This is the second book in the series and it doesn’t disappoint in the slightest. The story is about Maggie who arrives in Starrs Falls looking for a new fresh start with her son. It’s a wonderful romance set in an idyllic setting with wonderful characters . Recommended

this is highly unfair. as a young girl i wanted to move in to Stars Hollow in the Gilmore girls. hell, i wanted to run away to be adopted by them. even though looking back now as an adult the sensible side of me says dont be silly. but reading this book it seems the adult in me still wants to be scooped up and swept away by another similar place. and here enters Starrs fall. so yes, take me there please. another edition of the Starrs Fall series begins with a widow moving to the town. she has her vulnerable son with her and is having to work hard at being brave for the both of them.
we are back with the town. and back with the same gorgeous descriptions of both place and characters. the way Kate Hewitt writes is both beautiful and warm. i fall in love with all her books. its safe to say im a big fan. and having been that way for a while now, it feel just wonderful to know that
every book she brings out, i will love. and indeed once again i did.
don't get me wrong. not everyone in the town is Hallmark movie wonderful. and thats what Kate does so well. she doesnt scrimp on reality and relatable real characters. its doesnt have to be cliched or ucky to just be a great place,people,and plot.
and of course there is the love interest. its Zach who enters that role. and there is an instant bashful moment for both Maggie and us as readers. we are all giggly now. but Zach has a reputation. so Maggie doesnt want to play a game with her heart. shes here only to start her game cafe. no men allowed on that dice roll.
i really enjoyed the bond that the three got together. how Zach was so good with Maggie's son. and how throughout the book they became a really lovely unit. and grew and moved and healed together.
brilliant book. and anohter grateful thankyou for the opportuinthy to read this,

Maggie and Zach. Another sweet, slow-burn, clean sort-of-romance for a couple with a reverse age-gap.
Again we are in the cute little town of Starr’s Fall with the sweet, welcoming and gossipy residents. Maggie and her son Ben have been through some hardships and move there for a fresh start. A friendship is developed between them and Zach who, as time goes by, realises he too needs some life changes.
I liked the gaming references, both online and boardgame ones, it was nice to see them in a book. The description of their emotions and thought process was well done and I enjoyed this book almost as much as the first one. The 3rd person narrative makes it harder for me to feel more connected with the MCs and the fact that the actual romantic moments between the MCs are so few doesn’t allow me to give a higher rating.

-3rd person POV
-Spice: 0.25🌶️

Overall: 3.5/5 ⭐️

Thank you NetGalley & Boldwood Books for providing this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Maggie has had a devastating blow and with her loveable, quirky young son the pair are about to make a fresh start in Starr's Fall opening a board game cafe. We see past characters of the small town feature in the book which made me feel right at home. The characters are believable and down to earth creating a charming tale. It felt romantic while keeping it cool. It's quite a nostalgic and emotional read. The chapters are filled with laughter and plenty of love and that has me wanting to stay in the book forever!

Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall is the second book in the Starr's Fall series. While there was a lot I liked about this book, it just didn't have the charm of the first book. I really liked the residents of the town and enjoyed catching up with them, and the board game cafe was a fun touch. But I didn't feel much of a connection between the main characters, and the book just felt heavier than I like in a romance. That said, I did still enjoy the story overall, and am looking forward to the next in the series.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Maggie and her son Ben are looking for a new start in their lives since the loss of her husband. She knew that they could find what they were looking for in Starr’s Fall. They opened a Café called Board Games. This was an idea that seemed to suit them both.
This story had the perfect combination of people – the location and the need to have that family feel with everyone in the town and romance.
This book was a perfect way to spend a quiet weekend with all the people I meet in this book.
Thank you NetGalley, Kate Hewitt and Boldwood Books for the copy of the book Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall. This is my personal review,

Ah! Love confusion, starting over, and a slew of general and personal problems join together beautifully to form this lovely and tender story.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I loved reading this, the second book in the series.

The story is about Maggie, who’s recently lost her partner and her son Ben. Both of them trying to get their lives back on track. They move to Starr’s Fall and open a gaming cafe.

We also meet Zach, who is known by the residents as the town’s playboy. He helps them both a lot in their healing process. But Maggie is wary of how much to allow him into their lives.

I recommend this book.

My thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Playing For Keeps In Starr’s Fall’, book two in the Starr’s Fall series written by Kate Hewitt, in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Recovering from the death of her husband just over a year ago, Maggie and her teenage son Ben decide to move to Starr’s Fall, a town they’ve only been to twice before, and open up a Board Game Cafe at Ben’s suggestion. As she queues for their pizzas in ‘Slice of Heaven’ Maggie meets Zach who’s ten years younger than her, drop-dead gorgeous and who she’s instantly attracted to, but he has a reputation in Starr’s Fall for the number of women he’s dated and she knows there can never be anything between them other than friendship.

