3.5 stars, rounded up. I don’t think the main character thought through one single decision she made. Her friend Kate was a bit pushy as well. I did love the mention of all of the board games and I wish I had something like the cafe in this book near me. Maybe I’d get out of the house more if I did 😅

I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This is a lovely debut book. It is a sweet and cosy read. I loved the characters and reading about the different board games. I like playing board games and I thought that this was a different and interesting theme about cafes.
This is an easygoing and entertaining read. I will definitely read more books by this Author. It would be great if there were more books set in the cafe.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for my ARC.

A pitch perfect cozy story, The Little Board Game Cafe will be a winner with a lot of different readers. The setting is beautifully executed, the romance is sweet, and the characters live on the page. The word for this story is charming, and I didn't want it to end.

EXCERPT: Emily thumbed her way through Oxfam's self-help section. What she really needed was How to Stand Up to Your Mother-in-Law, but if such a title existed, the charity shop was out of stock. Instead she looked for books on job-hunting, selecting one title about re-writing your CV and a second entitled Surviving Unemployment. She was wondering if there might be a section on how to cope if it was your own fiancé who'd made you unemployed, when a bright red book with bold white writing caught her eye: A Beginner's Guide to Starting Your Own Business. Perhaps it was a sign.

ABOUT 'THE LITTLE BOARD GAME CAFÉ': When Emily loses her job, house and boyfriend all within a matter of days, she's determined to turn a negative into a positive and follow her dream of running a small cafe in the gorgeous Yorkshire village of Rosegarth.

But she quickly finds she's bitten off more than she can chew when the 'popular' cafe she takes over turns out to secretly be a failing business. Emily desperately needs a way to turn things around, and help comes from the unlikeliest of places when she meets local board game-obsessed GP Ludek. But when a major chain coffee shop opens on the high street, Emily is forced to question if she'll ever be able to compete.

Has she risked everything on something destined to fail? Or can a playful twist, a homely welcome, and a sprinkle of love make Emily's cafe the destination she's always dreamed of?

MY THOUGHTS: A sweet read that attracted me because I love playing board games and doing jigsaws. My Uncle Aubrey used to own a butcher's shop and had a butcher's block set up with a jigsaw on it for customers to do while they were waiting to be served. I loved going in there on my way home from school to put a few pieces in place. So the idea of a board game café really appealed. And I still think it's a brilliant idea.

My problem was with Emily. Her character is an air-head. She has no idea about business. She doesn't do her research on anything. She signed up for a one day cookery course without checking the course content and found herself 'learning' to make basic dishes she already knew how to make. She gets herself into some silly situations and is constantly being bailed out of trouble by various other characters.

I'd like to know when she did her baking for the café - there's no mention of that. She's rolling up to the café at 7.30 am - or even later! - which is opening time. When she does hire someone to help her out with the baking, the employee doesn't start until midday.

I hope that no one decides to go into the café business based on reading this book. More cafés fail than succeed and Emily wouldn't last five minutes in the real world of business.

I would have enjoyed this more had Emily had some backbone, some spunk, some vestige of common sense.

A cute quick read about following your dreams.

⭐⭐⭐.3

#TheLittleBoardGameCafé #NetGalley

I: @jenniferpagewrites @ariesfiction

T: @jenpagewrites @AriesFiction

#contemporaryfiction #chic-lit #romance

THE AUTHOR: Jennifer Page lives near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire with her husband Hermi and his very – no, make that extremely – large collection of board games. Jennifer writes light-hearted, cosy romantic fiction which was initially inspired by her own dating adventures. Before she met Hermi, she was single for 13 years and had pretty much given up on meeting The One.

