Love Letters on Hazel Lane is the second novel by Jennifer Page and is set within the same fictional world, in the next village to the setting for the first book, The Little Board Game Cafe. Although a few of the characters from the first book make an appearance, it could still work as a standalone novel.

I loved Jo’s adventurous spirit even though she is not normally the sort of person who would be considered adventurous. She really learned through the book to put her needs first, and to love herself. Her love of Scrabble and her organisational skills lead to her joining the local Scrabble club, and organising a Scrabble festival, which seriously sounded like so much fun.

I must confess to having a tiny crush on Rasmus because he was smart, low maintenance, and was oblivious to just how attractive he was.

There was a little intrigue in addition to the main storyline, which was centered around the ‘will they? won’t they?’ element of whether romance was going to bloom between Jo and Rasmus.

If you have a secret hankering for a decent game of Scrabble, a delightful romance and a sprinkle of dastardly deeds, this book should make you smile as much as I did!

I absolutely love playing modern board games, which is one of the reasons why I chose to read this book. Although I’ll be honest and say that Scrabble is not one of my favourites but that’s simple because I’m not very good at it lols.

Anyway this story, Love Letters on Hazel Lane, has been a delightful read from start to finish. There was so much going on, and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters especially Jo and Razz. I felt like I related a little bit to Jo, in that she wasn’t very good at standing up for herself. I’ve a tendency to suffer from that, so know how hard it can be in overcoming in.

I loved the community spirit, of the scrabble club and the school, how they all came together to ensure the success of the festival.

There really is so much to enjoy whilst reading this story, lots of drama, some emotional moments as well as plenty of laugh out loud moments. It was all so very well written too.

I literally can’t wait for Jennifer next book, although I’m hoping it’ll feature modern board games like her first book did rather than classic board games, but either way I’ll still read it lols.

Love Letters on Hazel Lane is Jennifer Page’s second novel. I love the idea of romance novels featuring board games and the theme for this book is Scrabble – my favourite board game. (In fact, I used to go to a Scrabble club and compete, before the pandemic!)
We meet Jo, a single woman in her mid-thirties who works in an office for a firm called Pop! Productions and loves board games. She lives in Hebbleswick, a place the author describes beautifully. (I want to go there!) She tries online dating and has a couple of bad experiences, so resigning herself to giving up on all that, she decides to go to the local Scrabble club meeting. Whether she finds love there, or anything else, you’ll have to read it to find out. I really enjoyed getting to know the different characters that go to the club and to see how much they get out of it.
There’s such a gentle quality to Jennifer Page’s writing, it’s hard to put into words, but it’s lovely and a unique voice. A real warmth shines through the pages. You love Jo straight from the start. She’s flawed but so human, we can all relate to her. She doesn’t have many friends, she has a broken marriage in her recent past and she’s a bit shy and awkward. I really wanted to be friends with her, we’d get on so well!!
The book is about much more than romance. It covers work relationships, friendships (Jo has some lovely friends!) and how a person sees themselves and perceives their value. A lot of Jo’s issues come from her past and how she has previously been treated by men. (I can relate to this bit too!) But the tone of the novel is lightly comedic most of the time and was pitched absolutely perfectly.
I really loved it. You don’t have to be a fan of board games to enjoy it, but if you are, you’ll enjoy it even more. Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

I think I might just start by saying that I honestly thought this book was even better than the author’s excellent first – immensely enjoyable, really original with its focus on Scrabble (who would ever have thought that could work?!) and such a well-told story, but also with a heroine I immediately took to my heart and was rooting for throughout, a (very!) slow-burn romance I really believed in, a wonderful community around them, and an overall depth to the story that I found particularly satisfying.

