EXCERPT: Sometimes, the tiniest thing can kickstart a chain of events that changes everything. For me, that dull Sunday morning in June, it was the simple act of sleeping through my alarm. Or rather, sticking one arm into the chilly air outside my duvet, whacking the button so hard the clock bounced off my bedside table, and promptly falling straight back to sleep.

ABOUT 'HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY': One photo and a handful of letters can change everything.

Emmie Brown has always known she was adopted. Nellie Brown sacrificed everything to make their life together comfortable and, while not the most demonstrative or warm woman, Emmie never doubted her devotion. But, when Emmie finds a stash of letters and a hidden photo after her mother’s death, everything she has believed changes in an instant. And she won’t be able to rest until she finds the mysterious ‘G’ who sent the letters.

Emmie’s quest takes her to the breathtakingly beautiful Isle of Siskin and into the home of the gregarious, fiercely loyal Hawkins family. After an isolated and introverted life, the burst of colour and noise is overwhelming. But soon Emmie feels her heart begin to open, her mind begin to dream. And as her friendship with kind and gorgeous islander Pip Hawkins gets closer, endless possible futures draw into focus.

But the discovery of ‘G’s true identity will mean Emmie has to choose. One of her choices would mean revealing secrets hidden for decades, one could lead to happiness, but both will need Emmie to be braver than she’s ever been…

MY THOUGHTS: A lovely, sweet chic-lit story which needs the reader to somewhat suspend belief.

There is a romance, a very slow-burn one which I enjoyed. A romance where the two characters involved didn't immediately jump into bed together. There's definitely plenty of smoldering desire but no sex.

There's also a mystery concerning the past of Emmie's adoptive mum, and that I enjoyed greatly. This spills over into a family drama where accusations are made, lies told, and Emmie is the victim of a targeted campaign designed to discredit her and drive her off the island. And no, I didn't guess who was behind it. My thoughts were very much in tune with Emmie's on this.

Have I Told You Lately was working quite well for me until the end, when Blessing takes matters into her own hands. The ending felt forced and didn't sit well with me, particularly concerning Rosemary, Pip's mum and Blessing's interference. Mind you, I had quite lost patience with Emmie's stubbornness concerning her relationship, or should I say non-relationship, with Pip, but not enough that Blessing's solution seemed at all acceptable.

A mixed bag for me, but more enjoyable than not. I would have preferred a different route to the ending. I have read other books by this author that I prefer.

⭐⭐⭐.5

#HaveIToldYouLately #NetGalley

MEET THE AUTHOR: Beth Moran initially worked as a biochemist and then taught antenatal classes before becoming an author. She loves to write contemporary women`s fiction set in and around Sherwood Forest, where she lives with her family.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of Have I Told You Lately by Beth Moran for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

I combined reading with listening to Have I Told You Lately written by Beth Moran, and superbly narrated by Rosalind Steele. Both formats were equally engaging.

Very good story that starts slowly and keeps you reading while the characters developed. There were parts that felt like a family tree that was hard to follow because of the step mother, cousin, aunt layers. Other than that confusing area the book was an enjoyable read that brought you a happy ending that felt right. Sometimes we do things because we always did them as we were told but know that you make your own choices and sometimes need to take risks. Emmie and Pip were very likeable and well developed characters. Will read more by Beth Moran. Recommend.

I have read several Beth Moran books and they have all touched me emotionally. This one was an exploration into discovering who you really are when what you’ve known all of your life is questioned. The characters are so well developed and I loved both Emmie and Blessing. And watching the relationship with Pip grow as she gets to know his family is heartwarming. There is a little bit of a mystery as Emmie tries to figure out who is “out to get her.” A lot of wonderful aspects to this story of love, loss, heartache, family, friendship, encouragement, and personal growth.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

British Literature
Chick Lit
Contemporary
Family
Modern
Romance

A brilliant read. Emotional, Heartwarming and much more. Beth's writing always sucks me in and I couldn't put this book down. Highly recommend

I don’t say this lightly but this may be my new favourite Beth Moran book. It has everything and I was so invested that I finished it in 2 days despite working full time!

Have I Told You Lately by Beth Moran is a book about choices you make in life and the consequences of them. Some times those choices are made by others and you just follow along. Emmie Brown was adopted by her "mom" Nellie Brown when she was only one month old. She always knew this and never really thought much of it. Nellie owned a food cart at the airport and sold homemade pasty's there. Her cart was very popular and people loved the food. She worked hard, never took time off, and taught Emmie to be the same way. Emmie helped her mom and worked hard preparing food since she was a little girl. When Nelle died, Emmie took over the cart and kept everything going as it had always been. She gets up at 4:30 every morning to get the food ready, loaded, and drives to the airport. She watches people come and go from amazing places each and every day. Emmie has never been anywhere as she's never had time off. On her one day off each week she does laundry, cleans, orders her food for the following week, and maybe gets a little reading in. Is this really what she wants her life to be?

