Unusual set up on this book. It’s actually 4 books in one. I did find this a bit confusing as I wasn’t aware this was going to be happening.
Thinking about how to review this is puzzling. Really need to separate each story and say a bit about each one.....winter, spring, summer, autumn. Each season is full of friendship, romance and new beginnings.
I found this to be a enjoyable story with lots of heartwarming moments and beautiful romance.
Thank you to NetGallery, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.

This book is a little different to most - it’s more like four novellas published together than one book in four sections. In fact, that is how it was originally published. There is definitely an overarching theme, but each section very much focusses on two people. I didn’t realise this in advance, and found it confusing, especially the third section (Summer), because it starts with two characters that have not even been mentioned in the previous two sections.

However, I did enjoy all four sections of this book. Each one contains a lovely romance, and Appleyard Farm and the village are the setting for all four.

Autumn (the final section) was my favourite. It includes both Stephen’s character development, and such a sweet romance. It also ends with the wedding of the two characters from Winter (the first section). However, I was disappointed that although the romantic side of the story had a satisfying ending, the criminal storyline did not. An epilogue tying this up would have been great.

Spring was another favourite, I loved all the discoveries about the previous occupants of the house and shop.

Amos was a great character, though only present in Winter. I know he’s in some of Emma’s other books, it’s always great when he crops up.

I enjoyed the way the seasons ran throughout the book, each story is threaded through with the season it is set in.

Overall, this was an enjoyable collection of romances, that work well together in one volume. Perfect for settling down with on a rainy day.

I was given a free copy of this book, my opinions are my own.

4 stories in one, told as Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer. A charming story of a farm, the main character Freya, friends, love, and saving the farm. Can she find love and save her farm at the same time? Loved the characters and the descriptions of the farm, it felt like I was there and I wanted to save it too! Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for the opportunity.

Another great book from Emma. 4 short stories in one. Great likeable characters, beautiful settings. A must read.

This delightful story of an apple orchard farm is set in the English countryside is told in four segments....Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. Along with their friends, we meet a group of people, making this story cozy and comforting.

Winter
We first meet Freya Sherbourne during the Christmas season, a time where homes are warm, the season is merry and hearts are light. But not so for Freya, as she is on the verge of losing the farm now that her father has died and a decision to sell is hanging over her head. This is the time of year when she harvests mistletoe and makes holly wreaths, selling them at an auction. With the help of a "hired" drifter, Amos, she is able to keep up with her Winter business. With his help and a friend, Sam, a man from the past who comes back into her life, she is able to re-energize. It was Sam, always Sam, that loved Freya, yet Stephen, Sam's brother,who was the one that pursued her, and wanted to marry her. He was the "spoiler"... he was the one that Freya stood up at the altar. Now Sam is back in her life, with Stephen, as ever, still lurking in the background . However, will love conquer all or will the past bring her down once more?

Spring
Friends of Freya and Sam, Merry and her husband Tom have decided on a new challenge in life along with Robyn their 3 month old daughter. They swapped their country house hotel for a house that hasn't been lived in for some time and a derelict shop that will need a "miracle" to open again. There will be challenges as they settle into Five Penny House, yet they are eager to begin a new phase in their lives. While cleaning out the storeroom at the shop, Merry and Tom find 7 canvases along with artists supplies as well as other treasures from the 60's and 70's. Who did this artwork and was this a gallery at one time? Will her neighbor Cora, who had introduced herself on their first day at the house, have the answers as she had lived in the village for a long, long time? Not all appears to be what it seems to be...mysteries and secrets abound! With rumors swirling around that the house and shop are cursed, Merry and Tom ignore the gossip, should they have?
In the meantime Freya and Sam, her soon to be husband., are working hard at the farm to make it a success...changes are on the way!

Summer
Jude and Willow Middleton have a family business -- Middleton Estates, with Jude running the business and Willow taking care of the fruit...which currently was strawberry. The pickers were out early, picking the sweet, ripened fruit which soon would be sitting in jars and jars with the sticky sweet jam for their shop. Now with Freya coming to the shop for a visit, Willow offers her a business decision that would be good for both women. Several weeks earlier Freya and Sam opened a shop selling juices made from the fruits at their orchard. Now Willow wants to gather elderflowers from Freya's farm and made cordials, ice cream and other jams to sell at her shop. With not only sharing the elderflower syrup with Freya and Merry as well, they would all work together and prosper with new products. But Willow had her dreams and could smell impending disaster before anything happened. Right now her dreams are telling her that Jude is facing impending disaster business wise. What did the future hold, what was in store for her and would her dreams come to fruition?

