First time reading this author. I actually listened to it. The reader was great and the story was good. The beginning was predictable but as it went it was very suspenseful. It took a turn you wouldn’t have thought. I highly recommend this book.

I really enjoyed “A Year at Marshywood”. The beginning was slow but I hung in there and am glad I did. It’s a captivating story. Worth the read.
I received a free copy via NetGalley.

Title: A Year at Marshywood
Author: Debut author Marina Mc Lune
Audiobook Narrator: Lucy Scott
Publisher: BooksGoSocial Audio
Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Audiobook Release Date was November 3, 2023
Rating: 3
Pages: Pages: 361

The time period for this story is 1979. Nineteen year old Amanda Fernsby and her family leave London and move to rural East Sussex to live at Marshywood, a charming, rustic cottage.
Now, surrounded by nature, she is excited to begin her new life, but there are bumps in the road ahead.

I read some reviews; when one reviewer described enjoying the reference to the time period-no smart phones, no internet only an old landline phone and a typewriter Yikes! I wasted so much paper typing. However, I also remember the fun times!

I read a lot of thrillers – I am not a big romance fan but sometimes a nice sweet story and knowing something is going to get better; is always a treat to look forward to.

Want to thank NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this audiobook.
Publishing Release Date was November 3, 2023.

Amanda Fernsby’s family decides to move from London to rural Sussex. As she is 19 she wants to experience romance and make friends. The story flows slowly and is rather predictable.

Super cute and cozy book. Very reminiscent of modern Jane Austen's novels. Loved the setting. I thought there were cute tropes in the book and it was very pg.

A Year at Marshywood is a book written by Marina McLune that has been narrated by Lucy Scott. The story follows a 19-year-old girl named Amanda who moves from London to a country house called Marshywood in 1979. Despite her initial apprehension about living in a small town, she quickly becomes a part of the community. The book explores her experiences of living in a new environment, her friendships, romantic relationships, and other experiences of a young woman in the 70s and 80s. The book is filled with nostalgia that reminds readers of the forgotten aspects of life during that era.

The author's writing style and the narrator's portrayal of the characters in this sweet story are both enjoyable. The story flows well, giving enough background on the characters, and ends with a surprising twist. Getting to know the characters is fun and overall, it's a lovely audiobook.

This story follows one year in the life of Amanda, a nineteen year old girl who moves from London to Sussex, and goes through many changes as she finds who she is in adulthood. The year is 1979, and the author does a great job at citing things very specific to that time, and creating a vibe that just pulled me in to that era. I thought it was going to be a very smooth, chill plot that was more about the coming of age experiences than anything major, and although that was a large part of it, the plot definitely had some twists that I didn’t expect, and I stayed entertained while still staying in the cozyness of the writing. Thank you to NetGalley for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest review!

In 1979, Amanda, age 19, moves from London to a country house called Marshywood. While initially apprehensive about moving to a small town, she quickly becomes part of the community, and the story follows her experiences of this new lifestyle, her friendships and romantic relationships, and other experiences of a young woman in this time.

This was an enjoyable read, well paced, with twists and turns that kept you engaged. At times I felt frustrated with the self indulgence of some of the characters, though this did add to the interest of the story. There was a warm nostalgia for the 70’s and 80’s. While this is positioned as a romance, I felt the family drama and historical fiction were also prominent themes, and I think it will be enjoyed by anyone looking for any of these genres.

Thank you to BooksGoSocial Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A Year at Marshywood by Marina McLune is a Christian debut novel.
It’s 1979 when Amanda and her family uproot their lives and move to Sussex. The book follows the family in the first year.

I listened on audio and really enjoyed the narration but felt a little lost at the beginning. I know she was only 19 but Amanda drove me nuts with how in love she was with meeting Mark one time.

Amanda is 19, but shy and a bit socially awkward. When her parents retire and move away from London, to the countryside, she moves with them. She volunteers at a farm until she finds a job at a cafe. She has feelings for a man from back in London. Then feelings arise for someone else in her new town. While another man pursues her (but she does not feel right about him). The story is her trying to find love while living a very calm, mild country life. The means to the ending does hold a surprising twist that I did not expect. But overall, her goal is to find love, even though she’s only 19.

The story is good, but very calm, mild, and predictable.