Laugh but be prepared to shed a tear while reading.

Twentynine year old Olivia Tennyson, Ollie to her friends, still lives at home with her self-centered controlling mother. Whenever Ollie shows any signs of independence her mother suddenly develops a mysterious life threatening illness. Ollie's dreams of making her own decisions remain out of reach. Even her boyfriend was driven away by her domineering mother.

With her thirtieth birthday looming Ollie decides she has to break free and carefully plans her escape. Her first wish on her Dream List is achieved when she finds a home to call her own, a cottage on the edge of the forest. Then she has to tell her mother that she's moving out.

With the help of her good friend Steph, Ollie's Dream List, now renamed The No-Man-Mandate, must be completed before she can consider romance. Her list includes simple pleasures like eating when and what she wants or spending a lazy Sunday morning with breakfast in bed.

In her newfound freedom, Ollie befriends some weird and wonderful characters and slowly works her way through her list.

A delightful and easy to read romcom which is also thought provoking, showing that, for many people, life is not easy and straightforward.

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story is well written and the main cast of characters are easy to root for. The pacing is good up until the end when it seems a bit rushed with a couple of clichéd situations that didn't go well with the story of a young woman finding herself and her own way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an advance copy in exchange for a honest review.

Ollie is a character herself bestowed to her mother for years. Finally gets her freedom and finally get to discover herself. I found the character engaging and adore how the author has put world issues with the book . This is such a feel-good book and can put a presticve on the world.

*3.5/5
i really enjoyed this book, the characters, the writing and especially the story. it is about ollie trying to find herself and free herself from the toxic relationship with her mother. while i loved reading about ollie and from ollie's perspective this book was completed by the secondary characters, who all had very developed backgrounds and storylines that added to ollie's journey. this was more of a book about self discovery but there was still a little bit of romance. i recommend this book if you're looking for something easy to read but that tackles various issues while managing to not distract you from ollie and her dream list.

Just the way you are is a delightful,adorable yet compelling read!
Difficult subjects are raised such as poverty, illness, drug abuse and controlling relationships/domestic abuse but this doesn’t make for a dreary depressing read at all but one filled with positivity, friendship,kindness and second chances.
A wonderfully eclectic mix of characters all contribute to the main character Ollie finding her feet her independence and ultimately breaking free from her controlling mother in order to lead an independent healthier life and in doing so being empowered to live as she choices for the first time in 30 years!
A wonderful life affirming read that I would highly recommend
Thank you net galley for this early read

'"This world is crazy," she pronounced. "That's why I prefer books, because they make more sense." I eyed her current read, about a gang of chameleon people who go back in time to save the dinosaurs, and was inclined to agree.'

If you are looking for a warm, comfortable, life-affirming hug in book format, look no further than Just the Way You Are. In it, we follow Ollie, as she breaks away from the difficult relationship with an overbearing and smothering mother to stand on her own two feet and learn who she is, by completing a list of 12 dreams (a bucket list of sorts). What I appreciated greatly about this list of amazing dreams, is that they were all really manageable and achievable goals, small steps like having a nice dinner out or a lazy Sunday morning spent according to Ollie's own plan. It goes to show that you don't have to go out and climb a mountain, go on a helicopter ride along the grand canyon, or jump out of an airplane to find who you really are.

Now, this book would not have been as wholesome as it was if not for the wonderful characters supporting (and at times thwarting) Ollie in her quest. There are quite a few, from ranger Sam, and neighbors Ebenezer (grumpy old guy) and Joan (11 year old know it all), to Steph back at home and Irene, Jaxx, Trev and Jessica from the library. Each of the characters play a vital role in Ollie's growth, but they all go through their own story and interesting arch as well. Weather it is Joan and her mom (Leanne) finally dealing with their difficult past (and present), or Irene opening up in the library, all micro stories are well written and given full attention.

Just the Way You Are had me laughing out loud (Joan is witty, Ebenezer is a hoot, Ollie's thoughts are hilariously recognizable) as well as break my heart (Leanne's story line is no picnic, and I appreciate the care that has gone into handling that). A perfect read for a dreary January day.

This was a surprisingly good read, I wasn’t sure about it at first in honesty but once Ollie started moving on with her life and meeting her neighbours and also her new clients in the library it really fell into place. Although this is mostly about Ollie moving away from her controlling mum and living out some simple dreams, which was a solid story in its own right, it was really well balanced with the side story of her young neighbour Joan. There’s a really good mix of characters in here including three individuals whom Ollie is working with to improve their literacy (it was also good to see the issue of illiteracy being raised), a grumpy librarian, her octogenarian neighbour as well as her younger neighbour and her mother, Ollie’s support network and of course Sam the hunky local. Ollie’s character really developed well throughout and I like the way the situation with her mum was handled. This was a lovely uplifting which explored some great themes too. 9/10

I had never read a book by Beth Moran but after reading, and loving, Just the Way You Are I have already ordered several of her back list. That's how much I enjoyed this book. I suppose this would be called a romance but it was more of a rom character-rich novel. The cast of characters is so believable and relatable. I felt as if I was in the midst of real friends and family cheering on thirty year old Ollie Tennyson as she takes life into her own hands and creates the life she wants and deserves.

Absolutely adorable!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the oddball cast of characters the author created here, while diving into a story with equal parts romance and self-discovery. I really liked how the author weaved in real-life issues and themes, like mental health, emotionally abusive relationships, poverty, etc. it still provided the escape I often enjoy in reading a rom com but was rooted in reality in a way I found satisfying too. In the end, the novel is ultimately about the protagonist finding herself and her own voice, standing up to others and setting boundaries, which was empowering and thought-provoking. The book had just the right amount of side-character development as to add interest without overwhelming the reader with extra detail.
Thoroughly enjoyed this read and look forward to checking out more from this author.

This one was a very unexpected read for me, because not only I enjoyed it, I freaking devoured it. I really liked the way how story was paced and further, it progressed. The characters were so adorable especially the main character, I love her. I love how relatable, authentic and raw they have been portrayed. So in a nutshell, it was one fine read to spend my time on..