Miranda is dying to have another child. She has a son through sperm donation by her gay male friend, who is married to his male partner. In Love in a Hurry by Mari Jane Law, Miranda is thirty-nine years old and has been informed by her doctor that she is perimenopausal. So, she needs to get moving on finding a husband if she is going to have another child. Since she is a virgin mother, she thinks her best hope is a priest, one who is seeking to leave the priesthood. Kieran is a Catholic priest who would have loved to be married with children if not for his mother ‘forcing’ him into the priesthood. He has just joined the Catholic Priest Support group, which helps priests leave the priesthood. As luck would have it, Miranda and Kieran meet, and they are immediately attracted to one another. Will the match work?

In Love in a Hurry, Mari Jane Law tells a story filled with humor and pathos. Her take on religion and its effect on the characters’ relationships creates a laugh-out-loud plot and truly enjoyable characters and their individual situations. The characters, Miranda and Kieran, both have painful pasts where they had to live according to others’ decisions. But these heavy topics are handled with a light touch through tongue-in-cheek quips. I can almost see the thought bubbles above their heads where they mentally share what they would really love to say if they had the nerve. The back-and-forth between the past and present keeps the action moving forward quickly as the characters grow into their new lives.

Sometimes the path chosen for you isn’t the one that will ultimately make you happy. Love in a Hurry by Mari Jane Law brings together three people whose lives haven’t gone quite the way they expected. Miranda Morton is thirty-nine, a single mother, and worried that perimenopause may be closing the door on her chance to have another kid. She wants more than motherhood, though. She also hopes for a husband and the kind of connection she’s never had. When she learns that her employer’s son is starting a support group for Catholic priests considering leaving the ministry, Miranda wonders if she might meet someone looking for the same things she does. Father Kieran Quinn is forty-two and questioning the road he took years earlier, especially since becoming a priest was more his mother’s dream than his own. He longs for love, marriage, and children, but knows pursuing that kind of future would mean walking away from the only adult life he’s ever known. When they meet, there’s an immediate attraction, but his vows are only one of the obstacles standing between them. Miranda's sharp-tongued elderly employer, Judith Gold, also has strong feelings about Kieran and Catholicism that are rooted in a painful past of her own. With all three facing choices about what they hope for in the years ahead, will they be brave enough to change the direction their lives are taking?

I thought Love in a Hurry by Mari Jane Law had such an interesting idea behind it. A priest who probably never truly wanted to be a man of the cloth considering leaving the priesthood for a woman, love, and possibly a family isn’t something I come across very often in romance novels. There’s also a bit of that forbidden-fruit appeal since Miranda and Kieran are attracted to each other while he’s still a priest. They, along with Judith, are pretty dynamic in their own right, and each has a past that helps explain their decisions. Surprisingly, Kieran was my favorite. That's only happened with a male character a handful of times, so I wasn’t expecting it. I really felt for him. He’d spent so much of his life following a path someone else chose for him, and I enjoyed watching him begin to question what he wanted for himself. Judith also added another layer because she could be frustrating one minute and make me curious about what shaped her the next. Law balances the humor with some much more serious subjects, which keeps the plot from feeling too heavy. Anyone looking for an unconventional love story with complicated characters and the thrill of a relationship that’s a bit off-limits should give this one a try. Dolly Parton said, "If you don't like the road you're walking, start paving another one." That idea fits this book so well, making it a great pick for readers who enjoy stories about people realizing it’s never too late to choose a different future.

I’ve had the pleasure of reading the first three books in this series, so when I was offered book four, I jumped at the chance, and it didn’t disappoint!

Each book in this quirky romance series is filled with characters you can’t help but fall in love with, and this time it’s Miranda Morton’s turn.

Miranda is a virgin mother to her son Oscar, whom she had with Luke and Gavin, known as the daddies. How can she be a virgin, you ask? A turkey baster!

