Guest Review: Daydreaming at the Boathouse Cafe by Alison Sherlock

Can following your dreams lead to happy-ever-after?

After leaving an unhappy relationship, Hannah Jackson has no confidence in herself or love. The only thing she secretly dreams of is her own bakery. But when her brother Ben, the owner of their family run hotel Maple Tree Lodge, asks her to open a cafe in the renovated boathouse on Dragonfly Lake, Hannah is consumed with self-doubt.

Due to an injury, Ben’s best friend and champion triathlete Alex Grant finds himself suddenly at a crossroads in his life and accepts Ben’s offer to recuperate at Maple Tree Lodge. Nursing a secret, longtime crush for Hannah, Alex is hoping that he can find a new future for himself and that it might somehow include Hannah.

Can Hannah overcome her lack of confidence and make the boathouse cafe a success? And can Alex find himself a new path and finally admit to Hannah how he really feels?

Over a magical summer by the lake, and with the help of a stray puppy, Hannah and Alex discover if all of their dreams really can come true.

Review: This is the second book in the Maple Tree Lodge Hotel series. Each book in this series is intended as a standalone read, but I cannot help but recommend you read the first book before this one to give complete enjoyment of the characters and events. Once again, this book has a stunning cover, this time conveying a beautiful summer’s day at the family-run hotel.

This story focuses on Hannah Jackson, sister of Ben, who owns the Maple Tree Lodge Hotel. Hannah has returned home to the lodge having escaped a disastrous relationship which has sapped her confidence. Although she is an accomplished baker, she refuses to accept that she could make a living through her craft. She is even unwilling to help Ben by running a cafe in the lodge’s recently renovated boathouse. When family friend and famous athlete Alex Grant is injured in a race, he is invited to spend the summer recovering at the hotel and gradually helps Hannah to establish and make a success of the new cafe. Alex has always secretly loved Hannah, a feeling that is actually mutual. Working closely together over the summer, can the pair admit their feelings and find happiness?

I loved this second instalment of the story of Maple Tree Lodge Hotel. It was good to catch up with the Jackson family and learn about their achievements since opening the hotel. They are such a close family and it was rewarding to witness the different generations working together with successful results. Hannah had been damaged by her unfortunate experience with a controlling boyfriend. Lucky for her that the strong and handsome Alex turned up to gently restore her confidence. There were some great characters in the story, most of whom I recognised from the first part of the series or some other Alison Sherlock books. I liked the way in which the latter were incorporated into the plot. I can recommend this truly heartwarming romance and wonder what is next for Maple Tree Lodge.

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