Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge by Alison Sherlock - Book Review - Blog Tour
Series: The Inn on the Lake #1
Publication Date: 20th June 2025
Purchase Link: https://mybook.to/MapleTreeLodge
Goodreads Book Page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/217965087-coming-home-to-maple-tree-lodge
Genre: Small Town Romance
3.7 Stars
One Liner: Sweet and cozy; low-stakes romance
Book Blurb: A family and hotel in desperate need ofhelp…
Maple Tree Lodge has been the home of the Jacksonfamily for over a century. But the hotel has never been a success, and following the sudden loss of his father, architect Ben Jackson soon discoversthe hotel is close to financial ruin. Ben has to make some tough decisions ifthe hotel is to survive and his family are to keep a roof over their heads.
With the hotel in urgent need of a renovation, Ben’ssister calls on the talents of her best friend, interior designer Lily Watson.Cash-strapped Lily needs a successful project to prove to herself and herhigh-achieving parents that she can carve a successful career and Maple TreeLodge sounds like just the place for Lily to showcase her talents. However,Lily’s vision for a cozy, country Cotswolds hotel is the complete opposite towhat Ben has in mind for a minimalistic, modern makeover and fireworks ensue!
Can they work together to save Maple Tree Lodge?
Can Lily help Ben and his family find a futuretogether?
And can Ben show Lily that there's more to life thanwork?
As autumn at Maple Tree Lodge begins to weave itsmagic spell, perhaps Lily will discover somewhere to finally call home and areason to stay...
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My Thoughts:The story comes in Lily and Ben’s third-person POVs.
Since I enjoyed the previous series by the author, Iwas excited to read this one. It is set in the same region, a fictional settingin the UK countryside, close to London. A few characters from the other seriesmake a guest appearance here. Only one of them has a slightly prominent role…Dodgy Del! Yeah, though here, he seems to be less prone to causing trouble.
This is a low-stakes romance with very little angst ordrama. If you are into intense love stories, this may not work for you. But ifyou want something hopeful, lighthearted, and cozy, you will enjoy the book.
The writing is mostly ‘tell’ with very little ‘show’.Also, there’s an infodump right at the beginning (this seems to be the author’swriting style). Still, the book has a good pace. I could finish 70% in a singlesitting.
Though we have some heavy themes like the death of aparent, tensions in the family, a heroine with reinforced walls, financialconcerns, etc., they don’t feel overwhelming. The feel-good vibes are strongand ensure there’s a sense of hope from start to finish.
Family and friendships are the core of the plot. Iloved all members of the Jackson family as well as the friends of the MCs. Twopairs for the next books have been hinted at, and there’s one person left.We’ll have to wait and see how that goes. So, this is also bound to be afour-book series set in the beautiful Maple Tree Lodge.
The remote setting of the lodge nestled in the woodswith a lake close by and hundreds of ancient trees feels like the best place tobe! I enjoyed the descriptions of the interiors of the lodge and the naturearound it. Since the story happens over four-six months, we can see theseasonal changes as well.
To summarize, Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge is acozy and heartwarming story about finding your place in the world and having asupportive family. It works well as a breather between heavier reads.
Thank you, Rachel’s Random Resources and BoldwoodBooks, for the eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinionabout the book.
#NetGalley
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About the Author – Alison Sherlock
Alison Sherlock is the author of the bestselling WillowTree Hall books. Alison enjoyed reading and writing stories from an early ageand gave up office life to follow her dream. Her series for Boldwood is set ina fictional Cotswold village.
Follow the Author:
Twitter: @AlisonSherlock
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/AlisonSherlockNews
Bookbub Profile: @AlisonSherlock
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This has been a stop on the#ComingHomeToMapleTreeLodge blog tour by Rachel's Random Resources (@rararesources).Thanks for stopping by!