This book had me at, "perimenopause" and I honestly couldn't put it down. Mari Jane Law has once again used her wit to get her characters into awkward and entertaining scenarios.

Love in a Hurry follows Catholic priest Kieran who wants to leave the Church, fall in love and become a family man. He decides to go former priest (and Love in the Cupboard's character) Tom Sheridan's Catholic Priest Support group for those wanting to leave their ministry. It is here that Miranda opens the door for him and it is lust at first sight for both.

Single mum Miranda, who thanks to a turkey baster got pregnant with Oscar, now longs to have another baby but this time in a more conventional way. She has never been in a relationship and longs to have one. Miranda is also Tom's mum Judith's carer.

This book is not all fun and games and it's not just about Kieran and Miranda either. Judith's story is told. She has a tough exterior and I was emotionally invested in her story. Her rocky life of young love, religion, lack of acceptance and heart-wrenching loss shaped her into what she is today. It was Judith's struggle that truly elevated the book for me.

The author has also written about religion in a sensitive manner. However, I do think that Kieran could have been more forgiving after Judith pushes him into a particular situation at a synagogue and also, I would have liked to have seen some camaraderie between Tom and Kieran. Having said that, Love in a Hurry is an extremely entertaining addition to the Love & Mishaps series.

My thanks to the Mari Jane Law and Fuchsia Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I’ve read the other three in this series and found them very funny. This one didn’t disappoint especially as you get further into the book! What you might wonder about at the start becomes clear part way through and it’s definitely worth a read!

Thanks to the author for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
I have read each book in this series and been impressed by them. Every character is unique and interesting, I love them all, even overbearing Judith. The author has an amazing talent for witty dialogue, I've laughed out loud at some of the interactions and had to read them out loud to my husband. Each person's story is realistic and completely different to anything I've read before and I'm so pleased to see characters from earlier books popping up again.
This particular novel brings Miranda to the forefront, and as her employer, Judith also features heavily. Her own story is uncovered, bringing a new depth of emotions requiring tissues a-plenty.
Whilst each story could be read as a standalone I recommend reading them in series order to appreciate the characters at their best. This long-awaited book 4 has certainly been worth the wait; it's romance is lovely and the story-telling of the unusual plot is completely absorbing. Be prepared to stay up all night reading it!

The Wishing Shelf Book Awards
EDITORIAL REVIEW
2nd September 2026
TITLE: Love in a Hurry, A quirky romantic comedy
AUTHOR: Mari Jane Law

Star Rating: 5


“A wonderfully chaotic race to love, packed with laughs, mishaps and plenty of heart.” The Wishing Shelf

REVIEW
For me, Love in a Hurry is the sort of romantic comedy that made me smile one minute and wince sympathetically the next. Miranda is a wonderfully likeable heroine, although her plan to find a husband and have another baby before her biological clock runs out is, shall we say, rather ambitious! Then along comes Kieran, a Catholic priest questioning the life he’s been pushed into, and suddenly things become considerably more complicated. The two make an engaging and very unexpected couple, and watching their relationship develop is great fun.
What really works is the humour. There are plenty of wonderfully awkward situations, misunderstandings and conversations where you can almost see the characters thinking, Did I really just say that out loud? Miranda’s determination, lack of romantic experience and wonderfully frank attitude make her particularly entertaining, while Kieran’s attempts to reconcile his faith, family expectations and desire for a different life give the story plenty of heart beneath all the laughs. Their chemistry feels increasingly natural as the story progresses.
I also liked that this isn't simply a fluffy romance. Both characters have emotional baggage to work through, and their past experiences gradually explain why they behave the way they do. Miranda’s difficult childhood and her fear of not having enough add genuine depth to her character, while Kieran has to confront the fact that much of his life has been shaped by other people’s expectations. Their conversations about their pasts give the romance some real emotional weight, without taking away from the lighter tone.
Overall, this is a charming, quirky and very good-natured romantic comedy with memorable characters, plenty of laughs and a surprisingly big heart. It’s particularly enjoyable if you like your romance with a generous helping of mishaps, unconventional characters and situations that spiral wonderfully out of control. Miranda and Kieran certainly don't take the conventional route to happily-ever-after—but that’s rather the point. Love in a Hurry is a fun, feel-good read that left me smiling.
A ‘Wishing Shelf’ Book Review
www.thewsa.co.uk

