Fred hasn't come home she is just perching.
She has had a narcissistic relationship, lost her job and been evicted.
Back home she meets up with Ryan who she was at school with and has always held dear.
Fred joins her mother in the family Christmas Cracker business but can she put the past behind her and learn to trust again.

This book is absolutely joyful. I loved all the characters and it gave such cozy Christmas vibes it was an absolute delight. Highly recommended to get you in the festive spirit.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read this book. I thought this would be a light Christmas read but there was much more to it than that. There are elements of coercive controlling relationships but Fred has moved on from that part of her life. She returns to her family home in Pine Bluff having come out of such a relationship and been made redundant. Family home is with her Mum, Bella, who had Fred when she was 17, and two elderly Aunts. The family has a cracker making business and Fred is feeling as if she is being forced to do the work now she is home. The relationship with her Mum has always been unconventional and they need to work a few things out now Fred has returned. Funny moments. Likeable characters – except journalist Warren. Fred is torn between childhood friend Ryan – who she kissed one night and changed things between them resulting in her leaving Pine Bluff and not returning until now – and Warren who is new in town to write a piece on the Christmas market and secure a new writing column. Great story
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When Fred moves back to her home town it is with much reluctance. She doesn't feel she gets on with her mother and insists she will not be staying long term. However once she starts helping in the family Christmas cracker making business, using her PR and IT skills she soon finds her feet. Coupled with that she has 2 love interests on the scene, one who turns out to be a total day leaving Fred humiliated in the town. This is not an over the top, mushy christmassy story but it leads you towards the Christmas season leaving a nice, cosy feeling.

Jenny Bayliss is a beautifully writer. her books give me heart and touch my heart. and i new as soon as this one was coming on my to read pile it would immediately be taking place in the to read now slot. i loved this book just as much as her others if not a little bit more. i couldn't get enough. the weather was grey outside. somehow we have hit a season of epic showers. so perfect timing to read this book and i didn't mind one bit getting stuck in and then not being able to leave until id finished and soaked this whole book up.
i did fall for the characters too much though. so i had that angst feeling of whether it would all turn out ok!
Fred was someone i immediately warmed to. i love how Jenny writes her characters so you feel like you really are getting to know them. i could see Fred's push and pull me's over a few things going on in her life. she'd certainly been through it recently so i just wanted her to give herself some grace and time. not always easy in the season when he family business is extremely busy. nor when a certain someone is tugging at her heart. but there is a past she will need to confront first, a past that hurt. she was such a lovable character though. i wanted to be her cheer leader for sure.
of course we have those gems of side characters and other stories and lives still going on around the main pair. and we get to have a lovely glimpse into those too. Jenny always gives time to other characters in her books which makes them all the better. i truly feels like you are getting to know the whole team of what makes these locations and groups shine. Jenny is really good at weaving even some heavier topics or family dynamics into her books. you know the real stuff, the authentic stuff flaw complications and all.
i so wanted Fred to feel ok and and find her self. find her centre. find what fills her up. because the big city life on paper was doing that right? but it was doing it in her heart. could coming back to Pine Bluff actually be where she finds all that?
i admit when there is a sniff of two people on the horizon for Fred is was like no don't do this to my heart! because duh Ryan. that connection was something even a satellite camera on the moon couldn't miss.
the book was a delight.
Jenny can you adopt me into your pocket so you can just read your stories to me all day long please. or just somehow transport me into Pine Bluff for a little while. i think it could heal my heart too.
loved this book. loved it and then some.

I like it it’s nice and cosy perfect for Christmas

Blurb

When Fred returns home to her quant Scottish town she must confront her past and decide whether it can be a part of her future…

Fred Hallow-Hart isn't in love with the idea of returning home to Pine Bluff. But after a bad breakup and a subsequent eviction, she's fresh out of options.

Quickly roped in by her mother to help with the family Christmas cracker shop, Fred decides throwing herself into work might be for the best, especially when her ex-best-friend Ryan starts to give her butterflies she never expected.

But as Fred begins to hope for her heart, she's forced to confront some harsh truths, which, if she doesn't find a way through, might just ruin the holidays.

