Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt is a charming, heartwarming addition to the Starr's Fall series that will captivate fans of small-town romance and relatable characters. In this story, Maggie arrives in the picturesque town of Starr's Fall with her shy teenage son, hoping to start fresh and fulfill her dream of opening a board game café. The promise of a new beginning feels within her reach, but she quickly learns that life isn't always as simple as a roll of the dice.

Maggie's cautious optimism is tested when she meets Zach, a funny, geeky, and undeniably attractive local who bonds with her son. However, his reputation as a ladies' man and their ten-year age gap make Maggie wary of pursuing any kind of relationship. Despite her reservations, Zach’s charm and genuine connection with her son leave her questioning whether she can risk her heart once again.

Hewitt’s writing is as warm and inviting as the setting itself, with rich character development and a delightful exploration of second chances, vulnerability, and the complexities of love. Maggie and Zach’s dynamic is engaging—he’s the perfect balance of humor, sincerity, and youthful energy, while Maggie represents strength, resilience, and a mother’s protective instincts.

The town of Starr’s Fall continues to be the ideal backdrop for these emotional journeys, offering a sense of community, belonging, and the possibility of new beginnings. This book is a perfect escape for readers looking for a feel-good story about love, trust, and finding happiness when you least expect it.

If you love stories about starting over, unexpected romance, and the beauty of small-town life, Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall will definitely leave you smiling. It’s a sweet, uplifting read that will have you rooting for Maggie and Zach every step of the way.

Maggie and her son Ben have moved to Starr’s Fall, a place they have fond memories of, to start a new life after a difficult couple of years. Their plan is to open a boardgame café as Ben is a keen gamer. A chance meeting with Zach, a local born and raised in Starr’s Fall, has him offering to help with fitting out the café and he develops a bond with Ben, who is painfully shy and had been bullied in the past
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Both Maggie and Zach are attracted to each other but both are equally restrained by their pasts. Maggie is still grieving her husband’s sudden death, although the last few years of their marriage had seen them grow apart. Zach was still viewed by the locals as having the same reputation as he did as a high school senior, despite now being in his thirties. An image he doesn’t bother to dispel, even though it annoys him, until it starts to affect his growing relationship with Maggie.

A cosy, comfortable read had me rooting for Maggie and Zach to have the courage and determination to break free of the restraints of their pasts and grow into their shared future in Starr’s Fall.

Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall is the second book by Kate Hewitt I've read, and it’s the second in the Starr’s Fall series. Just like the first one, it captures that cozy vibe beautifully. This small-town, sweet romance is definitely one that many readers will find charming.
Maggie and Ben are still navigating the aftermath of her husband’s death and some of Ben's struggles. They decide it’s time for a fresh start in a new place, aiming to open a board game café. But as they soon discover, the journey isn’t as straightforward as they hoped, and they stumble upon more than they bargained for.
This story dives into themes of grief and second chances. Although it features a reverse age-gap romance, it does a wonderful job of exploring the characters' lives, family dynamics, and the community around them. I really liked Ben and Maggie most of the time, and I had a bit of a tough time with how judgmental everyone was toward Zach.
Overall, it's a lovely, enjoyable read that feels just right for spring. It’ll definitely make you wish you could live in a town like Starr’s Fall. While I liked this book a lot, I did feel like something was missing compared to the first. But I’m already excited to see where the story goes next and whose journey we’ll get to follow!

Loved the 2nd book in this series, this story is Maggie and Bens. From tragedy and consequences Maggie and Ben decide to move to Starr’s Fall and open a gaming cafe. In time Maggie and Ben meet people especially one of the well discussed in town Zach. Maggie and Ben open their Gaming cafe and it takes off. All turned out well for them both, look forward to the next book in the series.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and to Publisher Boldwood Books for the early read

I’m a bit under the weather (long story), but this small-town story featuring new starts, romances, and games was both heart-warming and compelling.
When you’re not feeling well, this type of read is excellent medicine to make you feel better. It’s a cozy book to read while looking at spring outside with a cat (or more cats) next to you.
The lovely characters and setting, along with moving and funny moments, made me smile and root for the characters.
Give me more books like this! I had fun, and it made me feel good. Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for this digital copy. All opinions are mine.

While this hasn't been my favourite in the series, it's still so lovely to pop back into Starrs Fall and catch up.
It's a perfect cosy pick me up.

3.5 rounded up.

I didn't know the book was part of a series. I want to read all of them. A small town romance with a few cute twists kept me reading and wishing I lived in Starr's Fall!