Mari Jane Law has done it again. Love in a Hurry is Book 4 in her Love & Mishaps series of funny and heart-achy romances between ordinary people, set against a backdrop of religious inflexibility and trauma. Social observation is subtle and the reader can join the dots about organised religion and its effect on lonely and vulnerable people.

Irish Catholic Father Kieran Quinn is forty and disillusioned with the church, alienated from his younger brother and realising that his mam manipulated and brainwashed him into joining the clergy. Now he wants out, and he wants to get married, have a child, deal with his rogue prostate, make peace with his little brother, and get a new job, as soon as he can. Phew!

Miranda Morton is in her late thirties, with a young son Oscar, conceived with a turkey baster. She works as a carer for Judith, who is prickly and let’s face it, pretty awful. Miranda would love to be loved by a man, and have another child – actually, she’s horny and a bit desperate. She suffered from abandonment as a little girl and still feels the effects of a childhood with food insecurity and foster care. Judith is the mother figure she craves, but Judith is so bitter that Miranda can’t get close to her.

When Kieran and Miranda meet, it’s BAAAAMMMM – instalove – and they are determined to be together – they reach that conclusion very quickly. Unfortunately for them, finding each other is the easy bit and the rest of the novel is a romantic tragi-comedy as they face one obstacle after another: nasty Judith, Kieran’s brother, medical issues and even the local Bishop.

Miranda is one of the loveliest romance heroines I’ve read. She apparently looks like a horse, is insecure, lonely but full of so much love, hope and brio that I wish she was a friend of mine. Her enthusiasm for Kieran is hilarious and awkward. There’s a delicious tension between what she says and what she is thinking and the pages in her point of view are some of the funniest and sweetest in the book.

Irishman Kieran is the priest of my dreams – he is kind and wise, and bighearted, and I cheered for him as he finds his way to Miranda. I love how mean old Judith underestimates him.

MJL shines in the way that she can put heartbreaking tragedy next to slapstick situational comedy without jarring the tone. I have rarely seen this done so well.

A few quibbles I have are with Judith – snarky Judith is much more believable than new-leaf Judith, and some of the dialogue is clunky, possibly because so much is happening. Often there are lot of characters in the same space wanting to be heard. These are tiny observations against what is a beautiful and insightful romance.

The Love & Mishaps series takes a clear-eyed look at organised religion in Britain in the 1980s and the present. There are plenty of trigger warnings, including for abandonment and cot death, but Mari Jane Law writes with such love and care for her characters that you will be in good hands. Terrific!

heartwarming, funny, unexpected

Take one unlikely couple - a mother who’s still a virgin and a priest yearning for a family, season the dish with a hilarious cast of characters (curmudgeonly Judith with her heart breaking backstory is my favourite), add a ticking clock and retire to watch the fireworks!

My Thoughts: what a perfect ending to what has been a really good series, I was really hoping both of these characters would get they’re happy ever after and this book gave me everything I wanted and more.

We’re following Father Kieran who is having a bit of a midlife crisis after realising that no one will inherit the family business once he’s gone.. so he had to work out what means more to him, the church or the want to have a family? add to that he’s just found out his brother is gay so starts to doubt wether everything his religion has taught him is still accurate today.

Then we have Miranda who despite giving birth to a baby to help her friends become dads she is still a virgin, she wants another baby, but also want to find and experience love and being a proper family.. the only problem is her biological clock is ticking!

This book has so much heart and humour that I really struggled to put it down, I laughed out loud several times & had a smile on my face for most of the book!

