I Was Not Going To Visit Dream Harbor At Christmas And Pretend I Had Self-Control
I was not going to visit Dream Harbor at Christmas and pretend I had self-control. That was never going to happen.
By the time I started this book, I was already emotionally relocated to Dream Harbor. I had Noah and Hazel. I had Logan’s grumpy farmer energy. I thought I had figured out my favourites.
Then Bennett and Kira arrived, and apparently I had not figured out anything at all.
4.5 stars. My personality is now Christmas tree farm romance. I got up earlier in the mornings to read this, which tells you everything.
What is The Christmas Tree Farm about?
Bennett needs somewhere to be for Christmas, and Kira runs a Christmas tree farm in Dream Harbor. She is guarded and prickly and not particularly interested in making things easy. He is exactly the kind of person who can handle that without bulldozing it.
Small town. Christmas. Forced proximity. Banter. A heroine with walls and a book boyfriend who knew exactly what to do about them.
That is the pitch. It works completely.
Why I picked it up
At this point, Dream Harbor had me. I wanted more of the town, more of the people, more of the small-town gossip and more of the cosy chaos.
Also, Christmas tree farm romance?
Yes. Obviously.
I was not going to sit this one out.
First impression
I was expecting cosy Christmas romance, Dream Harbor festive chaos, small-town gossip, Hallmark but spicier, and Christmas tree farm vibes.
I wanted the festive setting, the banter and the small-town chaos.
What I got was all of that, plus Kira and Bennett immediately becoming my new favourite Dream Harbor couple. I did not expect to love this one as much as I did.
I thought Hazel and Noah would be hard to beat.
They were not safe.
The vibe
Cosy, festive, emotionally chaotic in the best possible way. This book had Christmas tree farm vibes, banter, spice, emotional softness and that Dream Harbor feeling of wanting to live in a fictional town where everyone is in everyone else’s business.
I read this slower than the previous two books because life had opinions about priorities, but I got up earlier in the mornings to read it.
That feels like commitment. Or a problem. Probably both.
The emotional damage was not devastating. It was emotionally inconvenient. My personality became Christmas tree farm romance for a solid stretch and I remain unapologetic.
The romance
The romance between Kira and Bennett was the standout of the book. The banter worked. The tension worked. The chemistry between them carried the whole story, and by the time anything actually happened, you had been fully invested for long enough that it landed.
I liked the spice more than The Pumpkin Spice Cafe. It was sweet and spicy with open-door moments, but the tension and banter were the real winners.
This book did not need to be wildly spicy to work, because Bennett and Kira had chemistry that carried it. The restraint here is doing more than a lot of books manage with triple the heat.
Fictional man assessment: Bennett
Bennett for the win.
He had the exact energy that worked for Kira, and apparently for me too. The banter, the tension, the Christmas tree farm setting and the emotional softness all made him a problem.
At the time I finished this book, Bennett took the top spot for me in the Dream Harbor boyfriend rankings, although I had more Dream Harbor men ahead of me and reserved the right to change my mind. Spoiler: the rankings have since been updated.
But at this point? Bennett was the festive fictional boyfriend crisis I was not prepared for.
The Christmas tree farm. The banter. The exact kind of tension that made me fold.
A problem. Absolutely worth it.
Would I survive dating Bennett in real life? Yes. Would I fold embarrassingly fast? Yes. Worth the risk? Also yes.
Main character vibes: Kira
I loved Kira.
She was guarded, prickly on the outside and soft in the centre, and I connected with her more than Jeanie, probably because of the grumpy element and the banter. I liked that she was not instantly soft and easy.
Her dynamic with Bennett worked because he could handle her walls without bulldozing them. He could see through the prickly outside without making her feel like she had to stop being herself.
She became one of my favourite Dream Harbor heroines, and she surprised me. I was not expecting to connect with her as much as I did.
Also, I would fight anyone who underestimated her.
The Christmas Tree Farm spicy chapters: how spicy is it and where?
The Christmas Tree Farm sits at 2.5 out of 5 chilli peppers, open door and tasteful, with the heat arriving in the second half of the book.
Is it spicy, and how much?
Spice rating: 2.5 out of 5 chilli peppers. Tension rating: 4 out of 5 flames.
This is a step up from the first two Dream Harbor books in terms of spice, but it is still well within the cosy-with-heat territory rather than explicit. The tension is doing the heavy lifting, and the banter between Kira and Bennett adds an extra layer that makes the spice feel more earned when it arrives.
Open-door scenes. Tasteful. Safe for the cafe table. If you are going in for festive cosy romance, you will get exactly that, with spice that shows up at the right moment rather than front-loading it.
Where does the spice show up?
The heat arrives in the second half of the book, once the banter and forced proximity have done their work. The festive tension throughout the book is the main experience, and it earns the payoff when it comes.
Note: not dark romance. No significant trigger warnings. Dream Harbor #3 is sweet, festive and cosy with tension that earns its spice.
Favourite moment
The Christmas tree farm atmosphere.
The festive setting, the banter, the way the connection built and the scenes that made Dream Harbor feel cosy, chaotic and impossible to leave.
Kira and Bennett’s dynamic was the thing that really made this book work. Their chemistry was the heart of it, and every scene between them was doing actual work.