Since the end of her toxic marriage, Jo has been sharing a flat with Gemma, the kind of friend we all need when things are tough – but, when Gemma moves away, she finds herself living in a new Yorkshire village where friends and a social life are hard to find. She’s less than happy at work too – although she’s immensely organised and good at her job, she’s never been part of the in-crowd, and there are those who make her working life particularly difficult. And her attempts at online dating, egged on by Gemma at a distance, have been… well, pretty disastrous really, even when she jazzed up her profile a little, with the help of professed dating expert and tentative new friend Kate. But then there was Ras, not too promising at first, but he did go to a lot of effort to make their first date particularly memorable – for them both, in different ways – and she was a little disappointed when he didn’t follow through.

The one thing she didn’t include on her dating profile was her passion for Scrabble – and she’s delighted to find a local club, and surprised to find that it’s run by Ras. With a busy life as a local GP, he’s looking for someone with the time and organisational skills to plan a weekend event – and when Jo picks up the baton, it turns into a full-blown Scrabble festival, taking her well outside her comfort zone at every turn, but increasing in confidence with every small victory. It becomes increasingly obvious that she and Ras are made for each other, but she’s vowed to only look seriously at someone whose name would score highly on the Scrabble board – you’d really have thought she’d have learned her lesson with Tarquin (16 points), wouldn’t you?

Life really hasn’t treated Jo well, with childhood bullying followed by a coercive and controlling marriage, and now the way she’s being treated in the workplace – all issues handled with particular sensitivity by the author – and it was an absolute joy to be at her side as she learned how to move on, gradually regaining her confidence and sense of self-worth, and looking forward to a happier future. And she’s surrounded by a cast of quirky and superbly drawn characters – some of them familiar if you visited the (now not so little) Board Game Cafe – who provide support and brighten her life in their different ways, as she begins to realise she’s far from unloveable, lonely or alone. The whole story is quite beautifully told, with the loveliest touches of humour and an all-enveloping warmth, plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and so much poignancy at times that it brought a tear to my eye (closely followed by a smile and laughter). And those Scrabble elements? They make the book very different, and are so very cleverly done – I was quite disappointed to find out that a WordPals app that Jo uses didn’t exist when I became increasingly convinced that Scrabble might be something I might be missing in my life too (but Words with Friends looks like a good alternative!).

My first book of 2024, and I’m happy to call this one a book of the year already – it was just gorgeous and so delightful, heart-warming and uplifting, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

After reading A Little Board Game Cafe I was delighted to see another board game-based book by the author. And so quickly as well. The board game cafe idea is fresh and bright, not a subject that has been rehashed many times over in books.
From the author's writing I'm going to make the deduction she loves writing
because her books are so fun and original, she loves board games and loves to see others happy in their romance when they find the right person for themselves.
You've got to admit the cover is really cute and the font used to spell out 'Love Letters' in the title is a perfect match for a book loosely based on scrabble games.
After escaping a controlling man in her marriage Jo is ready to make a new start in the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick and possibly give dating one last chance. She enjoys playing Scrabble, but to say that may be an understatement. She enjoys Scrabble so much she only dates guys that have names that score highly in her favorite game, Scrabble. When she becomes interested in a man with a name that scores low, she couldn't possibly date him. Asking her to organize a Scrabble festival with him she figures, sure, what will it hurt?
I loved seeing the character growth, especially Jo, she becomes self-assured, willing to try new things and stand up for herself.
Ras is such a positive influence in Jo's life. His character is warm, compassionate and he goes the extra mile with Jo helping her to become the best person she can be.
The many Scrabble games were so fun to read about, and the town loved coming together to play. I loved seeing the fellowship the game created and how the lonely characters were no longer lonely. It was a lovely way to bond.
Loved this book and all its characters and greatly look forward to more board game books by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Am I the only person who still hasn't visited a board game café?

Scrabble was the game that us seventies kids grew up with, I fondly remember the tantrums and arguments over made up words.

Jo is looking for love and decides she's throwing herself back into the dating pool...lets hope they're as passionate about Scrabble as she is, especially as she's only willing to date them if their names come with a high word score...brilliant!

