Title:

In the Event of Love

Author:

Courtney Kae

Release Date:

August 30, 2022

Format:

E-Book

Genre:

Romance

Sub-Genre:

LGBTQ+, Holiday

Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Read-A-Likes:

What I Liked:

This book is being marketed as a “Hallmark-esque” romance and it definitely lived up to that description, complete with a small town, quirky characters, and a plot involving a large corporation attempting to take over a small, family owned business.  While the main story focuses on Morgan and Rachel and their relationship, the supporting cast is strong and diverse.  I tend to stay away from second chance romances where the initial relationship took place pre-high school for a few reasons, but the primary one is that a lot of authors seem incapable of writing characters who moved on with their lives after the initial relationship. It’s incredibly unbelievable and takes me right out of the story. Kae was able to avoid this unfortunate trope by giving both Morgan and Rachel lives beyond each other in the years they were apart. Sure they thought of each other, there wouldn’t be a story without that, but the main conflict for them is the dissolution of their friendship and the void they each feel in their lives without the other.  I enjoyed that once they meet up again Kae doesn’t spend too much time dwelling on their past and instead focuses on them repairing the relationship and Morgan’s relationship with the town itself. I also thought Kae spent a good amount of time introducing the characters of Morgan and Rachel so I rooted for them throughout the book; neither of them was a villain so it was easy to want them to work things out. 

I think one of the most important things in a small town romance, ESPECIALLY a holiday themed one, is the town the story takes places in and if the reader would want to live in that town.  And with this story, I found myself wanting to live in Fern Falls, which is a great setup for the rest of the series. If the setting is effective, the reader will want to visit again, no matter who the characters are.  Fern Falls is a place I wouldn’t mind visiting again.

What I Didn’t Like:  I wish this book had been written from both Morgan and Rachel’s perspective. In a second-chance romance, I would have appreciated hearing what Rachel was thinking, especially when we were given information about the past. And I almost hate to say this, but there was almost too much…sweetness?  Every “bad” guy learned their lesson.  I don’t want too much angst in my romances, especially in a Christmas story but everything came together almost too nicely. 

Who Should Read It: This was a very sweet, sapphic Christmas romance so anyone looking for a Hallmark movie in book form but with a pairing other than the typical man/woman will enjoy this. 

Review Wrap-Up: This was a sweet Christmas romance with enough of a story to keep me interested and an entertaining supporting cast of characters. Morgan and Rachel were enjoyable romance heroines and their chemistry was believable. While not perfect, I’m very impressed that this is Courtney Kae’s first book and I’m looking forward to reading her other stories set in Fern Falls.  

*Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review*