Thank you @bethmoranauthor @boldwoodbooks @netgalley for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My thoughts:
A heartwarming story about two strangers meeting up in a very unexpected way. Mary and Beckett are wonderful characters I enjoyed getting to know.
This was an emotionally charged story that will pull on your heartstrings in so many ways.
Though the story seemed drawn out in some places, it still flowed quite well. Mary’s story about her past was very slow to develop in my opinion.
This is a clean story with minimal romance.

At the heart of the story is Mary, the co-owner of a wildly successful fashion company in Sheffield. She’s fleeing a painful past when she unexpectedly gives birth—completely alone—in the middle of Sherwood Forest. Enter Beckett, the kind-hearted taxi driver sent to take her to the hospital… but the baby arrives early, in the middle of the New Life Community Church.

With no baby supplies, no plan, and no familiar faces, Mary begins to lean on the people she meets that night. What starts as a moment of desperation slowly becomes something more, as she finds friendship, purpose (by sewing costumes for the church’s Christmas concert), and maybe even love—with Beckett.

The story alternates between Mary’s present and flashbacks to her old life in Sheffield, gradually revealing the heartbreak that led her to start over. Beckett’s perspective adds even more depth, especially as he struggles to care for his beloved Gramps. Both storylines are moving and at times unexpectedly emotional, with a few twists that tug at the heart. The side characters shine just as brightly as the leads. Each one feels real, with enough personality and depth to carry their own novel. They bring warmth, humour, and heart to Mary’s journey.

Ultimately, this is a gorgeous, uplifting story about second chances, letting go of the past, and the power of kindness—perfect for curling up with in winter… or anytime you need a little hope. This novel is more about healing, community, and unexpected new beginnings, making it a beautiful read any time of year.

This is such a happy, warm, and festive read. Full of hope and friendship, this is a emotional rollercoaster of a book to snuggle up in a blanket and enjoy.

I read so many of the author’s books that it did not surprise me that much that if I read another so quickly and it worked as well as I hoped. It did please me though, since there have been a few I have not enjoyed as well.

There is also a fact that registered this time, something I had not realised previously was the slight use of faith or faith based individuals. It has made its quiet appearance in multiple books and is used as a tool by the good people in the narrative. I realised it was a reasonably repetitive presence only recently! It is not preachy so it makes a nice background for the kind of people we encounter.

This story begins with a woman going into labour early. Having gone into labour early but with everything else going as expected, I can only imagine the terror of the situation. The author did a good job bringing it to life. After the precipitous delivery during a snow storm, our leading lady finds new purpose and a new found family to celebrate the season with. In between we get a glimpse of the past and see who she was and how she got there.

It’s a story with several layers and each layer brings with its own emotional section.

I am glad I stumbled on to this author. I would highly recommend most of her books to anyone who likes found families as the core of the narrative.

I received an ARC thanks to Netgalley and the publishers but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

I’d like to thank Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ written by Beth Moran in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Mary Whittington has moved into a ramshackle cottage situated in the middle of a forest as she’s running from the two people she thought were her friends and the man she loved whose baby she’s soon to give birth to. When her labour pains begin she rings for a taxi that’s driven by Beckett and as a blizzard closes the roads he stops at the New Life Community Church where she’s welcomed and helped to give birth to a baby boy named Bob. Beckett has a big generous heart and soon becomes her friend and Mary realises that with him and the ‘coffee-mums’ she’s made a new and happy life for herself and Bob.

‘The Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ is an utterly charming and heart-warming story of Mary who loses her career, friends and marriage as she runs away from the business that she, Shay and Kieran set up in Sheffield to a ramshackle cottage in Sherwood Forest where she makes a home for herself and her baby. Her new friends Beckett and the ‘coffee-mums’ become important to Mary who realises that life as she knew it may have ended but a new one is just beginning. Beth Moran’s characters have been so beautifully described that I felt I knew them and as her relationship with Beckett evolves from friends into something more I wanted to hug them and babysit Bob. This is a lovely novel that I thoroughly enjoyed and is perfect to read in the run-up to the festive period.

