The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by Beth Moran

This week, I am diving into several first-time reads from a few new authors, and I couldn't be more delighted. This heartwarming story follows the unexpected encounter of two strangers and how their lives become intertwined in a pivotal moment. Mary and Beckett are beautifully crafted characters, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know them.

The story kicks off with a sense of urgency as Mary, in the throes of labour, jumps into Beckett’s taxi. A fierce snowstorm blankets the area, making it impossible for them to reach the hospital. In a stroke of luck, Beckett manages to locate New Life Community Church, a welcoming place where the congregation is ready and willing to assist Mary in delivering her baby.

Mary, a co-owner of a highly successful fashion company based in Sheffield, has made a courageous decision to escape her hectic old life for the tranquillity of Sherwood Forest. Living in a quaint, run-down cottage surrounded by nature, she is trying to put her life back together on her own with no family or friends to help. On the other hand, Beckett, who was once a medical doctor, sacrificed his promising career to care for his grandfather, Marvin, after he suffered a stroke. This act of devotion showcases Beckett’s character as calm, reliable, and deeply compassionate.

Both Mary and Beckett are relatable and refreshingly down-to-earth characters facing their life changes and family challenges with a blend of vulnerability and resilience. Beckett stands out as a sweet and nurturing figure, going above and beyond to support Mary, demonstrating the power of kindness and connection during a critical moment in their lives. Their journey together not only highlights the beauty of unexpected friendships but also the strength found in community and empathy during life's most challenging times.

A lovely festive story from Beth Moran, I think this might be my favourite so far

Mary is pregnant and when it comes time to go to the hospital she meets Beckett, the local taxi man who brings her and well.....Mary doesn't quite make it to the hospital Beckett all of a sudden became a birthing partner to Mary, from here their friendship blossoms. Mary is all of a sudden a part of a tight knit community and for the first time she feels like she belongs.

This was such a heartwarming festive story and i loved getting to know Mary, Beckett and of course Bob!

Aaah, I think this might be one of my favourite books this year, I absolutely loved it. Meet Mary, and Bob, we don’t know her story just yet, but really feel how overwhelmed she is, no family or friends to support her. But, as we know, there is always someone there who’s got our back- we just have to be open to look for them.
It’s a belter, couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Really enjoyed this festive tale of Mary and her new friends and I was quite sorry when it ended!

This is the first book I have read by Beth and I was happy to receive an advance copy. Mary is living on her own in the woods. Heavily pregnant with a baby on the way,she calls for a taxi. Beckett comes to the rescue but they don't make it to the hospital and the baby is born in a church. Mary finds out Beckett trained to be a doctor but since his grandfather had a stroke he drives a taxi between looking after Marvin,who can be difficult. Mary has no one to help her so Beckett gets her things for the baby,Bob and food. They become friends but Mary keeps her past to herself and Beckett doesn't push her. We get snippets as the book progresses. Beckett has Marvin to deal with,he ends up with no carers and has to juggle trying to drive and look after him. I did find the book a bit slow but I did stick with it and I did enjoy finding out what had happened to Mary before she arrived in the woods and how things panned out for her and Beckett.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. The story telling was so engaging and the characters were so warm and believable. I was totally caught up and didn't really want it to end! I think this is one of Beth Morans best to date. I highly recommend! Many thanks

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year celebrates the Christmas story, found family, and new beginnings.

Wanting to escape her past, Mary finds a temporary home deep in the forest and hidden from the world she once knew. She’s pregnant, and a blizzard is raging when it’s time to go to the hospital. She calls a taxi, and Beckett, the one man who is brave enough to attempt the hazardous drive to reach her, will change her life. As Mary settles into life with a newborn, she appreciates support from Beckett and his friends, celebrates Christmas, and finds true belonging.

I love this community of generous and thoughtful people with whom Mary finds practical help, belonging, and safety. Found Family is one of my favorite tropes.

