I’ve loved the Boardgame Cafe series by Jennifer Page, so discovering this new book was a real treat! Kate seems to have it all together—perfect at work, always helping others—but feels stuck while her friends move on with their lives. As her bestie Jo thrives in love and business, Kate’s stuck in a rut. She dives into a new relationship and supports local causes as her town faces a downturn. Watching Kate grow, challenge her beliefs, and navigate relationships was a joy. And let’s not forget Xander—who can resist a man who cooks? This book also updates us on old favorites, though it works perfectly as a standalone. Huge thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for the ARC!

Christmas and board games go together so well, that I was incredibly eager to start reading this book.

Add in a Living advent calendar for Essendale and Hebden and you really do have the most amazing book.

I couldn't read this fast enough, and I was astounded at the author's creativity and imagination at bringing 24 different but all equally brilliant windows to life.

And to keep the finale not only a secret from Kate who had organised the whole thing, but also from the readers, until it was Christmas Eve was inspired to keep me reading.

And it really was the most wonderful final window, and not anything I would have ever thought of. But it just worked.

Before that though you have Kate trying to juggle a busy love life, with being perfect at everything she does and we even get to discover just why she is the way she is.

Add in Em, Jo and Taylor our previous leading ladies and their gorgeous men, as well as an assortment of board games, new love interests, a brief return of the series villain and memorable window from Mr B, and it truly is a joyful and fun filled book that I totally adored.

I love this series so much and this was perhaps my new favourite book from it. Utterly fabulous and incredibly festive.

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

This is the perfect read to ideal cozy up with this winter.

This heartwarming read seems to tick all the boxes for a delightful Christmas-themed story.

This is book 4 in the series but can be read as a stand alone, but why would you do that you'd be missing out.

I really enjoy this series and Jennifer's style of writing.

I devoured this book in an afternoon! I love a Christmas feel good read and this was a perfect read with that criteria in mind. Based on a living advent calendar and the relationships between Kate and her friends (be they male or female) I absolutely loved it.

3.5
Exactly what you’d want and expect from this type of book. A very slow burn though.
Thank you NetGalley & Aria & Aries for sending this book for review consideration.

Cosy, humorous and heartwarming, Christmas at the Board Game Café by Jennifer Page is about a woman who feels lonely during the Christmas season and discovers that someone she dated four years ago has moved to her hometown.

Summary: Christmas is coming soon, and Kate Harker feels lonely. Her friends are all dating, and despite being their dating guru, she's still single. She still pines for Xander, a guy she went on five dates with four years ago. Then one day, Kate finds out that Xander has moved to Essendale.

Tropes/Genres:
• second chance romance
• christmas
• small town
• contemporary romance
• set in Essendale

Review: The best part about this story is the living Advent calendar. It sounds so fun! The romance is sweet, though it doesn't seem to be the focal point of this story. Admittedly, I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first three in the series, but I liked it nonetheless.

Kate is a relatable person. She is someone who strives to be perfect because she feels that she needs to be perfect to be liked. I liked her character growth throughout the story. It's heartwarming. Xander is such a nerdy sweetheart. Who wouldn't love a cute nerd? He also cooks, which is a huge plus. The fact that he has a collection of toy soldiers is also so cute! Ah, nerds :) The two of them are good together, and they have a cosy chemistry.

The characters are awesome. It's so nice to see the ensemble Even Peter who appeared in the first book as Em's ex-fiancé became much more likeable here. It's so nice to see his personal growth throughout the series.

This feels less like romance and more like contemporary fiction. After all, we don't meet Kate's love interest Xander until the 40% mark, though she spends some time before the reunion mentioning him and pining over him even though they only had five dates four years ago. That's fine. It's okay for this book to feel more like a story about Kate's personal journey of growth. However, I somewhat feel that something is missing.

Kate's relationship with her father significantly impacted her views on the guys she wanted to date, but I felt that the development of the father-daughter relationship wasn't impactful enough. There weren't really any clues or foreshadowing to the grand revelation of why her father was the way he was. It's hard to believe that her mind instantly changed after learning the truth about her mother, especially considering how long she had that negative perception of her father. I still find their relationship heartwarming, though. Her father was truly amazing.

However, I liked the whole thing about the living Advent calendar a lot. I kind of wish I could've seen them. I like how this book sheds light on struggling local businesses, especially in periods when there are fewer tourists. The issue with EcoEssendale regarding how eco-friendly the living Advent calendar is for the environment was also done well. It honestly shows what a good person Kate is.

Overall, I recommend this book to those looking for a cosy second-chance Christmas romance. It has minimal drama, and fans of the first three books in this series would be delighted to see the beloved close-knit community. History geeks may like this as well due to the war references!

P.S. I want to eat Lancashire hotpot now.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this arc!

What a cute book. I really enjoyed it. Only problem was I didn’t realize this was book 4 of a series (facepalm) lol other than that it was a quick and easy light read.

I wanted to read this book, having read the previous three books in the series and absolutely loved them all!
The idea of the living Advent calendar trail windows is genius and plays out against the background of the Board Game café and burgeoning romances.
There is something really reassuring, when you already know many of the characters well. Especially when they are all brilliantly written.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all I needed was a roaring fire, some hot chocolate (with or without marshmallows) and mince pies. That would have rounded it off nicely!

Many thanks to Netgalley and the author for the chance to read this book.

I received a free copy of, Christmas at the Board Game Cafe, by Jennifer Page, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This is the fourth book in The Little Board Game Cafe series. Kate has the brilliant idea to do a little something different for advent. Stores in her area are not doing so well, so she decides to have a different store display a brand new live action window display will debut, but having her ex back in town does not help. I think this would be so cool to see in person, a nice read.

