This is one book that I wasnt really sure where there story was taking me, it kept me intrigued and engrossed and wanting to really discover more of Amy's story. Although it was a very slow burn for me I enjoyed the overall messages of the story. It was a well written story about second chances and friendship. I enjoyed seeing how much support Amy received, the great friendships she built and the relationship she had with her son Joey. I loved how Joey was the real reason for Amy to finally take so many steps, that before were so paralyzing for her. The secondary characters really bright so much more depth to the story

After the father of her 13 years son came back in her life, Amy decided to take a life changing decision. She wants to be a better mother for her son and be happy in her life. That’s why she makes a list of challenge called The stop being a loser program.

“ So, amazingly, after thirteen long years of flailing, wallowing, eating way too much processed sugar, hiding and letting life kick me in the butt, I somehow found the strength to haul myself out of bed, arm myself with a cup of chamomile tea and give it a bloody good go.”

The story evolves in two timelines where we will discover the reason why Amy is battling with agoraphobia and anxiety while living estranged from her parents. And the way Amy have been through a lot and how her past affected her. I liked how her character amazingly evolves in the story.

In this story, we will be a part of an adventure full of hope, friendship, and personal challenge. I enjoyed following the life of Amy and her friends. The way the Larks and coach Nathan will help her overcome her boundaries. Amy show us that to fulfill our dream, we have to start making the first step. That what she did, and it made her met those amazing people that will help her throughout her journey.

“Sometimes it takes just one terrible thing to finally force change after years of enduring the intolerable.”

All the characters were amazing. Besides their own personal issue, they all shared something amazing as loyalty and empathy. Nathan, Mel, Dani and the other Larks were nice to follow.

How not to be loser is a funny heartwarming story full of joy, happiness, kindness, and hope. I think that Amy’s character will inspire many people.

Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for this inspirational story.

A beautiful book which encapsulated a mother’s love for her child and her determination and need to prove that she was not a loser. Author Beth Moran had written a story which was both heart capturing and inspiring. A perfect way to smile through the tears knowing they were happy ones.

Amy had become an agoraphobic. She wasn’t so 14 years ago. But life and circumstances… Haven’t we all seen it and gone through it? But now she had to be strong for son Joey, so she joined the running group led by a hottie…

My first book by this tremendously talented author, I was stuck to my kindle cheering Amy on as she put one foot in front of the other. I could feel her struggles at every moment and battle with her mental health. Like a beacon of light, her love for her son shone through. I was so proud of her with each of her successes. She was amazing.

This was a book of feels where determination, second chances, and acceptance were teh crux of the story. A step which seemed so easy to others was a monumental task for Amy, and I loved how the author portrayed her. She was never a loser in my eyes, and a winner she proved to the whole world.

Relationships and friendships emerged soon with the other characters who made it come alive. Humor and fun along with empathy and sensitivity added a different depth to the story. A book I identified with as I had turned slightly agoraphobic, and it took the support of my friends to make me start going out.(Though today, I consider agoraphobia a blessing when lockdown is a must.)

A brilliant heart warming book which made me laugh and cry, cheer and support Amy on her emotional journey, facing the tough times, then getting up to stand strong.

How Not To Be A Loser by Beth Moran

This one will have you cheering on the leading lady all the way thru!

What a wonderful story of overcoming huge personal hurtles. I found the story inspirational and uplifting. Great character development. You really feel like you get to know these characters on a personal level. I lived that this story wasn't your typical romance. It had some dark moments, nothing bad just..... intense. Great ending and story over all! I highly recommend this one.

4/5 Stars

Thank you #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for this book I'm exchange for my honest review.

Amy Piper has it all.
Or rather, Amy Piper had it all. Her number one priority used to be to win swimming race after another.
Fourteen years later, Amy is agoraphobic, battling anxiety disorders, not having been able to leave her house since several years. But she wants to be a better mother to her 13 - year - old son Joey, to be able to go out and see him winning swimming race after another, to take him to swimming practice, to be involved in outside world. She wants him to be proud of her, and so she decides to put a plan into action - this is how "How Not to be a Loser" plan commences. But is such a written deal all what it takes to overcome fear?

So, I'm not sure why but it was really hard for me to get into the book. I kept glancing at the cover to see if it is really Beth Moran's novel because, well, I've never had such problems before with her story, and I really started to get worried. I couldn't connect with the main character, I couldn't get into the story and I started to feel desperate because I couldn't understand why. It took me long, longer than I was expecting, to completely warm to the story and to get into Amy's head. To be honest, it was over the 50% mark that the story started to flow for me, that it gained the pace and it's only then that I started to feel the tale, and then - well, then I couldn't put it down. I wanted to know where the story is going to take me, wanted to know more, and well, I was simply rooting for Amy.

