A lovely story with an even lovelier main character. She developed all the other characters in the book. I loved the setting of the small town and the story of intrigue that kept me turning the pages. Jessie is back home living with a house full of boys who need training. One to read.

Jessie swore she would never move back home when she left years ago at the age of eighteen. With a change in her situation and circumstances, she moves back to her hometown and moves in with her twin brother Issac and his two best friends. One of those friends is Elliot, the boy that jessie was in love with before she left town and before an accident that changed his life forever. Jessie blames herself and still does. Jessie agrees to tutor the men with their social awkwardness and help them find romance, in exchange for a low rent. She also gets a job working at her parent's adult day centre for seniors and they develop many multi-age friendships which I love. Always planning to leave town when she makes enough money to get her own place, things begin to change, and she realizes that maybe she is right where she needs to be.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming story dealing with family, friendships, multi-generational relationships, and romance that had lots of humour that had me laughing out loud more than once. The characters were all wonderful. Elliot has some residual issues from his accident, but he is able to be a contributing member of society, and be in a relationship, even though he has a traumatic brain injury. Issac, Elliot and Arthur are a hoot. They are gamers, slobs, and really have no idea how to talk to women. It was so funny seeing them try and develop relationships with Jessie's help. The funniest moments are at the Adult Day Centre. The clients are hilarious. They do not want to grow old gracefully and have many funny situations that I enjoyed. I definitely recommend this story for those who enjoy stories of family, friendship, romance and personal growth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Always on My Mind is an emotional heartwarming story about love, friendship and family. I have undergo a rollercoaster of emotions with one minute being happy and giggly and the next just bawling my eyes out. The characters are likeable and you really want them to succeed past the obstacles they face. However, there were some parts that felt a bit dragging but it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the book that much.

A book I really enjoyed, Jesse returns to her home due to life events kicking her in the teeth. Her parents get her a job and her twin brother Isaac gets her somewhere to stay . Living with him, their friend Arthur, and Elliot, her first love , who had a terrible accident leaving him with a brain injury . Living with Elliot on a daily basis is hard for Jesse, she blames herself for the accident . Sounds like an awful plot but it wasn’t, The book has some hilarious moments . The characters were relatable, and difficult subjects were handled sensitively. This was an uplifting read which stays with the reader . Highly recommended
Thanks to Netgalley, Boldwood Books,, and Beth Moran for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you NetGalley, publishers, and Beth Moran for gifting me a copy of Always on My Mind in return for my honest opinion.

2.5/5 stars

When Jessie left home at eighteen, she swore she’d never go back. But when life takes a turn for the complicated, she’s forced to move in with her twin, Isaac, and his two best friends. To her dismay, one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie once loved, until his life was changed forever by a terrible accident that Jessie still blames herself for.

Cohabiting with three alarmingly unhouse-trained males was not in Jessie’s life plan so when Isaac, Elliot, and Arthur offer her a generous rent discount if she’ll help them with their ‘Boys to Men Project’, designed to end years of disastrous dating, she reluctantly accepts the challenge.

As Jessie embraces the comfort of being home, reveling in her new job at her parents’ day center full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realizes her housemates aren’t the only ones needing to make some changes. And maybe, if she can finally forgive herself for Elliot’s accident, she can start to look forward to a future, with or without him by her side.

I wanted to love this book but the author made it so hard to get into it. I am a fan of slow burn but there is a difference between slow burn and holy shit are we ever going to get to any kind of spark. This book was the second one and it took way too many chapters to get to the point. 35 chapters to be precise. I mean give me some chemistry for goodness sake!!

There also wasn't much to like about the majority of the characters. Jessie was always thinking about herself and her guilt and after a while, it got annoying and unneeded. There was a lot about this book that really wasn't needed or wanted. By the end, I was just glad it was over.

After finally revealing their true feelings for one another, Jessie watched Elliot suffer a traumatic brain injury. Upon learning that Elliot will always struggle with his short-term memory and anger, his permanent side effects prove too much for Jessie. Feeling responsible, she flees her hometown in an effort to escape her guilt. But when life forces her back home, she must finally face her past and Elliot.

