"If you're looking for serious, for all-in, committed, building a life together, wildly in love as long as we both shall live, I'm your man. Or, at least, I would very much like the opportunity to try."

Just The Way You Are is a heartfelt and moving women's fiction novel about Ollie Tennyson. With her 30th birthday fast approaching, Ollie never expected she'd still be living at home with her manipulative mother at 29. One day she decides to take the reins of her life once more and finally complete the Dream List she created when she was 16. In the process, she buys a quaint cottage, meets new friends, becomes an unlikely pet owner and falls in love.

Firstly, Ollie is a very relatable and likeable protagonist. She's strong when dealing with her mother, caring towards both her neighbours and very passionate about her job. I really liked following her relationship with Sam, who was such a charming and understanding hero. The pair are also surrounded by an unlikely and interesting cast of characters - from Irene the librarian to young Joan and grumpy Ebenezer (who secretly has a heart of gold). These eclectic characters definitely kept the story interesting and will undoubtedly capture your interest too.

At its core, Just The Way You Are is a book about unexpected friendships, family and following your dreams.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

This is a beautiful book about finding oneself, setting boundaries, and living your best life on your own terms. I really enjoyed the MC and her story. Her story with her mother is relatable, although I felt like the MC was a bit selfish and hypocritical in regards to how she treated her mom and disregarded her mom's feelings especially as the book progresses. The MC completely goes to the opposite end of the spectrum to self destructive and almost cruel behavior when it comes to some of her relationships.
However, the book is tied up nicely with an amazing resolution that has absolutely nothing to do with romance. While romance does feature in the book, it is in the background and exactly where it should be. I enjoyed both lead characters a great deal and felt like they suited each other well an d complemented each other.
This book was a joy to read and I highly recommend it!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ollie is 29 and still living at home with her manipulative mother. She decides she has to move out and start living for herself. Tho is such a wonderful and thought provoking book. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute and highly recommend to anyone looking or a bit of escapism.

If you would like a warm and fuzzy story then you have found it here! Check out this story as it will definitely keep you engaged from start to finish. The story is written beautifully nd great for those who are extremely vivid in the imagination department! lol

A heart-warming story of finding yourself, placing yourself at priority, and while doing all of that - making friends and building family. Ollie's struggle with her mom's over-protectiveness is real and it's inspiring to watch her take charge of her life, and make changes. I like Moran's writing style, and her stories are warm and fun-filled. I absolutely loved Sam and Ollie's chemistry, and the bond between Joan and Ollie is heart-touching. The story has a great plot, and is a perfect recommendation for readers that like cozy stories.

I did this review for a blog tour through Rachel Random Resources.

My Thoughts :
Here we meet Olivia Tennyson, known as Ollie to her friends.
Having wrote a list, known as her ‘Dream List’ at sixteen, Ollie wrote down everything she wanted to do and achieve when she was older.
Fastly approaching her thirties, nothing much has been done or achieved in her life due to her overpowering manipulative mother. Ollie decides its now time to move out of home and stand on her own two feet. She needs put that list into action. With help Ollie finds and moves to a lovely cottage, next to a forest.
With some strange neighbours and a handsome likeable forest ranger by the name of Sam, Ollie embarks on her new life, but will she get her happy ever after and complete that list or was she destined to just stay living at home with her controlling mum!?.
This was such an enjoyable read, one which will take you on a journey with the main character and make you feel as if she were your own best friend.
Beth Moran gives us a story that is fun, full of laughs, feel good and has some added romance.
I also have to add how beautiful that fromt cover is.
I will be looking forward to more from this Author in the future.

Ollie has had enough of being controlled by her mother. She is almost 30 and decides she needs to stand up for herself and move out on her own. Her mother has manipulated her into staying as she is too scared to be alone, but Ollie deserves a life of her own, whether her mother likes it or not. She buys a little cottage in a small village and sets about completing her dream list she wrote when she was 16. This list was originally meant to happen with her dream man, but she realises she needs to find herself first. Along the way she makes new friends. Her crotchety old neighbor Ebenezer, latchkey kid Joan and her struggling single mom, friends she makes through her work and Sam the local forest Ranger who just happens to be around whenever she needs help.. She gives her mum a wide berth hoping it will help settle things between them, but her mum is very set in her ways.. I really liked to connection between Joan and Ollie and loved it when Barry (Ebenezer) got in on the fun. I liked to struggle Ollie had between her attraction to Sam and being true to herself and was glad that she put herself first for a change.. I was a little disappointed with the ending with her mum, it felt a little flat. To me this a story about learning to love yourself and there was lots to love about Ollie. She was kind, thoughtful, helpful and smart and her story made me smile.

