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The Barn on Half Moon Hill
Cariad Williams has been writing to Franco Mezzaluna since they were kids. But he has never written back. And now he has become a famous film star. What's more, he is due to visit Winterworld, the Christmas theme park where Cariad works. The only problem is that she has boasted to her friends that he is her boyfriend and now everyone will find out about her lie...
85 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2016
151 people are currently reading
632 people want to read
About the author
Milly Johnson
52 books2,137 followersMilly Johnson was born in Barnsley, raised in Barnsley and still lives in Barnsley. She writes about strong women, often having a renaissance, all ages and has just released her 22nd novel Same Time Next Week. Do check out her website for up to date news and appearance dates.
As well as a novelist she is a professional joke writer, performance poet, newspaper and magazine columnist and also after dinner/motivational speaker.
She is on insta as @themillyjohnson, facebook as @millyjohnsonauthor, Twitter as @millyjohnson and a ridiculous presence on TikTok @millyjohnsonauthor. Do give her a follow - even if it's just out of sympathy!
As well as a novelist she is a professional joke writer, performance poet, newspaper and magazine columnist and also after dinner/motivational speaker.
She is on insta as @themillyjohnson, facebook as @millyjohnsonauthor, Twitter as @millyjohnson and a ridiculous presence on TikTok @millyjohnsonauthor. Do give her a follow - even if it's just out of sympathy!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews
September 1, 2025
Lovely short story that takes place at the same time as "The Mother of All Christmases". Wonderful!
Note: Read this after reading the Daily Trumpet story and before reading Chapter 29 in "The Mother of All Christmases".
Note: Read this after reading the Daily Trumpet story and before reading Chapter 29 in "The Mother of All Christmases".
May 28, 2022
4.5 stars
Milly Johnson’s stories are sweet, feel good, and magical and this short story is no exception.
I can’t wait to read all her books in published order since many characters, as I’ve just found out, appear in previous and following books.
I simply adored A Winter Flame which featured many gorgeous and hilarious characters and the beautiful Christmas theme park, Winterworld.
In The Barn on Half Moon Hill we revisit Winterworld and catch up with familiar characters.
I was wonderfully drawn into Cariad and Franco’s endearing tale. I hope their story continues on in one of the other many books written by Milly as there is so much more to tell, such as, the barn that has been purchased to use as a studio. To say more would be a spoiler. And I do need to know more about Franco, lovely, sweet Franco!
The characters are brought to life through the authors vivid descriptions, made them authentic and relatable.
Milly Johnson’s books will always leave you with a smile on your face.
Milly Johnson’s stories are sweet, feel good, and magical and this short story is no exception.
I can’t wait to read all her books in published order since many characters, as I’ve just found out, appear in previous and following books.
I simply adored A Winter Flame which featured many gorgeous and hilarious characters and the beautiful Christmas theme park, Winterworld.
In The Barn on Half Moon Hill we revisit Winterworld and catch up with familiar characters.
I was wonderfully drawn into Cariad and Franco’s endearing tale. I hope their story continues on in one of the other many books written by Milly as there is so much more to tell, such as, the barn that has been purchased to use as a studio. To say more would be a spoiler. And I do need to know more about Franco, lovely, sweet Franco!
The characters are brought to life through the authors vivid descriptions, made them authentic and relatable.
Milly Johnson’s books will always leave you with a smile on your face.
March 31, 2023
A lovely short read from one of my favourite authors
December 26, 2016
Cariad has been writing to Franco Mezzaluna for years, only he never replied. He's a famous movie star and has been asked to do some publicity for Winterworld, which is where Cariad happens to work. Cariad has told everyone they know one another, but she isn't sure if he would actually recognize her. She's thrilled when Franco notices her in the audience almost straight away and wants to spend the afternoon with her...
The Barn on Half Moon Hill is a wonderful story and it put a big smile on my face. Cariad is a sweetheart, so she has the exact right name. I loved how Milly Johnson makes it easy to like and get to know her right from the start. The story is both endearing and romantic. Franco has a big secret that he hasn't shared with the world, but he tells Cariad what it is, which is really charming. He's such a big star, but he immediately shows Cariad his real self. She gets to see his vulnerable side because of her letters. They're both lovely and I enjoyed reading their story very much.
The Barn on Half Moon Hill is special, not only because of the story itself, but also because the profits go to the Care for Claire charity. I absolutely love that and recommend you to get this story straight away. It's fantastic to support a great cause and receive something amazing in return.