Emmie has friends at the airport and that helps her to get through. She especially likes a student that drops by her cart quite regularly. His name is Pip and he's a farmer going to college in town to learn of new ways to help his family farm. Emmie looks forward to Pip's visits and he finds a way to see Emmie as often as he can. When he tells Emmie he's graduating and heading back to Siskin, an island a couple of hours away, she's immediately sad. Emmie decides to go to Siskin with Pip as she could use a vacation. She's also found a box of letters that her mom kept from a man signed by a man with the initial G. He is from Siskin and Emmie is hoping to track him down. From the letters it seems like Nelle and G were in love and possibly even married. Why didn't Emmie know anything about him?

When Emmie gets to Siskin there's no place for her to stay as they're all booked up. Pip tells Emmie she can stay at his sister's bed and breakfast that is due to open in a couple of weeks or so. His sister, Lily, is okay with this as Emmie can test things out and give her feedback. After being alone for 2 years since her mom died, being dropped in a bed and breakfast with a family is quite a change. Emmie comes to like it and pitches in to help cook, paint, and do other chores to help get the place ready. Will Pip and Emmie admit their feelings for one another while she's there? Will Emmie find out who the mysterious G is? Will Emmie be accepted by Pip's large family and friends? It seems like someone is out to get her, but why? Will Emmie go back to the airport at the end of her vacation? This is a fun book to read and you'll find yourself thinking the choices through as if you are making them. I rate Have I Told You Lately 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of Have I Told You Lately in exchange for a fair review. #HaveIToldYouLately

I was in such a reading slump when I picked this up, I absolutely devoured it! ( Well most of it! ) Made me feel so much better and happy about life! The only thing I can say is that for me it could have ended about 80% of the way through and I wouldn’t have minded. The ending did drag on slightly though however it was a perfectly good read and really did cheer me up. I have found though that romance books with third act breakups are becoming a little bit tedious for me and maybe that’s why I would have liked it to end sooner.
I have read some of Beth’s books in the past and honestly couldn’t tell you one that sticks out to me but I did enjoy them all.
I love the little who did it in the middle, also loved the character progression and their self improvement.
🌟🌟🌟🌟

Release Date - 24th January 2025

I really enjoyed reading Have I Told You Lately and following along with Emmie's journey. Thank you #netgalley

Emmie Brown has been running the pasty concession at the airport since her mum passed away. One day she oversleeps and she realises she’s just not happy. The lease is up on the business and Pip, and inslander who regularly flies back and forth, who she has a crush on is showing an interest. Emmie knows that her mum isn’t her real mum, but whilst clearing through her mum’s belongings she finds some letters from a mysterious ‘G’. A restless Emmie decides now is the time for her to take control of her destiny with a visit to the Island of Siskin.

Have I Told You Lately is a feel-good story of family, friendship and love from author Beth Moran. Emmie works hard in the small business her Mom created, She believes she's happy, but she's also beginning to discover that her world is quite small. So on a whim one day she books a ticket to the Isle of Siskin, following the friendly (and good looking) Pip whose visits as he passes through the airport she has come to look forward to.

Emmie is not only craving adventure and a change of pace in her life, but she also wants to track down some answers to the mysterious letters that she found in her mom's belongings after her death. She finds herself welcomed into the Hawkins family, but as she grows closer to Pip her presence threatens to challenge the very people who have shown her kindness. Will she follow her heart, or keep on pursuing the truth behind the secret?

Both Emmie and Pip were delightful as characters, and I enjoyed the family dynamic introduced by the siblings and extended family too. It's a sweet romance story that will leave you with a smile.

I found Emmie a little ditzy and all over the place. Granted her mum had died but she should have got herself together sooner as she had a business to run. This irritated me and I guessed the ending very quickly. I'm glad it ended well but, I didn't enjoy this one as much as her others. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

A lovely book about finding oneself and the joy of second chances. Delightful characters, well written. Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

Oh this book! First can I just say that I absolutely love the cozy way in which Beth Moran writes? It's so beautiful.

Emmie, the FMC, was such a character - she was loveable yet flawed which made her all the more realistic. She was adopted and found letters that led her on a journey to discover the mysteries around what her life could have been. It's a beautiful soul searching journey and just the journey and all of the women helping each other along the way is truly beautiful.