I was hooked into this book from the beginning. The opening of the book made me think that Ollie’s relationship with her mother was unusual, possibly even toxic, and that her mother showed elements of Munchausen Syndrome. I was definitely intrigued as to how this relationship would develop.

Ollie is an amazing, multi-faceted character. She is brave, resilient, independent and probably the most endearing thing about her is the way that she doesn’t see, or believe, her own strength and beauty. I have loved following her story, watching her step out of her mother’s shadow and grow. I particularly loved the “Dream List!”

Beth manages to weave a few interesting story lines and relationships together without making the reader feel overwhelmed. We really get a 3 dimensional look at how Ollie is as a friend, neighbour, love interest, daughter and so on.

There are some light-hearted moments and some serious moments but overall the book provides a life-affirming and heart-warming experience for its readers. I recommend this book and author to fans of Milly Johnson, Jessica Redland and Mary Jayne Baker.

Just The Way You Are REVIEW
Olivia (Ollie) Tennyson is 29 years old, single and works for ReadUp (an adult literacy charity) in Nottingham. She lives with her 63-year-old mother, who is very manipulative and often spoils things that Olivia would like to do.
Olivia has a Dream List, which she began writing in Sixth Form. It’s a list of twelve things she plans to do, once she had fallen in love like her best friend Steph and her husband Drew. All these years later, it’s still unfulfilled as she has no boyfriend and continues to live with her mother.
With encouragement from Steph, Ollie decides things have to change. She needs to move out, begin her life afresh and start ticking off things from her Dream List – without the need for a man.
The book is very well-written and engaging right from the start. I could definitely empathise with Ollie’s plight as I also live with my mother. The characters are all wonderful and very believable and I loved eleven-year-old Joan, with her fondness for books. Readers and writers always love characters who are bookworms, as well as library settings and both feature beautifully in this novel. Look out for Library Lady too!
Just The Way You Are is about many things – friendships, relationships, romance, families, neighbours, animals, love, trust. It has a real heart which shines through the pages and a great message of finding yourself and being happy with who you are. I really enjoyed it.

Ollie Tennyson is 29 years old and has made the decision that she needs to start living her own life, away from the manipulative clutches of her mother. After buying End Cottage and deciding to make a fresh start for herself, she sets about accomplishing her Dream List that she made when she was 16. Part of this includes a No Man Mandate, which proves to be slightly problematic when she meets the gorgeous Ranger Sam who always seems to pop up when she least expects it. As Ollie crosses things off her list, she meets a new group of friends through her work and becomes close to her neighbors including 12 year old Joan. When Joan needs help, Ollie and Sam work together to help her. As Ollie's Dream List culminates in a party to celebrate her 30th, will Ollie be able to put herself first and find happiness?
This was a great read and I loved Ollie's story.

Beth Moran has done it again! The last book of her’s that I read and blogged about (We belong together) was also a 5 star read that made me smile and pulled at my heart-strings and this book was no different! Focusing more on friendship and finding oneself and loving oneself this was a really good book to read with such well rounded characters I feel like I know them personally and have made several new friends by reading this book.

Even if you have never read a Beth Moran book before, please don’t hesitate… go buy and read and love this book!

Olivia Tennyson who goes by Ollie feels trapped at home aged 29. She's still single and alone, because her manipulative mother does not want to let her go. Ollie decides it's time to make a change and plans to finish her dream list she created in sixth form.

I really enjoyed this book. My favourite part was probably the relationship between Joan and Ollie, it was so sweet to see Joan really look up to her.
Some parts for me felt a little bit slow and unnecessary but they made sense in the end.

I gave this book 3.5 stars :)

5☆ A Feel-good Romance!

Just The Way You Are is a Heart-warming, Uplifting Romance that focuses on Self Confidence, Finding Oneself, Friendships, New Beginnings, Fresh Starts, Kindness and Acceptance.

