The Six Loves of James I by Gareth Russell
 

First line: The first of the many attempts to kill James Stewart* came when he was in utero, and the plot involved his father.

Summary: James I & VI was the first monarch of the combined kingdoms of England and Scotland. Upon his ascension he was very popular with the hopes of a strong king after a succession of queens. However, his reign was chocked full of intrigues, plots and longing for the days of Elizabeth I. Russell takes his reader on a deep dive into the relationships that shaped the life of King James and how they affected his years on the throne.

My Thoughts: I am becoming a big fan of the historian, Gareth Russell. This is the third book by him I’ve read. I really enjoy his writing style and find his topics to be interesting. I had heard about this new book for a while before its release, through podcasts and his Instagram account. I could not wait to get my hands on it. My interest was also peaked with the new show on Starz, Mary & George, about the relationship between George Villiers and King James I & VI. The timing could not have been better.

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. I knew very little about the life of James, so this was a wonderful introduction into him and his reign. Russell gives us the full scope of his life from even before his birth. As mentioned in the first line of the first chapter that there was an attempt on James’ life even before he was born. So much of his childhood was filled with plots, even to the point where he never knew who he could trust. The author uses these relationships with those close to James to plot out his life and the choices he made during his long reign. I think it was spectacularly done. I learned so much from these pages about the man as well as the times in which he lived.

If you enjoy this one then I’d highly recommend his other books, Do Let’s Have Another Drink and The Palace.

Lovelight Farms by B. K. Borison
 

First line: “Luka, listen.”

Summary: Stella Bloom has big dreams for her Christmas tree farm but a string of unfortunate events has led to financial troubles. In an effort to save the farm she has loved since childhood she enters a contest hosted by an Instagram influencer. The prize is a feature on the farm and a cash prize of $100,000! However, when Stella filled out her application may have fibbed saying that she runs the farm with her boyfriend. Unfortunately said boyfriend does not exist.

As the day gets closer for the influencer’s arrival, Stella decides to ask her best friend, Luka, to be her fake boyfriend for the week. What could go wrong? As the two friends pretend they find that there may be more between them than either of them thought.

My Thoughts: I think I can say that I am officially hooked on the books of B. K. Borison. This is my third book by her this year and I have enjoyed each and every one. I picked this as one of my holiday reads and it was a perfect way to end the season.

It’s hard to believe that this was Borison’s debut because it felt so pulled together and well written. I really enjoyed all the relationships in the story. Stella and Luka. Stella and Beckett. Beckett and the kittens. It is a book that I wouldn’t mind jumping in to. While the story takes place in the lead up to Christmas it still gives the reader the warm feelings you crave in a holiday romance. There are lights, trees, decorations and baked goods. What more could you ask for?

In addition to the romance there is a conflict happening outside of the main characters. Someone is sabotaging the farm and when the culprit is revealed it is rather funny. I liked this little addition to the plot and wonder if it will spill over into future parts of the story.

Even before I finished reading Lovelight Farms I was already adding the next book in the series to my Goodreads TBR shelf. I am very excited to see how Borison continues and what lays in store for the crew at Lovelight Farms.