This probably is the best story in this series. I really don’t like overly sweet romances, or even ones with both characters are very sugary, but this fits the bill. The funny and sexy banter between the two is perfect. I love how Caleb got to demonstrate what a healthy relationship would look like. Layla got to see who Caleb really was, and there was no denying that she liked it.
Other characters from the series pop up. The small town is the perfect backdrop to the story as the characters provide the necessary nosiness. The families are involved, and there is not too much angst. The author relies on making the reader feel that the two characters deserve each other with every date and link up at the bakery.
Overall, this was the perfect sweet spot for me. I read this one afternoon on the beach during vacation and fell in love.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Top Pick!

Layla owns the cute little bakery in Inglewild. It’s known for being a cozy and romantic spot, not that Layla would know. She doesn’t seem to bring such luck into her life. After a disastrous date, her friend Caleb has come to the rescue. While sulking over her lack of love life, they agree to date one another with no strings attached. Caleb would show off his skills, and Layla’s faith in love would be restored.

I love Caleb. Oh wow. He just brought out the feels. He is such a nice guy. He has been in love with Layla for a long time, and this is the perfect opportunity to show her what a good guy looks like. He just knocks it out of the park.

This probably is the best story in this series. I really don’t like overly sweet romances, or even ones with both characters are very sugary, but this fits the bill. The funny and sexy banter between the two is perfect. I love how Caleb got to demonstrate what a healthy relationship would look like. Layla got to see who Caleb really was, and there was no denying that she liked it.

Other characters from the series pop up. The small town is the perfect backdrop to the story as the characters provide the necessary nosiness. The families are involved, and there is not too much angst. The author relies on making the reader feel that the two characters deserve each other with every date and link up at the bakery.

Overall, this was the perfect sweet spot for me. I read this one afternoon on the beach during vacation and fell in love.

~ Samantha

layla & caleb
"for everyone who has settled for crumbs, you deserve the whole damn cake"

for those who love: small town, fake dating, sunshine x sunshine

i really adore layla and i love the journey she had within herself! she always has wanted her own someone and it was really hard for her to get past that stage. i feel she is a really relatable character and i relate to many aspects of her. she is one of my fav girl mc-> she gives cute aesthetic girl who you'd want to be your bestfriend

caleb is such a sweetheart from his sunshine personality. i love how he gives his everything to those he cares about. i think they are so sweet together and i truly love their dynamic!!

this series has slowly become one of my favs from the characters and the setting-- the setting alone makes my jaw drop from the crisp details

If you've had a long week, this book is exactly what you need. Mixed Signals is the warm, feel good romance you need in your life.

“Why are you settling for crumbs when you deserve the whole damn cake?”

What I loved:

- the tropes: small town, cinnamon roll hero, honestly feel like a little sunshine/sunshine which was new for me!
- Caleb. Caleb was everything. He's incredibly loyal, fun, and has such a great personality that you can't help but love him!
- As with other B.K. Borison books, the scenery depictions are wonderfully written and it feels like you're right there with Caleb and Layla.
- There's something to be said about a book that literally just makes you happy and leaves you smiling. I can't ever give a book a better compliment than that!

If you're looking for a romance with small town vibes and well-written spice, give this one a try!

A special thank you to NetGalley, B.K. Borison and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this incredible ARC!

This is set in the same universe as other lovelight farms books…with its farms, tree phones, well-meaning but meddling neighbors. This time it is Layla’s turn to find love…and lust in Caleb.

The perfect book in the perfect series!!! Caleb is the sweetest man ever and I want him for myself!!! I love them so much and I will never stop talking about them.

B.K. Borison does it again! She writes the cosiest books and this is no exception. I'm obsessed with the fake dating troupe. Caleb is the perfect book boyfriend and I wish I was Layla.

This is the 3rd book in the Lovelight Farms series which I have been enjoying immensely. This time around we follow the relationship between Layla and Caleb. Layla has been going on one bad date after another and is ready to give up on love altogether. Caleb hasn't been all that lucky in love either. After Caleb rescues Layla after her horrible date leaves her with no way to get home he proposes and idea to her. One month of no strings attached dating. She will rate him and give him tips on what he should and should not do in his next relationship and in turn he will show her how she should be treated in a relationship. All the perks of dating without the emotions or expectations. The problem? The chemistry between them is undeniable and the lines between what is practice and what is real are starting to blur.