When she isn’t writing, Jennifer can usually be found playing board games; since she met Hermi, she’s become even more obsessed with them than he is! She also loves cooking (though she’d never claim to be any good at it!), caravan holidays and walking in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Aria & Aries for providing a digital ARC of The Little Board Game Café by Jennifer Page for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

A delightful story of a woman who follows her dream to open a cafe, discovering that she needs something different to get people in the door. A handsome doctor and his invitation to join the board game club gives her inspiration. Some lovely characters, delicious food and a satisfying ending make this a lovely read

What a lovely heartwarming debut read. I really enjoyed it. It follows the story of Emily and her dream of owning a cafe.
The book has a great sense of community. All the characters are likeable, especially Mr.B who was my favourite, he’s such a lovely character.
You’re soon engrossed and rooting for all the characters and their personal growth and happy endings, especially Emily.
A cosy, feel good read. Definitely recommend. Look forward to more from this author.
Thanks to NetGallery and Head Of Zeus for a arc of The Little Board Game Cafe in exchange for a honest review.

This was such a wonderful story, so adorable and very addictive! An amazing debut book, it was filled with charming characters and fascinating happenings too.
I love seeing a character take on a challenge and to try and realise their dreams, so I was totally engrossed with following Emily with her efforts to create a café.
The board game aspect of this story was really fun and I loved how it influenced Emily and gave her something to concentrate on away from her work.
Some great twists and turns, I loved following the characters as they came together to support each other.
A really fantastic feel good story that captured my heart, stimulated my appetite ( such delicious food is mentioned) and made me smile with the lovely community moments that were spread throughout this lovely story.

That was all really fun and cute but I feel the meh parts of this book had to do with the fact the MC is probably the ditziest girl alive. I could see certain things being cute or goofy that a MC does or says but I sometimes felt she was just downright dumb. Doing zero research on buying a closed down establishment is only the start of this. She was a little too aloof for me and didn’t have it in the common sense department.
There were times that I felt this read a little too YA for me and that might also be why I wasn’t too keen.
Although this was cute enough, I don’t think it hit the right spot I was looking for in this book. I do encourage my feel-good bookies out there to give this one a try! And you truly don’t need to know much about board games to understand this one.

What a delightful story by a debut author.
After losing her fiancée and home in quick succession she knows she needs to do something.
Moving in with her friend seems to be the best thing for Emily at the moment.
When a big upset happens in our lives it can sometimes be the change we need and in this case it is.
What seems like a lifetime ago Emily and her mother wanted to open up a little cafe together, unfortunately her mother passed away and Emily threw herself into other endeavors.
Now with change out of her control it seems the perfect time to implement this change she can control, opening a cafe.
Finding one in her price range hasn't been easy but she does it, now to get more foot traffic and fix up the inside without it costing an arm and a leg. With no romantic relationship to hold her back timewise she gives it her all and starts living her dream of baking and running a little cafe all the while looking on YouTube for new coffee drink recipes. And still very few customers.
A man she meets while out running and gets to talking to has an idea to have a game night at her cafe because the venue he uses has been double booked and the game night needs to go.
Will the game night be enough to draw customers into her shop when she adds a few new items to her menu? I adored the idea of a cafe having a game night, it sounds so much fun while drinking delicious specialty coffees. The only thing needed would be to have a few cats lounging around in the cafe. Love and life start picking up. Can it last though at the fast pace it's on? Delightful and a gem. I'll be on the lookout for more by this author.

Pub Date 13 Apr 2023
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

The Little Board Game Cafe is Jennifer Page’s debut novel and I can’t wait for more. It is about Emily who finally gets the courage to follow her dream after getting fired from her job by her fiancé at the time no less. She also loses her home when she and her fiancé break up. Her dream has a rocky start, but things turn around for her when she comes up with a clever and unique idea to set her cafe apart from others with the help of Ludek and his friends. Will she finally run to love, instead of running away from it? Read The Little Board Game Cafe to find out.
This book is a romance, but it is also so much more than that. It is about having the courage to follow your dreams and your heart, and about the grief process after losing a loved one. I loved this amazing story and highly recommend it to anyone who likes romances.

