4.5 - “You make every good thing even better. I want to share everything with you because you make me happy. You always have.”.

Books by Courtney Kae are like warm hugs. I adored In the Event of Love, so I was beyond excited to get an advanced copy of this one. And not for a moment did this disappoint.

Ben is such a sweet character, and I constantly wanted to squeeze him. He has lingering doubts about himself that comes from childhood trauma that he hasn’t quite worked through, but I loved that he is seeing a therapist and trying to actively work through it. After his father barrels back into his life, it’s not surprising that he starts to relive old feelings, and that they come into play in his relationship with Adam. Ben is unsure of himself, and it’s really lovely that the story follows his arc to his happiness.

Adam also carries trauma, but it’s slightly different than Ben’s. They have some great honest conversations that show them as rational adults and nothing feels forced. While we don’t get Adam’s POV, his feelings are so clear in the way his body language and dialogue are written. You can sense his uncertainty and connection to Ben. The tension between them is so palpable and they’re just so wonderful. Badam forever.

I also love how inclusive this book is without making it seem unnatural. Characters introduce themselves with their preferred pronouns and it feels so genuine. It’s never this big thing. It never comes off as disingenuous and is a reminder that inclusion is always important.

“I love you just being you.”

I just loved this book. Also, G-ma is an absolute star and made me laugh on so many occasions. (Pelvic thrusts! IYKYK!) Everything about this book is fun and sweet, and it definitely could’ve fallen into predictability, but it didn’t at all, and I can’t recommend it enough.

Actual Rating closer to 4,5 stars
This was a pleasant relatively short read and a wonderful queer romcom to add to my pile. While I haven’t yet read the first novel in the series, this one fits wonderfully into its genre. Typical of romcoms the drama in the story gets a bit unrealistic sometimes but I can only recommend it as a light escapist read!
I have to give extra points because the characters (especially the side characters) in this novel hit just the right amount of quirkiness for a comedy.
Also we love to see a fellow baking enjoyer.

I really wanted to love this book. There’s so much about it that’s charming. A cinnamon roll hero who also makes cinnamon rolls? Hilarious. Plus I really felt for Ben’s trauma and family issues. I think the part I struggled with is the romance. I wanted there to be a bigger conflict throughout. I think them admitting their feelings so early had me missing some tension and that played into the third act break up as well, which felt like it could’ve been a lot more escalated. I think there was a lot to love about this book too but in the end, the debut book by Kae is still my favorite.

We're back in Fern Falls and the story starts with Ben Parrish participating in a reality TV cooking show filmed at his bakery, where he is competing to have the family's signature cinnamon rolls mass produced and sold nationwide. Being on camera is a nightmare in itself because spoilers and, to make matters worse, the cameras catch an unfortunate moment between Ben and his lifelong crush, Adam Reed. And since apparently Mercury must be in retrograde, he also receives a Cease & Desist letter from his craptastic father saying the recipe is actually his and Ben can't use it without his permission. All this is happening while super-anxious Ben is getting ready to go to his G-Ma's 80th birthday celebrations out of town for a few  weeks. Guess who G-Ma hired as entertainment for the parties? Adam's band... and Adam and Ben are to share accommodations as they are friends and all... Why oh why, Universe?!
Like in the previous book, I love how inclusivity I dealt here (gender and race). It's a diverse group of people, acceptance is the norm, pronouns are respected, appropriate language is used.
I adore a pining hero, but as Ben deals with severe anxiety, abandonment issues and other childhood traumas, you struggle a bit with being inside his head, as it's told through his POV. The reader can tell how much loved he is, and how people want to help him and you are right there with him, wanting him to get it. It's heartbreaking and you want to hug him and make him see things he just can't. 
The story is also stronger for being told exclusively through his POV. I love that we don't really know what is on Adam's mind until he actually says it... and when he says it, it's swoony.
This book is ROMANTIC. If you are a fan of Bridgerton, you are in for treat. I had been rooting for them since book 1. It was joy to see them get their HEA. 
Rep and possible triggers: One MC is bisexual and the other is pansexual, several queer secondary characters. Anxiety, childhood trauma, abandonment issues, toxic relationship with a parent
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In the Case of Heartbreak is the follow up to Kae's debut, In the Event of Love but it can be read as a standalone as long as the reader is willing to come across some spoilers from book one's characters.
The story revolves around Ben, a baker from Fern Falls who joined a baking competition that could make his little bakery and café famous. However things don't go as planned when he is rejected by his longtime crush, Adam, on national TV for the whole world to see.
A long series of events lead him to escape from his problems and crush by spending two weeks away from Fern Falls to celebrate his grandma's birthday. Little does he know that his plan will backfire...
What makes this book stand out from different ones of its type is the way complex topics were handled with extreme delicacy. Moreover, I loved both the great cast of unique characters and the romance. In some occasions, I felt like I was wrapped in a blanket by the sweetness and wholesomeness of this novel.
Were I to change something on the novel, it would be the way in which the plot conflict were resolved. It felt rushed and vague.
All in all, I enjoyed this story and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a sweet and lightweight book.

