Lean on Me 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

As Faith tries on her future mother-in-law’s wedding dress in preparation for her own wedding, her tears are not of joy. The hideous frock is nicknamed ‘The Ghost Web’ by Faith’s best friend Marilyn, who can’t understand why Faith would even consider wearing it. But there’s a lot Marilyn doesn’t know about Faith – not the least of which is that Faith is just the latest of the names she has called herself.

Faith and her brother Sam survived a traumatic childhood which included having to change their names to hide from the past, but surviving has left scars. Faith’s generous fiancé Perry doesn’t just promise to be a partner, he offers freedom and security, and enough kindness to keep Faith squashing down any doubts on what ‘being in love’ really means.

It’s not until she meets an extraordinary group of women at the Grace Chapel choir, that things start to become crystal clear. As choir-leader extraordinaire, the indomitable Hester, holds a mirror up to her ragtag group of singers, all with their own burdens and insecurities, and teaches them to see how magnificent they are, so Faith can dare to dream of a future where she and Sam can stop running and she might even be ready to accept the love that she deserves.

My Opinion

Beth Moran has yet to write a book that I have been disappointed by. This was one of those books that I read in one sitting. It was just so difficult to put down. Faith is trying to make ends meet, whilst also looking out for her brother who is an addict with mental health problems following a traumatic childhood - the last thing she needs is the judgement from Perry's family.

Faith is such a relatable character and this was such a beautifully written book. I would recommend that everyone gives this book a chance, you will not be disappointed.

Rating 4/5

I have been a fan of Beth and her work for a couple of years now. By no means have I read everything that she has written but that is something that I hope to rectify in the not too distant future. I read the synopsis of 'Lean On Me' and it certainly sounded like the sort of emotional story I have come to expect from Beth. Well it was that and so much more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Lean On Me' but more about that in a bit.

I really warmed to the main character of Faith, who is just adorable. She is your typical girl next door type of person. She is a lovely young lass, who is due to marry Perry when the story starts. As the story continues, we learn that she has a brother who suffers from mental health problems and he has also had problems with addiction. For quite a while, Faith and Sam, her brother, have just had each other and it's true that to a certain degree Faith feels responsible for him. Faith and Sam's relationship has suffered ups and downs over the years and 'Lean On Me' sees their relationship tested again.

I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into 'Lean On Me'. Part of the problem was that I was tired when I started reading and finding it hard to concentrate. However once I got to the end of the first couple of chapters and I got to know Faith a bit better, I found that I was enjoying the story more. From then on I found reading 'Lean On Me' to be rather addictive. I felt as though Faith had become a friend of mine and I felt all protective of her. I had to keep reading to find out whether or not Faith got the 'happy ever after' ending that she so deserved. The more of the book that I read, the more I wanted to read and the quicker the pages seemed to turn. I always find that the sign of a good book is when I find myself 'interacting' with the characters as if they could hear me. That's exactly what happened with 'Lean On Me'. I was so wrapped up in the story and in the lives of the characters that I lost all track of time and just how quickly I was getting through the book. All too quickly I reached the end of 'Lean On Me' and I had to say goodbye to Faith and the rest of the characters. I found 'Lean On Me' to be an emotional but ultimately uplifting story.

'Lean On Me' is superbly written but then I have come to expect nothing less from Beth Moran. Beth has an easy going writing style that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading Beth's books feel more like a chat between friends rather than reading a book. I hope that makes sense. Beth clearly cares about her characters and this shines through in the very vivid and realistic way in which she describes them. She makes her characters seem just as real as you and I. I also love the fact that Beth sets her stories in and around Nottinghamshire, as I know the area fairly well as I have family who live there and I studied in Nottingham for a while. I even read the dialogue with a Nottinghamshire accent! Reading 'Lean On Me' certainly took me on an emotional journey with lots of ups and downs, twists and turns and so on. 'Lean On Me' certainly features some difficult subjects - such as addiction and mental health issues- but Beth writes about them with compassion and sensitivity. I love the way in which Beth makes the reader feel as though they are part of the story and at the heart of the action.

