#I just finished Lovelight farms and loved it
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In The Weeds already has me laughing out loud. I didn’t think I was going to like this because One Night Stand to Second Chance Romance isn’t my cup of tea, but I find myself loving it.
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I need a lovelight pumpkin patch story!! Pumpkin patch, corn maze or maybe just hay bales, piping hot cider. Sophie's apple cider donuts, along with other fall offerings! Romantic apple picking, maybe bobbing for apples? Although that's unsanitary. Whatever strikes your fancy!
You know what? Me too! All the fall feels! While I have a plan for a lovelights au fic that spans all seasons and will touch on the chaotic festivals that happen in Aubrey, here’s a small snippet of the annual corn maze race a year after that planned fic 😉
October 2024
Autumn in Aubrey was perhaps her favorite time of year.
“You say that about every season,” Sophie replied, smiling knowingly as she packed up some freshly made apple cider donuts into a box.
Kate sighed happily. Yeah, that was true.
It didn’t matter what time of year— she loved it here.
The back door of the bakehouse swung open then, revealing Anthony and Benedict holding two large coffee/tea dispensers.
“Ms. Agatha wants these back first thing,” Anthony told them as he and his brother placed the containers on the countertop, ready to be filled with Sophie homemade apple cider (a kid’s version and an adult version.) “And cleaned ‘properly.’”
From the way Anthony’s face was pinched, Kate knew the old woman hadn’t released her containers easily, even though she was joining them tonight.
Sophie must have known it too, by how she rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah.”
It had been two years since Ms. Agatha insulted Sophie for over-mixing her batter, and she had not let it go. A slow, low burning rivalry simmered between the two women and as much as Kate would love for them to reconcile, she could not help but enjoy the by-product of their feud—exceptionally delicious baked goods. Which she was enjoying more than ever, recently.
“Nearly ready?” Ben asked after they ladled the drinks into their containers (Ben probably pouring more liquor than he should in the adult container), and Sophie finished packing the last remaining tray of treats.
“Yep!” Sophie said brightly, gesturing to the eight boxes before her.
“God, Soph. How much did you make?”
Sophie swatted him in the stomach. “Do not judge! Do you know how big your family is? Plus Simon, Mary, Edwina, Ms. Agatha, Michael, John—”
“John isn’t here, he has a game.” Kate informed her, “But I think Eloise brought Penelope with her. And I will happily pick up the slack so there aren't too many leftovers.” She opened a box and pulled out a donut and bit into the sugary goodness and let out a little involuntarily moan. Sophie really was some sort of baking fairy.
“Should we leave you two alone?” Anthony quipped, then dodged Kate’s half-hearted swat in his direction.
“You’re just jealous,” she remarked back, and Anthony merely winked at her as he and Ben filled the drink containers.
“Enough, you two,” Ben interrupted, knowing how far they could take this if left unchecked. “Let’s get going. Everyone’s waiting for us.”
Sophie started to hand her boxes. “Kate, can you carry—?”
“Simon’s coming to help,” Anthony said abruptly, “He can carry them.”
Kate shot her husband a look, but luckily Ben and Sophie did not question him and went on to carry the stuff out of the bakehouse where Simon was approaching, ready to help. They all headed to the field where the rest of their family and friends were waiting. It was late October, and Halloween was approaching. That left only one Bridgerton Family tradition left to do for the fall season— the corn maze. Anthony had finished making it yesterday and everyone had gathered to try it out before they opened it to the public.
While for their guests on the farm, it was supposed to be a nice, leisurely activity, it was anything but this late afternoon. As most things with the Bridgertons, this was a competition. There were two objectives of the game— fastest time, and avoid getting shot by Anthony and his BB gun who acted as the “minotaur”. As the creator of the maze, it was unanimously decided he could not compete. It didn't b matter though. Anthony loved a chance to torment his siblings.
Last year, Colin got so lost in the maze it took him nearly three hours to compete. And by how pale Colin looked right now, maybe he was recalling that fact.
“Colin,” Kate sucked in a breath. “You look awful. Are you okay?”
Colin seemed to blanch, then smiled at her uneasily. “Peachy.”
Kate was about to ask him if he was sure, when Eloise said, “He’s sick.” Anthony discreetly pulled Kate away a few steps, putting some distance between her and his brother. “That’s what you get for doing the apple bobbing at the Fall Festival last week,” Eloise huffed, “In what world did you think that was a good idea? Think of all the germs.”
