Such a lovely read.. Written with compassion and understanding of the myths, magic and religious beliefs of those in the past and present, which are preserved through written and oral traditions. I really enjoyed having my own thoughts regarding the history and folklore challenges as I read and hoped the mystery of the stane would be revealed without releasing the wrath of the little people on our heroes!

Read and reviewed in exchange for a free copy from Netgalley. Unfortunately I could not finish this book. I love festive romance novels as a rule, and the plot of this was interesting, but unfortunately, I found the two main characters so unlikeable I just couldn't get into the book. While this particular novel wasn't for me, I would be open to reading other books by this author.

A folklore researcher and an Irish historian wrangle over a Fairy Shane (stone) in the moors of York. Character driven and a lovely tale of finding what is missing from each of their lives.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a DNF for me. I couldn’t get into the story. I’m sure what was missing. I will look into reading this book in the future to see if I feel the same.

Looking for the perfect romance novel? Check out The Start of the Story by Jane Lovering. I loved it!

This is my first time reading something by this author. It is a sweet and heartwarming tale of love, loss, and rediscovery, which is sure to lift your spirits and warm your heart.
Rowan is a vulnerable yet strong character, and I admired her resilience. She has accepted her fate in life, but she still struggles in coping with the future she has lost but hesitant to let go of the past, making her a character you can't help but root for.
Enter Connor O’Keefe, a dashing historian whose skeptical approach to local legends threatens Rowan’s cherished beliefs but also offers her the challenge she didn’t know she needed. Their chemistry is strong but layered with emotional complexity, creating a slow-burning romance that feels authentic and deeply satisfying. The author does a wonderful job describing the scenes with vivid descriptions bring the settings to life.
The novel offers a delightful balance of humor, tenderness, and introspection. In short, it is a charming and uplifting read that will leave you smiling long after you’ve turned the last page. If you are looking for a cozy, heartfelt escape, then you have come to the right place.
I received a complimentary copy from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving my review.

It’s a really beautiful story❤️ You're totally gonna fall for the characters in this one. I know I did! Plus, everything is handled so well.

I genuinely do not know what was happening or what the plot is of this book. I tried to finish because I have it as an arc but had to DNF. This is just not the book for me.

Drawn in by the cover and looking forward to a nice romance, this book was that and so much more. Emotional and beautiful, I loved following both main characters journeys.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley UK for a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I saved this thinking it was a festive feel good and it was so much more than that. The book centres around two contrasting professors, one a historian, the other and expert in folklore. Both characters have an abundance of issues to work through. Running alongside this we read about the history of the fairy stage, a local relic integral to their meeting.

Set in the moors of North Yorkshire, this story follows folklorist, Dr Rowan Thorpe and Irish historian, Professor Connor O'Keefe as they battle over the same site for different reasons. Rowan is extremely protective of The Fairy Stane in the moorlands and won't let anyone lift it, while Connor thinks it might be a Roman marker for a lost Roman settlement and thinks lifting the stone will tell him the information he needs.

In the end, neither are right and the final result is much sadder and more emotional than anyone could have originally thought.

There is a lot of loss in this story - Rowan has been widowed at a young age and lost a pregnancy that may or may not have been a pregnancy and Connor was tricked into falling in love with a married woman and mother of two young children. But after a rocky start, they find solace in each other.

I thought the story was well written and covered the sensitive topics of loss and heartbreak really well. But there was no real build up to Rowan and Connor's relationship, it went from them first meeting to Connor needing a place to stay and moving into Rowan's spare room, to the two of them being consumed by each other without any real story about the two of them in the middle. It was like a switch flipped one day and they decided they loved each other and couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Overall, an emotional read and I liked the way Connor and Rowan seem to compliment each other in the end - just would have been nicer to see them build their relationship a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

SInce I love the small town, soft rom coms of Jessica Redland, and Beth Moran, it wasn't a hard sell for me to start "the Start of the Story". Rowan's story moved me, and being able to watch her and Connor fall in love was delightful. I really enjoyed this sweet book.

I like a good enemies to lovers romcom so thought this could be a good read.

Unfortunately I found the prickliness of Rowan rather wearing and the story took a long time to get anywhere.

A nice story but not one I’d recommend.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me a copy of this story in exchange for my review.

The moment I see a Jane Lovering book up for request, its a no brainer... I need to read it!
Rowan and Connors story is captivating, heart-warming and simply wonderful from beginning to end.

An interesting read. I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy this story at the beginning but when I got into it it was really good and the mythical Fairy stane was quite a beautiful part of the novel. The location was great and I was so pleased that Rowan could move on after a devastating loss. A charming well written book

This was such a good story, and the way it was wirttenn was great... it's definetly a "show not tell" type of book and I love that.

I like the reverse sunshine/grumpy trope and this was done perfectly. The fact that the characters had a lot to unfold makes them really interesting, the portrait of grief and how it affects the characters. It is so well done you can actually feel all the emotions too, and at points its heartbreaking but in a good way (if that makes sense)... in the end it also has fun, romantic moments worth your times.

Rowan meets Connor and instantly dislikes what he stands for. When she ends up renting her spare room to him will that change matters? a great read, and I liked the setting too.

Dr Rowan Thorpe and Professor Connor O’Keefe do not get off to a great start when he is determined to access an archeological area that is of significant folkloric interest to Rowan. Hard to believe these two could possibly belong together, but sharing their individual griefs might just be the beginning of a real relationship.

I had not read anything by this author, but I will definitely be checking out more of her work now! This was a sweet tale of love and loss, and finding love again. Rowan was pretty salty, but I could not fault her for it. She had been through a tough loss, so it was understandable that she felt the way she did. I absolutely adored Connor though! *swoon* I loved how he gave Rowan her space, while also making his presence known. He did not back down, but knew when to back off a bit. Overall, it was a great story that kept me reading so that I could find out how the story was to progress.

An absolute delight to read.. I love books like this one as it's such a pleasure to settle down and just read it in one sitting. I always enjoy Jane's books. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.