This was the first book I have read by Alison and was happy to receive it. Ben returned to the family Inn when his father died last year. His Mum,sister gran and grandpa all stay there. The place has no one staying so is making no money. The place needs renovated so Hannah asks her friend Lily to come and stay and hopefully take on the job of interior designer. Maple Lodge is in a lovely setting in the woods,beside a lake so should be busy. Lily and Ben lock horns as he wants the place to be modern and minimalistic but Lily thinks it should cosy and comfortable. The family have all lost their sparkle since Ben’s dad died. Lily manages to pull them all together and get them working together. It’s a great read with great characters and setting. Follow the relationships between Lily and Ben and the family,you won’t be disappointed.

Needing a change of scenery after losing her job, Lily moves to help out her friend Hannah's family at Maple Tree Lodge. Her plan to help the hotel doesn't pair well with Hannah's brother, Ben, and his vision for the family place. Will they be able to come to an agreement and save the hotel? Will their fighting lead to more or to disaster?

I liked the characters. They were real and were all facing their own stuff. I really like how easy this was to read and the flow/pace of the writing. It was a cute story with a cute setting and some depth. It would be a perfect Hallmark movie with the setting and the story.

Read if you like:
---> Cozy, women's fiction
---> Small Town/Village Settings
---> Happily Ever After for everyone


Thank you Boldwood Books, Alison Sherlock and NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions expressed are my own.

Maple Tree Lodge has been the home of the Jackson family for over a century. But the hotel has never been a success and, following the sudden loss of his father, architect Ben Jackson soon discovers the hotel is close to financial ruin. Ben has to make some tough decisions if the 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’s sister calls on the talents of her best friend, interior designer Lily Watson. Cash strapped Lily needs a successful project to prove to herself and her high-achieving parents that she can carve a successful career and Maple Tree Lodge 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 to what Ben has in mind for a minimalistic, modern makeover and fireworks ensue! Can they work together to save Maple Tree Lodge?

This is the first book I have read by the author and I look forward to reading more of her books. I hope this sweet story continues in a series so Lily’s friends get their own HEA’s. This was such a cozy read and the setting in the English countryside made me want to immediately book a stay. A sweet heartfelt read that draws you in and invites you to stay awhile. If you love heartwarming stories and new beginnings in a charming setting look no further. Loved it.

Amazing!
This book had what I needed, being cozy, warm, family-oriented and just good vibes overall. It has a lot of similarities with one of my favourite rom-com movies of all time "While You Were Sleeping", so no wonder I enjoyed this book so much. So if you like that movie, you will like this book a lot too.

Lily has a dream of making it as an interior designer. She is willing to live in a horrid flat share while she pays her dues.

When Lily is fired just before she would be eligible for redundancy and after her boss couldn't steal the credit for her work. Lily is jobless and soon to be homeless as her lease is expiring.

She decides to visit her friend Hannah at Maple Tree Lodge where she meets Ben, handsome but with troubles of his own.

Ben is struggling, he has inherited the family hotel but it is failing badly, he has a plan to upgrade the hotel but is a beautiful wooden lodge the right place for clean and clinical lines,.

Ben employs Lily to bring his dreams to fruition but Lily knows this is the wrong idea, can she win him over.

This was a fantastic book, it's a fixer upper story one of my favourite tropes with fabulous characters and I hope we get stories for the other girlfriends as well.

I really loved it

I really enjoyed the setting, the Maple Tree Lodge was a gorgeous place, it made me crave a vacation in a place like that. It gave such cosy vibes.

Lily was always career oriented, but after being fired, she jumps at the chance to help her best friend Hannah at her family's hotel. The hotel is now in the hands of Hannah's brother Ben, after the death of their father. Ben is an architect, but after realising that the hotel is in financial trouble and needs some renovations, he's back home. Lily, an interior designer, is excited to decorate such a beautiful place, but Ben's minimalistic vision clashes with hers. But with a daring plan, maybe she'll be able to win him over and maybe they'll find there is something more between them. But will they be able to save the hotel?

I really enjoyed the scenery, with the lake and the woods, it was incredibly beautiful. I loved the lantern festival on the lake too. I wish I could see it and drink some of Frankie's cocktails.