ARC REVIEW - CHRISTMAS AT THE BOARDGAME CAFE BY JENNIFER PAGE

BOOK #4

5⭐s are not enough - congratulations Jen and thank you for this beautiful book.

I was delighted and honoured to be sent the arc of the 4th edition to the boardgame cafe series. Being a huge fan of Jen's writing, I knew it would be good, but I wasn't prepared for the depths this book would lead me to.
In previous books, Kate's character has been so masterfully crafted, almost in the background rather than the forefront of each story. This insight has brought us to this book beautifully and whereas previously, she may have not been relatable to many with her somewhat 'perfect' life, despite her dating mishaps, as the layers of her character are peeled back in this book, she becomes far more relatable.

We learn how it is to have fractured relationships and grieve someone that is still alive. Covering abandonment issues, we see Kate go on a journey of revelations, unwrapping her concept of perfect and learning to love her 'imperfect.' I can probably relate to this part of the book the most. The need to feel validated from others.

There is so much depth and feeling to this book that whether you share the experiences of the characters or not, you can't help but feel empathy for Kate.

Aside from all that depth, there is a genius and wonderful concept of bringing the villages of Essendale and Hebbelswick to life with the power of Christmas. Of course, with her invaluable marketing skills and her selfless drive to help her friends, Kate is at the forefront of this uplifting project.
We see our usual favourites within the book, including #mrbsbaubals which was perfectly fitting to the character. Snippets of the next installments of relationships built in previous books which was a very welcome addition to the story. A second chance love story and a happy ending.
If you've read the other books, your jaw will hit the floor in the first couple of pages! But no spoilers here!
I have never connected to a series as much as I have this one. The characters are truly relatable and by the end you will want to go and live with them in their beautiful little village.

@jenniferpagewrites

A lovely Christmas tale with the community set right at the heart of it. I really loved how Kate took the high street to another level and gave her all to supporting all the small businesses. I really wanted to go and visit all the windows myself. Great slow burn romance with just enough tension - a cracking read!

I've enjoyed the Boardgame Cafe series by Jennifer Page, and to find another book was fantastic!
Kate is happy (ish) in life, being Little Miss Perfect at work and being there to help and support her friends and the community around her. However, it feels like she's stuck in one place while everyone else is moving on. Her best friend, Jo, is loved up, and happy with her partner and running a successful business, and her other close friends are in relationships or even pregnant. It's just her sitting there alone, even though the others never make her feel like an outsider or a spare part.
She embarks on a relationship she's unsure of and finds another cause to support, as the local businesses and residents lament the B&B generation where summers are lovely and busy. The cold weather starts, and there is no one here... no holidaymakers, no affordable housing for those who would like to live there, and no trade...
I won't go into it too much, as you need to read for yourself, but it was great to read about how Kate grows as a person, coming to grips with some long-held beliefs, repairing some relationships, and severing others.
Oh, and I just loved Xander! I'm just saying... who can resist a man who cooks?
Of course, we are treated to updates on all the old characters through this book, as their stories entwine, however you could read this as a stand alone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my ARC copy.

I absolutely love this book. I knew it would be a high rated book when it had a mix of all my favourite things in it, Board games, Christmas and Found family. Xander is such a loveable geek that you can't help but fall in love with. This was such a well written festive read.

Absolutely loved it. It's finally Kate's turn for romance and love. I think Kate is such a relatable character as at some point so many people have felt like the third wheel or the odd one out in friendship groups due to being the only single person. I know I have. Kate also reminds us that no one is perfect and it's ok not to be. My favourite book out of the series.

Thank you so much Jennifer Page, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC

Loved , loved, loved this latest book. Whilst the places are fictional there are some similarities to local places to me. Heartwarming story featuring Kate this time but keeping up with the lives of all the other characters. Great to see the Living Advent Calendar featuring.

Reading a Christmas book in August was certainly a choice and I think it might have coloured my opinion of Christmas at the Board Game Cafe. I liked the premise of a cozy read and a second chance romance along with the idea of a living Advent calendar! But I found many of the characters two dimensional and many who were connected to Kate, the main character, were barely used. I also found Kate and most of the rest of the characters almost too perky that they didn't feel realistic. This book wasn't for me and that's okay but I'm sure you'll love it if you love small-town, cozy romances centered around Christmas!

This is the fourth book in the bird game cafe series and these books just get and better. Fabulous characters and a real community feel and also love the references to board games throughout especially as someone who loves scrabble.

This instalment focused on the character of Kate as well as the continued lives of the Yorkshire village the book is set in.

These books are lovely feel good heartwarming reads and cannot fail to make the reader smile. I would love to live in essendale and frequent the board game cafe.

Can’t wait for the next instalment

I requested this book, because I believed it to be a regular Christmas romance. I love Christmas romances. This is nothing like anything I’ve ever read. This is a story about endings and new beginnings and real friendships. Kate deals with heartbreak, hardships, new love and so many other emotions, it’s amazing! She learns about herself, her parents and her friends. This is a super slow burn, but such a satisfying romance. I’m going to find, buy and read book one as soon as possible..

This was such a fun book! I loved the main characters and the sweet setting of this story. It caught my heart from the very beginning.

Kate seems to have it all in the charming Yorkshire town of Essendale—except for the feeling of belonging she craves, especially at Christmas. To boost the town’s festive spirit and help struggling local businesses, Kate organises a magical living Advent calendar with new window displays each night. Her plans hit a snag when her ex-boyfriend shows up, eager to design the Christmas Eve display. As Kate wrestles with old feelings and the pressure of the season, she must decide if she can trust him to create a memorable finale and whether she’s ready to move forward and embrace the future she’s always wanted.