Just the Way You Are tells the story of Ollie, who decides to move out of her childhood home just before her 30th birthday as part of completing her “Dream List”. Supporting characters Sam, Joan, and Ebenezer have their own history and struggles to tell which add to the story. A feel good read with a few dark moments.
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Beth Moran, Boldwood books and Rachel’s random resources for gifting me a digital copy of just the way you are in exchange for an honest review. This is book J in my #atozreadingchallenge
I really enjoyed this book; it filled my heart with joy throughout following Ollie on the biggest decision of her life. The community she built for herself improving not only her own life but those around her. I enjoyed all of the characters but by far my favourite was Joan a firecracker of a kid who had my heart from her first appearance. This is a book that will live with me for a while and is one that I will definitely read again.

This was a slow and steady book that I found endearing at first but then it started to feel dragged out. I felt that it was trying to do too much- each storyline could have easily been it’s own book.

This was such a fun read. Our main character, Ollie, was such a delight! I liked her right from the start. She was funny, sweet, and so relatable. There were so many funny moments throughout the book that had me laughing so hard. The only reason I took away one star was because the romance took quite some time to come to live. It felt like forever to have the main characters kiss. Really loved this coming of age novel!

This book was uplifting and inspirational! Ollie sets out on an adventure that helps her find herself and discover her likes and dislikes. She uses a list she crafted several years ago to achieve her goals and dreams.

We are introduced to a whole cast of characters who make this a great book. I loved that the heroine was able to develop all these friendships and the support the characters gave to each other.

I would have preferred if the story was told from dual point of view, I just find it harder to read stories in single POV because I feel like I am missing out on a whole side of a story. What was missing for me was more romance.

Olivia Tennyson, or Ollie to her friends, wrote the Dream List when she was sixteen years old- all the things she wants to do with her Dream Man, including getting a dog, taking dance classes and camping in the wilderness. However, at twenty-nine, single Ollie is living with her hypochondriac and manipulative mother feeling like her dreams are getting further from coming to fruition.

With the help of her aunt, Linda, and best friend, Steph, Ollie begins to put in place everything she needs to start her new life, starting with moving out to her own place. To keep her on track, Ollie and Steph write up the No Man-Mandate, a list of things she cannot do (with a man) until she has completed her Dream List and, as such, worked on herself.

Ollie is trying so hard to balance it all but as much as she loves spending time with Joan, the child next door-but-one, and Sam, the forest ranger she just keeps bumping into, she is determined to help herself as well as others.

It takes a while for the real humour to come through in this book. When it does, it makes good use of the many embarrassing situations to create genuine comedy that then transitions smoothly into heartfelt, profound circumstances. As such, there is meaningful character development that makes you root for them.

The pacing is very fast, which was contributed to by the use of indirect speech that sped through many of the secondary events. Also with the writing, I found it lacked subtly, using blunt statements to detail character backstories rather than it being well-integrated into the narrative.

There was the occasional logistical element that took me out of the story, such as there is only a six-week period between Ollie viewing a house and receiving the keys for it. Likewise, Ollie does have problems in her life but it's difficult to fully care for her as she is surrounded by those (i.e. Steph & Leanne) who are in far worse circumstances. As a result, you recognise her difficulties but can't help finding Ollie a bit insipid.

Overall, a nice story, one that's easy to read and I'm glad I pushed through my initial issues (writing style) because the plot is fun. Plus, I greatly appreciate that this doesn't feature an epilogue thrown on just because it's conventional!

4.5⭐️
Loved the story! A slow burn romance with lots of real, struggling and at times dysfunctional people who are sharing their lives with us. I loved Sam, he was just my type of boyfriend. I also enjoyed Ollie and her journey to start living again. I thought her to be a wonderful friend. And I struggle with a lot of the same things. I think I’m going to make my own dream list.
I loved the writing and I highly recommend it.
Thanks Boldwood Books via NetGalley.

I really felt sorry for the main character Ollie, in this book. Her mother won't let her live her own life and feigns an illness if Ollie tries to do something. Well written and I will be reading more of Beth's works.

I gave this story a 4 stars rating since I like the pace and story. The romance is okay. I was more into Ollie’s journey for independence than the romance. It was fun to read how she became independent from her mother. The romance was cute and very obvious. It would also be okay if the story did not have a romantic ending. Knowing that Ollie is an independent woman and her mother being friends again was a good ending for me. It was a bonus that she ended up with someone.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Fabulous

A book which I enjoyed from beginning to end. It was lovely meeting the characters which Beth created. The story, had both romance and learning about yourself, along with issues that happens in our lives such as mental health and abusive relationships as well as others. But still giving you escapism in the book.

The story is about the main character finding who she is and about taking a stand for herself..

The other characters added to the story but not in an overwhelming way for the reader..

Recommend this Book.

I love Beth Moran, and was very exited to get her latest book, which didn't disappoint at all!
I LOVED the fact that the romance is not the main theme of this book and there is so much more to it. It's a story about life with a lot of true characters and interesting topics. Poignant and funny at the same time, brilliantly written, absolutely recommended!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a truly touching read about a woman, Ollie, who has had a toxic relationship with her mother for most of her 29 years. Ollie is determined to live her own life and get out from under her mother's thumb. But, first she needs to figure out how. With the help of friends, neighbors, and a certain park ranger, she fulfills her Dream List and prepares to enter her 30s as a strong, independent woman. I laughed and I cried and I thoroughly enjoyed this book! .

