This is a lovely story of community, friendships and love. Mary moves from Sheffield to Sherwood Forrest and throughout the book we explore the reason for this. The first time Mary meets Beckett is when she is in his taxi and goes into labour and from here they become firm friends. Beckett is trying to work while also being a carer for his Grandad who has a stroke a few years before.
This book explored how a community can come together to support each other and how friendships are created, it was sad at times but the Winter/Christmas theme was always in the background and all of the characters were wonderful.
Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood books for an advance copy of this book but opinions are all my own.

A wonderfully uplifting book. How to survive and live when it seems life is against you. Mary and Beckett are really down to earth characters who take us on a rollercoaster ride but make us want nothing but the best for them. A feel good seasonal read.

So good! Mary Whittington moves to the Sherwood Forest region of England to have her child and reclaim her life after devastating personal and professional losses. I loved reading about her journey to find herself and a new “family,” The characters were so well-drawn that I kept wanting to Google them! Wonderful writing and storytelling—I was sad to get to the end. Highly recommended!

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

This was a lovely story of how we sometimes meet people exactly when we need to! Told from the POVs of Mary and Beckett, we follow their journey through single motherhood, coping with caring responsibilities and general life struggles can impact us and having support can help. Short chapters, excellent side characters (Gramps in particular is brilliant!) and lovely Christmas vibes will have you wanting to reading on and hoping for a happy outcome for both Mary and Beckett! Definitely give this book a read if you like a Christmas romance!

The most wonderful time of the year is a lovely Christmassy quick read that restores your faith in humanity. This is a standalone book and if you like a Christmas romance, you’re going to love this.

This story focusses upon Mary who calls a taxi to take her to the hospital when she goes into labour early, but due to unforeseen circumstances, she doesn’t make it to the hospital and her taxi driver Beckett comes to the rescue.

Mary feels stressed and isolated after previously leaving her job and home and adding a newborn to her problems with no support system is inevitably going to make things worse. The story unfolds with a community network coming to support Mary in her time of need with some surprises along the way.

Beth Moran always writes great romances and this one is no different. I recommend that you pick it up.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
by Beth Moran

This week, I am diving into several first-time reads from a few new authors, and I couldn't be more delighted. This heartwarming story follows the unexpected encounter of two strangers and how their lives become intertwined in a pivotal moment. Mary and Beckett are beautifully crafted characters, and I genuinely enjoyed getting to know them.

The story kicks off with a sense of urgency as Mary, in the throes of labour, jumps into Beckett’s taxi. A fierce snowstorm blankets the area, making it impossible for them to reach the hospital. In a stroke of luck, Beckett manages to locate New Life Community Church, a welcoming place where the congregation is ready and willing to assist Mary in delivering her baby.

Mary, a co-owner of a highly successful fashion company based in Sheffield, has made a courageous decision to escape her hectic old life for the tranquillity of Sherwood Forest. Living in a quaint, run-down cottage surrounded by nature, she is trying to put her life back together on her own with no family or friends to help. On the other hand, Beckett, who was once a medical doctor, sacrificed his promising career to care for his grandfather, Marvin, after he suffered a stroke. This act of devotion showcases Beckett’s character as calm, reliable, and deeply compassionate.

Both Mary and Beckett are relatable and refreshingly down-to-earth characters facing their life changes and family challenges with a blend of vulnerability and resilience. Beckett stands out as a sweet and nurturing figure, going above and beyond to support Mary, demonstrating the power of kindness and connection during a critical moment in their lives. Their journey together not only highlights the beauty of unexpected friendships but also the strength found in community and empathy during life's most challenging times.

A lovely festive story from Beth Moran, I think this might be my favourite so far

Mary is pregnant and when it comes time to go to the hospital she meets Beckett, the local taxi man who brings her and well.....Mary doesn't quite make it to the hospital Beckett all of a sudden became a birthing partner to Mary, from here their friendship blossoms. Mary is all of a sudden a part of a tight knit community and for the first time she feels like she belongs.

This was such a heartwarming festive story and i loved getting to know Mary, Beckett and of course Bob!

Aaah, I think this might be one of my favourite books this year, I absolutely loved it. Meet Mary, and Bob, we don’t know her story just yet, but really feel how overwhelmed she is, no family or friends to support her. But, as we know, there is always someone there who’s got our back- we just have to be open to look for them.
It’s a belter, couldn’t put it down!

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Really enjoyed this festive tale of Mary and her new friends and I was quite sorry when it ended!

This is the first book I have read by Beth and I was happy to receive an advance copy. Mary is living on her own in the woods. Heavily pregnant with a baby on the way,she calls for a taxi. Beckett comes to the rescue but they don't make it to the hospital and the baby is born in a church. Mary finds out Beckett trained to be a doctor but since his grandfather had a stroke he drives a taxi between looking after Marvin,who can be difficult. Mary has no one to help her so Beckett gets her things for the baby,Bob and food. They become friends but Mary keeps her past to herself and Beckett doesn't push her. We get snippets as the book progresses. Beckett has Marvin to deal with,he ends up with no carers and has to juggle trying to drive and look after him. I did find the book a bit slow but I did stick with it and I did enjoy finding out what had happened to Mary before she arrived in the woods and how things panned out for her and Beckett.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. The story telling was so engaging and the characters were so warm and believable. I was totally caught up and didn't really want it to end! I think this is one of Beth Morans best to date. I highly recommend! Many thanks

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year celebrates the Christmas story, found family, and new beginnings.

