read if you like:
👯‍♀️ Gilmore Girls
🏡 small town charm
👩‍❤️‍👨 enemies-turned-lovers

summary:
This story couldn’t be further from a thriller but it’s a great feel good! It’s almost exactly a book version of the show Gilmore Girls, which is one of my all time favorites. It centers around Laurie, a twenty-something year old who decides to start her life over with her dog, Max, in a small Connecticut town, Starr’s Fall. The town, while upbeat and quaint, is struggling, with many shops closing down. Laurie decides she wants to open a pet store and bakery, fulfilling a lifelong dream and attempting to infuse life into the sleepy town. She meets Joshua, a long time resident and the “town grump” and for once has hope that there’s a future for her.

This book is a perfect blend of small-town charm and heartfelt romance. If you love Luke and Lorelei, you will love Laurie and Joshua. Their romance is a slow burn, which allows their chemistry to develop and their relationship to feel real. I grew to love both characters so deeply that it’s hard not to root for their success and happiness. Hewitt also weaves in a little mystery of Laurie’s background and family and their ties to Starr’s Fall. While it isn’t the main storyline, it’s still a fun edition to this feel good journey! I’ll say though, buckle up for tears. While this story has a satisfying ending, it isn’t always happy, and that threw me for a loop.

This book lets you escape to a simpler place and time, in a quaint and charming small town. Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC! Check this book out when it releases on September 18!

I received this book from NetGalley.

Laurie says that she isn't ready to tell people why she's really in Starr's Fall and yet immediately tells Annie about her family - their surname at least. And then also tells other people.

She also keeps mentioning, although written in the book and not speaking to other people, about Nadine and how they had lost touch. We already know that so why is repeated so often? She also keeps speaking about her in the foster home but the information is almost always the same so we don't learn anything new.

It bugs me that Annie tells Joshua that he needs to think about Laurie and her pain, almost as if hers is worse than his. Yes, her upbringing was tough, but so are a lot of people's. Laurie sat with huge information and left him out of it, even though they're supposed to be in a relationship. She didn't even tell him, after he helped her to get that far. I don't like that either.

Why did Henrietta write to her daughter if nothing came of it - seems to just be a filler? And honestly it's disappointing that Laurie's mother wanted nothing to do with her and we never find out why. Seems unfinished, something is missing.

Overall the book was fine, but just didn't seem to gel together enough.

This book was advertised for those who love Gilmore girls so of course I had to read it. It takes place in Starr’s Fall and the FMC is named Laurie. With Gg being in Stars Hollow and the FMC being Rory it began a little cringe for me. As the story progressed I was sucked in and absolutely loved it. It’s small town, enemies to lovers. It’s the first in the series and I can’t wait to read the rest.

Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley and for the ARC copy.

This was a relaxing and lighthearted read. It centers around a woman who relocates to a new town with her dog to start a new life and also search for her birth mother. While making herself comfortable in this new town, she opens a pet and bakery store, finds love with the bookstore owner across her store, makes new friends and embraces the importance of community.

Small town cosy read! I loved the setting of Starrs Fall, the characters and their stories! A really easy & comforting read and hopefully will be the first in a series! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC

I enjoyed this book. It’s not a difficult read, set in a charming town called Starr’s Fall. There are some heavier themes but the way the are handled leads to to believe this is a planned first book of a series. There is a lot left unfinished and it definitely feels more a pause than a full stop! That said, I’ll happily return to this idyllic setting with these characters so it’s not a bad thing! Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my copy of this book.

A story of loss and of new beginnings in a small New England town. I found the main character Laurie much wiser than her twenty- five years but her character evolves along the way to being more realistic. A sweet read with interesting characters.

Cute tale of small town life and secrets, starting over, finding your place and new family and friends.

Really enjoyed this easy read book, the story is based in the town of Starr’s Fall and when Laurie moves there hoping to find a special someone it doesn’t go all to plan. Lovely feel good read.
My thanks as always to NetGalley and publisher Boldwood books for the early read.

This is just delightful. It is sweet but not too sweet and definitely not saccharine. Laurie is lovely, she is kind and gentle and overcoming a tough upbringing where she never felt she belonged. The story follows how she is charmed and charms the people of Starr’s Fall. There is the love interest in the grumpy neighbour and even this is chipped away at with care and with humour. The book’s characters are ever so slightly upstaged by a rescue dog called Max and the hugest cat ever that falls for the charms of the dog! There are some tough topics around adoption and foster care touched on with gentleness. This is a great read that I read through all in one with delight,

Ugh there’s something about fall romances set in the small towns of New England that make me so happy.

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.

While this has everything you would expect from this type of book; it also has a lot of depth and tackles verg serious topics such as grief, parental loss and being raised in the foster system.

I loved everything about these characters and their beloved town! I can’t wait for the series to continue

There is a lot to this little town, a lot of heart, a lot of togetherness, and the people are wonderful. They made me laugh, shed a few tears, and a few times felt like coming home. It was a perfect book to read as Tropical Storm Debby came through, and I settled right in and forgot all about the storm.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

A feel good read. The love of family and friends comes through as you read this book. Each character has his and her own hardships to overcome but this book reminds us that having family and friends makes all the difference.

It was a cute and easy ready, one of those books you can curl up with on a rainy day and just enjoy yourself. I had a good time and found myself giggling with the antics of the animals in the story. It's a pretty short book so you don't get in too deep with the characters or the town, but it's still a complete and satisfying love story.

An easy chick lit book. I agree that it is reminiscent of Gilmore Girls in the sense that it is set in small town Connecticut and not a huge amount happens apart from people being nice and getting on with their lives. There is nothing wrong with this book, it just doesn’t really go anywhere. The ending feels like it’s setting itself up for the next book in the series.

I really loved this sweet story. The characters were all unique and enjoyable, flaws and all. While parts of the plot were predictable, it still captivated me throughout. Hoping there is more to come about this quaint town.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was a lovely cosy read- it didn't scream autumn/fall like I was hoping based on the cover - but there's some heavy-ish topics in the book. I wouldn't call it light-hearted but also not a heavy hitter. Somewhere in the middle.

I hope there's more to come in the series as I'd like to follow up on some of the characters.

the book was really cute, the story was thought out and you really get absorbed into it, you feel like you're in it! I loved the writing style and hope to read more soon!

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. I particularly appreciated the cozy atmosphere it created while reading. The setting of Starr’s Fall, a charming town in Connecticut where everyone is familiar with each other, reminded me of the small town vibes in Gilmore Girls, while Laurie’s journey to find connection and belonging there reminded me of the show Hart Of Dixie and Virgin River. Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys cozy, feel-good reads that will leave you with a smile on your face. It’s the perfect book to curl up with on a crisp autumn day with a cup of coffee or tea in hand.

👉🏻 Grumpy/Sunshine
👉🏻 Cozy Small town
👉🏻 Brisk Autumn Season Vibes
👉🏻 Found Family

A story about a woman who grew up in foster care who moves to a small CT town to open a business and potentially find out more about her bio mom. Neighboring business owner and town grouch becomes a possible love interest as both learn to find love. I enjoyed this very much.