It was lovely to be back in this gorgeous little town. Perfect catch up with the inhabitants. I already want more and to find out more about Annie, Ben, Zach and Maggie.
I love the idea of living in a warm and loving community like they do here. It’s a very warm and comforting book, perfect for wintery afternoons, autumn evenings or on the beach. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall is the second book in this lovely series by Kate Hewitt and I have to say Kate’s done it again! It’s an absolutely wonderful escape to the small town of Starr’s Fall. Maggie and her son Ben move to Starr’s Fall to start over following the death of her husband. In typical Kate Hewitt style the community gathers together to welcome them and before you know it love is in the air!

I’ve followed Kate Hewitt for years because of the delightful communities and people in her books. Most of her books have been set in England, but Starr’s Fall is a cozy New England town that you’re sure to fall in love with. I’m eagerly looking forward to reading Jenna’s story next!

Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is the new and completely unputdownable book by Kate Hewitt.. and let me just say I devoured this book in less than 24 hours! I absolutely couldn't put it down and loved every second of it!

Maggie and her teenage son, Ben, are looking to make big changes in their lives. Still reeling after the death of her husband, Maggie is opening a board game cafe in Starr's Fall, and she's hoping it will be the change they both need.

I loved Coming Home to Starr's Fall, the first book in the series. With serious Gilmore Girls vibes it was just the kind of book I love.... cozy moments in a small town, with a side dash of romance! I absolutely couldn't wait to visit again... and let me just say Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is even better than the first. All your favourite characters are back, along with a few new ones!

Maggie and Ben's story is kind of timeless in romantic fiction, with both of them suffering from grief and trying to move on. However, Kate Hewitt adds depth into the story and I went through moments of wanting to cry and then cheering them on and laughing.

Beyond an unputdownable story, I love that we pick up with what is happening with Laurie and Joshua, from the first book, and also the other people that live in Starr's Fall, like town Matriarch, Henrietta Starr. It truly feels like you're visiting again, and I just love it!! If you love Gilmore Girls and cozy romantic fiction you need to pick this one up!

I was lucky enough to be given the chance to read the second book in the Starr’s Fall series and this one was so good. Maggie and her son Ben are on a journey of healing and change and as they go through the process of starting over, they learn a lot about each other. This is a story of hope and second chances. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Love the Starr's Fall books. Maggie arrives in Starr's Fall with her son after spending a couple of holidays there. She has bought a shop and's going to turn it into a board game cafe as her son is a massive gamer. They've had a lot of problems in their life and hope this will help. They meet Zach who also has problems . Everyone makes them so welcome

This is the second book in the Starr’s Fall series. I enjoyed the first book and this one was just as good. Highly recommended series.

A widow and her young teenage son need a change. A change that will help them heal and overcome so many personal issues that need resolved.
Moving to Starr’s Fall seems to be the answer to help them achieve happiness. But, overcoming obstacles seems to be weighing them both down. Can they go forward and find peace?
It was fun catching up with some of the previous characters in the series.
The small, quaint town of Starr’s Falls is the perfect town to start over.
The pacing of the story is perfect.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Maggie and her son move to Starr’s Fall, a town full of gossip and colourful characters, to open a board game cafe. While I found this book an ok read I also found the gossip to be a bit much at times and unnecessary and made me dislike certain characters. It’s also a bit of a depressing book which covers dark topics that some people don’t want to read about. I haven’t read the other book in the series and maybe if I had I would have enjoyed it more. Certain parts of the story like reactions etc were a bit unrealistic as was the romance in the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me the privilege of being allowed to read this book.

For the first time in a little while I'm not really sure what to say about this book. It's a good book. It was an emotional book. I think the reason I feel so stuck on my review is that despite the context of the book this was still suppose to be a romance. It kind of was but it felt so heavy. Heavy, dark emotions weighted so heavily over 90% of the character interactions. Apart from maybe the last 30-50 pages, ever interaction is based on a hurt for every character and it was kind of draining. The author is fabulous at creating real-life characters I loved that, but constantly feeling sad and depressed because that's literally the basis for the awkward feeling interactions or conversations pulled me down so bad.