From late nights at the roller skating rink to adventures in zombie escape rooms, to ice cream on the beach and the sweetness of strawberry shortcake, Mixed Signals is a romance that will make you laugh, smile and clutch your heart over all the moments, big and small, of falling in love and finding the courage to let yourself be loved in return.

Lovelight Farms bakery owner, Layla, has a bit of bad luck trying to find that romantic spark with someone special. After a string of unfortunate dates, she happens upon a familiar face—Caleb, a handsome teacher from her town who comes by her bakery every week for freshly baked croissants and a cup of coffee. Little does she know, Caleb has been pining over her for years, and when the two find themselves at an impasse—he offers an arrangement—date for one month, with no strings attached.

The Lovelight Farms books are always exactly what I needed—sweet, heartfelt, and mature romances, strong relationships that you can’t help but fall for, and adventures along the way.

Ever since we met Caleb in the previous books, I was excited to see his story! He instantly caught my attention with his adorable, shy golden retriever energy and teddy bear heart, and I completely became SMITTEN with him!! Borison developed his character so well, giving him multiple complex layers that complimented Layla perfectly. From his amazing family (I loved the Charlie cameos! I am SO excited for his book next!!!), to his endearing acts of kindness and emotional tenderness, he came to life off the pages of this book and really shone! I could definitely see how Layla fell so hard for him.

I also loved how this was a story about acceptance. It’s hard to allow yourself the love you know you need, and I appreciated seeing a story talk about that journey. I also now really want to open a bakery shop and bake my days away!

I can’t wait for the next book and all the autumnal feels! (I’m ready!!!)

4.5/5

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

A character often spoken about and referred to from the first books, the story focuses on Layla, a business professional turned baker.

With dating a dismal failure, the premise of the story is to practice dating someone she did not expect, and that is a customer of hers that frequently visits the bakery. By frequently… as in three days a week, plus frequent special orders. Caleb has serious dating issues too but for a good reason.

Commiserating with each other these two finally find strength, fun, light-hearted happiness, and eventually love in each other.

This author is definitely a fan of the slow-burn romance. In this book, the female character could not trust herself, definitely did not trust others, and had zero self-esteem in terms of believing in her talents and her capacity for love. It was actually sad and a bit frustrating towards the end when she simply could not open her eyes.

Borison did treat us to her exquisitely, detailed love scenes when they did occur but I wish there was more. This book is definitely one that makes us wait while they work through life and trust issues. These two needed a bit of a wake-up call!

Mixed Signals is a community affair in many ways with wonderful supporting characters. But Borison delivers this wonderful story with humor and drips of sensuality. Let’s not forget those intricate details that she liberally sprinkles in to make you fall in love with love again.

I loved everything about this book. The slow burn build up, the fake dating trope, and the sweet way that Caleb treated her. I couldn't get enough of this, and I love it so very much. I will never see a croissant and not think of this sweet novel. I related to the story more than I expected. I can't wait to read more from this author in future!

This book was insanely sweet and heartwarming. I love Lovelight Farms and the magic that happens in their small town. Layla and Caleb are irresistible together and the side characters are darling. My only criticism is that I think there was too much food imagery and descriptors: Caleb constantly describing the way Layla smelled or tasted like food was a bit much for me.

Layla Dupree has found her happy place in Inglewild running a bakery at a romantic location that draws all kinds of joyful couples to the area. Sadly, she has been very unlucky at love and being surrounded by all those harmonious folks only makes her own terrible dating history stand out. After being on another horrible date where she got stuck with the check, Layla is done with a capital D. All around good guy and friend, Caleb Alvarez, not only offers to take Layla home, but suggests that he be a sort of test-drive boyfriend since they both have had a hard time connecting with the opposite sex.

