Event planner Morgan Ross retreats from a public career disaster to Fern Falls, where Rachel Reed—her former best friend and first love—runs the Christmas tree farm threatened by a corporate development plan. Morgan offers to build the fundraiser that could save the farm, putting the women back inside the same work and community after seven years apart.
This assessment recommends the novel for readers who want a visibly queer Hallmark-style holiday romance with a real prior connection and a town-scale project. The strongest criticism is not about festive atmosphere; it is that Morgan's point of view and the relationship's emotional bridge do not persuade every reader.
A warm, proudly queer Christmas second chance with strong small-town atmosphere and a concrete save-the-farm project, limited by a prickly viewpoint and chemistry some firsthand critics cannot feel.
Provisional Eikna score: 3.5/5. Four core dimensions cover 85% of the quality weight. Ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unscored; heat is excluded. Researched editorial assessment; no firsthand reading claimed. Evidence confidence: moderate.
A numeric heat level has not been established. Read the review’s heat and content discussion for attributed descriptions before choosing. An unknown level is not a closed-door or no-spice promise.
The heat-level guide explains detail and frequency; the glossary entry for spice separates sexual content from quality.
The romantic outcome is not established in this summary. A romance label does not independently confirm an ending. Consult the discussion before choosing if closure is essential.
For the difference between romantic commitment and wider plot closure, compare HEA, HFN and cliffhangers.
Standalone or continuing-series status is not established in this summary. Read the existing format and series guidance for any available context; do not assume a missing series entry means the book stands alone.
The series-order guide explains what to check when a complete romance belongs to a connected world.
| Title | In the Event of Love |
|---|---|
| Author | Courtney Kae |
| Inspected edition | US Kensington paperback · ISBN 9781496738950 · 320 pages |
| Publication scope | Published 2022-08-30 · checked 12 October 2026 |
| ISBN-13 | 9781496738950 |
| Edition page count | 320 pages |
The author or publisher evidence identifies the work. Publication dates refer to the stated edition or release scope, not automatically the first appearance of the story. Unknown identifiers and formats are left open.
The publisher establishes an earlier best-friend bond, first kiss and seven-year separation, so this is a strict second chance rather than a new romance between old acquaintances.
The fundraiser supplies repeated present-day work, letting the reunion face a shared problem instead of surviving on nostalgia alone.
The professional and trade material consistently foregrounds the queer town community, winter setting and bisexual central romance.
The Lesbrary appreciates the range of bisexual characters while wishing more side-character representation received sustained page time.
Rachel's care for the farm and town gives the reunion a visible stake beyond attraction.
Two independent firsthand responses struggle with Morgan's self-focus or with understanding why the old rupture sustained years of longing; readers needing explicit repair should take that seriously.
Supportive trade criticism finds the book playful, warm and well paced, with a convincing homecoming arc.
Dissent describes the structure as trope-forward or generic. Choose it for familiar holiday architecture made queer, not for a reinvention of the small-town Christmas plot.
The publisher and criticism describe on-page adult sexual content and a sweet-and-steamy approach. No numeric heat score, exact scene count or complete timing audit is asserted. Publishers Weekly via PRH. The Lesbrary.
Alcohol and addiction history, difficult parents, public professional scandal, corporate pressure, past abandonment and explicit sex appear in inspected sources. Notes are attributed and non-exhaustive. Publishers Weekly via PRH. The Lesbrary. Courtney Reads Romance.
Best for readers who want bisexual leads, first love, a Christmas tree farm, found family and a town fundraiser. Avoid if corporate-threat plots, parental addiction history, a difficult narrator or chemistry carried more by premise than scene work are poor fits.
Trade reception values the festive community, humor and queer second chance. Independent dissent focuses on Morgan's characterization, a thin emotional bridge and chemistry that can feel asserted. The recommendation therefore depends on wanting the Hallmark framework itself.
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Penguin Random House identifies this as Fern Falls book one of two. The central F/F romance occupies this volume; later series context is not required for the checked premise.
The inspected Amazon product identity matches the stated title and edition. Confirm the selected format before buying; current price and stock are not established.
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The inspected Bookshop.org product is Paperback. Its title, author and ISBN 9781496738950 were checked; current price and stock are not established.
Quality scale: 1 substantial weaknesses; 2 weaknesses outweigh strengths; 3 mixed; 4 strengths outweigh limitations; 5 exceptional sustained strengths. Half points are allowed. Weights: romance 30%, characters 20%, writing 20%, emotional impact 15%, ending satisfaction 10%, reread appeal 5%. A provisional overall score divides the supported weighted sum by its supported weight and rounds once to one decimal. Heat is descriptive and excluded. These scores express the evidence-based judgment explained in this review.
3.5
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
3.5
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
3.5
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
3.5
Provisional dimension score: 3.5/5.
On-page sexual content is reported; calibrated intensity remains unknown.
Unscored; reactions do not establish a work-level ending judgment.
Unscored; enthusiasm does not verify repeat reading.
Event planner Morgan Ross retreats from a public career disaster to Fern Falls, where Rachel Reed—her former best friend and first love—runs the Christmas tree farm threatened by a corporate development plan. Morgan offers to build the fundraiser that could save the farm, putting the women back inside the same work and community after seven years apart.
It is Fern Falls book 1. The central relationship occupies this volume, but recurring characters or series continuity may matter; no stronger standalone guarantee is inferred.
Firsthand critics report on-page sexual content. Eikna does not infer a numeric heat level, scene frequency or timing from another site’s scale.
The facts table uses the US Kensington paperback, ISBN 9781496738950, with 320 pages.
No work-level ending classification is asserted. Ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unscored.
Only the four core quality dimensions are supported. Heat is descriptive and excluded; ending satisfaction and reread appeal remain unknown.
For another F/F reunion tied to event work.
For a more farcical queer Christmas romance.
For first loves reunited through a destination event.
The second-chance guide includes this book among other choices. Compare those options if its premise appeals but a limitation gives you pause. The Sapphic second-chance romance books explains the surrounding reading route and what to check before choosing.
A warm, proudly queer Christmas second chance with strong small-town atmosphere and a concrete save-the-farm project, limited by a prickly viewpoint and chemistry some firsthand critics cannot feel. Best for readers who want bisexual leads, first love, a Christmas tree farm, found family and a town fundraiser. Avoid if corporate-threat plots, parental addiction history, a difficult narrator or chemistry carried more by premise than scene work are poor fits.
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Checked 2026-10-12. The How this assessment was researched preserves attributions and research limits. Unknown details do not establish absence. Purchasing links use our account.
This assessment is also linked from our holiday reading selection. Compare seasonal atmosphere, emotional pressure and gift considerations in the holiday romance and gifts hub.