The second visit to Starr's Fall is full of family drama, loss and new beginnings. Maggie is a widow and still grieving, even if she's not sure how good her marriage was towards the end. Ben, her teenage son, is what keeps her moving forward, but he is reeling from his loss and other adolescent issues that have blighted his life. Motivated by their need to build a new life, they move to Starr's Fall, a place they were once happy in. The sense of family is key to this story. Maggie and Ben are emotionally broken and need the nurturing the Starr's Fall community can provide. The gentle romance builds from a mutual attraction, an element of forbidden love because of the age gap and the kindness Zach shows Maggie and her son. It's a complex story full of emotional ups and downs and charts a journey of self-realisation for Maggie, Ben and Zach. The gaming aspect gives the story a contemporary relevance and is the catalyst that draws Zach into Maggie's world. I like the small-town setting, the community, the emotional renewal Maggie and Ben achieve and the lovely, conflicted romance between Maggie and Zach.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

First, I want to thank Kate Hewitt, Boldwood Books, Rachel's Random Resources, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

Oh how I just fell in love with Kate Hewitt’s newest book Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall!! This book was a breath of fresh air that I could not get enough of. Oh and I never realized this was part of a series-so now I want to read the rest in the series!! This book has the hallmark channel small town type of vibes that will put a smile on your face and love in your heart.

This is the second book in the series but can be read as a stand alone. I say this because even though I didn’t read the first one I was able to catch on fine to this one. However, I would gladly read the first one.

I thought it was awesome that Ben came up with the idea of opening up a board game cafe with espresso and hot coco all by himself. That was the coolest concept ever to have board games, role playing games, and a cafe under one roof. Heck I wanted to jump into the story and offer to help volunteer my time to get it off the ground! I love playing board and card games!

Kate addressed some very important, tough, and heartbreaking and powerful life issues in this book.

The bond that Ben and Zach shared was priceless when it came to their gaming. They were literally in their own little world. Even Maggie Ben’s Mom didn’t comprehend the language!

Besides the Boardgame Cafe my other favorite storyline was the friendship that was blossoming between Zach and Maggie.

Kate’s book really did have a little bit of everything for every reading genre in this one I would say. I would highly suggest it to anyone who likes small town romances.

Maggie arrives in town with her son Ben to open a board game cafe and have a fresh start after losing her husband/Ben's father and Ben's bullying at his previous school. I liked the idea of a board game cafe in a small town, and I enjoyed the characters in the small town of Starrs Fall. We were able to revisit Joshua and Laurie. I would've liked less of the awkward flirting between Maggie and Zach, and more of the romance. She was pretty awkward and immature at first and then gradually grew on me. I loved Zach though and sympathized with how frustrating it would be to have the towns folk constantly comment on how he's played the field etc. He turned out to be a good guy with a good heart. I also enjoyed her son Ben and sympathized with his problems. I loved the friendship between Zach and Ben. This was the second in the series and could be a stand-alone. The ending seemed to be setting us up for the newest resident to Starr's Fall. I'm looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks to @netgalley, @boldwood, @rachelsrandomresources, and the author for this arc.

A gorgeous follow-up to Coming Home To Starr’s Fall. Full of warmth, this is Maggie and Ben’s story of second chances, and I loved how they were welcomed to the community. Their story is one of loss and sadness, so Starr’s Fall is the perfect place for them to begin again.
Meeting up with old friends like Laurie, Josh and Henrietta has been wonderful, and seeing them be so open with the new comers to the town just perfect.
The chemistry between Maggie and Zach was undeniable but their hesitancy was understandable.
Kate Hewitt has written another hug in book form in the beautiful setting of Starr’s Falls, and hopefully it won’t be too long til we’re invited back.

This small town romance is a lovely read and gives off very cozy vibes. Set in the springtime it's a great choice of book to read. I've previously read another in this series and it was very enjoyable to return to the town and it was a fun read.

A sweet and heartwarming story in the wonderful small town setting of Starr's Fall. Loved the terrific storyline and the characters are exceptional, well developed and realistic. Maggie and Zack's romantic journey wasn't without struggle, there was chemistry and clash and completely entertaining. Another fantastically written book, once you pick this up you won't want to put it down. I can't wait for the next book!