An enjoyable story set in Sherwood Forest around Christmas, mainly set around Mary and Beckett. Mary is on her own and pregnant and goes into labor, Beckett is the taxi driver she rings to take her to hospital, and who ends up being a good friend. Beckett is also struggling to take care of his grandfather who has dementia and scares off all his carers with his rudeness. So Mary and Beckett end up helping each other out.

There are a great group of side characters, mainly from the community church that Mary ends up delivering her baby in due to the weather.

There are plenty of amusing parts and some sad parts, but eventually everyone ends up with their happy ever after. Very enjoyable.

4.5 stars.

“Awesome comes in all shapes and sizes.” Ah, I just love settling into a new Beth Moran book! I love how she creates such a close, special, and cosy community within each of her books – usually set within Sherwood Forest – and often, like this one, with some Easter egg mentions of places and characters from her other books, like the Peace and Pigs and journalist Bea Armstrong. I want to move right into her little fictional world immediately!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is not REALLY a Christmas story, so you don’t need to wait until December to read it, but it does have some lovely festive moments, culminating with a Christmas Eve concert and Christmas Day itself.

The main story centres around Mary – co-owner of a hugely successful fashion company in Sheffield, who has escaped from her old life, just in time to give birth completely alone in the middle of Sherwood Forest. There, she meets Beckett, her taxi driver tasked with getting her to hospital. Only they don’t make it in time, and Mary gives birth in the New Life Community Church.

With no nappies, cot, or anything ready, she starts to accept help from the people she meets that night. Soon, she’s made a host of new friends, making costumes for the Christmas concert extravaganza and developing feelings for Beckett.

Alongside the main story, we flash back to Mary’s old life in Sheffield and gradually discover what happened in her past to have brought her here. We also get Beckett’s point of view, and his story as he struggles to care for his Gramps. Both were quite heart-breaking and had me a bit tearful, with some unexpected revelations.

As always with Beth’s books, the minor characters are outstanding. Every one of them has a story and struggles that make them strong enough to be lead characters! This was another gorgeous story from Beth, and perfect for getting cosy this winter (or right now!)

A superb Christmas tale by Beth Moran. A wonderful book of Christmas cheer with great characters and a story to tweak all your emotions. I could not put it down.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. It was an absolute pleasure.

Lovely story, this was my first book by this author and will definitely not be my last. The characters are very convincing and leave you think about them once you have finished the book . Looking forward to the next book.

A good book for getting you in to the Christmas spirit; a mums group, a charity Christmas concert, a mysterious backstory and a budding romance. My one gripe is that the middle sort of lost me as it became a bit long winded and I felt it lost its way for a bit.

I usually only read Christmas books at Christmas time, but I couldn’t pass this one up. For me Christmas has always been the most wonderful time of the year and this book gave me all of the warmth and happy feelings of that magical time. This is one I will definitely read again next to my Christmas tree with a cozy blanket. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for bringing me some Christmas joy in July.

When I came out of the Christmassy trance into which this gorgeous book had cast me, I was surprised to find it was mid summer outside my window. So engrossing is Beth Moran 's evocative writing, that she draws the reader into her world to the exclusion of everything else. We were immediately cast into a wintry night with snow swirling around and roads impassable. In the midst of this hostile environment, we meet Mary, a young woman in labour with her first baby who is 4 weeks premature. She has no transport and is living in an isolated, ramshackle cottage in the forest. Alone, helpless and scared she is rescued by Beckett, a taciturn taxi driver, who turns out to be her unlikely knight in shining armour. Unable to reach hospital on time , Beckett takes Mary to a local church, a decision that would transform both their lives forever. There they encounter Moses and his flock of wonderful, warm , loving, quirky and all encompassing human beings and find they are no longer alone in the world. Both Beckett and Mary are carrying heavy burdens of grief, loneliness and heartbreak. Beckett is caring for his beloved elderly grandfather, who raised him and whom he has vowed to never put in a home. This night will be the catalyst to transform all their lives .
Such a perfect, uplifting book. I defy you to read it and not be moved

An absolutely beautiful and heart warming Christmas tale which begins with a birth in a church and offers redemption to the aptly named Mary. It is a slow burn romance but the side stories of friendship and second chances make it engaging and worth the wait. I loved gramps and his story was both emotional and thought provoking. Beautiful!

