I was immediately attracted by the title of The Little Board Game Cafe and the cute book cover. Some of my favorite social outings in real life have centered around games and I have to add an extra star for the mentions of Carcassonne and pierogi.

The story starts out pretty typically with a heroine on the skids - lost her job, living in a lackluster relationship and no clear future ahead. Emily does have a dream and decides to take a chance. With the support of best friend Kate, hot doctor Ludek and sweet Mr Baranski, Emily survives the pitfalls and challenges of starting a new business. She even maintains a good relationship with her ex James and he supports her efforts too. That was a nice touch.

I did find the romance between Emily and Ludek a bit strange with the push/pull between them. The attraction is there but not the emotion behind it. I wasn't even sure that maybe she was going back to James, but wasn't feeling that either. Actually not a bad plot point if it had been clearer. After all, Emily discovers a love of board games, Ludek even makes a handmade game for her and she tries to master Polish cooking with the help of Mr Baranski.

Overall, I did enjoy reading about the cafe, I wish such a place existed near me because I would definitely become a regular. The story moved along at a good pace and I wanted to see Emily's venture succeed - perhaps even more than her romance. I recommend The Little Board Game Cafe for readers who like a plot with their romance.

Thank you to NetGalley, Jennifer Page and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read and review this book.

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley and this is my honest review**

Emily and her mother had a dream of someday running a cafe. A place for the community with good food and friendship. When Emily loses her job and her fiance in the same week, she decides to take the chance on a small cafe off the beaten path. During this business adventure she makes new friends, gains a love for board games, and has the chance to fall in love with a board game enthusiast/doctor.

I grabbed this book because I own over 80 board games and my board game TBP (to be played) is just as long as my TBR. So an idea of a board game fueled romance sounded fun. I will say that I feel like the romance takes a backseat in this book. We do have a relationship build but we only get to see the love interest in shorter spurts in between everything else happening in Emily's life. Really this book focuses on Emily, her dreams, and her budding courage to pursue what makes her happy even if means taking risks in love and business.

I LOVED all the board game references tossed in throughout and Emily's character development. But I missed out on Ludek's character. I don't feel like I got to know him as well and so his character arc fell flat for me. The pacing threw me off a little bit as we have a pretty slow pace up until the end where everything seems to speed up VERY quickly.

This was a cozy fiction read with romantic subplot. Despite missing some of the heavier romance I was expecting (there is some mild spice) I still enjoyed this book. Emily was a great character to follow and the side characters were all dynamic and delightful.

What a lovely book. It was a real gem. It has really sweet character, the venue was lovely and the story was great. I enjoyed reading this immensely.
Emily was in a rut. A job she hated, a boyfriend she was ambivalent about. Living in a house she didn’t own with her boyfriend James. Then she got the sack and life changed.
Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This book had a wonderful plot line and a romantic story that was both realistic and dream worthy all at once. The main character, Emily, was quirky and lovable in a way that made you want to vote for her the entire book. The emotional connection to her could be seen in my tears in the sad moments as well as in my smile and laughter in the good ones. Additionally, the authors telling of Emily’s story made me want to read more and more to discover all the different plots being alluded to.

As a member of a big board game family, this book immediately caught my eye, and I was pleasantly surprised that the board game selections weren’t your typical Monopoly and Life. This truly was a book showing every board gamers dream, a FLGS meets a small town bakery.

Thank you to both the Publisher and the Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair and honest review. (All opinions are my own, and were not biased in any way)

I enjoyed this book, I thought the characters were really interesting and loved the relationship with Mr B, someone who would help you completely, without really knowing you. It's a book that really touches on grief and the realities of what it can do to a person
Thank you netgalley for the advanced copy

I started reading The Little Board Game Café on the 3rd of January 2023. Unfortunately, the novel did not grab me as I hoped.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the much appreciated opportunity anyway.

3.5 stars!
this book was interesting! i love the game aspect! i really enjoyed the relationships that were built along the way. i also liked that lots of known board games were mentioned. it was fun seeing that.

the cover is SO CUTE I LOVE IT.

would recommend and will be looking out for future books by this author!

thank you to NetGalley and the publicists for allowing me access to this title in exchange for a honest review!