The Barn on Half Moon Hill is a wonderful story and it put a big smile on my face. Cariad is a sweetheart, so she has the exact right name. I loved how Milly Johnson makes it easy to like and get to know her right from the start. The story is both endearing and romantic. Franco has a big secret that he hasn't shared with the world, but he tells Cariad what it is, which is really charming. He's such a big star, but he immediately shows Cariad his real self. She gets to see his vulnerable side because of her letters. They're both lovely and I enjoyed reading their story very much.
The Barn on Half Moon Hill is special, not only because of the story itself, but also because the profits go to the Care for Claire charity. I absolutely love that and recommend you to get this story straight away. It's fantastic to support a great cause and receive something amazing in return.
October 23, 2017
I'm not that much of a fan of short stories as no sooner have I got into the story it's finishing. However with this book being part of a charity to raise funds for the Car for Claire Charity I figured it was a good enough reason to read it.
As usual Milly Johnson manages to createe characters I like instantly and Cariad is no different. A lady that spent years writing to Franco Mezzaluna her childhood friend. The only problem is he has never written back and has now become a famous film star.
With the imminent arrival of Franco to the town where Cariad lives her tension mounts and she has no idea what to expect. A lovely short story with a lovely ending albeit a story I could have continued reading about as I would have loved to have known what happened next for all the characters involved. Although short stories aren't really my thing this was for a great cause and Milly's writing does just the thing and this 80 page treat was perfect to cheer me up one lunch break!
As usual Milly Johnson manages to createe characters I like instantly and Cariad is no different. A lady that spent years writing to Franco Mezzaluna her childhood friend. The only problem is he has never written back and has now become a famous film star.
With the imminent arrival of Franco to the town where Cariad lives her tension mounts and she has no idea what to expect. A lovely short story with a lovely ending albeit a story I could have continued reading about as I would have loved to have known what happened next for all the characters involved. Although short stories aren't really my thing this was for a great cause and Milly's writing does just the thing and this 80 page treat was perfect to cheer me up one lunch break!
November 29, 2021
Lovely story, but not standalone. Without knowing A Winter Flame you will lose some understanding. Moreover, it has a rather not satisfying ending. I hope that I will see the rest of Cariad and Franco's story in The Mother of All Christmases - otherwise, I am going to be a bit angry ;-)
January 31, 2020
Lovely short read (very good if you're really behind with your reading challenge).
July 30, 2019
Read this in about an hour or so. Nice little fairytale romance. The Mother of all Christmases is next on my list, so I picked this one during a power outage we had last night as relief from a dark psych thriller I was reading. It was a tonic. It is such a luxury to have new books by Milly Johnson to plug into my reading life when needed when I have already read and re-read my other favorite authors.
August 23, 2016
Super sweet short story/novella. I seriously need a full length novel about Cariad (great name) and Franco. I feel like I didn't get enough, and for someone who is a romance junkie, I won't be satisfied until they're married with babies.
January 4, 2020
A cute little story
A cute little story with a nice moral to it
As Cariads housemates het their comeuppance. A lovely offering from milly Johnson
A cute little story with a nice moral to it
As Cariads housemates het their comeuppance. A lovely offering from milly Johnson
April 30, 2020
Such a beautiful short read, please tell me there is a follow up I would love to see where this takes them.
January 11, 2021
Soon as I started it, this was a no for me.
May 30, 2016
This book is set in Winterworld which is from my favourite Milly Johnson book, A winter Flame. Cariad has been writing to Franco for years- but has never received a reply. He's a movie star now- and is opening a new feature at the theme park.
I loved the way they met and meeting some of the characters from A Winter Flame. It was a wonderfully cosy read.
Milly is donating the whole proceeds from this book to the Care for Claire charity which is helping a woman rebuild her life after her ex husband devastated her life. Milly has written about it here and it is a truly wonderful cause- I hope that it manages to go a long way to helping this woman start to move on and feel the warmth of everyone who has helped raise money to help.
http://millyjohnson.co.uk/why-i-wrote...
I loved the way they met and meeting some of the characters from A Winter Flame. It was a wonderfully cosy read.
Milly is donating the whole proceeds from this book to the Care for Claire charity which is helping a woman rebuild her life after her ex husband devastated her life. Milly has written about it here and it is a truly wonderful cause- I hope that it manages to go a long way to helping this woman start to move on and feel the warmth of everyone who has helped raise money to help.
http://millyjohnson.co.uk/why-i-wrote...