Can Fred let go of the past enough to recognize real love? And when she does, how far will she go to protect it?
Perfect for fans of Sarah Morgan, Heidi Swain, Jo Thomas and Phillipa Ashley!

I loved this book! I was slightly concerned about reading a Christmas book in September but it was perfect and gave me all the lovely Christmassy vibes!
The story follows Fred who’s feeling at rock bottom after a relationship breakdown and losing her job. She returns to her hometown and loving family while she figures out what to do next. What follows is a journey of self discovery and the realisation that what she’s been running from maybe exactly what she needs.
The book is well written and the beautiful descriptions of the Scottish town setting made me yearn to live somewhere as charismatic and interesting as Pine Bluff! With just the right amount of romance and fun, this is the perfect Christmas read!

Heartwarming, festive and full of charm, I'll Be Home for Christmas is a delightful seasonal read that captures the magic of coming home, reconnecting and finding love in unexpected places. Set in a cosy coastal town, the story follows a woman returning to her roots for the holidays, only to discover that the past she left behind might hold the key to her future.

Jenny Bayliss writes with warmth and wit, creating characters who feel familiar and relatable. The setting is beautifully drawn, with twinkling lights, frosty mornings and a strong sense of community that adds to the festive atmosphere. The romance is gentle and satisfying, with emotional depth and just the right touch of humour.

Themes of forgiveness, family and second chances are woven throughout, making this more than just a holiday romance. It is a story that celebrates the joy of slowing down, embracing imperfection and rediscovering what truly matters.

Perfect for readers who enjoy cosy Christmas fiction with heart, humour and a dash of romance.

This is a cosy festive romance. Think Christmas markets, plenty of goodwill and eccentric characters.
Fred returns to her home town of Pine Bluff adrift from her life in London. Chipping in with the family Christmas cracker business she gradually realises the direction her life should go next.
Throw in a couple of potential romantic partners and you've got an enjoyable read.

This is a cute, cosy, Christmas romance with quite a lot else thrown in. Fred(ericka) is just out of a bad relationship whilst fighting for more redundancy pay than she'd been offered by work. She goes home, temporarily, to assess and re-evaluate things, just before Christmas.

She encounters all the people from her childhood and adolescence who clearly remember all of her mistakes and aren't shy about recanting them. When Fred starts to date a visitor to the village, they're all set between them to boost the Christmas profile of the village until Fred's spurning of him turns everything sour and Fred has become Public Enemy #1 overnight.

How can Fred fix this and what will she do to sort out the mess that her life is in? Add in the crush from her teenage years, meddling aunts and the mother-daughter relationship that needs attention, and you have a great, festive read.

Pine Bluff and its eccentric residents and customs had my heart from the very first chapter, especially Fred’s Aunties.

The whole story was so cosy and festive and very much perfect book to read on a cold day.

I appreciated the strong female characters ( Fred & her Family) and women supporting women no matter the circumstances.

This was the first book by this author and I can’t wait to read more by her.

If you love cosy, feel good, small town romances then this is the book for you.

In Jenny Bayliss’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas, Fred Hallow-Hart returns to her hometown after a bad break up to reconnect with her sense of purpose and direction. It isn’t long until new love sparks fly, and Fred has to decide whether she’s ready to move on and begin her next chapter.

This novel was a very slow starter for me. The characters are well written though, and I did warm to Fred’s story. I especially enjoyed her aunts.

If you like slow-burn romances with all the Christmassy Hallmark vibes, this book will be for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced reader copy of Jenny’s Bayliss’s I’ll Be Home For Christmas in exchange for an honest review.

What a fabulous story - I started the book thinking it would just be another romantic Christmas tale, but I was mistaken. the characters were all very real and relatable and three dimensional.
Fred arrives back in her home town reluctantly after a relationship goes bad and she is made redundant from her job. Will she embrace her family's business of making Christmas crackers, will she find love, will she recognise the difference between a good man and one who is trying to take advantage of her? Read the story and find out - go through her ups and downs and the growth in her character and the fun that the town has at Christmas.