What a gorgeous little book. It was, not only the title, but the cover that drew my attention to the cover. I love books set in cafes and I have read a lot through the years, but never one set in a cafe.

Bascially Emily is sacked by her fiance, a man who is, how can I word this, blind to see what an amazing woman he has in front of him. Unsupportive he pushes her into become somewhat of a wallflower. Emily frustated me so much through this book. Undecisive, she's a bit of a push over always complying to what he wants until finally she snaps and ends the relationship. Becoming homeless she moved in with her best friend who encourages her to buy Nico. But as you as you can guess it she's undecisive wither or not to take the plunge and do it.

Problem - with little footfall, a bad location can she turn it around to become the title of the book? Well you need to read her journey, find that out for yourself as it made me want to be there.

It was the draw of reading a cafe story with a difference which made me want to read this book and keep pushing through. I'm so glad I didn't put this on my DNF because it's a story you want to read. Along with new friends, a new romance love interest in Ludek (Polish GP!) she becomes the person you want her to be. The book is set in the town of Essendale in Yorkshire. We get to take whistlestop tours of Harrogate and London as Emily follows her's and her mother's dream of owning a cafe.

This is my first book by Jennifer Page that I have read and I will be looking out for more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publicists for allowing me access to this title in exchange for a honest review. I hope I get to review many more.

Oh I just adore books like this and this book is no exceptions. It had a place that I would adore to visit and hang out at. Characters I would love to befriend and a love story that is very sweet and enjoyable.

Really enjoyed this novel. I’d never heard of this author before but I loved her style of writing.

It was quite a unique storyline and I loved reading about all the different games.

Will definitely be looking out for more books by this author in future

A lovely story of following your dreams and even failure not putting you off . Emily was an amazing character. Strong in many ways. When her father showed it was fab. Her best friend was amazing and supportive. I loved all the board games. Her x was a piece of work in so many ways but he did help .A great ending and we had love and laughter. Loved it

“Food brings people together, mum always used to say. And board games do too, thought Emily.”
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The Little Board Game Cafe follows Emily’s journey in following a dream she shared with her mother — opening a cafe. She stumbles across an available cafe in her budget and decides to take the leap. Following that decision, we get to see the struggles, triumphs, and relationships built all in pursuit of running a successful cafe.
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I really enjoyed the relationships built throughout the novel especially with Mr. B. It was such a wholesome friendship, and he was willing to help Em every step of the way to make the cafe successful without knowing her prior to opening the cafe. Not only was he her first customer, he helped teach her how to use the coffee machine. I also thought it was unique and fun how we got updates on where Em was at in life based on the books on the bedside table books below certain chapter numbers. I actually wished we got more of those updates. Now to my absolute favorite part: the board games. The game aspect is what drew me to this story in the first place. I love that it went beyond the basic games everyone knows. Some I had already heard of and played like Powergrid, while others I ran to look up.
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I did have a few issues with the novel, however. I found the pacing to be off due in part to some scenes being overly descriptive followed by really rushed scenes with almost no description. I also struggled to connect with Emily at times as she could be judgmental towards people she never met or barely knew. I had issue with the geeky gamer stereotype. With a book so heavily involving games, I had hoped that wouldn’t be the case. I also had a technical issue with the book as it would switch between first and third person in the same paragraph relating to Emily and what she was doing.
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Overall Rating: 3.5 ⭐️

Well this book and I... it was love at first sight.
I am board-gamer myself, so the title was enough to pull me in. But it mentioned it was recommended for fans of Holly Martin... and well, Holly is my favorite feel good author since years.

Lucky the book actually delivered with it promised! I was enchanted from the very first pages and couldn't put it down!

We follow Emily on a life changing mission. After she looses her job and her fiance, she wants to invest in a dream she had with her mother for years. Owning their own cafe. But she soon realizes that a normal cafe won't cut the deal. She needs something extra for her cafe. And that are board games.