June 18, 2016
I absolutely loved this book, just wished it was longer. This short story revisits some of the characters from A Winter Flame, it was nice to catch up with them.
The epilogue hints that there may be another book written about Jacques & Eve from A Winter Flame, I hope there as I'd really enjoy reading that.
The epilogue hints that there may be another book written about Jacques & Eve from A Winter Flame, I hope there as I'd really enjoy reading that.
July 18, 2016
Milly Johnson knows how to tell a story and manages to pack an awful lot into this short one. It was lovely to revisit Winterworld and meet up with some familiar characters and I do hope there will be a follow up. An excellent 'feel good' tale with well drawn and engaging characters, and importantly, all the proceeds are raising money for a charity.
July 14, 2016
Another good read by Milly and all for one of the most worthwhile causes I can think of.
The story is fun and inspiring, and I really enjoyed the sense of hope and positivity, whilst tying up some of the stories of characters from earlier books.
And you never know - it has inspired me to get writing myself. I will change my username to Mrs Bradley Cooper just as soon as I can!
The story is fun and inspiring, and I really enjoyed the sense of hope and positivity, whilst tying up some of the stories of characters from earlier books.
And you never know - it has inspired me to get writing myself. I will change my username to Mrs Bradley Cooper just as soon as I can!
December 3, 2018
Fabulous!
If you've read A Winter Flame you'll recognise the characters in this delightful short story. Also, if you're planning on reading Milly Johnson's latest offering, The Mother Of All Christmases you will want to dive in and have a quick catch up with Eve and Max as I believe we will be encountering them again.
I've had this book on my Kindle for a long time and have been saving it for a rainy day. I'm very pleased I did as I now get to move on and find out where the story branches off to and hopefully catch up with all those I've fallen in love with over the course of my time visiting Winterworld.
As if all that isn't enough, all the proceeds of this wonderful short go to a fantastic charity. So not only do you get to read more of MJ's fabulous writing, but you get to feel all warm and glowy inside knowing you're helping someone else in a teeny, tiny way.
If you've read A Winter Flame you'll recognise the characters in this delightful short story. Also, if you're planning on reading Milly Johnson's latest offering, The Mother Of All Christmases you will want to dive in and have a quick catch up with Eve and Max as I believe we will be encountering them again.
I've had this book on my Kindle for a long time and have been saving it for a rainy day. I'm very pleased I did as I now get to move on and find out where the story branches off to and hopefully catch up with all those I've fallen in love with over the course of my time visiting Winterworld.
As if all that isn't enough, all the proceeds of this wonderful short go to a fantastic charity. So not only do you get to read more of MJ's fabulous writing, but you get to feel all warm and glowy inside knowing you're helping someone else in a teeny, tiny way.
August 18, 2020
Although it is a stand-alone story in its own right, The Barn on Half Moon Hill features a quick return trip to Winterworld and was a prequel to the book that came out in the winter of 2018.
Whilst it is only a short story, it is a lovely bit of escapism for an hour that certainly acted as a teaser of what was to come, or as a taster of Milly Johnson’s style of writing if you’ve never read her before.
Available exclusively as an Ebook for only 99p, all proceeds go to a very worthy charity, Care for Claire, a tragic tale of a lady who lost everything! What a lovely way to donate to charity and get something for yourself at the same time. It costs the same as a bar of chocolate but lasts longer and will leave you guilt-free. Go ahead put the kettle on now, click through to Amazon, and put your feet up for an hour or two.
Whilst it is only a short story, it is a lovely bit of escapism for an hour that certainly acted as a teaser of what was to come, or as a taster of Milly Johnson’s style of writing if you’ve never read her before.
Available exclusively as an Ebook for only 99p, all proceeds go to a very worthy charity, Care for Claire, a tragic tale of a lady who lost everything! What a lovely way to donate to charity and get something for yourself at the same time. It costs the same as a bar of chocolate but lasts longer and will leave you guilt-free. Go ahead put the kettle on now, click through to Amazon, and put your feet up for an hour or two.
