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

Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt is a romance that returns us to Starr’s Fall, a small New England town that appears to be dying, but the reality is much different. Maggie and her son, Ben, were staring at a pitiful Thanksgiving dinner, when Maggie decided they would go to Starr’s Fall and check out the property she had bought. It had been a rough year: Matt, husband and father, had died in a car wreck and Ben had been so bullied by his schoolmates that he had tried to take his own life. To be fair, their life with Matt hadn’t been great before he died, but they both had high hopes. Between the life insurance and the profit from the huge house Matt had insisted on, they had plenty of money so they were going to Starr’s Fall to open a game boarding cafe with an apartment above it in which they would live. Once they moved, they met a young man named Zach who loved playing the same computer game Ben did and to whom Maggie was mightily attracted, But, he was ten years younger, and she was not ready, anyway. Life went on as they adjusted to their new life.

Starr’s Fall is a place for second chances. Maggie and Ben found theirs there. The board game cafe was just what the little town needed. Ben made friends and so did Maggie. The reader was reintroduced to people the reader met in the last book. It was all very cozy and slowly they both healed. It was not an exciting read, but a satisfying one. Romances are all about happy endings and this book gave that. Good read.

I was invited to read Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall by Boldwood Books. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #BoldwoodBooks #KateHewitt #PlayingForKeepsInStarrsFall

This is the second book in the Starr's Fall series, but reads perfectly well on its own.

Maggie and her son, Ben, are moving to Starr's Fall for a fresh start after the traumatic death of Maggie's husband/Ben's dad. They are going to open a board game café in the town. I really enjoyed this aspect of the story and thought the café sounded amazing.

When they first arrive in Starr's Fall, Maggie meets Zach and instantly falls for him. Although they get on well, Maggie feels that she is too old for him and also guilty about having feelings for someone when she is still grieving her husband. She is also put off by the way everyone in town keeps referring to Zach's serial dating reputation.

As they prepare for the opening of the cafe, Zach becomes close friends with both Maggie and Ben, but then something happens to cause a rift between them.

I loved the setting of Starr's Fall and will definitely be reading the first book in the series, and any future ones. The small town seems lovely and the book was a perfect escapist read for me.
The story was cute, but some parts about Ben's experiences were a bit heavy.

This is a low spice romance - just kissing.
Trigger warnings for mentions of death, bullying and self harm.

Maggie and her son, Ben, have been through quite a lot in the last year. They have decided to get a fresh start in Starr's Fall. And they do that in spite of old fears and some new ones. Maggie is afraid of her feelings for Zach, but he is just so kind and understanding. I was glad for them to get together.

Wholesome small town vibes with romance, friendship and family.

This is the second book in the Starr’s Fall series and I absolutely loved it. This book follows newly widowed mum Maggie who moves to Starr’s Fall to start a new life with her teenage son and open a board game cafe. Zach, a local who grew up in the town but has always felt like an outsider is also looking for a fresh start and when the two meet and Zach bonds with Maggies teenage son about an online video game, it starts a friendship with an underlying attraction.
This book is full of cosy small town vibes, fresh starts and an unlikely romance.

⭐️ Age gap romance
⭐️Small town
⭐️ Widowed mum with teenage son
⭐️ Gilmore Girls vibes
⭐️ Board game cafe

The second book in the Starr's Fall series which, in my opinion, was better than the first, which I also loved.

The second book takes place in the same cute little town, Starr's Fall, but follows the life of a different character, Maggie, who is new to town and opening up a board game cafe (as a gamer, I love all the gaming talk). Maggie is looking to start her life over after the death of her husband. She is also trying to help her teenage son start fresh after suffering from bullying and depression.

This is a somewhat typical romance story, but the characters had deeper, backgrounds that seemed more relatable and real than most. It was not as lighthearted as the first book felt but that made me enjoy it more and get a tad emotional at a couple moments.

Overall, enjoyed, and am looking forward to what I hoped was a setup at the end to a third book focusing on a new character's story.

'Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall' by Kate Hewitt is the next in the Starr's Fall series. Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC. Maggie and her teenage son, Ben, decide to move to Starr's Fall, where they have had happy family holidays in the past. Maggie's husband died the previous year, so they decide to sell up and open a board game cafe at the one place they've been happy. However, despite a warm welcome from the other residents Maggie, who has barely worked and never run a business before, begins to wonder if she has bitten off more than she cope with. Zach, co-owner of the local general store, is also looking for a fresh start. Pigeon holed by the local community, can he and Maggie be what the other is looking for? I read and enjoyed this book, but for me it didn't quit measure up to the first book in the series.

🎲🃏Knowing when you need a fresh start🎮

4-4.5🌟 stars
A good romance, with a reverse age gap that bothered Maggie, the widow female lead, but not handsome Starr's Fall local general store co-owner Zach. The two have chemistry from their first encounter but Maggie, widowed only a year or so earlier and with her troubled, sensitive 14 year old son to fret over, resists, resists, resists. And all of the other locals keep telling her Zach's a player, which just serves to reinforce her reluctance to take the plunge. Not really steamy and I was totally fine with the slow development of their relationship and focus on emotion instead.

I liked all three main characters, especially Zach, and that the underlying theme for this small-town romance was getting perspective on one's life and making the changes that will increase your joy and optimism for the future. Maggie uprooted herself and son Ben, diving into a new community and a new business venture to help Ben. But it also made her take a deep look at where her life had been going before the move. And Zach, uncomfortably entrenched in the family business and unable to shake a reputation from his high school days, finally realizes he needs to revamp his relationship with his sister Jenna and find his own niche.

