This terribly sweet story conjures up images of life on a travelling fair back when such things were a rare treat, before theme parks were developed.

Revolving around the Grundy family, secrets and tragedies weave in and around each other until coming to a satisfactory resolution at the end. Although there's a lot of telling rather than showing, and a certain amount of repetition, in this instance, it adds to the charm of the story, the old fashioned method of story telling serving to place the action in days gone by.

It's a delightful piece of escapism that will appeal to anyone looking for a quaint read that will bring a smile to your face.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I quite like this author but have to be in the mood for this type of book and as a child used to love the fair. This is an easy but not fantastic read

before I had a chance to sit and devour this book, life got in the way. Finally I was able to sit, and read and devour it. What a great read, I leaned, I laughed, I cried and I want more in the best possible way. A fantastic stroy teller, and a great story.

Review: A very enjoyable read. It was fun reading all about the fair folk set in the 1950s. A brilliant Saga.

5☆ A heartfelt poignant story

All the fun of the Fair captured my childhood and how I loved knowing the Fair had come and that I would get my candy floss, maybe even another fish, then there was the rides oh my.

So when I see this book I was so excited and I was right to be. It was a beautiful, heartfelt read that gave you a insiders portrayel at fair ground life.
You see as the public we just go and see the finished product but we don't truly appreciate the back breaking hard work, emotions, commitment that the travellers of the Fair go through to give us that buzz.

It really hits home the lifestyle they have, not knowing where they will be going to next, if they will get any income, the negative abuse they face, not to mention the all the hard work of assemblying the fair and the packing it away to move on.

The characters are a memorable eclectic mix exactly what you would expect.
The main characters are brilliant especially  Gemma's character as she married into the Fair so it was all new to her.

This is a beautiful historical read that warms your heart, it's thought provoking, Poignant yet captivating, shows the strength and relationships of the Fair, it's emotional, contains secrets, lies, a few lil twists, triggers your emotions.
I highly recommend this book it truly is a beautiful read one that will stay with me for a long time.

All the Fun of the Fair was an interesting story about the lives of the fair folk of Grundy’s Traveling Fair. I enjoyed the dynamics of the relationships between the fair folk and there was plenty of drama and a bit of chaos throughout the novel. One of the things I most enjoyed was reading about the drastically different characters that came to life within this book.

Solly was an interesting character and was a great example of how some people waste their own opportunities and life. An interesting concept was that some people react so poorly to being hurt by the rejection of another, that they spend their entire life working towards revenge and retaliation. A young happy man rejected by someone he thought could be the love of his life, turned into a sour and deeply unhappy man whose mission in life became to cheat people over.

Donny and Ren had an interesting relationship and I loved the idea that although beauty might win someone over in the beginning, true love will always find a way. Some people ruin their lives and opportunity for happiness by always looking for a better life and better situation. Greed and dishonesty is an ugly look on even the most beautiful face.

One of the mysterious yet charming characters was a wonderful example of what being true to yourself looks like, no matter what. It’s a tragedy to love someone and not be able to be with them because you can’t be your true self with them but it’s a blessing to find friends that accept you for who you are.

Gem went against her family’s wealthy upbringing to marry a fair worker and went on to live an honest life as a fair workers wife. Although Sonny married a wonderful woman, he also had to live with the negativity that his brother Solly pushed his way (unknowingly to Sonny) because Sonny was able to do something Solly wasn’t, have the woman he loved love him back enough to live a fair life.

One of my favorite aspects of the story was the close bond these fair folk had with one another; strong fierce friendships, paired with loyalty and companionship. These individuals stuck together when things get tough and never left anyone behind. The combination of characters and events throughout the story made for an interesting adventure and I was happy to be along for the ride.

I'm a huge fan of Lynda Page and her books never fail to disappoint

My first book by Lynda Page. The title and cover are iconic and, to me, symbolise the population's efforts to make life a little brighter during the war. It is very well chosen.

All the Fun of the Fair is an incredibly detailed and emotionally-charged historical fiction novel about the families living and working at a fairground . We see how many go through very harsh personal realities, and how, although they are living in their own caravans on the same fairground site, they sometimes have their differences with each other.

The title is incredibly appropriate given the book's theme. It made me think that it is ironic thar as a society, we associate a fair with being a fun event, and it is for many. But what of the people whose daily jobs and efforts help to bring the fair to towns and villages across the country? Who spares a thought for them and all their hard work despite their sometimes very trying personal circumstances?

This book is incredibly thought-provoking, and it opened my eyes as to what the people who work at the fair went through daily to bring the population of the time entertainment and fun.

When I received a copy of this from NetGalley, I didn't realise that Lynda had written so many books. I will definitely be reading more (if not all) of her books now!

Lynda Page has an amazing ability to be able to really get inside the characters' minds and the historic period to create an atmosphere and tightly wound plot that is second to none. I felt like I was there on the fairground with the characters, experiencing what they were experiencing, feeling what they were feeling and felt tremendous empathy with some of them who had been through harder times than others.

I felt so many emotions: curiosity, interest anger disappointment and happiness as I lived out what went on on the fairground. The book awakened the child in me, harking back to the days when I would visit fairground with friends and family.

