It isn't Christmas without Jenny Bayliss. Her heartwarming romcoms are everything that make the holidays happy. So of course her latest, I'll be Home for Christmas, cozily captures that comfort and joy.
Fredericka "Fred" Hallow-Hart is in freefall. Instead of crushing it as an ad exec in London, she's fired and dumped with no place to go. So she heads home to Pine Bluff, Scotland to live with her mum and eccentric aunts. To her, it's a huge step down, and she's less than gracious about it. But after much deliberation and self-flagellation, she deigns to help with their Christmas cracker business. Indeed, despite being in her mid-thirties, Fred has a lot of growing up to do. But first she must confront her past, which includes Ryan Frost. As kids, Fred and Ryan were inseparable. Then Ryan rejected Fred's kiss, and their friendship fizzled. Now Ryan's a small business mogul and eager to be in Fred's life. But so is a handsome journalist, and Fred becomes entangled in a love triangle that tests her loyalties.
Wreathed in charm and second chances, I'll be Home for Christmas is the holiday hug we all need. I was particularly taken with Hallow-Hart Crackers. Fred's mum designs the prints on the wrappers, then fills each cracker with locally sourced, handmade treasures. It's creative and fun and authentic and had me itching to get back to my jewelry making. Fred gets bewitched too, using her advertising savvy to give Hallow-Hart's socials a glow-up. Because Hallow-Hart Crackers is more than a business. It's community and hope and home.
Just like Jenny Bayliss.
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