Beth Moran does it again with her cozy vibes and amazing characters! From the start to the finish this book grips you in and dont let go!

Mary is running, running from her recent past and life and also her austere childhood and family beliefs.
She cant run any longer on the night 3 weeks before her due date she goes into labour and calls a taxi from her forest home. Beckett the taxi driver turns up and through blizzards they get her to a church where she gives birth with his help snd some church ladies. Bob is born snd she realises she cant be alone any more.
Beckett brings her baby stuff and offers support and gradually they become friends. The church ladies rally round too and gently life goes on for all. This was just a great book. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange of an honest review.

Beth Moran's 'The Most Wonderful Time of the Year' is a bouncy, feel-good festive novel that lives up to the promise of its title. Mary is the central figure, with a secret past and a baby on the horizon, who finds sanctuary in a remote forest cottage. Her carefully built isolation is destroyed when a reserved taxi driver, Beckett, battles through a blizzard to take her to hospital.

What ensues is a bittersweet story of second chances and unanticipated fellowship. Along the way, Mary finds herself pulled into a tight-knit village community she never thought she'd belong to. Beckett's unshakeable encouragement and gentle companionship become a lifeline to Mary, allowing her to let go of the past and finally learn what it means to belong and connect.

Beth Moran skillfully interweaves mystery, love, friendship, and even heartbreak into a truly satisfying and emotional ride, concluding with a happy message of hope and healing. Those who enjoy comforting, character-based fiction will love this a delightful read.

This starts with Mary giving birth in a church during a freak October snowstorm having spent the last 6 months in solitude for reasons that only become clear much nearer the end of the book. Taxi driver Beckett had been attempting to get Mary to hospital but found himself supporting her during birth and being concerned about how ill prepared she was so found himself trying to support her during her son’s first days.

Mary and Beckett both have great stories, Mary is adjusting to parenthood but luckily finds herself a great group of mum friends and she also finds she can be useful to the church she gave birth in whereas Beckett is struggling to care for his Grandpa Marvin whilst trying to juggle work and has real issues finding carers. There’s some great characters in this, most especially Marvin who shows incredible awareness and the warmth between Mary and Beckett is lovely. This is a warm and easygoing read with a few sad details but mostly uplifting.

A delicious, slow burn of a book. Gentle and kind with great characters and a soothing pace. Definitely a perfect read for the winter.

This was a darling story!
I will admit, Mary’s chapters being first person POV and Becketts being third person POV threw me for several chapters. But I was able to get past it.
I loved the small town melting pot feel, it was very cozy. I did feel like Mary’s story was a bit dragged out and could’ve been revealed a touch earlier, made the story a bit shorter.
But all in all, I liked it very much. A lovely tale of new friends and the fact that life isn’t always black and white.

This one was slow for me until the last 20%, but don't let that turn you off! My fave character was Gramps! I really loved that storyline. I wasn't super invested in Mary and Beckett. I kept thinking there was something missing for me, but couldn't put my finger on what. At one point, an event that might typically have triggered a little misty eye didn't and I knew it just wasn't a home run for me.

The book got more humorous and endearing for me toward the end, which I appreciated and wished there had been more of that sooner. I also liked that there was a baby born in a church to a mother named Mary (first chapter, promise I'm not giving anything away!)...the point is, some religious aspects to the book without being preachy or churchy and likely wouldn't be a turn off for some readers. Zero on the spice meter. Once Mary's full story was revealed, I saw why it took so long to get it out, but ultimately the build up could have been shortened.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have read a festive book by Beth Moran before, so knew I was in for a treat with this one. The main characters are Mary and Beckett, and the will they wont they love story.
I enjoyed reading about both Beckett and Mary's past relationships and getting to know other characters in the book too. It was a lovely heart warming story.

This is a festively warm and welcoming read. It’s full of hope, joy, empathy and familiarity. This book ticks all the boxes and I’d happily recommend if you’re looking for a book to curl up with.

5⭐️ | Healing, hope, and holiday magic 🎄✨
This book wrapped me up like a warm blanket on a snowy morning and didn’t let go. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is everything I love in a cozy Christmas read—heartfelt, redemptive, and quietly powerful.

Mary’s story starts in fear and solitude but blossoms into something truly beautiful. Watching her find safety, friendship, and a kind of unexpected family in the most unlikely place gave me all the feels. And Beckett? Quiet hero energy in flannel. Absolutely yes.

