Emily is fired from her job by her fiancé, the 6th book over this last year I’ve read with the main character being fired by her fiancé at the beginning of the book. This is however the first one I’ve read where she tries to stay with him for a little bit after, before inevitably ending it. So, she finds herself single, homeless, and unemployed.
For the first time in her risk adverse life she decides to take a risk and opens up her own cafe.
Her mother’s and subsequently her lifelong dream.
She has no idea what she’s doing, but she fails her way to success.
She grows community and falls in love in this 30-something coming of age story. Late bloomers need stories too. She’s basically just learning how to live.

My feelings about this book are all over the place about this book, so my thoughts about it are also all over the place.
I have never read a book that NEEDED an epilogue more. It’s desperate for an epilogue. I guess it’s a cozy romance, but I would defo say it’s a “romance”. The romance part didn’t really kick off till the last page. It felt like the beginning of Ludek and Emily’s story and then it’s just over. With NO EPILOGUE! I need to know what happening at least a year out maybe even 5 or 10, cuz I don’t know if i fully believe Emily’s got the chops to stick it out this time.
I’m a board game nerd and I really appreciate this book going full throated into the board game element of this book and talking about real board games.
This book did reach my marker of “couldn’t put it down” somewhere around 40% in I knew I’d have to finish the book today. That’s a good thing, but I’m also not sure why I got so wrapped up in it. The writing style was almost great. But wasn’t. There were times when it felt like stuff was just happening, just getting going, especially any elements with the “love story” part of this book and then the scene would just end. Done. Ludek and Emily would be talking about something important and then it’d just cut away from that scene to something else. Yes, okay, but… that convo would obviously be going on for a while longer why is the reader not privy to any of it. It made it so I was hardly invested in them. And no banter or deeper understanding of each other, was all the falling in love bits happening after the scene cut off? Cuz my guy it wasn’t happening in what we the readers were in on. Then some other scenes that didn’t advance the story at all would drag on and on and go into useless heavy detail. Take those out and beef up Ludek’s bits cuz they are so lean they are scrawny.
Kate, the best friend in this book, is literally the worst best friend I’ve ever read in a book. Not likable in the least. Terrible to Emily, and they are suppose to have been best BEST friends since childhood and now are in their 30s. She’s doing the bare minimum you’d do for like a tier 3 or 4 friend, and doing none of the things that are expected of that level of friendship. Like first and most importantly showing up for them.
There is also a sub-sub-sub-sub-sub plot of hers that does not advance the story at all, but just seemed like a reason for the author to insert some good old fatphobia with Kate dehumanizing a dude at run club for being gross and fat. Then also some good ole fashion 90-esque nonsense with oh, wow now you lost weight you are deserving of being treated like a human. It SERVED NO PURPOSE. I took off a star for that alone. If I’m still mad about the pointless fatphobia in a month I’ll take off another star. Cozy small town romances don’t need such random cruelty… especially when it seemed like it was suppose to be humorous. It’s weird. It’s a story with a lot of heart but the humor was often quite mean spirited. I didn’t get it. It didn’t fit the vibe of the book.
I thought early on this would be one of my favorite romances the pairing had all the elements I love, he even made her a board game *swoon*, but then it kinda just petered out and never got going again. And it was unclear when or how these supposed deep DEEP feelings they have for each other happened. It just still seemed very in the I-kinda-fancy-you stages. But then the book just ended, but like supposedly they are already besotted with one another. How? When?!
It’s a debut book. I think this author has potential. Somethings just not quite right about this book though. It’s going to haunt me trying to put my finger on exactly what it is or if it’s just a bunch of small things that keep it from being the best possible version of itself. It’s a shame cuz this almost could have been a re-read level book, but I know I won’t. Even if it’s just to not be screaming about what a terrible friend Kate is

Can board games save the cafe? Emily hopes so because she's invested not only money but her hopes and dreams in a fresh start in Essendale. Yes this is more than a bit trope-y - her relationship and everything else in London is gone and she's trying for a new future. And there's a new love interest in Ludak, It's all threatened when a corporate cafe prepares to open nearby but we all know that Emily and her friends will prevail. That said, I liked the board game angle and it made me smile. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting into with this book. The adorable cover sucked me in, and the story kept me.