“The Collins kids went before you I think, and I think he had the flu,” Penelope hummed sympathetically.
Violet piped up then, grimacing. “He most certainly did. He was sick all over me on Tuesday.”
Colin made a little noise then, which Kate was nearly certain was a gag, as he slumped down on a picnic table bench, looking as if he really wanted to be in the fetal position.
“Maybe sit this one out, bud,” Ben said, patting him on the back, and Colin let out a noise in which Kate could only assume he agreed, seeing as standing posed difficulty at this moment.
“Here,” Anthony said, putting a piping cup of cider and a bottle of water in front of him. “Hydrate.”
“Thanks,” Colin half slurred, waving them off, “Go on without me.” He looked at Penelope. “Make sure you win, Pen. I got money on you.”
Penelope pinkened slightly, but nodded.
Kate left Penelope blushing, as Eloise— who was oblivious to her best friend's crush on her brother —started on a tangent about how she was going to win the maze and went to help set up the spread. In a slightly new part of the tradition of the corn maze day, Kate had added a little picnic/buffet situation to the day. Sophie brought the desserts, Violet brought some sort of crockpot/slow roast for sandwiches, Anthony made soup, and Mary brought her butternut squash raviolis and sage sauce.
Kate smiled to herself as she watched her step-mom happily chatting with Violet and Ms Agatha as they laughed over something or other. Mary had moved to Aubrey over the summer and it made her heart happy to have her so close now. Anthony wrapped an arm around her, giving her look as if to say he knew exactly what she was thinking. And he probably did.
“So,” Michael said, slinking up next to them with Edwina and Francesca in tow. “I’m being told that I might be shot at?”
“Yep!” Kate replied brightly, and Michael looked at her like she had gone insane. To be fair, he often gave her this look nowadays. He’s told her multiple times how she’s drank the cool aid on this town.
“Shoot at me Bridgerton and I will kick you in the balls,” Edwina told Anthony, and Anthony's expression tightened a fraction. He knew Edwina well enough that she was dead serious.
“You should probably start warming up,” Kate told him— who in turn looked baffled— then looked at Francesca. “Did you tell him about the hide and seek rules?” His eyes flicked to Michael and Edwina. “There’s no pushing allowed by the way. Instant disqualification.”
Michael shook his head. “The more I hear, the more troubling this becomes.”
“You should see them at Easter,” Kate shook her head. “That’s the real bloodbath. Pushing is allowed then.”
“But no gouging,” Fran helpfully added, obviously enjoying Michael’s despair over these weird family traditions and rules.
“What about shanking?” Michael joked.
Anthony hummed thoughtfully as his brows pulled together. “Not officially, but we should probably write that down. I wouldn’t put it past Eloise.”
“That reminds me,” Kate said, looking at Michael again, “Watch out for Hyacinth, she will go for your kneecaps.”
They all turned to look over at the teenage girl who was a few feet away. Hyacinth saw them and looked Michael dead in the eye, completely deadpan, and proceeded to give him the universal you’re dead gesture. Kate was pretty sure she heard Michael swear under his breath before Hyacinth broke out into giggles and skipped away.
Michael actually started to look nervous then, which was very unlike him. “I need a drink,” he stated, and stalked over to the cider stand.
“I’m gonna get set up,” Anthony said with a kiss to her temple. Kate waved him off, and Edwina and Frannie decided to help themselves to seconds. They asked Kate to come along with them but she waved them off.
She just wanted to stand there for a moment.
Kate took a long, deep breath, enjoying the crispness of the air as she looked around at the beauty around her. They had come to the golden hour, and on this perfect day the vibrant reds, yellows and oranges felt other worldly against the backdrop of the clear blue sky only topped by the breathtaking mouton peaks. The sound of laughter and chatter filled the air as her family and friends mingled and ate. Kate tried to savor the moments like these. It was so easy to walk through life blindly, not even seeing or enjoying moments like these. And she had done it for so many years. She wanted to relish every happy moment that came her way. She wanted to appreciate everything she had.
Kate watched as Daphne split from the group and started to walk her way, two cups in hand. She stopped when she reached Kate and extended a cup to her.
She looked at the cup. “Oh, um,” Kate hesitated, “Which—?”
Daphne laughed, and pushed the cup into her hand. “The normal one, of course. I wouldn’t give the spiked one to you in your condition.”
Kate’s head whipped up. “How did you—?”