This is a new author to me, and I enjoyed the story overall—it was a fun read. However, I did find that Maggie came across as more immature than her 40 years, acting in ways that didn't always match her age throughout much of the story. I really liked Zac, though. He didn’t put up with a lot from others, yet he had the biggest heart when it came to helping those in need—not just people he knew, but anyone who needed a helping hand, including a teenage boy looking for a friend. I loved the small-town feel of the story and the sense of community that Maggie and Ben joined. I also really liked Annie and hope her story gets told next; she has such a friendly, kind spirit about her. She had a gift for calling out things that didn’t seem right or didn’t feel right, seeing situations clearly and speaking up. The author kept this book a clean read, making it suitable for all readers.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, and this one was good, also. We're back in the town of Starr's Fall where we follow the lives of the townsfolk. It has a cozy spring vibe, while also dealing with some tough topics. A well written story!

I received a copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review
TRIGGERS: Grief, teenager unalive attempt and risk of repeat, bullying with no repercussion.
I have to say that I was extremely upset at the end of the last book that Laurie & Joshua did not invite Maggie and Ben at the Thanksgiving party so I was hoping that it was missed. Nope, they spent Thanksgiving alone, eating pizza. There is still dust everywhere. I'm not sure I like the people of Starr's Fall. Their gossip hurt people and they are bullies, most of them, hurling insults left and right. It was also in the last book. It's not enjoyable, it's pretty much depressing and hurtful. Jenna, in particular, can dish out all she wants, but can't take it back herself when people react. I loved the changes in Lynn, Maggie's sister. Laurie's birth mother is just cruel. Maggie and Zach finally reconcile at 91% and by that time, I was tired of all the drama, the half apologies, etc.
Many of the timelines are wrong: Five years vs. two years; couple of weeks vs. several months, a month already vs. more like 6 weeks, a few months ago vs. almost 10 months.
A bit unbelievable: 1. Do people really choke when they see beautiful people? 2. If Zach was in the back of a crowd, how can Maggie know that his boots are scuffed and his jeans are old? 3. Maggie thought about what sounds would be coming out of both bedrooms; she was just out of mourning and her son was only 14; 4. Copyrighted products and logos used on the banners and their store logo.

A Springtime romance is at the center of Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt. The second book in the Starr’s Fall Series is an age gap romance with Maggie and Zach. Maggie has a business to run wanting her board game café to be successful, which can be hard to do in a small town. Yet love comes her way with Zach. So much wonderful about this thing with Zach but bad timing, reputations to consider and who cares. I knew that Zach was the one so I was Team Zach all the way, hoping that Maggie would be too.

A fun to read story with drama, angst, new beginnings and second chances. Visit Starr’s Fall today.

Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Spring is in the air in Starr’s Fall, and for two people, love may be just a roll of the dice away…

As the frozen earth gives way to the first spring crocuses, pushing their way into the warmer air, Maggie arrives in Starr’s Fall. She’s looking for a new start, with her lovable but painfully shy teenaged son in tow.

It feels like the odds are against her, but she’s determined to come out winning this time, and to fulfil her dream of opening up a board game café. But not everything’s a game, and when she finds herself attracted to a man who’s known as a different sort of player, she worries she’s setting herself up to lose.

Zach is funny, surprisingly geeky, and, most importantly, bonds with her son. But Zach is also drop-dead gorgeous, has a reputation around town, and is also ten years younger than her.

When he asks her out on a date, Maggie is totally thrown. She can’t deny she’s attracted to him. But is she ready to risk her heart with another roll of the dice?

My Opinion

It felt nice to be back in Starr’s Fall. Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall is the second book in the Starr’s Fall series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Kate Hewitt has created a sweet small town with some great characters. This is only my second book by Kate Hewitt but I really enjoy the writing style. A great read that I would highly recommend.

Rating 4/5

This book is full of fresh starts, hope, and romance that makes you smile!! It is the second book in the Starr's Fall series and Kate Hewitt does such a great job creating lovable characters in a charming small-town setting. I love her light writing style and it was a perfect balance of sweet, heartfelt moments and lighthearted fun. If you’re looking for a feel-good escape with just the right touch of warmth and whimsy, this one’s a winner!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Review was posted (Instagram, Goodreads, bookishlytara blog, Storygraph) on March 17, 2025. An additional post (with a reposted review) was posted on Instagram on the publication day as well as an Amazon Canada review. (links below)

Maggie and her son Ben want to make a fresh start in their life. They move to Starr’s Fall to open a gaming store.
This is an easy to read book and second in this series.
It deals with some life issues with romance thrown in to mix things up. I’m looking forward to see who next moves to Starr’s Fall