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a digital ARC in return for an honest review.

𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗕𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻

𝐎𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝟑𝟎 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧. 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐧, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 "𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐦𝐚𝐧".

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐭𝐫𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐚 '𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜' 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥
🤍Ollie's Character: she was so easy to connect with right from the start. My heart ached for her as she tried to do what was best for herself and set boundaries with her Mother.
🤍Ollie and Joan's relationship: Their friendship was so natural. It was really the best relationship in the story.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘋𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦
🤍The characters in the reading lessons, I feel like their chapters could have easily been cut out without much of a change to the story over all.
🤍Although, I loved Sam and his budding romance with Ollie, this really took a backseat and it didn't feel like a Romance to me as much as a side plot.

Thank you @netgalley for sending me a copy 🙏

Just The Way You Are, the latest novel by Beth Moran was just the heart-warming novel I was looking for. The book centers around Olivia Tennyson (aka Ollie) who at 29 dreams of moving into the home of dreams and discovering who she really is for the first time. There’s also the ‘Dream List’ that needs to finish completely on her own, and with a ‘No-Man Mandate’ signed, she starts her journey of self-discovery.

The novel is set in the sleepy little town just outside of Sherwood Forest, and before she knows it, Ollie has not only made friends in her new hometown but she’s discovered what feels like home for the very first time.

If you’re looking for a novel with characters who will draw you in so completely that you aren’t able to put it down till you’ve read the final sentence, this is definitely one of those books. An absolute must-read in my opinion!

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The synopsis of this book really appealed to me and I was looking forward to an uplifting story with a strong female character and a dash of romance. Unfortunately, this ended up being sooo dreary and I felt bored towards the midway point.

Ollie was too much of a cliché "nice girl" for my liking with her incessant need to help everyone. She was so pushy with it too! I mean, she muscled her way into her new neighbour's personal business and practically took over her house/child/entire life to the point that she even tracked down their parents (who they hadn't spoken to for over ten years) and brought them back into their life without even asking them if it was okay first...like what?! The whole savior complex thing was was too much and so infuriating.

The romance was a very minor part of the story, which I was a little disappointed about, but it was very sweet and Ollie and Sam had some cute moments together. I just wish there was less "woe is me and everyone else who is struggling; who I of course just HAVE to help even though it's none of my business" stuff and more fun, flirty fluff to the story.

This story is so much more than a romance. It's a life story. I'll admit when I first started reading it I was appalled. Right out of the gate you meet Ollie's narcissistic mom. I was so happy when she was able to move past her mom. This is a heartwarming, happy, sad, beautiful book. It reads a tad slow in some spots but it was still great. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Boldwood Books for the ARC! Get this book February 17th.

Ollie Tennyson is stuck. Stuck living with and enabling her overbearing mother. So, she decided to do the one thing that may set her free and give her a chance at a happier life: move. 

In an effort to reclaim a chance at some happiness, Ollie moves to a cottage and begins the process of tackling a dream list that she made when she was just a teenager. 

With the help of an endearing cast of characters, Just the Way You Are shines and captivated me from near the beginning. 

The only thing I may have preferred was a slight bit more romance. However, I get that Ollie's arc was about more than finding true love. It was about finding herself.

I loved everything about this wonderfully written story it really held me & was a great page turner.
The story focuses on Ollie who is learning how to become an independent woman, putting her own wants & needs first, after years of emotional abuse from her mother who has manipulated her for years.
She is desperate to get away from her controlling mum who falls ill at the drop of a hat every time she mentions going on a date or holiday but because she loves her she always cancels her plans .
When Ollie was sixteen she wrote a dream list she wanted to do in her life.
A happy marriage children etc. nothing too ambitious just the normal simple things we all do.
She decides to take things in her own hands as it's now or never, she has to get her mum standing on her own two feet & she also sets out to find a place to live to start her new life away from her mum's control.
She enlists the help of others to put her plans into action.
A life affirming story which is uplifting & heart warming yet heart breaking, you will find it impossible not to fall in love with this wonderful book.
The books focus is more on Ollie's independence & not letting someone take complete control of you more than the romance side of it.
Brilliant page turner for me that had me completely hooked

Ollie lives with a manipulative mother who prevents her from living life the way she would like to, but Ollie has a dream list and knows this will never be completed if she stays living at home. She therefore decides to move out to a place of her own without telling her mother where she has gone. Ollie starts a new life for herself and befriends her new neighbour, a young girl who, like Ollie, loves books. Joan lives with her mother Leanne but spends most of her time on her own as Leanne works long hours trying to make ends meet. When Ollie and Joan adopt a dog together their bond becomes even stronger and when Leanne becomes ill Ollie takes up the challenge of looking after them both. There is a love interest – Sam, but Ollie’s dream list dictates that she is to stay single until she is 30 which complicates the relationship. I enjoyed Just the Way You Are. It was an easy read without too many characters and the main ones were quite likeable. I thought the idea of the dream list a bit silly. Ollie really liked Sam but wouldn’t let him get close because it didn’t fit with this list which didn’t seem very realistic. All in all though a good book with a happy ending. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

After finally moving out of her mother’s house after decades of emotional abuse and manipulation Ollie is learning to become her own woman! Through a series of all kinds of events she finds out who she truly is and what fulfills her life!

This was so good and I thoroughly enjoyed it!