‘Playing For Keeps in Starr’s Fall’ is the wonderful story of a woman and her son who have history they’re hoping to forget by making a new life for themselves. Returning to Starr’s Fall gives me the same warm comfortable feeling that I had when reading the previous novel in the series and has made me want to keep reading without stopping. It’s an easy novel to read with a warm and fairly romantic plot and it’s been great meeting up with the previous characters again who feel more like old friends but with the addition of Maggie, Ben and Zach who’ve all been described to perfection. It’s a wonderful novel that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading and I’m hoping there’ll be another in Starr’s Fall in the future.

"Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall" by Kate Hewitt is like settling into your favorite armchair with a warm cup of cocoa—comforting, heartwarming, and utterly delightful. Maggie's venture to open a board game café in the quaint town of Starr's Fall is as charming as it sounds, especially when paired with her endearing, albeit introverted, teenage son. Enter Zach, the town's unexpectedly geeky heartthrob with a reputation that precedes him, and sparks fly in the most unexpected ways. Hewitt's storytelling effortlessly transports you to a community reminiscent of "Gilmore Girls," where every corner holds the promise of new beginnings and heartfelt connections. The chemistry between Maggie and Zach is a delightful dance of wit and warmth, making this novel a must-read for anyone craving a feel-good romance set against the backdrop of a picturesque small town.

It’s spring in Starr,s Fall and it welcomes new people Maggie and her son, they plan to open up a Board game cafe. They have troubles and a fresh start will do them both good. Zach the local playboy bumps into Maggie’s, but will there be romance as they have a ten year age gap. Really enjoyed this cozy easy read. This is part of a series and the first one was set in Autumn, both are great reads. It’s a feel good read with normal characters with normal issues, I liked that. A fabulous 5 star read. Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

PLAYING FOR KEEPS IN STARR’S FALL by KATE HEWITT
Book 2 of 2: Starr's Fall
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?
This is Maggie Parker and teenaged son Ben's story.
This is Zach Miller's story.
“Hello,” the woman sang out, and Maggie turned, startled. She still wasn’t used to people talking to her without knowing her history.
But now this woman— she couldn’t be more than twenty-five— was beaming at her, while the dark-haired man behind her tried to keep hold of a small, and very cute, wiry-haired dog.
“Are you new here?” the woman asked. “Are you moving in?”
Maggie glanced at the man, who smiled and waved. “Yes,” she said when she realized belatedly that it was her turn to talk. “We’re moving in.” She nodded toward the shuttered storefront. “We’re… we’re hoping to start a boardgame café here, actually.” There. She’d said it out loud, so now it had to happen, right?
“Zach?” A man emerged from the kitchen, holding a pizza box. “Extra spicy chorizo and pepperoni pizza?” “That’s me.”
The man— Zach— turned around, one golden eyebrow arched. “You have a problem with my pizza?” he asked, and to her mortification, his tone was flirtatious.
“Are you new here?” he called just as she’d reached the door.
“Well,” he said with a grin that made his eyes sparkle, “welcome to the neighborhood.”
PLAYING FOR KEEPS IN STARR’S FALL by KATE HEWITT is a 3 star book.
I voluntarily read an advanced readers copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions expressed here in this review are entirely my own.

I enjoyed the first Starr’s Fall book, but I couldn’t finish Playing for Keeps. First of all, I have no interest in games and a lot of the dialogue revolved around it. Fair enough, but I also wasn’t into the age gap love story, and the son I thought was maybe 10 from the way he was written who turned out to be 15. Maybe I’m wrong, but 15 seems old enough to help your mom move and settle, realize she’s grieving and not pester her about opening a store every 5 minutes. I also thought the love interest, Zach, was in his mid-20’s until I found out through another review here that he was 31. Maggie’s only 41 but acts like she’s ancient (and fair enough, because we all feel that way sometimes, but I just felt like there was too big of a maturity difference between her and Zach.)

I’m sad to say I couldn’t finish it because I know from the previous book that it had potential, but I just didn’t care about reading page after page about games, just a personal preference. I gave it a few chances and tried! It’s not bad, it’s just not for me.

I received an advanced copy through NetGalley in exchange for a review and opinions are my own.

"Hope feels so hard sometimes. To do it on the first place, and then also to risk the disappointment. I tell myself to be realistic about everything but sometimes I just want to believe."

This picks up very shortly before the epilogue of book 1 (by which I mean a few hours before!) where we meet Maggie and Ben at Thanksgiving. They're moving to Starr's Fall for a new start following the death of Maggie's husband/Ben's dad. Maggie works to open a board game cafe, with help from Zach - well known around town as a player, who everyone warns her about.

Maggie, Ben and Zach have a lot of healing to do, in different ways and their stories are well-written and engrossing. I loved reading this book (and the previous one) - the world and the characters are fantastic. It's Gilmore Girls adjacent - Hartford is nearby, there's small town gossip, but it's far more complex and interesting. There were difficult topics covered, but done sensitively.

There are references to book 1 but all explained in enough detail that this could be read as a stand alone.