Their are told from the past, which gives us a proper look into Judith’s life, to everyone she is just a cantankerous old woman stuck in her ways, but seeing the reasons why honestly shattered my heart just a little.

You get a real sense of community in this book & that made me feel all warm and fuzzy, like I was part of the gang too.

If you’re looking for a feel good romance that doesn’t shy away from dealing with some harder topics then look no further because you’ve found it.

This book, as all the books in this series seem to be, was filled with humour and hard topics in equal measure. Definitely make sure to check the trigger warnings if you need, it was a seriously painful read at some points and I cried so be prepared. But for those comfortable then the heavier topics are interspersed with so much humour and hilarious interactions to lighten the mood.
If you've read the previous books (and you definitely should, although not essential) you'll already love Miranda and know some of her recent history as I do and it was lovely to see her again as she gets her happy ending, especially because of her peculiar circumstances. We get to learn more about her past too and how hard her life was. I loved that Mari didn't try to glorify some of the aspects and make everything magically work out at the end, it makes the characters seem so much more real. Keiran is a new character to the series and it's great to see him finally break free and get to experience the life he wants for himself and not the one others want for him. Again, his journey out of priesthood seemed so real because it would take a lot of getting used to life outside of the church when that's all you've ever known. There were of course a few hiccups but he's a good person and no matter how weird the situations get you're always rooting for them to be able to make it work!
I also loved Judith (despite her flaws) and the dual timeline story we got learning her past too, and such a sad tale. I felt so sorry for her and how her life turned out but it was lovely to see her character and also the Jewish representation she brought. So far all of the books have been very Christian, not in a preachy way and showing both good and bad parts of the religion and religion in general, but it was nice to see and learn more about Judaism in this one too.
Overall a great story and I was glad to hear there's more in the works for this series!

This is the fourth book in the Love & Mishaps series and it's been quite a while since I read the other books in this series.

This didn't really matter too much though as these books can definitely be read and enjoyed as standalone reads as we follow a new couple in each book - although there are some obvious links throughout.

In this story we meet Kieran, a catholic priest who is desperate to continue his family name and to have someone to pass on the family business on to.
Sadly, the church is not so keen on its Priest's getting married! Or anything else!

When Kieran meets Miranda at the support group, they're both instantly smitten, but when he sees she already has a child, he assumes she's already taken.

Miranda has never been in a relationship, despite having a child - but this story unfolds gradually as the pair get to know each other and begin to form a bond together.

I loved seeing this relationship develop gradually and was rooting for them throughout - but poor Miranda had to contend with Judith, who she offered live-in-care for.
Judith was a prickly characters who clearly had her own issues and although I was intrigued as her backstory is revealed, I still felt for Kieran and Miranda having to navigate the situation.

I really liked seeing the snippets of Tom - who was the focus of book 2 in the series - but I feel like we could have seen a bit more interaction on his part, especially as Judith was his mum.

Still, another enjoyable read and I wonder whether there might be more additions to the series too.

Love in a Hurry is book 4 in a series however you definitely don’t have to have read the other books to read it.

It’s an easy read with humour, romance and family history throughout.

It’s cutesy and predictable but that’s what you want in a romance novel where Miranda the virgin with a baby wants another baby and to snag herself a priest in a cupboard.

The whole family and friend group come together to become a new family they’ve chosen themselves and they overcome religion and relationships to be there for each other

It is cosy and a fun read

What a beautiful read once again from Mari!

I personally loved this one as we find Kieran is pulled two ways between his faith, or following his heart for his family’s future. But then he meets Miranda, they’re just perfect in every way!
Miranda’s got such a gentle heart and her own special dreams, I was secretly cheering her on throughout the book. Then we meet Judith, she’s sharp and fierce as anything but with such a sad story underneath behind her. I love reading Mari’s books they are super easy to get lost in, I always feel like I’m part of the furnishings when reading, not forgetting each book just has its adorable ways!

