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Coming Home to Maple Lodge by Alison Sherlock #Review

  I am delighted to feature the first in Alison Sherlock's new series set in the Corswolds. Coming Home to Maple Tree Lodge was published by Boldwood Books on June 20th. A family and hotel in desperate need of help… 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 cosy, country Cotswolds hotel is the com...

Summer at the Highland Coral Beach by Kiley Dunbar #Review


 Summer at the Highland Coral Beach was published by Hera on 27th March. I loved Kiley's Christmas at  Frozen Falls, so I was anticipating this one. It is also great to hear that this is the first in her new Port Willow Bay series.

Escape to the Highland Coral Beach – where broken hearts can be healed!


Beatrice Halliday needs a break from life. Booking a trip to the Highlands on a whim, Beatrice hopes learning Gaelic in a beautiful Scottish village might help her heal her grief after losing her baby, her husband and her much loved job in a space of months.


But Port Willow Bay isn’t exactly as the website promised. Instead of learning a new language, she’s booked in to learn the ancient skill of willow weaving, her hotel room is Princess and the Pea themed (with a stack of mattresses for her bed!) and worse still, her tutor is Atholl Fergusson, grumpy landlord of the hotel where Beatrice is staying – and she’s the only one doing the course.


But as Beatrice finds herself falling in love with Port Willow Bay and its people, and as she discovers the kind heart beneath Atholl’s stony exterior, can she really leave?


Escape to the beautiful Scottish Highlands with this utterly romantic, feelgood book; one visit to Port Willow Bay and you’ll want to come back! Fans of Sarah Morgan, Carole Matthews and Holly Martin will be captivated.


My Thoughts

This is a warm and escapist read which transports you to the beautiful Scottish Highlands and in fact, the setting is a major part of the story. Beatrice is a well drrawn character, full of courage who looks to solves problems and is empathetic, looking to bring people together. Trying to come to terms with her tragic past, she can still look outside her troubles and think about the community she meets.

    Port Willow Bay is a promising place for a new series and I am sure that there will be plenty of material to be found there for future stories. The relationship between the two brothers is a close one but it never felt contrived and you feel the pull of family ties throughout the story. Coming to terms with loss and living with grief is an important part of the novel but overall, the tone is warm and hopeful You are very much looking to the future, rather than being stuck in the past.

In short:  A great start to a new series- a rich community to focus on.
About the Author 



Kiley Dunbar is the author of heart-warming, escapist, romantic fiction set in beautiful places.


JOAN HESSAYON AWARD FOR DEBUT NOVELISTS FINALIST 2019 FOR ONE SUMMER'S NIGHT.

Kiley is Scottish and lives in England with her husband, two kids and Amos the Bedlington Terrier. She writes around her work at a University in the North of England where she lectures in English Literature and creative writing. She is proud to be a member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and a graduate of their New Writers' Scheme.

Kiley's third novel, Summer at the Highland Coral Beach (coming 27th March 2020) The first of the Port Willow Bay series is on Pre-order right now!!

One Summer's Night was Kiley's first novel (published by Hera Books) and is on sale now!
Don't forget there's also a fabulous audible audiobook narrated by Eilidh Beaton.

Kiley's cosy, sexy-swoony, very snowy festive romcom Christmas at Frozen Falls is on sale NOW too!

You can read my review of Christmas at Frozen Falls here.


You can find Kiley on Twitter @KileyDunbar

and on the 'Kiley Dunbar Author Book Page' on Facebook.



Book links: Amazon UK     |  Kobo
Thanks to Kiley Dunbar, Hera and Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources  for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.



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