I have enjoyed reading Kate Hewitt's historical fiction novels, particularly the Far Horizons trilogy and the Amherst Island series but until now had never read her romance novels.

Seeing that Coming Home to Starr's Fall is the first book in a brand new series, was available as a Read Now option on NetGalley, plus that gorgeous cover 😍 convinced me to read it.

I wasn't disappointed. It has all the ingredients of a wholesome, clean cozy romance celebrating new beginnings, finding lasting friendships and found family, and would definitely make a good Hallmark movie.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Boldwood Books and the author for the e-ARC of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book is a fantastic autumnal cosy read.
Laurie and her dog Max move to the small town of Starr's Fall to open a pet store. Here they meet Joshua, a rather grumpy fellow resident and business owner in the town. However, opening a pet store is not Laurie's only reason for her arrival in Starr's Fall.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice easy read, perfect for fall. I really felt like I was there with all of the characters. The small town setting reminded me of Gilmore Girls and The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.
I was thrilled to hear there will be another instalment in this series.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Coming Home to Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt is a typical rom-com. When Laurie loads up her meager belongings and heads to Starr's Fall to start her own business, she could never have imagined how her life would take a turn for the better. Metting Joshua in his book store the day she comes to town, she thinks she's just met another run of the mill grumpy guy but their lives are more similar than she could have imagined. This was a nice, easy read but a little too predictable for me.

The perfect cozy autumnal read. This book drew me in straight away and I fell in love with the main character Laurie. This is a wonderful small town setting, a grumpy sunshine romance and follows Laurie as she searches for a place to belong and a family to belong to.

This book is a perfect easy read for a cozy autumnal day.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet, easy read for the fall season. Small town feel with a grumpy MMC, a FMC searching for family and her place in the world, and cute animals (a cat and dog) that bring some fun and laughs.

It was a lovely book and I’m already intrigued to hear more about stars hollow newest inhabitants and see how the board game cafe plays out. Laurie came to stars to find out more about her birth mother, she soon finds her people and life gets to be better for her. A chance meeting with Joshua her grumpy neighbour leads her to seek him out and they begin to gradually get along. This is a good book and it was fun to read. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this book, purely because I got Gilmore Girl vibes from the description and cover.

It does have that cosy autumn feel of a small town with a community heart. But it address love in so many ways, romantic, maternal, fraternal, unreceptive and friendship.

I was gripped so early on, and I will certainly keep an eye on more books from the Starr’s Fall series.
Warm and cosy comfort reading with a deeper story just beneath the surface.

*blog tour hosted by Rachel’s random resources

I couldn't finish this book. I tried on so many occasions because I wanted to love it, but it just fell flat for me. Maybe it was the timing on my part, not quite sure. Maybe I'll try and pick it up next fall and try again, but for now this one is a no.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

I wanted to love Coming Home to Stars Fall, but it ended up being just all right—not great. The book follows Laurie, a sweet but somewhat underdeveloped animal shop and bakery owner, and Joshua, her grumpy love interest, set against the backdrop of a small town that tries (and fails) to capture a Gilmore Girls-style charm.

One of the biggest challenges for me was the writing style. The prose often felt unnecessarily long-winded, with sentences winding on without adding much value to the story. Instead of drawing me in, it slowed everything down and made it hard to stay engaged.

Laurie’s day-to-day life at her shop and her interactions with the town’s bakers felt repetitive, and there was no meaningful character growth for her or Joshua. Their romance lacked spark, and while Joshua’s grumpy demeanor had potential, it never really developed into anything more than a trope.

The small-town charm was there in theory but didn’t feel authentic or compelling. The story felt like it was trying to be cozy and endearing but ended up being predictable and forgettable.

While Coming Home to Stars Fall wasn’t a bad read, it didn’t leave much of an impression. If you’re a fan of small-town romance, it might be worth a try, but for me, it didn’t live up to its potential.

2.5/5 Stars.

A totally gorgeous, brand new romance from million-copy bestselling author, Kate Hewitt! Welcome to the town of Starr’s Fall, where Autumn can feel like it goes on forever, and two people have a chance to fall in love… The leaves are falling, with a crispness to the air, along with the scents of coffee and pumpkin spice, past a half-empty street of shuttered storefronts and a bandstand that has seen better days…

Just like the whole town of Starr’s Fall, thinks Laurie Ellis – as she and her beloved dog Max head to collect the store keys. Maybe she has seen better days, too, but she’s certainly ready for a new start—and to leave her past behind. Still Laurie wonders whether she made a terrible mistake in coming to lovable but shabby Starr’s Fall. Will she even find customers for her pet store and bakery, never mind a community to welcome and accept her?

Not according to Joshua Reilly, the handsome but grumpy manager of the bookstore across the road, who claims he’s never heard of anything so ridiculous as a bakery for dogs.

But Laurie remains stubbornly undeterred. She’s starting over, right here. Not least because she has another secret reason for being here… one she isn’t telling anybody, at least not yet, as it involves her own tragic past.

What she doesn’t yet know is that a clue to the mystery is hidden deep in Joshua’s bookstore. And he doesn’t yet realize that Laurie herself might be the key to mending his own battered heart… for Laurie and Joshua and the whole town, it’s going to be a fall to remember.

I really enjoyed Laurie's story. I thought it was well-written. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

What a lovely story. Loved the main characters and how the friendships that developed. Would definitely recommend this book.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author Kate Hewitt for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I'm not a fan of romance novels, as I've said often enough. Usually, the ones I like have another good story going on besides the romance whether it's a mystery or something historic. In the case of Kate Hewitt's Coming Home to Starr's Fall, it also deals with adoption.

