In the event of love

Kae's delightful debut elevates the popular Christmastime trope of someone from the big city saving a small town from a heartless developer in a feel-good queer second-chance romance. Event planner Morgan Ann Ross needs to leave Santa Monica after tripping into a gossip-worthy scandal. She takes a gig organizing a fund-raising event in her hometown, Fern Falls, Calif., though she hasn't been back since her father's wealthy girlfriend, Christy Vaughn, cruelly rejected his marriage proposal, creating an emotional maelstrom that ruined Morgan's relationship with her best friend and teen crush, Rachel Reed. Morgan initially balks when she learns that the client is Rachel and her family's Christmas tree farm, but she softens when she realizes Rachel holds no hard feelings, and goes all in when she discovers that Christy, having taken over a nearby town and transformed it into a ski resort, now intends to raze beloved Fern Falls businesses for an outlet mall. Kae leans heavily into holiday magic without letting things get saccharine, balancing the sweetness of reconnection with steamy eroticism grounded in the feeling of coming home at last. The secondary characters also sparkle, providing cozy feelings of community and support. Readers of all orientations will devour this rainbow-tinted confection. (Sept.)

DEBUT Growing up, Rachel Reed and Morgan Ross were best friends, but in the end they broke each other's hearts. Morgan ran off to Los Angeles to become a high-profile event planner, and Rachel stayed behind to run her family's business. Over the past seven years, Morgan has worked herself into a self-absorbed, anxiety-riddled mess, too afraid of rejection to form any close relationships. Now, on the heels of a public mistake that went viral, Morgan is returning to her hometown over the holidays to organize a fundraiser, get herself some positive PR, and redeem her reputation. But she can't plan this event without involving Rachel, and that means coming to terms with painful memories. This steamy second-chance queer romance is told from Morgan's point of view, and her character arc is a believable journey from prickly protagonist to someone readers will cheer for. Rachel is a well-developed love interest, and the chemistry between them sizzles from the beginning. VERDICT A well-written fast-paced debut, with fun banter and narrative; readers looking for a sweet and spicy holiday romance won't be disappointed.--Heather Miller Cover