The author created a wonderful real feeling world and wonderful characters there's a lot of them but there not hard to get confused (I've never read the first book either). I absolutely loved the game idea as well. But this is kind of sad but the one character who was suppose to be the most depressed was actually the one to bring a lot of the good into the story, he was the bright shining light in this book. I just wished this book was less on fights, and dragging people down and the utter empty feeling I got from it almost the whole time. It has a happy ending but it's completely overshadowed by how unhappy I was made to feel. Which is the mark of great author, but I know that wasn't the true intention for this book.

Thank you very much again for allowing me to read this book, I did still really enjoy it.

Kate Hewitt's "Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall" is a continuation of the series.
Maggie and her son Ben's journey of moving, settling, and creating a life at the board game cafe is heartwarming and relatable. Their story is beautifully written. Maggie's resilience and determination, combined with the charming interactions at the cafe.
The romance element towards the end, however, felt a bit disjointed for me. While the buildup was sweet, the conclusion lacked the same cohesiveness found in the rest of the story for me.
A big thank you to NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great sequel to Coming Home to Starr's Fall. It was centered on a Mother and her teen Son that moved to town to open a GameBoard Café as they try to start over. While we meet some new people we also get to catch up with everyone we met in Coming Home. They welcome and befriend the new comers as we see how they have adjusted to town. A good book that while at times was really wordy had a great story.

I am already looking forward to Kate Hewitt's next book in this series even though this one doesn't come out until 3/21/25.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

4 stars. This is a feelgood book!

Widowed a year ago, Maggie moves to Starr's Fall with her son Ben. They need a fresh start and plan to open a board game café. Maggie is attracted to handsome, flirtatious Zach, and Zach seems very interested in Maggie. However, they both have their pasts to deal with. Maggie is 10 years older and the age gap is also discussed in the book.

This is the second book in the series, and since I liked the first book, I definitely wanted to read this one. Although this is a romance novel, I would say that Maggie and Zach's romance was just one part, and equally important themes in the book are growing as a person and finding your place.

The book was easy to read and endearing. The small town of Starr's Fall is a charming setting, and the book definitely has Hallmark vibes. And that's not a bad thing! I'm going to continue with the series.

WHAT I LIKED: Small town vibes! Board game talk! I liked how the main characters grew as a person

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE: I hoped a bit more of romance; this was more like a story how they got together (there were lots of complications) and we didn't see them much when they really were together. Also reverse age gap is not a trope I like, however this book was cute despite that.

WHAT TO EXPECT:

Pov: dual, 3rd person
Heat: closed doors, kissing only
Pacing: slowburn
Communication: miscommunication, but towards the end some healthy communication too
Third act: hiccups (they are not together so that's not actually a break up)
Ending: I'd say HFN

Main characters
* Age gap, reverse; she's 10 years older
* Friends to lovers
* Single parent

What?
* Forced proximity
* Found family

Where?
* Starr's Fall, Connecticut
* Small town

Drama?
* Difficult past
* Family drama

Other vibes:
* Hallmark vibes
* Mental health rep (Maggie's son Ben)

A lovely read. I was looking forward to the second book in this series and it dissapoint beautifully written with characters you can warm to. Maggie and her son Ben who has been having problems decide to move and to Starrs fall for a new start where they hope to open a board game cafe but when she meets Zakck who has a reputation in
the town there is an instant attraction between them and he is younger than her but he also bonds with Ben so will thing's work out for them. A lovely heartwarming story again from Kate Hewitt and I'm sure will be welcomed by her readers

