What do you think?
Rate this book
A Winterfold Christmas: A Harriet Evans novella
Sunday Times bestselling author Harriet Evans is taking us back to Winterfold for Christmas with a spin-off tale from her Top 5 bestseller, A Place for Us. Delight in a festive reunion with the Winter family - or meet them for the first time - and enjoy their recipes for the warmest of celebrations around the fire.'A master at creating characters you feel like you know inside out, and wish you could meet in real life' HeatWinterfold has always sprung to life at Christmas - the purple wisteria might be a distant memory, but in the crisp air of December, the glow of candles at the window and the warmth of the kitchen offer you a warm welcome.As Martha Winter's family fill the empty rooms with their laughter and cheer, the ghosts of the past are pushed into the shadows. Welcome to Winterfold. And the healing magic of Christmas.Harriet Evans. She brings you home.
93 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 5, 2015
33 people are currently reading
210 people want to read
About the author
Harriet Evans
109 books1,201 followersI was born in London and grew up there. I was very bookish, and had a huge imagination which used to cause me to get rather anxious at times. Now I know it's a good thing for a writer to have. I loved musicals, and playing imaginative games, and my Barbie perfume making kit. Most of all I loved reading. I read everything, but I also read lots of things over and over, which I think is so important.
At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and i loved the city, making new friends, being a new person.
After university I came back to London and got a job in publishing. I loved working in publishing so much, and really felt for the first time in my life that when I spoke people understood what I was saying. Book people are good people. I became an editor after a few years, working with many bestselling novelists, and in 2009 I left to write full time.
I've written 13 novels and several short stories and one Quick Read, which is an excellent way of getting people into reading more. I've acquired a partner and two children along the way.
In 2019 we moved to Bath, out of London, and I am very happy there. We live opposite a hedgerow, and I can be boring about gardening, and there's room for my collection of jumpsuits and all our books. We have lots of books. Apart from anything else they keep the house warm. xxx
At university I read Classical Studies, which is a great way of finding out that the world doesn't change much and people make the same mistakes but it's interesting to look at why. I was at Bristol, and i loved the city, making new friends, being a new person.
After university I came back to London and got a job in publishing. I loved working in publishing so much, and really felt for the first time in my life that when I spoke people understood what I was saying. Book people are good people. I became an editor after a few years, working with many bestselling novelists, and in 2009 I left to write full time.
I've written 13 novels and several short stories and one Quick Read, which is an excellent way of getting people into reading more. I've acquired a partner and two children along the way.
In 2019 we moved to Bath, out of London, and I am very happy there. We live opposite a hedgerow, and I can be boring about gardening, and there's room for my collection of jumpsuits and all our books. We have lots of books. Apart from anything else they keep the house warm. xxx
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
December 4, 2021
A heartwarming & short festive read- full of recipes & added extras too. Lovely x
June 15, 2023
Way back in the summer of 2015 I read this author's "A Place for Us" and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I realized that this novella featured the same family and characters I was keen to read it.
It was lovely traveling back to Somerset and the old house called Winterfold. Two years have passed since the end of the novel and the matriarch of the Winter family is still grieving her beloved husband David. Martha's grandchildren are at Winterfold for Christmas, but the dinner is being prepared by Cat's boyfriend Joe, who is a chef.
This is a Christmas novella which includes recipes and a carol or two. It lacks the 'heft' and 'gravitas' of the novel that preceded it, though it was enjoyable in its own right. A welcome bit of light reading between more serious works.
It was lovely traveling back to Somerset and the old house called Winterfold. Two years have passed since the end of the novel and the matriarch of the Winter family is still grieving her beloved husband David. Martha's grandchildren are at Winterfold for Christmas, but the dinner is being prepared by Cat's boyfriend Joe, who is a chef.
This is a Christmas novella which includes recipes and a carol or two. It lacks the 'heft' and 'gravitas' of the novel that preceded it, though it was enjoyable in its own right. A welcome bit of light reading between more serious works.
