I've enjoyed the Boardgame Cafe series by Jennifer Page, and to find another book was fantastic!
Kate is happy (ish) in life, being Little Miss Perfect at work and being there to help and support her friends and the community around her. However, it feels like she's stuck in one place while everyone else is moving on. Her best friend, Jo, is loved up, and happy with her partner and running a successful business, and her other close friends are in relationships or even pregnant. It's just her sitting there alone, even though the others never make her feel like an outsider or a spare part.
She embarks on a relationship she's unsure of and finds another cause to support, as the local businesses and residents lament the B&B generation where summers are lovely and busy. The cold weather starts, and there is no one here... no holidaymakers, no affordable housing for those who would like to live there, and no trade...
I won't go into it too much, as you need to read for yourself, but it was great to read about how Kate grows as a person, coming to grips with some long-held beliefs, repairing some relationships, and severing others.
Oh, and I just loved Xander! I'm just saying... who can resist a man who cooks?
Of course, we are treated to updates on all the old characters through this book, as their stories entwine, however you could read this as a stand alone.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Aria & Aries for an ARC.

Thank you Netgalley and Aria and Aries for my ARC copy.

I absolutely love this book. I knew it would be a high rated book when it had a mix of all my favourite things in it, Board games, Christmas and Found family. Xander is such a loveable geek that you can't help but fall in love with. This was such a well written festive read.

Absolutely loved it. It's finally Kate's turn for romance and love. I think Kate is such a relatable character as at some point so many people have felt like the third wheel or the odd one out in friendship groups due to being the only single person. I know I have. Kate also reminds us that no one is perfect and it's ok not to be. My favourite book out of the series.

Thank you so much Jennifer Page, Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC

Loved , loved, loved this latest book. Whilst the places are fictional there are some similarities to local places to me. Heartwarming story featuring Kate this time but keeping up with the lives of all the other characters. Great to see the Living Advent Calendar featuring.

Reading a Christmas book in August was certainly a choice and I think it might have coloured my opinion of Christmas at the Board Game Cafe. I liked the premise of a cozy read and a second chance romance along with the idea of a living Advent calendar! But I found many of the characters two dimensional and many who were connected to Kate, the main character, were barely used. I also found Kate and most of the rest of the characters almost too perky that they didn't feel realistic. This book wasn't for me and that's okay but I'm sure you'll love it if you love small-town, cozy romances centered around Christmas!

This is the fourth book in the bird game cafe series and these books just get and better. Fabulous characters and a real community feel and also love the references to board games throughout especially as someone who loves scrabble.

This instalment focused on the character of Kate as well as the continued lives of the Yorkshire village the book is set in.

These books are lovely feel good heartwarming reads and cannot fail to make the reader smile. I would love to live in essendale and frequent the board game cafe.

Can’t wait for the next instalment

I requested this book, because I believed it to be a regular Christmas romance. I love Christmas romances. This is nothing like anything I’ve ever read. This is a story about endings and new beginnings and real friendships. Kate deals with heartbreak, hardships, new love and so many other emotions, it’s amazing! She learns about herself, her parents and her friends. This is a super slow burn, but such a satisfying romance. I’m going to find, buy and read book one as soon as possible..

This was such a fun book! I loved the main characters and the sweet setting of this story. It caught my heart from the very beginning.

Kate seems to have it all in the charming Yorkshire town of Essendale—except for the feeling of belonging she craves, especially at Christmas. To boost the town’s festive spirit and help struggling local businesses, Kate organises a magical living Advent calendar with new window displays each night. Her plans hit a snag when her ex-boyfriend shows up, eager to design the Christmas Eve display. As Kate wrestles with old feelings and the pressure of the season, she must decide if she can trust him to create a memorable finale and whether she’s ready to move forward and embrace the future she’s always wanted.

Sinopsis en español:
Kate parece tenerlo todo: amigos maravillosos, una carrera exitosa y una vida idílica en el peculiar pueblo de Essendale, en Yorkshire. Pero en el fondo, Kate se siente sola y anhela sentirse parte de una familia, especialmente en Navidad.

