Cover Image: The Village Inn of Secret Dreams

The Village Inn of Secret Dreams

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Member Reviews

I recently had the pleasure of reading "The Village Inn of Secret Dreams" by Alison Sherlock, and it truly captured my heart with its delightful storyline and well-crafted characters. This charming novel unfolds in the quaint village of Cranbridge, where Belle Clarke, after escaping her parents' unhappy marriage, dreams of making The Black Swan Inn her forever home.

The plot takes an intriguing turn when the beloved Inn faces the threat of closure, setting the stage for Belle's oldest friend, Pete Kennedy, to return with a plan to save the day. The story beautifully explores the dynamics between Belle and Pete as they navigate differing opinions on the renovation needed to rescue the inn. The conflict adds depth to the narrative, making the characters more relatable and the plot more engaging.

What sets this book apart is the author's skillful portrayal of the characters' journey as they are forced to put aside their differences during a snowstorm and work together for the greater good of the village. The unfolding events reveal not only the secrets of The Black Swan Inn but also the true feelings Belle and Pete harbor for each other. The emotional depth and authenticity of their relationship make the reader genuinely invested in their journey.

Alison Sherlock masterfully weaves a tale of love, renewal, and self-discovery against the backdrop of a charming village. The narrative is rich with detail, creating a vivid picture of Cranbridge and its inhabitants. The author's descriptive prose brings the setting to life, making it easy for readers to immerse themselves in the story.

"The Village Inn of Secret Dreams" is a heartwarming and feel-good novel that explores the themes of love, friendship, and the importance of embracing change. It's a perfect read for those who enjoy a blend of romance, small-town charm, and a touch of mystery. Alison Sherlock's storytelling prowess shines through, making this book a delightful escape into a world where dreams come true, and love conquers all. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a captivating and uplifting read.

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A mild romance, it has holiday feels without getting too steamy. The placemaking of Cranbridge is the perfect setting for Belles story. Heart warming read.

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I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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Feel-good and romantic!

I read and loved the previous book in this series and was thrilled to be offered the chance to return to Riverside Lane in the picturesque village of Cambridge. Seeing as I have missed the first book I can honestly say that I do think you can easily read them as stand-alones, yes there are connections but nothing huge, more friendships with other characters nothing that would have you wondering if you had missed out on anything.

I really enjoyed this visit to the series, Belle and Pete are wonderful characters their romance is your typical 'friends to lovers' story. Belle and Pete are good friends, he has been away from the village for a long time and now he has returned just in time as Belle is facing losing her home. Pete is a bit of a knight in shining armour to Belle's damsel - can you tell I am an old romantic at heart? 🤭

I loved how their relationship developed and changed over time, and how they grow closer as they worked together. The story is gorgeous, it's sweetly emotional and engaging, you feel completely drawn into the story and your heart is tugged at every corner. I love message which goes hand in hand with romance, the importance of friendship and community, with a little village and romantic magic is thrown in for good measure.

Overall a joyful and delightful read!
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thank you to the publisher for my arc copy.
@chicksroguesandascandals

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Lovely feel good book to read. It was a joy to read. Lovely characters. Great plot. The book was charming. Very well written. I’d definitely recommend this book

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A book with Belle would clearly have to involve the inn and The Black Swan was clearly in need of a makeover, but being the third book with the romance + business makeover combo made me a little discouraged while reading it, even though I had it here. the news that Pete is a well-meaning door, and that he forgot the community factor when organizing a business.

It's all about personal taste, but I found the matchmaking coming from Belle's family and friends a little irritating, because there were times when it seemed that this part was getting more attention than the development of Belle and Pete's relationship.

I love the community atmosphere of these books, and I would really like to have a book with Del (or with his nephew who was featured in this book). For those who like themed readings, the mood of the story is to bring a warm heart and as there are a little bit of the Christmas festivities.

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I really Enjoyed reading this book, I have all 4 parts on Audible too now.

Sorry that I am behind on reviewing this book.
Definitely recommend this read or listen.
Heartwarming and lovely.

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Fantastic read. Heart warming and romantic throughout. Lovely to be updated with familiar characters in Cranbridge but also lovely to meet some new ones. Perfect for curling up with and devouring in one go! Fingers crossed for a further book in this delightful series.

Thank you Netgalley

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This was a brilliant read and is being featured on my blog for my quick star reviews feature, which I have created on my blog so I can catch up with all the books I have read and therefore review.
See www.chellsandbooks.wordpress.com.

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I received this book as an ARC..
What a lovely story of faith self belief and healing. I love books that just make you root for the characters and want the cheesy ending.
First time reading Alison Shelock but def not the last.

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This was such a charming Christmas read that I did enjoy a lot. I really liked the Christmas setting of it all it was done really well done and bought the atmosphere alive. I liked the chemistry between Paul and Belle it was so nice and their romance felt pretty realistic during the whole novel.

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Five Stars! This is the perfect Christmas book, it was full of warmth and heart and love. It is a cozy fireplace kind of story. I wanted to go the inn and have a pint, meet all the villagers and even try some of the punch. Belle and Pete are so charming and perfect, you will immediately fall in love with them both. Definitely do not skip out on this one.

