This book is eventful right from the very beginning. A birth in an unexpected place, with unexpected people is bound to grab your attention and get a story started in a dramatic way.

Mary's life has been a whirlwind, so many changes in such a short period of time. Could Beckett be the unexpected knight in shining armour that Mary so desperately needs? While I experienced a drag in the middle of the book, the beginning and the end made it worth the read. This story is filled with many heartwarming characters (possibly too many) and a community that brings comfort to broken hearts and people in need of friendship. Throw in a Christmas play, a church, helping hands, seasonal decorations and some winter snow, and you have yourself the makings of a cozy, holiday read.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for the digital advanced copy via NetGalley. These opinions are entirely my own.

Ooh, I can already declare that this will be my favorite Christmas read of 2025! I am reading it in July, but it will be hard to top. I loved every thing about it - the setting, the characters, and such a tender, uplifting storyline. My favorite element is the sense of community and love Mary and Beckett discover through the church family at New Life Community Church
This is a sweet and tender Romance between two likable but fragile people, but more so an ode to the power of friendship and community.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bold wood Books for the Advance Read. I look forward to reading more books by this author.

What a beautiful, heartwarming read this was.
Once I picked it up I really struggled to put it down.

We meet Mary, living alone in the middle of nowhere, when she goes into labour, then we meet Beckett, calm and dependable. Both have pasts they would rather forget, and presents that aren’t easy, but maybe they need to face them and acknowledge them to move forward?

There are some brilliant characters within this story, Mary and Beckett are both wonderful, you will want to gather them in a hug and make their world better. Then there is Gramps, a very special character who is pivotal to this story, you will definitely fall in love with this slightly difficult older man! Then there are the people who Mary meets along the way, people who help her. People who will tell it as it is, when you need to hear that, but also protect you and distract you when you need to stop and take a breath.

I found this story refreshing, lots of different ideas to make it such a wonderful tale.

I don’t want to give any of the plot away, but I really loved how it all progressed and how Mary especially dealt with things from her past. The author describes the emotions of the characters so well, letting the characters take their time to process their thoughts as well as those of others.

By the end, you will definitely feel a part of this group of people and want to continue to live among them!

What a great story to get me in the holiday mood.

Mary is in labor and it is snowing. She knows no one in the little village she has moved to she calls a cab and becomes friends with Beckett, her driver. They can’t make it to the hospital and she ends up giving birth in a church.

Beckett is taking g care of his ornery grandfather, who is removing from a stroke.

Both Mary and Beckett are lonely and in need of a friend. Together with the people they met at church they each find their community and eventually, each other.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC

This was truly such a mood booster of a book!
I randomly decided to indulge in Holly Jolly July and picked up The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Mary and Beckett stole my heart in a really unpredictable way. I often find holiday books to be so incredibly cliche and lacking heart. Not this one!

Mary was living a nightmare when she goes into labor early in a cottage in the woods with no car and having to rely on a taxi service. But this nightmare may have been the biggest blessing in disguise. I adored the friendships she found at the church in town. I loved that the coffee mums were SO REAL. I loved Beckett - his own messy life that worked so well.

This was a total delight!

After suffering a life changing event, expectant mum Mary finds herself in the throes of labour, three weeks early and in the middle of Sherwood Forest.

Grumpy Beckett has given up his career as a doctor to take care of his grandfather after he has suffered a stroke, He now finds himself driving a taxi in order to pay the bills and take careful his grandfather.

The two are brought together when Beckett arrives I. His taxi to Mary to the hospital, but they don’t make it to the hospital, leading to a birth in a new life church, new friendships and romance.

A wonderfully cosy festive read that pulls on the heartstrings.

What an amazing book. It's such an emotional rollercoaster and you get so invested with Mary from the start that it is almost impossible to put the book down. There are tears of joy, laughter and pain. The sense of friendship and community it one we all strive for. As for romance? Well you'll just have to read it and find out

This was a lovely light hearted read. Not overly Christmas themed but the church play sounds hilarious. Mary and Beckett both have difficulties in their lives and support each other until a misunderstanding ruins everything.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Mary is alone, pregnant and hiding out in the middle of the forest, when she realizes that her baby is on the way. In the middle of a snow storm, she calls for a Taxi hoping to make it to the safety of the hospital.

