I’ve really enjoyed reading this story. I really liked Taylor and Harry, I thought they were perfect for each other. I really liked how strong and independent Taylor was. I loved the neuro diverse aspect of the story and I loved the bond that Harry and Max developed along with their mutual love of trains.

As the mother of a child diagnosed with ASD, I recognised and empathised with what Taylor was going through with Max. I also really liked how the board game cafe is so central to all the characters and how as a community they all came together for Taylor.

Overall a charming and heartwarming story of scene chances, rediscovering yourself and following your dreams. This is the first story I’ve read by this author and it won’t be the last.

A very charming read, sweet, engaging, great characters, and a wonderful story that flowed wonderfully and kept me interested until the very end.

A really lovely read.

Second Chances At The Board Game Café is the third book in The Little Board Game Café series by British author, Jennifer Page. Thirty-five-year-old accountant Harry is quite content with his life: he works from home three days a week, finds his routines reassuring, and enjoys evenings at Emily’s Board Game Café, playing train-themed games with the group she has dubbed The Trainspotters. After having his heart broken, he’s not in the market for romance, but he can’t help noticing the attractive young mum trying to placate her son, upset at the prospect of moving house.

Since she made her first skirt at age eleven, Taylor Sweet has always wanted to design clothing. But an unexpected pregnancy in her late teens put paid to attending fashion college, and her dream remained unfulfilled. Not that she would wish away her darling if difficult son, Max, but at twenty-seven, she does often wish for something more exciting.

Taylor has tried to be content with being a single mum, living in a one-bedroom flat, sleeping on a back-breaking sofa bed every night, replacing broken zips, fixing split seams and sewing on buttons, and basically leading a boring life, but when she sees a For Lease sign outside a block of flats, she can’t resist having a look. Way out of her price range, but the agent has something else that might suit. Despite the mould, the prospect of two bedrooms, a proper bath and a front window that will lend itself to creative display have her saying yes.

When Harry encounters Taylor in the Board Game Café, her profession gives him a reason to see her again: new jeans that need shortening. But a miscommunication ends rather disastrously, and Harry compounds this with a throw-away comment. But. There’s a silver lining. Taylor does a brilliant upcycling job on the ruined jeans, marketing expert Kate sees all sorts of potential, and soon an event is planned.

The more Harry sees of Taylor, the more he wishes they could have a future, but she’s surely not going to be interested in a boring train geek. He keeps offering to help out with all the problems her flat, but Taylor has always tried to maintain her independence. And even if she finds Harry attractive and wholesome, her first concern is her boy, whose quirkiness makes him a target for school bullies.

Before the predictable happy ever after ending, there are disasters, misunderstandings, and quite a bit of resistance from Taylor before she accepts some much-needed help from this wonderful little West Pennines valley community. A sweet romance that will have readers eagerly anticipating the fourth book in the series, Christmas at the Board Game Café.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Aria & Aries.

It's so good to be back in this world! Once again the author has brought us a book full of wonderful characters, and it's always good to catch up with characters from other books!

I still love this community and I can't wait for the next books if the author wants to keep giving us the board game cafe as a setting.

Thank you Netgalley for the book!

You’ll remember how much I Adored Jennifer Page’s Love letters book,an insanely genius rom com that featured Scrabble heavily. I knew I was hooked on her books, but was thrilled when, on reading this, I found as much warmth, comfort and satisfaction as before!

I loved this book!! From the entire premise, a single mum dressmaker with the world’s loveliest boy who’s finding school tough, finding the Board Games Cafe and slowly realising how amazing people are. There were some amazing moments that had a sliding door feel, a ‘oh no, just one second later and things might have worked out’ vibe that just had me!

The characters were spot on, the detail in both the games and trains perfection, the romance so lovely and a special mention to the little man of the story, who was fab! So recommended! Thanks so much to the publisher for an advanced review copy.

Rating: 5/5

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced reader's copy and the opportunity to read this early. Review has been posted on Waterstones and Amazon.

Gorgeous cosy read

This is the third book in the 'Little Board Game Cafe' series with the story this time focusing on Taylor who is aptly named as she is a tailor!
Taylor is trying to do her very best to keep her small business afloat and look after her son but she receives a lot of knock-backs and roadblocks despite her efforts.