If you have ever read a book by Beth Moran, you can count on two things, heartfelt storytelling and a familiar setting.

I loved bearing witness to Jessie return home. She was able to reconnect with both family and friends she had sadly neglected for over a decade. Along the way she learns an important lesson, you can’t outrun your demons. You have to face them head on.

Moran set this book in the small town of Sherwood Forrest. This has been the setting for several of her other works. It was super fun getting to catch up with some familiar characters. If you have read, Because I Loved You, the Lavender Mobile Beauty Parlor ladies make an appearance and prove they haven’t changed one bit.

Special thanks to Netgalley, Beth Moran, and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cute, heartwarming story. Exactly as I expected.

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

I received a advanced copy of 'Always on my mind' by Beth Moran, and was very happy for this book.

Jesse and Elliot have a secret from her brother and are going to plan when to tell her brother (his friend) about falling for each other. Then... an accident happens abruptly, separating Jesse and Elliot.
Fast forward and Jesse is coming to be live with her twin and turns around in the kitchen and sees Elliot, but he doesn't seem to recognize her!

3.75 stars

A reliable author - her books and stories are soothing and easy, they don’t challenge but I like that.
Its a nice read, sometimes the angst of ‘past pain’ was a bit irritating but overall it was a nice holiday book.

When her best friend was left with a brain injury at the age of 18 after an accident she felt responsible felt, Jessie left home and did not return to visit her twin brother or her parents. Wracked by guilt, she spent 10 years drifting until her boyfriend going overseas left her with no option but to return home. After landing employment looking after a group of Outlaws and helping the Boys to Men project, Jessie soon realises that the past is best faced as the consequences can be nothing short of amazing. A beaitiful story.

Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Its good, I enjoyed the book.

Every time I pick up another of the author's works, I do go into it expecting to enjoy it. I am stating that upfront because I do not know how much that affects my final rating. I cannot sufficiently distance the two at this point. That said, I did read this in almost one sitting. I try now not to start any such books later in the day, and it turned out to be a good thing.
The plots have varied a lot over the other books, even if the women are slightly (not entirely) similar in style. They are hurting, and they put up a brave front until they have to confront the foundation of their fears and issues. It was no different here. Jessie was in love with her twin's best friend. On the day that she actually voiced her feelings, something terrible happened. She has carried the weight of it since. Given her age at the time and the depth of emotions she was feeling, it is not difficult to see where everything stems from.
Years later, even after the years, she has managed to pick herself up in some basic form from the 'wild' time she spent post-school, she finds herself homeless and in need of a job. This leads her back home, with her twin and her parents in close quarters. They have all worried about her without knowing why she was spiralling and not really connecting with them over the years. They are a loving family without over-the-top demonstrations. Their affections are limited to the practical and just the concept of being there. This is my favourite kind of family dynamic (at least to read about), and I enjoyed seeing Jessie finally figure her life out.
The lighter moments comprise Jessie having to give life advice to her new housemates without being sure she is doing all that well in her own life.
I like well-described camaraderie, with enough variety for a few laughs. The core issue at the centre of it all was new, and I liked the way things were dealt with there, although I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the depiction.
I would highly recommend this book for fans of books with a growth arc, interesting interactions and a romance with a happy ending.
I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience of this and the author's previous works.

I loved this book and enjoyed the relationship between Jessie, her brother and their housemates.
The antics with 'The Outlaws' made me laugh out loud and the book switches well between humour and sensitivity.
A heartwarming read of good triumphing over adversity. Brilliant!

this is my first book by this author and I loved it. Loved the small town romance. Lots of emotions were felt and I cant wait to read more of her books.

All the stars!
I've never read any Beth Moran books, but I loved this and will happily read everything she writes now!
This was just gripping and gorgeous. I was thinking about it when not reading, and I constantly looked forward to getting back to it. The characters are fantastic, I cared about all of them and was utterly invested in their story.
There was a lot of mystery surrounding the characters and their pasts, and it added so much drama to the plot. The pain and heartache they felt and how their past has affected them later in life was clear to read.
Wonderful.

