Published: 10 October 2024 (print)/10 October 2024 (audio) 
Publisher: HarperCollins/HarperCollins
Pages: 369/8 hrs and 7 mins
Narrator: Regina Reagan
Format: Audiobook
Genre: Romance
★ ★ – 2 Stars
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…
The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed, perfect to curl up with this winter!
This was the book I initially wanted to pick up as a holiday read last year but then realised it was part of a series. Even though it was unnecessary, I dutifully read them in order, hence the sightly out of season review, but it was interesting to see the story and town develop before I got to this one.
This one can actually be read out of order. There isn’t anything you miss from the others that would impact you understanding or appreciating this book. Being out of town and a relative newcomer there isn’t a lot of town knowledge you miss that Kira isn’t learning herself.
I liked Kira’s rough edges and her misguided choices. The rich girl running away to live a farm life without any knowledge or experience comes back to bite her early on, but her grumbling acceptance of her failings is good to acknowledge.
The connection with Bennet isn’t as saccharine as the previous two romances, as the series goes on Gilmore seems to have reigned in the sickly sweet, but isn’t diverging from the insta connection. Which is fine, that’s what the romances are for.
The fact each of these has a mystery element in it is a stretch. I would not call this a mystery, it’s a barely there subplot that is not enough to be classified as a mystery in the genre sense. This is still predominately a romance. Even the other two didn’t have a strong enough mysterious element I’d call a mystery and it was more than this one.
When I picked these books up I was thinking it would be more mystery with a cosy romance element. Alas, we’re in the full on romance with minor possible afterthought of a mystery. The fact that after I finished this story I couldn’t even think what the mystery was days later without looking it up should be evident enough this is a pure romance.
There also isn’t a lot of Christmas in this book. I’ve seen enough small town Christmas movies I thought it would be this in book form but it’s mainly Kira on her isolated farm and then hooking up with Bennet. There isn’t a lot of anything else going on.
I am trying to widen my reading so I will keep going with the series. The characters are interesting enough that I can handle some intense, explicit romance. I just wish a little more plot would be included and maybe a bit more depth in the characters.
You can purchase The Christmas Tree Farm via the following
Wordery | Blackwell’s | Angus & Robertson
Fishpond | Amazon | Amazon Aust | Audible
When Jeanie’s aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job.