The epilogue sets up the next story - I'm already looking forward to hearing about more from Starr's Fall.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Playing For Keeps In Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt is a very charming contemporary novel. It is the second book in the Starr’s Fall series but can be read as a stand-alone.
All the characters are well drawn, believable and easy to empathise with. We see that Starrs Fall is a warm and welcoming community, where everyone knows your name – and your business! The residents help each other as they journey through life.
Starrs Fall offers a place to heal from life’s hurts. Various residents all have different stories – from the original resident of the town to the teenage boy recovering from bullying, and all those in between.
Life deals us blows. Life squashes the life out of some people – but lives can be redeemed and restored.
We learn of lives being controlled by others. “She’s let herself be changed.” Sometimes others are coercive in ways that are not recognized at the time. “Her life behind the glowing, golden bars of what had felt… like a gilded prison.” Riches do not make one happy, love and care do.
Sometimes parents place undue pressure on their children. “Letting Ben be the person he needed to be, rather than the person… anyone else thought he should be.” When expectations are too pressured, lives crumble.
A young mother and her teenage son are recovering from the loss of a husband and father. Grief cripples. Guilt goes hand in hand with grief.
There is a character who has been a people-pleaser all his life. This personal revelation enables a life to be re-evaluated and a new direction chosen.
A board game café offers new life for all the residents of Starrs Fall as they come together and discover new skills.
I thoroughly enjoyed Playing For Keeps In Starr’s Fall. It was such a delight, very warm and welcoming. I am sorry it is ended.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall
by Kate Hewitt

This is the second book in the Starr's Fall series, but it's the first one I have read. I previously enjoyed another book by Kate Hewitt. The story follows Maggie Parker, a widow who moves to Starr's Fall with her teenage son, Ben, to open a board game café on the main street. They both want to start a fresh new life and having vacationed in the area twice before, they believe it’s the perfect place for a fresh start. Maggie's main objective is for Ben to heal from the challenges he faced over the past year and to create a better life for both of them.

Zack Miller is the local boy with a bad reputation as a ladies' man, according to the locals. He and his older sister are now running their parent's old grocery store, which still feels rooted in the 1990s. Zack stops by the shop shortly after Maggie's arrival as the sign for the upcoming board game café takes his interest, he and Ben bond over their mutual interest in the online game RainQuest. Zack also notices how attractive Maggie is and flirts a little, but she concerns herself with their age difference and the fact that it has only been a year since her husband's passing.

A deep and meaningful friendship soon developed between Zack, Maggie and Ben as they navigated the process of opening their café in the charming small town. Their bond grew stronger as they shared their hopes, dreams, and the challenges they faced, allowing Maggie to form connections with other locals along the way.

The book is skillfully crafted, featuring well-defined pacing and relatable characters that draw readers in. Kate Hewitt masterfully creates a compelling storyline "Starr’s Fall," infusing it with themes of healing and the pursuit of love. I admired the way the three main characters evolved throughout the book; Kate provided them with ample opportunity to grow, allowing their personalities and relationships to develop organically. However, I found myself wishing for more romantic elements to be woven into the plot. The story does delve into several sensitive topics that some readers might find challenging, yet it's crucial to acknowledge that these struggles reflect the complexities of real life and the journey we all undertake.

I am thoroughly enjoying the town of Star Fall. The first book was great and the 2nd book was just as good. A small-town, feel good romance with an age gap (and single parent) was just what I was looking for.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this book. ~I was given this book and made no commitments to leave my opinions, favorable or otherwise~

I received an ARC from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

I enjoyed the small town feel of this book and the characters were relatable however I just had a hard time getting into the plot of the story. I didn't really care for the age gap romance and how the friendship between the male Main character and female main characters son started out the whole connection.

I would definitely read more by this author, I just think this trope was not for me.

I’ve always enjoyed this author and this book is no exception. You feel like you’re part of the story and no matter how many characters there may be in a book you feel like you’re a part of that world and invested in these characters as well. This would be a perfect beach read or book club book to choose. Loved the characters, location, and story.

I enjoyed the first book in the Starr’s Fall series, so I was looking forward to this second instalment—and I wasn’t disappointed.

Maggie and her teenage son, Ben, have been through a lot in the past couple of years. After the tragic death of Maggie’s husband, Ben has struggled at school and is recovering from an event that is slowly revealed throughout the book. Hoping for a fresh start, they move to Starr’s Fall, a place full of happy memories from past summers, with the dream of opening a board game café. The story touches on some difficult topics, but in a way that feels appropriate for the genre—gentle, hopeful, and full of heart.

The small-town charm of Starr’s Fall really shines here, reminding me of Gilmore Girls with the way the community welcomes Maggie and Ben. Their café isn’t just a business venture; it’s a place for people to gather, connect, and belong. I loved seeing that vision come to life.

What Maggie wasn’t expecting, however, was romance—especially not with Zach, a man ten years younger with a bit of a reputation around town. Their relationship develops slowly, which I appreciated, especially with everything else going on in their lives. Zach’s effort to connect with Ben was particularly touching and added depth to his character.

It was also nice to revisit familiar faces from the first book, though this one can absolutely be read as a standalone. There’s even a hint at what’s coming in book three, which has me excited for more from this series.

If you enjoy small-town romance with a single-parent storyline, Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall is a great pick. It’s a warm, comforting read about second chances, community, and taking a chance on love.

I received an ARC from the publisher but the thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.