3.5 stars rounded up. Laurie Ellis has two wishes: one is to open her own pet store/bakery and the second is to find her mother. She was put up for adoption as a baby, but unfortunately grew up in foster care when her adoptive parents could no longer keep her. Her only clue is what was on her birth certificate: her mother's name and the town she lived in. Based on this information, Laurie moves to Starr's Fall in Connecticut to pursue her dreams. Shortly after arriving she meets grumpy bookstore owner, Joshua Reilly, who thinks a bakery for dogs is ridiculous. He is cat sitting, and Laurie's little dog, Max is scared to death. As the animals get accustomed to one another, Laurie and Joshua begin spending more time together and there is definitely chemistry. Laurie continues to try and get information about her mother, but keeps hitting dead ends. It isn't until she meets town recluse and the only living member of the founding family, Henrietta Starr, that Laurie begins to feel at home and welcome in Starr's Fall. When she finally opens up to Joshua about her past, he is able to help her in her search. Will sharing secrets help them get together?

Coming to Starr's Falls is not a heavy hitter, but an easy read, predictable romance. I enjoyed the setting and characters. I loved seeing how Laurie becomes friends with Henrietta Starr and finding out about her past. As time passes, Laurie and Joshua feel the chemistry and eventually the spark ignites. I liked how the town accepted her into their community and supported her business. This is a slow story, with an enemies to friends to more theme. I've read many stories where adoptive children find their parents and all goes well, but this isn't always the case in real life, so it was nice to see this story buck that trend. There are themes of new beginnings, grief, found family, multi-generational friendship, and romance. The story was not deep, but the characters were wonderful in the town. I did enjoy this one, but it was somewhat predictable.

I read this as an ARC on NetGalley. I loved everything about this book, the characters, the setting, the plot. Everything! It was filled with finding home and love. I am hoping this will become a series.

I haven’t read a Hewitt romance in ages; all I remember of them is that Hewitt wrote not-too-over-the-top, well-written HPs. Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is far from an HP; au contraire, with its “kisses-only” ethos, circumspect hero and heroine, and small-town gentleness, it’s a competent, pleasant read but the drama llama is shorn. If I have a criticism, it’s that it starts with a strong grumpy-sunshine romance and veers away from romance to turn women’s fiction in the second half. Because I’m not much of a WF fan, my attention and liking waned. The return to the romance in the final pages was anti-climactic. Here’s the publisher’s blurb to give us some focus before further commentary:

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.

Hewitt is a smooth, adept writer and the writing kept me reading, even when the subject left romance’s shores and landed on the craggy coast of women’s fiction. Moreoever, Hewitt drew two likeable protagonists in Laurie and Joshua: they’re funny and sad in the way a great romance writer can make protagonists who’ve suffered and yet who maintain a sense of humour. This is true of Laurie and of Joshua; the wonderfully-drawn animal characters, Laurie’s cutie-pie dog Max, and Joshua’s cat-sitting of regal, slightly-nasty escapist artist cat, his aunt’s actually, Lea, are a hoot.

Joshua and Laurie come with painful pasts, adding to the pathos and yet, the humour lightens the mood enough to make for an entertaining read, especially in the first half. Add the small-town characters and a slightly shabby town trying its best and you have a sold read. Laurie’s backstory is heartbreaking as we slowly put together her childhood in the foster child system. Despite what is a painful, lonely life, Laurie works hard to be cheerful, positive, and hopeful. She isn’t Pollyanna-ish and she’s not naïve. I liked how Hewitt made her strong but honest about her feelings of loneliness, deep desire to belong, find community, and find friends. Starr’s Fall isn’t perfect, but there are enough good people in it to make her feel welcome. Joshua, on the other hand, does anything but…and Laurie still smiles and greets and doesn’t let him get away with his grumpiness. She wins him over without making it a mission, just by being herself.