The way the author has got into Amy's head and described her emotional journey is absolutely incredible. Amy has lost so much in her life, it was really heart - breaking to see, and now all these anxiety issues are controlling her life as well. She feels angry with herself that she isn't able to share the most important moments with Joey, that this anger is not enough for her to do something. It is going to take a lot of time and help of many people, and many rules broken for her to be able to finally move on, and it was so, so uplifting to see, you will really want to give Amy a standing ovation. I loved to discover what Amy has hidden inside herself, seeing her growing into confidence, laughing at her jokes, applauding at every step she took towards overcoming her fears, enjoying her one - liners. You can't not to fall for Amy, it's simple like that, and you'll want all the best for her. I loved how un - selfish she was, how - even if it was so hard to her - she always tried to find the best solution, how fair she tried to stay no matter what.
Her relationship with Joey was perfect, and this how, for his sake, she decided to overcome her fears was inspiring and huge.

The characters were absolutely fantastic, so real and true to life, with their troubles and problems and all the ups and downs that life brings.The great support network that Amy has built for herself was one of the highlights of the book. The characters brought so much to the story, not only fun and humour, but also depth, as all of them had their own important story to tell - stories that were thought - provoking and heart - breaking. Their shenanigans were something that made me laugh out loud, and their problems made me cry together with them. There was so much understanding and empathy in all those women, and it was so uplifting to see they were there for each other, no matter what.

Beth Moran has such wonderful way with words and can brilliantly write about feelings, without making the book too patronising or repetitive. She brings compassion, empathy, friendship to the pages, and she has so much understanding for her characters. "How Not to be a Loser" is an inspirational story that will make you want to put on your trainers and go for a run. It is about second chances, friendship, love and hope, hilarious and thought - provoking, and even with some of my initial issues with the book I ended loving it with all my heart. Highly recommended!

Swimming competitions used to be Amy's world. The practising, the feel of being in the water. And the competions. She has the memories and medals to prove what her life used to be like.

Her reality now is vastly different, she has a 13 year old son and is an agoraphobic. The four walls of her home guard her from the outside world. But her memories are still very much alive.

The novel starts of with an incident involving a spider which added humour to the situation.

Beth Moran has created a family dynamic that will capture your heart. At a time when I needed a lift, this novel came into my life.

I felt I was on Amy's journey from the first page to the last. Amy is someone to root for and she has a drive to change her reality and fight to be part of the world outside her window is humbling. She feels bad and like she is missing out on her son's life, the swimming practice, parent- teacher meetings or having mother and son days out.

CeeCee was her swimming coach back when Amy was competing and is very much still a part of her life....that is until the day Amy decides she has to change if she wants to live life her way, give her son a better life and conquer her agoraphobia.

I felt so proud of her when she would take even small steps towards her goal.

How Not to be a Loser is light-hearted, funny realistic warm but has it's hard monents, just like life. I enjoyed how Amy's fight was also a way to raise awareness of life with agoraphobia.

A novel that really makes you think and feel.

Thanks to Beth Moran and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

I just binged this book in just over a day and really enjoyed it.

Any Piper used to have everything - with a chance at winning gold at the Olympics too. But everything changed. Now she’s a struggling single parent with crippling social and emotional anxiety, agoraphobia & low self-worth. The story takes you on Amy’s journey of ‘how not to be a loser’ and how to get herself back in to the world.

It took a bit for me to fully get into this story but once I did I was hooked. I didn’t know where the journey would go or how it would end but I really enjoyed it. 3.5-4/5* from me

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a review copy - my thoughts are my own.

This is a unique story with mental health issues at the core. Amy was a world champion swimmer who now cannot leave the house. As the world is currently discovering, for the majority of us, the thought of not being able to pop out to the shop, to see friends etc when we want to is a challenge. However Amy is struggling to step outside her own door and is unable to accompany her 13 year old son Joel to social events or school events or even into the garden.

The story follows Amy's battle against agrophobia, dealing with issues in her past, making new friends and looking after Joel. Amy is a great character, with lots of highs and lows along the way. Her new friends from the Larks running club are brought to life in a way that makes you want to join them, to become part of the team.

The book deals with some tough issues but there are many funny moments and I found the story uplifting and inspiring. Amy isn't looking to go back in time, but to move forward in small steps to make a better life.

This book is wonderful, uplifting, inspiring and very realistic. As someone who struggles with mental health I could see so much of myself in My and the writer deals with this so well. A touching and heartwarming story that will brings some tears but leave you smiling. An engrossing read that will leave you thinking, it did me. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommended


Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Don't be put off with the idea that this just deals with mental illness, it is a fantastic story that you really could believe it to be true. Many of us suffer in lots of ways but it has been dealt with and gives a positive outlook on life. Beth Moran has put a lot of time with research and it has paid off giving the reader an enjoyable novel to read. Well done Beth, I am giving you 5 stars.

Amy Piper had it all. As a former world champion, her challenges revolved around dodging fans on the streets and ensuring that her number one priority is to win one race after another.

Keyword, had.

Fourteen years later, Amy's priorities all revolve around her 13-year-old son, Joey. She wants him to have a happy life and to be proud of her. But how can he be proud of her when she cannot attend parents' meetings, take him to swimming practice or be involved at all in his life, outside the comfort of their home?

Amy is now an agoraphobic, battling anxiety disorders. She has not been able to leave her house in several years. So in order to be a better mother for Joey, Amy decides to put a plan into action and so the How Not to Be a Loser plan commences.