Ben and his family were great, I really liked them. Lily was a little too dependant on her family's expectations, but I can understand that. I'm glad that, at the end, she could see that work isn't everything.
I also liked that we got the see Lily and Hannah's other best friends, as well as Ben's. I hope we get their stories too.

The biggest issue I had with this, and the reason for the rating, is the writing style. I didn't quite enjoy it. I was constantly being told instead of being shown everything and I, personally, am not a fan of that.

Overall, I still liked the vibes. It reminded me of a Hallmark movie, and I do love those.

I want to say thank you to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being able to read this book.

This was a really cute and sweet book. It did take me until about 40% to finally fall into it, but after that it took off for me and I couldn't put it down. This was cute and for the first time in a little bit not cheesyish like a hallmark movie. It is a bit awkwardly over descriptive at times in random places and pulled a little bit away from the story for me. But other than I really enjoyed reading this book. The story does pull you in and feels like it's welcoming you to be a member of the family too and I really loved that. I also really loved the full circle moment that occurs in at all well, it was so well done! Even though I said it's not hallmark cheesy it would still make a really good romantic film, it is that descriptive at it's good moments throughout apart from the couple of random parts that when you're flying through it unable to put it down it feels like you're watching it like a movie. I love books that can pull me in like that, I've missed that feeling. This is warm, and cozy read and may be better suited for a fall/winter read. I wanted to curl up in my blankets and pretend I'm right there just because of the time it occurs under and the way it makes you feel but it's also a good anytime moment book as well.

Thank you so much again for allowing me to read this book I loved it!

This was a wonderful read, the setting sounded glorious, sure there was a hint of predictability to it but I love books like this. A cosy, snuggle up on the sofa read, that is like a fleecy blanket on your legs. Fabulous.

A lovely, feel-good read for anyone who enjoys small-town charm and heartwarming stories. This book beautifully explores the themes of new beginnings and finding comfort in unexpected places. The warm, cozy atmosphere, the charming setting, and the lovable characters create an inviting space. I enjoyed the references to past characters and places from previous series. It provides a delightful sense of continuity and connection.

Thank you NetGalley & Boldwood Books for sending this book for review consideration.

I’d never read anything by this author but I’ll definitely be looking to read more books by them in the future. The descriptions of Maple Tree Lodge and its surroundings in the Cotswolds are so gorgeous, if it was a real hotel I’d want to check in for Frankie’s cocktails, Hannah’s yummy cakes and the Lantern Festival on Dragonfly Lake.

I like Lily and I could understand why she was so focused on work and was reluctant to call anywhere home after moving around so much as the child of a diplomat. I appreciated how protective Ben was of his family, shouldering the responsibility of trying to save Maple Tree Lodge all by himself after the death of his father.

Despite an inauspicious start when Ben had to rescue Lily after her rental car veered off the road and she ended up stuck in the mud, they’re perfect for each other.

In addition to Lily and Ben, there’s a great cast of supporting characters with Ben’s family and Lily’s besties. I really hope this is the beginning of a series because I want Lily’s friends to get their own HEAs (particularly Hannah).

Loved it. We had love, finding your real home , being honest with your friends and coping with loss. I loved it . Maple Tree lodge was an amazing place it just needed some new love. I loved the willow baskets and candles and how they transferred the beds . A great escapement read. Fab ending .

Maple Tree Lodge has never been a success as a hotel even though its been in family for over a hundred years. Ben comes home after his father dies and is keeping ploughing money in to restore it. His sister Hannah enlists the help of her friend Lily who's an interior designer

Ben's family own Maple Tree Lodge and the hotel has seen better days and hardly has any guests staying, Ben has had to come back home to deal with the mess and to save his struggling families hotel. Lily is Ben's sisters best friend and she needs a new project so when she gets called into to help the struggling hotel, she has some great ideas to transform the place and get the much needed cash flow problem sorted but Ben has other ideas that Lily is not keen on so Lily needs to work out which option is better and go with it. It was an easy story to follow along to, for me the storyline was quite similar to other books I have read before so I found it a bit of the same. It was a nice easy gentle read that did not require too much thinking.