I really loved this book. Courtney Kate is really just a beautiful, perfect little gem that just crawls into your brain and never lets ago. Watching Ben’s growth was so lovely and I want his grandma as my own! Can I just live in this world that Kae has invented and never leave? Can’t wait for their next book!

🌈 Queer Romance
☀️ Perfect Summer Read
🍩 Bakery vibes (a literal cinnamon roll hero)
😍 Absolutely swoony love interest (he wants to court, not date… I mean 😍)

“My feelings for you aren’t fragile”


I really enjoyed that I couldn’t tell exactly how this book was going to go. I feel it strayed from the specific formula a lot of romance books have in regards to the third act breakup. It kept me guessing, it had me kicking my feet with happiness, all in all it was a great read! I love G-Ma so much, I want to meet this crazy woman right now 😂 I loved both main characters and just the whole world this book exists in. A great feel good book.

This was such a sweet, escapist queer romance!
I really loved how inclusive this book was, the representation in this is unmatched. The many issues this tackles (anxiety, self image, family struggles, etc.) were handled with grace and love, which is extremely valuable to anyone who can see little glimpses of themselves in Ben and/or Adam.
I think what didn’t work for me was how cheesy parts of this was. For example, enthusiastic consent IS sexy, but I want that to be shown rather than told. The band being called Forced Proximity was a bit too on the nose for me, but I see how it can be whimsical and fun if you have the right attitude towards it.

Thank you Netgalley and publishers for this book.

This is the second book in the Fern Falls series and can be read as a standalone, but I think the first one would help us understand the characters and who everyone is to one another a little bit more. That being said, I did enjoy this more than I thought once I realized it was book two.

It is a great beach read, and I hope to get my hands on the first one and read that and then come back and reread this one!

By god, this book was frustrating 🤦🏻‍♀️ I loved In the Event of Love so this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year and it just was not my favorite… tbh, I would’ve dnf’d if I didn’t love Ben & Adam so much. Adam specifically was the highlight for me with they way he had a Kristoff type of love for Ben; “my love for you is not fragile” and that made me so happy! Ben was also just really easy to root for! But the issues were just so repetitive and got tedious by the halfway point and I just wanted it to be over 😅 also there were a lot of moments where the timeline just felt off and it confused me 🤷🏻‍♀️so overall, this was a very meh read for me but I do think a lot of people will love it so I’d say give it a try if it sounds interesting to you!

The MCs, Ben & Adam were 2 of my favorites ever 🫶🏼 plus Ben's family, especially his mom & G-ma were so stinkin adorable!

I loved how much this book focused on growth, finding yourself, learning to deal with things how you need to and had positive therapy rep.

Fern Falls & Maywell Bay were fabulous settings and both sound so cozy

The ending was perfect😍

Thanks to NetGalley & Kensington Books for an advance copy;

I adored Ben in In The Event Of Love, so I couldn't wait for his love story with Adam. I've been eagerly awaiting this book from the second I finished the first one.

I loved the second book in the Fern Falls series just as much as the first. Much of the book took place outside of Fern Falls in Ben's grandmother's seaside mansion, but we still got a nice dose of the Fern Falls residents from In The Event of Love. Ben's grandmother was such an amazing addition to the cast! We love a raunchy grandma, but she also had some incredible life advice for Ben.

You're going to love this fun, steamy forced proximity. There are some heavier parts, but they're well-balanced by lighthearted scenes. I definitely recommend it.

