Ah, it's the prequel for the Arthur Truluv stories. This one takes us back to Arthur's high school years as he grows up and in love. His older brother, Frank, is instrumental in guiding Arthur through the bumps of the mid teenage years. The boys share a bond that is endearing and yet typical. The older brother chaffs as the confinements of their father's mercurials moods, whereas Arthur is more compliant.
The Arthur Truluv books are delightful stories of his life and love and how he's able to share that love across generations.

I listened to this one on the Libby app. It is narrated by the author, which I thought made the book even better.

This is the first book I've read by this author, and apparently I should have started with The Story of Arthur TruLuv. This book furthers that story as a prequel to it. It's the story of 16-year-old Arthur Moses, his love for classmate Nola McCollum, and the family that shaped his life.

Arthur and his older brother, Frank, have always been very different, but their bond is strong. They spend many nights sharing secrets in their room, and lately, those secrets have been about the girls they both love. Arthur is devoted to Nola but she has a crush on his brother. Can he make her see that she's looking at the wrong Moses?

When tragedy strikes the Moses family, will they come through better than they were?

OK, so I had to keep telling myself as I read, "This is the 1940s, not now." So many people would have been jailed today for their actions in the story, but it was a different time, different mindset. I liked Arthur a lot, and I liked Frank, even though he was a bit of a trouble maker. His heart for his brother and willingness to take his father's beatings so his brother wouldn't ever have to made me like him even more. These characters had the ability to get under my skin.

If you have the chance to listen to the story, I can definitely recommend the audio version. It's a little slow to get into at first, but the reward of sticking with it is a very satisfying read.

I was excited that Elizabeth Berg has written a prequel to Arthur Truluv. I loved Arthur so I was excited to read what shaped the adult Arthur in to who he was.

Berg has crafted a story that will tug at the reader's heartstrings. It is a heartwarming book that has well developed characters and storyline. Berg has proven once again that I will read anything she writes.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publishers in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Possible triggers: Sudden loss, loss of a sibling and child.

This is the first book I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. It does seem like if I had read the other ones written about these characters, I might have enjoyed it even more. So that is what I will do and go and read the other books soon, before I forget anything.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance read copy of this book in exchanged for an unbiased review.

This is the story of elderly Arthur looking back on what shaped his entry into adulthood. For me, this story was ok. It was a steady stream of a story. It was an average guy navigating an ordinary life. While I don’t need or even like tons of drama, this story was pretty vanilla.

Elizabeth Berg is a formidable writer. She absolutely nails her characters and makes them and her stories so embraceable. This prequel to the Arthur Truluv series is in equal parts uplifting and heartbreaking. Pages and thoughts to be appreciated and enjoyed.

Opening in the winter of 2016 in his beloved hometown of Mason, Missouri hearing the train whistle takes Arthur and us back to the spring when he was 16. His brother Frank called him a “cockeyed optimist” and while that may be a fact he is so many other things. Arthur is a lonely teenager torn by a deep love, a careful and caring friend, he is no stranger to rejection, he knows the difference between “playing with fire and … setting yourself on fire”, and despite it all his world view is inspired. Arthur Moses is a person you would love to have in your life.

This book doesn’t need to be described, it needs to be read. It is a beautifully written character study and I am so grateful for the copy that’s was granted to me by Random House and NetGalley.

At first, I wasn’t sure if I would like this book. But then I loved it. Arthur and his brother Frank are very close. Arthur struggles with growing up, forming friendships, and starting to date. His brother offers his own advice to Arthur as he has his own secretive relationship. I was engrossed in these characters and hoping for a happy ending for Arthur, even as I was heartbroken by the events along the way.

When I went to pull the details about this book, I noticed that it is actually a prequel to one of Berg's previous books, The Story of Arthur Truluv. I wish I had seen that sooner. One of two things might have happened: a) I might have passed on this one entirely, not having read the other book; or, b) the ending wouldn't have been so disappointing for me.

Arthur is an interesting young man - bright, devoted to his mother and adoring of his brother, enamored of nature almost as much as he is of Nola, and just beginning to understand the world around him.

The book deals with some difficult subject matters - depression, abuse, death and grief - and Berg addresses them with a gentle hand, in line with the pace of life in a small town. But I felt that I knew how the book was going to end from the start; with just a few dozen pages left in the book, I couldn't figure out how Berg was going to get there. And then, suddenly, within a few pages, everything works out. Had I read the first book, I would have understood that this book was about the journey because the destination was a foregone conclusion. Still, I would have liked the ending to be a bit more drawn out.