September 12, 2018
Finally got around to reading this!😁
It breaks my heart knowing why Milly wrote this story so I am very pleased to be able to help, in such a small way, by buying it. As always, I am not disappointed in this wonderful work of art by the lovely Ms.Johnson. I am now looking forward, even more, to the next book coming out in November knowing that Jacques and Eve will be continuing their story. With a lot of love, I wish Claire Throssell the very best of everything in your life to come....I am so sorry for the devestating loss that you have suffered..Congratulations Milly! Keep calm and carry on writing 😊 5* xxxxxxx
It breaks my heart knowing why Milly wrote this story so I am very pleased to be able to help, in such a small way, by buying it. As always, I am not disappointed in this wonderful work of art by the lovely Ms.Johnson. I am now looking forward, even more, to the next book coming out in November knowing that Jacques and Eve will be continuing their story. With a lot of love, I wish Claire Throssell the very best of everything in your life to come....I am so sorry for the devestating loss that you have suffered..Congratulations Milly! Keep calm and carry on writing 😊 5* xxxxxxx
May 3, 2024
Just nice...
This is a nice short story perfect for catching up with some reading and a nice story with a moral at the centre. However, I felt slightly disappointed as the book felt shorter than it should have been. I knew this was a short story but just as the story was going somewhere, it was all tied up and concluded. The rest of the book was a preview to another book, which I thought may be a longer novel exploring these characters, sadly it was not.
Additionally, I wasn't a fan of the bad language and the story just didn't captivate me in the way that I had hoped.
This is a nice short story perfect for catching up with some reading and a nice story with a moral at the centre. However, I felt slightly disappointed as the book felt shorter than it should have been. I knew this was a short story but just as the story was going somewhere, it was all tied up and concluded. The rest of the book was a preview to another book, which I thought may be a longer novel exploring these characters, sadly it was not.
Additionally, I wasn't a fan of the bad language and the story just didn't captivate me in the way that I had hoped.
December 18, 2023
This was a truly lovely little short story, but I really do think this could have been great as a full length story but regardless of that, I still very much enjoyed it.
Was well written, and was a pretty unique storyline, not something you come across in lots of other books which is always a nice change.
Was well written, and was a pretty unique storyline, not something you come across in lots of other books which is always a nice change.
May 23, 2017
You will feel all the better , for reading this book,
This is a gentle tale about ,never giving up , believing in your dreams ,and eating a wonderful meal of fish and chips , in Yorkshire,
This is a gentle tale about ,never giving up , believing in your dreams ,and eating a wonderful meal of fish and chips , in Yorkshire,
June 24, 2018
The proceeds of this short book go to charity - so even if you don't read it buying it means you are helping a good cause.
It's a quick read and I enjoyed it. It has a good story line and some great characters, which are well developed given the short time frame of the book.
It's a quick read and I enjoyed it. It has a good story line and some great characters, which are well developed given the short time frame of the book.
December 31, 2018
A fun short story
A fun short story. Cariad Williams has been writing to her Hollywood film star crush for years although he has never replied. This will get all fan girls writing letters to their heart throbs.
A fun short story. Cariad Williams has been writing to her Hollywood film star crush for years although he has never replied. This will get all fan girls writing letters to their heart throbs.
December 10, 2019
Beautifully Fun x
I bought this after reading the Mother of Chrisrmasses and wanting to help the lady who'd list her dear children.
I enjoyed the fun and romance of the story, always good to be in uncle Effins company!
I bought this after reading the Mother of Chrisrmasses and wanting to help the lady who'd list her dear children.
I enjoyed the fun and romance of the story, always good to be in uncle Effins company!
April 3, 2021
A very short story indeed.
I was very disappointed to find that instead of the 81 pages it was supposed to be it was only 56. The rest was a preview of
another book. Having enjoyed previous books it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
I was very disappointed to find that instead of the 81 pages it was supposed to be it was only 56. The rest was a preview of
another book. Having enjoyed previous books it certainly wasn't what I was expecting.
January 29, 2024
A delightful short story from Milly Johnson. I have read several of hers and loved every one and this is no exception. Beautifully written, lots to enjoy and as always with Milly, a wonderfully satisfying ending.
August 30, 2017
Enchanting short story which revisits characters from A Winters Flame. It centres on Cariad, who has been writing to Franco Mezzaluna since she was small.....
May 26, 2018
Short story
A short story but good read, just wish it was a bit longer
Looking forward to reading more by Milly Johnson
A short story but good read, just wish it was a bit longer
Looking forward to reading more by Milly Johnson
December 11, 2018
Another great short story catching up with some of my favourite characters from A Winters Flame.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 68 reviews