Caleb proposes they “date” in order for both of them to understand the ins and out of dating, romance, and what each needs to find fulfillment in a relationship. With the ground rules set for a specific length of time, they start going on outings that for the most part, have a very comedic element and are not necessarily a roaring success but end up being a bit of quirky fun.

Caleb has a crazy extended family who enjoy being in his business and since they both live in such a small town where the gossip mill is full force, Layla gets the same treatment from her friends. Caleb’s personality is such that he lost his job as a deputy because he is too nice. He feels awkward around women, except for Layla, on whom he has had a secret crush for five years. Layla is clueless about a lot of things including Caleb’s true feelings.

As a Rom-Com, this story works fairly well although Caleb’s cinnamon roll vibe (appropriate for a baker, pun intended) gets to a be a little much at times. I appreciate sensitive men; however, Caleb’s lack of backbone comes across in a way that makes him appear weak. While Layla stress bakes and entices Caleb, despite her mixed signals to him and a lot of self-doubt, they come to realize a real relationship might be possible. The cover of this book is kind of odd with the couple's faces covered up but since this is the third in the Lovelight series, it must generally work for the books. Fans of the series will most likely enjoy this story though it can be read as a standalone.

Mixed Signals is the third installment in B.K. Borison’s Lovelight Farms series and it might just be my favorite yet.

Layla Dupree is the best baker in town, but while she may win when it comes to baked goods, she is having no luck whatsoever when it comes to her love life. When we meet her, her latest date is such a disaster that the jerk actually ghosts her at the restaurant and sticks her with the bill. Layla is an absolute sweetheart and all she really wants is a nice guy who treats her right and makes her heart flutter. What she doesn’t realize is that guy not only exists, but he has been coming to her bakery every day and ordering a single croissant just so that he has an excuse to interact with her as often as possible.

Caleb Alvarez has been in love with Layla forever but has never made his feelings known. He is also an absolute golden retriever of a book boyfriend. He’s currently working as a substitute teacher because he actually got fired from the police department for being too nice, haha. I really adored this guy and thought he was perfect for Layla from the moment we meet him. When this story opens, Caleb runs into Layla after her disastrous date. They chat, and after he shares with her that his love life is also a mess, the two of them come up with a plan to fake date for a month. Caleb’s goal is to renew Layla’s faith in men, and in exchange, Layla will rate Caleb’s dating game and give him pointers as needed.

Caleb and Layla’s time together is incredible. The entire time they’re going through with this platonic fake dating plan, it’s pretty clear they have amazing chemistry and that it gets harder and harder to fight that attraction. We already know Caleb doesn’t want to, but what about Layla? Isn’t Caleb exactly the kind of guy she has been dreaming of?

The perfect blend of sweet and spicy, Mixed Signals is a delightful small town, friends to lovers romance that will have you both swooning and smiling as you watch this sweetest of couples find their way to one another. I loved coming back to Inglewild and Lovelight Farms again, and Layla and Caleb’s story just captured my whole heart. I really hope we get more books in this heartwarming series.

Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison is a delightful romantic comedy set in the picturesque small town of Inglewild. Layla Dupree, the owner of a charming bakery, has lost hope in love after a series of disappointing relationships. When the handsome and helpful Caleb Alvarez enters her life, he proposes a one-month experiment of no-strings-attached dating to restore her faith in romance.

As they embark on a fake dating journey filled with hilarious and heartwarming escapades, Layla and Caleb's chemistry becomes undeniable. Set against the backdrop of a close-knit community and featuring a lovable golden retriever named Sunshine, Mixed Signals is a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and the magic of finding love when least expected. If you enjoy heartwarming small-town romances, friends-to-lovers tropes, and delightful banter, this book is a must-read.

I was a big fan of Lovelight farms and this book is even better! B.K. Borison's Mixed Signals is the third in her series but can be easily read as a standalone. Both Layla and Caleb are delightful characters and the chemistry between them is amazing. They make a deal to "practice dating " with each other after Layla needs a ride home from yet another date gone wrong and Caleb is all too eager to help. He falls first, so hard, and the slow burn is paced just right for me. This is a fun, heartwarming, hot romance and I highly recommend. B. K. Borison is now a go-to author for me! 4.5 Stars!

