Thanks to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and the author for the chance to read this book.

I have loved everything about the Railway Lane series from Alison Sherlock. This is book 4, and I assume the last book. The friendships and community depicted throughout the stories give you warm and fuzzy feelings. There is always plenty of drama to be had which keeps things interesting.

In this story, we finally get to find out what went on between Libby and Ethan. Libby's character has been the most reserved throughout the series, so I enjoyed getting to understand her better.

It's such a great series that I highly recommend.

o how i do like to read these books by alison and this christmas one is no exception back in the village of cranfield telling a christmas story of all the friends who live there along with the trains involved this story revolves round libby and ethan through their ups and downs they finally get it together at last and create a merry christmas

Lovely story of trying to get an old railway back up and running and an.old romance back on track. This is very Christmasy and perfect to get into the Christmas season and with the added joy of chocolate lol.

Welcome back to Railway Lane! Winter Magic on Railway Lane is a fabulous follow up to the other Railway Lane series by Alison Sherlock.
In Winter Magic, we get to hear Libby and Ethan’s story and learn what happened to these childhood friends. In previous books, you know Libby has a lot of disdain for Ethan, but we do not know why. Not only do we learn what happened, we also find out a shocking secret that no one else knows about! Trust me - it is a good one!

Libby Jacobs has been a flight attendant and while her friends all think she leads an exciting life, she spends too much time in hotels dreaming up chocolate recipes. When she loses her job, she wonders if this is her chance to do more with her chocolate making. but worries about supporting her Dad who has suffered a stroke.

She also needs a bigger kitchen and the only person with one available for her use is Ethan Connolly. The only problem is Ethan and Libby are no longer friends and he is the last person she wants to ask for help.

Ethan just purchased the old schoolhouse and is converting it into his home - at least for when he is in town. Ethan has been living abroad for years and only making rare visits back. He still has too many bad memories of his parent’s marriage.

Libby does end up using Ethan’s kitchen and they have a tentative truce, but Ethan is scheduled to leave for another long-term job. When his grandad collapses and ends up in the hospital, Ethan knows he will stay and help both his dad and granddad see their dream of reviving the Christmas train. They want to see it run once more, but it will mean getting the steam engine literally back on track and having the entire village pitch in.

Both Ethan and Libby have their own pasts to deal with before they can see what the future holds. They will need the magic of winter on Railway Lane for their second chance to become a reality.

I enjoyed finding out more about Libby and Ethan as well as revisiting the other characters. The other storyline about Libby’s dad was great too. Definitely a feel-good story with a holiday twist. 4.5 rounded up to a 5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a chance to review an advance copy of Winter Magic on Railway Lane in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the first three books in this series and this book, book 4 was just as lovely. You could read it as a stand-alone as the focus is on other characters, but I would once again highly recommend reading the whole series in order as the characters from the first three books reappear in this story.

I feel like I can't say it enough... these bugs are just like a great big warm hug and with the Christmas time and the whole atmosphere it was just all that much better. I simply love the people in the village of Cranfield and would happily buy myself a one way ticket there! Libby and Ethan were great characters both scared of commitment and love, but also clearly both already in love with each other even if they could not admit it to anyone, let alone themselves. It's a real slow burn and closed door romance story, but the whole community is just as important here as the romance side of the story.
I loved it!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy, heartwarming, delightful Christmas novel. I enjoyed it a lot!

A lovely wintery tale of love, friendships, priorities and trains!
As you read through this story and get to know our characters better (it is part of a series but easily read as a stand alone) you will become more invested in them and their futures!
The writer really gets across what this small village looks like as well as the sense of community there. All the characters will tug on your heart strings in this one.
I did enjoy it, centred around Christmas and trains but it just didn’t grab me quite as much as some other books of this genre. I’m not sure why, it was well written, I could imagine everything well. Maybe I’ve read a few too many stories where our main characters have denied themselves love for several decades!
Sometimes I did just want to reach into the book and tell them just to be honest and talk to each other!!

All in all a lovely read.

I love a Christmas tale and what's better than a Christmas tale featuring characters and a community that you already know and love!?

This might be potentially the last book in this series as all the main characters now have their happily ever afters. It is a heartwarming tale of forgiveness, finding your own path and staying true to your feelings. This book features Libby, who has always had a love-hate relationship with Ethan. We've known these characters throughout the other books but not really known their back story or Libby's family history before.

Featuring heavily in this book is also the Cranbridge and Connolly steam train that has been getting done up for what seems like forever! Fantastic ideas, chances to be an entrepreneur, businesses thriving and locals looking out for each other. I love the community in these books, its like coming home to a warm hug each time I open a new Alison Sherlock book!

I hope there is a new series on the horizon, I'll be signing up in a heartbeat!
My thanks to Alison Sherlock for a beautiful book and Boldwood Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read it. All opinions expressed are my own.

A nice read with a different storyline - trains! I enjoyed reading about the friends’ relationships and the chocolate making however I did find that the overall feel of the book was a little stilted and I was hoping for more descriptions of the chocolates being made

This book is actually the last book - book four - in the Railway Lane series. They are all written as a stand alone book but do have a lot of cross over characters and themes.

In this story we find out all about Libby and Ethan who used to be childhood best friends but fell out due to an unfortunate misunderstanding.

I absolutely loved the small-town setting and honestly just wanted to go and live in this story!

I really enjoyed this gorgeous, festive story, it was heartwarming and Christmassy and also had that all important happy ever after…..

Winter Magic is the fourth and sadly the final book in the Railway Lane series.

Cranfield is another of those places that's always a delight to return to and catch up with friends old and new.

This was Libby's story and it took us on quite the emotional journey, but she had the love and support from the community rallying round her, so she wasn't alone with her feelings.

It's heartwarming, uplifting and it's Christmas, so was a definite win for me!

I absolutely loved the book and the series, and I'm definitely going to miss Railway Lane.

This book aproaches so many things. We can see grief, sadness, disabilities and at the same time friendship, kindness, a sense of community and love. 

Libby returns home after being fired from her job as a flight assistant. But.. hey, maybe it's a good thing as she can now go all in as a chocolate maker (her dream job and passion). 
Ethan's a electric engineer, that is home for a small amount of time to help his dad and grandad help with the steam train. In the beggining he feels that he doen't belong and then he starts to crave all the familiar thing he once wanted to run away from. 

Libby and Ethan were once friends, but even in their teen years, they had a thing for each other, but some bad things happened, and they grew very appart. Being in the same small town and constantly into each other company makes them reignite their friendship and them makes them fall for each other all over again. But it's a slow, slow, slow burn in this one. 
Their path isn't an easy one. They must struggle to find their place and feel worthy of what they can accomplish.  They have an amazing support system (friends and family) to help them, and it's endearing to see them all helping them when they need!

The story has a fall kind of vive and then all of a Chistmassy feeling. It makes us want a cozy blanket and just enjoy the ride!

Such a great read! Highly recommend this one.

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

In this cozy winter romance novel, Alison Sherlock brings readers back to Railway Lane for a snowy December. Libby Jacobs might have lost her job, but time in her home village of Cranfield will allow her to spend more time on her chocolate making hobby, perhaps turning it into a business. Ethan Connolly has a large kitchen she can use, but they’ve been on the outs since high school. Ethan has his own troubles with fulfilling his granddad’s dream of a Christmas train in time for the holiday. Libby and Ethan might get a second chance at realizing their dreams and finding the magic of winter in Cranfield after all. Libby and Ethan are complex but realistic characters, and their problems parallel each other nicely as the novel unfolds. Their complicated history only adds to the challenges and plot points of the novel, and it builds up the tension and will-they-won’t-they between Libby and Ethan. As for the setting of Cranfield and Railway Lane, they are charming and sentimental, bringing the idea of home and winter to the forefront of the novel. With all of the charm and heart in this novel, fans of Sherlock’s other books are sure to love this return to a snowy Railway Lane.

What a cozy read this was, loved going back to railway lane. The perfect book to read if you just want to snuggle on the sofa and lose yourself in a cutesy love story. Loved reading about Libby and devoured this book in a couple of days.

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Winter Magic On Railway Lane' by Alison Sherlock.

This may be the first book I have read by this fantastic author but it most definitely will NOT be my last and I cannot wait to get stuck into the rest of her previous and future books. It is also the fourth book in Alison's 'The Railway Lane' series but can be read as a standalone, as can the previous books in this series.

This is a fantastically written book that has vivid descriptions which will make you feel that you are breaking your heart and then feeling it repair again, breathing the Cranfield air, feeling the festivities, and falling in love!! It takes you on a journey to Cranfield and I was devastated when I had to pack my case to come back home and leave Cranfield behind 😭 The title, synopsis and cover suit the storyline perfectly.

Well, you may have noticed I have started reading festive books regular and very early considering it is only September but it doesn't matter if you are the type who doesn't want to hear the word Christmas until the day or whether you have already started thinking about getting the decorations down because regardless of how you feel about Christmas you will absolutely LOVE this adorable story!! As I have mentioned it is the fourth book, and sadly the last, in this series. However, the good thing about reading book series out of order is that I get to go back to the first book in this series which is called 'Heading Home To Lavender Cottage' and get stuck into the series from the start!!! The storyline itself is absolutely ram packed with love, friends, Christmas, chocolate, broken families, family, secrets, comedy, community, romance, redundancy, stress, second chances, emotional angst, health concerns and absolutely everything you could want in a beautiful novel!! It made me smile, cry, scream, shout, angry and jump for joy!! This gorgeous book tells us the story of Libby and Ethan. Libby has just lost her job as a flight attendant, she hated her job anyway but is now worrying how to make a living. to not only support herself but also her father who is living with. What she does love is to make chocolate but can she find a way to turn a much loved hobby into a successful career? Ethan has been avoiding relationships and family ever since he watched his parents marriage collapse. Love is all around him in Cranfield and his first instinct is to leave. However, he realises he needs to start changing his ways and making better choices. Libby and Ethan who were best friends during childhood but lost touch due to a lack of communication and Ethan's commitment problems. Everybody else can see that they are perfect for each other but they fail to see it themselves. That is until it dawns on Libby how much Ethan means to her and she sets out to get Ethan to understand. Can Ethan get over his commitment phobia and can Libby make her dream job come true? Well, grab your copy of this absolutely stunning festive page turner to find out for yourself!! I promise that you will not regret it!!! With Alison's absolutely stunning evocative, vivid and emotive writing skills and descriptions you really can see, feel, hear, taste and smell everything that the characters are from the stunning smell of chocolate to Ethan's beautiful home and kitchen, the Halloween decorations to the Christmas decorations. the love to the sadness and absolutely everything and anything in between!! Alison does an amazing job of weaving Ethan and Libby's storylines together perfectly using multiple protagonist perspectives and I loved seeing how they were both feeling and what they were both doing throughout the book which takes us on a journey from August to January. I absolutely devoured this stunning storyline in one sitting being unable to put it down and I cannot wait to get hooked on to the previous books in this series. Congratulations Alison on an absolutely gorgeous, cosy and heart-warming page turner.

Although this is the fourth and last book in 'The Railway Lane' series I had absolutely no problems reading it without any of the others. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader. However, I would recommend reading it in order as I do with most book series and I'm looking forward to going back and reading the previous books.

There were so many large and unique personalities in this book and thanks to Alison's amazing writing skills each and every one of them came alive. My heart went out to Libby with her losing her job and it feels like she is under so much pressure with needing money to pay the bills. I was invested in her immediately and was rooting for both her and Ethan who, although could seem distant at times, I still really liked. There were so many characters that I loved meeting that I could go on about them forever but it would be much better if you grabbed your copy and met these fantastic, unique, memorable and larger than life characters yourself. They all have their own personalities, strengths, flaws and weaknesses and thanks to Alison's brilliant descriptions it feels like you are standing next to them throughout!! They were all great together and I loved seeing their interactions and watching their characters, personalities and relationships grow and develop through the pages. Alison really has created such amazing characters that I became immediately invested in and was sad to say goodbye to. I absolutely LOVED watching all the separate relationships develop and change between the characters and I cannot wait to go back to the previous 3 books to see how they got to where they are now!! This book was filled with a lovely range of characters so a huge WELL done to Alison for bringing them to life!!

Overall an absolutely gorgeous, festive, feel good, page turning novel filled with friendships, love and family that will keep you up late at night.

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4 Stars
One Liner: Heartwarming and sweet

Libby Jacobs just lost her job as a flight attendant. She doesn’t miss the job but worries about having enough money to support herself and her father. Can she turn her chocolate-making hobby into a living? But for that, she needs a kitchen big enough to accommodate her work.
Ethan had been running away from family and relationships since he saw his parents’ marriage fail. The recent love stories in Cranfield may have warmed him a little but his first instinct is to up and leave. However, he needs to make better decisions if he wants more from life.
With Christmas challenges looming overhead, Libby and Ethan need to sort a lot more than their careers. They have a shared past that went sour. Can they find a way forward?
The story comes in the third-person POV of Libby and Ethan.

My Thoughts:
I’ve been waiting for Libby and Ethan’s story since I read the first book in the series. It makes sense to wait until the end to write theirs. They needed to let go of a lot to move on.
The book covers autumn and winter (starts sometime in August and the main story ends at the end of Jan).
The focus is not just on the couple but their families and the community as well. The MMC had to learn to step up and take responsibility, while the FMC had to learn to ask for help when she needed it. I could understand Libby’s determination to do everything on her own.
Despite being a cozy read, it covers themes like broken families, secrets, health concerns, lost jobs, career risks, and second chances. The MMC has much learning to do, mainly about himself and getting rid of the toxicity dumped on him by his mother.
The side characters are, as always, quite involved in the plot and play an active role. Paddington is back too, showing his silent furry support whenever necessary.
The setting is, of course, beautiful. I think this series covered the lovely village in all major seasons. I could relocate there maybe… if it existed and someone sponsored a ticket. ;)
The pacing is steady and keeps the story moving. I like how all relationships come under the spotlight. It’s not just about Libby and Ethan realizing they are meant to be. It is also about mending their relationships with their family and allowing their people to provide support when necessary.
Dodgy Del also has a bigger role this time. I won’t say what he does. It’s for you to find out!
To summarize, Winter Magic on Railway Lane is a beautiful conclusion to the series and a satisfying read if want a cozy read. While the book works as a standalone, those who read the series can see the growth of the main characters.
I look forward to the author's next series.
Thank you, NetGalley and Boldwood Books, for eARC. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

What an absolute treat this book is! If all the chocolate talk doesn’t entice you, the romance, and all things Christmassy will. The perfect end to a wonderful series (all the books can be read as standalone books easily), with such a great, satisfying ending which even Dodgy Del could wreck! The characters are warm and cosy and the writing conjures up Railway Lane as somewhere I would love to visit! Truly enjoyable and devoured in less than a day! Thank you for such a delight.

Thank you Netgalley

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a cute book. I really enjoyed it. This was my first by this author and will not be my last. Great writing style! A fun and easy read.

I've been excited about Libby's story for a while now. Throughout this series, we have seen the chemistry between Libby and Ethan, which has an enemies-to-lovers feel to it. These two have a history, and whatever happened between them didn't end well. I've been dying to find out what happened. This is the fourth installment in the Railway Lane series, but it can be read as a stand-alone. Each book focuses on a different couple, and Alison does a wonderful job at catching readers up to speed on what happened in prior books. But if you are looking for a cozy and heartwarming series to dive into this fall, you should try this series and all of Alison's other books. For those who are new to Alison's books, you are in for a real treat. Her books, including this one, have that wonderful Hallmark charm. Reading her stories is like being wrapped in a cozy blanket. The pacing of this book is perfect. There are moments when things move slowly, but then some sort of twist or event happens and then the pacing picks up for a bit. I really enjoyed the ebb and flow of this story.

Fans of the series will be delighted that most of the characters from the previous books appear in this book. I always love it when authors bring previous MCs into other stories because it feels like you get to catch up with old friends. I especially loved that Doggy Del made an appearance or two in this story. Wherever that man is chaos is sure to follow. Libby and Ethan story was everything I hoped it would be. Libby has always felt like a bit of a mystery. She was putting up walls to keep those around her at arm's length. It was great to see what was going on in her head and learn more about her past and how it shaped her as an adult. Libby's growth is around learning to be a little less independent. She doesn't believe in asking for help and thinks that she can take care of everything on her own. But when her new chocolate business starts to become overwhelming, disastrous strikes, and she realizes that asking for help is ok. Ethan was a delight. He often comes across as this carefree guy, but underneath that exterior is some serious emotional baggage. Ethan struggles with what happened in his parents' marriage and has chosen never to fall in love or get married. But of course, Libby will tear down every one of those carefully built walls around his heart and show him how wonderful it is to be with someone you love.

This is a second-chance romance. I loved that sparky, feisty chemistry between Ethan and Libby. These two have this wonderful playfulness that you cannot help but love. This is a closed-door sweet romance, which means you will get a lot of moments between these two love birds that will have you oh-so-happy. I adored the history that these two shared. It added much depth and richness to their love story. We get flashbacks of moments they shared growing up and get to see how close they were and how everything fell apart. You will devour this love story if you are a fan of second-chance romances, friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, small-town romances, and forced proximity.

Winter Magic on Railway Lane is a charming heartfelt romance that I simply adored.