Full disclosure: the author is a friend and provided me with an eARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review. Thankfully, I tend to enjoy everything she writes, so this is neither a hardship nor a friendship-ending challenge!
It was actually a humid, sunny, 31-degree late summer Toronto day when I wrote this review, but I was instantly transported to a cold, damp December in North Wales alongside Bethan, who is returning to the village where she grew up for the first time in years because she has inherited a house from an old family friend, Meinir. Thanks to the glory of remote work, Bethan plans to spend a few weeks in Wales, getting the house in order to sell—the money might help her eke her way onto the property ladder back in London, where exciting things like her job and nights out and other queers are waiting for her. After all, there’s nothing like that for her in her old village… is there?
Spoiler alert, this is where Bethan’s new neighbour Mali comes in. When she drops by with an asymmetrical queer haircut and a welcome basket full of goodies, Bethan’s head is instantly turned. Of course, the two immediately have a disagreement over Mali’s extravagant Christmas lights, but that doesn’t matter, because Bethan’s not planning to be around long enough for things to really get awkward.
Meanwhile, Mali is mourning the death of her friend Meinir, resenting what she assumes is Bethan’s intention to turn Meinir’s cottage into an Airbnb, and panicking about the grant application that could make or break her beloved job with the local nature reserves. The two bounce off each other constantly, but they both notice an insistent chemistry. The back and forth is well-crafted and doesn’t seem forced; although I occasionally wanted to yell at them to just talk it out already, I understood why they didn’t and what drove the emotions that got in the way of their rational thinking. The contrived circumstances that drive conflict in romance plots can often get on my nerves, so it’s nice to read one that feels authentically grounded. (In fact, the only unrealistic part of the whole story is how quickly Mali hears back about the result of her grant application, once it finally gets submitted.)
The story isn’t as simple as a girl from the big city coming home and having her eyes opened to the wonders of the quiet life by a handsome butch. Bethan’s rediscovery of her village—the change that has happened and the history she could never see before—marks a rediscovery of herself, and only when she opens that door is there space for Mali to walk through it. Mali has to make some changes of her own and let herself learn to accept help before she can see who Bethan really is, too. I was rooting for both of them.
Charmingly, the novella is structured like an advent calendar, with each chapter covering a day in December in the lead-up to Christmas, which sounds like a twee gimmick but is actually a real treat. I can imagine savouring a chapter every morning with tea and a chocolate. My only minor quibble with the book (and I am aware that saying this could backfire on me next time I’m in a room with the author) is that I wanted a bit more Wales. I would have loved to spend just a little longer on snow-capped mountains or near icy streams full of frolicking otters. That said, the vivid portrait of village life certainly makes up for it, and I can always get my Welsh wilderness fill in Thomas’s earlier novella, A Duet for Invisible Strings (also recommended).
Overall, this is a very sweet story about finding where you belong and who you belong with – and being brave enough to accept those truths when they come to you. Also, I’ve learned how to say two vitally important things in Welsh: ‘Happy Christmas’ and ‘cup of tea’. It’s never too early to make your holiday plans, so check out the pre-order page and grab this book when it drops on Oct 9. Christmas in Wales awaits.
Kathryne Slant (she/her) is a queer Canadian writer and general pop culture enthusiast. She wants to spend less time online and more time at puppy yoga. Find her @sapphoshands.bsky.social.
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