It's all about taking risks, and Emily is not one to do so. All it takes was one day out as her best friend's "wingman" for Emily's life to truly start.

I really loved watching her make her dreams a reality, even when things didn't go as planned. Her relationship with Ludek started rocky, but it felt real.

This book was a fun read. The characters were likable and memorable. Jennifer was so great at setting scenes that I could see it all vividly in my mind.

If you're looking for something different and feel good, this is a must-read!

Thank you, Netgalley, for providing the ARC

This was a really lovely story to read. Having lost her job, her house and her fiance she decides that it is finally time to follow her dream. When her mum was alive it was a dream they both shared, to own and run their own cafe. Taking the plunge, she spots a small cafe, it has potential.

Following Emily, as she negotiates a new business and the tables in her new cafe was wonderful. She soon has her rose-tinted glasses removed as she discovers that the business isn't all the books made it out to be. She does have customers, well some days she may have as many as 2! Gradually with the help of the local GP, she manages to find her niche, something that makes her cafe memorable. As you have probably guessed from the title, that niche is board games. I never realised there were so many different games until I read this book.

With the help of a handful of people, the cafe starts to blossom, but just as she starts to feel a little more confident, once again the rug is pulled from under her feet.

With mentions of sumptuous food and delightful sounding colour and decor schemes for the cafe, the author has created a cafe that sounds wonderful. Adding in a colourful array of characters and various troubling scenarios to bring a woman's dream to reality was an interesting one to follow.

There is a really lovely will they/ won't they romance thread in this book, it was a nice one to follow and I was never sure how this was going to pan out.

A lovely story and one that if you are a fan of contemporary fiction and romance stories, I do think that you will enjoy this one. I would happily recommend this story.

I tried to like this book, hoping it would turn into the charming one I expected when I read the blurb.
Instead, I was at 20%, and she finally left her toxic fiancè, which she should've done in the first five pages.
I skimmed through the rest of it, not really captivated by what was happening and the characters.
Unfortunately, It wasn't for me.

Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

This checked off everything I look for in a book. Was not disappointed. Really enjoyed this book. I will read more from this author. Must read

This story is about Emily and her desire to own a cafe. I loved getting to know the people of this town and I wish the cafe was real as I would visit it often and play games and chat there. This was such a fun, cozy little read and very uplifting. Now I want to open a cafe, make great food and play board games all the live long day. The recipes in the book made my mouth water and the games sounded like such fun and the romance aspect was sweet.

I loved Emily and how she went after her dream and persisted even though it wasn’t always easy. It says a lot about her that she could do that after losing her job, her love and her home all in one go. I felt invested in these characters’ lives and was rooting for them to do well, I especially wanted Emily to prosper. There was such a sense of community. Hudel was another character that I adored, and his house secret was such a surprise to this reader.

All in all, a very charming read that flowed nicely and kept my attention throughout. What a wonderful fiction debut. I can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next.

4☆ A Heart-warming Story

I have been in a reading slump since covid and was wanting a light hearted, Fun Romance and I found that in The Little Board Game Café

I absolutely love board games so the title drew me in straight away. I was so excited that I recognised some of the games and some I might have to look into.

This book is all about Second Chances, whether it be love, life, or starting over. It was a story of self discovery, finding inner strength and courage and taking a few leaps of faith...and boy did Emily do a fair bit of that.

Each character was so well written and I have to say Mr B stole my heart, what a sweetheart and everyone needs a Mr B in their lives! Then there's Ludek the swoon worthy Dr that gives Emily more than a few Butterflies.
There isn't a character I didn't like. Even the ex M.I.L grew on me.