Ben's story and transformation also added a lot to the plot.

I missed the first book in this series but I like the town characters, including feisty octogenarian Harriet Starr, and anticipate returning for future stories in the series.

TW: discussion of bullying and past suicide attempt.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Review shared on 3/17/25 on Waterstones, Goodreads, Bookbub, and with Barnes & Noble and BAM. To be shared with kobo and Google Play when published.

Kate Hewitt writes a gripping and emotionally charged tale in Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall. The novel is placed in the quaint, idyllic village of Starr's Fall, where a strong-willed heroine is pulled into an unconventional romance that confronts their innermost fears and desires. With a blend of personal conflicts, family relationships, and social dynamics, Hewitt animates a story that is both heartwarming and realistic. The story is well-plotted, with tension and resolution points that keep readers fully invested. The characters here are deeply realized, with multifaceted emotional journeys that give the story depth. The journey of self-discovery taken by the protagonist feels true and accessible, and the ways in which he changes in his relationships with the other characters feel natural and significant. Supporting characters, ranging from family members and friends to love interests, are developed with unique personalities and motivations, adding to the rich fabric of Starr's Fall. Hewitt does a great job of making her characters real and complex.

The writer's style is lyrical, evocative, and rich in emotional content. She is a master of capturing the subtlety of human interactions and inner struggles, and that has become one of the markers of her technique. The writing walks the golden line between description and narrative readability perfectly, sucking the reader in with the universe of Starr's Fall and sustaining her interest in the characters' struggles. At its core, Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is a love, grit, and risk-taking story that explores how it takes courage to create a meaningful life. The book also touches on the issues of family, forgiveness, and the value of accepting one's weaknesses. Through her narrative, Hewitt conveys a strong message about the potential of healing through connection and the grace of discovering love where it is least expected.

The author uses various literary devices to make the narrative richer, such as descriptive imagery, effective dialogue, and periods of reflection. Her utilization of the small town as a backdrop and metaphor for transformation makes the story richer and more profound. The pacing is controlled, as the emotional arcs are allowed to develop organically while maintaining interest from readers. The pacing of the novel is excellent, with a consistent rhythm that oscillates between tension and relaxation. The organization is natural, with chapters that run smoothly and culminate in a fulfilling ending. Hewitt's clear writing makes the book enjoyable to read, with a broad appeal to various readers.

Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is a wonderfully crafted and emotionally satisfying novel that will appeal to readers of contemporary romance and character-driven fiction. Kate Hewitt's masterful storytelling, along with her skill at portraying the intricacies of love and relationships, makes this book a gem in her repertoire. Although some readers might enjoy a more fast-paced or plot-based novel, the power of the novel is its emotional resonance and applicability. I would most strongly recommend Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall to anyone looking for a warm and uplifting novel of love, hope, and belonging.

Mourning the sudden death of her husband and her son’s father, Maggie makes the huge decision to uproot her life and move with her son to Starr’s Fall, a small town that offers a fresh start for them both. Since her husband’s death, Maggie has discovered that her husband wasn’t a good man, and that knowledge has affected their son most deeply. Her priority is to ensure that her son, Ben, finds the support that he both needs and deserves. For that reason, she has sold the family home and reinvested the money into a shop unit in the close-knit community of Starr’s Fall. Their dream is to open the unit as a board game café, a concept that Ben insists will be a huge success.
One of the first people that Maggie encounters is Zach, a handsome guy with a reputation for being a player and a good decade younger than her. Of course, Zach’s reputation precedes him, and every alarm bell rings for her. Having just come out of her marriage and adjusting to being a widow, she is determined not to be sidetracked from her focus on her son.
Zach is a delightful yet misunderstood lead, and he absolutely captured my imagination. His focus on being kind to others and supporting the local community was overshadowed by the opinions on his private life. The impact on his life soon becomes evident as the story expands, and we learn more about how opinions about his personal life are misleading. Zach happily offers friendship to Ben and supports Maggie in her push to open the board game café.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book's romance and the gentle buildup of the story, which allowed Maggie, Ben, and Zach to heal their pain. I can highly recommend this trip to Starr’s Fall and will be looking forward to future visits.

Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt is a heartfelt and compelling romance that blends small-town charm with deep emotional themes. The novel follows Maggie, a dedicated single mother, and Zach , good looking local with quite a reputation. Both are searching for a change and when their paths cross both find they start to open up to love and healing.
Hewitt excels at crafting complex, relatable characters with real-world struggles. Maggie is a strong and determined protagonist, balancing motherhood and personal sacrifice, doing all she can to make sure her son is happier and more secure. She has made the decision to uproot them to this small, local community and open a games café – with risks surrounding every decision she’s made, Maggie is determined this will work. Zach is tired of not being taken seriously, everyone having opinions including his own sister; meeting Maggie and her son starts things in motion that has things changing. Their chemistry is believable, and their slow-burn romance develops in a natural, touching way that keeps readers invested.
The backdrop of Starr's Fall, with its welcoming community and scenic beauty, enhances the story's cosy, small-town atmosphere. Hewitt also weaves in themes of family, self-worth, and resilience, adding depth to the romance.
While the story follows some familiar romance tropes, Hewitt’s excellent character development and emotional depth elevate the story beyond a typical love tale. The secondary characters add to the narrative, making the town of Starr's Fall feel like a place you'd want to return to. If you have read the first book you will enjoy catching up with already well loved characters.
Overall, Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is a beautifully written, emotional romance that will appeal to fans of small-town love stories and strong character-driven narratives. It's a heartwarming read with just the right mix of warmth, personal growth, and love.