Sophie Reads YA: B.K. Borison

ARC Review: Business Casual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison

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Business Casual
Series: Lovelight #4
Author: B.K. Borison
Published July 16th 2024 by Berkley

Goodreads Synopsis
Two opposites will find out if one night together is enough to get each other out of their systems in the final book in the beloved Lovelight series.

Nova Porter isn’t looking for love, and she certainly has no explanation for her attraction to buttoned-up, three-piece-suit-wearing investment banker Charlie Milford. Maybe it’s his charm? Or maybe it’s his determination to help her fledgling business however he can. Either way, she’s distracted every time he’s around. With her new tattoo studio set to open in her hometown of Inglewild, she doesn’t have time for frivolous flirtations.

In an effort to get Charlie out of her system once and for all, Nova offers a proposition. One night. No strings. They’ll kick their uncomfortable attraction to the curb and return to their respective responsibilities. But their explosive night together scatters their expectations like fallen leaves. And with Charlie in town as the temporary head of Lovelight Farms, Nova can’t quite avoid him.

And Charlie? Well, Charlie knows a good investment when he sees one. He’s hoping he can convince Nova he’s worth some of her time.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

Nova Porter has always dreamed of opening a tattoo studio in her hometown of Inglewild, and her dream is about to become reality. She has no plans to jeopardise her future by doing something as silly as falling in love, but she can't help but be drawn to Charlie Milford. Charlie's in town for the time being to take charge of Lovelight Farms, so it's not as if Nova can keep away from him. So, she plans to get him out of her system, once and for all. But we all know that's never worked.

I honestly thought this series was a trilogy, so when I saw there was a fourth and final book, I was so happy! Nova and Charlie, honestly, were my favourite couple. They were made for each other even more than the previous couples, and their communication was second to none. Charlie was Beckett's best friend, so falling in love with Beckett's baby sister was not something he did lightly. The Porter family were so warm and welcoming, that Charlie didn't know how to react, being from a completely different type of family. Seeing him come into his own, away from his father's patronising control, was perfect. It allowed him to be the best person he could be, and for him to be open to accepting love. He and Nova had such a connection, stemming from their friendship, that they were made for each other. This was the best ending to the Lovelight series I could have ever asked for, and I'm gutted it's over. I'm looking forward to what the author comes up with next!

Dates Read:
September 27-29, 2023

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: Mixed Signals (Lovelight #3) by B.K. Borison

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Mixed Signals
Series: Lovelight #3
Author: B.K. Borison
Published August 30th 2022 by Berkley

Goodreads Synopsis
Layla Dupree has given up on love.

She’s waded through all of the fish in the sea, each one more disappointing than the last. Apparently owning the bakery at Inglewild’s most romantic destination does not help one’s love life—despite her best efforts. All she wants is a partner who gives her butterflies, not someone who ghosts her at dinner and leaves her with the check.

Good thing Caleb Alvarez has the perfect solution.

After saving Layla from another date gone bad, he has a simple proposition: One month of no-strings dating. He’ll do his best to renew her faith in men while she rates his dating game. It’s a win-win situation. All the benefits of dating, without the added pressure of feelings and unmet expectations.

But there’s one ingredient they haven’t considered. The chemistry between them is red hot and the urge to take things to the next level is more tempting than Layla’s double fudge mocha brownies.

Will the heat between them boil over? Or will it be another case of mixed signals?

Mixed Signals is a sweet and steamy small-town romance. Our story features a bashful man who can rock a Hawaiian shirt, a hopeful and dreamy bakery owner, enough sweets to give you a cavity, and your favorite Inglewild residents. Mixed Signals is a standalone romance and the third book in the Lovelight series, a collection of interconnected novels.
Goodreads

Review
Layla Dupree might be the owner and baker at Inglewild's most romantic bakery, but she's never had any luck herself in romance. After being ghosted one too many times, she's decides to swear off dating once and for all. But handsome deputy turned teacher, Caleb Alvarez has other plans. He's been visiting the bakery every day, ordering the same croissant and coffee, trying to come to terms with the biggest crush he's ever had. He doesn't like the idea of Layla giving up on romance, and has a proposition - go out with him for a month, no strings attached. It's win-win, he can learn what he's been doing wrong, and she can restore her faith in romance. The only issue, they can't stop thinking about each other, and soon want to have all the strings attached.

