Three estranged sisters. One crumbling Vermont inn. One last chance to become a family again.

When their grandmother dies, the Harper sisters are drawn back to the picturesque small town of Maplewood Hollow—the place they once called home and the place they’ve spent years trying to forget.

Waiting for them is an unexpected inheritance: the beloved Maplewood Inn.

There’s just one catch.

To claim it, Margot, Nina, and Sadie must live together under its roof for three months. If they can’t make it work, they lose the inn—and the last piece of their family history—forever.

For practical, career-driven Margot, the inn is nothing but another responsibility. For selfless Nina, who’s spent years putting everyone else first, returning home stirs dreams she buried long ago. And for free-spirited Sadie, whose answer to every problem is to keep moving, staying in one place may be the hardest challenge she’s ever faced.

Then they uncover a long-forgotten letter hidden among their grandmother’s belongings—a secret that finally explains the heartbreaking rift between the women who came before them.

As old heartbreaks reopen and buried truths come to light, the sisters must decide whether to hold on to the anger that drove them apart… or risk everything to rebuild the family they thought was lost.

Because sometimes going home is the bravest thing you can do.

~Standalone~

This is a no-spice romance, perhaps with closed-door or fade-to-black scenes. Tension and kisses might be involved.

Title:  The Maplewood Inn
Series:  Standalone
Author:  Kimberly Van Meter
Published:  June 10, 2026
My Rating:  4.5 stars

The Maplewood Inn is a loving, complicated story of sisterhood, of family division, of old secrets being revealed, and the consequences of those relationships that were endangered by the past but have a chance for a far different future.  It’s the kind of story that grabs you emotionally and has you nodding as you think, “yeah, I completely understand her, because I’ve been there and felt that, too”… no matter which sister is speaking at the moment.  Some might call this a generational story, and in some ways it is; but to me it was a story of three estranged sisters, each with their own valid reasons, finding their way back home and back to each other, their sisterhood being healed and strengthened.  In some ways, their stories will break your heart.  As you read each sister’s healing journey, you’ll find yourself engaged and somewhat intertwined in Margot, Nina, and Sadie’s path to lasting healing.

I got completely caught up in The Maplewood Inn and enjoyed every moment spent in this world.  It’s well-written, engaging, and emotional, with enough mystery and romance to keep me flipping pages.  The characters are well-defined, realistic, and completely believable.  Every family has its own unique dynamics and secrets; with that in mind, it’s easy to understand why each sister reacts as she does, and how important healing is to them all.  I’d not hesitate to recommend The Maplewood Inn to any reader who enjoys a somewhat complicated dynamic between the characters, a touch of mystery, and the satisfying sense of a story well told by the final page.

*I received an e-ARC of this novel from the author or the author’s team via Booksprout, and I sincerely thank them for their trust. It is my choice to leave a review giving my personal opinion about this book.*

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