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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...
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 The Last Act of Adam Campbell will be published by Hodder Paperbacks on the 29th April 2021.

Adam has twelve months to fix his life, before his time runs out.

A year can go quickly. Particularly when it's your last.

Adam had a pretty good life: a job he enjoyed, a nice house, a loving partner and a bright energetic six-year-old daughter. Then he cheated on his partner. Then she kicked him out of their home. And then he was given approximately twelve months live.

Despite the devastating news, Adam is determined to turn his life around before it finally runs out. Help comes in the form of an ex-junky, a cantankerous train driver, a nun experiencing a crisis of faith, and a teenager intent on losing her virginity - all living on borrowed time, all desperate to feel alive before their time is up.

 This beautifully written and heart-warming book is perfect for fans of Nick Hornby and David Nicholls. 

 

My Thoughts

This was a thought provoking and emotional read which took me by surprise. There is an element of black humour behind the story as most of the characters are faced by their mortality and the subject matter could be a trigger for some people. The people Andy meets are a richly varied bunch who all have a story to tell. However, it is Andy himself who takes centre stage and his relationship with his daughter and ex-partner is poignant and touching. 

    The group decide to put on a play based on a mash -up of deaths from Shakespeare plays. There are plenty of emotional moments and you can't help but empathise with the feelings of lost opportunities which Adam has to face up to. There is plenty to think about regarding what matters in life and the effect of terminal disease on the wider family and friends. This is an honest look at life which is raw at times but a rewarding read. 

In short: An emotional but never downhearted look at mortality.
 
 
About the Author

  In one form or another, Andy has always been a writer. At school, he passed notes in class and scribbled rude words on lamp posts. At university, he wrote a PhD in biochemistry and forged tickets to various balls, and as an advertising copywriter, he has written adverts for everything from baby food to booze. But it wasn’t until he was well into his thirties that Andy started writing fiction. If he could write a letter to his younger self, it would urge him to stop messing about and get on with it. Andy lives in London with his wife and two little girls. Chances are, he’s writing something.

Find Andy on Twitter and Instagram, and on Facebook.

Book link: Amazon UK  pre-order before 29th April 2021 

Thanks to the author and Jenny Platt of Hodder and Stoughton for a copy of the book and a place on the tour.

Follow the rest of the tour! 
 

 


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