This is a lovely story set in the late 1940's - early 1950's. Arthur Moses is a kind, steady, thoughtful character. I would love to spend more time knowing him. I hoped for him and cried with his sorrows when they came. The various characters (perhaps except his father) were also gentle souls.

The tone of the story reminded me of Crossing to Safety, but the time span is much shorter.

I was provided an ARC from Netgalley for my review.

I haven’t read the Arthur series yet, but since this is a prequel I thought that might not matter. I enjoyed it as a standalone novel. It reminded me a little bit of Fannie Flagg’s books about characters in a small town. I recommend this book both to readers who are new to Arthur as well as those who regard him as an old friend.

Family dynamics…friends…love and romance…a simple book of a simple time. This talented author writes books that are entertaining with a deeper theme…characters come alive on the pages. This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Thanks also to the publisher and the author. Berg is gifted at weaving family stories.

I am so glad I had a chance to read this story. I thank Elizabeth Berg for all the books she has written that I just have to read as soon as they are released. This book was no different. From start to finish I could not put the book aside. All I could say was yup Elizabeth Berg did it again. Now I have to wait for her next book.

Absolutely one of the best books I've read in a awhile! The story bring you into the mind and heart of a teenage boy that will keep you reading till the end of the story. Recommended!

This is an excellent prequel. It made me want to read the other books again! This novel is a throw back to a simpler time where life was still complex for a young man finding first love and his way in the world. Arthur has a good soul. I enjoyed spending time in Mason with the various characters. I recommend the entire series, and any and all Elizabeth Berg novels. What an incredible author. Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

I was invited to read and review this title based on previous reading. While I appreciate the offer, I'm not sure this served my experience with the book well. Without having an existing connection to the characters, I found it difficult to care about them, and the setting in the post-War era is a significant barrier to me. So, what can I say about this book? The writing was excellent; I felt like I was in safe hands on that front. And I can see why Arthur's character has become beloved - and why there would be a demand for his 'origin story'. However, while I know the book was aiming for more of a gentle character study than to tell a story, I was left disappointed by the plot, unfortunately. The only thing of note that happens is at the 75% mark and, while it hangs over the rest of the book, the event itself was covered in just a few pages.
I think this was a good book; I just don't think I was the intended audience. I would like to thank the publishers and NetGalley for offering me the opportunity to read and review it.
I will post a gently favorable review on my blog closer to the publication date.

What a lovely story. Elizabeth Berg writes so beautifully, and makes you fall in love with the characters. There's a bit of a shock that helps you feel even more for the main character. This is the perfect companion to one of her other books about Arthur Truluv.

Another excellent Elizabeth Berg book. It was sad and funny and heartwarming - everything I would expect from her. Hands down am recommending to everyone I know!

Woah! This book was a remarkable, light read.
Earth's the Right Place for Love by Elizabeth Berg is full of warmth and charm and a ture page turner!
Such a gentle and heartwarming story. The setting of Mason, Missouri was descriptive and really set the tone.
The experience and lessons here are moving and thought-provoking.
The characters were so relatable and unforgettable.
This book has great humor and great heart!
I enjoyed the clean, deceptively and simple writing.
Berg is an absolute master at storytelling and I'm so grateful for the opportunity to read and review this new title of her's.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Random House,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

I love Elizabeth Berg for the way she always creates loveable characters and writes poignant observations about life and love. Her new book, Earth's The Right Place for Love, once again delivers these qualities. Readers of her books will recognize the main character, Arthur Moses - this time as a teenager in the 50s, trying to navigate complicated family relationships and young love. I enjoyed taking a step back in time with these characters and loved sweet Arthur, but did feel the story could have had a little more meat to it.

With a main protagonist calling to mind apple pie and sunshine, (still at that difficult stage, but at his essence, a gentle optimist, so clearly packaged up with love), a plot oozing with the bittersweet essence of interminably-awkward high-school ardor, and a backdrop of equal parts excruciating and heart-melting family dynamics, this fictional gem is a quietly-but-resolutely-building masterpiece of emotional triumph.

As Arthur Moses, eighty-five years old at the novel’s onset, takes us back decades into the past, we visit with him as a sixteen-year-old, where he must face the pivotal and character-revealing experiences that underlie the man he is today.

And so begins a spellbinding journey, brimming with so much kindness, small-town charm, brotherly affection, and yes, deeply evocative nostalgia for a simpler time, (arguably in many ways a better time), with so many oddly-valiant characters to see us through this story, that the lump-in-the-throat test, unmistakeable in the intensity of its presence upon reaching the finale, must be acknowledged.

