All Is Bright

by Llinos Cathryn Thomas

When Bethan unexpectedly inherits a house from an old family friend, she's forced to return to the village where she was born - a village she left decades ago to escape homophobia and small-town gossip. She just wants to clear the place out, sell up, and escape back to London before Christmas. And as if being there wasn't bad enough already, the house over the road has some truly obnoxious Christmas lights.

Everyone in the village loves Mali's community-spirited Christmas lights. Everyone, that is, except for the rude - and annoyingly beautiful - newcomer across the road. Grieving the loss of a beloved friend, and worried about keeping her job at the local nature reserves, Mali doesn't have any patience left for entitled interlopers.

But places can change, and people can surprise you - as Christmas approaches, can Bethan and Mali get past their festive feud and see the light?

This novella has one chapter for each day from December 1-25 - it can be read all at once or one day at a time, advent calendar-style.

"A new favourite Christmas read! This novella is the most delicious Advent treat." - Stephanie Burgis, author of Wooing the Witch Queen and Snowspelled

Genres: Romance, LGBT, Lesbian

115 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 9, 2025

About the author

Llinos Cathryn Thomas was born and raised on the North Wales coast, where she read a lot of Welsh fairy tales and legends and watched a lot of Star Trek – which probably explains some things about how she turned out.

She now lives in London with her wife, and when she’s not writing she is often reading instead, and if she’s not doing either of those things she’s probably watching TV.

Reviews

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to get an ARC of this gorgeous novella and I had the nicest time reading it. It’s just lovely, the author’s love of North Wales absolutely shines through and wraps the reader in a warm hug. Which is just what this novella feels like in all other respects. I wish Mali and Bethan were real so they could be my friends. I will definitely be revisiting this as a little advent treat to myself - assuming I can keep myself to only reading one day at a time!

[IsagelCharles · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this sweet f/f Christmas romance novella. Its themes of returning to the places you fled because they didn’t have room for queerness and rediscovering them with fresh eyes in a different time really resonated with me. I read this book one short chapter a day throughout December as an advent calendar, as per the author’s suggestion, and it was a lovely bit of bedtime reading to end every day on a note of warmth. Do recommend!

[Jos · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely holiday read about grieving. It captured the beauty and bittersweetness of the holidays, especially for those who may be missing loved ones.

The length was just right. While the leads start off on the wrong foot, it's not drawn out. I would have liked a few more moments with the leads together, but it was well paced.

If you like your holiday romances a little more bittersweet, this might be for you. I also have a general soft spot for small-town UK settings where the town is very supportive of queerness, so if that's something you enjoy too, you might like this one.

[K Fabian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely sumptuous novella - I thought I was going to read it quickly because the premise and the characters were so delightful, but I ended up savouring it over several days, just luxuriating in the richly drawn world and the gorgeous romantic tension. Really sweet, really satisfying, really grounded in its setting and emotional world. Highly recommend, loved to pieces, will be rereading.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a delightful holiday romance! The story is told in 25 short pieces across the first 25 days of December, so you can save it up and read it like an advent calendar, one chapter per day. Alternately, you can just devour the whole thing, which I did when reading my e-ARC, because it was so lovely and gentle and fun - like a Hallmark Christmas story, but with more depth! - that I couldn't stop reading.

(However, I *am* planning to re-read it across the month of December in perfect Advent Calendar fashion!)

Bethan left her small town in North Wales for London many years ago, convinced that it was the only place where she could live freely and happily as part of an LGBTQ+ community. Now, though, she's unexpectedly inherited a house back in Wales...and when she arrives, she finds that her home town has changed as much as she has. Suddenly, it seems to have an awful lot to offer...

Especially in the form of the hot, queer naturalist across the street! ;)

Bethan and Mali get off to a bad start when Mali's bright Christmas lights stop Bethan from sleeping and they have an unfortunate encounter, but it's obvious to the reader from moment 1 that the two of them were made for each other - and the way they get there in the end is just so fun and sweet and enjoyable. Also, the setting is just so rich and real and lived-in. I just loved hanging out there with them!

A new favorite Christmas romance. :)

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely lovely f/f novella set in Wales at Christmas. The characters are beautifully and warmly drawn, and their character arcs and developing romance work so well. The setting is rich and atmospheric, and the characters really feel like part of that setting - it's important to who they are as well as being a joy to read about in their own right. It's also structured so you can read it advent calendar style, a chapter a day, and I really recommend it, it adds even more depth to them and their story (as well as being an excellent way to round off your day). I was lucky enough to be able to read an ARC that way last year and cannot wait to do the same this year.

[Iona Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a tender Christmassy f/f novella, about homecoming and family as well as love, and deeply, richly of its setting. A wintry Welsh Christmas feels real and textured, not window-dressing, and the characters too are shaped by who and where they come from. The novella also has a thing where you can read it with Advent itself, a chapter a day until Christmas. I did not do that because I wanted to know what happened, but I love that you could.

[Andrew Murray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this, an adorable romantic book, set in north Wales. Everyone in it felt well rounded; with lives before the story starts. There were delightful touches throughout, and a fun slow burn of neighbours to friends to more. The story is deliciously Welsh without being unapproachable to someone who only knows that Bryn is Hill in Welsh. A fun cute read that has me wandering where the nearest otters are, and whether I should make a panad. Go read it!

[Pers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a little delight of a tale. I love it. I love how the relationship between Bethan and Mali slowly winds itself up from would-be enemies to lovers. A joyous read.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and thoughtful; a pleasure.

[June · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story with a Wales setting, but the characters didn't grab me.

[fridge_brilliance · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little seasonal treat for the soul!

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slight but very likeable Christmas read!

[Eleni · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Welsh lesbian Christmas novella has a lovely warm atmosphere. It's a perfect festive comfort read, with likeable, well drawn protagonists and emotionally intelligent writing.

Bethan and Mali move from (low-key) enemies to tentative friends to mutual pining to lovers, and watching their relationship unfold is a joy every step of the way.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC in time to read a chapter each day last December and I couldn't have had a more delightful advent calendar. Highly recommend reading it this way if you have the self-control not to binge it!