This book had it all - realistic characters, deep and emotional connections, romance, growth, travel, and the path to loving oneself. It was just a fantastic read.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review

A hidden past, a windswept island, and a choice that could change everything—Emmie Brown’s journey is a gorgeous blend of mystery, romance, and self-discovery. As she unravels decades-old secrets, she finds more than just answers—she finds a life she never dared to dream of. With a swoon-worthy islander, a warm and chaotic found family, and the emotional punch of a long-buried truth, this novel is perfect for anyone who loves a heart-tugging, atmospheric escape.

In this unexpected and charming new novel, Beth Moran introduces readers to Emmie Brown, who has taken on her adoptive mother’s food stand in the tiny local airport since her mother’s death. Having known about her adoption her entire life, Emmie is totally surprised to find a secret stash of letters and a hidden photo from “G,” changing everything she thought she knew about Nellie Brown. Taking her to the Isle of Siskin and introducing her to the Hawkins family, Emmie’s life is suddenly full of people and color, especially when her friendship with Pip Hawkins blossoms, and she must choose between happiness, the truth, her old life, and the chance at a new future. Emmie is a fantastic, relatable protagonist whose struggles are deeply relatable, emotional, and absolutely charming, and readers will love seeing her grow and develop as an individual and in her relationships with other characters over the course of the novel. The atmosphere and beautiful rural locations on Siskin are masterfully crafted and are brought to life in incredible detail, drawing readers into the story. A great, relaxing, and romantic read, fans looking to escape to a beautiful rural island will love this fantastic new book.

Beth Moran's '"Have I Told You Lately" is a touching and nurturing current novel dealing with issues of identity and belonging and family secrets. This tale is about a girl named Emmie Brown who has always known that she was adopted. When Emmie's mother dies, she stumbles across a secret photo and a string of letters mysteriously signed "G," which turns her whole world upside down. Emmie's need for discovery takes her to beautiful Isle of Siskin, and there she meets the friends who become the welcoming Hawkins family. During the journey, Emmie's life makes a surprising turn when she enters new friendships and in all likelihood, love.

Emmie Brown is fully well rounded and undergoes considerable metamorphosis through this highly captivating novel. From the very beginning, Emmie is reserved and introverted; it takes a journey within herself for her to explore and open up to new experiences. Crucial to Emmie's altered sense of being is the Hawkins family, especially Pip Hawkins, who opens up her closed and lonely world into the love that she always wanted and the support that was previously denied. There is some really heartwarming interaction between Emmie and the Hawkins bunch. These moments add so much to the story.

The writing that Beth Moran displays is at once evocative and entrancing. The reader can feel what's going on with Emmie throughout her journey, thoroughly invested in how it plays out. The words brush colorful paintings of the Isle of Siskin, giving the reader a vision of a marvelous, deep setting as their reading progresses. Dialogues flow as naturally as one would expect from real people, letting the characters' individuality come through. The story has a measured pace that utilizes peaks of tension with intervals of relief to maintain the reader's attention on Emmie's quest.

She discovers family, identity, and the influence of family secrets in the novel, all of which stimulate revelation-the truth must be told, even when painful, and the healing power of connection and love. "Moreover, it is definitely a thing for life." The message here is also about the kind of value that is said to be that of resilience and courage over facing one's past and embracing the future one has yet to see.

The use of foreshadowing, symbolism, and varied character development are some of the techniques that Moran uses to enrich the narrative. The concealed photo and letters serve as important symbols of the secrets that Emmie's life revolves around. The story's pace is maintained by continuous build-up in tension and the emotional layers.

The speed of "Have I Told You Lately" was rather good, and then the chapters flowed easily into one another so that it was very pleasant to read. It is with Moran's easy writing enough for the widest readership: contemporary women's fiction and stuff about personal growth.

"Have I Told You Lately" is a touching, cheerful, emotional novel that speaks to readers within. It provides insight into identity and the ability of family wrapped in a beautifully written narrative. Themes such as resilience and love make the novel a heart-touching read and leave the readers with a sweet memory.

For strong character development and emotional depth in contemporary fiction, I recommend "Have I Told You Lately" to my readers. This book really does appeal to any reader looking for a good, self-reflective emotional tale with family ties. If you've read Beth Moran before or you're new to her writing, this book will undoubtedly leave you feeling uplifted and inspired.

