The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
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Book Overview:
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore is the third installment in the Dream Harbor Series. True to the series it features a quirky couple discovering love amid the magic of the holiday season.
Kira North despises Christmas and the holiday season but due to her impulsive decision to break from past mistakes and failures and falling back on the comforts of her wealthy family to recover from her mistakes, she’s fled from her hometown in Georgia to the New England area where she’s purchased a farm sight unseen to pursue her homesteading dreams. However, there’s a catch because upon arrival she discovers that she hasn’t bought a regular farm but a Christmas tree farm.
So, she’s struggling to get the farm off the ground create a flourishing business, and prove that she can do this independently without her family’s help or financial assistance.
Enter Bennet Ellis who’s spending the holidays with his sister Jeanie and her fiancé Logan. He’s at a low point in his romantic life due to his helpful nature he’s finding that the women he’s been dating recently just want to use him. This includes his friends-with-benefits arrangement with his ex-girlfriend who only wants him when it’s convenient for her and she’s lonely.
While out walking his dogs he runs into the beautiful Kira and is smitten or would be if she wasn’t so grumpy and standoffish. Through a series of events the town of Dream Harbor assigns him the mission of welcoming Kira to the town and checking in on her he reluctantly agrees. Despite the initial friction, there’s an undeniable current of chemistry that exists between them. And the more time they spend together the closer they become.
Can they put aside their past hurts, disappointments, and fears and find a way to create a love that lasts past the holiday season and into the new year?
Book Review:
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore was so adorable and precious. I had a silly, goofy, romantic time. Additionally, this book delivers the seasonal, holiday vibes that Gilmore is wonderful at creating in her stories. And, the small-town vibes are immaculate. I loved the Christmas tree lighting ceremony and my heart melted when the townspeople showed up to support Kira when she launched her Christmas tree farm.
Aside from the atmosphere and setting the story itself was enjoyable. I’ll admit I didn’t have the same giddy feelings as I did reading The Pumpkin Spice Café which I felt was because of the similarities between the stories since this was another grumpy/sunshine romance between a person local to the town and an outsider. I don’t know it felt eerily similar to me like I’d already read this.
Other than that I loved Kira and Bennett’s romance. They were adorable. I loved how he was able to tear down her walls while still remaining true to himself. And how he gave her space when she needed it. So far I really appreciate how Gilmore writes her couples and doesn’t rely on the miscommunication trope as a way to create conflict. They healthily discuss situations and feelings and I appreciate this so much.
The spice was spice-ing. And I was like good for them! The conclusion was well done. I loved how things came together and wrapped up in the end resulting in a beautiful character arc for both Kira and Bennett where they were able to grow and become better versions of themselves not just for each other but to prosper as individuals.
I’m getting a kick out of this series and looking forward to reading The Cinnamon Bun Book Store and the upcoming 2025 release. Let me know your thoughts about this book if you’ve read it and share in the comments below! Until next time happy reading!!
