In the Event of Love by Courtney Kae

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The details…

  • Title: In the Event of Love
  • Author: Courtney Kae
  • Publisher: Kensington Books
  • Publication date: August 30, 2022
  • Available formats: paperback, ebook, audiobook 
  • Z we length: 320 pages
  • Listening length: 10 hours (Tantor Audio)
  • Genre: romance 
  • Themes: love, friendship, returning home, finding happiness, making amends, success at the cost of love

The blurb from the publisher…

Morgan Ross can plan world-class events, but she didn’t plan on returning to the hometown that broke her heart seven years ago—and re-discovering the girl of her dreams . . .

With her career as a Los Angeles event planner imploding after a tabloid blowup, Morgan Ross isn’t headed home for the holidays so much as in strategic retreat. Breathtaking mountain vistas, quirky townsfolk, and charming small businesses aside, her hometown of Fern Falls is built of one heartbreak on top of another . . .

Take her one-time best friend turned crush, Rachel Reed. The memory of their perfect, doomed first kiss is still fresh as new-fallen snow. Way fresher than the freezing mud Morgan ends up sprawled in on her very first day back, only to be hauled out via Rachel’s sexy new lumberjane muscles acquired from running her family tree farm.

When Morgan discovers that the Reeds’ struggling tree farm is the only thing standing between Fern Falls and corporate greed destroying the whole town’s livelihood, she decides she can put heartbreak aside to save the farm by planning her best fundraiser yet. She has all the inspiration for a spectacular event: delicious vanilla lattes, acoustic guitars under majestic pines, a cozy barn surrounded by brilliant stars. But she and Rachel will ABSOLUTELY NOT have a heartwarming holiday happy ending. That would be as unprofessional as it is unlikely. Right?

My thoughts…

This is an adorable story! In the Event of Love is a feel-good contemporary romance set in a small mountain town a few hours outside of Los Angeles. The tight-knit community of Fern Falls is a charming place where everyone knows everyone and has for years. However, the town has fallen on some hard times and Morgan Ross, event planner extraordinaire and Fern Falls native, decides that a gala fundraiser with her big-wig LA company is just what the town needs to bring it back to its former glory. It’s her hope that it will save the town and get her that promotion she’s had her heart set on. 

Readers can’t help but fall in love with the quaint and lovely town of Fern Falls. It’s simple, laid-back and easygoing lifestyle is brimming with appeal. The same goes for its quirky, but diverse residents. They are real and down to earth people that readers can believe in, relate to and root for. They want Morgan to succeed in saving their beloved town. But more than that, they want her to reunite with her first crush, Rachel Reed! 

Though the love affair between Morgan and Rachel remains central to the plot, friends and family add a nice layer to the storytelling. They bridge scenes nicely and unify the storytelling masterfully. These secondary characters give the story arc an interesting dynamic that provides personality and texture. They aren’t just fluff; they add substance to the narrative.

Morgan and Rachel make a lovely couple, but they can stand alone in this sweet tale as well. They have spunk, and readers like them right away. They are honest, loyal and hardworking women with passion for the things they love—and that includes each other. They just need a nudge from their friends for that to become a reality. The romance is worth the buildup though. When things do heat up between them, readers are quickly swept up in the couple’s over-flowing chemistry. Their sensuality and passion hits them in the feels.

Final thoughts…

This is a charming second-chance, returning-to-home romance. The characters are more than likable and completely charming. The story premise is light-hearted and romantic. There are moments, however, that are a bit far-fetched. Fortunately, it doesn’t get in the way of its narrative. It’s fiction. It’s meant to be a Hallmarky, feel-good, happily-ever-after, and on that note, it completely succeeds. 

Strengths…

  • Entertaining 
  • Delightful 
  • Likable, fun characters 
  • Immersive story world 
  • Good romantic chemistry 

A peek inside In the Event of Love…

I cross my arms. “Hi, Christy. What are you having?” I ask, nodding at the bar. 

“A chat with you? Outside?” she replies. 