A cafe with a difference which makes for an interesting read. Well written, relatable characters, which makes this book hard to put down.

The Little Board Game Café is an enchanting tale of love, camaraderie, and the influence of game nights. This delightful read captivated my attention from start to finish with its seamless flow and engaging plot.

Page's writing style is both engaging, making the story easy to follow and understand. Her characters are well-developed and relatable, making it easy to become invested in their lives and struggles.

Overall, The Little Board Game Café is a charming and heartwarming story that will leave readers feeling uplifted and inspired. It is a must-read for anyone who loves games, friendship, and a good dose of positivity.

The Little Board Game Cafe by Jennifer Page

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

Blurb

An irresistible story of love, friendship and the power of Games Night, perfect for fans of Holly Martin and Christie Barlow.

When Emily loses her job, house and boyfriend all within a matter of days, she's determined to turn a negative into a positive and follow her dream of running a small cafe in the gorgeous Yorkshire village of Rosegarth.

But she quickly finds she's bitten off more than she can chew when the 'popular' cafe she takes over turns out to secretly be a failing business. Emily desperately needs a way to turn things around, and help comes from the unlikeliest of places when she meets local board game-obsessed GP Ludek. But when a major chain coffee shop opens on the high street, Emily is forced to question if she'll ever be able to compete.

Has she risked everything on something destined to fail? Or can a playful twist, a homely welcome, and a sprinkle of love make Emily's cafe the destination she's always dreamed of?

My Opinion

Emily has always dreamed of owning her own cafe - she was going to run it alongside her mother. When Emily gets a chance to make her dream come true, is she prepared to take the risk?

In this delight Jennifer Page has summed up how it must feel to be a small cafe when a large coffee chain comes to town - is Emily's cafe able to stand up to the pressure? I adored this book, and I would love to be able to go to my own board game cafe. Nothing is straight forward in this book but that just adds to the charm. A stunning debut novel, with a beautiful front cover.

Rating: 5/5

Do you ever read a book that is the sort of book you want to write and the sort of world you want to live in? The Little Board Game Cafe was exactly that. This was a 100% a me sort of book, it had delicious food descriptions, wonderfully written characters and cozy vibes. Ticked every single box for me.

Emily had it all or so it seems but she loses her job house and boyfriend in one fell swoop but instead of dwelling too much she uses this chance to fulfil a lifelong dream she had with her mother and open a cafe. However, the cafe she has purchased may not have been all it seemed and she quickly needs to turn it around struggling for ideas inspiration does come in the form of an unlikely place.

Agreeing to attend a running club with her best friend sets wheels in motion for meeting the local Gp turned board game fan and ideas start to flow but just when things seem to brightening up, a major coffee chain arrives and once more she is questioning her dream.

I honestly loved this, i loved Emily - she was logical, flawed but also sweet and i was just rooting for her. The cast of characters were all well rounded and had a depth to them that even the fleeting cafe guests left a mark. An all round wonderful 5* read that is perfect for those cozy evenings.

The Little Board Game Cafe is a fun story of a young women finding her own path and building great connections with the people in her life.

The Little Board Game Café is a sweet and easy romance that you can easily get lost in.