I'm a sucker for a festive feel-good cozy romance, and this one did not disappoint. Settle in with your favourite hot beverage and a comforting blanket, and enjoy this fun filled story. Scottish small town, Christmas cracker shop, old friendships rekindled...what more could you want in a seasonal romance. Our main character throws herself into her work in order to put all the bad things in her past behind her, but will she also miss what's right in front of her? I loved this book and will definitely be looking out for more from this author.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

This was exactly the kind of festive, cosy read I was hoping for. The opening, set during a chaotic and funny Krampus Night, immediately pulled me in and set the tone for a slightly quirky but heartfelt story. Fred returns home to Pine Bluff after losing her job and boyfriend, and while she’s a bit lost at first, I enjoyed watching her rediscover herself through family, friendship, and unexpected romance.

The aunts were a real highlight for me – eccentric but full of warmth – and added a much-needed layer to the Hallow-Hart family dynamic. Fred’s relationship with her mum was also beautifully developed, with just the right mix of tension and tenderness. The slow-burn romance with Ryan was lovely, and I was so glad to see Fred finally choose someone who truly respected her.

Warren, on the other hand, gave me the ick from the start, and I did get frustrated at how long Fred stuck around making excuses for him. The middle dragged a little because of this, but the ending was really satisfying. I also loved Bella and Liam’s second-chance subplot as it added a nice emotional depth.

My only real gripe was that I didn’t feel much sense of “Scottish Highlands” in the setting. It could have been any UK village. But this was still a warm, charming story about coming home, choosing yourself, and finding love where you least expect it.

Overall, I give this 4 stars as it's perfect for fans of cosy romance and family-driven festive stories.

This is a lovely book about Fred, Ryan, Bella and Liam. It has a Christmas theme throughout but also a more tangible look at mother and daughter relationships and how they can be repaired.
I liked all the characters and felt they had depth. A nice, cosy read.

Fred reluctantly returns home to the small Scottish village in which she grew up. Her future life is in turmoil, with no idea where to go next, she starts working in the family Christmas Cracker business and renews her childhood and teenage friendship with Ryan . A lovely cosy story, ideal reading on a cold autumn day.

The book starting with the Krampus Night was a great opening. It was funny to read and gave the book a fast paced, unusual opening that I really enjoyed reading about. The chemistry between Ryan and Fred was great from the start and it was interesting to learn insights into how Fred and Bella had differing views on Bella’s parenting of Fred at the beginning. The Aunts were colourful, but loving characters that gave the Hallow-Hart family some needed depth, as I think the family would have felt a bit thin if it had just been Bella and her Mum in the book (as interesting as their dynamic was!) The aunts in particular were into a lot of things to do with reading auras, setting intentions and homeopathy though which I wasn’t keen on and which Fred got increasingly into as the book went on also. Warren gave me the ick from the start and I thought he was going to turn out to be just like Tim, the Professor Ex, and wind up making Fred smaller and smaller if she stayed with him, so I really hoped she picked Ryan instead and I was glad she did. I was frustrated with how long the relationship between Warren and Fred dragged on with Fred buying Warren’s excuses for his horrid behaviour time after time and giving him more chances rather than ending the relationship quickly and trusting her instincts that he was a creep long before the panic attack and the article coming out showed his true colours. I liked Liam and Bella’s relationship and I was glad they wound up together and that Liam finally chose to stay for her instead of her moving for him and having to uproot her whole family in the process. I loved the idea of the reading of the kindnesses that banished Krampus in the end. I also love that Ryan proposed using the time capsule, that was such a unique way to propose to Fred that really respected their history.

A lovely warm Christmas read. Set in a small town on Scotland with a back drop of Christmas markets It strikes the festive note perfectly. Fred back with a broken heart and no job. As she finds her way back with the support of her family and friends there's a few bumps on the way. A lovely read as always from this author.

Absoloutely loved this book. It was a cozy, festive romance. Perfect for over the Christmas period. Though i do love a good christmas novel at any time of the year. Just reminded me of a hallmark movie.. Had a mix of humour in there too which was good. The book was well written and im sure it will be a huge hit.