This book takes you on a journey with Amy, who eventually does get out of the house and meets Nathan, who encourages her to join a running group. (It doesn't hurt that he is incredibly hot.) It will not only make you want to put on your trainers and go for a run, but it will also have you root for Amy till the very end.

*I received this ARC from the publisher in return for an honest review.

A poignant and heartwarming story that kept me turning pages as fast as I could.
Amy is fantastic characters and I loved she was well written.
The plot is engrossing and flows, the characters are well thought and you cannot help rooting for Amy.
It was an excellent read, highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

Can I start by saying how deeply annoyed I was with this books cover? The writing was so great, and the depiction of a thirty-two-year-old woman was so realistic that it irked me even more (considering I am turning thirty-two myself this year). Amy Piper is a woman who was once a national/international sportswoman who by her own descriptions has not had training in two decades. She is also now an agoraphobe, meaning she has had no exercise for a while. This coupled with all the other statements suggest that even if she trained a lot, she can’t look like the person in the pic and that felt like a let down given how invested I was in the storyline, I wish publishers would consider this in the future because it was a crucial aspect of the storyline.

Now that the ranting part of my review is over, I will move on to the reasons I loved this book. I made the grave mistake of thinking I will read a few sample chapters before I head off to sleep at night and struggled with putting it away and delayed my bedtime by at least an hour and only because the kindle showed me that it was at 50% done and I like round numbers like that. Amy Piper has a secret, several actually but the main one is a more open one, she has not left her house in ages. I liked the narrative style, it drew me and kept me completely intrigued by this substantial burden that Amy struggles with. Her life is to take a turn for the better, but this change is not instantaneous, it is gruellingly, realistically slow. We check-in at essential junctures of her ‘How not to be a Loser’ plan, her words not mine. There is a subtle layer of humour throughout the book, even during the tough times making it a delight to read even as I shed silent tears.

Here’s one example: Cafe owner’s name is Chris and the ‘we’ are a running group of women who are sweating heavily after a good morning run

“So Chris wanted us out by eight to give the fumes to disperse. We pondered that lovely thought for a few seconds”

I can’t cheer enough for the supporting cast in this tale, they are all also equally real with their own problems and attitudes but have a good heart and the energy to back up their ‘good deeds’. It is definitely uplifting in the truest sense of the word and more about the capacity of a person that the outward image that they present (hence, my problem with the cover).

I highly recommend giving this book a shot if you like reading about lovable characters with a game plan and a splendid growth arc.

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is solely based on my own reactions to reading the book.

Such a positive story! A fabulous read and especially for everyone who has struggled, or is currently struggling, with life.

Amy has problems in her life - she wrestles her way through each day but has managed to stay on almost top of it all for the sake of Joey, her thirteen year old son. Until one day she decides that she wants more; she wants to get back to the person she once was when she controlled her body and not the other way round. So she joins a running group - who could have known where that would lead?

A really sweet and touching read, this deals with normal people and the issues they have to face everyday, but in a wonderful, upbeat way. Everyone is just trying to do their best and it makes for very entertaining reading. Flawed characters, smooth writing and an excellent plot with some really low moments and plenty of highs made this a thoroughly enjoyable read, and definitely one I would recommend. A fabulous four shining stars!

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Wonderfully Inspirational Look at Mental Illness
What an inspirational book! It is also very humorous. It would be wonderful if this book would change the gossip mongers and bullies, but it won't. It is a sanitizer look at depression and mental illness through the eyes of an Olympic has-been and single mother. Even though it is a piece of fiction, it shares some basic truths about friendship and hand-holding. I have read several of this author's books and they are wonderful pieces that occupy the readers' brain and soul for some time after reading. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

What a book. I loved this! Amy is a fantastic character. A former champion swimmer who now has agoraphobia and hasn’t been outside in years. A strong and funny character whose story is fascinating as well as really funny. I’d definitely recommend this.

Fresh and ingenious, this book delves into what it's like to go from the heights of achievement to agoraphobia, making second chances work, striving to overcome, kindness of others, self-acceptance and forgiveness. It's a terrific journey without anything being predictable. An engaging read.

This is a lovely novel which touches the heart strings. Friends help a reclusive woman overcome her agoraphobia and enter life outside her home, one step at a time.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I am so glad I did! I will admit at first thought this book about an agoraphobic former medalist swimming champion would do nothing for me. I am so glad I was wrong. It was delightful. Warm and funny and inspiring. Sweet and lively. Before I knew what had happened I’d spent the entire day reading it, and now that it is done? I feel like I will miss friends I made in those pages. You should read this. When you need a pick me up. When you need a little faith. Just have a lark.

From beginning to end this book had me hooked. Brilliantly written in a way that the author truly understood the meaning of panicking, anxiety and agoraphobia. Without giving too much away, Amy was once famous and due to numerical reasons she became house bound. This book celebrates the fact of How Not to be a Loser. Being honest with yourself and the people around you, embracing all that is good in the world. We don’t have to be perfect, we have to be ourselves, in Amy’s case she learnt not to berate yourself for needing help, but by embracing the offers of help you can overcome what life has in store for you. Add family, new friends and possible romance what do we have, a great book, that’s what!