I must say I was a little annoyed at first by the depiction of the board game club and their members. Jennifer Page went with the whole boardgamers are geeks approach and I cant have had it with that. Have you ever been to a board game club? Cause even D&D players aren't all geeks. So yeah.... she could have handled that better. But that is actually the only comment I have.
Lots of very well know games are mentioned, so even non boardgamers will recognize a ton, because they are pretty basic games.

What I especially loved was the overall story arc. There is of course a love interest, but the book isn't a romance. It is all about Emily finding what drives her, finding who she is after loosing so much and starting this whole professional adventure.

I cant wait to see what Jennifer Page comes with next! Definitely an author I will keep my eyes out for.

Absolutely loved this.

What a fantastic idea a board game cafe, Emily makes her dream reality after being made redundant by her fiance.

Mr B is just the sweetest man!.


Really looking foward to reading more from this Author.

A lovely take on a classic romance really beautiful and a fabulous debut - the board games were a great twist.

What can you do when your fiance and boss suddenly makes you redundant, not only that you have moved into his house and have a future mother in law who thinks you aren't good enough for her son? Naturally you break off the engagement, move out and follow your dreams of owning your own cafe. Premises found and decorated, baking going well....at least that is something you can do., but where are the customers? one a day won't make you a profit. Gradually the local pensioners are a life line and when asked to go to a board game evening what else do you do? Love and life start picking up but is this the life but is this really all the future hold

I really enjoyed this book.
Emily is pursuing her lifelong dream and setting up her own cafe in a quirky little town in Yorkshire.
A snappy start hooked me straight in and the book rolled along with lively dialogue between Emily and her supporters. There is a delightful set of supporting characters and the story itself does not stray from being believable.
As the title suggests, this book has a board games theme which adds an unusual element to the book. The games are incidental to the plot, although accurate in description. If you play boardgames they will raise a familiar smile but they don't dominate the plot, so if you don't have an interest in games, you can roll with Emily's ups and downs regardless.
I loved seeing Emily's character develop as she battles her self-doubts and various business setbacks. I also enjoyed the developing romance between Emily and Ludek and the ending was cute.

3.5 ⭐️ After Emily loses her job, fiancé, and home in quick succession, she decides to pursue her life-long dream of owing a cafe. After little foot traffic and customers, she decides to revamp the cafe into a board game cafe in order to attract more customers.

As a board game enthusiast the title and synopsis immediately drew me in. I loved the mention of Azul- my favorite board game! I feel that you can still enjoy this book even if you are not interested in board games. I liked that there was enough detail about board games for those who enjoy them, but not so much detail that it would be overwhelming for those who know nothing about board games.

I enjoyed this book- it was different from a typical romance novel. This book focuses more on Emily’s journey to happiness and turning her dream into a reality, and the romance aspect is secondary. Overall this is an adorable story and had good character development. I also thought the romance was really sweet. Overall, I would recommend this book.

💕“It’s a risk I’m willing to take Em. For you.”💕


Thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for this ARC.

I enjoyed this story of a woman who is looking to realize the dream she held with her late mom to open a cafe. After a break up and losing her job, she finds friends who become like family and opens her cafe only to of course struggle. Really cozy story.

Set in Essendale, Emily had always dreamed of running her own cafe with her mum Diane. It all started when Mrs. Benton who ran Tricia’s Treats was going on a six-week cruise 🚢 with a man she met through a dating agency. She asked Diane to run the cafe in her absence. Diane would manage the kitchen while Emily did her mom’s job waiting tables.

Emily’s distraught when learns she’s been fired from her job. Worse she’s been fired by her fiancé James. She’s been living in Essendale for three years.

While ruminating about the day’s events and wondering how she’d cope now that she has no job, she stumbles on an unattractive one-storey building that’s for sale.

Soon after taking over a poloular cafe in town, Emily realizes she’s gotten more than what she’s bargained for. Undeterred she decides to move forward with her plan and not too long she meets a man named Ludek, who’s a GP.

Overall, an interesting read. Would recommend

Thank you to Jennifer Page, NetGalley and Aria for the arc of this book.