Maggie is a widow with a teenage son. He was bullied and attempted suicide. She asked him how she could help, and he said he wanted a fresh start. They move to Starr's Fall to begin a new life. I loved how Maggie made her son Ben the most important reason to make a move. They start a game store and meet Matt who bonds with Ben over a video game. Complications happen but this is a well written story about motherhood, community support and strength. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This is the second book in the Starr's Fall series. Maggie Parker, 41 and widowed, has moved to small town Starr's Fall in Connecticut, New England for a fresh start. She has a teenage son named Ben who is 14 and she intends to open a boardgame café. She soon realises that she's stumbled into a ready-made friendly community, including Zach, 31, who has a reputation around town for being a player. But is it true, and what is Maggie hiding about her past marriage? Zach is a people pleaser who clashes a lot with his sister Jenna about the future of their family-owned grocery store, and he is keen to help Maggie set up her café.

Maggie doesn't want to start a relationship because of the age difference, their emotional baggage, Zach's reputation, and having a vulnerable son. Ben gets a lot of time in this book and it's clear he is very important to his Mum and why they moved to Starr's Fall.

As long as I don't have to live in them I quite like to read about small towns, and I liked the warm-hearted, kind people in this one. Laurie and Joshua from the previous book are the first people to welcome and befriend Maggie and Ben. I like short novels that don't overstay their welcome and aren't too taxing, and I like cats so this was right up my street. The story and the cover have a pleasantly spring feel which is nice as most novels choose either summer or winter for their stories.

I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and there were lots of things in the epilogue that could have got more time in the book but I guess it was used to set up the next book in the series which seems to be Jenna's story. Altogether, this is a cosy, clean small-town romance about two people with baggage giving each other a chance.

In Playing For Keeps in Starr's Fall, Kate Hewitt crafts a charming and heartfelt small-town romance that follows Maggie as she embarks on a journey for a fresh start with her shy teenage son. Arriving in the picturesque town of Starr’s Fall, Maggie is determined to fulfill her dream of opening a board game café, seeking to find balance and joy in her life again. But just as she begins to settle in, she finds herself drawn to Zach, a captivating man known for his charm and good looks.

Zach is not only younger—ten years her junior—but he also carries a reputation that makes Maggie hesitant. However, his humor, geekiness, and genuine connection with her son make it hard for her to resist the budding attraction. When Zach asks Maggie out, she is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, torn between the thrill of a new romance and the fear of heartbreak.

As the warmth of spring begins to thaw her worries, Maggie must navigate the complexities of their age difference, her past experiences, and the potential for genuine love. Playing For Keeps in Starr's Fall is a delightful exploration of personal growth, second chances, and the unpredictability of love.

This is a sweet romance with just the right amount of conflict thrown in. I enjoyed the budding romance of Maggie and Zach. Couple that with a quaint small town, and I’m hooked!

I just read this book and it was a good read. It was heart-warming, sometimes sad, but generally it was cozy. It was about loss, moving on, friendships, romance and a fresh start.

10/10 would recommend to a friend. I received an advance copy of the book. You can pre-order your copy, the book is released on March 21, 2025.

Kate, beautiful job! Congratulations, I can’t wait for Publication Date.

I really enjoyed this book and hope that they'll be a book 3! It's easy to read, has a great cast of characters and doesn't bog you down with too much detail.

Maggie and her son move to Star Fall after her husband dies, she wants to open a board game cafe. she meets Zack the town playboy. feelings start to develop.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy. This story goes through the journey of two different individuals with dual POV. Maggie is finding herself after losing her husband and almost losing her son, she make a decision to both help her son and herself by moving to a small town. As reading this it was hard not to think about Gilmore Girls as places were mentioned and also the nosy town people. The book talks about the complication of grief and sense of freedom. One of the quotes I loved and resonated deeply: “the nature of life always changing, always unknowable, with the pleasure and happiness to be found along the way”. Another aspect is second chance not only in life but trusting yourself to love again. I would recommend this book to those that want something easy to read but also meaningful.