In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Lean On Me' and I wholeheartedly recommend this book to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Beth's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

Thank you NetGalley this book started off great and I had such high hopes but I sadly cannot get into it I don’t want to stop reading but I’ve promised myself I wouldn’t counting any book I couldn’t get through this year (: I’m giving two stars because I loved the beginning but I’m sadly dnfing I don’t think this is a bad book and I may finish it in the future

Faith is to get married, but with an overbearing mother-in-law, and trying to find herself in a world she doesn’t really fit in to, things can be confusing and lost.
But Faith has a secret she is hiding, including the scars from her past, but will trying to support her brother and constantly looking over her shoulder have her making the wrong choices? And will she figure it all out before it’s too late?

Moran writes an emotional, deep and moving novel. I found myself crying at the mirror scene, it was beautiful! I loved this narrative and how the choir was used as a way of relief, relaxation and therapy.

So many characters were so special. I was unsure of Hester to begin with, but she was the glue within the choir; and I grew to love her.
Moran writes a main character with a very heavy past; compared to all of Moran’s previous novels I have read, I found this character to have the heaviest past. But she has such incredible growth while overcoming so much.

This was a fantastic narrative and I think one of this author's best yet! Although this novel has some very heavy subjects Moran writes with an easy flow. For any reader, please be aware that there are several triggers but it is well worth the read.

I love love loveeedddd this new novel by @bethmoranauthor! It was, by far, the most emotional and dark of her books but I loved it. It felt really close to home at times and probably why I loved it.

It’s new and available for *free* on Kindle Unlimited! Thanks to @netgalley @bethmoranauthor @theboldbookclub for the advanced copy!

This book had me hooked right from the start. Heartbreaking events of the past have left Faith emotionally battered and bruised. She thinks things will be better when she marries fiancé Perry, but when you haven’t dealt with the past, how can you ever be truly happy? If a choir can be a character, the choir that Faith finds herself part of provides some wonderful humour and plays a major role in helping her to deal with the traumatic events of her life.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'Lean On Me' by Beth Moran.

Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Beth Moran, Rachel's Random Resources, Book And Tonic, Boldwood Books and The Bold Book Club

Publication date 4th March 2024.

This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most certainly will not be my last!!

This novel consists of 24 chapters. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!

'Lean On Me' discusses some topics that may upset some readers or may not be suitable for others. I like to point this out ahead of time in my reviews so you can judge if this book is for you or not. In this book Beth discusses domestic violence, murder, death and addiction.

An absolute stunner from the extremely talented Beth!!! Well done Beth on an absolutely beautiful, emotive and perfect read!! An absolute stunner that I fell in love with from the beginning to the end!!!

I'm not crying, you are 😭!!! OMG Beth what on Earth have you done to me? Considering I'm a hard nosed cow who only crys in books when an animal dies you have managed to put me in tears, don't worry not all sad, but still!! No animals involved yet I'm blubbering like a baby!!! Does not look good for my image!!! Apart from that, where on Earth have you been all my life and why am I only now reading one of your books considering just from reading this I can tell your one heck of an amazing author!!! Anyway I am desperate to get stuck into more of your books and have already added them all to my wishlist so I best get on with my actual review hadn't I!!!


As you can possibly tell, I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely stunning book!!!! It has absolutely everything and anything you could ever ask for in a page turner from a sweet and sexy minister, a billionaire fiancé, a wedding dress nicknamed Ghost Web, a choir master nicknamed Helmet, a disaster fun filled camping trip, an amazing yet bizarre friendship group laughter, tears, hope, love, woman power and so, so much more!!!! Beth's stunning evocative and emotive writing skills will have you laughing until you cry, heartbroken until you cry, filled with joy until you cry, well she'll make you cry so make sure you have the tissues at the ready!!! She will also put you straight into the middle of the storyline filling you with anger towards a certain character, tasting beautiful Michelin star food, hearing a gorgeous choir and having your hearts racing!!! In this absolutely stunning storyline we meet Faith who has gone through hell in her life and is still struggling with her past, her brother who is a struggling addict and with trusting anyone. Along comes rich Perry who proposes to her which seems to be the only way to save her brother. However, along with Perry comes his overbearing, downright rude and stuck up mother who is an absolute control freak. When out pretending she can chose the wedding of her dreams she goes to her Mum's church Grave Chapel. Here she meets a unique group of women and their handsome minister who will change Beth's life. Will she have the wedding of her dreams? Who is Beth and Sam scared of? How can a group of women who are completely different from each other make a difference? Well, if I told you I would be spoiling your fun wouldn't I?? Grab your copy of this absolute stunning emotional and poignant read for yourself to find out. This truly is a unique, remarkable, unforgettable and beautiful story of how friendship can change your life, what you would do to protect those you love and much more. Through the pages of this book there are dark times and Beth covers difficult subjects such as drug and alcohol addiction, abuse, mental health, bullying and murder but she weaves these difficult and heartbreaking topics into an absolutely stunning storyline that has a huge impact. Her absolutely stunning evocative writing skills ensures the readers are absolutely sucked into the stunning storyline with the atmosphere, emotions and characters coming to life all around them. It was an absolutely compelling, addictive heart lifting and heart breaking emotional read that kept me turning the pages until late at night. I absolutely devoured it in one sitting and then was gutted I had finished it so quickly but there was no way I could put it down!! The characters and locations came to life around me and I cannot wait to read more books by this absolutely amazing and extremely talented author.

