Lovelight Farms

Mixed Signals | Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
Layla is done with love. Perhaps Caleb is her solution. He offers her a month of no-strings dating. He’ll prove to her that good men exist, and she’ll rate his romantic abilities. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. But the longer their relationship goes on, the harder it becomes to remember that it’s not a real relationship, especially when it feels so real.
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My Rating

I wasn’t sure if I’d like this book or not. It’s the third book in the Lovelight Farms series, but each book is a standalone romance novel. Same town, different couples, but all linked to the Christmas farm. Book one was meh, but I continued on with the series, hoping it would get better.

This book’s about Layla, who runs the bakery at Lovelight Farms. She’s a hopeless romantic, but unlucky in love. Despite her usual aversion to dating locals, she accepts a date with Caleb, an ex-deputy turned Spanish teacher. However, their dating period is limited to one month to discover why they remain single.

I’m a sucker for fake dating or dating-help plots, so this storyline thrilled me. I thoroughly enjoyed most of the book, finding its story charming and funny. Their dates were entertaining, and the story was just the right speed to keep me interested.

“Why are you giving these guys your time? Why are you settling for crumbs when you deserve the whole damn cake?”

Caleb is a great guy, really kind, and it’s obvious he’s crazy about Layla. I even liked his big, kinda nosy family. Despite Layla not being my favorite character, I had no major issues with her until roughly 75% of the way through the story. That’s when the book went downhill for me.

I won’t go on and on, but to sum it up, Layla was a total hypocrite. This dating arrangement began because she wanted an actual relationship, but her behavior at the end was extremely frustrating. I appreciated how she admitted her actions didn’t line up with her words, though.

Overall, the last few chapters were really annoying. The urge to fling my phone across the room was overwhelming. Maybe I’m making a big deal out of nothing, since some readers might enjoy the story. However, it bothers me when characters’ actions contradict their words because of fear or miscommunication. That might work in YA books, but adult romances need more maturity. That said, your feelings towards the ending might be more positive.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read any books from the Lovelight Farms series. For my unfiltered thoughts on “Lovelight Farms“ and “In The Weed“ (the first two books), check out my reviews! Remember to like and share this post to help it reach more readers. Hit that follow button to stay updated and support my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

In The Weeds | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Beckett Porter can’t get Evelyn St. James out of his head, so her sudden appearance on his farm is quite a shock. He finds her charming, oblivious to her social media stardom. However, her second departure motivates him to move on. Complications arise when Evie goes offline at Lovelight Farms. Making the pair ponder if fate brought them back together.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Xx2xWf

My Rating

This is the second book in the Lovelight Farms adult romance series. Although part of a series, this book works perfectly well as a standalone novel. Still, reading the books in order helps you get to know the characters better. Each book is set in the same small town, focusing on a Christmas tree farm. This time around, we’re following grumpy farmer Beckett and serious social media influencer Evie.

We learned in the first book that the two characters had a passionate one-night stand. This makes the story a second-chance romance, a trope I usually find disappointing more than satisfying. This story stands out because the characters, unlike the typical grumpy-sunshine trope, are both reserved and serious.

I loved both Evie and Beckett, and their chemistry was evident from the beginning, which made me root for them. Seeing other characters from the first book was also fun. Some of the side characters were kinda annoying though, which made the book less enjoyable.

“I can’t stop picturing her in places that I am.”

As I mentioned, I really don’t like second-chance romances, and this book didn’t change that. The plot could’ve been more exciting, it was just okay. Plus, I’m not crazy about stories with influencers. Despite that, I’m still fond of the Christmas tree farm setting and the small-town feel.

I loved watching them both grow throughout the book, individually and together. But, the third act’s conflict was a real weak point in the book. To my disappointment, this book featured the clichéd miscommunication breakup trope. Their whole character development and relationship got thrown out the window, it seemed. I hope that wasn’t a spoiler, but it kinda ruined the plot for me, so I had to mention it.

Overall, I much preferred this book to the first. It was more enjoyable, so I will continue reading the series. Just a heads up, this book has some open door romance scenes. I’d give it a three out of five on the spice scale. You might not like it if you only read clean romances, but there aren’t many explicit scenes, and you can skip them without missing much of the plot.

Comment below and let me know what books from this series you’ve read. And do you like books featuring influencer characters? Check back often for more book reviews and updates, or follow the blog to stay informed.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Lovelight Farms | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Stella Bloom enters a contest with influencer Evelyn St. James to save her struggling Christmas tree farm, hoping the publicity and $100,000 prize will solve its financial troubles. The catch? She lied, claiming to own the farm with her boyfriend—who doesn’t exist. Enter her best friend, Luka, who steps in as her fake boyfriend, turning their holiday charade into something unexpectedly real.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3CO7MsQ

My Rating

I’m not gonna lie—at first, I really hated this book. I even put it down for a while, thinking I was going to have to DNF it. But I will say, one thing this book has going for it—even though I didn’t love it—is that it’s a fairly quick read, and the plot moves at a decent pace.

This is a friends-to-lovers, fake-dating story. Our main character owns a failing Christmas tree farm and enlists her best friend, Luka, to pretend to be her boyfriend while a social media influencer visits the farm. It has small-town vibes and is definitely a slow burn.

However, the writing was super cringey. Some of the things the characters said—especially our female protagonist, Stella—were just plain cheesy. People don’t actually talk like that, at least not in my experience. On top of that, Stella and Luka gave off serious teenager vibes. They acted like they were in high school, even though they were supposed to be in their late 20s or early 30s.

“I guess I thought owning a Christmas tree farm would be romantic.”

Maybe it’s just where I am in life now, being in my early 30s, but I don’t want to read an adult romance where the characters feel like teenagers. I might as well pick up a young adult contemporary instead. Stella overthought everything, even when Luka clearly told her what he wanted, and it was so frustrating.

The whole story felt unrealistic and overly dramatic. The ending conflict, which boiled down to denial and miscommunication, was resolved within a single chapter. What’s the point of a big blow-up if it’s going to be fixed immediately? It came off as lazy writing to me, but that’s just my opinion.

Overall, you can probably tell this book wasn’t for me. The characters were immature, the small-town setting was very stereotypical, and I wasn’t a fan of Luka’s jealous streak. I also don’t enjoy slow-burn romances, and the intimate scenes here were pretty basic. That said, it’s an easy read, and the Christmas tree farm setting does give it some holiday charm. If you’re looking for a light festive romance, it might work for you.

In the comments, let me know if you think it would be fun to own a Christmas tree farm. Don’t forget to follow the blog and like this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny