Book Review - New Beginnings on Railway Lane by Alison Sherlock

 The Amazon Purchase link below is an Amazon Affiliate link.

Amazon UK

Title: New Beginnings on Railway Lane

Author: Alison Sherlock

Format reviewed: Ebook

Source: Netgalley

Publisher: Boldwood Books

Publication Date: 16th June 2023

Rating: 5 Stars

Welcome back to Railway Lane.

A feel-good story of new beginnings set in an idyllic English country village.

When high flying, workaholic Katy Smith is suddenly made redundant, she needs to find a job fast!

After mistakenly answering an advert online, she quickly realises that the rundown railway station in sleepy Cranfield isn’t the 5-star London hotels she’s used to working in!

But a job’s a job. Right?

Chef Ryan Connelly is having a crisis of confidence after his Italian dream turns sour.

Returning home to try to pick up the pieces of his parents broken marriage, he soon discovers that his family home, the railway station, is close to financial ruin

Can Katy use all of her skills and find a way to save the railway station?

And can Ryan rediscover his passion of cooking once more?

As winter in Cranfield begins to sprinkle its magic, perhaps Katy and Ryan can find their very own new beginning on Railway Lane.

Picking up a new Alison Sherlock novel is like being welcomed into the arms of an old friend, and being given a giant hug.   It's warm hearted, comforting, feels familiar but also the excitement of not knowing just what will be said, what new story might be told. 

I felt right at home in this book, especially as soon as we get to Cranfield. I'm a huge fan already of this series and the interlinked previous series too, and am always keen to see how familiar characters are getting on. 

Including Dodgy Del who once again does appear, and causes carnage.  I so hope one day he gets his own book as I'm sure it would be hilarious and for such a likeable chap, he deserves a happy ending of his own. 

But this book was all about Katy and Ryan, well the whole Connelly family in fact.  Katy may have only applied for the job while rather drunk, but as she slowly comes to terms with spending some time in the countryside, it has the potential to be transformative. 

And not just for her, the changes in all the Connelly men as the story progresses is rather impressive, and is definitely all down to Katy's magic touch in whatever she turns her hand to.   She has fabulous ideas for the old Railway station, and seems determined to help the family make sure it won't be sold. 

Katy is rather prickly initially, she's very self sufficient and doesn't really have friends, so her immersion into small village life is rather enjoyable to see, from her attempting to protest it, to finally realising things about her own life. 

And Ryan I loved, but it was his father Bob that I was rooting for even more. I really felt for Bob and loved seeing him come back to live as the story progressed and the months went by. 

Although part of a series this could easily be read as a standalone novel, but why miss out on the first book in the series which I also really loved. 

Just another fabulous story that I couldn't read fast enough, I can't wait for the next book.

Thank you to Boldwood books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.