This story gets better and better as it progresses. Everyone pitches in to pull off an amazing Christmas pageant in which there is plenty of humor to be found, and the true meaning of Christmas is lovingly presented. The parallels between contemporary Mary (her situation and baby boy ) and the Christmas story are gently and cleverly drawn.

Thoughtful themes include new beginnings, second chances, friendship, community, found family, hope, healing, trust, resilience, safety, belonging, and the meaning of Christmas. The slow-burn sweet romance between Mary and Beckett is poignant but is not the focus of the story.

Fans of heartfelt Christmas stories, found family, and sweet romance will find a great deal to love in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Put this one on your winter TBR!

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Lovely heartwarming story for Christmas, very enjoyable with great characters and a plot you want to keep on reading. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

A heartwarming Christmas story with a wonderful cast of characters. From the main characters of Mary and Bennett, and Grandpa Frank, to the community of the folks at the New Life church, the characters are interesting and varied. A sweet, slow romance.

Mary is almost 9 months pregnant and alone in the middle of nowhere after the life she had has blown up. The cottage is a hovel and she is in no way prepared for the baby’s arrival when she goes into labour.
Enter Beckett who is a the taxi driver who arrives to take her to the hospital, he is also a loner who is trying to manage things on in his own with his aged grandad who has something like dementia.
Unfortunately there is a blizzard and they don’t make it to the hospital as there is an accident and and the roads are blocked so end up in a church hall where not only the baby is born but a whole new group of friends.
Absolutely loved it and didn’t want to put it down

A lovely read. Mary finds herself alone as she tries to escape her past but living in the forest away from everyone she once loved and as she is about to give birth things get desperate as she is caught up in a snow drift but luckily taxi driver Beckett comes to her rescue. She finds it hard to adjust but finds herself drawn into the community who try to help her and obviously Beckett's friendship becomes invaluable but could it lead to something more.As we find out more about Mary's life things start to unravel and as Christmas is just around the corner can she finally let go of the past and find happiness again. It was particularly good to read as I live near where it was set so it made it more interesting as well as being a beautiful festive story

What a truly heartwarming story of personal discovery after heartache.
Mary has moved to a new home in a forest away from everything and everyone she knows a few weeks before Christmas, one day she finds herself suffering from griping stomach ache and not having a car calls a taxi, when Beckett arrives to drive her to the hospital and discovers she is in early labour but completely unprepared for whats to come and the roads being treacherous he diverts to a church nearby to hopefully wait the snowfall out.
Unfortunately nature has other ideas and baby decides to make a prompt arrival, luckily there are other members at the church who are slightly more qualified than Beckett the taxi driver.
Both Mary and Beckett are people who have seen incredible heartache who are very closed minded with keeping their woes hidden from others. Beckett’s grandfather is an absolute hoot and reminds me of my grandad in so many ways.

This story starts with so much humour and a slow burn storyline leaving you wondering who will get their happy ending and why are Mary and Beckett reserving their past life details from the others?

Ok so this was a heavy book but so good. Also I love Christmas and now I want it here. Seriously it's my absolute favorite time of year.
We follow Mary who is running from her past and all she wants to do is hide away in the forest so she can heal but oh did I mention she's pregnant and well she goes into labor and had to flee forest and ends up having her baby in a church!! I mean how cool would that be. I think would be. I loved Beckett and his grandad. Beckett didn't have to help like he did he was just a cab driver but he and Mary and them all have such a good bond. I love it !!
This was a really good read. Definitely a book I recommend checking out !!

A slow-burn, cosy romance set at Christmas.

Mary is an intriguing character who has fallen on hard times. However, it's not clear initially how she has got to where she is currently. Things seem a lot and I can imagine how overwhelmed she must be. There's some humour to her situation and she does come across as a person who uses her sense of humour to get by. I found her to be quite secretive but could understand why once everything was revealed.

There are a lot of great characters in this and a huge sense of community spirit that Mary embraces as much as it embraces her. Baby Bob's entrance was the catalyst for this and it seems to have done wonders for Mary and her situation.

