What's Better Than Fake Dating + Christmas Time

I recently finished reading Lovelight Farms by B. K. Borison. This is book #1 in the Lovelight series.

POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT

  Rating: 4.25/5 stars

"A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received."

I wanted a cute Christmas read, and that is exactly what I got. It wasn't full on Christmas, but that didn't bother me. It gave me all the holiday vibes and feelings that I was looking for. 

Lovelight Farms is the first book in the Lovelight series. It is a small town, fake dating, best friends to lovers romance with banter, many laugh out loud moments, and their sexual tension was everything. It was warm and cozy, giving me feelings of wanting to curl up with a blanket, a fire, and hot cocoa.

Stella Bloom owns Lovelight Farms, a Christmas tree farm in the small town of Inglewild that is struggling. The trees are dying, supply trucks aren't showing up, and she is barely keeping it afloat. She enters a contest that could help save her farm not only financially but also with publicity. There's just one problem when she entered she had lied on the application saying that she owns the farm with her boyfriend, thinking it would be more romantic. Only Stella is very much single and now needs someone to stand in as her fake boyfriend.

That's where her best friend of nearly ten years Luka Peters comes in. He agrees to be her fake boyfriend for five days while the woman holding the contest visits the farm. Will they be able to save the farm? Will they stay friends or develop stronger feelings for one another?

Stella

She is strong and determined and tries not to let things get to her, but it's hard at times when everything around her seems to be falling apart. I enjoyed her, but at times, she frustrated me. She has this humbleness to her, having grown up not having much. The one thing that she has and can call her own is the farm that she has worked so hard for, and to her, it is home. She does have a fear of losing things because she feels that everything she loves ends up leaving her, Luka included, which is why she hasn't told him she's had feelings for him for a while. I wanted to wrap my arms around her so many times between this and the farm. 

Luka

Oh, he is so sweet, thoughtful, and handsome. He had me swooning on many occasions, and I just loved him. He cooks, he cuddles in his sleep, and I adore that when he feels embarrassed that the tips of his ears turn pink. The absolute cutest thing he does is leave tree air freshener for Stella to find every time he visits. He also had feelings that stretched further for Stella than friendship for quite some time. I felt bad for him when he poured his heart out to her and told her how he felt for her and she was so scared of losing him that everything she said came out wrong making him feel like it was one-sided. I just wanted to hold him and never let go. 

Luka and Stella are perfect for one another. They had so much chemistry and didn't realize it for so long. Doing most things that couples do. They had been so close as friends that no one questioned the "new" relationship between them. In fact, some of the townspeople had a betting pool going when they would become a couple. I loved watching their relationship slowly fade into more. The burn slowly built up, but when the sparks finally hit, the spice was hot between them.

Side characters

I loved them both so much! Beckett is so grumpy, but he has a soft spot for cats. If that didn't have me melting, then it was that he has tattoos. Layla is the sweetest soul, and she bakes. When I tell you that everything she baked sounded so good and made me want to taste test all of it. They are not only good friends and a support system for Stella but also a family, and I was here for it.

There was a third-act conflict, but it kind of made sense to me. It was annoying and could have been avoided had there been communication. I'm happy that it was resolved quickly. Besides, the epilogue made up for it. I did see the ending coming, but it was still adorable. And we got a bonus chapter in Luka's POV that was everything! This made me wish Lovelight Farms was real so I could go visit. I can't wait to read the other books in the series as the next book is Beckett's. If you’re looking for something to get you into the holiday spirit, this will definitely do it.

Check out Lovelight Farms, and find out what happens when you combine fake dating and Christmas.

Happy Reading :)