Ollie is tired of being downtrodden and manipulated by her Mother, so she finally plucks up the courage to find herself an idyllic cottage and give herself the opportunity to live her own life. Even if that means cutting most ties from her Mother.

But with the help from some really good friends, some new and some old, she builds up her confidence to find out who Ollie is!

One thing Ollie is determined to take on is her Dream List, a special list she's been updating since she was younger, a list of all the things she wanted to do with her potential partner, except she still hasn't found one!
However her Bestie has put her on a dating and flirting ban....so she's going at the list on her own!

Can Ollie successfully complete her Dream List on her own or will the devilishly handsome Sam get in the way?

There is sooo much I loved about this book. The characters were amazing and so well written, I warmed to them all straight away. Especially Joan...Ollie's teenage neighbour who melted my heart.
Oh and then there was Nesbit, the pup who just reminds me of my 8month old pup...which had me laughing so hard at all he's cheekiness.

There's plenty of Heartfelt Moments, Humour and a Sprinkle of Romance...Just The Way You Are Are is an Unputdownable Book, that I can't recommend enough! It certainly ticked all my boxes!
Beth Moran is a superb author and I can't wait for her next book!

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book. I unfortunately wasn't able to finish it. I saw myself in Ollie. I too lived at home at 29. I had the same dreams of a happy life with marriage and kids. I too cancelled a lot of plans with friends because of duty to my mom. I would have loved to see what adventures Ollie had.

READ MY REVIEW

Cover: Cute. I’m not wild about the color palette.

Full disclosure, I love this book. I went in with my regular expectations—good technique, engaging plot—and they got blown away by Moran’s storytelling.

First thing first, Moran’s writing skills are superb. While there are a few missteps here and there, something a proofreader should have picked up, the flow and the pacing are flawless. Plus, Moran knows how to build anticipation and has a knack for offering the right solution for the right subplot at the right moment. Win/win/win.

The MC is a delight: Ollie goes through a magnificent arc, and while I don’t agree with some of her choices, I rooted for her from the start. Is she naïve and too tangled in an emotionally abusive relationship with her mother? Yes. Is she able to overcome her fears and spread her wings? Yes, and it’s a beautiful thing to witness.

I’ll admit I’m not that taken with Sam. He’s written in a great way, mind you; he just sounds a little too perfect on occasion, a detail that doesn’t go well with the realism I expect from a book. Still, it’s a minor thing and it won’t affect the final rating.

The cast of characters is perfect. On the biggish side, true, but everyone stands out, even the ones that only show up in a handful of pages.

All in all, Just the Way You Are is a real gem. Moran just gained another fan.

5 stars on GR.

Lovely, life-affirming contemporary fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me access an advance copy of this boo in exchange for my honest feedback.

Another lovely book by this author. Ollie is a great character, realising that if she is to have any life of her own she has to get away from her overbearing mother and so moves to her dream home in the forest, where she soon starts making friends and living her life to the full. Lovely heartwarming story full of wonderful characters that draw you in from the start

Aged 29 and still under her mother's thumb, Ollie Tennyson decides (with the help of her friend) to take charge of her own life. She starts by moving out of home and sets out to accomplish her 'Dream List' that she made at 16.

This book surprised me because the romance wasn't the central plot. The story focuses more on the relationship between Ollie and her next door neighbour Joan and their friendship, which is quite sweet. The book is charming but predictable, a feel-good easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for a review.

It seems like an unpopular opinion but I am really disappointed. The blurb/cover seemed very interesting. But:
1. I could not connect with the characters.
2. I could not connect with the writing style, too much telling. Plus the dialogues are quite mundane.
3. It's not really a romance novel, it's just a small part.
4. Certain things seems unconvincing: I understand the insecurity of a mother but but she's unrealistically dramatic. I totally understand the protagonist's wish to have some space and life of her own, but it's too convenient that you find someone to accompany your mother while you have moved out to live somewhere alone.

Didn't really enjoy. Thank you for the ARC.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Loved the characters and the story. Ollie is 29 and lives with her overbearing mother and has a secret Dream List she wants to complete but living with her mum she's never going to achieve this.

A delightful book.