Do not turn a single page of this book until you have cleared your schedules and have your tissues ready as you will not be able to put this stunning emotional page turner down!!!

I very quickly became completely invested in the characters, along with the storyline, who were all absolutely fantastic with their own individual personalities and quirks. They all started feeling like friends so quickly and I was devastated to say Goodbye to them. I normally write about the same amount about the characters as I do about the storyline but after realising how much I have already written and the fact that I could talk about this stunning book all day I'm going to try to keep this bit short. The fact that Beth truly cares about her character absolutely shines through the pages. They are realistic, extremely well developed, the majority of them are likeable, lovable and relatable (there are a few rotten apples I couldn't stand but I won't waste my time talking about them stuck up swines!!) and they all lept out of the pages. I absolutely LOVED seeing the amazing and beautiful friendships, relationships and bonds grow and develop between all the members of the choir along with those surrounding it. I was rooting for Faith from the moment I met her and my heart was breaking for her and the situation she was in. She is such a strong woman, a fighter and someone whose only downside is the fact that apart from living a long time in my memory (along with many of the other fantastic and unique characters) is that the only other place she lives is on the pages of this gorgeous book. The majority of these amazing characters I am truly devastated to say Goodbye to as I loved so many of their breathe of fresh air, strange, unique and fun personalities and watching them interact and grow together was just lush!!! Each of the characters have rich personalities and they will all well and truly stay with me for a long time. Beth's fantastic evocative writing skills ensure each and every one of them come to life in front of your eyes while you go through all their emotions with them. I wept, laughed, fought and cried alongside each of them as they all went through their own trials and tribulations and I had the biggest smile on my face as I watched many come out stronger the other side and the biggest heartbreak when some didn't. Anyway so much for keeping it short!!! I will wrap up by saying thank you Beth for creating and bringing to life an absolutely fantastic, unique and memorable group of amazing characters that i wont forget anytime soon!!

Congratulations Beth on an absolutely gorgeous success!!! Even though you turned me into an emotional wreck I absolutely LOVED this stunning storyline and cannot wait to get hooked into the rest of your guaranteed to be gorgeous books. Welcome to my favourite author club and here is to your next guaranteed success 🥂!!

Make sure you read to the very end of the book to read the first chapter of Beth's 'Take Me Home' which promises to be just as gorgeous as this book and is is one I'm definitely looking forward to reading myself!!

Overall an absolutely stunning, emotive, addictive and beautiful page turner about love, family and friendship which will keep you hooked throughout!!

371 pages.

This book is just £2.99 to purchase on kindle,.free with Kindle Unlimited and £10.99 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!

Rated 5/5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.

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This is a very candid and explicit tale of grief, friendship, mental health/illness and resilience. There was no sugarcoating anything.!

In Lean on Me, Faith is trying to move past the physical and mental scars of her childhood. By fate, she stumbles on a choir of women who give their shoulders to lean on.

This book will make you feel all the emotions- sadness, anger, joy. It is filled with moments that will make you rage and scenarios that will have you in stitches.

I loved how Marilyn befriended Faith. We all need a Marilyn in our lives. I also love the easy camaraderie among the choristers.

There were triggers swirling through the plot. Be mindful of this.

If you love women’s fiction with a dash of romance then you will enjoy this.

Beth Moran has become one of those authors that I know what I am getting into when I read one of her books. This was another phenomenal read that I found myself enjoying. The gift of friendship, family, love, and finding yourself. This book does deal with heavy topics of abuse, toxic relationship, death, drug addiction, etc. so be prepared to put it down a few times. But I think tha is something Moran does well. Because if she is going to talk about toxic relationships, shes going to do it in a way to where you get how bad the characters past was without writing how dark said characters past was.