November 21, 2015
A short story. It was nice catching up with the Winters, two years after the end of A Place for Us. I don't think there is any point in reading this as a standalone - you really need to have read A Place for Us first to understand how the characters fit together and to get anything out of the story. I enjoyed this and would recommend it if you liked the first book.
January 29, 2021
A heartwarming short story
November 28, 2015
A Winterfold Christmas is a novella briefly continuing the story of the Winter family whom we met in A Place for Us which I reviewed back in January. At the time I remember wishing that there would be more to come from these characters as I felt readers needed just that little extra to tie up all the loose ends. Thankfully Harriet Evans has fulfilled my wish and I was delighted to be reunited with a family who struck a chord with me when I had first met them. Described as a festive reunion my only question was - would Harriet Evans be able to recreate the magic captured so perfectly in A Place for Us? I had my fingers crossed she would as with that book I felt the author had really stepped up her writing to a whole new level in venturing into a family saga type book. How she dealt with the fall out within a family from so many secrets was excellent. With this story for me there was always a danger having read so much during the year that I would have forgotten the characters and certain details but within a few pages it all came flooding back and this 95 page novella (short but sweet) was well worth the read if only to reunite with an intriguing cast of characters.
The story begins in November and each chapter follows a different character in the lead up Christmas Day. Joe Thorne works in the local pub and is in a relationship with Cat - granddaughter of the matriarch of the Winter clan Martha. To make himself feel useful particularly as his son will be away over the festive period with his ex wife, Joe volunteers to cook the Christmas dinner. Woe betide anyone who gets in the way of tradition at the Winter household. Things have been the same for years with customs, traditions and parties observed for as long as one can remember. Has Joe bitten off more than he can chew especially when he insists on doing numerous things at once? God love poor Joe he really only wanted to fit in with the family of the woman he adored. As for Cat there is something troubling her and she just can't put her finger on it. She is safe, secure and happy with Joe so why can't she relax and enjoy Christmas with the man of her dreams and young son Luke. Florence - Martha's daughter had a great storyline in the previous book and here really she only gets a fleeting mention more a checking in/updating rather than anything else. But none the less it was nice to see how happy she now is.
Lucy, another granddaughter of Cat, has seemed to have really matured and appears to be a lot more happy and content with her life. She has a new job on a magazine which may not be the most high brow but she is satisfied with her lot. A new flatmate of the opposite gender has her heart a flutter but he is so different from anyone she has ever met before. Needless to say he is oblivious to what is right before his eyes. I have to say Lucy's tradition of present wrapping and all her little quirks surrounding the evening were such a nice bonus and I'm sure many of us will identify with them.
What of Martha, stalwart of the family in good times and bad? Well she seems to be a very different character to the one I first met. A grief shaped hole just seems to be ever deepening and she is stuck unable to see any way forward 'a great big hole waiting to swallow her up if she let it'. I just felt desperately sorry for Martha. She could see all around her members of the close knit family were moving on whilst she remained stuck in the same place, anchor less and needing support and comfort. She feels what is the point of keeping going? The scene in the church is oh so memorable and powerful and very carefully written and did strike such a chord with me. Martha is weary, sad and bruised emotionally and doesn't know how to be comforted or to comfort. 'Everyone's coming home and they're all moving on and they've got these wonderful new lives and I – I want to go back in time, not forward'. Does Martha come to any sort of peace once the family reunite? Will the Christmas dinner go without a hitch? Will you once again fall back in love with these characters?
A Winterfold Christmas is a beautiful, fitting read for this time of year and it's just the right length too. Perfect to pick up and read a few pages in between dashing about preparing for Christmas. My only issue with it and this is more to do with if you have not read A Place for Us is that you will not appreciate the story and its characters. Yes the background information is slipped in but to really understand the depth of feelings and emotions experienced by each person we meet you should really read the full length novel first followed by this straight after. You will then get much more from this novella as the Winter family are special and deserve to be given a chance just to show you how remarkable and resilient they are.