Daphne gave her a bemused look. “Anthony isn’t exactly subtle. He hasn’t let you pick up a thing and constantly wants to sit down. Not to mention he walks around like he’s on cloud nine and you smile like you have a special secret. Plus you come to the store once a week to look at baby onesies. And, well…” Daphne laid a hand on her own stomach. “One knows the signs.”
Kate was sure she let out a little squeak when she caught her meaning. “Oh my God, Daphne!”
Daphne hushed her, looking around to see if anyone heard them, but was grinning from ear to ear when she looked back at Kate. “Yeah, we’re really happy. We’ll tell everyone at Thanksgiving.” Daphne looked over to where Simon and Amelia were. Amelia was currently trying to steal the donut Simon had in hand, and she had the cutest pout when Simon moved it away.
She couldn’t wait to watch Anthony be with their own little one.
“When are you telling everyone?” Daphne asked.
“Today,” she replied, “we wanted to wait to get everyone together and tell them in person.” It was hard to get everyone together, especially with Edwina, Michael and Frannie being in the city.
Daphne reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I’m really happy for you both.”
“What are you happy about?” Anthony asked as he walked over to them.
Daphne didn’t say anything, instead smiled knowingly and gave her brother's arm a squeeze before heading back to join her own family.
“What was that about?” Anthony asked quietly, one brow raised as his arm circled her waist.
Kate smiled. “Daphne knows. Apparently we are not inconspicuous.”
Anthony chuckled softly. It was one of her favorite sounds. “Oops. Good thing the cat will be out of the bag by the end of the night.”
Kate leaned her head on his shoulder, smiling to herself. She couldn’t wait. She was fit to burst with this secret.
“I think it’s time,” Anthony murmured, giving her one last gentle squeeze before he stepped away and yelled out to ask if everyone was ready. Kate watched as he walked away, and the excited looks of everyone as they started to ready themselves.
Kate took another look as the sun started to set, the pumpkins they had carved and lit glowing steadily as Simon started to light the couple of fireplaces they had dragged over.
Kate smiled to herself and let out a happy sigh as she pulled her coat more closely around her.
Soon the brilliant colors would fade, leaving the muted browns and grays in their wake as the Earth died and the cold set in.
The nights would become long and the cold would bite, but Kate would barely feel. Not when she was surrounded by all this love.
#lovelights au#bridgerton#anthony bridgerton#kate sharma#anthony x kate#bridgerton fanfiction#kate x anthony#kanthony#it’s a little more vibes than the actual corn maze BUT#still cute I think#lovelights au is the gift that keeps on giving#this forced me to make a timeline#I love prompts thanks for this! 💜💜#lmao I knowww I did a miles pregnancy ficlet but here is the eddy neddy one!
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Book Notes: Cozy Holiday Reading
When we’re tired out from trying to find the perfect gift or calculating just how long we can procrastinate on sending packages without actually missing Christmas, it’s nice to escape into the pages of a cozy holiday-centered read. Here are a few that I’ve finished this holiday season that are helping me get in the spirit.
While Lovelight Farms by B. K. Borison begins in the fall, it takes place at a Christmas tree farm and runs all the way through the festive season. A very fun friends-to-lovers steamy romance with some fake dating thrown in, I quickly devoured it and then read the other two in the series, In the Weeds and Mixed Signals (fair warning, these two are not set during the holidays). Adorable and cozy with small town quirkiness and recurring characters, but also definite heat in the romance department and thoughtful emotional depth.
Beth O'Leary's The Wake-Up Call is the ultimate in cozy Christmas. Izzy and Lucas agree on two things, they love their jobs and work family at Forest Manor Hotel. And they can't stand each other. But with Forest Manor Hotel on the brink of collapse, they'll have to work together (or compete, same difference) to save their jobs. Full of romantic tension!
Love, Holly, by Emily Stone, is a December to December year in the life of Holly, who is estranged from her family and finding connection with others in a similar situation by writing "Dear Stranger" letters at Christmas. Except this year, Holly's Dear Stranger letter takes her back to the place where her life changed forever, giving her the chance to take unexpected steps towards reconciliation. And fate also keeps throwing a handsome man in her way.
Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello, was a delightful read (and the featured book on the holiday gift guide)! Trey’s family has owned Wonderland, the bookstore in Stoke Newington, for several generations, but this might be the year that ends. Wonderland is in trouble, and Trey will have to lean on his friends—old and new—to come up with ways to save his family bookstore. Meanwhile, sparks start flying between Trey and the bookstore’s newest employee, Ariel. Short chapters kept the pages turning. I loved the hopeful energy of Trey and his friends and their creativity in trying to keep Wonderland afloat.