The only thing for me that stopped my 5 stars was the ending. It was a nice ending but I wanted sooo much more. I'm really hoping that the Author continues the story as I NEED to know what happened next 😳

This story will tug on your heart strings.
It's a Heart-warming Story, with a dash of Romance, plenty of community spirit, firm Friendships and some mouth-watering delights. I hope you enjoy this one as much as I did!
Pretty please bring on Emily's next Adventure!!

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

I absolutely loved reading this book.

Since she was young, Emily had always wanted to own her own cafe.

In one go she loses her job, her house and fiancé. Now she’s got no job prospects and also needs somewhere to live.

Whilst out one day she notices Nico’s empty cafe up for sale. After debating whether to buy it and make her dream come true, she decides to do it.

Soon after, realisation hits that the business wasn’t running well, that’s why Nico’s cafe closed.

So, to make her cafe turn into a profitable business she decides to turn it into a
board game cafe, after she meets Ludek, someone who loves board games.

Can she save the business in time or is it too late?

I absolutely loved this book and read it in just a few days.
Emily has always had a dream to run her own cafe and when she loses her job, fiancé and home all within a few days and sees Nico’s empty cafe up for sale she takes a giant leap and takes it on.
After realising the business had been failing she needs to turn it around and comes up with the idea of a board game cafe thanks to meeting GP Ludek who is board game obsessed.
Can she save the business in time or is it too late?

As someone who loves cozy romance novels, I was thrilled to receive a complimentary copy of "The Little Board Game Cafe" by Jennifer Page in exchange for my honest review. This book is perfect for anyone who enjoys the friends-to-lovers trope and a charming, small-town setting.

The story follows Emily, who loses everything in a matter of days, but decides to follow her dream of opening a small cafe in the beautiful Yorkshire village of Rosegarth. However, the cafe she takes over is secretly struggling, and Emily must find a way to turn things around. Luckily, she meets local board game enthusiast GP Ludek, who becomes her unlikely ally in saving the cafe.

I loved the cozy atmosphere of the book, and it made me crave cappuccinos and a good game of Scrabble. The romance between Emily and Ludek was sweet and believable, and I found myself rooting for them throughout the book.

However, there were a few moments in the book where I felt that attempts at humor came across as mean-spirited, which was my only criticism. Overall, I would give "The Little Board Game Cafe" 4 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a heartwarming romance set in a charming small town.

An enjoyable book, hard to put down.

It is Emily and her Mum’s dream to own a café one day. Moving forward in the future Emily has a chance of owning a café, and her dream coming true.

From the opening pages of the book I was hooked. It was for me a lovely read, and I found it hard to put down. Wanting to know what would happen next.
It has also inspired me to look out for a few new board games!
The book is about love, friendship, people coming together. A lovely mix of characters.
Very enjoyable.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions of this book are entirely my own.

What a sweet read – I picked this up expecting a light romance, but it delivers so much more. It’s a story about Emily, who finds herself homeless and jobless after she finally sees through the thoroughly awful fiancé.
We follow her journey as she sets about bringing her own dreams to fruition and meeting some very nice people along the way….
I intend to read more books set in Yorkshire after this, it sounds absolutely perfect!
An absolute delight from the very first page to the delicious end!

I received a free copy from the publisher through Netgalley and voluntarily reviewed it.

I DNF'd this one at 6%. I just couldn't get into it, it was so slow and the whole thing with her being in a relationship with a guy that wasn't quite it felt too similar to other books I've read and when 2 chapters later I still wasn't hooked I decided to DNF it. The book starts with a prologue which is fine, but then skips forward and it just let me confused as I didn't know what happened and how much time had passed and it was just jarring instead of making me curious.

Within a few days, everything in Emily’s life has fallen apart. Deciding she has nothing to lose, she decides to open a board game cafe. However, it isn’t as easy as she expected.

I didn’t really connect with this book and overall, it wasn’t for me. I think a lot of other people would enjoy this though, especially as a beach read!