Yet another great addition to this series. Layla and Caleb had always been interesting side characters, and I'm so happy we get to see Layla have a happy ending after all this time. I adore fake dating romances, and this book did it so well. They were quite open and honest with why they were 'dating' each other, so that they could critique and learn from each other. I mean, it was obvious that it would all go wrong, and they would fall head other heels for each other, but the journey there was oh so good! The only negative I have is that there was a moment when it all nearly went wrong, but it turned out well in the end, and was all worth it!

Dates Read:
March 4-5 2024

Rating
5 Stars

5 Stars

Review: In the Weeds (Lovelight #2) by B.K. Borison

10:00

In the Weeds
Series: Lovelight #2
Author: B.K. Borison
Published April 18th 2022 by Berkley

Goodreads Synopsis
Evelyn St. James isn’t the kind of woman you forget.

Beckett Porter certainly hasn’t. One incredible weekend in Maine, and he’s officially a man distracted. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh. Her hand pressed flat against his chest. Her smiling mouth at his neck.

Also, her eyes. And her legs.

So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is … confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on.

But Evelyn St. James has a problem.

Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, she’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild.

It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with.

Nothing at all.

In The Weeds is a sweet and steamy second-chance romance about finding your happiness. It features a grumpy farmer, a no-nonsense social media influencer, a small town of busybodies, and four very cute kittens. In The Weeds is a standalone romance and is part of the Lovelight series.
Goodreads

Review
After an amazing weekend together, neither Evelyn St. James nor Beckett Porter expected to see each other ever again. So when Evie rocks up to Lovelight Farm for some sort of social media competition, the farm manager, Beckett, thinks he must be seeing things. He's grumpy and reclusive, but with Evie, he's different. And he's not about to let her go again.

I simply adored Lovelight Farms when I read it way back when, and I couldn't stop wondering what the backstory was between Evie and Beckett, because every time they were on page together in book 1, it was clear they had a strong connection, and neither was telling the truth. Because of how introverted Beckett was in the first book, seeing him so outgoing when he met Evie for the first time in Maine made it clear that she was special, and someone worth holding on to. The fact that when Evie was in Inglewild for the competition with Stella Luka, she had to stay at Beckett's cottage because there was no room at the inn, and they were constantly in each other's space, was perfection. It showed just how well they were together, with Evie just slotting in like the space was made for her, becoming really good friends with Beckett's loved ones too. The romance between them was hot and heavy, but full of real love and care. This was the perfect story for them both.

Dates Read:
March 3, 2024

Rating
5 Stars

B.K. Borison

Waiting On Wednesday: Business Casual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison

10:00

2023 New Release challenge

ARC Review: Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1) by B.K. Borison

10:00

Lovelight Farms
Series: Lovelight #1
Author: B.K. Borison
Published June 6th 2023 by Berkley

Goodreads Synopsis
Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.

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.
Goodreads

Review
I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. This in no way impacted on my view.

After buying a Christmas tree farm, Stella Bloom discovered that it isn't quite the winter wonderland she expected it would be. Instead she faces dead trees, raccoons running amok, and shipments going missing just when she needs them. The money is running out, and she needs a miracle to survive the season. In a last ditch attempt to save the farm, she enters a competition with influencer Evelyn St. James. If she wins, it comes with a $100,000 cash prize, as well as the added publicity which might just tide Stella over into another year. However, she told Evelyn she bought the farm with her boyfriend, and she's been decidedly single for years now. Can she ask her best friend Luka to be her fake 'boyfriend', when she's had a crush on him from the beginning?

I was drawn to this book by its cover initially, but as soon as I started it, I was hooked. Stella was a wonderful heroine, and I felt for her so much. Because of her past, she had always wanted some place to call her own, and Lovelight Farms had always been a dream of hers. Unfortunately, it had recently become a bit of a nightmare, and though she worked with her friends, Layla and Beckett, she kept the truth of how bad it was getting from them, and from best friend Luka. She hated having to rely on others, or ask for help, and she was embarrassed that she had been able to do it all herself. Asking Luka to be her fake boyfriend was one thing, but opening up about how bad it all was, even asking him to come to the weird 'thanksgiving' her father hosts each year, it was too much for her feelings to cope with. I loved the way we saw the romance between Stella and Luka come to fruition, as well as how their friendship developed into what it was. They had missed out on so much by keeping their true feelings from each other, though they had been sending messages to each other throughout - the air fresheners were a stroke of genius! I had such a grin on my face while reading this book, and I couldn't be happier than where Luka and Stella's romance was by the end of the book. Hopefully we see them again in the sequels, which I'm dying to get me hands on! A fantastic start to what is set to be a great series!

Dates Read:
May 3-5, 2023

Rating
4 Stars