Loved it, such a great small town romance, recommend everything by Kate, highly recommend this feel good romance

Coming Home to Starr's Fall is a Hallmark movie in book form. I enjoy Kate Hewitt books as they are often life books that you get something from. Laurie Ellis is moving from New Jersey to Starr's Fall, a small town in Connecticut. She has rented a store space that has an apartment above it. She's very excited to get there, have something all her own, and make a life for her and her dog, Max. Laurie is going to open a pet store and bakery for pets. She's done all of the research, placed orders of inventory, and needs to paint and update the space. As she's driving a rental van with everything she owns (which isn't much), into town, it breaks down. She and Max are 7 miles from Starr's Fall. There is nothing around. She's hoping to come across a house or a car in order to use a phone and get to town.

Annie comes racing down the road in her red pick-up truck and speeds past Laurie and Max. Laurie can't believe the rate of speed she was going and that she never even slowed to see if they needed help. All of a sudden, breaks squeal and the truck is turning around. Annie is a lifelong resident who runs her family farm since her Dad died and her Mom has Parkinson's.. She has her hands full keeping her mom engaged and keeping the farm going. She stops to check on Laurie and ends up giving her a ride to her store/apartment. Annie and Laurie become fast friends and she invites her to the farm for dinner in a few days. Life in Starr's Fall is already off to a good start. Laurie chose to come to Starr's Fall because her biological mom who gave her up for adoption supposedly lives/lived here. Laurie was in the foster system her entire childhood and would like to meet her mom. Will she find her? Will her Mom want to know Laurie as well?

There are a lot of empty stores in town so Laurie hopes hers will be popular. A lot of people have pets and want to spoil them. Across the street from Laurie's shop is a bookstore. It's in bad shape as the owner, Joshua Reilly, has had a rough time the last few years. He has basically shut down, become reclusive, and quite grumpy. He sells antique books but only online at this point. Therefore, his store space is in bad shape and getting worse. His store isn't open for business other than online sales. When Joshua and Laurie meet it's not exactly a love connection. They are both protecting their hearts as they've both been through a lot. Can Joshua find a way to let people get close to him again? Will he be able to get his store shaped up for the community? Will Joshua and Laurie become friends or more?

Coming Home to Starr's Fall is a book about wanting to find what has been lost, wishing for more than you've had to this point, hoping for a new future, and finding family that's not necessarily by blood. You'll find yourself cheering on Laurie and other people in town as they deal with some heavy subjects. I rate Coming Home to Starr's Fall 4 stars with a high recommendation. I'd like to thank NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy of Coming Home to Starr's Fall in exchange for a fair review. #ComingHomeToStarrsFall

Thank you NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review. This is a perfect fall read! I truly felt like I was transported in Starr's Fall with the beautiful description of the town and being able to picture that crisp fall air and the crunching of the leaves, etc. I loved the incorporation of a cozy bookstore where Joshua works. I liked Laurie and Joshua's relationship growth and development and them putting aside stubbornness and grumpiness to open their heart to love.

Laurie and her pup Max move to a small town to open a bakery and wanting to make some life changes. Even though she is there for another reason to Starr Fall. She wants to go to get information on the family she never knew. I was wanting to read this book because it has the Gilmore Girls vibe and that was one of my favorite shows. Having a book similar had to read I gave this book a go.

Oh this book is such a warm hug - it really scoops you up and sweeps you away into such an amazing town as Starr's Fall. The characters are believable, you feel you could meet them in your High Street and have a coffee with them.
Really cannot wait to read more in this series.

Hewitt does a great job of capturing the charm of small-town life while exploring themes of love, second chances, and personal growth. The characters are easy to root for, and there’s a nice mix of romance and emotional depth that keeps things interesting. If you’re in the mood for a warm, comforting book that makes you believe in second chances, this one’s perfect!

I just loved this book. It’s my second book by Kate Hewitt and both were five stars! Looks like I’ll have to hit up her back log of books. Super cute hallmark feeling fall book.

I have enjoyed reading Kate Hewitt's historical fiction novels, particularly the Far Horizons trilogy and the Amherst Island series but until now had never read her romance novels.

Seeing that Coming Home to Starr's Fall is the first book in a brand new series, was available as a Read Now option on NetGalley, plus that gorgeous cover 😍 convinced me to read it.

I wasn't disappointed. It has all the ingredients of a wholesome, clean cozy romance celebrating new beginnings, finding lasting friendships and found family, and would definitely make a good Hallmark movie.

My thanks to NetGalley, the publisher Boldwood Books and the author for the e-ARC of the book.

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This book is a fantastic autumnal cosy read.
Laurie and her dog Max move to the small town of Starr's Fall to open a pet store. Here they meet Joshua, a rather grumpy fellow resident and business owner in the town. However, opening a pet store is not Laurie's only reason for her arrival in Starr's Fall.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice easy read, perfect for fall. I really felt like I was there with all of the characters. The small town setting reminded me of Gilmore Girls and The Pumpkin Spice Cafe.
I was thrilled to hear there will be another instalment in this series.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Coming Home to Starr's Fall by Kate Hewitt is a typical rom-com. When Laurie loads up her meager belongings and heads to Starr's Fall to start her own business, she could never have imagined how her life would take a turn for the better. Metting Joshua in his book store the day she comes to town, she thinks she's just met another run of the mill grumpy guy but their lives are more similar than she could have imagined. This was a nice, easy read but a little too predictable for me.

The perfect cozy autumnal read. This book drew me in straight away and I fell in love with the main character Laurie. This is a wonderful small town setting, a grumpy sunshine romance and follows Laurie as she searches for a place to belong and a family to belong to.

This book is a perfect easy read for a cozy autumnal day.