Thanks to Boldwood Books, Netgalley and the author for an ARC of this book. I am leaving this unbiased review voluntarily.

I was intrigued by this book, and when I started reading about Elliot, I believed that I would identify with the character. But for me, this story moved too slowly.

Having had a brain injury myself, I was completely sympathetic to Elliot's plight. Jessie's reaction though, I could not really understand. I did like the other characters, particularly Arthur and Isaac but I rushed through this book because the pacing felt slow and I didn't really engage with many of the characters.

I would have liked to hear more from Elliot - his story is more interesting to me than Jessie's family and career challenges were.

I like this author and would read more by them, but this book was just not for me.

Always On My Mind by Beth Moran is a lovely, warm feel good read that is pure escapism at its very best.

When Jessie left home at 18 she swore she would never go back, but then life takes an unexpected turn and she is suddenly in need of somewhere to stay. Something awful happened on the night of her prom that she’s never forgiven herself for, but now she finds herself back home and having to share a house with her twin brother and his best friends.

To her dismay one of these is Elliot, the boy Jessie had loved until a terrible accident had changed not only the course of his life but of Jessie’s, too. But now she’s back and, in return for a reduced rent, reluctantly agrees to help Isaac, Arthur and Elliot with the ‘Boys to Men Project’ challenge, in the hope that it will break the disastrous dating cycle the three single men have found themselves on in recent years.

As Jessie settles back into home life, she begins to enjoy her new job working at her parents day centre, which is full of people who are determined to grow old disgracefully and call themselves ‘The Outlaws’. But before too long she begins to realise that maybe it isn’t only her housemates who need to make changes and that maybe, just maybe, she can finally forgive herself for what happened to Elliot all those years ago….

There is a warmth to Beth Moran’s writing that made me fall in love with this story from the outset. Always On My Mind is a heartwarming tale of love, friendship, forgiveness and new beginnings that stole my heart, leaving me with a warm, happy glow as I turned the final page.

Beth Moran has written a charming, feel good story that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Just lovely!

When Jessie moves back home after her life falling apart yet again she’s in for a shock. After years of beating herself up over a tragic accident that caused her to lose not only a relationship with her brother but also the only boy she’d ever loved she’s thrown right back into their trio unbeknownst to her.

Moving into her brother’s spare room and working for her parents was only temporary until her boyfriend came back from “finding himself” so they could have a happily ever after. That was all shattered when the true love of her life turns out to be her other roommate and the owner of the home.

Jessie gets roped into rebranding her brother and the other guys in the house while trying to keep a low profile. In the process she finds herself again and remembers what it’s like to be seen and feeling deserving of love.

Will all these old memories lead to love and second chances or will Jessie be forced to be content with the life she thinks she deserves.

Thank you Boldwood Books for this ARC!

Loving having discovered this author recently who writes about real people and real relatable issues and makes you feel like you are in the story with the characters.

This was an uplifting read yet heartbreaking at the same time and had some sad moments as well as laugh out loud ones.

A Lot of sensitive issues where covered in this storyline which charted a journey of finding confidence and self discovery and of new beginnings as well as fostering relationships with others and of a community pulling together and of hope for the future and how none of us know what is doing the corner and should live every day like it’s our last. This was so much more than just a romantic read.

I look forward to reading this authors next book.

I absolutely loved this novel! The characters in it are so well drawn and the relationships are lovely. Jessie is delightful and there is such a lot of humour which shines through, largely through the friendships between the Jessie and her three flatmates. Jessie has been running away from the guilt she feels over an incident in her youth and in many ways, this story is about how she comes to terms with the past and recognises where she actually feels at home and where she wants to be.

Another source of humour has to be The Outlaws, the group of older residents of the village who she is responsible for formulating a programme of activities which they will be interested in and invested in. Jessie shows a strong streak of empathy for others and proves to be a staunch friend and advocate. This novel takes a look at how society views those with a range of disabilities but also shines a light on the positives that can be drawn. This is an uplifting read, full of warmth. It is a veritable hug of a book.


In short: Heart-warming moments and a touch of romance.
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