Sunday, October 30, 2022

Book Review: Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison


GOODREADS SUMMARY:

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, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she 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 the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only … there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.

TEE'S THOUGHTS:

Bring on the holiday reads!

This book had several pluses telling me to read it...

* Christmas Story
I love Christmas stories, it doesn't matter the genre...Thriller/Murder...make it happen on Christmas....Romance... want snow, hot cocoa and a
 Hallmark movie feel

* Friends to Lovers
One of my favorite tropes and my own marriage is proof that it can happen

* Fake Dating
The only thing I like better than friends hooking up is people faking it...I love the bits of tension it can add to the story

B.K. Borison didn't fail me on any of the above with Lovelight Farms. 

Stella Bloom has a struggling Christmas tree farm that she is trying to save by entering a contest. She wants her farm to appear romantic so she enlists Luka Peters, her long-time best friend to pose as her long-time boyfriend and business partner.

I really enjoyed Stella and Luca, both were enjoyable to read about and so darn cute together. Stella's long-time ( I feel like I am using this word ALOT ) crush on Luca, makes some cute and funny reading.

The story is a bit of a slow-burn romance, mostly because neither Stella nor Luca seems to think the other isn't capable of actually liking the other, along with the fact that each of them might be a bit worried about how this will affect their friendship.

But OH BOY is there chemistry between these two. I guess each had years of it building that tension up. The author gives us some pretty steamy " fake " makeout sessions, that might make some of you blush.

I also really enjoyed the secondary characters of Layla and Beckett, especially Beckett with his grumpiness. Since Lovelight Farms is the first in a new series, I am hoping Borison will focus the next book on the two of them, they definitely have an interesting story.

Seriously y'all, Lovelight Farms is cute, funny, heartwarming, and sexy, so if you are a fan of Christmas Romances this one will have you smiling.



Thursday, October 20, 2022

Miami Book Fair 2022 Most Anticipated!

It's that time of the year again! The Miami Book Fair will be here in just a few weeks, and I couldn't be more excited. My friends and I are already planning out our schedules, because, yes, we are those people. Anyway, I thought as I'm putting together my list that I could share with you some of my most anticipated. 

First, here's the general info about the Fair: 

What- 39th Miami Book Fair 2022
When - Sunday- Sunday, Nov. 13-20, 2022 (Evenings With Nov. 13-18; Weekend Street Fair and Author Conversations Fri-Sun, Nov. 18-20)
Where - Miami Dade College, Wolfson Campus, downtown Miami
Parking -  Free parking at Building 7 Garage, located between NE 1 & 2 Avenues, and between 5 & 6th Street
Access to Metro Rail, and Metro Mover
Tickets   - $8 for general admission//adults; $5 for 13-18 & seniors 62+, FREE for those 12 and under 

And now onto the list! My good friend Aurora Dominguez is moderating this panel, which I think will be awesome:

“I Will Survive: Deadly Curses, Deadly Games”: Melissa Albert, Alex Aster, S. Isabelle


  

Melissa Albert‘s Our Crooked Hearts reveals a string of increasingly eerie events surrounding a girl and her enigmatic mother, forcing her to question if she’s going to escape the supernatural forces that have come back to haunt them both. In Lightlark by Alex Aster, an island appears every 100 years to host a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play, offering one final chance to break centurieslong curses…even as love complicates everything. In The Witchery by S. Isabelle, humans and witches must work together to survive the yearly onslaught of Wolves, even as old dangers lie in wait. Moderated by writer and educator Aurora DominguezGrades 9-12


Then there's this one -- I just finished Be Dazzled by Ryan and I adored it! I'm also currently reading Here to Stay by Sara Farizan and really enjoying it.


“Disturbia”: Sara Farizan, Lamar Giles, Tiffany D. Jackson & Ryan La Sala


In 
Sara Farizan‘s Dead Flipit’s 1992, and two 17-year-old ex-best friends must solve the mystery of their third friend’s disappearance when he returns – and he’s still 12 years old. The Getaway by Lamar Giles follows Jay and his crew, employees trapped in a theme park that turns out to be an end-of-the-world oasis for the world’s richest and most powerful families – how far will they go to find out the truth and save themselves? Tiffany D. Jackson tackles America’s history and legacy of racism in The Weight of Bloodin which a Georgia high school hosts its first integrated prom, and not everyone survives the night. And in Ryan La Sala‘s The HoneysMars attends a prestigious summer retreat in place of his dead twin, only to discover something is hunting him, toying with his mind, and if he can’t find it soon, it will eat him alive. Moderating is Dr. Precious Symonette, M-DCPS educator and CEO of the Florida Freedom Writers Foundation. Grades 9 – 12


I read We Were Liars close to 10 years ago, and I still remember the feeling I had when I read the ending. That twist had me shook! I'm excited to hear E. Lockhart speak about it and her new one set in that world, Family of Liars.

E. Lockhart on Family of Liars: The Prequel to We Were Liars: Young Adult Fiction


Family of Liars: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart is the story of another summer, another generation – and the secrets that will haunt them for decades to come. A windswept private island off the coast of Massachusetts. A hungry ocean, churning with secrets and sorrow. A fiery, addicted heiress. An irresistible, unpredictable boy. A summer of unforgivable betrayal and terrible mistakes. Welcome back to the Sinclair family. They were always liars.  Grades 9-12

These are just a few of some of the great panels. I can't wait! Will I see you there?