Authors often say novellas following on from a novel can be read as a stand alone or I myself might comment that it's perfectly ok to read part two in a series without having read the first instalment but I would urge you not to do that here as you would be missing out on the ups and down the various members of the family have already experienced. Harriet Evans has given her readers an apt conclusion to the story of the Winters and I am very glad to discover how life panned out after such upheaval in their lives. The family and their story have now been put to rest. So where will Harriet take her fans to next? In May Harriet releases The Butterfly Summer. Keepsake is the house mentioned in the blurb and already I am curious as to what is in store for us.
The story begins in November and each chapter follows a different character in the lead up Christmas Day. Joe Thorne works in the local pub and is in a relationship with Cat - granddaughter of the matriarch of the Winter clan Martha. To make himself feel useful particularly as his son will be away over the festive period with his ex wife, Joe volunteers to cook the Christmas dinner. Woe betide anyone who gets in the way of tradition at the Winter household. Things have been the same for years with customs, traditions and parties observed for as long as one can remember. Has Joe bitten off more than he can chew especially when he insists on doing numerous things at once? God love poor Joe he really only wanted to fit in with the family of the woman he adored. As for Cat there is something troubling her and she just can't put her finger on it. She is safe, secure and happy with Joe so why can't she relax and enjoy Christmas with the man of her dreams and young son Luke. Florence - Martha's daughter had a great storyline in the previous book and here really she only gets a fleeting mention more a checking in/updating rather than anything else. But none the less it was nice to see how happy she now is.
Lucy, another granddaughter of Cat, has seemed to have really matured and appears to be a lot more happy and content with her life. She has a new job on a magazine which may not be the most high brow but she is satisfied with her lot. A new flatmate of the opposite gender has her heart a flutter but he is so different from anyone she has ever met before. Needless to say he is oblivious to what is right before his eyes. I have to say Lucy's tradition of present wrapping and all her little quirks surrounding the evening were such a nice bonus and I'm sure many of us will identify with them.
What of Martha, stalwart of the family in good times and bad? Well she seems to be a very different character to the one I first met. A grief shaped hole just seems to be ever deepening and she is stuck unable to see any way forward 'a great big hole waiting to swallow her up if she let it'. I just felt desperately sorry for Martha. She could see all around her members of the close knit family were moving on whilst she remained stuck in the same place, anchor less and needing support and comfort. She feels what is the point of keeping going? The scene in the church is oh so memorable and powerful and very carefully written and did strike such a chord with me. Martha is weary, sad and bruised emotionally and doesn't know how to be comforted or to comfort. 'Everyone's coming home and they're all moving on and they've got these wonderful new lives and I – I want to go back in time, not forward'. Does Martha come to any sort of peace once the family reunite? Will the Christmas dinner go without a hitch? Will you once again fall back in love with these characters?
A Winterfold Christmas is a beautiful, fitting read for this time of year and it's just the right length too. Perfect to pick up and read a few pages in between dashing about preparing for Christmas. My only issue with it and this is more to do with if you have not read A Place for Us is that you will not appreciate the story and its characters. Yes the background information is slipped in but to really understand the depth of feelings and emotions experienced by each person we meet you should really read the full length novel first followed by this straight after. You will then get much more from this novella as the Winter family are special and deserve to be given a chance just to show you how remarkable and resilient they are.
Authors often say novellas following on from a novel can be read as a stand alone or I myself might comment that it's perfectly ok to read part two in a series without having read the first instalment but I would urge you not to do that here as you would be missing out on the ups and down the various members of the family have already experienced. Harriet Evans has given her readers an apt conclusion to the story of the Winters and I am very glad to discover how life panned out after such upheaval in their lives. The family and their story have now been put to rest. So where will Harriet take her fans to next? In May Harriet releases The Butterfly Summer. Keepsake is the house mentioned in the blurb and already I am curious as to what is in store for us.
December 29, 2020
Nice little short story
December 21, 2015
Originally posted on:> http://lauraslittlebookblog.blogspot....
If like me, you read A Place for Us at the beginning of this year- my goodness time flies!- and loved it as much as I did, then you will delighted that this is a short story revisit to all those wonderful and eclectic characters at the enchanting place that is Winterfold. You could read it as a stand alone, but a lot of it would not make 100% sense, so read A Place for Us first.