This was an emotional, well written book with good world building that unfortunately didn't grab me as much as I would have liked. Maybe it's for a younger than me reader.
I will say that there were some things that I did like. It was how tenderhearted and sweet Arthur was. And how opposite Frank was. He had his good qualities as well but he wanted different things and staying in his hometown wasn't one of them. His dreams were to be a writer and he was amazingly well read. I also liked how the brothers did their quite times of talking about everything and anything in the nigh time of their bedroom.
As you can tell Arthur had a desire to stay in his hometown and to finally have Nola as his forever person. Nola was exactly like the book information said, confused about what she wanted.

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Elizabeth Berg is one of my hands down favorite writers for over two decades. Right now I'm sitting here with tears sliding down my face because this book is just so perfect, in so many ways. The writing, through characters, the pacing, the story. I love Arthur, what a wonderful, real, true brilliant character. And I could just see him and Frank sitting and chatting until the early hours in their shared room. My heart aches reading this but is also so happy that it passed my hands. Shazam, would you look at that.

This was actually a really solid read! I wasn't so sure at first but then after I started getting into it, I was really impressed with the storyline and how the author wove it all together.

Earth’s the Right Place for Love is an absolutely wonderful book and I loved it. In fact, I did not want to see it end. While I read what would be considered the sequel, The Story of Arthur Truluv before, it is totally not necessary to do so though you might yearn to read it afterwards. I can only hope and pray that Ms. Berg writes the story of Arthur’s life in between Earth is the Right Place for Love and The Story of Arthur Truluv as I know I would absolutely positively love it!

This coming of age story begins with Arthur Moses (later to be Truluv) at age 16 in 1947. Arthur shares a room with his older brother Frank whom he adores. Arthur often solicits advice from Frank, particularly about winning over Nola, a girl from school who he has a crush on. While his Mom is very loving and greatly cares for her sons, his father tends to be abusive, especially to Frank.

Arthur is a wonderful boy who is kind, caring and compassionate. He is helpful to other people in his neighborhood and does chores for them. But he has a mad crush on Nola and is determined to win her over. In the story, we see Arthur deal with happiness, joy and tragedy and with each experience, he learns and grows.

Earth’s the Right Place for Love engaged me from the start. The first sentence of Chapter One immediately caught my attention: “Sometimes Arthur snuck out of his house at night.” I was already intrigued - Why does he do this? Where does he go? Ms. Berg is a phenomenal writer that knows how to create a story that fills your heart and sometimes fills your eyes. The characters are very appealing and the reader will no doubt come to love Arthur and his relationships with his older brother and his friends. Ms. Berg always fills her novels with life lessons and does so here. I highly recommend this book and look forward to Ms. Berg filling in the story between Earth’s the Right Place for Love and The Story of Arthur Truluv (please, please please!).

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advance reader. Opk in exchange for my honest opinion.

A nice read - nothing that’s earth-shattering or life-altering, but that’s ok sometimes, right? I enjoy most of this author’s work and this one was no exception. Give this a gander, you’ll be glad that you did.

I wouldn't call this historical fiction; rather it's a coming of age story set in the past, It's emotional and lovely and now I need to read Berg's other books to see where Arthur ends up!

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the copy to review.

I enjoyed reading Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg. The characters are wonderful! Happy Reading!
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**

The word "poignant" exists for the very sake of describing books like this. A very sweet coming-of-age book from what we think of as an easier era of time. This is the kind of book that could easily lean towards the saccharine, but Berg is skilled at providing just the right balance of "life" for her readers. You'll finish reading this with a smile on your face, I promise.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this book. It's such a sweet read!

I believe this is the first book from this author i have. This is a sentimental sweet read that has lots of substance to it. Enjoyable and i recommend this. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for an ARC i exchange for a honest review.

This book is a prequel to the Arthur Trulove/Mason series.

Although I am not usually a fan of "coming of age" stories, this book eventually captured my attention. It was heart-wrenching to see Arthur face challenges and put himself on the back burner for those he loved.

The book's portrayal of Arthur's early 1950s life made me nostalgic for a simpler time when taking a girl out on a date only cost $1.50 for a meal, and a kiss on the cheek was swoon-worthy.

I have read and enjoyed the previous books in the Mason series, and this prequel ties the series together nicely.

Heartwarming small-town journey filled with engaging charters, intriguing story line, witty banter, heart racing twists and emotional heart-string pulling. A great read from beginning to end and it makes me want to read the rest of the series.

It is so much fun to get to see the back story to some of your favorite characters in novels. Arthur Moses (Truluv) from 'The Story of Arthur Truluv' is one such endearing character. I fell in love with him in the first book and I am now deeper in love after reading this one - his coming of age story! Well done characters with emotion and compassion - it is a sentimental novel, as was the first one. As I said about the first novel - it leaves you with a smile and a warm heart.