The little community at the Board Game cafe help out with an idea that could launch her business online and they are there in her times of need.

This was a cute, heartwarming story that was a lovely read and one that I would highly recommend.

This was a lovely read. Taylor is a signal mom and seamstress who loves scrabble. She gave up her dream of being a fashion designer so that she could be a mom. Harry was a bit socially awkward and isn’t experiences in the woman department. When he see’s Taylor he realizes that he as an attraction to her. The way their relationship starts and how Harry is with Taylor’s son Max was great.

Very much a hug in book! I love these cosy books and I genuinely feel like I am smiling every time I am reading them. Love these cosy tales with intriguing characters too. Lovely book and series.

Second Chances at the Board Game Café was an enjoyable read, filled with so many emotions and good deeds.

Jennifer Page has the talent to make me empathise with her characters, her writing is so warm and comforting I have a hard time to put her books down.

Taylor is a single mom, her life isn't going as she dreamt. She is stressed out because her son is bullied at school, her home is too small and she is forced to sleep on the couch, and to top it off her job isn't satisfying anymore. Fortunately she meets the best of people at The Little Board Game Café that will help her to find again her younger fire, purpose and hope.

I loved Taylor. At times I felt sorry for her, I could feel into my bones her struggles. She is really strong, but she had to learn to accept others help, because she is part of a beatiful community which leaves no one behind.
Harry is just so kind and patient, but still scared to give out his heart to another woman. Fortunately with the encouragement of a sweet boy who shares the same nerdy passion for trains he finds the courage to give love another chance.

Recommended!! Now I can't wait to meet some othe characters from this special café.

Another gorgeous cosy read from Jennifer Page! If you’re looking for something to give you the warm fuzzies from a little Yorkshire village, this is it!

"Second Chances at the Board Game Café" by Jennifer Page is a heartwarming and uplifting novel that beautifully captures the magic of new beginnings and the joy of finding connection in unexpected places. Page’s writing is warm and inviting, drawing readers into the cozy atmosphere of the Board Game Café, where friendships are formed, love blossoms, and everyone is given a chance to start anew. The characters are endearing and relatable, each with their own story of hope, loss, and the courage to embrace change. The novel weaves together themes of community, healing, and the importance of second chances, making it a delightful and comforting read. "Second Chances at the Board Game Café" is perfect for anyone who loves stories about love, friendship, and the little things that bring people together.

Second Chances at the Board Game Cafe tells the story of Taylor Sweet, a seamstress whose dream of studying to become a fashion designer was derailed by an unexpected pregnancy with a man who was not ready to embrace fatherhood.
While working as a seamstress to support herself and her son Max, she inadvertently cuts six inches instead of six centimetres off Harry's (a customer) jeans. She transforms the jeans by adding a tartan design and extra pockets to rectify her mistake. This leads to her launching an up-cycling class above the cafe and ultimately organising a fashion show at the local school.
This book is the third in a series but can be enjoyed independently. If you've read the first two books, it is like visiting your old neighbourhood and catching up with familiar characters.
Jennifer Page beautifully captures the essence of neurodiversity through her portrayal of Harry and Max. She weaves this theme in without explicitly mentioning it.
I highly recommend this book due to Taylor's journey of Self-discovery, resilience and embracing second chances, which makes it a captivating read.

This is one of those warm and uplifting stories which is full of friendship and community. That is not to say that everything goes smoothly for Taylor and her son, Max. Max is an interesting character in his own right. Intelligent, he struggles with fitting in at school and seems to be being bullied for his difference, on a daily basis. His love of all things train related gives him comfort and a feeling of security. Harry shares his love of order. He too struggles with friendships and relationships. However, his kindness and care for others shines through.

Taylor has had to become self- sufficient after being abandoned by Max’s father. You get the feeling that she is very lonely, as is Harry, but wants to protect her son and is wary of new relationships. Taylor has had to compromise her ambitions to be a fashion designer but you see her talent shining through as the story evolves. The Board Game Cafe is a great meeting centre and a sociable hub for people who are drawn there. You are invested in the possibility of Taylor and Harry’s romance and rooting for them to communicate how they feel.

In short: second chance at romance

Heartwarming and life affirming. The perfect summer book if you want to smile and escape reality
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Another warm fuzzy story from Jennifer Page.