Joshua too had a hard time of it. He lost his mother to cancer as a child, had a cold, difficult relationship with his father, gave up his musical career in NYC to care for him when he was ill and dying, and was abandoned by his fiancée…dumped by text no less. He has good reason to be a grump, yet so does Laurie and she isn’t. Their exchanges are affectionate, the banter is gently funny, and honest. Hewitt shows us compatibility and builds Laurie and Joshua’s romance on it.

Then the romance stalls and slips out of the narrative because Laurie’s motivations for being in Starr’s Fall is more than a yearning for community, friendship, and making a work dream come true. As if that isn’t enough, she’s also in town (not a spoiler, it’s in the first chapter) to find her biological mother. While I didn’t enjoy how Hewitt veered a lovely romance into WF territory, the resolution to Laurie’s search is original, surprising, and not what I expected. It is to Hewitt’s credit that her realistic portrayals of several characters’ struggles was unique and compelling (Laurie’s first friend, for example, struggles as her mother’s care-giver). Maybe there’s too much going on here, or Laurie and Joshua are so easy and lovely together that there isn’t much room for more romance in this novel. In the end, an enjoyable, well-written read, with an appealing setting, and engaging secondary characters, especially the pets; if you’re good with it turning away from romance and towards WF, you’ll greatly enjoy this. With Miss Austen, we say Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is “almost pretty,” Northanger Abbey.

Kate Hewitt’s Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is published by Boldwood Books and released on September 18. I received an e-galley from Boldwood Books, via Netgalley. The above is my honest, Generative-AI free opinion.

Think Virgin River with fall vibes. I was looking for a comfy read to get me in the fall mood. This book had it all!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of this book.

For fans of Gilmore Girls looking for their next heartwarming fix, this novel delivers. The story follows Laurie Ellis as she relocates to a charming Connecticut town and embarks on the adventure of opening a gourmet dog store. Along the way, Laurie finds herself swept up in small-town life, complete with unexpected friendships, quirky local characters, and plenty of humor. There's a sprinkle of romance, beloved town traditions, and sweet comedy that make this story irresistible. With its cozy setting and feel-good charm, this book is the perfect companion for a chilly fall day, when you want to curl up with a blanket and watch the leaves drift from the trees. Full of heart and small-town warmth, it’s an ideal pick for anyone craving a light autumn read.

This was a sweet, adorable and charming book perfect for fall. I loved meeting all of this new town (to me ) characters and getting a look into their community. The newcomer really fit in just perfect and befriended so many. While there were a few parts that felt slow to move through or repeating, it just moved along and was enjoyable.
I will definitely be reading the next book in this series as soon as it comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was just pure autumnal loveliness in book form from the gorgeous small town vibes to the descriptions of crunchy leaves and pumpkin spice. I wanted to live in Starr's fall, This is the story of Laurie who moves to Starr's fall for a new start and to open her pet store/ bakery and very soon wonders if she has made a mistake but decides to make the best of it.
She meets Joshua who is the very grumpy manager of the bookstore across the street and he thinks her business sounds like the most ridiculous thing he's ever heard.

A lovely story that i devoured in one sitting!

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

Perfect cozy read to kick off autumn. The town of Starr's Falls is as quaint as they come and when Laurie Ellis and her companion, Max the dog, head there to open her pet shop/bakery, she is ready for both a fresh start and to revisit her past.

Positives:
Loved all the characters
Absolutely loved the setting and fall vibes
There was also some heavy themes addressed as well, such as heartbreak and adoption/found family.

Negatives:
None. This book is exactly what you would expect and more. I hope to read more of the characters of Starrs Falls.