I remember there being a couple of loose ends at the end of A Place for Us, nothing major, but would have liked them to be tied off nicely, so delightfully, A Winterfold Christmas does tie up these loose ends very nicely and I got a real sense of satisfaction knowing how everything feel into place.
Although short, A Winterfold Christmas was a delight to read and it was so lovely to revisit all of the old characters in their lead up to Christmas and see where they were one year on.
Overall another, lovely short and festive read from the loveliness that is Harriet Evans.
If like me, you read A Place for Us at the beginning of this year- my goodness time flies!- and loved it as much as I did, then you will delighted that this is a short story revisit to all those wonderful and eclectic characters at the enchanting place that is Winterfold. You could read it as a stand alone, but a lot of it would not make 100% sense, so read A Place for Us first.
I remember there being a couple of loose ends at the end of A Place for Us, nothing major, but would have liked them to be tied off nicely, so delightfully, A Winterfold Christmas does tie up these loose ends very nicely and I got a real sense of satisfaction knowing how everything feel into place.
Although short, A Winterfold Christmas was a delight to read and it was so lovely to revisit all of the old characters in their lead up to Christmas and see where they were one year on.
Overall another, lovely short and festive read from the loveliness that is Harriet Evans.
February 8, 2016
Having just read a place for us it was nice to see what happened after the book and this was a nice little addition to that I thought,we get a bit of a catch up with our favourite characters although a couple of them are missing however a new one is introduced. Although this was short I really enjoyed it a nice little christmas read with some great recipes one thing I will say tho us if you haven't read a place for us you won't get this so I recommend you read that first ☺☺
December 2, 2015
3.5. I liked the recipes :)
October 29, 2025
🎄“Short, Sweet, and Stuffed with Holiday Spirit” — A Winterfold Christmas by Harriet Evans
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a sweet and very short holiday novella to get you ready for the season! A Winterfold Christmas is the perfect bite-sized read — think one cozy evening, a mug of hot chocolate, and maybe a plate of cookies to match.
It’s charming, festive, and even includes recipes (yes, please!). I loved the sprinkle of intrigue that kept things from being too sugary sweet. It didn’t knock my stockings off, but it definitely warmed my heart and left me humming Christmas tunes.
📚 Themes:
• Found family ❤️
• Small-town holiday charm 🎁
• Secrets and seasonal surprises 🔍
• Food, family, and forgiveness 🕯️
#AWinterfoldChristmas #HarrietEvans #HolidayNovella #CozyBookVibes #ShortReads #FestiveFiction #ChristmasStories #Bookstagram #CozyUpAndRead
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a sweet and very short holiday novella to get you ready for the season! A Winterfold Christmas is the perfect bite-sized read — think one cozy evening, a mug of hot chocolate, and maybe a plate of cookies to match.
It’s charming, festive, and even includes recipes (yes, please!). I loved the sprinkle of intrigue that kept things from being too sugary sweet. It didn’t knock my stockings off, but it definitely warmed my heart and left me humming Christmas tunes.
📚 Themes:
• Found family ❤️
• Small-town holiday charm 🎁
• Secrets and seasonal surprises 🔍
• Food, family, and forgiveness 🕯️
#AWinterfoldChristmas #HarrietEvans #HolidayNovella #CozyBookVibes #ShortReads #FestiveFiction #ChristmasStories #Bookstagram #CozyUpAndRead
November 12, 2017
A nice little book. I read A Place for Us last year, this book is about what happens after that one.
September 9, 2024
Short and lovely Christmas story.
April 13, 2020
Reviews can also be found on my blog Escapades of a Bookworm
Yay, I was so happy to be reunited with the Winterfold family. I loved that we got to catch up with the Winterfold’s two years after the events in A Place for Us. And I have to be honest you probably won’t appreciate these characters or at least understand them unless you have read the previous book.
I loved that we got another ending for the Winterfolds. One that is probably a bit more happy and satisfying as all have grown and got on with their lives. And it was lovely to see them all reunited and still acting as one family unit despite the ups and downs they had previously had.
