“Marion Miller needs a fresh start.

Her childhood in Northern Ireland wasn’t easy, with a father who passed away when she was young and a mother who got lost in grief. Now grown-up and with family relations as tense as ever, Marion heads to England, to find out the truth about her father’s mysterious past – and hopefully an extended family who will love her as much as he did.

Scarlett Obermann runs a holiday park in Sherwood Forest with her daughter Grace, but what’s she’s best at is making people feel like they belong. With her merry band of waifs and strays, Scarlett welcomes Marion with open arms, and it isn’t long before Marion finally understands what it means to find a home.

As she tries to uncover her father’s story, Marion slowly blossoms, even daring to indulge in her crush on Reuben, the son of the Lord of the Manor, but she hasn’t quite out-run her past. And as Scarlett faces her own tragedy, it’s Marion’s turn to take care of everyone.

Because you can’t choose your family, but you can make your friends the family you choose.”

If you look at the cover of Because You Loved Me (Amazon US) (Amazon UK), you might think it’s a lighthearted rom com, you’d be mistaken. There is romance, but it’s a secondary plot and late in the book. What this book entails is a woman’s search for her father’s past, coming to terms with her own broken childhood, finding oneself and making a family through lasting relationships. It’s heartwarming, but at the same time, there are sometimes when reading about Marion’s past are difficult.

The fact that the main character was named Marion and she heads to a caravan park near Sherwood Forest where her father once lived is just priceless. I do have to be honest that it took a little while to get into this book because it seemed like it started in the middle of story. A few chapters in I felt I had a better grip on things, and then the story started to flow more smoothly.

The entire book is full of unlikely characters becoming friends and looking out for one another. Like I said, it’s about a woman finding a family of her own after a terrible childhood of abuse and loss. I particularly liked the growth arc of Marion, and the VERY slow simmer of romance with Reuben. The research into her father’s past brings forward a story that many wish would stay hidden, but luckily for her, she gets her answers.

Each character in the story brings something to the table, and I didn’t feel like there were any loose ends. This is the latest book I’ve gotten from Boldwood Books that has given me great satisfaction from reading it. I especially love the low price point for the Kindle editions since I rarely buy physical books anymore.

Highly recommend!

I received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book from NetGalley & Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

For more reviews, visit www.bargain-sleuth.com

Never miss a post! Subscribe to my email list below.

I’m also on Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr. Check it out!

Join our Facebook page Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews or join our book group here.

This post contains affiliate links. That means I may earn a few pennies if you purchase any books mentioned in this post, at no additional cost to you. Monies earned offset the costs of web hosting.