This was such a fun fall vibe. I felt like I had entered stars hallow all over again while reading this book. A must read for fans of Gilmore girls.

3.5/5 ⭐️

I received this book as an eArc from NetGalley to review. The premise of this book was sweet with a woman adrift in life returning to where her birth mother was from, to start her own life and hopefully find and reconnect with her mom.

It was a cute, cozy read. Perfect for fall and those that like romance with closed doors/no closed doors. Sunshine/Grumpy. Idyllic small town feel. Hallmark movie in a book.

My one and only gripe with this book was the beginning 30% of the book I don't know how many times I had to read that she felt adrift, lonely, lost and wanting direction/companionship. I fully understand that was a huge part of her as a person and her story arc but it kinda became unbearable. Once we moved past that and it was only mentioned a few other times I really enjoyed her upbeat character attitude and the relationships she built with the grump across the street and the friends she made in Starr's Fall.

I would happily read more from this author if she continues in this series. I'd love for Annie to find love and Jenna and Jack.

This was a cute read, and the town was so reminiscent of Stars Hollow. At times, it felt like there was too much extraneous detail and too little happening, but I liked the book overall. The ending was frustrating and I wish they’d expanded on Henrietta Starr’s storyline. There were almost too many characters to fully flesh out any of them so some of the dialogue felt pointless and meandering. I did enjoy how the town came together to support Laurie and how she was able to finally build a community for herself.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a lovely story and I think the start of a new series, I absolutely loved the setting Starr’s Fall, it is autumn and the leaves are turning and Laurie Ellis is making a big change in her life, packing up with her small dog Max and moving to firstly open up a new business, Max’s Place a pet store and pet bakery, but she is also there to see if she can find some answers about her biological mother.

★

Laurie is moving to the small Connecticut town of Starr’s Fall with plans to open a pet bakery and a personal quest of searching for relatives. She ends up making friends, falling in love, connecting with the community, and doing all the other wonderfully fluffy things you’d expect in a feel-good seasonal story.

Ironically, these are the things that made this book dull. Laurie is juggling friendship and entrepreneurship and community involvement and romance and familial connections, but neither Laurie nor the plot are strong enough to anchor these things to any significance. They all just become floating elements.

As for Laurie, I really wanted to like her but her character felt too cookie-cutter perfect. She’s bubbly and presents herself as supremely optimistic, yet she has a tragic background that doesn’t seem to affect her all that much in the end. This made her personal history seem like a crutch to relate Laurie to another character rather than something of true significance.



All that to say: The elements for a decent story were present, but the effort didn’t seem to be.


Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-arc!

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but with this one, the story and setting are as sweet and quaint as the cover. This was a quick, enjoyable read, perfect for the fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This book isn’t my usual read, but I was in desperate need of a palette cleanser. I needed something that was so far away from my day to day life, and this is the one that jumped out at me.
It’s always been a dream of mine to visit a quaint, cozy, small town America and this is exactly how I imagine it to be.
I absolutely loved this book. It gave me everything. The descriptiveness from the author was amazing, I found myself fully immersed in the town, the atmosphere, the story itself. When I say, I fell asleep reading this because I just didn’t want to put it down.
I was gutted when I came to the end as I wasn’t ready to leave.
The story itself was well thought out, great pace to it, the characters were real, flawed and relatable.
I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future!
Thank you so much for the ARC, couldn’t have come at a better time.

The perfect cozy small town read. It is Gilmore Girls vibes with a grumpy sunshine romance and an adorable dog. The side characters in the town are perfectly written and truly felt transported to Starrs Fall. It is emotional and heartwarming and the perfect read for fall!

Loved this small town romance.
Starrs Fall sounds like a lovely town to visit.
The story follows main character Laurie as she recently moves to Starrs Fall to try and find out about her birth mother. Along the way she meets the local residents of Starrs Fall.. some quirky characters and a grumpy guy across the road who prefers to keep to himself.
Laurie opens a new pet store which sounds like a great place to work!

It's well written and full of the feels.

I can't wait to read more from this author and Starrs Fall.

Laurie, had spent most of her life in the care system. She moves to the town where her birth mum named as her residence. She aims to open up a shop.
Starr's Fall is a small town and gradually she begins to make friends; one in particular her neighbour Joshua, who has the reputation of being a Grinch.
Through the pages, we see how Laurie and Joshua both grow in their confidence, as well as friendship.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this fall romance! It was my first time reading this author, and I’m definitely planning to pick up more of her books. I also noticed that this is the first installment in a series, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book next spring.

While it wasn't quite a five-star read for me, it was very close. One of the standout aspects of this story is the cozy autumn atmosphere and the small-town vibes. If you enjoy Gilmore Girls or The Good Witch, you’ll definitely appreciate the setting. It captures that comforting sense of community and found family perfectly!