Con la temporada navideña acercándose rápidamente y la ciudad desesperada por atraer más visitantes, Kate concibe un plan brillante: un encantador calendario de Adviento viviente. Cada noche de diciembre, se inaugurará un cautivador escaparate en la ciudad. Con los negocios locales en dificultades, incluido el café de juegos de mesa de su mejor amiga, ella está sintiendo la presión.

Pero los planes perfectos de Kate dan un giro inesperado cuando su exnovio llega a Yorkshire e insiste en crear el escaparate de Nochebuena. ¿Podrá Kate confiar en él para que le entregue un escaparate espectacular? ¿Podrá finalmente dejar atrás el pasado y abrazar el futuro con el que siempre ha soñado?



Reseña:

Tristemente este libro fue para mi. El mayor problema fue que me cayó mal Kate y una vez que alguno de los protagonistas me cae mal es muy dificil que pueda disfrutar la historia.

It's Kate's turn for romance! As the marketing guru who has helped her friends successfully launch their businesses, Kate may seem like she has it all together, but deep down, what she truly desires is a family. Unfortunately, she has a tendency to fall for men with all-consuming hobbies, like fishing or golf. After witnessing her mother's loneliness while her father spent every day tinkering with his transistors in the garden shed, Kate knows she doesn't want a relationship like that.

When her friends begin to worry that the rise of Airbnb is threatening their businesses—since visitors only come to the village during the warmer months, leaving them struggling through the colder season—Kate comes up with a creative solution. She proposes a real-life advent calendar, where local businesses create window displays that are unveiled each night in December. The plan is to generate publicity and attract visitors, with a walking map available so people can explore each window in turn.

As the holiday season unfolds, Kate finds herself caught between two potential love interests: one who seems perfect on paper and another who is the one that got away.

This book delivers exactly what I've come to expect from this series: a feel-good romance set in a charming Yorkshire village.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

Love the Board Game Cafe books. Kate loves living in Essendale, has a wonderful job and great friends. The only problem is that visitors are stopping coming to the town and the shops are not getting enough customers. Kate comes up with what she thinks is a great idea for Xmas but she's not sure if it will work.

Ok, who is ready for a cozy Christmas romance??? ✋🏼Me!!! Once I realized what I had read, I had to reread the prologue cause I just ❤️ it so much!!

This is Kate’s story. She’s super talented at work, heck she has 3 Little Miss Perfect mugs from different coworkers! but she’s at the point of her life where she’s ready for love and companionship.

Meanwhile, all the businesses in town are struggling, including her best friend Em’s Board Game Café. Kate takes it upon herself to try to figure out a way to increase tourism during the holiday season. She comes up with the idea of a living advent calendar with local businesses dressing up their window displays. Kate hopes to get some media attention to help draw outsiders to town. I’m telling you I love this idea; I’d be hoping in my car each day heading over to see the newest window!!

Kate's story has a love triangle. Enter Peter, Em’s ex who Kate bumps into and soon starts dating. He’s great, and she can totally see him as a fit for her life. Even Em thinks they make a great couple. Meanwhile, Kate keeps thinking she sees Xander and we start getting flashbacks of him. And omg, he's so adorable! Their first date just melted my heart!!

Even though this is the 4th book in a series, it reads perfectly as a standalone. Definitely pick this one up if you’re looking for something cozy and cute!!!
4.5 ⭐s

PS, are board games a big thing in the UK on Christmas?

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I am not only a huge board game nerd and book nerd, but also a person who appreciates a Christmas story year-round. This book made me SO ready for the holidays despite it being the middle of July! lol What a cute holiday romance with humor, lovable characters, and all the atmospheric vibes. I'm probably going to have to buy this in hard copy because it just has to go with my Christmas book collection!

Major major props on the board game allusions and tidbits. Loved this so much.

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

I say this after every book I read by Jennifer, this one's my favourite. But this time I really think this is it.

I loved getting to know Kate, after her appreance in the previous books. her vulnerable side, but also her relaxed side, the side she discovered about herself.

I adored Xander. He cooks! And I even liked Peter this time. He definitely redeemed himself.

As always, it was so nice to catch up with my old favourites. And the more serious, real-life "issues" with struggling businesses and eco mindedness-( I loved Kate's reaction to overhearing a certain phone call!)

Jennifer, there needs to be more in this series. I adore this little village.

This is book 4 in the series. It can be read as a standalone, but I would highly recommend binging the entire series.

Oh my goodness what a heartwarming and fun-filled book.

I absolutely fell in love with the characters and the Board Game Cafe all over again. This is such a lovely community Jennifer has created and built.

Sometimes when you read series' they can become a bit samey but Jennifer's books are connected in a way that you don't feel this at all, in fact you feel the opposite. I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book and I am so grateful to Jennifer and her publishers and also Netgalley for allowing me and early copy of this book.

I am in awe of you Jennifer, to come up with all these ideas based around the lovely Essendale. I love that some of this story was inspired by elements of your life, this is so heartwarming.

I loved the idea that Kate came up with to revitalise the town and the way everyone got involved was brilliant. I especially loved the last part and I definitely shed a tear or two about the display of Christmas in a different time (trying not to spoil it for anyone but when you read it you'll know what I mean).

Can't praise this book enough, it was romantic, heartwarming, funny, the community feel of this book stands out a mile and I love that it wasn't all about perfect relationships, because no relationship is ever perfect, this is just an honest and beautiful story and I'm in love.

Three and a half stars.

It's Kate's turn for romance, the marketing guru who has helped the others launch their businesses, she might look like she's got it all but really all she wants is a family. Unfortunately she seems to have a habit of picking guys with all-consuming hobbies like fishing, or golf, and after witnessing her mother's loneliness as her father spent each and every day playing with his transistors in their garden shed, she knows she doesn't want a man like that.

When her friends start complaining that the rise of Airbnb is putting their businesses at risk, because the visitors don't come to the village in the cold months and there isn't enough custom to keep them afloat Kate comes up with a novel idea, create a real life advent calendar featuring window displays of local businesses. Each night in December they will unveil a new window, hopefully generating lots of publicity and bringing in visitors. There willa lso be a walking map so visitors can visit each window in turn.

Meanwhile, Kate is faced with not one but two possible suitors, the one who looks good on paper, and the one that got away.

This is exactly what I have come to expect from this series, a fell-good romance set against a charming Yorkshire village.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

"Christmas at the Board Game Cafe" hits all the right notes for a perfect holiday read. This cozy, comfy story feels like it was made for the Hallmark Channel, bringing to life a charming English village and a cast of characters that you can't help but love.

The characters are exceptionally well-drawn, making them feel like real people you wish you could meet. The friendships between them are authentic and heartwarming, adding depth to the narrative. The main character, an overachieving perfectionist struggling with feelings of inadequacy and uncertainty about her life's direction, is incredibly relatable. Her journey to find a loving relationship like those her friends have is both touching and inspiring.

Set against the backdrop of a financially struggling village, the main character, who initially despises Christmas, uses her marketing skills to devise a plan to help her friend and other local shopkeepers drum up business during the holiday season. What starts as a reluctant effort turns into her spearheading a community-wide event, bringing the village together in a heartwarming way.

This lovely story is not just about the holidays but also about community, friendship, and self-discovery. It's easy to lose yourself in the picturesque setting and the endearing characters. By the end of the book, you'll feel as though you've been part of something special and be sad to see it end.

If you're looking for a feel-good book with a Christmas theme, "Christmas at the Board Game Cafe" is a must-read. It's a heartwarming tale that will leave you with a smile on your face and warmth in your heart.

What a charming and cozy Christmas read! I adored the characters and the town, and the whole book felt Hallmark-esque. The overall theme of family, friendship, and community made me wish all these people were real!

I was surprised at fast I read this mystery. It was a sweet but real six fic and not cringy cozy mystery. This is part of a series but works well alone as well. This book is a bit of an emotional rollercoaster in all the best ways.