Layla (the resident baker at Lovelight Farms) have given up on finding love while Caleb (former police officer, current Spanish summer school teacher) is very bad at dating. The solution? The two agree to one-month of no-strings dating. The problem? Their fake-dating is creating real feelings.

This is the third (but not last!) book in the series, and it might be my favorite! I liked Layla and I liked Caleb and I liked them together. It was super cute. Big fan!

Berkley is re-releasing this on August 1st - you should preorder it!

A delightful series of books! They originally came out in 2021/2022, but have been grabbed by Berkley and are being republished, with new covers I believe. Her next book in the series comes out sometime in 2024. While all three books have been sweet (not that kind of sweet :) and fun to read, the first chapter of Book 2 grabbed me hard. It had ALL the feels. Looking forward to Book 4.

Mixed Signals, #3, comes out August 1st.

#Berkleyromance #netgalley #mixedsignals #bkborison

I've been waiting for this one and I genuinely thought that it was going to be my favorite of the series because as a baker I obviously love stories where we have bakers as main characters, but I actually think this is my least favorite. I don't even know why exactly except I loved Beckett so much in the last book that it was hard for me to get attached in the same way. I also feel like we went backward and there is less diversity in this one. Despite having a Mexican American main character, it really felt like an afterthought and something done for diversity points.

The best part of this book for me was the beginning like third where they made out their agreement and went on those first few dates. They were hilarious and such a fun part of the story. I wish that level of energy and humor had been continued throughout instead of it just fishtailing into explicit scenes.

I also cannot, for the life of me, wrap my head around how the bakehouse works or looks. My brain cannot comprehend how Layla somehow manages to bake everything but also always be the one at the register and where's the kitchen? Like is it one big open concept what is going on? Are there other employees? How does she not work Saturday mornings? I fear that this is one of those stories where I have latched on to a few small details that don't quite make sense and it dragged my enjoyment of this book down.

So I guess this book is fine. I totally can see why someone would like it and it's an enjoyable read but it's just that. It really wasn't anything special for me.

Also no one pre-assembles strawberry shortcake and lets it sit for hours. That's how you get soggy strawberry shortcake.

The Lovelight series focuses on three friends who’ve committed to creating an agro-tourism business together in idyllic Inglewood. Owner Stella is the visionary, Layla runs the cafe, and Beckett is the farmer. In the first book, Stella is trying to boost the business’s signal and save her Christmas tree farm and enters a contest from a Instagram influencer who focuses on small businesses–winning guarantees her success. Everything has to be perfect for Evelyn St. James’s visit, and sex sells, so Stella accidentally lists her best friend and crush Luka as her business partner and lover, and then has to fake-date her way through Evelyn’s visit. To complicate matters, someone seems to be sabatoging them at every turn.

In book two, Beckett reveals that he and Evelyn had a fling at a conference, and she is the one who slipped out in the morning and ghosted him. He is shocked to discover that his unforgettable two-night stand is Internet famous. Beckett, who is a quiet, sensitive cinnamon roll type, suffers from a sensory disorder, and Evelyn is starting to yearn for a simpler life; are they more compatible than it seems?

In book three, unlucky in love Layla slowly let’s her guard down with regular customer Caleb, who offers her a month of no-strings dating to help her get her groove back. Only thing is, it’s not just her baked goods he is in love with. Layla is in the midst of entering a baking competition, and that adds to the level of stress.

These are solidly written, quick reads full of delicious little details of food, decor, and nature. Each has miscommunication, competition, a third act breakup and grand gesture resolution. The sex is sweet and hot and descriptive. I accidentally read them in the wrong order (2, then 3, then 1), which made it all the more compelling to figure out what was going on. The marketing feels a little discordant: the lovely cover art is all by the same artist and in a fall harvest palette of pumpkin and gold and sage and peach and orange; I’m not sure why these holiday-themed stories are getting released over the summer, but if you’re a Hallmark movie or Christmas in July person, these will be very satisfying reads.

I received free advance reader’s review copies of #LovelightFarms, #InTheWeeds, and #MixedSignals from #NetGalley.