It’s such a pleasure today to be joining the blog tour and sharing my review of the latest book from Beth Moran, Lean On Me: published by Boldwood Books on 4th March, it’s now available as an e-book (free via Kindle Unlimited), in paperback, and as an audiobook. My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for the invitation and support, and to the publishers for my advance e-copy (provided via netgalley).
Very much a personal favourite, I’ve never read a book from Beth that I haven’t thoroughly enjoyed – and if you pop her name into my search bar, you’ll find my reviews of every single one. Her characters are always quite wonderfully drawn, their lives often difficult, but she takes them through the darkness with humour and more than a touch of love to leave her reader with a smile on their face and a warm feeling around their heart. I won’t mention every book (much as I’d like to), but you might like to catch up with the one that thoroughly deserved its place on my 2023 Books of the Year list, Take Me Home – an emotional story beautifully told, the perfect balance of laughter and tears, a tentative romance that was everything I wanted it to be, and (as always) the most wonderful cast of characters (you’ll find my full review here).
But let’s take a closer look at her latest…
From No. 1 bestselling author Beth Moran comes a story about family, friendship and community.
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.
Number 1 bestselling author Beth Moran is back with her trademark ingredients of wisdom and warmth, heartbreak and hearts soaring. Perfect for fans of Jill Mansell, Philippa Ashley and Jenny Colgan.
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.
About 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.
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