Beth Moran is the queen of emotional stories bringing you both heartache and uplifting emotions.

What I loved about this one is the amazing community and supporting characters. The author has such a knack for character development, which really shined here. Her characters come to life, have so much dimension and are so memorable.

After a particularly traumatic early life, Faith’s marriage to Perry might finally give her the safety and security she needs, and the means to provide her troubled brother Sam with stability and support. She’ll be marrying into a family with money and privilege way outside her experience, and she’s beginning to learn that the wedding plans are something she’s going to struggle to influence when faced with her future mother-in-law’s involvement and control – and that’s why we find her, accompanied by closest friend Marilyn, shopping in Nottingham Lace Market for the wedding dress she’d really like to have and searching for a venue that she’d far prefer to use than the Houghton Country Club where she once worked. And that draws her to Grace Chapel, a place that was special to her mother, and the wonderful but unusual choir that ultimately changes her life for the better.

The characterisation in this book is just fantastic – Faith very quickly won my heart and I loved every step of her journey as she drew on others to find personal strength and make her own difficult decisions on where happiness might really be found. Her friendship with Marilyn is something really special, and beautifully drawn – but so are the friendships with the other individuals she finds through Grace Chapel, every one of them with their own often difficult stories. And the choir is led by the magnificent Hester – my goodness, what a superb character – who subjects the women, all special in their different ways, to an increasingly uncomfortable series of experiences that bonds them together and helps them find their true selves.

There are some particularly dark edges to the story, particularly as the full story of Faith’s past slowly emerges with its many surprises – but there’s plenty of laughter amid the tears, and a focus on family, friendship and community with the most perfect emotional touch. The whole story is exceptionally moving, but entirely uplifting and life affirming too – beautifully written, and completely engaging from the very first page to the last. Every book the author writes becomes my new favourite, but this one was particularly special – a story that made me feel deeply for the individuals at its heart, and totally unforgettable. One I’d urge everyone to read – I promise you’ll love it as much as I did.

Delighted to have been included on the tour for this lovely book, that took me completely by surprise (in a good way)!

I’d assumed from the cover and blurb I was going in for a light, fluffy read where a bride was up against a controlling mother in law but it was so much more. The author tackles domestic abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, mental health issues and homelessness, but still manages to have a storyline with a heart.

Faith has suffered all her life and I could understand her wanting to take an easy option to ensure the safety and care of her brother Sam. Her mother in law to be was a stereotypical interfering woman and I was willing Faith to stand up to her.
The best characters were of course the choir members, a random, disparate group of women thrown together and who created a sisterhood where Faith found her own tribe.

It’s a story full of joy and sorrow and friendship and I really enjoyed it, and will definitely read more from Beth Moran

Thanks torachelsrandomresources andNetgalley for the opportunity to read an early copy

What a complete delight it always is to pick up a Beth Moran novel - I’ve read just about all of them (only 2 left to go), and I always know that even though she’s going to bring us some heart wrenching tales, it’s always going to be worth the anxiety and stress to get to the end for the total bliss.

Leah On Me is my new favourite book of Moran’s (though it was a tough call because I still completely love Always On My Mind soooo darn much)! I knew halfway through that this was going to be the case - the characters are incredible, so diverse, the background of each is just so relatable, and the totally unexpected and different past of our main character Faith, and her brother Sam, is super unique. They’re in hiding from the man who killed their mom and he’s about to be released from prison… so they’re fearful for their lives again and for that of their newfound friends who’ve become family.

Faith is afraid to tell new fiancé Perry about her history because he and his fancy rich (snobby) family and friends will judge her. She’s made new friends in a church choir group while out looking for a wedding venue that isn’t the snooty county club, and they’re an amazing bunch of folks. They are her new family who have each other’s backs at all times. They are an incredible and inspirational group of women! The minister of the church, Dylan, is basically her new BFF (though her long-time BFF is an awesome character here too), and swoony! I think even I had a crush on him…

I fell for all of the characters in this story, and while it’s leaning towards women’s fiction, it’s still quite a good, suspenseful, (clean) romance storyline and I certainly recommend it to all! It’s one that can appeal to everyone, though there’s definitely some trigger warnings that could be an issue (certainly substance abuse, loss of family by way of another person, snobby and judgy folk). Well deserving of a 5 star rating.

