I struggled to connect to any of the characters in this book.

Finally towards the end of the book is when I began to find it somewhat enjoyable.

Maybe it was some cultural differences that I could not relate to or the setting in itself.

There were some difficult and thought provoking topics that made this worth finishing.

The characters had to make difficult decisions while possibly hurting others, including close family members, but in the end things worked out.

So if you are looking for a slow pace, country side, happy ending… look no more!

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for allowing me access to this audiobook. Sorry for the late review

This was a beautiful coming of age story that unfortunately felt just a bit too long. I enjoyed the character development and the narration, but felt that it could have been edited to be a tighter story.

It’s 1979 and Amanda leaves London with her parents to start a new life in rural Sussex, moving into a charming, rustic cottage named Marshywood,. She is ready begin her new life, but is she ready to face the challenges that this new change will bring? An emotional roller coaster of a story as Amanda finds her place in this new life. A story of friendship, loss and love.

Marina McLune will have you laughing and crying as you experience the social differences between urban London and rural Sussex through Amanda’s eyes in the late 70’s. Her writing style will have you emotionally invested into what will happen with Amanda and the relationships she holds dear. A definite page turner

This was such a great audiobook. The narrator was captivating. The author's story of Amanda moving to the country with her parents and trying to adjust to a new lifestyle was interesting and suspenseful. I look forward to reading/listening to more books from Marina McLune in the future.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the copy of this audiobook.

A cute and wholesome story. The narrator was great and made the story that much more enjoyable. Predictable, but the characters were charming and made me want to visit the town. Some twists that made the book a bit more exciting. Would prefer if this book was just under Women's Fiction as opposed to Romance. I wouldn't consider this a romance novel, unless you want a tame "romance" that you could read aloud without blushing to your grandmother or mom. Zero chili peppers. Give this 3.75 stars, but will round up to 4 since this is my first book from this author and didn't know what to expect.

I loved the story but it was so slow for me. There were approximately equal amounts of things that I liked and things I didn’t like. So, it’s a 3.5✨ for me. I really loved how this setting gives the Anne of Green Gables vibes plus the characters were very different from each other which I really loved but I hoped that the (actual plot) story started soon and goes deeper into the characters and their relationships. The relationship between the main characters didn’t seem strong to me at least and the miraculous change in the main character’s brother’s character (iykyk) was not digestible plus he was such a red flag 😭 plus I there was more depth about things that happened by the end of this book. I want to say more but I can’t really put my views without spoiling the plot so I’ll stop here 🧍‍♀️

Thanks to NetGalley for my first audio book I listened to this year. A Year at Marshywood by Marina McLune. This is billed as a ‘sweet and clean romance’. I have just taught myself to crochet so wanted to be able to listen to books while crocheting – else I feel like I am ‘wasting’ time I could rather be reading.

19 Year old Amanda and her mom and dad have just moved from London to the quiet countryside of Sussex. Her dad has retired and her mom suffers from bouts of depression and they thought a change of scenery will do them well. While Amanda is applying for jobs she volunteers at the farm next door and meets Dean and his family. One of Amanda’s friends from London comes to visit and brings her cousin, Mark, with. After holding hands, Amanda fancies herself in love and starts planning her life with Mark in her head. It was a mildly entertaining listen.

I really enjoyed this innocent novel with a very perplexing love story. I kept listening intently because the plot took many twists. Although I thought I predicted the ending mid way through the book, the path to get there kept me wondering how it would ever work out! Really good storyline. Narrator did a great job with accents and was pleasant to listen to. Character development was well done, I actually felt like the characters were people I had met before - they drew many similarities with old acquaintances of mine. Recommend for any teen to adult looking for a quick innocent read.

Narrated by Lucy Scott ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
by Marina McLune 3.5 ⭐⭐⭐

This is my first time trying (or hearing of) the author Marina McLune. Marina did a fantastic job of writing a beautiful English country romance while touching of some more serious issue for its time.

Would definitely buy another book from this author and would also recommend it particular story.

A Year at Marshywood


This was a very cozy and heartwarming read. It follows Amanda, a 19-year old lass who was uprooted from her city home to move to the country side with her parents. This was a slow burn romance and halfway through the book, I was still guessing whom she was gonna end up with, or how will things turn out for her. This book was no mystery but it had lots of twists and turns that challenged the characters. I had a great time listening to the audiobook and I'm thankful to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial Audio for the free copy.

Pleasant and entertaining audiobook. The setting in the country of England is charming. The characters are colorful. The romantic entanglements are interesting and unexpected.

Many thanks to Net Galley for an audio copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

I love the format of this book. It was like someone telling you a story over a lifetime. I loved this book so much!

This was a sweet, wholesome story that kept me interested throughout. I loved the mix of character ages amd found the story lovely.

Nineteen-year-old Amanda Fernsby and her parents move from London to the countryside at the start of this story, and we're all left to wonder what the new life they build there will look like.

The neighboring farmboy catches Amanda's eye immediately, but she's still busy crushing on her best friend's cousin. A series of events leads Amanda to realize who's the best guy for her.

Unfortunately, those events, while tangential to Amanda, include a racist beating, a cheating partner, and just plain ugliness. So while I was anticipating an idyllic tale, it was far from it.

There were quite a few characters I found it hard to care about, including Amanda's mother, who was simply a manipulative, self-centered individual.

So overall, there wasn't a lot that I especially enjoyed about this slow-moving story other than Amanda and Dean's friendship and integrity.

Thank you to Marina McLune, BooksGoSocial Audio, and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This one covered some really tough subjects but I liked it. The main character, Amanda, really developed over the course of the book. What stated as an unsure girl ended with her feeling more confident. It was a bit predictable, but overall a pretty quick story.

At first I thought this book was going somewhere but midway it just fell flat. I couldn't get into it and unfortunately couldn't finish.

Marina McLune's A Year at Marshywood is an unusual tale of a nineteen year old young lady who moves from London to rural Sussex. A complex story, it is told from multiple points of view and is non-stop action! Technically a "historical" story, it is set in the late 1970's.

I enjoyed this unique novel, and all the '70's references are so much fun. I was chuckling to myself when Amanda was looking forward to watching Dallas considering all the drama and twists and turns this plot takes as well.

The audiobook is nicely performed by Lucy Scott. With the huge cast, this is quite a job! Everyone from old folks to Amanda and her friends, Londoners to the rural folks in Sussex, Ms. Scott finds a specific voice for each character.

A Year at Marshywood reminded me of a Hallmark type movie. The plot was enjoyable, the friendship was cute, the romace was adorable. I enjoyed listening to the audiobook as the narrator did a fantastic job reading the book.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was sweet, I enjoyed setting and the characters a lot. Bit of a slow burn at first but sucks you in after a while! I would read more by this author. The narrator did a good job as well.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the audio ARC!

This book did start off a bit slow and I almost stopped listening to it but then it picked up and I enjoyed it! Such a fun interesting read.