content
--
I’m late to the party but you bet I am now well and truly on the Lovelight bandwagon!!
Lovelight Farms was an absolutely delightful book.
This is a friends to lovers romance where two best friends pretend to be a couple for a competition in order to save a Christmas tree farm. Now friends to lovers is a trope that can be a hit or miss for me but the overall vibe of this book sounded like a fun time and I’m so glad that I gave it a chance because this was definitely a top tier friends to lovers story – I loved Stella and Luka so much!!
Plus the additional fake dating aspect, the small town setting and found family between the main group of friends all came together so well!
“And isn’t it silly, to love the way someone’s things look like next to yours? Little bits and pieces of a life lived in parallel.”
Not only does Borison’s writing easily draw you into the story and these characters’ lives but also the setting. I would move to Inglewild in a heartbeat, it seems like such a wonderful, cosy and homely place, nosy townsfolk aside. I loved that for such a short story you get to not only experience a heart-warming romance blossom between two people who love each other but for it to also happen in a town that is so lived in. Also I’d honestly say this is one of few books where I’ve felt the pacing and the overall length was perfect. It wasn’t too long as to drag the story out and not too short either as to feel like everything was too sudden.
I loved all of the characters. Stella pretty much has the whole town as a support network but the smaller more tight knit group of Beckett, Layla and of course Luka was so wholesome too. How everything played out had a sense of plausibility to it when taking into account the backstories that we are told over the course of the book and the dynamics between the characters. I really loved how threaded through everything was this message of allowing yourself to rely on those around you who care for you, to allow yourself to lean on the shoulders they put out for you.
“Leaning on other people doesn't make your achievements any less yours, La La."
Stella herself was a great character, somewhat relatable somewhat annoying in how much she second guesses everything but Borison wove her story together beautifully. It’s one packed full of emotion and will surely touch your heart too.
Coming backs to the romance side of things though, Stella and Luka were so perfect together. You can expect great banter alongside beautifully tender moments and a dash of spice but also those classic, messy moments that will have you facepalming. For the most part it’s that frustration that these two idiots are so obviously in love with each other to the point the whole town ships them but they just want to keep playing out their little game.
Anyways everything about this book had me smiling and feeling like that heart face emoji and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in the series!
Final Rating – 4.25/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Infidelity
Minor: Cancer and Terminal illness
itsmeyseniab's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent and Abandonment
Minor: Terminal illness and Infidelity
marcelas_'s review
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment and Terminal illness
decklededgess's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
trigger warnings: sexual content, anxiety, death of parent, grief, theft, harassment, alcohol
Friends to lovers has always and probably will always be my favourite trope and it's because I find books like these. The level of tenderness, care, understated love and affection, and all that ushy gushy nonsense that is infused in every page of this book is what I LIVE for in romances.
Stella and Luka have ten years of history of being friends, supporting each other, and everyone around them knows that they're in love with each other except these two buffoons refuse to see it. Idiots to lovers at it's finest. The catalyst for their romance is Stella lying about having a boyfriend on her application to have her Christmas tree farm featured on a small business influencer's page. So she asks Luka to step in so she doesn't have to come clean about lying.
Now this book is limited to just Stella's POV and you'd think that what we get is Stella pining while Luka is proceeding in business as usual best friends fashion. OH NO. NOOOOOOO. What we get is Stella missing neon light billboard sized signs that Luka is as gone for her as she is for him, maybe more. It's not even frustrating, it's just funny. The slow reveal of their history and significant moments alongside their current timeline of time spent together rife with tension was done so perfectly. All their significant moments layer together so perfectly.
The introduction to the small town in which Lovelight Farms is situated was also so incredibly done. You'd think that spending time on building a small town community worth caring about would take from the time dedicated to the romance but nope. It's all just perfect. You're invested in the town so early that it's easy to tell exactly who is up next for a romance in this series. I know it won't go on forever but my god do I want every single fool in this town to have a love story written. It's just so soft.
Friends to lovers has always and probably will always be my favourite trope and it's because I find books like these. The level of tenderness, care, understated love and affection, and all that ushy gushy nonsense that is infused in every page of this book is what I LIVE for in romances.
Stella and Luka have ten years of history of being friends, supporting each other, and everyone around them knows that they're in love with each other except these two buffoons refuse to see it. Idiots to lovers at it's finest. The catalyst for their romance is Stella lying about having a boyfriend on her application to have her Christmas tree farm featured on a small business influencer's page. So she asks Luka to step in so she doesn't have to come clean about lying.
Now this book is limited to just Stella's POV and you'd think that what we get is Stella pining while Luka is proceeding in business as usual best friends fashion. OH NO. NOOOOOOO. What we get is Stella missing neon light billboard sized signs that Luka is as gone for her as she is for him, maybe more. It's not even frustrating, it's just funny. The slow reveal of their history and significant moments alongside their current timeline of time spent together rife with tension was done so perfectly. All their significant moments layer together so perfectly.
The introduction to the small town in which Lovelight Farms is situated was also so incredibly done. You'd think that spending time on building a small town community worth caring about would take from the time dedicated to the romance but nope. It's all just perfect. You're invested in the town so early that it's easy to tell exactly who is up next for a romance in this series. I know it won't go on forever but my god do I want every single fool in this town to have a love story written. It's just so soft.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Terminal illness, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Grief
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