I enjoyed reading Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge by Alison Sherlock. You will fall in love with all the characters. I received an ARC of this book courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely. Happy Reading!

How lovely. I wish I was at Maple Tree Lodge Hotel. The descriptions were beautiful and I loved the bringing the outdoors indoors.

Lily and Ben were a great couple, I loved how slowly they grew their friendship, even though they both experienced an insta love moment. Seeing Lily touch everyone’s lives and bring them happiness again was lovely and she really did belong there.

It was great to see some old favourites from the previous series and even better to see this great community continue to grow and expand. The light festival sounds like such a great event.

I can’t wait to see whose turn it is next, I’m rooting for Alex and Hannah. .

Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge by Alison Sherlock

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

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?

My Opinion

Alison Sherlock is a must-read author for me and with books like Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge it is easy to see why. This is a delightful introduction to a new series with some great characters. A heart-warming tale.

Rating 4/5

Oh this sweet story makes you feel like you’re in fall in the glorious place! I absolutely loved every minute of it! It was just darling and so fun from start to finish

Lily gets the chance of a career to go down to her friend's family's hotel and redesign the rooms to help it get back on its feet. Hannah's been missing Lily, as have her other two best friends, as she's buried herself in trying to build her interior design career. But will she come clean on the issue she's faced with that career?

Ben, Hannah's brother, has taken over the management of the hotel and its rebuilding after their dad passed away suddenly, but his grandad is against all his ideas for modernisation. Then in sweeps Lily with her fancy designs so unlike what Ben thinks the hotel needs. Will they get on the same page (of the sketchbook) while dealing with the spark between them?

Will Lily finally open up in this warm, close family after her unstable childhood with high-flying parents leads her to try to constantly prove herself? Will Hannah trust her wonderful baking enough to provide for strangers and not just the family? There's a nice amount of detail about the renovations and of course a sweet romance, and the number of interesting side characters means you look forward eagerly to what will come next in the series while immersed in this one!

Blog review to come on 22 June 2025: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2025/06/22/book-review-alison-sherlock-coming-home-to-maple-tree-lodge/

Really lovely book , very descriptively written, which was excellent as the reader gets a very definite sense of place. Nice characters, some more complex than others , but isn’t that the way of the world , all very likeable though . Easy summer read I would recommend.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

What a brilliant start to a new series.

The Jackson family have lived in Maple Tree Lodge for years, going back generations. The building has had work done to it by each generation and now it’s an hotel.

After his Dad passes away, Ben is the new owner, and when he delves into the paperwork he finds that it’s in a lot of debt and doesn’t have any guests currently staying.

His sister then asks her friend Lily to come and give the hotel a makeover. But Ben has different ideas to how he wants it decorated to Lily.

I loved the characters, each one dealing with their loss in their own way. It was also lovely to meet up with characters from the previous series. The setting was beautiful.

I highly recommend this book.

This is the first of Alison Sherlock's book that I have read and wasn't disappointed. Well written with a lovely setting in the Cotswolds. Will certainly read more from her.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!


Booking my reservation at The Maple Tree Lodge immediately. The imagery in this book was wonderful. I could fully picture the lodge and the surrounding landscape. However, the first 30/40% was repetitive and kind of dragged for me. After that the chapters were short and very bingeable.

If you are looking for a cozy Hallmark movie style fall read Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge is it!

Maple Tree Lodge has been the home of the Jackson family for five generations. Each new generation extending the lodge until latterly the lodge has been a hotel. When Ben inherits the hotel after the sudden death of his father, he finds the lodge devoid of guests and deep in debt.
Enter Lily Wilson, longtime friend of his sister Hannah, with new ideas for the redecoration and new beginnings for the lodge.
This delightful story ticks all the right boxes, a beautiful setting, interesting characters and a storyline that flows nicely with some tips on interior design.
I would love to have attended some workshops at the lodge, photography, carpentry, flower arrangement, guided nature walks and even an interior design workshop. Not forgetting a cocktail workshop in the evening! I think that Ben has missed a marketing trick!

One of the best parts of this book was the beautifully detailed scenery. As we head into the hot summer months, it’s refreshing to read a story set in the crisp, colorful days of fall. Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge captures the essence of the season perfectly — from the golden leaves to the cozy charm of a countryside lodge.

The story centers around the Jackson family and their beloved Maple Tree Lodge. After the passing of his father, Ben returns home and is suddenly responsible for saving the family lodge, which has been in the family for generations. Enter Lily — a talented but struggling interior designer who is afraid of making deep commitments due to a fear of rejection. Together, Ben and Lily work to restore the lodge, both physically and emotionally, and the journey is filled with warmth, growth, and second chances.

At its heart, this book is about love, family, and finding your place — whether it's in a new home, a relationship, or within yourself. The rustic charm of the lodge and the vivid seasonal descriptions add a comforting atmosphere to the story, making it a perfect feel-good read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Alison Sherlock's new series in here . Lily Watson is an interior designer who is trying to prove to her parents that her career she choose will make her successful . When her best friend Hannah asks her to come to Maple Tree Lodge so she will decorate her family hotel that is Lily's chance to showcase her talent . Ben Jackson an architect was working as a partner in London but with the sudden death of his father he moved back home and the past 6 months he is trying to save the hotel which is their home and it belongs to his family for the past 5 generations . With little to no money they hope that with the reopening of the hotel will be able to save it . Lily's and Ben's ideas about the decor is totally different but Lily is able to make him realize that her vision of cozy hotel is what the guests will want . Working and living with the Jackson family makes Lily for the first time in her life feel like this is home and her feelings for Ben are growing . As the hotel getting successful and she will have to go back to London because a friend of her offered her the chance to work as an interior designer , what will she do ? Will she choose with her mind or her heart ?
I loved all the girls and the guys and waiting for their stories . I hope the next is about Hannah and Alex .
I received this book from netgalley , the author and the publisher as an ARC . Thank you . All thoughts and opinions are my own .