All the fun of is a vivid and delightful novel that will take your breath away. It shows that, no matter how the years pass, a fairground is a place where people come together. Lynda Page's writing style is vivid and utterly engrossing, and I knew early on in the book that this would be a 5 star read for me. I was totally oblivious to everything going on around me for a day- I was that absorbed in this book! The worldbuilding and attention to detail is truly amazing and the research that was put into the creation of the atmosphere and characters shows so effortlessly.

Thank you to Lynda Page and Canelo for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. I took part in the blog tour for this title.

Such a pleasant read.. I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Took a bit of getting into but once I did I loved it really enjoyed sharing the journey and learning a bit more about this way of life a really good story with lots of twists and turns enjoyed all the characters story lines good and bad what a strong woman Gemma was thought she was the heart of the whole novel and bought the community together a great read

It's the 1950's and Grundy's Travelling Fair arrives in town with a bang when the night falls, the local town is drawn to the Fair. But when the Fairgoers head home, the Grundy's are left behind. The hours are long and the work is back-breaking. But family and friends hold things together.

I don't know about you, but when I was younger my friends and I looked forward to the Fair coming and whether we had money in our pockets or not we loved just hanging a round there. The smells, music, favourite rides and the atmosphere all had a different meaning to us.

Gemma (Gem) married into the lifestyle after falling in love with Soloman (Solly). Solly's dad, Samson, although getting on in years, is still the boss of Grundy's Trevelling Fair. Samson's other son, Sonny, who is the eldest, has other plans for the Fair once he inherits it from his father. The Travelling families are close knit and look out for each other. When someone is in trouble they all rally round to help. I am a big fan of Lynda Page and I have read all of her books. This book is full of secrets, romance, heartbreak and a couple of twists I never saw coming. I loved this book from begining to end.

I would like to thank NetGalley, Canelo and the author Lynda Page for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a fan of Lynda's books for quite some time and was pleased to see a new book on its way. This book tells the story of the Grundy family who own and operate a fair, along with their showman family. The story gives a very good insight into the fairground world and all that goes on behind the scenes in their well knit community. The book has a sure but steady start with an introduction to the main characters and presents some interesting situations, which leave the community and some of its members with life changing situations. This book is a good start to what I hope will be the beginning of a new series, to fill the gap the Jolly’s left behind.

Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the Publisher, Canelo for this review copy given in exchange for an honest review. Also thanks to Ellie from Canelo for organising the Blog Tour!

This story is based around a travelling fair in the 1950’s. The Grundy family have run the fair for years travelling round to different towns. The hours are long and the work is hard but family and friends hold the fair together. But as times move on, so must the fair. Can it survive?

My first Lynda Page book. This was a completely different book to what I was expecting. I’ve never read a book that is set on a travelling fair! Based around the Grundy family who have run the family business for decades, it gives an insight as to what life was like on a traditional fairground. I don’t know how fairgrounds are run today, but I imagine the work and hours that go into running these are long and hard, just like it is in this story. What is also shows though is the friendship, family and loyalty which are spread throughout the Grundy family and all their friends and workers. It was great to see the relationships between them all.

This isn’t just a story about a fairground though, it’s a great family saga full of love and laughter! Would definitely recommend!

This is a saga (and it looks like the first of many books) which centres on the Grundy family and their lives and most of all the fair they own, run and travel with around the country. If you thought being in the fair was one of the best jobs in the world then this book will certainly change your mind.

The community of the Grundy Fair is strong and it needs to be with everything that they have to deal with in the pages of the book and this fair season. Gemma made a choice to be with the man she loves, Solomon known as Solly and leave behind another life to live this one. A life that will see them treated as gypsies, tinkers, thieves and vagrants.

Sonny made a choice about love and it seems that his was not going to be the happy ending that he wanted. So he is out to prove a point about people who work in the fair.

Then there is a cast of characters who populate and run the fair, Velda can read the future, predict what happens with her gift, but can anyone guess her secret? Ren and her candy floss may be small but she is feisty and stands up for what she believes in and knows that she needs to be heard.

Donny and Susie, have started married life together for very different reasons. Is the fair the right place to save a marriage.

A girl turns up at many of the stops of the fair, she is looking for someone, but who? And what do the shaven, suited thug looking men want on their frequent visits?

This story has so much packed into it, I thought I would be reading forever, but like all good novels it came to an end and left me wanting more. I was transported to the fair, to the hard work, the back-breaking work in all weathers to bring some joy to people in local villages only a once a year. The strength of friendship and the value of community.

A great read and an author who I want to read more of.

I absolutely loved this book. From page one I was drawn into the lives of all the characters. It was nice to see how the show people survived and also coped with the obstacles put in their way. A throughly enjoyable read and I hope Lynda will maybe think of doing a series about the lives of Grundy's Fair.

An excellent book with a captivating story line with lots of interesting and diverse characters, what more can you ask for ?. Highly recommended.

What a delightful read! I loved this story from beginning to end! What an insight into the travelling fair community in the 1950s. Lots of great characters and good stories for each of them. I will be looking for more by this author.