Love Letters on Hazel Lane was the perfect feel good fiction read to settle down with after the hubbub of Christmas and the New Year. It's lighthearted, fun and it was great to reconnect with some characters from the previous book alongside making friends with new.

An uplifting cosy romance that's highly enjoyable, entertaining and has made me want to get the Scrabble board out of hibernation.

Jo (not Joanna!) has recently moved to Hebbleswick after her best friend moved away. She's still trying to find her feet, between dating after divorce, working at a job she hates, and trying to find new friends when she discovers the local Scrabble club. She nearly walks away when she realises she's been on a date with the organiser, but by the end of the evening, she's been asked to organise a bigger Scrabble event.

I enjoyed the next installment of the adventures of Essendale/Hebbleswick residents (although it's driving me a little insane that I can't remember what the Scrabble dress was about in The Little Board Game Café). In my last review, I said Kate (the (new) best friend was self-absorbed. She still is but she's more helpful this time (eventually) - although you have to wonder what would have happened if she hadn't given 'helpful' suggestions on the dating profiles!

As before, the characters are really well written - plenty to actively dislike and characters to route for.

Although it's not graphic, emotional (and possibly sexual) abuse is a large part of the story as it's part of Jo's history and also a toxic, bullying workplace - so this book isn't your usual miscommunication, happy Hallmark romance but a little darker (with a Hallmark story around it).

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

Loved this book by Jennifer mainly because it was about something completely different to many books on the market these days.

If I had to sum up this book in three words I would go for:
Strong (7), surprising (13), captivating (19)

Trigger warning: there is reference to a previous marriage that was coercive which has a central part of the main characters story line.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I have not read the first book by Jennifer but am keen to catch up. Jo is a very relatable character - she has been through tough times and I felt like I understood her anxiety and self consciousness. She was someone that normal people could believe in.

It was a great start to my 2024 reading. There was plenty to keep me reading and just when I thought things were settling down and working out another problem would raise its head and everything I wanted for Jo would come in to question. There was a perfect balance of hope and heartache throughout to build suspense.
I’ve never been good with spelling and scrabble is a game that feels very out of my depth but I loved that Jo is always working out scores for words as she thinks. It made me smile each time.

If you are looking for a new read to help you feel good in these new year blues the head down to Hazel Lane.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the incorporation of all things scrabble, especially as someone who loves board games and other hobbies similar. I liked seeing Jo come to improve her self-confidence and love of herself throughout the book and the romance and friendship between her and Razz was great too.

This is a charming second novel from Jennifer Page. Set near the location of her first book, The Little Board Game Cafe, it features some of the same characters. It was so good to see them all again but you definitely don't need to have read that one to get into this one.

This is the story of a woman wanting to change her life but not quite knowing how to. She's settled with a job she's good at but doesn't love and she's trying different ways of dating to try and move on from her failed marriage.
Through a love of Scrabble and a need for community, she finds her people and maybe her career and love life woes might just find themselves getting solved.

Page's writing is full of love and humour, this a perfect comfort read for anyone who enjoys romantic fiction.

Another 5* read from Jennifer Page! I loved this book just as much as her first, and I'm really hoping there will be more in this series. Whilst there was a slight crossover with characters from The Little Board Game Cafe (which was a nice touch), this could definitely be read as a stand alone. A fab story covering difficult but important topics, written and handled so well. The characters were all so likeable and well written. Read this in two sittings, the best start to my 2024 reading journey.

Thank you so much to the author, publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

Such an entertaining story that was filled with great characters and an uplifting story.
Jo is struggling with her life, a past emotional abusive relationship has caused her to up sticks and move to a new area. Her ex husband was so horrible to her, putting her down and sapping away her self esteem, and so she finds it difficult to mix and socialise with new people.
On top of that work is stressful and she feels the outsider there too.
So when she finally makes a friend and starts to immerse herself into the community (and dating) things begin to look up for her. Joining the scrabble club really turns her life around and gives her plenty of opportunities to overcome her past and to grab a new life for her future.
I loved seeing her find her tribe and to allow herself to learn to trust others around her. Seeing her connect with Razz was brilliant, their gentle friendship was perfect and you could see her blossoming from the connection.
Her backstory was told in a very honest way and it was sensitively written. You could really understand the awful experience she had and you so wanted her to overcome it and break free from her memories.
An uplifting story that was also incredibly fun to read too!
Win win!