I glance down the hall to where Rachel is waiting for me. Seriously? Now Christy’s a corporate shark and a cockblock?

“I only have a few minutes,” I snap. 

“I’ll make this fast.” She pushes through the door. 

Tanner eyes me from behind the bar. “You good?” he asks. 

“If I’m not back in ten minutes, send the hounds.” 

He nods. “You got it.” 

Leaving all joyous energy behind, I step through the door into the icy dark. 

I take in the street, the people still cleaning up booths and the stage from the festival, and refuse to meet the stare of the woman beside me. It’s quiet for too long, then Christy finally speaks. “I get what it’s like having others depend on you,” she says, fixing her gaze on the street. “It’s easy to look at Snow Hill and assume that people lost so much. But between the shops, the restaurants, and the resort, we employ over five hundred locals with steady, reliable incomes. Wages they used to hope and pray they’d make in a good season. Now, it’s guaranteed. We give them peace of mind.” 

I take her in. The frown lines on her cheeks, between her brows. She stands rigid, as if fighting the cold. Does she know how much she hurt Dad and me? Did she even care? “Taking away people’s choice is nothing to be proud of, Christy. They have no other option except to work for you. Snow Hill used to be filled with individuality.” I point to the sign across the street, PEAK PERK CAFÉ, and picture the funny one around the back. “Now it’s lost its soul, along with any hope of private businesses thriving. I can’t let that happen here.” 

She turns to me, arms crossed. “So you’re staying, then? You’re moving to Fern Falls permanently, since you’re so committed to it now?” 

Her question gives me whiplash. “What do you mean?” My voice cracks. 

“I mean, you’re fighting so hard for this place to stay the same, so are you going to stay, too?” 

I picture the New York promotion and how much I wanted it. But now there is something—someone—I might want more. That thought makes my limbs shaky, like I’ve come untethered, the future uncertain. “I . . . don’t know.” 

She squints. “That’s because you have vision, Morgan. You want more, like I want to bring more to this town. I’ve seen promise in you since you were young, and you’re lucky you’ve been able to pursue it.” 

Her mention of the past makes me bristle. “You obviously didn’t see enough in me to become a part of my family.” I want to shove the words back in. There’s no reason to bring this up. It won’t do any good. 

Christy flinches. She stares at the trees. “Family is something you and your dad figured out right.” Her tone is softer, introspective. “Mine always felt like a business transaction. You can understand wanting to prove yourself, can’t you?” 

The conversation I shared with Dad today echoes through my mind. The apologies we held in for far too long soothe my heart, beginning to soften the hardened parts. I nod. “Yeah. I can, actually.” 

B“If I close the deal on the Reed Farm, I’ll have finally done that. My father will relinquish the company to me. I’ll be CEO. You can appreciate the value, the satisfaction of success, right? Look at all you’ve done in LA.” Her voice is desperate now, words rushed. 

“That’s not the same,” I snap defensively. 

“No? You don’t make dreams come true like I do in Snow Hill?” 

“Christy, I’m here to protect a dream. To protect people’s livelihoods, the soul of this town. This is more than a fundraiser. This is a fight for Fern Falls.” 

She widens her stance as she faces me. “Well, then. The line is drawn.” 

I cross my arms and hold her gaze. “It is.” 

Christy pulls her gloves on. “I think, Morgan Ann, you’ll find yourself wishing you chose the other side.” 

I square my shoulders. “And I hope you see you’ve been on the wrong one all along.” 

Christy shakes her head and walks off. 

I stare after her until a strong, steady arm wraps around my shoulders. 

“You okay out here?” Rachel asks, voice low and even. 

“I was just about to come in.” 

She pulls me close. “Come in here first.” Her arms hold me, tight and warm, and she kisses me until I forget all about Christy and her threats. There is only right now. With Rachel. It’s almost enough to make tomorrow and all the days to come feel like they’re not closing in. 

Almost.

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A bit about the author…

Courtney Kae is the author of sweet and steamy romance novels that give her bi little heart great joy. She lives in Southern California with her husband, child, and growing hoard of plants. 

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