Review :: Christmas at Fox Farm by Helen Pollard

I have a bit of an obsession with Yorkshire, so this cute cosy Christmas romance set in the Dales appealed to me right away (also – that cover is so perfect!).

What is Helen Pollard’s Christmas at Fox Farm about?

Living at Fox Farm, with its cosy café, beautiful pottery studio and charming gift shop, is a dream come true for thirty-one-year-old Daisy. The kindly owner, Jean, and the close-knit village feel like the home and family Daisy has never had. She’s been looking forward to her first magical Christmas in the countryside.

When Jean suddenly falls ill, Daisy is the first to lend a hand. She ropes in Alex – Jean’s handsome but stubborn nephew – to help her. When the pair discover the farm is almost bankrupt, it seems like the annual Christmas celebrations will be cancelled. Alex and Daisy need a plan, and quickly, if they are to pull off Christmas against the odds and save Fox Farm.

From the get-go Daisy and Alex cannot agree on anything, from the mince pie recipe to the colour scheme for the tree. Soon, however, in true Christmas spirit, they find themselves coming together in the face of decorating disasters, tripping over each other at the holiday barn dance and tracking down a missing Santa Claus.

But when Daisy discovers the secret Alex is keeping about the future of Jean’s farm, will she run from the only place that has ever felt like home? Or will she find a way to save Christmas and the farm, and open her heart to a new beginning for her and Alex?

My review of Christmas at Fox Farm by Helen Pollard

This was a great read for me. Despite some heavy issues, like Jean’s illness (which occurs super early on), and some sad background stories to some of the main characters, it manages to be a really heart-warming and uplifting story. I felt like the heaviness was balanced well, and sort of belonged in the story rather than feeling like it had been pushed in – everything that was there felt relevant to the story and the characters.

I really liked the way the relationship developed between Daisy and Alex – I think this sort of thrown together strangers to reluctant friends blooming into a romantic relationship might be my favourite. Because I know people like to know when they’re choosing a romance read, this one is more sweet than spicy, and the scenes fade to black before they get much past PG. The book has a strong cast of supporting characters – we see different amounts of depth from them depending on how close to the main characters they are, which worked for me to give the world a kind of fullness beyond the spotlight of the main story.

The setting was one of the things that drew me to this book, and I felt like it delivered what I was after. Fox Farm sounded like a super cosy property, and it felt super festive even though Christmas wasn’t really central to the plot (I did love the Christmas lunch scene though!).

I enjoyed this one and would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, up-lifting wintry romance read.

xo Bron
***

Christmas at Fox Farm by Helen Pollard.
Out now from Bookouture.
Source: I received a free copy eCopy from Bookouture (via NetGalley) for review (thank you!).
Category: Contemporary holiday romance fiction
Format: ebook

Christmas at Fox Farm on Goodreads
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