Most unhinged moment
Me. Thinking I was casually continuing a series and then becoming emotionally attached to a Christmas tree farm romance.
That certainly happened.
Also, Dream Harbor locals still appear to have no privacy settings. Everyone is in everyone’s business, and apparently I love that now.
If this book had a scent
Fresh-cut pine and woodsmoke. Hot chocolate with whipped cream. Sugar cookies cooling on a rack. Crisp winter air and a festive candle burning somewhere in the background.
Cosy, festive, sweet and lightly dangerous to the fictional boyfriend ranking. The kind of scent that makes you want to wrap yourself in a blanket and read about a Christmas tree farm until you forget it is fictional.
If this book was a drink
Peppermint hot chocolate with whipped cream. Festive, cosy, sweet and perfect for reading under a blanket while pretending you are not emotionally invested in a fictional Christmas tree farm.
Alternatively: Baileys hot chocolate. Because Bennett exists and he deserves the acknowledgement.
If this book was a snack
Warm gingerbread biscuits. Festive, cosy and perfect for a Dream Harbor Christmas read.
Alternatively: warm cinnamon scrolls, because Dream Harbor and baked goods belong together, and I will not be taking questions about that.
Read this book if
- You love cosy Christmas romance
- You are already invested in Dream Harbor and want more
- Festive small-town chaos and banter are your love language
- You like a guarded, prickly heroine with a soft centre
- You want sweet, cosy and spicy without it tipping into explicit
- You enjoy fictional men who make you fold in a very specific and entirely festive way
- You need a break from dark romance but still want tension
- You want a book that makes you want to move into a fictional town for Christmas
Avoid this book if
- You hate Christmas romance (this is very festive; there is no escaping it)
- You need dark, dramatic or emotionally devastating romance
- You want high-stakes danger or morally grey chaos
- You dislike small-town gossip and community involvement
- You are not in the mood for cosy festive banter
- You do not want to get emotionally attached to a Christmas tree farm
Quick answers
Is The Christmas Tree Farm spicy?
It is a 2.5 out of 5 chilli peppers. Scenes are open door and tasteful. This is a step up from the earlier Dream Harbor books in terms of heat, but still firmly in the cosy-with-tension category rather than explicit. The banter and slow build do more work than the spice rating might suggest.
What is the age rating for The Christmas Tree Farm?
Adult content, 18 and over. The spice is open door and well below explicit territory. Comfortable for anyone who wants festive romance without graphic content.
What order do you read the Dream Harbor series?
You get significantly more from reading in order:
- The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (book 1)
- The Cinnamon Bun Book Store (book 2)
- The Christmas Tree Farm (book 3)
- The Strawberry Patch Pancake House (book 4)
- The Gingerbread Bakery (book 5)
- The Daisy Chain Flower Shop (book 6)
The books are technically standalones, but the town, the gossip and the recurring characters are a big part of what makes Dream Harbor work. Reading in order means you will be properly invested in the community by the time Bennett arrives.
Can you read it as a standalone?
Technically yes. But Dream Harbor is much better as a series experience. You want the context. You want to already know the town before you arrive at the Christmas tree farm.
What should I read next if I loved The Christmas Tree Farm?
Keep going with Dream Harbor: The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is next, and Archer will give Bennett some competition for the top spot. Outside the series, In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren for festive found-family vibes, or The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling for small-town Christmas charm.
EmberSas ratings
- Romance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ / 5
- Spice: 🌶️🌶️½ / 5
- Tension: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 / 5
- Book Boyfriend (Bennett): ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5 (took the top spot at the time; a festive problem)
- Emotional Damage: 💔💔 / 5 (not devastating; emotionally inconvenient)
- Obsession Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ / 5
- Festive Vibes: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 / 5
- Would I Move To This Fictional Town At Christmas: 🏡🏡🏡🏡🏡 / 5 (absolutely)
- Would I Fold For The Book Boyfriend: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 / 5 (unfortunately, yes)
Review Snapshot
- Book: The Christmas Tree Farm
- Author: Laurie Gilmore
- Series: Dream Harbor (#3)
- Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ / 5
- Spice rating: 🌶️🌶️½ / 5
- Tension rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥 / 5
- Emotional damage: 💔💔 / 5
Final verdict
The Christmas Tree Farm surprised me. I went in already invested in Dream Harbor, and I did not expect Kira and Bennett to immediately become my new favourite couple. This book gave me festive small-town chaos, Christmas tree farm vibes, banter, emotional softness, spice and a book boyfriend who immediately became a ranking incident.
Kira surprised me. Bennett was a problem. The Christmas vibes were immaculate.
4.5 stars. My personality is now Christmas tree farm romance.
“Okay, so I thought I already had my Dream Harbor favourites figured out, but apparently Bennett and Kira came along to personally attack me during the festive season. I loved this one so much more than I expected. It had Christmas tree farm vibes, small-town chaos, banter, spice, emotional softness and Bennett being Bennett, which is now apparently a problem for my fictional boyfriend rankings. I do not know who gave Dream Harbor permission to keep making me care this much, but I am invested, I am festive and I need the next book immediately.”