Autumn
We have almost come full circle now and watch as Freya goes to the churchyard to visit her father's grave. In a few weeks she will be walking down the aisle and marry Sam. While talking to her father, she doesn't notice Laura, a petite young woman who also visits the cemetery fairly often, but she doesn't know Freya at least as a friend, but only from her visits to the churchyard.

Going home later that afternoon, Laura had an errand to attend to and with her trusty dog Boris was walking on her way home. As luck would have it, a car speeding around the curve and nearly hit Stephen whose bicycle went careening into a hedgerow where Laura was picking fruit from the blackthorns. Not hearing the car speeding down the road, or Stephen's shouting, he couldn't fathom why she didn't move away. The answer, she is deaf! Yet after this encounter, Stephen decided he wanted to find this mystery woman. He was not alone, since Freya also wanted to find the person who made the beautiful wreath she had seen at the cemetery. A bit of a recluse, she made beautiful wreaths and flower arrangements that she brought to the churchyard...she was a caretaker for some of the graves. However, Freya finally met Laura again one morning at the churchyard and was able to ask her to make flower arrangements for her wedding. What were the chances she would agree? More to the point, would Stephen find her and if so, how would that end?

This was a wonderful novel, "magical" in many ways and warm with love and friendship. It is a book that is broken down into 4 separate stories but brought together with the main protagonist, Freya.
My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't know how to review this book. It was like 4 stories in one. I enjoyed it . The characters were great. I loved the brothers Sam and Stephen. Glad it ended well. Jude was a strong character and I liked him. The theme of the story was good . I will read it again in paper back

This was originally published as four short stories, but has now been released as one novel sized book. It features four ‘parts’ each focusing on one of the characters, but still featuring all the others as well. One of the main characters is Freya. She lives at Appleyard Farm, which was her family home, and has continued to live and run the business since her father died. The book begins at Christmas time, and we get to experience all the wonder of the Mistletoe Fair and the images of snowy fields and warming fires, as well as meet some of the other characters (Sam, Stephen, Merry, Tom) which we learn more about as the book moves on. The stories continue through Spring, Summer and Autumn, taking us on a full journey through the year.

I really enjoyed this book and connected with the characters straight away. I loved how it took us through all the seasons, showing a different view of their lives as it went on. I also loved how each ‘season’ focussed on different characters so you got to know their stories separately. I was reintroduced to a character which I’d already met in another book by this author – the lovely, magical and mysterious Amos Fry! I’d come across Amos in The Beekeeper’s Cottage, and whilst reviewing that book I found out that he was also in Merry Mistletoe, the first ‘part’ of this book. It was wonderful to see Amos again, turning up to help out in people’s hour of need.

The separate parts of the story were all captivating and very easy to read. Of course, you will always have your favourites when there are a lot of characters to choose from, and I have to admit that in this book is was definitely Laura, who we meet in the final part. Her story was particularly heart-breaking and yet endearing all in one go! The whole book is full of love, laughter, friends and family. It does also though have plenty of drama through family feuds, past relationships and the loss of loved ones. The author cleverly has you smiling and laughing on one page and wiping away tears on the next. My senses were overloaded in such a lovely way with the smells, tastes and images of all the different seasons, and once I picked up this book, I found it very difficult to put it down! Another enchanting read from this fabulous author! Would definitely recommend!

I discovered Emma Davies books last week, and having discovered how enjoyable they are, being on annual leave has given me the chance to read 3 of them. This was the last read and as with the others, it is a delightful tale of country living with many lovely characters, who are good friends. This book reintroduced characters from the others but could also be read standalone. This one was different as a different story took place for each season of the year, highlighting different characters, although each was linked to the others. This made for a very interesting and varied read.

Four interconnected stories that satisfy/ An absolutely smashing collection set in a charming village that the reader hopes is real. The characters are realistic, as are their problems. Just a fun book to read.

Love, hope, friendship and new beginnings are all happening in the beautifully described Apple yard farm, set amongst the apple orchards,and hedgerows full of elderflower, sloes and abundant foliage surrounded by fields of wildflowers you would think all was rosy and good!
Appearances can be so deceptive and poor Freya is in the position of having to sell the farm, however help is at hand in the form of her good friends and their entrepreneurial skills, this laced with a rekindling of an old love, forgiveness and following your heart takes you on an enjoyable ramble of a read.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.


I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, Emma's writing makes you feel like you’re standing alongside the characters.

The book had, as always a good balance of suspense and catching you off guard.

I can't wait for the next one.