What a fun and charming book! This story satisfied that craving I had for a sweet romance read. What a fun and charming book! This story satisfied that craving I had for a sweet romance read. If you love board games, you will enjoy this book so much. I’m not a big board game fan, but all the excitement and passion the characters had for these games just leapt from the pages and was contagious. I was itching to play a game when I finished reading this book.
Overall, this is a nice and easy read. The characters are all likeable, and the story moves at the perfect pace. I adored Emily and her dream to open up her very own café. It’s always so special getting to connect with a character when they are trying to make their dreams come true. I loved the fact that Emily didn’t have an easy journey when it came to running her new café. There were so many unexpected twists and turns, which made for an entertaining reading experience. It also made Emily’s journey more realistic and relatable. Also, I loved how there were no real bad guys in this story. At first, I thought Emily’s ex-fiance and his mother would be the horrible characters you love to hate, but they weren’t. They surprised me in a good way. They supported Emily and her business venture and only wanted good things for her. There were no hard feelings between Emily and her fiance, and the end of their book had them being friends. I loved the secondary characters in this book, especially Mr. B. That man was delightful and just charmed my socks off whenever he was on the page.
The love in this book is sweet. Ludek is a big old softy who is a complete and utter board game geek. The way that man treated his games is the same way I treat my books. It’s clear right from the beginning that Ludek is smitten with Emily, but he is unsure if he should make a move because Emily’s breakup with her fiance is still pretty fresh. Emily and Ludek are delightful together, and I devoured every scene that had these two together. Even though this is a more charming romance, these two have some hurdles and miscommunications to solve before they can be together. I enjoyed their romance. It had just the right amount of everything to make it a pleasant reading experience.

The Little Board Game Café is the perfect romance to read this spring.

Thank you, Aria & Aries for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was absolutely one of the sweetest debuts I have read, and I'm so happy for the author that her lifelong dream has come true!

I loved the scatterbrained, slightly ditzy Emily. The meet-cute was lovely, and the slightly nerdy (but cute) male protagonist was adorable. His efforts he made were so romantic and thoughtful.

I could relate to him 'making up for it now in adulthood for what he didn't have in childhood '

A few sensitive topics are touched on but done with sensitivity.

I loved the serendipitous way things worked out and came together for Emily despite a rocky start for her. Hitting a version of rock bottom can help you at times to see things in a new way and do something you never thought you were brave enough to try.

And as always, I loved the found family aspects.

I look forward to any future books that Jennifer Page will write.

From the outside, Emily has it all; a good job, a loving fiancè and a nice home. But this illusion is shattered when she's unexpectedly made redundant... by the man she's about to marry. Cue their break up and a major life crisis!

Realising this may be her only shot to pursue her dream, she takes a risk and buys a small cafè in her town of Essendale, Yorkshire. But the cafe business can be brutal and she struggles to bring in new customers.

Thank goodness for her new friend and GP Ludek who introduces her to the board game community. Changing course, she rebrands her cafe to become 'The Little Board Game Cafè' and is amazed to see the community grow almost instantly.

But when a chain Coffee shop opens on main street, will Emily's cafè survive? Or will she need to walk away from this dream forever?

This was a lovely, sweet read and I enjoyed getting to know the character of Emily. I felt for her over the early loss of her mother and how this affected both she and her father in very different ways. Emily's best friend Kate was the breath of fresh air the story needed, whilst Ludek was a great love interest.

This book was both light and sunny at times, then serious and focused at others. It's a closed door romance and it was definitely a slow burn with a lot of miscommunication. I'll admit that miscommunication isn't my favourite trope, but it made sense for the story.

Thank you to Author Jennifer Page, Head of Zeus and Netgalley for providing me with this ARC. All opinions are my own and have been provided voluntarily.

Thank you NetGalley and Aria & Aries for approving my request and on this book. I genuinely appreciate it so much.

This book was quite the cute and cozy read. It definitely takes you on a journey with the main character, Emily and her reaching these goals she has set for herself. I think that’s very lovely and is a reminder to never give up on your own dreams or ambitions. That even if you stumble upon some hard times and unfortunate circumstances, you can always turn it around.

The only con I have about this book is it felt a bit dragged on in some parts which kind of left me just feeling not so interested. But overall it’s a lovely read and I think many people would love to read it. I give this book a 4/5!

What a cute book! 🥹
It's that kind of book that really warms your soul. I only didn't give it 5 stars because the ending was a bit repetitive, but it was a great read. A light story, much more than a simple romance, in my opinion. It is a book where we follow a person who want to follow her dreams, to regain her self-esteem and what to do when things go less well.
I hope the author brings us a second book because I want to know the future of the remaining characters in the book 🥹💕