Always On My Mind by Beth Moran

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Sometimes when you can’t see the way forwards, the best thing to do is to look back...

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, revelling in her new job at her parents’ day centre full of people determined to grow old disgracefully, she realises 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.

My Opinion

Beth Moran has written another delightful novel here - I have yet to find a book that hasn't grabbed my attention. Jessie left home at eighteen and unexpectedly finds herself needing to move in with her twin brother and his housemates. This was a lovely, cosy book to curl up and read and would make a lovely holiday read. For me, the ending came too soon - I wasn't ready to let the characters go.

If you enjoy Beth Moran's previous novels then this is definitely a book you should read. A highly enjoyable read!

Rating: 4/5

Always On My Mind is an excellent read. It's got so much going for it. There's the classic boy meets girl, will they won't they storyline, but add in to that a bunch of feral OAPs, a life changing car accident and an inclusive kids football team, and you've got a cracking read on your hands.

What I really enjoyed about Always On My Mind was the realism of the characters and their situations. The main character, Jess, is coming home to bunk up with her twin brother Isaac and work with her mum and dad in their day centre. Jess is carrying a lifetime of guilt after a car accident on the night of her prom has significant consequences for Elliot - her brother's best friend (and the secret love of her life). She has to deal with a whole host of emotions when Elliot comes back in to her life, complete with his lasting brain injury. This, along with challenges faced by other characters, is dealt with so beautifully in the book. It's what really sets Always On My Mind apart from others in this genre.

An emotional read for sure and one that had me with a lump in my throat throughout reading. Jessie is a completely relatable character and I loved how she threw herself into the role at the day centre. Her relationships with the characters who attended the centre were wonderful to read about. It was definitely a case of her needing them as much as they needed her. Her relationship with the ‘boys to men’ was an interesting one and I really enjoyed seeing how they all grew in confidence as they spent time with eachother.

I made a point of not reading the synopsis for this one as I often enjoy being taken on a mystery tour, and this was a perfect example of the magical effects of a surprise. The book opens ten years earlier when Jessie finally won the heart of her brother’s best friend, Elliot. She is ecstatic until a terrible accident ends her brief taste of happiness and massively changes his future.
We then fast forward to the present day and discover that Jessie is forced to return to her childhood village and move in with her brother, Isaac, and his friends, Arthur, and Elliot. She accepts a job working in her parents’ day centre and soon rediscovers her joy. Her time in the village is limited as she is waiting for her boyfriend to return home after his trip of self-discovery. The only hiccup in her new life is that she’s now sharing a house with the man she has always loved, Elliot. He has serious memory problems as a result of his accident and doesn’t seem to remember his fleeting moment with Jessie.
To help supplement Jessie’s income, the guys ask her to help them become more attractive to women and land dates with their crushes. It’s going to be difficult for Jessie to coach her former crush to start a new relationship.
This was a terrific story, and I was absolutely invested right from the opening chapters. Whilst the book was written in a way that was easy to follow, there was a lot going on. There were two distinct storylines that worked perfectly together. The characters from the day centre – affectionately known as The Outlaws – were a terrific bunch and I found myself laughing at their escapades. The day centre was the workplace for both Jessie and Isaac. Isaac was developing a wedding venue for the weekend. Then there was the mission to bring the three housemates into the dating world – Boys to Men. Another source of entertainment and some of the sweetest elements of the story.
Although the Boys to Men project was aimed at Isaac, Arthur, and Elliot; it soon became clear that as part of the process, Jessie was undergoing a path of her own discovery. Her abilities at work and at home developed a confidence that she’s been lacking. Along the way, there were some beautiful moments and one that left me dabbing at my tears.
This wonderful story was exactly what I needed. Filled with positivity and hope, it swept me up and carried me to a feeling of contentment. Perfect!