This is a funny, uplifting book, that is perfect to curl up and read in front of the fire with. It also lets you catch up with favourite characters quickly and easily. Similar to those Christmas cards that include little snippets of what has been going on in the last year :)
This is a great little read, that will both put you in the Christmas spirit and leaving you hoping that no cooking disasters occur!
Yay, I was so happy to be reunited with the Winterfold family. I loved that we got to catch up with the Winterfold’s two years after the events in A Place for Us. And I have to be honest you probably won’t appreciate these characters or at least understand them unless you have read the previous book.
I loved that we got another ending for the Winterfolds. One that is probably a bit more happy and satisfying as all have grown and got on with their lives. And it was lovely to see them all reunited and still acting as one family unit despite the ups and downs they had previously had.
This is a funny, uplifting book, that is perfect to curl up and read in front of the fire with. It also lets you catch up with favourite characters quickly and easily. Similar to those Christmas cards that include little snippets of what has been going on in the last year :)
This is a great little read, that will both put you in the Christmas spirit and leaving you hoping that no cooking disasters occur!
September 15, 2018
A Winterfold Christmas by [Evans, Harriet]I was given this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Reading Harriet Evans' books give me a cozy, at-home feeling. In A Winterfold Christmas the Winter family are awaiting a family reunion. This reunion is to take place over Christmas. Martha Winter enjoys the joyful feeling of having family around but also feels the ghosts of the past surround her. This is a magical time and this is a wonderful place to experience it.
As with other works of Harriet Evans, she has a gift to make the reader feel that warm feeling that comes when most families come together.
Reading Harriet Evans' books give me a cozy, at-home feeling. In A Winterfold Christmas the Winter family are awaiting a family reunion. This reunion is to take place over Christmas. Martha Winter enjoys the joyful feeling of having family around but also feels the ghosts of the past surround her. This is a magical time and this is a wonderful place to experience it.
As with other works of Harriet Evans, she has a gift to make the reader feel that warm feeling that comes when most families come together.
December 23, 2015
This was a very short Novella about the Winter family Christmas plans and event. I did not read the book that this was a spin-off from so was a little confused about where and how some of the family fit together but it was still a cute story. After reading other reveiwers comments it is a wrap up of the book "A Place For Us" so I would recommend that you read that first. I will go back and read it now as my interest in these characters is definitely peaked.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
December 28, 2015
I really really wanted to like this but sadly it didnt do it for me this time which is a shame as i love Harriet's books. I felt the story was a little all over the place and i kept getting lost throughout of who was who as there were too many people in it. I felt it didnt get going untill i was 75% in. I had to keep reading because i hate an unfinished book. I feel like i might miss something good.Saying that i loved the festive cooking and how the family all pulled together. A fire pit and pizza under the stars sounded lovely. I think it was also lovely to of added the Choir into the mix.
December 1, 2015
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Meeting the Winterfolds for the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel about their thwarted Christmas plans! Light, yet insightful, with well developed characters, I will definitely be searching for more of this entertaining family's adventures.
Meeting the Winterfolds for the first time, I thoroughly enjoyed this short novel about their thwarted Christmas plans! Light, yet insightful, with well developed characters, I will definitely be searching for more of this entertaining family's adventures.
December 14, 2015
Crying on the train. Again. I loved A Place for Us when it came out and I loved meeting up with the characters again to see what's happened since we left them. This is a touching but fun Christmas novella. I wish it was longer, but that's because I love the characters so much not because the story felt like it was missing anything.
December 3, 2015
Fabulous read
March 18, 2016
It was a charming short story.
November 18, 2016
So lovely to be back at winterfold with the Winter family that we met in A place for us. This is a lovely extremely quick trip to say hi to old friends.
December 22, 2016
I didn't realize this was a novella that goes with some other books, so I didn't know the characters or circumstances. I did enjoy the message of the book, though.
December 28, 2016
Lovely sequel to a place for us. Nice to see where the characters are at. Good story.
December 30, 2016
Cute follow up to the previous novel, which extends the story for our characters and brings them together for Christmas.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews