I received a copy from NetGalley and I'm willingly leaving a review
TRIGGERS: Grief, teenager unalive attempt and risk of repeat, bullying with no repercussion.
I have to say that I was extremely upset at the end of the last book that Laurie & Joshua did not invite Maggie and Ben at the Thanksgiving party so I was hoping that it was missed. Nope, they spent Thanksgiving alone, eating pizza. There is still dust everywhere. I'm not sure I like the people of Starr's Fall. Their gossip hurt people and they are bullies, most of them, hurling insults left and right. It was also in the last book. It's not enjoyable, it's pretty much depressing and hurtful. Jenna, in particular, can dish out all she wants, but can't take it back herself when people react. I loved the changes in Lynn, Maggie's sister. Laurie's birth mother is just cruel. Maggie and Zach finally reconcile at 91% and by that time, I was tired of all the drama, the half apologies, etc.
Here too the timing is all wrong: Five years vs. two years; couple of weeks vs. several months, a month already vs. more like 6 weeks, a few months ago vs. almost 10 months.
A bit unbelievable: 1. Do people really choke when they see beautiful people? 2. If Zach was in the back of a crowd, how can Maggie know that his boots are scuffed and his jeans are old? 3. Maggie thought about what sounds would be coming out of both bedrooms; she was just out of mourning and her son was only 14; 4. Copyrighted products and logos used on the banners and their store logo.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This is the second book in the Starr's Fall series. Maggie Parker, 41 and widowed, has moved to small town Starr's Fall in Connecticut, New England for a fresh start. She has a teenage son named Ben who is 14 and she intends to open a boardgame café. She soon realises that she's stumbled into a ready-made friendly community, including Zach, 31, who has a reputation around town for being a player. But is it true, and what is Maggie hiding about her past marriage? Zach is a people pleaser who clashes a lot with his sister Jenna about the future of their family-owned grocery store, and he is keen to help Maggie set up her café.

Maggie doesn't want to start a relationship because of the age difference, their emotional baggage, Zach's reputation, and having a vulnerable son. Ben gets a lot of time in this book and it's clear he is very important to his Mum and why they moved to Starr's Fall.

As long as I don't have to live in them I quite like to read about small towns, and I liked the warm-hearted, kind people in this one. Laurie and Joshua from the previous book are the first people to welcome and befriend Maggie and Ben. I like short novels that don't overstay their welcome and aren't too taxing, and I like cats so this was right up my street. The story and the cover have a pleasantly spring feel which is nice as most novels choose either summer or winter for their stories.

I felt the ending was a bit abrupt and there were lots of things in the epilogue that could have got more time in the book but I guess it was used to set up the next book in the series which seems to be Jenna's story. Altogether, this is a cosy, clean small-town romance about two people with baggage giving each other a chance.

In Playing For Keeps in Starr's Fall, Kate Hewitt crafts a charming and heartfelt small-town romance that follows Maggie as she embarks on a journey for a fresh start with her shy teenage son. Arriving in the picturesque town of Starr’s Fall, Maggie is determined to fulfill her dream of opening a board game café, seeking to find balance and joy in her life again. But just as she begins to settle in, she finds herself drawn to Zach, a captivating man known for his charm and good looks.

Zach is not only younger—ten years her junior—but he also carries a reputation that makes Maggie hesitant. However, his humor, geekiness, and genuine connection with her son make it hard for her to resist the budding attraction. When Zach asks Maggie out, she is thrown into a whirlwind of emotions, torn between the thrill of a new romance and the fear of heartbreak.

As the warmth of spring begins to thaw her worries, Maggie must navigate the complexities of their age difference, her past experiences, and the potential for genuine love. Playing For Keeps in Starr's Fall is a delightful exploration of personal growth, second chances, and the unpredictability of love.

This is a sweet romance with just the right amount of conflict thrown in. I enjoyed the budding romance of Maggie and Zach. Couple that with a quaint small town, and I’m hooked!

I just read this book and it was a good read. It was heart-warming, sometimes sad, but generally it was cozy. It was about loss, moving on, friendships, romance and a fresh start.

10/10 would recommend to a friend. I received an advance copy of the book. You can pre-order your copy, the book is released on March 21, 2025.

Kate, beautiful job! Congratulations, I can’t wait for Publication Date.

I really enjoyed this book and hope that they'll be a book 3! It's easy to read, has a great cast of characters and doesn't bog you down with too much detail.

Maggie and her son move to Star Fall after her husband dies, she wants to open a board game cafe. she meets Zack the town playboy. feelings start to develop.

Thank you NetGalley for an early copy. This story goes through the journey of two different individuals with dual POV. Maggie is finding herself after losing her husband and almost losing her son, she make a decision to both help her son and herself by moving to a small town. As reading this it was hard not to think about Gilmore Girls as places were mentioned and also the nosy town people. The book talks about the complication of grief and sense of freedom. One of the quotes I loved and resonated deeply: “the nature of life always changing, always unknowable, with the pleasure and happiness to be found along the way”. Another aspect is second chance not only in life but trusting yourself to love again. I would recommend this book to those that want something easy to read but also meaningful.

This was a cozy small-town romance, but I do think I enjoyed the 1st book more. I felt the connection between Maggie & Zach a bit in the first part of the book, but didn’t really feel any emotional connection throughout the rest when they supposedly fell in love. I feel like there could have been quite a bit more depth. That being said, I still enjoyed the setting of Starr’s Fall and will likely still read the next book in the series.


Thank you to Boldwood Books & NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

"Playing for Keeps in Starr's Fall" by Kate Hewitt felt like a warm hug—like coming home to a place you didn’t even realize you missed. As a sequel, it was everything I hoped for, bringing back that cozy small-town charm and characters that felt so real. Maggie’s journey, balancing her son’s needs while opening her café, was touching, and her slow-burn romance with Zach was both heartwarming and unexpected. I loved how the story unfolded naturally, making me root for them every step of the way. It’s a book that leaves you with a full heart and a smile.

A really fun read set in a picture book town where shop-owners live above their stores on the Main Street. But beneath the picture book look, this story touches on real-life topics and many things that we often don't want to talk about. I feel Maggie, Ben and Zach and to a degree the two sisters, made very important emotional journeys and growth in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book.

Enjoyable book 2 in the Starr’s Fall series. I recommend reading book 1 as it gives background on the town and side characters. This story focuses on Maggie and Zach. Maggie and her teenaged son Ben move to Starr’s Fall following the death of their husband/dad and needing fresh start. They are planning to open a board game cafe. Zach is the town’s resident casanova and secretly plays the D&D-like game that Ben is into. Zach is tired of his reputation and how folks treat him like he’s still in high school. Zach strikes up a friendship with Ben and Maggie, leading to some feelings. This is a cozy, chaste romance very similar to Pumpkin Spice Cafe. Check it out.

Thank you Boldwood Books for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Maggie moves to Starr’s Fall with her son, Ben, to open a board-game cafe after the tragic loss of her husband. Maggie meets Zack, the towns playboy, and feelings begin to form while Zack begins to help bring the board-game cafe to life. However, the inevitable disagreement happens and they both seem reluctant to overcome it. This was, like the first one, so cozy and so good! This is exactly the book I needed in my life right now.

Young widow Maggie, arrives in Starr's Fall with her shy teenage son. They are planning on opening up a board game cafe. Trying to start a new life, obviously snags of trouble are still there. Meeting Zach, the perpetual playboy, who also has angst, is a good fit as the three of them start to balance and heal each other. Good story, and one I highly recommend.

Lovely story. Small town and rumours fly very easily.
Widow and her son move to Stars fall. They have had a difficult past prior to and since her husband passed. Starting a fresh in a small town, staring a new business that is out of the norm and along come a younger handsome stranger. Not everything is smooth sailing, ut romance ensues and it ends really nicely. Loved it.

This was a good story of starting over, self discovery , with a bit fun and friendship. Maggie and Ben decide to rebuild their lives in Starr's Falls. Zach enters their lives and the relationship has lots of ups and downs.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, love the characters and the small town. I did enjoy Book 1 little more, but would recommend to anyone looking for a quick read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Three and a half stars.

Maggie is a widow, she and her son have decided to move to Starr's Fall and open a Board Games café, which is far cry from their consumeristic, McMansion, keeping-up-with-the-Joneses lifestyle encouraged by her late husband's high-flying job. Her son is an introvert, happier playing online games than participating in team sports, which led to him being bullied at his last (private) school and they have agreed that he will be home-schooled for the foreseeable future.

Zach has a reputation as the town lothario, having dated every woman under forty within a 20 mile radius (allegedly). He and his sister inherited the family store after their parents retired to Florida but he is finding it an uphill battle to get his sister to agree to any changes to make the store more profitable. Overall, he feels firmly pigeon-holed by all and sundry and no-one can allow him to change. Sure, he was an entitled jerk of a jock in high school but he also gave up his college plans to nurse his mother when she got cancer.

Maggie doesn't have the bandwidth for romance, especially not with a guy ten years younger who looks like a male model, especially when her new-found friends tell her he's a player. But Zach is a good friend to her son, confessing that he too plays online games (in fact the same one) and they start to fall in love.

I enjoyed this. I thought the backstory with Maggie's son was obvious (but I won't spoiler it in case others don't) and the tension/disagreement between Maggie and Zach felt a bit manufactured, I think if Maggie took a step back she would have realised that it felt wrong.

Overall, however, another sweet small town romance.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

When Maggie Parker’s life comes crashing down upon the death of her husband, she is left devastated, filled with guilt and wondering how she and her son Ben are going to get through the grief and begin again. Ben has been badly bullied at school and is now home schooled.
On a miserable Thanksgiving they make the decision to return to Starr’s Fall, a place they both have happy memories off, maybe to begin again. A car trip to the little town sees them make a life changing decision; to lease one of the many empty shops long the main street and open up a gaming Café; gaming being a passion of Bens’.
The move is on and it is the bleak month of January when they pull up outside what is to be their new home and business. Ben is morose, but willing to help and once the removal van has departed they set about beginning the next chapter in their life.
As the day’s pass Zack Miller comes into their life, offering to help out with shelving and anything else that may need to be done. He is far to handsome and has a reputation of a player with the ladies. He and Ben bond over an online Game RainQuest which they both play.
Zack and Maggie also begin to appreciate each other, a soft and gentle friendship forming which seems to be leading down a road Maggie is unsure of wanting to travel. Zack is far younger than she is but believes he has found the perfect woman he has been looking for since high school, Maggie.
Kate Hewitt has carried on the special magic to heal and find love in Starr’s Fall, with this delightful second book Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall, as Maggie and Zack fall in and out and in love and Ben begins to discover true friends as they put their past firmly behind them and begin again.
Playing for Keeps in Starr’s Fall is the perfect companion for a lazy day on the couch.

"Playing For Keeps" is the second book of this series by Kate Hewitt. You do not need to read book one in order to follow this story but I did like that we got to see more to the story of the characters from book one!
Maggie and Ben move to Starr's Fall in the hope of starting over and moving on from their dreary past to open a boardgame cafe. And that they surely do!
It's a thrilling romantic read but it I did deduct one star as I preferred book one as I found it to be more in depth and emotional.

After her husbands death and her sons self harming incident Maggie knows she needs a new start for her son and herself, away from the gilded cage her life had become.

Deciding they needed a fresh start they arrive in Starr's Fall, a place they had spend many some happy time her son asked her if they can move there and set up a games cafe.

Zach is a local in Starr's Fall, seen as a bit of a player, is getting a bit fed up of everyone thinking that they know him when he has a lot more going on in his head than the locals think of.

On their first night Maggie and her son decided to get pizza and Maggie meets the gorgeous Zach, the sparks fly but he is so much younger than her she can't act on these feelings.

Zach befriends the mother and son, and spends time playing RainQuest (a computer game) with her son, but the spark is still there, but how can Zach prove he is more than the player everyone thinks he is and can Maggie ignore the large age difference and get her own happy every after.

This was a fabulous book, a lovely Gilmore Girls type feel to the town, the main characters and the supporting characters are well written and everyone has a story but the book flows gently towards its conclusion, can't wait to return to Starr's Fall.

Defintely worth a read.