This was fun and very entertaining but it was also emotional too, these two are such great characters and I loved their story, not smooth running all the way but I was rooting for them straight away.
Full of colourful characters this book fits perfectly with the previous books in this series and it was great to see familiar characters in this one, although you could read as a standalone you’ll then want to read them all.

Here is my review for Love In A Hurry by Mari Jane Law

I found this to be a witty, romantic and tragic story which drew me in right from the very start of the book. I got so invested in reading this story that I couldn’t put it down. Father Kieran Quinn was covering for his brother at the family business in Ireland when a couple of customers checking out mentioned his brother and his partner which Kieran knew nothing about. It turned out their mam had pushed Kieran to be a priest but allowed his brother to follow his heart. Also, his brother didn't want children so this got Kieran thinking about leaving the church and he sought help from Tom, an ex-priest in Bristol. Miranda Morton has one child, Oscar, but wants another but time is against her. She is still a virgin and has never been kissed. She would love to meet a man, fall in love and have a baby naturally. When she meets Kieran there's instant attraction between them although he sees her with Oscar and she mentions Luke but then Tom interrupts them. She pushes Tom to tell his story about meeting his wife and then she comes clean about Oscar for Kieran's sake. Will Kieran and Miranda get together? Can they make it work against all odds?

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this gripping story which had a tragic side as well as the romantic story of Kieran and Miranda. It was a ‘now’ and ‘then’ as well as it told Judith's life history and why she was so bitter and horrible at times. Miranda looked on her as a mother and would only take so much from Judith before she snapped back. Miranda was actually one of Judith's longest serving personal assistants and live-in carers. The dialogue is witty and I laughed out loud a lot. I liked the author’s writing style and it was very easy to read. I believe the author may have done some extensive research before writing this story as the information contained within the novel contains in-depth content. I really liked Miranda and Kieran as their characters were quite refreshing and open with each other. They knew what they wanted but could they make it together. It's a terrific read battling the obstacles. I enjoy reading this author’s books and look forward to reading the next one.

Between the cover and the blurb, I wanted to read this book. The book was fast-paced, quirky, and funny... And both the practical, determined Miranda and the conflicted Father Kieran were very likable characters, who tug at a reader's heartstrings and make you wish for them to get their HEA.

ANOTHER FANTASTIC BOOK IN THIS ABSOLUTELY GORGOUS AND ADDICTIVE SERIES.

Yet another STUNNING book in this INCREDIBLE series! You seriously have to grab your copy of this absolutely gorgeous page turner along with the previous books in this brilliant series today!! The descriptions, the characters and the absolutely brilliant and humorous storyline!!! I mean seriously I cannot describe just how unique and heart warming this book is!!! There are just no words. I mean I'll try but my advice is stop reading this review and GET YOUR COPY NOW!!! If you love romance, humour, feel good books, heart-warmers, turn a frown upside down books… Do you know what...whatever you like to read just give this a go and you will NOT regret it!!! As you can tell I thoroughly enjoyed this addictive and sweet page turner!!!

With an incredible storyline filled with romance, humour, regrets, history, heartbreak, friendship, family, colourful and realistic characters, determination, poignancy, young love, heart, religion, lack of acceptance, warmth, heart-wrenching loss and so very much more you need to clear your schedules before picking this beauty up as it truly is unputdownable!

I loved meeting the characters again, yes even Judith!! They very quickly became like friends rather than fictional characters after the first book and I miss them already. Mari does touch on some sensitive subjects such as cot death but does so sensitively and only as needed for the storyline to work. All of the characters are unique with their own personalities, weaknesses, flaws and strengths and I loved meeting and getting to know them all. The only downfall with the characters is that they are entirely fictional even though Mari brings them to life unfortunately, no matter how much I would love to, I am unable to meet up with them in the real world!! I was completely invested in them all throughout! Mari truly does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages.

Another absolutely stunning book in this stunning series!