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

I have mixed feelings about Lean On Me.

The main female character has had a rough start in life in so many ways. She is now engaged to wealthy Perry. Their relationship is lacking in so many areas.

I didn't like any of Perry's family. Marilyn is a great friend to Faith. I liked her.

The saving grace to this book is the friendships Faith makes after joining the church choir. That was the best part of the book. I enjoyed that the main focus of the book was not the romance between the characters.

Thanks to netgalley and Boldwood Books for the arc.

A great story from Beth Moran. We begin the story with Faith and her (new) best friend Marilyn. We learn that Faith is marrying the wealthy Perry. His family want a large wedding and for Faith to wear his mother's awful wedding dress. As the story unfolds Faith and Marilyn join a church choir run by the larger than life character Hester. We learn about Faith's horrendous early life and her desire to help her younger brother deal with his mental health and addiction issues. The story unfolds as we learn the power of community and love. A fabulous read and highly recommended. Thanks to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

4.25🌟
At first, I took a little while to get into this book and found it hard to keep track of everything going on. However, as things started to ramp up a bit I ironed out the plot in my head a bit and felt quite protective of the main character. On that note, I would be wary of this book as it has some triggering aspects such as physical domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse and some scenes that depict an event of a graphic nature. However, these don't go on for long and add to the story.

There is a beautiful sense of the importance of friendship in this novel, and the power that friendship can have to support one another and keep each other strong. I guess that due to that, the name of the book really is quite apt.

This is yet another fabulously emotional Beth Moran book, make sure you read it with tissues handy, by the end you may need them!
Some of the characters in this story really resonated with me, having had similar experiences to some of them and seeing that portrayed so closely to the reality was wonderful, actually seeing the reality of the situation rather than what is assumed to be the case by many who have not had the experiences.
Faith herself was a wonderful leading lady, with so many layers to her past it made for a fascinating read seeing her understanding herself and what she wants and needs from her life.
The storyline had quite a few threads which were expertly wrapped around each other without ever becoming tangled, by the end of the book, all were brought to their own conclusions which left me with a few damp tissues and a very big smile on my face.
A Beth Moran book always takes you through an emotional wringer but they also always leave you in a happier place than when you turned to the first page. This one really is no exception!

What a read this was. Faith, who's had a traumatic childhood and since then a life she's had to fight for to survive and at the same time always be there for her brother Sam who has a mental illness and a drug addition.
Faith is marrying Perry who comes from an upper class family who are complete snobs especially when it comes to Faith. Perry seams lovely but he is under his mother's thumb and she is vile.
The light relief in this are the women Faith meets when she joins the church choir along with her friend Marilyn.
Hester the choir leader is strong and forceful and is determined to get these women as strong and forceful as she is.
The things that Faith has to put up with are awful and what she puts herself through is equally as bad.
Is she marrying Perry for love or for safety and security ?
You won't want to put this book down.

I have read a few books by Beth Moran now and her stories always bring people together and leave you feeling like you are not alone, this one does exactly that.

Faith and her brother Sam had a traumatic childhood, one that has had many lasting effects and has meant that Faith has lived a very isolated life. Now she is preparing to marry Perry, someone who offers her more than just love, but also security. Faith, however, alongside her best friend Marilyn, meets the Grace Chapel choir led by Hester. They are a group of women, all of whom are facing their own struggles and insecurities. It is Hester, through the choir, who leads them all to discover their inner strength and realise how wonderful they all are as individuals.

Although a main part of this story is Faith’s past, her relationship with her brother and fiancé I feel the overpowering part of this book was the group of women at the Grace Chapel choir and what they learn. They are a diverse mix of characters, all of whom are facing their own personal challenges, but it is how Hester brings them together to discover their strength as a unit, and actually you aren’t on your own, as well their own individual value.

I love the sense of community that this book brings through the choir.

To start with I struggled to understand and connect with Faith but the more we uncovered about her past it all started to make sense, and in the end I was cheering for her.

This book reminds you that you are never alone and that when you find your ‘tribe’ and your inner belief then you are unstoppable.

Heart-breaking and heart-warming this book definitely leaves you with a sense of belonging. I can’t wait to read more by Beth.

Definitely my favourite book of the year! An amazing book of fantastic friends who you meet when you least expect but need the most. Couple that with a sad family story and you have a wonderful story that will have you captivated from start to finish.