This was the first book I've read by Kate Hewitt and I'm so so grateful to have been introduced to this author!

In 'Coming Home to Starr’s Fall," lead female character Laurie Ellis is looking to make some changes in her life after receiving an unexpected inheritance from a former foster parent. Deciding to move to Starr's Fall, her plans are to open an animal bakery. And to see if she can't learn more about the family she never knew.

Across the street from her proposed animal bakery, she meets Joshua Reilly who is a grumpy bookstore owner. His immediate and obvious moodiness is the total opposite of her unwaveringly positive outlook.

I'm always up for a good ol' grumpy vs sunshine trope in a romance especially when it's set in a small town. And you can't go wrong when fall is the backdrop! This was a fantastic four star read and one I certainly recommend!

This book was absolutely wonderful. Wonderful characters, a delightful storyline.... just wonderful.

This book was absolutely delightful! Perfect fall read with lovable characters and even adorable pup . It made me want to live in Starr’s Fall.

If you are looking for a great autumn read, this is it! This was a good romance set in New England with the leaves changing and a slow burn brewing.

Laura is looking to make some big changes in her life, so she’s packed up her and her dog for a move and a new venture of opening a pet bakery and store. Josh grew up in Starr’s Fall and runs the family bookstore. He notices the new store owner as they begin to spend more and more time together. While sharing their pasts and loneliness they both begin to fall for each other.

I’m excited to see support characters stories expanded upon in future books.

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

What a fun romance this is! It is sweet, 100% closed door, and a perfect choice for a cozy fall afternoon!

Rating: 3 ⭐️
Pub Date: September 18, 2024
How I Read It: 🎧 📱

Synopsis
Laurie Ellis and her dog Max make the move from New Jersey to Starr’s Fall, CT; they’re starting over and Laurie is going to be opening up a dog shop/bakery in the small quaint town nestled in the Western Hills of CT. She looking for a new start, but is still searching for a missing piece of her past, and she’s hoping she can find the missing piece in Starr’s Fall. What she finds when she arrives, in her broken down van, is a friendly and accepting community, with the exception of one person, her neighbor Joshua Reilly who’s handsome but grumpy.

My Thoughts
This book was really cute! It was a little slow for me, but it was a short book that gave all those cozy small town fall Gilmore Girl feels, so if you’re looking for a heartwarming small town love story with the community vibe of a fall festival in a Hallmark movie, then this is the book for you!

❗️Of Note
Adoption

Themes
Family
Community
Love

Ratings
Characters: 4 ⭐️
Pace: 3 ⭐️
Enjoyability: 3.5 ⭐️

Thank you Boldwood Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book!

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book! The characters, the setting, are the details/writing are all so well done. I always love a good Fall centered romance and this was no exception. The Gilmore Girls vibes and grumpy sunshine trope are added bonuses. This a great book to cozy up with if you are looking for a feel-good romance story. I will recommend to others and absolutely look forward to future titles from Kate Hewitt.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC the review. All opinions are my own.

When I tell you that I couldn’t put this book down!! It was phenomenal. Kate Hewitt is one of this auto buy authors to me!

This was such a fun fall vibe. I felt like I had entered stars hallow all over again while reading this book. A must read for fans of Gilmore girls.

3.5/5 ⭐️

I received this book as an eArc from NetGalley to review. The premise of this book was sweet with a woman adrift in life returning to where her birth mother was from, to start her own life and hopefully find and reconnect with her mom.

It was a cute, cozy read. Perfect for fall and those that like romance with closed doors/no closed doors. Sunshine/Grumpy. Idyllic small town feel. Hallmark movie in a book.

My one and only gripe with this book was the beginning 30% of the book I don't know how many times I had to read that she felt adrift, lonely, lost and wanting direction/companionship. I fully understand that was a huge part of her as a person and her story arc but it kinda became unbearable. Once we moved past that and it was only mentioned a few other times I really enjoyed her upbeat character attitude and the relationships she built with the grump across the street and the friends she made in Starr's Fall.

I would happily read more from this author if she continues in this series. I'd love for Annie to find love and Jenna and Jack.

This was a cute read, and the town was so reminiscent of Stars Hollow. At times, it felt like there was too much extraneous detail and too little happening, but I liked the book overall. The ending was frustrating and I wish they’d expanded on Henrietta Starr’s storyline. There were almost too many characters to fully flesh out any of them so some of the dialogue felt pointless and meandering. I did enjoy how the town came together to support Laurie and how she was able to finally build a community for herself.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

This is a lovely story and I think the start of a new series, I absolutely loved the setting Starr’s Fall, it is autumn and the leaves are turning and Laurie Ellis is making a big change in her life, packing up with her small dog Max and moving to firstly open up a new business, Max’s Place a pet store and pet bakery, but she is also there to see if she can find some answers about her biological mother.

