Book Review - Make Do and Mend In Applewell by Lilac Mills

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Title: Make Do and Mend in Applewell

Author: Lilac Mills

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Canelo

Publication Date: 26th August 2021

Rating: 4 Stars

Can their marriage be mended in time for Christmas?

Lottie has always been thrifty. As a mother of three, it's even more important that she stretches the household budget as far as possible. Luckily, Lottie’s penchant for taking broken items and upcycling them has worked wonders for living on a shoestring.

Henry can’t face telling Lottie he’s been made redundant. Instead, he pretends to go to work as usual while frantically job hunting. The race is on to find another role before Lottie discovers he’s another useless item for her collection – one that is beyond repair.

Christmas is a time for giving, but will Lottie give Henry another chance if she learns about his lies? And can Henry give Lottie and their kids the life he so desperately wants them to have?

A wonderfully warm and lighthearted married romance for fans of Holly Martin and Phillipa Ashle

I really loved the themes of making do and mending, and upcycling that run through this book, and Lottie is fabulous at imagining and creating new uses for old things. What she can do with a ship and a door is rather impressive! 

Although the second book in the Applewell series it can easily be read as a standalone, I love Applewell, it is such a lovely sounding village in Wales, and its residents all seem to care for the environment and not wasting things. 

I also really loved Lottie's children, especially the youngest who seems to run her ragged,  But what frustrated me was Lottie and Henry's marriage. 

I wanted to shout at Henry to get him to tell the truth about what is going with him, while Lottie was suspecting things but not the right suspicions and I couldn't help but think I would have believed in them more as a couple if they actually talked to each other about what was concerning them, It was driving me demented!

But other than that I enjoyed this which was told in alternating perspectives between Lottie and Henry. Henry's troubles are real and will feel familiar to many, as will Lottie's suspicions. 

I just really loved Lottie's creativity, and found that was my favourite thing about this book.  It's a lovely story, nice and gentle, that drove me mad at the characters in places, but otherwise was warm and a pleasurable way to spend my time. 

Thank you to Canelo and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.