Wanting to escape her past, Mary finds a temporary home deep in the forest and hidden from the world she once knew. She’s pregnant, and a blizzard is raging when it’s time to go to the hospital. She calls a taxi, and Beckett, the one man who is brave enough to attempt the hazardous drive to reach her, will change her life. As Mary settles into life with a newborn, she appreciates support from Beckett and his friends, celebrates Christmas, and finds true belonging.

I love this community of generous and thoughtful people with whom Mary finds practical help, belonging, and safety. Found Family is one of my favorite tropes.

This story gets better and better as it progresses. Everyone pitches in to pull off an amazing Christmas pageant in which there is plenty of humor to be found, and the true meaning of Christmas is lovingly presented. The parallels between contemporary Mary (her situation and baby boy ) and the Christmas story are gently and cleverly drawn.

Thoughtful themes include new beginnings, second chances, friendship, community, found family, hope, healing, trust, resilience, safety, belonging, and the meaning of Christmas. The slow-burn sweet romance between Mary and Beckett is poignant but is not the focus of the story.

Fans of heartfelt Christmas stories, found family, and sweet romance will find a great deal to love in The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Put this one on your winter TBR!

Thanks #NetGalley @BoldwoodBooks for a complimentary eARC of #TheMostWonderfulTimeOfTheYear upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Lovely heartwarming story for Christmas, very enjoyable with great characters and a plot you want to keep on reading. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

A heartwarming Christmas story with a wonderful cast of characters. From the main characters of Mary and Bennett, and Grandpa Frank, to the community of the folks at the New Life church, the characters are interesting and varied. A sweet, slow romance.

Mary is almost 9 months pregnant and alone in the middle of nowhere after the life she had has blown up. The cottage is a hovel and she is in no way prepared for the baby’s arrival when she goes into labour.
Enter Beckett who is a the taxi driver who arrives to take her to the hospital, he is also a loner who is trying to manage things on in his own with his aged grandad who has something like dementia.
Unfortunately there is a blizzard and they don’t make it to the hospital as there is an accident and and the roads are blocked so end up in a church hall where not only the baby is born but a whole new group of friends.
Absolutely loved it and didn’t want to put it down

A lovely read. Mary finds herself alone as she tries to escape her past but living in the forest away from everyone she once loved and as she is about to give birth things get desperate as she is caught up in a snow drift but luckily taxi driver Beckett comes to her rescue. She finds it hard to adjust but finds herself drawn into the community who try to help her and obviously Beckett's friendship becomes invaluable but could it lead to something more.As we find out more about Mary's life things start to unravel and as Christmas is just around the corner can she finally let go of the past and find happiness again. It was particularly good to read as I live near where it was set so it made it more interesting as well as being a beautiful festive story

What a truly heartwarming story of personal discovery after heartache.
Mary has moved to a new home in a forest away from everything and everyone she knows a few weeks before Christmas, one day she finds herself suffering from griping stomach ache and not having a car calls a taxi, when Beckett arrives to drive her to the hospital and discovers she is in early labour but completely unprepared for whats to come and the roads being treacherous he diverts to a church nearby to hopefully wait the snowfall out.
Unfortunately nature has other ideas and baby decides to make a prompt arrival, luckily there are other members at the church who are slightly more qualified than Beckett the taxi driver.
Both Mary and Beckett are people who have seen incredible heartache who are very closed minded with keeping their woes hidden from others. Beckett’s grandfather is an absolute hoot and reminds me of my grandad in so many ways.

This story starts with so much humour and a slow burn storyline leaving you wondering who will get their happy ending and why are Mary and Beckett reserving their past life details from the others?

Ok so this was a heavy book but so good. Also I love Christmas and now I want it here. Seriously it's my absolute favorite time of year.
We follow Mary who is running from her past and all she wants to do is hide away in the forest so she can heal but oh did I mention she's pregnant and well she goes into labor and had to flee forest and ends up having her baby in a church!! I mean how cool would that be. I think would be. I loved Beckett and his grandad. Beckett didn't have to help like he did he was just a cab driver but he and Mary and them all have such a good bond. I love it !!
This was a really good read. Definitely a book I recommend checking out !!

A slow-burn, cosy romance set at Christmas.

Mary is an intriguing character who has fallen on hard times. However, it's not clear initially how she has got to where she is currently. Things seem a lot and I can imagine how overwhelmed she must be. There's some humour to her situation and she does come across as a person who uses her sense of humour to get by. I found her to be quite secretive but could understand why once everything was revealed.

There are a lot of great characters in this and a huge sense of community spirit that Mary embraces as much as it embraces her. Baby Bob's entrance was the catalyst for this and it seems to have done wonders for Mary and her situation.

I quite liked a lot of the characters, particularly Gramps who made me laugh at times.

I expected some drama with Mary's friends but ultimately it wasn't as I'd predicted which is always good. I prefer surprises in books!!

This book is beautiful.

Mary’s life was turned upside down. She ended up heavily pregnant, living in the middle of a forest with no one in jer life. She goes into labour weeks early and has to order a taxi to get her to the safety of hospital. Beckett enters her life and saves the day.

Both Beckett and Mary are not having the best of times and it’s obvious they both need a friend.

I love the characters in this book, especially Gramps. I actually think it would make a lovely Christmas movie.