I would like to thank the author and NetGalley for the free arc.
Alison Sherlock's "Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge" is a wonderfully comforting and uplifting novel that delivers all the warmth and charm fans of contemporary romance and village life stories could wish for. It's a perfect read for those seeking a gentle escape into a world of new beginnings and heartfelt connections.

The story typically revolves around a character returning to or discovering a quaint, close-knit community, often centered around a charming location like the titular Maple Tree Lodge. Sherlock excels at creating relatable characters and crafting narratives filled with genuine emotion, quiet humor, and the promise of a happy ending. The prose is accessible and flows beautifully, making it an ideal book to curl up with.

Themes of family, friendship, healing, and finding love in unexpected places are central to the book's appeal. "Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge" is a delightful reminder of the power of community and the joy of finding your true home. If you're in the mood for a sweet, feel-good story that leaves you with a warm glow, this book is an excellent choice.

A great start to a new series. Nice to see some familiar characters from other series making an appearance. Looking forward to the next installment.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 /5

This book totally captured my heart with its cosy autumnal vibes. It begins with grieving architect Ben clashing with spirited interior designer Lily as they work together to save his family's crumbling Cotswolds hotel, and soon, sparks fly between them. The author skilfully weaves the story through the charming countryside of the Cotswolds, transporting readers to its picturesque settings.

The characters are well developed and leave a lasting impression, and the slow-burn romance between the two leads is absolutely lovely. The side characters add joy and warmth to the story while highlighting the importance of strong family bonds. What I love most about this author is her ability to bring back characters from previous books without hindering the experience for new readers.

This book is perfect for fans of cosy small-town romances, emotional makeovers, and heartwarming stories about love, family, and fresh starts.

Oh my goodness, this book was an absolute delight from beginning to end! The new characters are so fresh and exciting, and there are even a few familiar faces and settings. It’s like a warm hug in book form. I couldn’t put it down and I’m already looking forward to the next one.

Thank you Netgalley

Welcome to the lovely Maple Tree Lodge! It is a charming setting and delightful tale told from dual points of view by two protagonists Lily and Ben. If you love slow-burn romance with a dash of found family, you’re going to want to grab this one!

Meet Lily, an interior designer who’s hit a rough patch. After losing her job, she finds herself misrepresenting her services, all while wrestling with deep-seated trust issues that stem from a less-than-stellar relationship with her parents. There’s a scene that really tugged at my heartstrings, where she reflects on how much she needed this job, this lodge, and this family—perhaps even more than they needed her. But let’s be honest, who could resist that dollhouse of hers? It served as her inspiration, a dreamy little escape that led her to the world of design. And the gift Ben and Walter made her had me tearing up.

Add in Ben, the architect who’s burning the candle at both ends to save his family home and business. He’s caught in a tug-of-war with his grandfather Walter, who seems hellbent on holding onto the past. Ben is carrying the weight of not just the lodge but the entire family’s happiness on his shoulders, and he’s feeling the pressure. Enter Lily, who becomes the unexpected catalyst for change. Watching their dynamic unfold, I couldn’t help but root for Ben as he fought for Lily’s trust and, ultimately, her heart.

My heart swelled as I watched Lily grow and change. It was beautiful to see her learn to trust the Jackson family and, more importantly, to let Ben into her life. Their story is enchanting, and you can feel the love radiating from them. I love their subtle and soul-searching looks as they fall so beautifully.

The backdrop of this story, the Maple Tree Lodge, is incredibly special. It’s all about family and relaxation. And as Ben’s family navigates their grief over losing their father, Lily’s fresh ideas encourage them to come together as a family project, bringing emotional warmth to a once strained environment. You’ll find yourself cheering for Lily, Ben, and the Jacksons as they face challenges and celebrate their successes.

So, if you’re on the hunt for a beautiful and cozy story that blends romance with themes of family and personal growth, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.

Thank you to Ms. Sherlock for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectation of a positive review.

This book is pure cosy comfort. Think crackling fires, quaint villages, hot chocolate in cute mugs, and a swoony romance that warms your heart like a fluffy blanket. ☕🍂

Perfect for cuddling up with on a rainy day, especially if you’re a sucker for small towns, second chances, and happy endings. 💖🏘️

Having enjoyed previous titles from this author, once again her writing style has produced another beautiful heartwarming, uplifting tale of how friends and the community resurrect and save the beautiful Maple Tree Lodge.

Lovely cozy read as summer ends and the nights draw in. This is a fantastic romance between an interior designer hired to renovate a failing hotel and the owner. On top of this there is a great family community feel and hits of possible romances for other books in the series. Loved it.

A heartwarming, cozy, slowburn romance set in a darling family-run hotel in a small town in England.

