After a bit of a slow start, this was a great book. I really enjoyed the characters and how the storylines intertwined. It tackled some quite difficult topics but in a fun, enjoyable way!

A story of escaping the present to look for the past,
Leaving behind heartbreak and uncaring at last.
Searching for history of her beloved Dad
Now she's grown up and not sure she's so bad.

A story that's told by Marion Miller throughout
But both from her past and now sharing what her life's about.
It seems so fitting for Marion to be
In Sherwood Forest to discover what she can see!

What a delightful community at the holiday park
With welcoming friendships and many a lark.
Learning to fit in and to let others in, too,
Whilst searching to discover more about her Dad she'll do.

There are so many lovely characters in this book,
I highly recommend you give it more than a look.
Marion's childhood was awful, so very sad,
You keep on hoping now there'll be nothing bad!

I really enjoyed escaping into this read,
It is so emotive, just what I need.
There's life, laughter, heartbreak and romance
As Marion opens her heart to give love a chance.

For my complementary copy, I say thank you,
As I share with you this, my honest review.

Because You Loved Me is a re-release (previously as Making Marion) but the book has lost none of its sparkle. I started reading it expecting a standard romance, but it is so much more than that.

The main character Marion is looking for answers in Nottingham, after leaving her troubled childhood behind in Ireland. She stumbles upon the Peace and Pigs holiday park where she meets enigmatic Scarlett, who is facing her own battles.

Through working at the park, Marion not only progresses her search for the truth about her father, but also learns a lot about herself along the way.

Because You Loved Me takes the reader on a rollercoaster of emotions, and at times can be a painful read for those impacted by similar issues. It's a great winter read, to really get stuck into.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this book. It was beautifully written with great characters and I will be recommending this book to everyone I know.

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I feel like this book has so much potential with real and genuine topics, as well as with unlikely friendships and decisions.

I did struggle to get into it because of the number of characters involved, and the somewhat unclear transitions between past and present, making it challenging to be invested in either timeline.

I was expecting a fun, light-hearted read, but this book is so much more than that. It wasn't an easy journey - sometimes awkward, sometimes painful, yet, nevertheless, uplifting and warming my heart.

Because You Loved Me by Beth Moran Blog tour 18th January
Pub Date 11 Jan 2023
Publisher :Boldwood Books
Genre :General Fiction (Adult) | Romance

We start off with a misunderstanding Marion at the start of the book. There was a flip between past and present which was not very clear at first. I I just didn't get on with the boots I didn't connect to the characters I didn't connect to story at all.


#NetGalley #blogtour #BoldBookClub #boldwoodbooks @booksandtonic

Marion's Irish childhood was anything but idyllic. After the loss of her father, she experienced abuse at the hands of her family, and became a selective mute. She was slowly coaxed out of her shell by a well meaning friend, but fought every day to overcome the anxiety that clouded her during social interactions.

Now in her mid-twenties and engaged to that friend who sees her as fragile, she breaks free and runs to Sherwood forrest to finally find the answers to her father's mysterious childhood. Why did he change his name from Daniel to Henry? Why did he flee? Who was he really?

Along the way she finds a new home in the Peace and Pig, and friends who become family. But when this new home is threatened, Marion will do everything she can to protect it.

I loved the re-work of this Beth Moran novel and enjoyed getting to explore Sherwood forest through a new story. The growth we see in Marion throughout the book is heart warming and the relationships she builds have real depth. I love the character of Scarlett (how could you not!) and wish the Peace and Pig were a real place! I would have loved a little bit more romance, but accept that this story was about so much more.

Thank you to author Beth Moran, publisher Boldwood books and Netgalley for the chance to read and review this book before its re- publication date of January 11th 2023!

Wow wow wow! This is the second Beth Moran book I have read - both have been wonderful but in very different ways. I didn’t realise until I got to the end of this book, but this is a slightly re-written version of one of Beth’s very early books. However it was completely new to me.

So, in this story, we meet Marion. A young woman in her twenties, she has just turned up at a caravan holiday park in Sherwood Forest, looking for clues from her late dad’s past, to try to solve some family mysteries and make a break from an unhappy life back home in Ireland.

But she gets a lot more than she expected when she arrives at the Peace and Pigs. She meets Scarlett and her daughters Grace and Valerie and suddenly finds herself with a group of friends and a sense of family love that she has never felt before. Not to mention the dashing Reuben!

This book basically has everything - I laughed a lot, I cried, I wanted the characters to be my actual friends! From sweet Marion, who desperately needed to believe in herself and be treated with love and kindness - I felt genuinely proud of her by the end of the book! - to the amazing Scarlett with her hilarious advice and way of talking which made her so lifelike in my head that I can’t believe I’ve not seen this on tv! And even Marion’s mum manages to end up a likeable character!