I can't believe this is a debut novel, it is so so good.

I kept having to pick the book back up to discover what would happen next, as you may think you know what is likely to happen but there are definitely a lot of ups and downs.

And this is a book that appealed to my inner gamer geek self. I love a board game, and have even heard of or played quite a few of the games mentioned in this book, as well as having to google to just see what some of the others really looked like. Even recall being as distracted as Emily was while I had my one attempt at one of the more complicated games - although in my case it was because I had been stung by a bee earlier in the gaming day, and not for reasons of the heart as was the case for Emily.

And the way the cafe was described and set up, I could picture it so so clearly, and it had so much more character than the time I went to a board game pub! I just loved the whole idea of a board game cafe, and so glad that Emily decided to give that a go, after a false start and losing her job (her fiancee made her redundant), and then the fiancee and place to live.

Nothing was particularly smooth and I loved seeing the various ups and downs, both in the business attempts and also her personal life. And as you get to know her background, you can't help but feel for Emily and understand her that bit more.

The characters were all really realistic, and it was great to meet such a wide variety of people. And the little sub groups of the initial board game evening where Ludek introduced Emily to his love of games, well let's just say I know people that would fit into so many of those groups. And it was also making me feel like I really need to go to my local games club and say hello to people, as I never do that enough!

This just spoke to me on so many levels, it was just totally my sort of a book and I'm so glad I spotted the cover on Netgalley and couldn't resist requesting it. As it was fabulous.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

A heartwarming and sweet story of new beginning and following your dreams.
I enjoyed the plot, liked the characters and would like to visit a place like the cafe.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Emily being made redundant at her job and fired by her fiancé start a series of negative events. With encouragement from her friend, she decides to go all in on her dream of owning a café.

Struggling to make the successful café the business of her dreams, she finds inspiration when she meets Ludek, local GP and leader of the local board game group which leads her to revamp her failing business into a board game themed café.

I absolutely adored this book and would recommend. The writing style pulled me in, and the story didn’t let me go. I loved both Emily and Ludek as well as all of the wonderful side characters we meet. (Mr. B. is the cutest!).

The premise of the board games is what initially grabbed my attention and it didn’t disappoint. I loved to see some favorites mentioned and explained within the pages as well as inspiration to try something new.

This is my first book by Jennifer Page and I can’t wait to get my hands on more.

This is a cute romance novel, with friendship, love as the main themes of the book.

Meet Emily, who has been recently laid off from work by her fiance James. She then returns to her hometown, where she comes across an abandoned cafe. Emily had been having dreams of owning a cafe of her own that she soon decided to open up a cafe. Emily then meets Ludek, her friend Kate and the community of people in the small town who help Emily to succeed in running the cafe.

This was actually in my opinion a good romance book. The characters are all likable and friendly and above all, the difficulties that Emily was facing in opening up the cafe was realistic. There were some boring parts but then it was in my opinion an engaging story. I do like the community setting in the book and the fact that the story takes place in a small town makes it interesting to read. Also, the book cover is really pretty!

So if you like reading Holly Martin books or Jenny Colgan's, maybe you should try out this book,because this book has a similar vibe to it--worth four stars!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Aria for the ARC. The review is based on my opinion only.

When Emily comes across a café for sale in the beautiful village of Essendale it feels like fate. Emily has always dreamt of owning her own little café and having recently lost her job, fiancée and home she thinks it might be time to take the plunge.
Working hard Emily gets the rundown café ready to open but, as it’s a bit off the beaten track, she worries about the lack of custom.
Meeting local GP Ludek and his friends at the Friday night Board Game club might just throw Emily a lifeline. When a national coffee shop chain opens a new branch on the local high street Emily thinks she is beaten. Will she give up on her dream or can her friends help her turn her fortunes around?
This is a lovely story about friendship, love and daring to follow your dreams.
It warms you like a mug of hot chocolate on a cold day.