Laurie reported she read A December to Remember by Jenny Bayliss and said “it’s a slow burn but I really enjoyed it, especially the funny complicated relationships between the three sisters.” She added that there’s a male character who is a knitter, which definitely piqued my interest!
So I’ll have to add it to my still to-be-read pile, along with Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan (the follow-up to The Christmas Bookshop) and Letters from Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkien, a new edition of a 1920 classic. Plus I’ll squeeze in my annual re-read of Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher.
Come check out our selection of holiday books, from classics and romances to mysteries and cookbooks, to find something to cozy up with this month!
— Lori
#island books#lori robinson#book notes#lovelight farms#b k borison#in the weeds#mixed signals#love holly#emily stone#the wake-up call#beth o'leary#love in winter wonderland#abiola bello#a december to remember#jenny bayliss
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top 10 fics u have written? xx
Anon! Thank you for asking! I... simply cannot choose an order so you will get my 10 favorites? Haha. All fics are by me and all are Josh/Donna! I'll also limit it to finished fics.
let my love fix you up (when you're coming undone) - Rated T: A post Gaza AU in which Sam shows up in Germany to knock some sense into his friends.
if i had a wish (i'd wish for sunshine all the while) - Rated T: T-ball coach dad Josh and his assistant coach Sam, and Donna who holds their brain cell.
it's not the chase that i love (it's me following you) - Rated E: 5 times Josh is turned on by Donna's professional success and 1 time Donna is turned on by Josh's passion. Post-series from Santos era to present day.
i like shiny things (but i'd marry you with paper rings) - Rated T: Green card marriage AU set after Dead Irish Writers!
where the lovelight gleams - Rated E: Post-series "first Christmas" vibes in which Donna is turned on by Josh in a holiday sweater.
i'm a helicopter 'cause i love you so - Rated T: Post-series, anxious dad Josh leaves his daughters home alone for the first time.
Don't Spare Me From Anything (Your Burden is Mine) - Rated G: Josh + Mama Lyman through the years, with a healthy dose of J/D!
(Darkness Reminds Us) Where the Light Can Be - Rated T: A weekend away at the Bartlet farm, present-day vibes.
With One Hello, I'll Never Be the Same - Rated T: Series-spanning with a bit of post-series, how "hi" with these two ding dongs isn't just "hi".
Seven Days in July - Rated G: The week Josh and Mandy broke up, told from a J/D perspective. No Mandy Hamptons were present in the writing of this fic.
Hope you enjoy!
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Holiday romance novels I binge read before the year 2022 ended
📖: Tis the Season for Revenge
✍: Morgan Elizabeth
3/5🌟
This book is like Legally Blonde if Elle Woods has mom and daddy issues. This isn’t so bad. I just doesnt find the christmassy vibe that I'm looking for in a holiday romance. Some lines and scenes are too cheesy. I hate that I'm already at the 18% of the story until they meet. And Christmas was mentioned just 50 times and this book is way too steamy for a holiday romance. This aint bad. Just not my cup of tea.
📖: A Cross-country Christmas
✍: Courtney Walsh
4.5/5🌟
This book is so wholesome. I enjoyed the banters and the lightness of some scenes. I don't like how rude our heroine is at our hero in the beginning but she kind of redeems herself in the middle. There is a particular scene in the last part that got me teary eyed because it felt so raw and emotional for Lauren. Overall, this book is a perfect holiday read. It's light, funny, heartwarming and has a guaranteed happy ending.
📖: Faking Under the Mistletoe
✍: Ashley Shepherd
4/5🌟
This book is like Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not dating meets The Hating Game on a Christmas setting. Olivia’s enthusiastic love for Christmas and everything cheery is something that I really like. Asher is your classic grump hero with a soft side reserved for our heroine and his niece which is adorable. The first half of the book is so funny and some of the scenes are a bit exaggerated and unrealistic for me but I'm all for it because it's fun to read. The second half though was a bit of a downer. It mentions heavy and realistic topics like sexual assault, the #metoo movement, and familial pain and loss. The amount of misunderstanding and miscommunication in the second half was also frustrating and a bit repetitive but overall I still thoroughly enjoyed this book and still a perfect read for the holidays.
📖: Lovelight Farms
✍: B.K. Borison
4/5🌟
Just finished this on Christmas day. I wasn't really expecting much. I just randomly picked this up because I just feel like I want to read something that is fitting for the holidays. Love how scenic the description of the place is, it's like a lovechild of the North Pole and Hogwarts. The buildup of the story was a little slow. Stella's dilemma frustrates me at times. Luka is a cinnamon roll hero. This is pure tender, friends-to-lovers holiday magic. Adored it.