A cosy, heart warming story with a fantastic community feel. The start of a brand new series, I was hooked from the start and really enjoyed learning more about Starr’s Fall so I cannot wait to return.
The story focuses on Laurie, who decides to relocate to Starr’s Fall in order to follow a dream of running a pet shop/bakery. We soon learn she has another, big, reason and why Starr’s Fall wasn’t a random choice of location.
I really liked Laurie’s attitude to things, she had had a difficult life and doesn’t have many people in her corner but arriving in this small but welcoming community does her wonders. She is quick to build connections and relationships with the locals, who welcome her with open arms.
The most surprising turn of events is her relationship with grumpy book store owner, Joshua. I thoroughly enjoyed how she helped him change his ways, that instant spark growing into a adorable romance.
Settling into life in Starr’s Fall, Laurie soon makes discoveries that give her the answers she has wanted all her life, but is he prepared for what this will mean?
Brilliant writing and great characters I already adore, Kate Hewitt has created a wonderful fictional town I’d love to visit, so I will eagerly await the chance to do so but recommend this book wholeheartedly.

Thank you for this advanced copy of Coming Home to Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt. It was really a charming feel good story. I loved the character of Laurie finding her new way into a small town and of course all of the characters. This was my first Kate Hewitt but will not be my last.

If you are looking for a cozy , light read for autumn then I recommend you read this-grab a cup of tea and put your legs up by the fire and enjoy the charming small town vibes of Coming Home To Starr’s Fall.

Read this if you enjoy
-beautiful small town Connecticut setting
-light Hallmark-esque/Glimore Girls vibes
-dog bakery concept
-romance
-quick read
-self discovery and journey of Laurie, the protagonist
-happy endings

My rating 3.5 out of 5

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this eARC which will be published September 18 2024.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a cozy, heartwarming book. I enjoyed it a lot!

Coming Home to Starr’s Fall was a captivating and touching novel that was written by author Kate Hewitt. It had the cozy feelings of small town living where a strong sense of community existed. Starr’s Fall was not a thriving or popular destination but the people of Starr’s Fall had each other’s backs and supported each other in every way. It was a town that was tucked away in the state of Connecticut. Starr’s Fall was not a popular destination for the average person or tourist. You had to know about its existence to find your way there. Most of the people that lived in Starr’s Fall had lived there for generations. Why then was Laurie Ellis and her small, timid dog Max headed to Starr’s Fall? Why had Laurie Ellis chosen Starr’s Fall as the place she wanted to begin her life in?

Laurie Ellis was abandoned by her biological mother as a baby and she grew up in the foster care program. Her experiences in the foster care system were not happy ones for Laurie. She was finally placed in a group home until she aged out at ahe eighteen. There was a kind woman there who influenced Laurie’s life more than she realized. Upon that woman’s death, the woman left Laurie a sum of money. She also provided Laurie with the name of a town where it was believed that her biological mother came from. Now in early twenties, Laurie made two important decisions. She was going to make Starr’s Fall her new home and she was going to open a doggie bakery and pet shop there. Laurie had decided on the name “Max’s Place” for her new store and had googled all the information she thought she needed to give this venture a go. She arrived during Autumn and immediately had a good feeling about the people in this quaint and sleepy town when one of its locals stopped to help her when her rented car broke down just a few miles away from Starr’s Fall. Laurie felt that for the first time in her life she might be blessed with real friends. Laurie was harboring a secret about her real reason for choosing Starr’s Fall as her new home. She wasn’t ready to divulge or share her secret yet. Laurie wanted to keep it to herself until she felt the time was right to tell others about it.

Laurie soon discovered and made the acquaintance of her neighbor, Joshua Reilly, who owned the Antiquarian bookstore across the street from her new shop. It was Joshua’s aunt’s cat and her dog, Max, who opened the door for their friendship to evolve. Over time, both Laurie and Joshua shared personal information about their pasts that endeared them to each other and a romance blossomed between the two of them. Joshua had earned the reputation of the “grinch of Starr’s Fall” over the years. No one bothered to uncover the reasons why Joshua had become such a grumpy man. He also had not had a very happy life and dealt with it by closing himself off from the people he grew up with. Joshua had been living like this for so long that he knew no other way…until Laurie Ellis came along. She had a way of always looking on the bright side of things and avoiding confrontations. Can these two help each other bury their demons and find the romance they both crave for?