I really enjoyed Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge. It was such a sweet romance. But in my opinion the best part of the story is the relationships between all of the characters. Lily's friends, Ben's friends. Ben/Hannah's family. Those dynamics are so heartwarming. I could easily see this becoming a series where we would hopefully get to learn more about these characters which are so lovely. I also just want to see more of Walter - he is a gem.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Coming Home To Maple Tree Lodge is a cute, cosy romcom for the Gilmore Girls and Hallmark movie fans, and an easy feel-good read. Thank you to the NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The setting for me was the real star of the book - I could picture Maple Tree Lodge and the lake so vividly in my mind and I wish it was real! It really hit the mark for my small town romance dreams.

I really enjoyed the enemies to lovers storyline with Lily and Ben, although at times I found Lily a little hard to relate to. As the story progressed though, I definitely warmed to her as she began to open up more, and I loved seeing their relationship unfold.

I also love that we were introduced to a supporting cast of friends who all had their own distinct personalities - I hope we get to explore their own stories more someday, especially if it means returning to this beautiful setting!

This was my first time reading Alison Sherlock, and I look forward to picking up more of her work in future. I’ll be waiting patiently to see where this series goes and whose story comes next!

Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge follows Lily, an interior designer, as she navigates her dreams, relationships with friends and family, and the question of what she truly wants out of life. When her best friend’s family needs help renovating their lodge and family home, Lily jumps at the chance. But she quickly finds herself at odds with Ben, her best friend’s brother and the hotel’s manager, whose vision for the remodel is more modern, and in her opinion, not what the hotel needs. As Ben and Lily work to figure out how to work together to save the lodge, they begin to rethink their priorities and learn more about themselves.

This book had a cozy vibe that reminded me of a Hallmark movie, which is great if that’s you kind of story. While the setting seemed beautiful, the story felt overly predictable, and the writing leaned heavily on telling rather than showing. For me, the lack of buildup made the story feel flat at times; everything was laid out as it happened, without much tension or build up. I appreciate the sentiment behind this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC!

Another winner by Alison Sherlock. The Jackson family have owned the lodge for generations but when Hannah and Ben lose their dad they feel like they’ve lost their way. The hotel is struggling financially so when Hannah’s best friend comes to help with the new relaunch as an interior designer the family soon take her into their hearts. Lily is forced to look at her own life, what does she really want.
Brilliantly written loved this book.

When Lily Watsons best friend Hannah asks Lily to do the interior design on the family hotel, Maple Tree Lodge, Lily jumps at the chance. The offer has come at just the right time and Lily has loads of ideas for a cosy country hotel.
Then Lily meets Ben, Hannahs brother, who is heading up the renovation and Ben’s ideas for the hotel are far different from Lilys.
If the hotel, which is also Hannahs family home are to survive then Lily and Ben will need to work together.
But both are hiding things from their closest friends and family. Can they find a way to break down those barriers and move forward to a happier future.
This is a lovely story of family and friendship that will warm your heart and make you smile. A great relaxing summer read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood for providing a DRC of this title for review.

Alison Sherlock is one of my favorites for a warm, cozy read-- like a cup of hot tea on a chilly day. She really excels at creating a whole community of characters that readers will want to root for (including favorite characters in the Willow Tree Hall, Riverside Lane, and Railway Lane series). Definitely looking forward to the other books in this series!

Interior designer, Lily, is offered a lifeline after being sacked from her prestigious job. Her best friend, Hannah asks her to help her family renovate their failing hotel, Maple tree Lodge . Can she work with Hannah's brother, Ben whose ideas are so different to hers, and can she help save the family hotel? A lovely, comfy story to curl up with on a wet afternoon .

I was delighted to discover that this new series was also set in the Cotswolds, just a few moments from Railway Lane and the characters that I met on my previous visits. With a couple of crossover characters to ease me in, I was soon settled into this new story. However, this gorgeous book can be enjoyed as a new series, so there’s no requirement to have read any of the author’s previous books to enjoy this one.
Initially, we meet Lily Watson, who, after being passed over for promotion as an interior designer by her boss, who rudely passed her work off as his own, has been dismissed just before she reached her second year in employment. With no access to redundancy, she accepts a job working on the interior of her friend’s struggling hotel. Thankfully, she can move all her belongings and herself into the hotel as she is also at the end of her lease. Her arrival is not without incident, as she becomes stuck in the mud surrounding a pond and needs to be rescued by Ben, her friend’s brother and her new boss.
I immediately took to Lily and was rooting for her from the beginning. Her attitude to work and life were both sunny and positive. Ben, on the other hand, seemed to have the weight of the world on his shoulders as he set about his plans to restore the fortunes of the family business and encourage customers to return. The descriptions of the Lodge and the surrounding area were beautiful, and I found myself planning my own trip back to this gorgeous part of the world.
The chemistry between Lily and Ben was easy to see, although their romance was definitely a slow burner. I loved the touches of returning for pizza at Platform 1, the restaurant on the former railway station, and the appearance of Dodgy Del and his disasters!
A great start to what is looking like a terrific new series.