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Lovely to be back in Cranbridge where I would certainly like to live! I loved the character of Belle and although it wasn't really a Christmas story it was lovely and wintery. If you want a warmhearted light easy read with great characters and village community feeling this is definitely the series for you

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This is a heart-warming book that is full of community spirit. It follows the same formula as the previous book but that definitely did not lessen my enjoyment. Furthermore, if you have yet to sample any of Cranbridge books, these are easy to read on their own too.

Working the the failing local inn, Belle feels like her time is almost up for living in Cranbridge. The Mucky Duck isn’t making any money, it’s falling apart and has become a bit of a joke with the locals. However, when old friend, Pete, returns to the village, he unexpectedly offers to buy the inn and bring it back to life. Saying goodbye to her aunt and uncle as they cruise the world, Belle can’t help but feel she is still on borrowed time. Not only does she suspect that Pete is merely there to make a quick buck and sell the inn for a profit, but Belle cannot ignore old feelings resurfacing for Pete.

Watching the inn renovations was really interesting. I liked how determined Pete was to create a glossy, high-end restaurant because of how much it just did not fit in with Cranbridge. Despite Belle’s advice, Pete thinks he knows best and I enjoyed watching him grow to realise what the village needs: not fancy food with unknown ingredients, but warming pub grub in a place where locals can meet. Furthermore, I found the disparity between Andre and Brad rather entertaining and was always rooting for Brad to succeed.

Like the previous book I read in this series, this book follows how a tired location gets turned around for the better of the community in Cranbridge. The writer references a couple of other worn down shops on the street and I wonder if this is a clue for further books to come? Undoubtedly, the community spirit that flows through the pages reinforces how pleasant a place Cranbridge is. I particularly liked seeing how everyone pulled together to help the needy and vulnerable as the weather changed.

I loved watching how Belle grows and how her relationship changes with Pete. A bit like the transformation of the inn, both Belle and the building find themselves and what their true identity really is. It was an interesting parallel to draw.

This is only slightly a Christmas book. The focus on the inn renovations is the key part of the plot, with only the last few chapters really becoming Christmassy. However, it is the help of the locals and the support they show to the inn that make this such a winter warmer of a read. Even if this doesn’t make it on your To Be Read pile this Christmas, it will certainly make you feel good at any time of the year.

An easy read, this book is fun with a touch of Christmas and a whole load of community support. Despite being a bit similar to the other Cranbridge book, I still enjoyed it and hope to return to this lovely village in the future.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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An easy to read but dragged out book. Not as good as the others in the series. . .

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I’m pretty neutral on this one. It’s Christmasy in that part of the story happens at Christmas, but I wouldn’t say its a Christmas book. I just wanted the main characters to talk to each other! Overall, it was a quick listen.

Thanks to @NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC!

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Thank you to @netgalley @bookandtonic for the digital ARC in return for my honest review.
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My thoughts…
Sweet. This is the third book in 'The Riverside Lane' series. Though I haven’t read the first two books, it wasn’t a big deal. It worked as a stand-alone. This was a sweet and quick read, though I felt the paced really slowed in the middle, so I ended up skimming through.

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The Village Inn of Secret Dreams is the third book in the Riverside Lane series.

Belle Clarke sees the village of Cranbridge as her home. She wants to stay there forever, working at her Uncle’s inn, The Black Swan.

When the inn is threatened by closure, Belle may have to leave. Cue Pete Kennedy, her oldest friend.

He buys the inn and has plans but these are the opposite of Belle’s vision.

Can Pete and Belle put aside their differences and save not only the inn but help the village too.

It was so lovely to be back in Cranbridge. It was really like being back with old friends. The descriptions and setting of this village sounds so stunning, especially as it’s set during Autumn and Christmas (I am feeling so festive now.)

Alison Sherlock has such a lovely way of drawing you into her stories which are so lovely, warm and heartfelt that you feel like you’re getting a big hug.

I was pleased to see that this book centred around Belle. Since the first novel in the series, I have been curious about her backstory.

Even though this is book three, you can read this one as a standalone. Everyone is sufficiently introduced without stopping the pace of the story and focus on Belle and Pete.

Belle is a real, vulnerable character with a heartbreaking past. Everything that makes her feel safe is suddenly on the verge of being taken away and I really felt for her.

Pete, well, it took me a little while to form an opinion of Pete. To begin with, I wasn’t sure what to make of him but the more you find out about his personality, the more the similarities between he and Belle become evident in terms of being scared and vulnerable. I really liked seeing how they developed through the novel. Sometimes I did want to bang their heads together. Haha.

It was lovely to be able to catch up with Grandma Tilly (who is brilliant,) Cathy, Josh, Amber, Lucy and Tom.

I really didn’t want this book to end and I hope this isn’t the last we see of these characters.

The Village Inn of Secret Dreams was a warm, funny, book full of romance and second chances and I loved it.

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Belle is a worker and a resident of the Black Swan Inn. When a friend buys the Inn she is afraid of losing everything she knows. Will the new changes be good for the Inn? Only time will tell.

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This was sweet read, though I thought it dragged in places. But all in all I don' t regret reading it. It is a good winter read.

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