So many mysteries and secrets, a spot of romance, a good deal of heartache and sadness, and a lovely overall feeling of homeliness and warmth - this was just a fantastic read that I will buy people as presents!

Not many authors have the power that Beth Moran seems to have for building a gorgeous community inside your head that feels so real that you want to pounce through your book and live in it - but that is how I feel about the Peace and Pigs!

I enjoyed this story about Marion who, after a difficult childhood, sets off in search of information about her late father’s past. She ends up in a caravan park in Sherwood Forest where she finally begins to find a sense of belonging. This book had some difficult themes and the neglect and abuse that Marion had suffered were handled sensitively and with great care. There was some humour and also some very lovable characters throughout, and overall was a heartwarming read.

I got this advanced copy from netgalley.
There is some very heavy triggering topics.
This was a first time reading from this author. I enjoyed that the main character had grown so much throughout her journey.....
3.5☆

If you look at the cover of Because You Loved Me, you might think it’s a lighthearted rom com, you’d be mistaken. There is romance, but it’s a secondary plot and late in the book. What this book entails is a woman’s search for her father’s past, coming to terms with her own broken childhood, finding oneself and making a family through lasting relationships. It’s heartwarming, but at the same time, there are sometimes when reading about Marion’s past are difficult.

The fact that the main character was named Marion and she heads to a caravan park near Sherwood Forest where her father once lived is just priceless. I do have to be honest that it took a little while to get into this book because it seemed like it started in the middle of story. A few chapters in I felt I had a better grip on things, and then the story started to flow more smoothly.

The entire book is full of unlikely characters becoming friends and looking out for one another. Like I said, it’s about a woman finding a family of her own after a terrible childhood of abuse and loss. I particularly liked the growth arc of Marion, and the VERY slow simmer of romance with Reuben. The research into her father’s past brings forward a story that many wish would stay hidden, but luckily for her, she gets her answers.

Each character in the story brings something to the table, and I didn’t feel like there were any loose ends. This is the latest book I’ve gotten from Boldwood Books that has given me great satisfaction from reading it. I especially love the low price point for the Kindle editions since I rarely buy physical books anymore.

Highly recommend!

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from NetGalley & Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I did not get into this book and am abandoning it. The writing was a little too all over the place and I just could not get into this story. DNF'ing at less than 10%. Sorry but I won't be finishing or starting other books by this author.

This was a tough book for me as I lost both my parents in my 20s and I really connected with the main character after her losing her parent. But, I thought the book was really beautifully written and I enjoyed it,

This book is absolutely beautiful and I really felt that I connected to this book on a personal level. I loved the characters the storyline the Romance an knowd the joy it brought.

i don’t know what i expected when i started this book but what i got was so much more!
i loved the story of marion her struggles and how she perceives with what life throws at her her. Scarlett is the woman we all want to met to guide through the ups and downs, and rueben is well just the hero we all need
a great read

Because You Loved Me is a beautiful book about personal growth, facing harsh truths, overcoming trauma and abuse, and finding oneself.

Marion is an extremely complex character dealing with childhood trauma from losing a father to cancer and having her mother blame her for his death and essentially neglecting her and emotionally and verbally abusing her.

The book also touches on sexual assault/sexual harassment, mentions suicide, and at one point there is some violence. All of this is done well and really paints a picture of how much Marion has to overcome. When she arrives in her father's hometown to learn more about him, she discovers Scarlett, an amazing woman who has had to overcome her own demons. She gets a job at a caravan park (basically a campground in the USA) and meets the local people.

The book is light on the romance, but the story doesn't need it. The love story that does play out, however, is well done in its subtlety.

Overall, this was another delightful book from Beth Moran.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the advanced reader copy for a review.

3.5 stars
After a slow start this becomes a charming read of family and those who become family. Marion’s story is an emotional one and is written with care and love. I really enjoyed seeing her transformation and would have loved seeing more of her encouraging friend Harriet. I felt the other characters in the story added a lot of warmth and humour to Marion’s journey and especially loved Scarlett and her zest for life and love.

Marion leaves her home in Northern Ireland hoping to learn more about the father she lost as young girl. She stumbles across a Holiday Park in Sherwood Forest and meets Scarlett who seems to run a refuge for waifs and strays. Scarlett takes her under her wing and shows her that she can choose her own family. Along the way she learns a lot about herself and that she is so much more than the sad woman who left a strained family life behind. I loved how much Marion grew through her interactions with her new friends. I liked how her attraction to Reuben grew and that he eventually saw who she really was. Her childhood was difficult to say the very least, so when her troubled mother shows up I could understand her reticence to let her back in to her life, I enjoyed the mystery woven in to the story. I think my favourite part of the story was how everyone looked out for each other, especially when tragedy struck this amazing group of people.. I would have liked to see more of what happened with Marion and Reuben. I felt that part ended a bit abruptly for me. I would have loved an epilogue showing them (and everyone else) further down the line.