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

This was a sweet, easy read for the fall season. Small town feel with a grumpy MMC, a FMC searching for family and her place in the world, and cute animals (a cat and dog) that bring some fun and laughs.

It was a lovely book and I’m already intrigued to hear more about stars hollow newest inhabitants and see how the board game cafe plays out. Laurie came to stars to find out more about her birth mother, she soon finds her people and life gets to be better for her. A chance meeting with Joshua her grumpy neighbour leads her to seek him out and they begin to gradually get along. This is a good book and it was fun to read. Thank you NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was attracted to this book, purely because I got Gilmore Girl vibes from the description and cover.

It does have that cosy autumn feel of a small town with a community heart. But it address love in so many ways, romantic, maternal, fraternal, unreceptive and friendship.

I was gripped so early on, and I will certainly keep an eye on more books from the Starr’s Fall series.
Warm and cosy comfort reading with a deeper story just beneath the surface.

*blog tour hosted by Rachel’s random resources

I couldn't finish this book. I tried on so many occasions because I wanted to love it, but it just fell flat for me. Maybe it was the timing on my part, not quite sure. Maybe I'll try and pick it up next fall and try again, but for now this one is a no.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this!

I wanted to love Coming Home to Stars Fall, but it ended up being just all right—not great. The book follows Laurie, a sweet but somewhat underdeveloped animal shop and bakery owner, and Joshua, her grumpy love interest, set against the backdrop of a small town that tries (and fails) to capture a Gilmore Girls-style charm.

One of the biggest challenges for me was the writing style. The prose often felt unnecessarily long-winded, with sentences winding on without adding much value to the story. Instead of drawing me in, it slowed everything down and made it hard to stay engaged.

Laurie’s day-to-day life at her shop and her interactions with the town’s bakers felt repetitive, and there was no meaningful character growth for her or Joshua. Their romance lacked spark, and while Joshua’s grumpy demeanor had potential, it never really developed into anything more than a trope.

The small-town charm was there in theory but didn’t feel authentic or compelling. The story felt like it was trying to be cozy and endearing but ended up being predictable and forgettable.

While Coming Home to Stars Fall wasn’t a bad read, it didn’t leave much of an impression. If you’re a fan of small-town romance, it might be worth a try, but for me, it didn’t live up to its potential.

2.5/5 Stars.

A totally gorgeous, brand new romance from million-copy bestselling author, Kate Hewitt! Welcome to the town of Starr’s Fall, where Autumn can feel like it goes on forever, and two people have a chance to fall in love… 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.

I really enjoyed Laurie's story. I thought it was well-written. Cannot wait to read more from the author.

What a lovely story. Loved the main characters and how the friendships that developed. Would definitely recommend this book.

Note: Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books, and author Kate Hewitt for the advanced reader copy of this book. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I'm not a fan of romance novels, as I've said often enough. Usually, the ones I like have another good story going on besides the romance whether it's a mystery or something historic. In the case of Kate Hewitt's Coming Home to Starr's Fall, it also deals with adoption.

Laurie Ellis is a young woman who has grown up in the foster care system. She was put up for adoption as a baby. At first, the reader doesn't understand how, in this day and age where white babies are so in demand, she languished in foster care. Laurie is searching for a place to call home with her dog, Max. The information she has on her birthmother is that she came from Starr's Fall, so that's part of what draws her there. She has plans to open a pet store/pet bakery.

Across the street is a bookstore that isn't really a bookstore anymore. It's owned by the local "Grinch," Joshua Reilly. When Laurie's dog chases the cat Joshua is watching, the two meet and begin an uneasy friendship that may lead to something else.

The feeling of Laurie coming to a small New England town is a familiar one to me. Before now, Laurie really didn't have a place to call home or any close friends. Almost immediately, the town seems to wrap its loving arms around her. All the while she's finding her footing, the search for her birthmother is at the back of her mind. As the relationship between Laurie and Joshua grows, she begins to open up to him about her life.

Hewitt does a terrific job writing about the effects of surrendering a child and the difficulties adopted children often face, even when an adoption goes well. That's not the case for Laurie, and it's also depicted well. It explains her difficulties getting close to people and trusting them. Landing in Starr's Fall is a hope to find a place where she finally feels like she fits in, along with the hope of being able to connect with the woman who gave birth to her.

All this talk about what it's like to be surrendered for Laurie has an impact on one of the town's older residents, who confides in Laurie that she surrendered a child back in the 1950s and has lived with that secret her whole life. Hewitt does a great job with this angle of the story as she shows the impact of adoption on a woman's entire life.

The romance here is sweet and gradual. There were no surprises, really, in that department. It's not all easy for Joshua and Laurie, and that gives it a real feeling. Both have reasons to hesitate to give their hearts to one another. They've been let down by the people who were supposed to love them all their lives.

I've mostly read (and liked) Hewitt's historical fiction and I have to say she also writes a good contemporary romance. She gets the small-town feel right as well as the feelings of adoptees who have a hard time finding their place in the world. This is one romance I can definitely recommend.

Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt is a beautiful, heartfelt story about family, healing, and second chances. The novel follows Nora, who returns to her small hometown of Starr’s Fall, hoping to mend old wounds and rediscover herself. Hewitt’s writing captures the deep, often messy emotions of coming home and facing the past, and I found myself deeply invested in Nora’s journey.

The characters are so richly drawn, and Starr’s Fall itself feels like a character—a place filled with both painful memories and the potential for new beginnings. This book reminds us that sometimes the hardest journeys lead us to exactly where we need to be.

If you love stories about finding peace, forgiveness, and a sense of belonging, Coming Home to Starr’s Fall is a must-read. It’s heartfelt, honest, and full of hope.