I quite liked a lot of the characters, particularly Gramps who made me laugh at times.

I expected some drama with Mary's friends but ultimately it wasn't as I'd predicted which is always good. I prefer surprises in books!!

This book is beautiful.

Mary’s life was turned upside down. She ended up heavily pregnant, living in the middle of a forest with no one in jer life. She goes into labour weeks early and has to order a taxi to get her to the safety of hospital. Beckett enters her life and saves the day.

Both Beckett and Mary are not having the best of times and it’s obvious they both need a friend.

I love the characters in this book, especially Gramps. I actually think it would make a lovely Christmas movie.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Beth Moran is a heartwarming story about new beginnings, falling in love, finding a community to belong to, and two strangers meeting up in a very unexpected way

Mary, a co-owner of a hugely successful fashion company in Sheffield, escaped her old life, lives alone in the middle of Sherwood Forest, when she goes into labor. She meets Beckett, the taxi driver taking her to the hospital to have the baby. Beckett, a former medical student, is calm and dependable. When a snow storm makes it impossible to reach the hospital, Beckett locates New Life Community Church, where Mary gives birth. Beckett is a total cinnamon roll who takes care of people needing help regardless of their situation and at his own expense. He gave up everything to take care of his grandfather after he had a stroke. After seeing Mary's dismal home, he goes shopping and gets things for her and the baby. Not being prepared for this baby, no nappies, cot, or anything ready, Mary is forced to accept help from the people she meets that night. Soon, she’s made a host of new friends, making costumes for the Christmas concert extravaganza and developing feelings for Beckett.

Alongside the main story, we flash back to Mary’s old life in Sheffield; gradually learning what happened in her past to have brought her here. Beckett’s point of view and story are also shared, as he struggles to care for his Gramps. These complicated and sad back stories were both quite heart-breaking and moving; making me a bit tearful, with some of the unexpected revelations. As they struggled with so their numerous overwhelming challenges they grew closer as friends; maybe more than friends. The loving community in which they live has its fair share of unique characters, and their love and support never waver, despite all being strangers at first. By the end, you will definitely feel a part of this group of people and want to continue to live among them!

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
#TheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear #Boldwood #NetGalley

Mary’s journey to healing her heart thanks to a knit group of people and and unexpected friendship with Beckett was not what she was expecting when hiding away in a secluded cabin I the forests. But life has a way to surprise you with joy, friendship and love when you least expect it. Wonderful reading.

This was a totally adorable book that can be read any time of year. It opens with Mary giving birth and her taxi driver speeding along trying to find a place for her to labor. They stumble across the most amazing church filled with even more amazing people. By the end of the book I wanted to move to Sherwood Forest too. I stayed up all night to finish the book. That’s how much I had to find out how everything got resolved. Of course it ended on a very happy note!! Get yourself a gift of the book and a cup of tea and spend the best night of your life with this group of wacky people.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Beth Moran is the best book I have read lately. Yes, it reads as if improbable, which only serves to make this story of Mary and Beckett even more special. Definitely an uplifting story of two souls who needed some uplifting of their own. I loved the characters, falling in love with the new little baby from the moment he looked into Mary’s eyes. Could there have been a better place for this little one’s birth then at the New Life Community Church with members there with support, help and food afterwards?

From there the book continues to warm my heart while also expecting the other shoe to drop so to speak. Then it does, in ways I didn’t see coming. Expect an emotional, messy situation but also hope for the future. By the end, you will feel hope, believing that all is not left to chance in this world. Read today, I am so glad I did.

Firstly, thank you so much for letting me read The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year early.
Oh my, did I absolutely adored this beautiful Christmas story!
Marry is alone in a cottage, in the snow covered woods, to make things worse she is in labour, and waiting for a taxi to take her to hospital, her taxi driver beckett couldn't get her to the hospital.
During this beautiful story, we go through the ups and lows of all the relationships we go through during life.