Coming Home to Starr’s Fall was the second book that I had the pleasure of reading by Kate Hewitt. This was the first book in a new series. I look forward to reading more books in this series and discovering more about the people in Starr’s Fall. I really enjoyed getting to know Laurie’s character, her dreams and desires and how she tried to make Starr’s Fall her new home. Kate Hewitt is a gifted storyteller and she managed to create complex but likable characters that touched my heart in this lovely book. I really enjoyed the relationship that Laurie forged with the monarch of Starr’s Fall and whose family the town was named after. Kate Hewitt was able to address the issues of friendship, grief, abandonment, loss, lack of parental guidance and love, community support and the toll the foster care system has on the lives of the children in its grips. There was also the element of romance that was present in the most unexpected moments between two unassuming characters but welcomed by both. I really enjoyed reading Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt and recommend it highly.

Thank you to Boldwood Books that allowed me to read Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt through Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

This is the first book I’ve read by Kate, and I have to say she’s gotten a fan in me. I loved the story of Laurie moving to Starr’s Fall to start a new life. There’s a lot of firsts that happen to Laurie with this community. Though the main storyline is about Laurie, Kate does an amazing job in describing the lore of the supporting characters too. Kate also does an amazing job with describing events and what the views look like. If you’re looking for a small-town romance, filled with community, found family and the autumnal vibes, then this book is for you.

This was a really cosy and sweet small-town romance surrounding a dreamy town and delightful characters. I really enjoyed our main character, Laurie, she was a gorgeous character with a very complex past, but given all of that she still continued to make a life for herself. I loved her concept of a pet bakery - it was unique and fun and brought excitement to the town! Josh was a great male lead who also had a past of his own and although he was the town grump, he still had a lot of personality to him that developed as the story went on. This was a beautiful story with many woven stories to get invested in throughout, it was a delight to be in Starr's Fall and I can't wait to return!

Special thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of this book. Oh how I fell in love with this small town and its characters. I devoured this book in one day and now I almost regret it because I want more! The only negative thing for me was the abrupt ending, but I still absolutely loved it.

Laurie is about to start a new chapter in her life opening a pet bakery and shop in Starr’s fall with her dog Max. Laurie has always been a loner and was drawn to Starr’s Fall believing she might find out about her birth mother who she thinks was from the area.
As she meets the locals who are mostly lovely she finds her neighbour Joshua who owns the book shop across the road to be a right grumpy so and so until she starts to get to know him better
A lovely read

Starr's Fall in Connecticut sounds like a charming small town especially in Autumn. I've visited Connecticut in the Autum several years ago and it is very beautiful that time of year with the crisp air and lovely scenic trees. There is so many threads going on in the story and I enjoyed it very much. This is the start of a new series, and I greatly look forward to the next in the series as well. Laurie Ellis and her little dog, Max are off to Starr's Fall to open a pet shop/bakery for dogs amongst the dusty shuttered store fronts on the main street. Hoping to breathe some life into this small town with her new shop and have it as a cozy and comfortable meeting place for the town's folks as well. Laurie has a motive for coming to town as well, she is looking to find answers to a few things. An unexpected romance may be in the cards as well. I enjoyed meeting the matriarch of Starr's Falls and though we didn't spend much time with her I hold her amongst one of my favorite characters in this book. Time seems to have forgotten about her, which is a feeling Laurie is all too familiar with. A grumpy- sunshine romance that I enjoyed seeing the character development of. I would have enjoyed seeing more of a development of the doggie bakery though. A warm and emotional read that I'm looking forward to reading more of.

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

This small town romance is so cozy and perfect for the autumn season. I've not read anything by this author before but I really enjoyed the writing style and characters featured in this book.

I think lots of romance readers will enjoy this sweet romance, that's available to purchase right now.