Lily, our FMC, and Ben, our MMC, find themselves meeting at Ben's family's hotel that has seen better days. Lily has been asked by one of her best friends, Ben's sister, to help with a remodel of their hotel, which is perfect timing as she's just been fired from her interior design firm. However Ben has been holding onto a secret about the hotel, they're not only empty ... they're in the red and are at risk of losing the hotel.

I enjoyed the romance - this is not a hot and heavy steamy or spicy book. There is a light romance, a bit of angst, and we're left wondering "Will they? Won't they?" until the very end. I also really liked the imagery throughout. Food, atmosphere, the renovations, I would love to be in the Snug and order one of Frankie's cocktails!

*~ Most Wholesome Read Of The Summer ~*

Lily + Ben 4everrr. So adorable. I read this book during a week where life was chaos and I needed some cozy comfort in my hands and this book did just that. I loved the layers of the story. We definitely had the romance and though it was closed door, you could feel it between Lily and Ben, but we also had the layers of navigating through family relationships, friendships, overcoming difficult childhoods, career turmoil... the list keeps going. Throwing in the building relationships between Lily's friends and Ben's friends and it was the cherry on the top. I can't wait to read what's in store for this group as the series continues.

Thank you to Net Galley, Boldwood Books, and Alison Sherlock for an eARC of this story.

The latest in Alison Sherlock’s Cotswold tales, this introduces us to Maple Tree Lodge, a family hotel that is in severe financial trouble. Since the death of Ben’s father, architect Ben has returned to the family home/hotel with a view to modernising it to capture the corporate seminar market.

Ben’s sister Hannah invites her close friend, interior designer Lily to come to the hotel to give Ben the benefit of her professional opinion. Lily jumps at the chance because, unbeknownst to Hannah, Lily has been made redundant by an unscrupulous boss, who stole her ideas and got rid of her before she could complain about his tactics.

This is a lovely, gentle, sweet, but witty story about the Jackson family, their history at Maple Tree Lodge and their efforts to revive the fortunes of the hotel.

A mixture of interiors, friendship, romance and grief management, this is a really enjoyable tale. It’s also nice to hear about some of our friends from Alison’s other series too - here’s hoping we get a couple more books to sit alongside this one - we can already see two more stories developing!

A lovely way to spend a few hours in the sunshine.

Thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I've read a lot of Alison Sherlock books set around this area - all different series, but it was nice to see some familiar characters popping up in this book. Perfect summer read. Hoping this is the start of a new series though.

This one was very much up my street. Whilst it might not be an award-winner, or be packed with twists, this is the perfect summer read. Just a gorgeous book to read sitting around a pool with a glass of something cold. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Lily has always had something to prove—especially to her parents. Constantly uprooted as a child and never made a priority, she's grown up determined to carve out her own success as an interior designer. But that ambition has come at a cost: she’s pushed away the only people who’ve ever stood by her—her three closest friends. When she unexpectedly loses her job, Lily keeps the truth to herself. So, when her friend Hannah invites her to renovate the family’s countryside lodge, Lily sees more than a generous offer—it’s a chance to prove her worth and finally launch her own interior design business. She just has to pretend she’s still on top of her game. But as Lily arrives at the charming and rustic Maple Tree Lodge, nestled deep in rolling hills and whispering pines, she finds more than just design inspiration. The warm, chaotic, and welcoming family draws her in—especially Ben, the handsome, quietly steady brother who is carrying a big secret of his own.

This delightful tale wraps you in warmth like a favourite blanket and leaves you yearning for Maple Tree Lodge to leap off the page and into reality.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7688419267
https://maddybooksblog.blogspot.com/2025/07/coming-home-to-maple-tree-lodge-by.html

This was a feel good book, the characters were very likable, if you like a book with plenty of description so you feel like you are there then pick up this book and enjoy, I don't think this is the last we have seen of there characters, if definitely has a "series" feel about it

Ah, I was just in the mood for a feel-good book and this novel delivered that in spades!

Lily is at a bit of a crossroads. She has just lost her job under less-than-ideal circumstances and when one of her besties, Hannah, offers her a job at her family's hotel, it seems like it was meant to be. Getting to the semi-rural hotel in the Cotswolds is her first challenge, and won't be her last.....

Ben is the manager of the Maple Tree Lodge and he has a vision for how he wants the hotel to be decorated. Unfortunately what he thinks would work well is not what Lily has in mind. Ben is Hannah's brother and it has not escaped Lily's notice that he is very handsome.

This was a really sweet romantic story and all the characters are very likeable. I thought Ben and Hannah's family were the type of people I would really like, too. Lily had a similar background to me, with parents who were gypsies and who moved waaaay too much. It IS hard to make new friends when you move that often, it is very true. So I can see why Ben and Hannah's family unit is so attractive to her, since they have been living in the same place for a long time and they have a lot of local connections, which is something Lily has been longing for all her life.