A joyful romance that I consumed in a day. This delightful story follows Jo as she seeks love and friendship with the help of Scrabble. Full of heart, depth and great sense of place and community it left me uplifted and eager to read more from the author.

Love Letters on Hazel Lane 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

Scrabble fan Jo always seems to pick the wrong guys. Now she's moved to the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, and decided to give dating one last chance. This time, there's a she will only date men whose names would score highly in her beloved word game.

After Tarquin (16 points) proves just as disappointing as the rest, she meets low-scoring local doctor Ras (3 points). Her rules mean she can't date him – but when he asks her to organise a Scrabble festival with him, she can't say no.

As the event draws nearer and Jo and Ras grow closer, will Jo ignore her rule and let true love blossom over the triple letter scores?

My Opinion

Who would have thought you could write such an entertaining book about Scrabble? Jennifer Page has a love of board games and that is made clear in this series. Whilst this is part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone as we are mostly introduced to new characters.

We have a beautiful cover to draw in the reader and a lovely plot to hold the reader's attention. There are some great characters that are really easy to connect with. This is a great book that I would have no hesitations in recommending, I read this book in an evening.

Rating 4/5

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

I absolutely loved this story. I felt that you could relate to the main character and how she feels. Reading about her journey was uplifting.

It was lovey to meet up with characters from the previous book and read about how their lives progressed.

I recommend this book.

A quirky & fun read with realistic characters. Jo is a socially awkward, but highly organized person. Try as she might, Jo can't get ahead in her job & ends up with disaster date after disaster date. This leads her to believe every disaster is some how her fault. The only thing right in her life is her love if Scrabble. This of course eventually leads to a Scrabble club and meeting up with Ras, one of her disaster dates, who has his own issues. The Scrabble club leads to other things, like organizing a Scrabble festival. Jo needs to learn how to successfully navigate her life through everything, and hope that her one disaster date might not end up being a complete disaster. This is the 2nd book by this author that I've read & will definitely read more.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic - 14 points
Brilliant - 11 points
Enjoyable - 21 points

Just 3 of the words I would use to describe this latest book from Jennifer Page, featuring scrabble mad Jo, and Ras.

There is a lot of scrabble and scrabble scores in this book, and it does for the basis for a fair amount of the plot.

But there is so much more to it than just that, as Jo starts to make improvements in all areas of her life.

And I loved the idea of a Scrabble festival, and would dearly love to go to it, being a big fan of the game too.

Set in the next village over to the author's first book, we have loads of cameos and connections to The Board Game Café, which as a fan I loved seeing. but rest assured this can easily be read as a standalone book too.

I read this on holiday, on Christmas day, and it was the perfect read. After all who hasn't played scrabble or another board game with loved ones over Christmas, so this felt like a fitting read, while I was soaking up the sun.

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

Divorced Jo moves to the little village of Hebbleswick. After not having much luck with dating, she decides to only date men who have names that would score highly in her beloved Scrabble. When low scoring Ras asks her to help organise a local Scrabble festival, will she break her rule?

I really liked Ras, and the misunderstandings throughout the book. The constant Scrabble scoring did get a bit irritating after a while, but a host of entertaining Scrabble players made up for it! Comedic and serious elements are in the story, a nice easy read.

What a fantastic fun read all based around the game of Scrabble.
Jo’s life is a bit messy until she joins the local Scrabble Club bringing in new friends especially with Razz. Wonderful cast of characters along with a great storyline. I think I may have to play Scrabble now.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.