This one moved me deeply as it melted, and charmed, and totally took my breath away.

Set in the fifties in Mason, Missouri, the author (one of my favorite contemporary novelists) introduces us to young Arthur, his much-loved older brother Frank, complicated parents, and his first-love, the pretty and oh so-hard-to-understand teenage Nola Corinne McCollum.

“You fall in love with your heart, not your brain, so sometimes things don’t work out so perfectly”.

With Frank providing the mentor-like support above to his naive and romantically-clueless brother, the sweetness of the tone of their interaction, as well as the poignant relationships our big-hearted Arthur finds himself developing (with an assortment of lonely yet strangely-approachable souls in his much-loved town), could not help but touch this reader.

Without giving the plot away (no spoilers here), there are twists ahead for young Arthur, and much to experience, as after all, his emotional blossoming (and that now, of the reader) is on a path as expansive as his own heart will bear.

A follow-up to the first in the Mason series, this novel worked beautifully stand-alone.
This reader, for one, can’t wait to go back and read the predecessor.

A great big thank you to Netgalley for an ARC of this book. All thoughts presented are my own.

I am not sure how the author does it but I can always feel the emotions and see the settings in her novels. Arthur is portrayed as a high school student who is in love. It is unrequited love to be sure, but with the advise of his older brother, Frank, Arthur sets out to win her love. There are some truly sad happenings in this story so be prepared to cry a river, root for the underdog and laugh for and with Arthur and his family. Reading this book will make you feel that you are part of the family. I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Random HousePublishing. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This novel is the origin story of Arthur Truluv, who as the book begins is a teenager. Arthur's big brother is kindly and wise, his father is flawed, his mother forgiving. A Norman Rockwell painting of a story, Earth's the Right Place is a love letter to an America gone by, when milk was still delivered to the neighborhood by pony-drawn wagon and kids helped earn money for their families by doing chores for kindly neighbors.

As with anything Elizabeth Berg writes, this novel was richly drawn and packed with tidbits about how to manage on this earth. A quiet, enjoyable novel that made me want to read Truluv all over again, now that I know the young man he was.

Thumbs up:
1. I love Elizabeth Berg and her writing style!
2. A coming of age story in a small town!
3. Loved the relationship of the two brothers!

One Thumbs down:
1. Might be more of a young adult genre than a fiction genre.


Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Group for the chance to read the e-galley.

Expected publication date 3/21/2023

This is an endearing story about first love, small towns, and loss. It reads a bit like a Young Adult book, in that it’s very straightforward and predictable and also short. Still, it’s lovely in its simplicity and its examination of grief and healing.

This book is the very definition of a coming of age masterpiece. I have enjoyed reading Elizabeth Berg across most of my adult life for her honest, raw and introspective view on human interaction.
The story of Arthur Moses in small town Mason, Missouri chronicles a coming of age of a shy young man with a gentle spirit. I enjoyed reading a character who enjoys the smallest details of life - the magic of trees, the delicate care of roses and the beauty of a young girls hair. This book is a slow burn which for some may be too slow. For myself it was a beautiful reminder of how our younger selves slowly evolved over time and even when we were in the biggest rush, sometimes slow and steady really does win the race of life.
I received this NetGalley advanced book copy for free in exchange for an honest review. Thank you NetGalley & Random House for allowing me to provide this review.

I loved the Mason series, so I was super excited to read Earth's the Right Place for Love. This is the story of Arthur Moses and Nola McCollum's budding relationship in 1947. It is a tender coming-of-age story of love and a family life with secrets and the tragedy of losing his brother who was wise beyond his years. The book will keep you turning pages. Thanks to author Elizabeth Berg, Random House, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

• Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing this Advance Reading Copy. Expected publication date is March 21, 2023.

Elizabeth Berg has a special way of writing novels that are lighthearted as well as emotional. This is a coming-of-age story about growing up in Mason Missouri. Arthur Moses, is shy and compassionate, Nola McCollum is the most desirable girl in his school. Arthur has a major crush on Nola. Unfortunately, Nola only sees him as a friend.

Although this book sad in parts and funny in parts, it is ultimately quite uplifting.

This book is so easy to like. The main character is just so real and you get so deep in his thoughts, The pages practically turn themselves as you follow Arthur along his days as a teenager in a small town. Nothing extraordinary or implausible. Just Arthur as he makes his way through life. And now I'm intrigued, so I am going to have go find the first book, The Story of Arthur Truluv.

I was given a prepub copy for my honest review.