Beckett, becomes more than a Taxi driver over the next few hours, helping to deliver her beautiful baby boy, in the local church.

Along with the wonderful warm and welcoming local community, Mary settles into new roll as a mother to baby Bob.

A beautiful story showing that friends can become the family that we are missing and that love concurs all!

This is a lovely story about starting over, the importance of community and support, and at heart it's a gentle romance.
The holiday theme is not over-powering and it was a very cosy and hopeful story.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for access to this eARC.

I want to thank Boldwood Books, Netgalley and Beth Moran for an early copy of this heartwarming story of second chances, friendship, love and a community we all wish for. The cover was just gorgeous and I highly recommend this feel-good uplifting novel.

I was totally invested in this book from the first page. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is such a lovely story as are all of the author’s books. This is the third book I have read by the author and I look forward to many more.

Mary has a baby on the way and a past she would like to forget. After a personal tragedy she runs away deep into Sherwood Forest alone with no support. Beckett is a taxi driver who cares for his grandfather who is showing signs of dementia. The two meet when Beckett receives a call to drive Mary to the hospital when she goes into labor during a blizzard.


The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is such a lovely and uplifting story about new beginnings, healing, friendships and a tight-knit community that comes together to help Mary. An absolute comfort read and I adored it!

This story shines through its quiet strength, emotional depth, and heartfelt moments. Beth Moran crafts a gentle, deeply human narrative that reminds you of the goodness in people, the healing power of community, and the courage it takes to start over.

The romance is understated but sincere, built on mutual respect and emotional connection rather than instant attraction. The holiday theme is present but not overpowering—more a backdrop for healing and reflection than a constant flurry of Christmas clichés. If you enjoy stories where the characters carry emotional weight and grow with grace, you’ll find something really special here.

have i told you lately was one of my favourite books OF ALL TIME. So to say i was excited to get to read this book by Beth is a major understatement.
and wow she has done it again. now both books fight for my heart.im trying to make them sit there nicely together as there is definitely more room for Beth's books.
Mary needs all our hugs. and im so glad when she arrives at a place where folk might be just what she needs. but she arrives with an arrival of her own when she goes into labour. and this is where we all meet Beckett and aren't we glad to do so.
and finally its time for Mary to find her people, her home, her security?
we've got a gaggle of new characters to fall in love with. some really special ones that once again we all fall in love with and just want in our lives too.
this book took me away to a comforting and safe place. it hugged me and made me have that escape i needed. existing in our world at the moment can feel hard. and its a stark but beautiful reminder of how much a love for books and lovable books can make all the different in the world. a reminder of how lucky we are to have talents like Beth. how lucky we are that books exist. i feel such a privilege to get the chance to read this book. i hope Beth and other authors we love know how much we appreciate them.

When I get the chance to read new festive reads in the summer months I grab the opportunity with both hands. I love curling up with cute and cosy festive novels and The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year certainly didn't disappoint. It was beautifully written and easy to follow. plus it had a great cast of characters. I highly recommend it and I look forward to reading more by the author.
💖 Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for my arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Beth Moran throws the reader directly into Mary's situation: alone in a cottage in the middle of Sherwood Forest, in a snowstorm, about to give birth. The reasons for this are hinted at, but the action is fixed on Mary's understandable panic. Finally a taxi arrives, driven by Beckett who is clearly going to be a significant player in the book. Fairly unfazed by the situation, he sweeps Mary up and makes for the nearby hospital but road conditions make that impossible. Seeing lights on in a Church, he decides that's a better option than Mary giving birth in his car and goes to ask for help. The baby is born safely and Mary is well taken care of by the Church people, not just then but in the days ahead.

In fact the Church, unusually in a book of this type, has a central role, something I enjoyed. There is an interesting congregation of characters and these people are the supporting cast in the book, providing wisdom, humour and background. Mary's back story is slowly unwound and we discover more about Beckett and his life too. It is clear from the start where the action is heading but that doesn't make the journey there any less enjoyable. The ending is perhaps a little contrived but it feels real, and Mary and Beckett's relationship moves at a believable pace.

