The Christmas Fayre on Holly Field (Foxmore Village)

298 pages Publisher Canelo Romance Publication dateAugust 17, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

Foxmore’s inaugural Christmas fayre will be the toast of the town – or the downfall of their relationship…

Harriet is facing her second Christmas on her own since her husband walked out. With little child support, she’s struggling to manage financially.

When Owen, a passionate environmentalist and popular blogger, overhears Harriet bemoaning her situation, he challenges her to only buy second-hand until Christmas. What she doesn’t know is that Owen is reporting her journey anonymously to all his followers…

Though the challenge is proving successful, it’s not without its troubles. Can Harriet really keep her children and bank balance happy this way? How will she react when she finds her life documented online?

MY THOUGHTS

Haven’t read one of the author’s books in several years and this just brings it home why I love the author’s books so much.
The author has written a feel good, wonderful book but yet at the same time touches on some important topics such as environmentalism, veganism, bullying and going green/not wasting.
A mother and her two children, a girl 11 and her several years younger brother are having a difficult time of it financially after her husband left.
Rolling into town in his home, a camper van is Owen, a passionate environmentalist and popular blogger along with being a vegan. He overhears Harriet, the young mother talking to her boss at the diner saying how strapped for money their family is this Christmas season.
Environmentalist Owen then challenges Harriet to go until Christmas without buying anything new for herself or her family.
She’s not used to buying used but accepts the challenge but he’s sure she won’t be able to keep her end of the bargain.
It’s not easy especially when her daughter needs a dress for an important fancy birthday party she’s been invited to.
The daughter is bullied relentlessly after the birthday party, and you feel really bad for her.
Absolutely no excuse for bullying, it at times has tragic results but we do finally hear the other girl’s side of the story and get a better understanding of what’s going on.
Waste not want not is the theme for the story and I enjoyed it a lot.
Then as an American the book talks about a boot sale, okay I’m thinking of boots you wear on your feet, but it then went on to describe people selling out of the back of the boot in a big field, with or without a table.
Figured out they were taking about what we call a flea market.
Also, in the zero-waste store in the book they have toothpaste tablets. Never heard of it but what a great idea to use a predetermined amount and not waste. Other no waste instances were included.
The book was fun and entertaining, and I’ll be reading the rest of the books I have by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Lilac Mills lives on a Welsh mountain with her very patient husband and incredibly sweet dog, where she grows veggies (if the slugs don’t get them), bakes (badly) and loves making things out of glitter and glue (a mess, usually). She’s been an avid reader ever since she got her hands on a copy of Noddy Goes to Toytown when she was five, and she once tried to read everything in her local library starting with A and working her way through the alphabet.

She loves long, hot summer days in the garden, and cold winter ones snuggled in front of the fire, but whatever the weather she’s usually writing or thinking about writing, with heartwarming romance and happy-ever-after always on her mind.

Lilac has published twenty-one books to date, twenty of them with Canelo. Her latest book, Summer Escapes on the Scottish Isle, was released in July 2025, with another in the Coorie Castle Crafts series out in January 2026.

Lilac also writes under the pen names Liz Davies and Etti Summers

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