The Christmas Tree Farm Book Review
Check out my review of The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore, a return to the sweet small town of Dream Harbor for a snowy winter romance.
The timing of the release of The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore was sheer brilliance.
Having just finished the first two books of the series, The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, I was ready to jump right back into the Dream Harbor series in November for a Christmas romance with my new book friends.
Curious if this book is for you? Check out my full review below.
Is This a Stand-Alone Book?
It is always tricky to decide if a book within a series can be read on it’s own or if you need to read the previous books first.
In the case of the Dream Harbor series, each book that has been published so far can be read as a stand-alone and enjoyed out of order if you want.
However, the first book definitely sets up some recurring characters that make cameos in the following books. You’ll enjoy these side characters more if you’ve been introduced to them.
If you want to read them in order, this is the route you should take:
Summary of The Christmas Tree Farm
Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.
Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.
But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira’s farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they’ll remember forever…
What I Liked
Here’s what I would tell my best friend about the book:
- Better Than the First!: I enjoyed The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, I LOVED The Cinnamon Bun Book Store, this one fell right between those two for me.
- Cozy Winter Holiday Vibes: This is definitely a romantic mood setting book for the holiday season. It almost demands to be read while sitting in the dark by your Christmas tree with a cup of cocoa.
- The Christmas Scene: Without spoilers, the scene on Christmas Day made my heart swell. Found family and joyful moments abound.
- Snowed In: Forced proximity in a old farmhouse during a winter storm?? Yes, please.
- Grumpy Sunshine Trope: In this case, she’s the grinchy grump and he’s Mr. Sunshine.
What I Didn’t Like
Every reader needs something different from a book. What I may not have preferred may be your favorite part.
I had a harder time getting into this book than The Cinnamon Bun Book Store but I did like it better than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. The beginning was a slow start vs. an attention grabber but once it got going I enjoyed it.
How Spicy Is It?
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️: The Christmas Tree Farm rates a Level 4 on my spicy books rating scale. I debated between Level 3 and Level 4 but decided to go with the higher rating because I thought this book was more spicy than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe and readers should know what to expect.
The spicy scenes support the story. They are not the entire point of the book but are a predominant plot point.
Overall Score
⭐⭐⭐⭐
I give The Christmas Tree Farm 4 stars. It was the perfect escape during the stressful and busy holiday season when my attention tends to wander to my super-long to-do list. It kept me motivated to take breaks to read.
I recommend reading it in November or December. It would be a fantastic option for a seasonal holiday romance read.
If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, you may want to check out how I score my reads with this scale guide here.
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