A holiday tie-in that (just barely) gets the job done, in comparison to The Pumpkin Spice Café. The Christmas Tree Farm doesn't quite capture the same effortless appeal. Call me cynical, but this entry feels like a rushed effort in order to have a Christmas themed book out during the same calendar year when the series went viral: the romance is overly manufactured without an organic flow (relying on too many cliches), and its two romantic leads feel half-baked (watered-down, low stake backstories) — on the whole the novel feel like it doesn't really have a reason to exist, other than becoming a potential bookish gift option for the season.

BUT, I can't deny its small town vibe still hits, and some of its comedic scenes still carry charm, just don't expect the romance to be memorable or emotionally involving. I did hear some good things about Book 2, so might circle back and check that one out in the future.