★

Laurie is moving to the small Connecticut town of Starr’s Fall with plans to open a pet bakery and a personal quest of searching for relatives. She ends up making friends, falling in love, connecting with the community, and doing all the other wonderfully fluffy things you’d expect in a feel-good seasonal story.

Ironically, these are the things that made this book dull. Laurie is juggling friendship and entrepreneurship and community involvement and romance and familial connections, but neither Laurie nor the plot are strong enough to anchor these things to any significance. They all just become floating elements.

As for Laurie, I really wanted to like her but her character felt too cookie-cutter perfect. She’s bubbly and presents herself as supremely optimistic, yet she has a tragic background that doesn’t seem to affect her all that much in the end. This made her personal history seem like a crutch to relate Laurie to another character rather than something of true significance.



All that to say: The elements for a decent story were present, but the effort didn’t seem to be.


Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the e-arc!

This was absolutely amazing! I was totally enthralled with this story from beginning to end, I could barely put it down, and when I finally read the last page, the house was dark, I was hungry, thirsty, needed to pee and my neck was stiff. But damn, it was worth it!

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but with this one, the story and setting are as sweet and quaint as the cover. This was a quick, enjoyable read, perfect for the fall.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review and opinion.

This book isn’t my usual read, but I was in desperate need of a palette cleanser. I needed something that was so far away from my day to day life, and this is the one that jumped out at me.
It’s always been a dream of mine to visit a quaint, cozy, small town America and this is exactly how I imagine it to be.
I absolutely loved this book. It gave me everything. The descriptiveness from the author was amazing, I found myself fully immersed in the town, the atmosphere, the story itself. When I say, I fell asleep reading this because I just didn’t want to put it down.
I was gutted when I came to the end as I wasn’t ready to leave.
The story itself was well thought out, great pace to it, the characters were real, flawed and relatable.
I cannot wait to read more from this author in the future!
Thank you so much for the ARC, couldn’t have come at a better time.

The perfect cozy small town read. It is Gilmore Girls vibes with a grumpy sunshine romance and an adorable dog. The side characters in the town are perfectly written and truly felt transported to Starrs Fall. It is emotional and heartwarming and the perfect read for fall!

Loved this small town romance.
Starrs Fall sounds like a lovely town to visit.
The story follows main character Laurie as she recently moves to Starrs Fall to try and find out about her birth mother. Along the way she meets the local residents of Starrs Fall.. some quirky characters and a grumpy guy across the road who prefers to keep to himself.
Laurie opens a new pet store which sounds like a great place to work!

It's well written and full of the feels.

I can't wait to read more from this author and Starrs Fall.

Laurie, had spent most of her life in the care system. She moves to the town where her birth mum named as her residence. She aims to open up a shop.
Starr's Fall is a small town and gradually she begins to make friends; one in particular her neighbour Joshua, who has the reputation of being a Grinch.
Through the pages, we see how Laurie and Joshua both grow in their confidence, as well as friendship.

4.5 stars

I absolutely loved this fall romance! It was my first time reading this author, and I’m definitely planning to pick up more of her books. I also noticed that this is the first installment in a series, and I can’t wait to dive into the second book next spring.

While it wasn't quite a five-star read for me, it was very close. One of the standout aspects of this story is the cozy autumn atmosphere and the small-town vibes. If you enjoy Gilmore Girls or The Good Witch, you’ll definitely appreciate the setting. It captures that comforting sense of community and found family perfectly!

I really enjoyed getting to know Laurie and Joshua. Both of them have tumultuous childhoods that have shaped who they are today. Even though their stories are quite different, they share feelings of loneliness and abandonment, making it difficult for them to trust others. Laurie grew up in the foster system and is trying to find her biological mother, which is a significant subplot in her life. Hearing her heartbreaking story was tough, but I loved watching Laurie face her struggles and emerge stronger on the other side.

On the other hand, Joshua had a difficult relationship with his father after losing his mother during his teenage years. With his father now gone, he grapples with feelings of resentment and guilt. Together, both characters help each other navigate their deep, raw emotions and traumatic pasts. I appreciated how the story balanced fun, light-hearted romcom moments with serious, profound romance.

I also adored the side characters and the sense of community in this sleepy small town in New England. Set during the autumn season, it’s perfect for this time of year. The vivid descriptions really drew me into the story, and I especially loved the fall festival element.

This is a sweet, clean romance with no profanity or spice. Although the story took an unexpected turn toward the end, it still concluded in a satisfying way. We also meet a few new characters who will be more central in the second book, and I’m excited to learn more about them in the future.

This book was such a delightful surprise—I didn’t expect to love it as much as I did! It was sweet, charming, and captivating. If you enjoy the grumpy/sunshine romance trope, you’ll definitely enjoy this one. I highly recommend it!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. These are my own thoughts and opinions.