“The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” is a romance book by Beth Moran. This book begins rather quickly - Mary is in labor when she gets into Beckett’s taxi and thanks to a snowstorm, going to the hospital isn’t possible. Fortunately a church is open and folks are willing to help Mary deliver her baby. Mary is on her own - and now a new Mum - and Beckett wants to help her although he’s a caregiver for his elderly grandparent. After that rather exciting opening bit, the story grinds to a much slower pace as background is filled in and the story progresses forward. One of the comfortable things about this book is that the reader knows how it’s going to end - but it takes its sweet time getting there. The drama at the 75% mark could’ve been avoided if Mary and Beckett had communicated with each other (though thanks in part to technology they didn’t … if ever people needed landlines with answering machines, this was a prime example!). I have mixed feelings about this book - it was really great that the church folks embraced Mary (and her baby … and Beckett) and it wasn’t a preachy church, but due to Mary’s story unfolding so slowly, at times I skimmed some parts. This was a fine book, but for me it felt like there was a bit too much dancing about things.

Mary never planned to stop running. With a past she's desperate to escape and a baby on the way, she's found refuge deep in the forest, hidden from the world. When the time comes to go to the hospital, she has no idea that Beckett, the quiet taxi driver who braves a blizzard to reach her, will change everything. As Mary adjusts to life with her newborn, she finds herself drawn into a close-knit community she never expected to be part of. Beckett is always there, dependable and patient, offering a friendship she doesn't know how to accept but slowly comes to rely on. In a place she thought she'd only be passing through, Mary finally learns what it means to belong. As Christmas approaches, she begins to believe that maybe she doesn't have to face motherhood alone after all.

This amazing, heart-warming love story had me hooked from the very beginning. It’s a loving romance with a touch of suspense. Mary meets Beckett on her way to give birth in her new town and ends up giving birth at a church. She’s completely on her own and now a new mom, but Beckett, realizing this, takes it upon himself to check in on her, even though he’s also a caregiver to his ailing grandfather. Mary and Beckett form a friendship that leads them to join a church community that warmly welcomes them, including Mary, Beckett, his Gramps, and her baby, Bob. The suspense comes in that Mary is running from her past and not forthcoming with any details. But the good news is that everything gets resolved in a satisfying way, and the characters are genuinely good and likable people. I’m really envious of the church community that Beth Moran described, as it makes me sad that not all churches are as open and giving. This is a chaste romance that keeps a good pace, so definitely check it out!

Thank you, Boldwood Books, for providing this book for review consideration through NetGalley. All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Such a cute read with an array of emotions! I love Christmas books and this was just perfect! It had be chuckling from page one.

I received a free copy of, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, by Beth Moran, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Mary having a baby around the holidays, reminds me of another Mary and her baby Jesus. I love that Gramps has no filter at all. This was a heavy Christmas story, with a lot of feels. I really liked Mary, shes so honest.

Heartwarming, funny and worth a read festive time or not. There were moments of laughter, tenderness and the gritty reality of life. Love Beth Moran books.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year is the third Christmas book I have read by British author Beth Moran, and it may be my favorite. Unlike a Hallmark rom-com, the book sets the tone for the two protagonists by exploring Mary's background, then Beckett's, before there is any mention of the holiday.

Mary left the successful fashion accessories company she co-founded after a personal tragedy and soon found herself a pregnant widow living with no family support or friends in a rundown house in Sherwood Forest. Beckett hasn't used his medical education as planned, driving a taxi for the flexible hours that allow him to provide security and assistance to his unpredictable grandfather, who is showing signs of advancing dementia. The two meet (not quite) cute when Beckett gets the call to drive Mary to the hospital in a blizzard as she as in labor with her son, without diapers or any idea what she will do next.

The obligatory romance between the two is slow to start because of personal issues on both sides, and there are no intimate scenes. But Beckett turns out to be a promising partner for Mary, allowing her to be herself as she builds a new life. I especially loved the wonderful local community of interesting and diverse women, who welcome Mary as she had never expected, and which she struggles to feel worthy of accepting. The holiday enters the plot with the planning for an annual Christmas show in which everyone seems to take part, and Mary finds that skills she polished in her past career are just what her new friends need for this beloved project. The book is everything I want in an uplifting story with festive holiday overtones and engaging characters.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.