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Hey! 1 and 12 for the 2023 Reading Ask Game 😊
What are 2-5 already published fiction books you think you want to read in 2023?
~ I definitely have some in mind that I haven't had time to read this year!
~ Fairy Tale by Stephen King
~ Carry On by @rainbowrowell (I just got gifted this and I'm so excited to start it!
~ The rest of the Lovelight Farms series by B.K. Borison (I read the first one this year and promptly fell in love! There are 2 other books out right now, but I know there's at least one more in the making!)
12. What's your 2023 stance on rating/reviewing books?
~ I love rating & reviewing books! Over on my Instagram I have been uploading mini reviews after I finish them and I'm thinking about starting a proper blog for reviews in the new year.
Thank you so much for asking!
xx
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For the book tag: 10, 12, 20 :D
thank you! 🩷
10. what was your favorite new release of the year?
georgie, all along by kate clayborn
12. any books that disappointed you?
(1) lovelight farms by b.k. borison; (2) love, theoretically by ali hazelwood; (3) my roommate is a vampire by jenna levine; and (4) the dead romantics by ashley poston:
i'm kind of a hater especially any popular releases that are overhyped on platforms like booktok so i was already aware of my bias going in. but i also like to try the authors and give them a fair shot regardless. and all these were just fine. so fine to the point that i felt disappointed they didn't match their acclaim and was also kind of annoyed that they were garnering such loud audiences, no doubt stoked by savvy marketing rather than the actual quality of the books.
(5) a lady's guide to scandal by sophie irwin:
this one was a personal disappointment because i came to it on the heels of irwin's previous entry, fortune hunting, which was brilliant. it features a love triangle, which i don't like already, and it teases you with a persuasion premise that turns bitter in the end. it does subvert your initial expectations but in the most lackluster way possible.
20. what was your most anticipated release? did it meet your expectations?
a gentleman's gambit by evie dunmore
i've been a fan of this quartet through its ups and downs and evie dunmore is one of those go-to authors because she leans as heavily on the historical as she does on the romance (which can make her understandably polarizing to readers of the genre but i eat that shit up). i just finished this so i'll write more once i've properly gathered my thoughts. for the most part, it did match my expectations. but i've noticed more and more how dunmore really struggles to stick the landing. like 3/4 of the book are absolutely gorgeous then the rest just crumbles into something resembling a solid and satisfactory ending? it would be majorly disappointing if the majority of the book wasn't so effective.
ask me about my books this year!
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December 11th, 2022
This weekend has been good, but there's definitely been some toddler-shaped trials I've had to endure. 🙃
We decorated Christmas cookies on Saturday with our bffs and did a gift exchange 🥹 — we had lots of fun! But we did have a little meltdown as we left. Then (because I like to torture myself) we picked up Isaac and went to Luke's birthday party, where Rowan proceeded to have sat least 2 more tantrums. 😮💨
Today we also had some spats about him eating dinner (which he did not do). Hope he doesn't wake up hungry... if he does, he's gonna eat that spaghetti. 🙃🍝
📖 72% through In the Weeds by B.K. Borison ❤️ I don't love it as much as I did Lovelight Farms, BUT it's really cute and I'm devouring it just like I did the first book. I'll definitely finish it tomorrow.
🎵 I've had "Famous" — elijah stuck in my head!
📺 I started watching Wednesday on Netflix. I only got halfway through the first episode, but I like it!
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So I literally started and finished the first book in the lovelight farms series and I’m so excited for Beckett and Evelyn!! I work at a library and we didn’t have it so me and a couple of my coworkers who read romance requested the books and now we’re just passing them around lol. When I told them about the series I sent them your fic first so they could understand the vibes of the series and one of them read your fic and can’t wait for the update!! but reading the series just makes me love your writing so much more you are so talented❤️❤️ just wanted to pop in and tell you!
😭😭😭
what a lovely message to wake up to!! omg yay i’m so happy you’re all reading them, that’s amazing! i hope you enjoy beckett & evie and sweet caleb & layla 💛 i honestly cannot pick a favourite out of them all, each book is so comforting and cute.
lmaooooo i cannot believe you sent someone my fic so they could get the vibes that’s so funny and also very complimentary thank you so much, you’re very kind 💛 glad you’re enjoying the fic!
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