Set in the village of Hebbleswick, Yorkshire, this is the 3rd book in the series with lovely characters, that are similar if you have read the first two books. The great storyline is easy to follow, With a lovely community and setting that will keep you wanting to read.
This really is a gentle easy-going book.

Single mum Taylor is struggling to keep her head above water in a tiny one-bed flat, in the little Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick. She once dreamed of becoming a fashion designer, but now spends her days repairing and altering other people's garments, fitting her business around her eight-year-old son Max's need for routine.

Accountant and railway enthusiast, Harry, likes routine too. He longs for a partner, but has had his heart broken in the past and is anxious about letting someone new into his ordered life, despite the encouragement of his friends at the local board game café.

When Taylor and Harry meet there is an immediate spark between them, but both are unsure about embarking on a new romance. Can Harry step out of his comfort zone, and Taylor look beyond her worries about Max, to give love a second chance?

Welcome back to the picturesque environs of Hebbleswisk and Essendale, for the third book in the enchanting Little Board Game Café series by Jennifer Page.

This time around Page does a lovely job of mixing everything that has come before with the arrival of new characters Taylor and her son Max, crafting a story that sets up lashing of romantic suspense with train obsessed Harry, who we met in the first book in the series. There are familiar faces galore from the first two books, and although you do not need to have read them to enjoy this story, I highly recommend that you do as it adds so much context and emotional texture to what happens. 

Taylor finds herself in an unhappy place at the beginning of this book, worrying about her living arrangements, her sewing business, and the needs of her son Max, who is neurodivergent. Her dreams of a different kind of life are never far from her thoughts, but try as she might there are always obstacles in the way, and there is no time for a romantic life for herself. Cue the sweet, and truly adorable, Harry whose caring, routine loving, railway-addicted, and mathematically precise ways make him the perfect partner for Taylor and prospective new dad for Max - if only they can both overcome their lack of confidence and past heartbreak.

Inevitably, the course of true love does not run smooth in all the ways you want from a cosy love story, and Page keeps you on tenterhooks with a will-they-won't-they plot that will completely melt your heart. Along the way she brings in some wonderful themes, using her established characters to throw spanners in the works (sleazy Tarquin, I am looking at you) or pull out all the stops to guide the couple to their happy ending, via make-and-mend fashion shows, budding friendships, and a pulling together of the community - with a little bit of help from The Railway Children!

This book positively celebrates neurodivergence, and touches sensitively on a wealth of subjects about acceptance, belonging, and being yourself, that fit beautifully into the story. Various board games are a fascinating central feature once more, and Page also brings in lots of splendid stuff about upcycling clothes to combat fast-fashion that will set the creative among you dusting off your sewing machines.

This is the perfect snuggle up on the sofa book. I think Taylor and Harry's romance is my favourite one of the series so far, and Max's channelling of The Railway Children to bring them together is simply magical!

This is the first book by Jennifer Page I had read. The story of Taylor, Max and Harry is a heart warming story. Taylor is trying to do the best for her son but meets Harry who has trains in common with Max and Taylor warms to him and allows him into their lives despite her misgivings. Max has difficulties at school with no help from the school which causes Taylor so much heartache trying to ensure her son is safe and happy. Harry is such a lovely character that is happy to help however he can. It is great to see that they all get on.

After reading a pretty serious book I hade to read a feel good book and as I have read the other books in this series I knew this one I would love. A fun book this is cosy at its best and if you don't feel good after reading this one.... Well!

I am loving The Little Board Game Café series and all the great characters but especially the wonderful setting. I can picture it as I am reading and I can see the characters and their lives unfolding as I flick the pages of this book. Second chances, romance and a wonderful read. Need I say more.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

What a treasure this book was. Being from Yorkshire I loved how the towns and villages were described and the train journey to Halifax living here I could picture it well.
The relationship between Taylor, Harry and Max was beautifully written. Each one was what the other one needed so they all helped each other overcome the obstacles and insecurities.
The sense of community and how they all rallied around Taylor to make her fashion show a success was described exactly how a community should be. You fall in love with this setting the characters and of cause the Board Game Cafe. Thank you to Jennifer Page and Net Galley for an ARC copy to honestly review all thoughts are my own.