Always On My Mind by Beth Moran is the most beautiful contemporary novel that has warmed my heart and left me smiling.
I never wanted the book to end. The characters were more than just characters in a book – they were my friends and as such, I cared for their fates.
This is a book about love and forgiveness. There are many types of love within the novel – and the reader stands on the touchline, cheering them all on.
We see the love for a group of elderly people. Life seems to have forgotten that they were once young, and put them in a box marked ‘Elderly. Listen to Vera Lynn while tea dancing.’ They were once young, vibrant individuals and inside each one of them, nothing has changed. They still have hopes and dreams which are encouraged by the appearance of the young and bubbly lead character. There are moments that are absolutely hilarious – I don’t think I shall ever forget the make-over experience! Juxtaposed are moments of pathos where tissues are needed.
We see a character drowning in guilt and unforgiveness, who has a self-imposed exile on her life. “Punishing myself hadn’t changed anything.” Why is the face in the mirror so hard to forgive? We forgive others but are really tough on ourselves. A carefully worn mask hardly ever slips. We learn of the loving care given to her by an elderly woman several years earlier. “What I needed most was a place to take off the suffocating mask of acting as if I was fine and let the tears fall without having to explain.” We all need that one person who will sit quietly with us and just let us be ourselves. No words. No explanations. Just pure love. This love and bond with remain.
The novel has the theme of being yourself. We meet many characters who have various challenging special needs – they draw close to my heart as I worked with teens with special needs in the local schools for sixteen years. Too often in life, people look for ‘perfect.’ In Always On My Mind the local under nines football team is made up not of ‘perfect’ but of enthusiasm and love. Regardless of ability, everyone can have a go. All are welcome. All are encouraged. The under nines football team may not score the most goals but they are all cherished, loved and cheered on. “In believing in them you dared them to believe in themselves.”
I cannot get enough of Always On My Mind. I have ‘lived’ this book and loved the characters. Thank you Beth Moran for another absolutely beautiful book.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

What can I say about another Beth Moran novel, other than it’s complete gold and I absolutely loved it! I know when I start any of her books that it’s going to be pure, blissful, wonderful entertainment. There will be some angst thrown in, because there has to be in a romance, but it’s never going to destroy me or make me cry, and I’m going to leave the experience a far happier person.

I think this is my favourite of her books so far! It’s so beautiful - the prologue leads us to believe it will be heartbreak from the start, and the first couple chapters about our main character(Jessie), 10 years after high school graduation, still not having her life together because of what happened Prom night… same thing. She’s now apart from a long-term beau after pandemic situations, heading back to her hometown, moving in with her brother and going to work for her parents. She’s never truly adulted and now needs to get her life together. The last thing she expects is to enjoy the work, reconnecting with her twin, and facing the thing that happened after Prom.

Her brother’s best friend is a roommate (Elliot)… and he’s still recovering from and learning to live with a traumatic brain injury… and she’s still not over him. Is she going to be able to get through the next few months with her new situation and knowing it was her fault, when he can’t remember? They form a new bond, and the whole story is - Chef’s Kiss! Such a great show of support for other disabilities, not often portrayed. I also loved her coaching the three roommates (brother Isaac, best friend Elliot, and other friend Arthur), with how to grow up and court the women they were interested in, as proper, adult men.

I definitely recommend everyone picks up a copy of this book, right away! If you’ve never read a Beth Moran book before, you’re completely missing out on an incredible author and this is a perfect one to start with!

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley and Boldwood Books, and this is my honest review.

I enjoyed this story of three quirky guys who hire someone to help them grow up. When Jessie agrees to the project I don’t think she realizes she will be growing up too. Sweet and funny this book had the perfect balance of fun, family, and romance.

I have to say when I read the book synopsis I was quite expecting something like this, but I liked it anyway.

The story starts with Jessie and Isaac, her twin brother, going together to the prom.
Elliot, their best friend, is there to help Isaac drive them to the party. Jessie is secretly in love with Elliot, he's a very popular guy and she doesn't think her feelings are reciprocated, but everything feels different that night: suddenly everything she could have dream for gets true and is taken away from her.
The story starts again ten years later: it's the end of the pandemy, Jessie is not only broke: she has lost her job and her boyfriend, Seb, decides to leave on a journey to find himself, even if he promises to be back as soon as possible to start a new life together; Jessie has no other choice than to get back home, rent a room from her brother, get a job from her parents and deal with what she left behind ten years before.

The book is pretty insightful, we get to share Jessie thoughts, her regrets, her shame for things she feels responsible to, even if she didn't really have control on.
We also get to see Jessie strenghts, the way she gets to adapt to situations out of her comfort zone, the care she puts in helping others and her kindness.
The boys to men project is totally rom-com material and gives as laughter after laughter with Arthur and Jessie exchanges.
I really liked all the characters, it was a very well contructed "cast": kind, resourceful and troubled Jessie, hardworking and generous Isaac, helpless and stubborn Arthur and deep, loving, selfless Elliot.
The writing is a nice mix of wistfulness and funny moments, we get to share the character troubles without getting overwelmed by them.
Totally something I would recommend.

Thanks netgalley for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a slow and sweet romance with such lovable characters. The main premise of the book is resilience and second chances with a love story to match. I connected with all of the characters but was especially rooting for Jesse and Elliot to find their happy ending. The wrap up of the story felt realistic and satisfying while leaving the reader with a warm feeling. This was a great feel good book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest option.

First few pages I was undecided about this book, but then it grew on me to become a great read. Good characters, with history, which made for an excellent read.