This isn’t just a festive read—it’s about second chances, the bravery of starting over, and the quiet power of letting someone in. I didn’t want it to end. One of those rare books that feels like a hug. 💚❄️👶

A beautifully crafted story of people rediscovering themselves and finding hope after being crushed by life's unexpected and seemingly catastrophic changes.
The story happens around Christmas and it is one of hope and healing as you'd expect, but it is not too far fetched or unrelatable. Instead, it illustrates the magic in the brave choices people make everyday—to stick it out, to be vulnerable, to seek help, support each other, and slowly forge friendships that give them the strength to accept themselves and start again.
There is a lot to love about this book—a wonderful cast of characters; an uplifting, engaging, and well-written story (even if it is slightly predictable); and small-town cozy vibes. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, I'd definitely recommend this as a weekend read.
This is my first book by Beth Moran and I can't wait to check out more books by the author.
I thank the publishers and Netgalley for providing me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my gosh I thought this was gonna be slushy, Christmasy and heart warming. I was right but also wrong.... I'm stamping my foot like a toddler having a tantrum because I didn't want this to end it's brilliant, amazing, wonderful, happy and a small bit of the story is sad but not crying your eyes out sad.
And a happy ending within the last few pages. I want more I want to know how they get on, how Mary's new business takes off, how gramps is and the most important thing how bob and the puppy get on.
I can see the forest and cottages Sherwood forest is my favourite place and I'm loving the books that are set there. Please be more to Mary and Becketts story.

This was such a cozy, heartwarming read with all the festive vibes I was hoping for. I loved the mix of humor, family drama, and romance—it felt like the perfect book to curl up with during the holidays. The setting was charming, and the characters felt real, with all their quirks and flaws.

It’s not just about romance, either—there’s a nice focus on personal growth, family relationships, and finding a fresh start. Some parts were a bit slower than others, but overall it left me smiling. A great pick if you want something feel-good with just the right amount of holiday magic.

Absolutely brilliant. Meg is hiding and goes into labour and a taxi driver helps her. It is a fabulous story. I did not guess the different turns of the book. I loved the grandad . It was a great read and you got a lovely ending. Some tears along the way . Parents!!! Read it you won’t be disappointed .

Mary moves to a small town to get away from her previous life, she goes into labor and calls for a taxi, Beckett is the taxi driver and can't understand why she is alone. they become friends. a sweet story.

Beautiful and sweet - I'm a new Beth Moran fan and will be seeking out other books by her ASAP. Beckett and Mary's story starts off with a crisis - she's in labor and he's the taxi driver trying to get her to the hospital. He doesn't understand why she is utterly alone with no support, but he's determined to help her in any way he can. She can't understand why he left his previous career to drive a taxi, but when she realizes he's the sole carer for his elderly grandfather, she wants to help him however she can, despite being a bleary-eyed new mom. Add in some madcap characters from the church where she delivered her baby in a snowstorm, and they both realize they need friends, support, and possible even each other.

The start of something great…Mary with a baby. Christmas…a new start…new friends…Beth Moran has written a warm and fuzzy story that is difficult to put down…to the end…what will happen? Will she do this alone? Or not…I enjoy books by this author…over and over again. Curl up in a cozy chair…get a warm blanket and a cup of steaming herbal tea…be whisked away…thanks Netgalley

Mary had a baby on the way and running from her previous life. She still had 3 weeks to go but started going into labour. She was in the middle of nowhere so phoned for a taxi. The taxi driver was Beckett who had his own problems but that started a snowball of a different life for Mary and her son

A small-town setting with people from all walks of life with all sorts of history. We've all got bagage, don't we? And still this was a light-hearted, cozy read about well-known feelings such as not living up to expectations, failure, and sticking together when and where we can. This book by Beth Moran deserves to be on my being-good-enough shelf on Goodreads.

I enjoyed this book so much I read it in 24 hours.

Mary suffers a catastrophic tragedy in her life which you don’t find out until later in the story but she arrives into Sherwood Forest with a bang after going into labour and meeting the ever fascinating Beckett.

A tale of self discovery and new friendships follow with a surprising realisation that life isn’t always straightforward.

Thanks to Boldwood Books for the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.