I really enjoyed getting to know Laurie and Joshua. Both of them have tumultuous childhoods that have shaped who they are today. Even though their stories are quite different, they share feelings of loneliness and abandonment, making it difficult for them to trust others. Laurie grew up in the foster system and is trying to find her biological mother, which is a significant subplot in her life. Hearing her heartbreaking story was tough, but I loved watching Laurie face her struggles and emerge stronger on the other side.

On the other hand, Joshua had a difficult relationship with his father after losing his mother during his teenage years. With his father now gone, he grapples with feelings of resentment and guilt. Together, both characters help each other navigate their deep, raw emotions and traumatic pasts. I appreciated how the story balanced fun, light-hearted romcom moments with serious, profound romance.

I also adored the side characters and the sense of community in this sleepy small town in New England. Set during the autumn season, it’s perfect for this time of year. The vivid descriptions really drew me into the story, and I especially loved the fall festival element.

This is a sweet, clean romance with no profanity or spice. Although the story took an unexpected turn toward the end, it still concluded in a satisfying way. We also meet a few new characters who will be more central in the second book, and I’m excited to learn more about them in the future.

This book was such a delightful surprise—I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! It was sweet, charming, and captivating. If you enjoy the grumpy/sunshine romance trope, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.

In this fun and charming modern romance novel, readers join Laurie Ellis and her dog Max as they relocate from the city to the small town of Starr’s Fall in the hopes of a fresh start and discovering her birth mother’s identity. Ready to start over by opening a pet store and bakery, Laurie hopes that this small community will welcome her. However, Joshua Reilly, the grumpy yet handsome bookstore manager across the street, has nothing nice to say to Laurie. Will her determination to start over outlast Joshua’s eternal grumpiness? In this classic small town grumpy and sunshine romance, readers get to see Joshua and Laurie’s relationship grow over the course of the novel and go on their own personal journeys towards peace and a happily ever after. The characters are the real star of this novel, and Starr’s Fall is also a character given its importance to Laurie and Joshua’s backstories and their futures; Hewitt has done a masterful job bringing her characters and this world to life in such vibrant detail. With incredible characters, a beautiful small town setting, and a great emotional storyline, readers will love the cozy fall vibes of Kate Hewitt’s latest novel and Joshua and Laurie’s relationship.

A cute and cozy story perfect for anyone who can appreciate autumn. Laurie and her little pup are moving from the big city to the small town of Starr’s Fall for a fresh start and to get answers about her past. Ready to open a pet store/bakery, she quickly learns just how supportive a small town can be, even with a grumpy curmudgeon across the street. However, when it comes to Laurie’s tragic past, things are less smooth sailing until she gets the unlikely help of a longtime resident.
I thought this was a cute (although a little cheesy at times) novel, that was great for getting into the spirit of fall, Gilmore Girls vibes and all.
Thank you to Boldwood Books for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Loved this book so much! Such a heart warming cozy read. Highly recommend if you want a cozy easy read this holiday season.

New small business owner in town and across the street from fellow small business owner who is know as the towns grump. Can she change his attitude and mood towards life and people?

An emotional and thought-provoking book that touched on some heavy topics. The author handled the themes with care, and the writing was both beautiful and poignant. While not a light read, it left a lasting impression. The characters felt real, and I appreciated the depth of their emotions. A powerful novel that’s worth picking up if you enjoy deeper, introspective stories.

Thank you to NetGalley for this e-copy of Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt in exchange for a honest review.This is a fun fall rom -com about a woman named Laura who was come to Starr’s Fall to search for the mother who gave her away.and to start a new job as a pet store/ pet bakery business.She meets her cross the street grumpy neighbor Joshua Reilly and they form a tenuous friendship.He has also suffered loss and a failed engagement.Slowly they form an unlikely bond but can Laura break through Josh’s grumpy exterior to touch his heart? Read the book and find out.Lots of great characters.

This is a sweet, small town romance! I enjoyed getting to know all of the characters and to imagine visiting the lovely Starr's Fall. Laurie, the main character, comes to town to seek out family connections. She has none, having been raised in the foster care system, and all she has is a name and hometown of her birthmother to go on.

That ends up being less of a focus in the book, but we do see Laurie develop close relationships and found family within the small town. I loved that it was set in fall, and the town is described beautifully! It does have a lot going on, and some of the story lines felt rushed/incomplete. I hope to read more books in this series. I look forward to going back to Starr's Fall!

If you loved The Pumpkin Spice Cafe then you'll like this book even better. With a much better story line that follows a woman trying to find a purpose to life she travels to Starr's Fall, the only connection to a family she's never known. There she starts a business and finds her own family, even if they're not related. I really loved the story of found family, new love and finding your purpose. I will definitely be checking out more of Kate Hewitt's books.

Such a charming read! It was easy to transport myself to Starr’s Fall, thanks to the author’s delightful storytelling. I look forward to the next installment!