What a totally dreamy story. I loved it. Lots of history for Emmie finding he family and a tale of how someone can almost be controlled to living a certain way to keep others happy and then getting the chance to discover themselves. And just as I thought Emmie and Pip were getting a happy ending a curve ball was threw in making me wonder what would happen next. A tale of two different islands and lots of possibilities. Also the mystery Emmie hater leads you to think it’s a certain person but my mother’s instinct lead me to guessing who it was

I had the absolute pleasure of diving into another beautiful story by one of my favorite women’s fiction authors, Beth Moran. If you’re searching for a read that layers themes of grief, growth, and tangled family secrets, then you’re in for a treat with this one.

Emmie is a relatable character who wakes up one day and realizes that she craves more than her routine of baking pasties at her airport shop. With her only source of connection being her friend Blessing, it’s hard to blame her for feeling a bit lost and alone. But instead of staying trapped in her monotonous existence, Emmie sets off to the enchanting Isle of Siskin to discover her mother’s past and pursue the charming Pip, the guy she’s had a crush on for ages. Little does she know that this journey will bring a mix of joy and heartbreak unlike anything she could have anticipated.

What truly makes this story stand out is meeting Pip’s vibrant family and friends who embrace Emmie as if she’s already a part of their world. It’s like being thrown into a whirlwind of warmth and acceptance, which is a refreshing take on the typical “found family” trope. On her quest to find the elusive “G” from her mother’s letters, Emmie encounters unexpected challenges like being stalked and framed by someone with serious issues against her. My heart really ached for her as the twists unfolded, especially when we delve into the painful history surrounding her mom.

Moran has this amazing knack for creating characters that feel as real as your best friends. As Emmie works through her own family secrets, I cheered her on, hoping she found a slice of happiness amidst the turmoil. The emotional depth is just… Wow.

If you love stories that uplift your spirits while taking you on a character-driven journey through stunning settings, then grab a cozy blanket, maybe a few pasties, and lose yourself in this lovely tale. I assure you, Emmie’s adventure will resonate with you long after you turn the last page.

Thank you to Ms. Moran for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

I have a particular fondness for visiting the locations or areas where books are set – but, despite much googling, it seems the Isle of Siskin with its direct flights from Sherwood Airport is a figment of the author’s imagination. But it’s an exceptionally well drawn one – with its dependence on agriculture, its erratic public transport, and its community where everyone knows everybody else’s business. And from letters left by Emmie’s recently deceased adoptive mother Nell, it seems it has some significance in their personal history – the enigmatic “G” was clearly important to her, he lived there, and she’d like to find out more.

Her life is entirely focused on the pasty stall they ran together at the airport – rising daily before dawn, with no life of her own, driven by the work ethic Nell instilled in her and a determination to keep the business going whatever the personal cost. But maybe there’s more to life – and when new friend Pip (“the hot farmer”) heads home to Siskin for perhaps the last time, she decides the time has come to take a well-earned break, finding herself on the same flight thanks to the welcome intervention and organisational skills of best friend Blessing.

With no plans made, everything goes badly wrong on her arrival – feeling overwhelmed, she thinks she should maybe head home on the next flight. But she ends up staying in the new B+B run by Pip’s sister – a test run for when it opens, at no charge – and finds herself totally drawn into his large family. Alongside continuing to read those letters, she’s gradually able to make sense of Nell’s past and the experiences that made her cut herself off from life – but also to get closer to Pip, seeing if their friendship might turn into something more. But, as she grows in confidence and begins to feel at home on the island, seeing the possibility of a rather different future, it becomes clear that her presence isn’t welcomed by everyone.

The mystery at the book’s centre is fascinating as it slowly unfolds with unexpected twists and turns: the romance is gentle and very slow-burn, but adds an extra emotional touch to the story. And I was in Emmie’s corner throughout as she began to blossom – really deserving the possibility of a fresh start and some future happiness. But the relationship I perhaps enjoyed the most was her friendship with Blessing – just the person she so needed to watch her back and offer a helping hand when things became difficult, but with her interventions adding a lot of the book’s humour too. All the characters are beautifully drawn though – the obsessive ex-girlfriend, the wider family with their own relationships, and the smaller cameos of the island’s particularly quirky residents.

Emmie’s journey was one I thoroughly enjoyed – emotional at times, but very uplifting by the story’s end – and all those other elements made the whole book particularly engaging. Beautifully written as always, this was a lovely read – and one I’d recommend to all.

Emmie is getting fed up with living her narrowly confined life, and when the lease for the kiosk at the airport where she serves pasties to hungry travelers comes due for renewal, it turns out to be the opportunity to move her life in a different direction. Although change is hard for Emmie, she begins to make decisions that result in living life on her terms.