4.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books.

⭐ 4.5

Okey I have to say that I loved this book, as a fan of renovation programs I liked the whole style of this story.

Lily is a designer who has always wanted to have her own firm, but due to life issues (which, if you read it you understand a lot) she has not been able to, she takes the opportunity that her friend gives her to go design her family's hotel that is under renovation and this is where it all starts, we meet Ben as he is the brother of her best friend and he is also the hotel manager, they both have their secrets and they are not evil, just white lies to make others happy (I will not tell you since literally that is the story). The romance was cute, slow but cute.

It was a simple but beautiful, cozy story filled with many lovely family members that simply stole my heart. I liked Lily as the main character, her evolution, her understanding that a career isn't everything and her approach to her friends was beautiful, how they despite everything didn't let her down and most of all the beautiful family she found with everyone at the hotel.

It's my first time reading this author but I loved her storytelling so I will be reading another book by her soon.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Readers will love snuggling up with this cosy, uplifting and wonderfully romantic new novel by Alison Sherlock: Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge.

Ben Jackson needs to make some difficult decisions – fast. Maple Tree Lodge has been in the family for over a century, but after the death of his father keeping the hotel going has become a daily struggle. With costs rising and money in short supply, Ben knows that he will need a miracle to keep the hotel open – and to keep a roof over his family’s heads. Just when Ben begins to lose hope, his sister suggests that they hire interior designer Lily Watson to help renovate the hotel. Ben agrees, however, it soon becomes clear that it won’t just be the hotel that Lily will rescue, but also his heart…

Cash-strapped Lily is desperate for a job and to prove to her parents that she can succeed as an interior designer. A project like Maple Tree Lodge is just the thing to prove all her doubters wrong and she fully intends to give this commission her all. Only, Lily and Ben cannot seem to agree on anything as they have vastly divergent ideas about what the hotel should look like.

Fireworks quickly ensue between the two of them and when their relationship begins to veer from the professional to the personal, Ben and Lily must decide whether they are ready to take a chance on love – or whether they will let their insecurities get the better of them?

Fans of Jessica Redland and Tilly Tennant will love Alison Sherlock. Full of warmth, humour, emotion and heart, Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge is perfect romantic escapism and readers will be completely engrossed in Ben and Lily’s love story and in their journey to their happy ever after.

An enjoyable Cotswolds-set contemporary romance that made me smile and shed a tear or two, Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge by Alison Sherlock is a joy from beginning to end!

Absolutely loved this book. Idyllic location set in the Cotswolds. Well written storyline as Ben and Lily work together to save Bens family hotel. A brilliant cast of characters which come alive to the reader. Yes it’s a romantic story of Ben and Lilys slow burning romance but the book was so much more.
Highly recommend and as it’s the first of a new series, I can’t wait for the second.
Thank you to Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Alison Sherlock for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Huge thanks to @boldwood books for the #gifted ARC of Alison Sherlock’s brand-new Cotswolds series.

A struggling family-run hotel and a heartfelt renovation project set the stage for this warm, romantic tale – the perfect premise for a Hallmark-style movie. And in many ways, Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge delivers exactly that: a picturesque countryside backdrop, a lovable ensemble of characters, a touch of unresolved family tension, and of course – a feel-good resolution that you see coming from a mile away.

If you love stories where the charm lies not in the surprises, but in the journey, this book is for you. It offers the literary equivalent of a warm blanket and a pumpkin spice latte – ideal for an autumn evening when you want something easy and comforting. While the plot is predictable, it doesn’t detract from the charm. Sometimes, you want to know that everything will turn out just fine.

Lily and Ben's dynamic, though built on well-trodden romantic ground, is sweet and engaging and the setting of the Cotswolds is as inviting as ever. A solid, enjoyable read if you're in the mood for something gentle, seasonal, and sentimental.

Maple Tree Lodge Hotel has been home to the Jackson family for over a century. Following the sudden loss of his father, architect Ben Jackson discovers the hotel is close to financial ruin and if the hotel is to survive and his family are to keep a roof over their heads, tough decisions need to be made.
With the hotel in urgent need of a renovation, Ben’s sister enlists the talents of cash strapped, best friend and interior designer Lily Watson. Lily jumps at the chance to showcase her talents and to prove to herself and her high achieving parents that she can carve herself a successful career doing what she loves. However, Lily’s vision for a cosy, country Cotswolds hotel is the complete opposite to what 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 future together? And can Ben show Lily that there's more to life than work? As autumn begins to weave its magic spell, perhaps Lily will discover somewhere to finally call home and find a reason to stay ...