Although the book is set over and around Christmas, it's not overly festive and it felt quite acceptable to be reading it in July! I enjoyed the Christian world view of the author which is genuine but unobtrusive. There's a strong of community with all its flaws as well as its joys. I'd recommend it wholeheartedly.

Thank you @bethmoranauthor @boldwoodbooks @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My thoughts:
A heartwarming story about two strangers meeting up in a very unexpected way. Mary and Beckett are wonderful characters I enjoyed getting to know.
This was an emotionally charged story that will pull on your heartstrings in so many ways.
Though the story seemed drawn out in some places, it still flowed quite well. Mary’s story about her past was very slow to develop in my opinion.
This is a clean story with minimal romance.

At the heart of the story is Mary, the co-owner of a wildly successful fashion company in Sheffield. She’s fleeing a painful past when she unexpectedly gives birth—completely alone—in the middle of Sherwood Forest. Enter Beckett, the kind-hearted taxi driver sent to take her to the hospital… but the baby arrives early, in the middle of the New Life Community Church.

With no baby supplies, no plan, and no familiar faces, Mary begins to lean on the people she meets that night. What starts as a moment of desperation slowly becomes something more, as she finds friendship, purpose (by sewing costumes for the church’s Christmas concert), and maybe even love—with Beckett.

The story alternates between Mary’s present and flashbacks to her old life in Sheffield, gradually revealing the heartbreak that led her to start over. Beckett’s perspective adds even more depth, especially as he struggles to care for his beloved Gramps. Both storylines are moving and at times unexpectedly emotional, with a few twists that tug at the heart. The side characters shine just as brightly as the leads. Each one feels real, with enough personality and depth to carry their own novel. They bring warmth, humour, and heart to Mary’s journey.

Ultimately, this is a gorgeous, uplifting story about second chances, letting go of the past, and the power of kindness—perfect for curling up with in winter… or anytime you need a little hope. This novel is more about healing, community, and unexpected new beginnings, making it a beautiful read any time of year.

This is such a happy, warm, and festive read. Full of hope and friendship, this is a emotional rollercoaster of a book to snuggle up in a blanket and enjoy.

I read so many of the author’s books that it did not surprise me that much that if I read another so quickly and it worked as well as I hoped. It did please me though, since there have been a few I have not enjoyed as well.

There is also a fact that registered this time, something I had not realised previously was the slight use of faith or faith based individuals. It has made its quiet appearance in multiple books and is used as a tool by the good people in the narrative. I realised it was a reasonably repetitive presence only recently! It is not preachy so it makes a nice background for the kind of people we encounter.

This story begins with a woman going into labour early. Having gone into labour early but with everything else going as expected, I can only imagine the terror of the situation. The author did a good job bringing it to life. After the precipitous delivery during a snow storm, our leading lady finds new purpose and a new found family to celebrate the season with. In between we get a glimpse of the past and see who she was and how she got there.

It’s a story with several layers and each layer brings with its own emotional section.

I am glad I stumbled on to this author. I would highly recommend most of her books to anyone who likes found families as the core of the narrative.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ written by Beth Moran in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Mary Whittington has moved into a ramshackle cottage situated in the middle of a forest as she’s running from the two people she thought were her friends and the man she loved whose baby she’s soon to give birth to. When her labour pains begin she rings for a taxi that’s driven by Beckett and as a blizzard closes the roads he stops at the New Life Community Church where she’s welcomed and helped to give birth to a baby boy named Bob. Beckett has a big generous heart and soon becomes her friend and Mary realises that with him and the ‘coffee-mums’ she’s made a new and happy life for herself and Bob.

‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ is an utterly charming and heart-warming story of Mary who loses her career, friends and marriage as she runs away from the business that she, Shay and Kieran set up in Sheffield to a ramshackle cottage in Sherwood Forest where she makes a home for herself and her baby. Her new friends Beckett and the ‘coffee-mums’ become important to Mary who realises that life as she knew it may have ended but a new one is just beginning. Beth Moran’s characters have been so beautifully described that I felt I knew them and as her relationship with Beckett evolves from friends into something more I wanted to hug them and babysit Bob. This is a lovely novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and is perfect to read in the run-up to the festive period.