This is the first novel I’ve read by Beth Moran and I was captured by the story. The book begins with a 10 year flashback starting with hope and ending in tragedy. The main character finds her way back home as she works on some personal issues, reconnecting with family and a second chance romance. Just the right amount of chaos and comic relief by the supporting characters is found with the Outlaws.

After a tragic accident 10 years ago, Jessie leaves home with endless guilt and no plans to ever return. When her current boyfriend decides he needs to leave the country to “find himself,” she finds herself both no less and jobless. With very little money, no job and a ton of debt, she’s forced to go back to the place she swore she’d never go. Her parents have gotten her a job at their elderly care center and she’s moving in with her brother Isaac and his friends- one just happens to be Elliott, her first love and the reason she left all those years ago.

With a new job and new home, Jessie learns that these new opportunities could help her change. And if she can finally forgive herself, maybe she can live the life she truly deserves.

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This was my first book by Beth Moran, and honestly, it was lovely. I truly felt for Jessie and wanted her to find success and happiness in her life. The heartbreak I felt for Elliott and all he had to endure over the last 10 years was real. Their reunion was awkward at first, but turned out to be the prefect slow-burn, second chance romance I needed. I experienced all the available emotions while reading this and it was worth it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest option.

I'm a big fan of Beth Moran's books and this one didn't disappoint.
Following a tragic teenage accident, Jessie has bounced through life, never settling and carrying huge feelings of guilt.
When she has to finally return home, she's faced with all her fears in one place.
Working at her parent's day care centre and living with her brother and his mates, she rapidly begins to enjoy life again...but can she overcome her guilt?
This book is full of fun and quirky characters. If only life worked out so neatly in reality!

After loving _Let it Snow_ I knew I HAD to pick up another Beth Moran title. Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the advanced copy of _Always on My Mind_. This one was a slow burn with a very age-diverse cast of characters. This one was almost as good as Let it Snow, in my opinion. I look forward to reading more of Moran's books!

I adored this one. Its a heartwarming feelgood read. Yes, there is romance (although very slow burn) and some very funny moments. But it is also about adapting to a new life/situation, dealing with guilt and getting a second chance. Definitely worth the read and i wouldn't mind reading more books about Jesse, Elliot, the outlaws and their friends and family.

I got this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I had high hopes for this book but, I did struggle with it. I lost interest in the story about halfway through and didn’t really enjoy this one. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Unfortunately I DNFed this book at 41%.

I struggled a lot to get into this story and when I did I felt it to be kind of boring. I lost my interest and had a hard time to keep reading it. I tried to force myself to keep on reading but I just couldn't. I think a lot of people will enjoy this kind of story,but it was just not for me.

This is not my first Beth Moran book and it certainly won’t be my last. It is the perfect mix between laugh out loud and reach fir the tissues.
This take on finding yourself and finding a family and putting broken lives back together kept me reading long after I should have been asleep.
I loved the Outlaws and Elliot and the football scenes were quite moving in places.
Such a great read!

This was an excellent story! This was my third book by Beth Moran and she hit it out of the ballpark with this one! I laughed and cried so many times because it is such a beautiful story of heartbreak, perseverance, and acceptance. Thank you, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC.

Jessie leaves home at the age of eighteen with no plans to ever return. Life has been challenging and complicated. When her life takes a turn, Jessie takes a job with her parents and moves in with her brother and his roommates. Elliot, Isaac's best friend, is one of those roommates and a past love of Jessie's whom she would rather forget because she blames herself for his life-changing accident.

While Jessie gets used to being home, getting reacquainted with her family, and having fun with her new job; the boys ask her to help her with their project. A project that would propel them into manhood so that they can find partners and proceed through life as decent grown-ups, not the bachelor boyhood they have maintained with a video games room instead of a living room, poor eating habits, and awkward social skills. She reluctantly accepts the challenge as a way to make up for the hurt she caused, not realizing what it will do for her broken soul.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy of Always On My Mind by Beth Moran in exchange for an honest review. It publishes March 28, 2023.
As always, Beth Moran weaves such a good story that I cannot put down! Whether I read it on Kindle or audiobook, I always find any excuse to keep reading! I appreciate that Beth takes the basic formula of everything falling apart and being put back together again, and adds depth to it. There are real issues, actually hard stuff, wounds and scars. I like that there is reality and grit, it makes her writing so relatable and interesting.
In the case of this book, it hits the mark. I loved the representation of TBI, and how it affects long-term. I also loved the all-abilities soccer team! I may have gotten choked up during some of those parts!
Overall, this book was lovely, and definitely stands out among the many books in this genre!