TW/CW: Childhood parental neglect, parental abandonment, emotional abuse by a parent in childhood, depression/depressive episode, anxiety, alcoholic parent of the love interest, blackmail. Overall, Ben has just a completely awful dad so be prepared for that.
Rep: I'm gonna be honest - I didn't keep track of many characters. There are multiple side characters that use they/them pronouns, including a person of color. All the rep from In the Event of Love still applies. I believe learn of an additional bi side character in Fern Falls. Our main character is bi, his love interest is pan.

I wish I had more thoughts on this book. For me, it didn’t live up to In the Event of Love, which disappoints me because I loved Ben so much in that one! I was so looking forward to seeing him and Adam have their own beautiful romance.

And it is romantic! Truly, Adam is so tooth-achingly romantic it pained me. Honestly, all of the legal trouble parts bothered me, but that may just be personal and something I’ll have to look out for. It stressed me out so bad. And it felt like it held so much control over the plot, while also not doing much of anything. Also – is the “star” of a baking show (that’s only been in part of an episode) really going to have paparazzi going after them???

Overall, Ben deserves better – on so many levels. I want to give him a big hug.

Huge thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Books for an ARC of this!

I could not put this book down. Courtney Kae’s writing is magical, making me want to just keep reading, and her references were like little gems making my way into my heart to make it full. The universe she’s created with Fern Falls with all the lovable characters is a world I’d love to be in. She flawlessly intermingled reality with a dream place of a small town. There were so many moments I was internally screaming from the dialogue between the characters. This story made me smile, cringe, cry, laugh, cuss and cheer. Is it too much to hope she comes out with Fern Falls #3 soon? A lot of the characters need their moments, too!

A sweet, albeit trope-y, romance! Ben has quietly loved Adam for years but the baker and the rocker have been in different places, both physically and mentally, Now, though, they're together and small sparks fly. Fans of the genre know what's going to happen but Kae has added some nice touches and a nod to mental health issues that make this ring true. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Books for allowing me to read a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I had too-high hopes for this one given how much I loved In the Event of Love and how much I especially adored these two in it, but I found this to be a bit of a letdown?

It wasn’t bad! It was a sweet, easy read. I just didn’t feel fully engaged or invested like I’d been hoping for. I found a lot of the events to be over the top and Ben’s reaction to things somewhat frustrating. I get that he has pretty severe anxiety but something about it felt off to me.

Nonetheless, I enjoyed these sweet boys being sweet and I’m happy to see them get their HEA.

A very cute summery read that sadly was a bit too over the top for me in some places. I loved that Ben and Adam weren't afraid to communicate with each other, however, their conversations often didn't feel real to me and sounded more like weird internet speak. I also had trouble with the recipe conflict – it just didn't make any sense to me and the dad seemed like some kind of cartoon villain. I did love the queer rep in the book and Ben and Adam had loads of cute scenes together.

This is such a cute laugh-out-loud beach red with such great lgbtq+ representation. Almost not a single person in this book is straight and I love it - and if you love baking, cinnamons and small town mlm romance, you’ll love it as well.

It does have quite some long inner monologue passages from Ben’s POV that could be a little long to get through desite Ben being an absolute delight and Impossible not to love.

Bare in mind that the book does deal with subjects like childhood trauma and mental illnesses, so good idea to check trigger warnings beforehand.

Overall, a perfect book for fans of Casey McQuiston and Alexis Hall!

The book started out great, but the more I read the more cheesy and over the top it got (even for me) and I didn't really like that.
It is funny and romantic, but the love between Ben and Adam is something I did enjoy because they obviously care for one another, but the rest just kind of falls flat.

Thank you to Courtney Kae, Kensington Books and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. In Case of Heartbreak comes out July 25, 2023.

In the Case of Heartbreak is a MM romantic comedy, featuring a sweet baker and an edgy indie rocker. Ben and Adam have known each other for years, and Ben has been in love with Adam for basically the same amount of time. I think that there were good parts of this book, Adam and Ben are both sweet characters who do go through emotional growth. I loved the side characters specifically Ben's grandma who was spunky. I also think that Courtney had good mental health representation and diverse queer representation. There were lot of different points of conflict in the book, to the point where it seemed like too much was going on. These were also resolved quickly and easily but maybe two easily. I think that there were things too recommend this book, and honestly if you are looking for a quick and easy read In the Case of Heartbreak is a good recommendation.