Laurie Ellis is a young woman who has grown up in the foster care system. She was put up for adoption as a baby. At first, the reader doesn't understand how, in this day and age where white babies are so in demand, she languished in foster care. Laurie is searching for a place to call home with her dog, Max. The information she has on her birthmother is that she came from Starr's Fall, so that's part of what draws her there. She has plans to open a pet store/pet bakery.

Across the street is a bookstore that isn't really a bookstore anymore. It's owned by the local "Grinch," Joshua Reilly. When Laurie's dog chases the cat Joshua is watching, the two meet and begin an uneasy friendship that may lead to something else.

The feeling of Laurie coming to a small New England town is a familiar one to me. Before now, Laurie really didn't have a place to call home or any close friends. Almost immediately, the town seems to wrap its loving arms around her. All the while she's finding her footing, the search for her birthmother is at the back of her mind. As the relationship between Laurie and Joshua grows, she begins to open up to him about her life.

Hewitt does a terrific job writing about the effects of surrendering a child and the difficulties adopted children often face, even when an adoption goes well. That's not the case for Laurie, and it's also depicted well. It explains her difficulties getting close to people and trusting them. Landing in Starr's Fall is a hope to find a place where she finally feels like she fits in, along with the hope of being able to connect with the woman who gave birth to her.

All this talk about what it's like to be surrendered for Laurie has an impact on one of the town's older residents, who confides in Laurie that she surrendered a child back in the 1950s and has lived with that secret her whole life. Hewitt does a great job with this angle of the story as she shows the impact of adoption on a woman's entire life.

The romance here is sweet and gradual. There were no surprises, really, in that department. It's not all easy for Joshua and Laurie, and that gives it a real feeling. Both have reasons to hesitate to give their hearts to one another. They've been let down by the people who were supposed to love them all their lives.

I've mostly read (and liked) Hewitt's historical fiction and I have to say she also writes a good contemporary romance. She gets the small-town feel right as well as the feelings of adoptees who have a hard time finding their place in the world. This is one romance I can definitely recommend.

Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt is a beautiful, heartfelt story about family, healing, and second chances. The novel follows Nora, who returns to her small hometown of Starr’s Fall, hoping to mend old wounds and rediscover herself. Hewitt’s writing captures the deep, often messy emotions of coming home and facing the past, and I found myself deeply invested in Nora’s journey.

The characters are so richly drawn, and Starr’s Fall itself feels like a character—a place filled with both painful memories and the potential for new beginnings. This book reminds us that sometimes the hardest journeys lead us to exactly where we need to be.

If you love stories about finding peace, forgiveness, and a sense of belonging, Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is a must-read. It’s heartfelt, honest, and full of hope.

This was the first book I've read by Kate Hewitt and I'm so so grateful to have been introduced to this author!

In 'Coming Home to Starr’s Fall," lead female character Laurie Ellis is looking to make some changes in her life after receiving an unexpected inheritance from a former foster parent. Deciding to move to Starr's Fall, her plans are to open an animal bakery. And to see if she can't learn more about the family she never knew.

Across the street from her proposed animal bakery, she meets Joshua Reilly who is a grumpy bookstore owner. His immediate and obvious moodiness is the total opposite of her unwaveringly positive outlook.

I'm always up for a good ol' grumpy vs sunshine trope in a romance especially when it's set in a small town. And you can't go wrong when fall is the backdrop! This was a fantastic four star read and one I certainly recommend!

This book was absolutely wonderful. Wonderful characters, a delightful storyline.... just wonderful.

This book was absolutely delightful! Perfect fall read with lovable characters and even adorable pup . It made me want to live in Starr’s Fall.

If you are looking for a great autumn read, this is it! This was a good romance set in New England with the leaves changing and a slow burn brewing.

Laura is looking to make some big changes in her life, so she’s packed up her and her dog for a move and a new venture of opening a pet bakery and store. Josh grew up in Starr’s Fall and runs the family bookstore. He notices the new store owner as they begin to spend more and more time together. While sharing their pasts and loneliness they both begin to fall for each other.

I’m excited to see support characters stories expanded upon in future books.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What a fun romance this is! It is sweet, 100% closed door, and a perfect choice for a cozy fall afternoon!

Rating: 3 ⭐️
Pub Date: September 18, 2024
How I Read It: 🎧 📱

Synopsis
Laurie Ellis and her dog Max make the move from New Jersey to Starr’s Fall, CT; they’re starting over and Laurie is going to be opening up a dog shop/bakery in the small quaint town nestled in the Western Hills of CT. She looking for a new start, but is still searching for a missing piece of her past, and she’s hoping she can find the missing piece in Starr’s Fall. What she finds when she arrives, in her broken down van, is a friendly and accepting community, with the exception of one person, her neighbor Joshua Reilly who’s handsome but grumpy.

My Thoughts
This book was really cute! It was a little slow for me, but it was a short book that gave all those cozy small town fall Gilmore Girl feels, so if you’re looking for a heartwarming small town love story with the community vibe of a fall festival in a Hallmark movie, then this is the book for you!

❗️Of Note
Adoption

Themes
Family
Community
Love

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 3 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! The characters, the setting, are the details/writing are all so well done. I always love a good Fall centered romance and this was no exception. The Gilmore Girls vibes and grumpy sunshine trope are added bonuses. This a great book to cozy up with if you are looking for a feel-good romance story. I will recommend to others and absolutely look forward to future titles from Kate Hewitt.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC the review. All opinions are my own.