the setup…
When Stella Bloom bought the beloved Christmas tree farm that holds cherished childhood memories of times spent there with her late mother, she never envisioned it would become a money pit. Despite her skills and that of her staff, inexplicable disasters now have put her in a financial bind. Desperate to save it, she enters a contest sponsored by social media influencer Evelyn St. James with a $100,000 cash award and free publicity. To increase her chances, she promotes it as a romantic destination that she and her “boyfriend” jointly own. Now, she’s got to convince her best friend Luka Peters to fill the role for a week.
the heart of the story…
I got excited when I saw that this story merges two of my favorite romance tropes…fake boyfriends and friends-to-lovers! What I didn’t expect was how much I loved the friendship between Stella and Luka. It was one of the best aspects of the book so of course that romance was going to work. While Stella was fearful it would end their friendship if it didn’t, Luka had no such misgivings. It was sweet and hilarious how the town embraced their new relationship status. Stella’s got some serious family baggage that gets in her head and it made me want to shake her but that wasn’t too protracted.
the narration…
This was my first experience with the narrator and I liked her characterizations and storytelling, particularly the voice she gave Stella. She drew me in and never let me go.
the bottom line…
I was looking for a palate cleanser between my true crime and thrillers and this surpassed my expectations. I loved Stella and Luka…individually, as best friends and as a a romantic couple. Even though Stella’s angst made me cranky at times, everything else hit all the best marks. The added bonus of well developed secondary characters made this a delightful listening experience and a great start to a series I plan to soon continue.
Book Info
- Release Date: November 10, 2021
- Series: Lovelight #1
- Narrator: Pippa Jayne
- Audio Length: 10 hours, 15 minutes
- Publisher: Dreamscape Media
Sounds like the perfect palate cleanser Jo. Great review!
Thank you, Nicki💜 It did the job!
I loved the synopsis and your review of this book. I hope my library has a copy!
Thank you, Jodie💜 You will love this so I hope your library comes through.
I enjoyed this one too. I read the ebook.
Anne – Books of My Heart
Glad you did, too!
Sounds lovely, Jonetta! If only I liked romance books, but I am such a grump! 🙂
Thank you, Marialyce💜 You would love the friendship but, no, the romance would have made you grumpy😏
Angst makes me cranky too 😁. This does sound like a lovely story – a perfect palate cleanser. Excellent review!
Thank you, Tessa💜 It was lovely.
Great review! I really enjoyed this one too. 🙂
Thank you, Julie💜 Glad you feel the same way. I never expected to like it so much.
Definitely going to start referring to books as palate cleansers 😂
Go for it! It just perfectly describes what happens, Sarah💜
Wonderful review, Jo. I listened to this one earlier this year and loved it as well. I need to get to the next two soon. You’re right they make a great palate cleanser.
Thanks, Carla💜 It was a lovely surprise.