Thank you NetGalley for sending me this ARC. Such a cute yet heartfelt read. If you’re a fan of Gilmore Girls, you would definitely love this. Can’t wait to purchase a physical copy of this book. Definitely will reread it during the fall season.

This was a cute novel with cozy fall small town vibes. The characters were likeable (even the grump!), and the story had some sweet moments. An enjoyable end of summer read to add to your list with your PSL!

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I received a free copy of, Coming Home to Starr's Fall, by Kate Hewitt, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I have enjoyed other books by Kate Hewitt, she writes books set in UK and the USA. Laurie Ellis is starting over, she has moved t Starr;s Fall, to find her mother. This town sounds so beautiful, I love Autumn, its such a special time of year. I enjoyed reading this book.

A sweet an cozy smalltown setting, som romance and heartwarming people! An Autumn book with feelings!

Readers, do you love a cozy romance? The kind that makes you want to curl up with a warm drink and a blanket, on a chilly Fall day? Then Coming Home to Starr's Fall is the perfect read for you. Just in time for Fall, Kate Hewitt's newest series is now my absolute favourite!

Laurie Ellis has always felt kind of lost. Raised in the foster system she never really felt at home. That is until her foster mom left her an inheritance and told her that her birth mom was from Starr's Fall, CT. Now she's following the clue and heading to Starr's Fall to open a pet store and bakery, and hopefully find a new life and friends. What she finds will lead her on a journey like no other.

As I'm sure you can tell, I was absolutely smitten with this book. It's the best example of "grumpy-sunshine" that I have read. Laurie is all sunshine and Pollyanna positivity, despite her upbringing. Bookstore owner, Joshua Reilly, re-defines the grump... in fact he's almost Grinch-like!! Together they make for a wonderful story and I was so happy they were my first introduction to the picturesque Starr's Fall. If subsequent books are as good as this one, this is going to be one of my very favourite series.

If you read one HEA this Fall, make it Coming Home to Starr's Fall.

Laurie Ellis moves to Starr's Fall, Connecticut, to open a pet shop and search for the family she has never known. Despite her challenging past, Laurie remains optimistic and determined to find a true sense of belonging. The novel captures the cozy, autumnal charm of the small town and follows Laurie as she builds new friendships and explores a possible romance with a local bookstore owner.

Beyond its feel-good romance, the story also delves into deeper themes such as grief, parental loss, and the struggles of growing up in foster care. It is a heartwarming read for fans of clean romances centered around community and connection.

ARC REVIEW

Coming Home To Starr's Fall
By Kate Hewitt

Publishing date : 9/18/24
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 (3.5 out of 5)

I tried to write my own summary numerous times, but I kept spoiling the story. So I will insert the goodreads blurb at the end 🙂

Overall.. I enjoyed it! But the ending threw me for a loop? It was not what I expected? It wasn't a bad ending, but it was definitely not what I thought was going to happen.

If you like small town romance, give this one a go! I'll admit, I requested the Arc because my name is Leanna STARR. And how often is your name apart of a book title? Especially a whole town?! Starr's Falls was the cutest little shabby town with an adorable cast of residents. The unexpected relationships between friends and neighbors was super cute addition.

I enjoyed the book! It was a quick, easy read and a nice palette cleanser!

Thank you @theboldbookclub and @netgalley for the chance to visit Starr's Falls early!

GOODREADS BLURB:
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.

The trope feels familiar—lonely woman arrives in a small town, finds meaning and purpose and community and love— but the characters felt unique and the situations were also a bit different. The romance is sweet and I loved the addition of the quirky cat and dog. I do wish that there had been more resolved between Laurie and her biological mother. Also, why didn’t Laurie find out who played Lysander in A Midsummer’s Night Dream? Because he was probably her father! Otherwise this lovely novel is beautifully written and highly enjoyable.

I don’t know about you but I’m so ready for some cooler temperatures, yes I’m wishing summer away but I’m so over the heat. If you are feeling like you’re ready for fall this was a delightful little seasonal read that I enjoyed. I wanted the feeling of a cozy fall in a quaint town and that’s exactly what I got. Things aren’t exactly perfect in Starr’s Fall though and I appreciated that it wasn’t exactly your typical small town romance, it still delivered in its own unique way. Laurie was the sweetest character with some sad trauma in her past and I really like the journey the author took her on. Her relationship with Joshua was a slow burn and this one is closed door so just a little kissing which made this one really sweet and tender. Definitely recommended if you want a cute romance, fun fall activities and a charming and quirky small town.

This is such a cozy, heartwarming, sweet read perfect for autumn afternoons. I loved meeting Laurie and Joshua. They were both so lovely and watching them work through their traumas and finding themselves was inspiring and endearing. This has Stars Hollow vibes and all the charms of small town life. 🍂🐶🐱🧡

Thank you to @netgalley and @boldwoodbooksnl for this ARC. I enjoyed it so much!

Add this to your TBR. Pub day is September 18th! 📚🗓️

In the book Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt, Laurie Ellis has made up her mind to move to Starr’s Fall to start over because she believes that it is her town of origin. Having grown up in foster homes, she now finds herself wanting to belong somewhere. The people here are welcoming and others are grumpy, Joshua Reilly being a good example of the grumpy ones. Life has taught her to be positive, which is the way to go when dealing with him. Surely there must be something buried deep within this handsome, grumpy bookstore manager, who seems to be living in a world of his own, needing no disturbance, even though he is her immediate neighbor. As she settles in this small town, life takes a different turn, making her make several life decisions. Find out more in this book, Coming Home to Starr’s Fall, by Kate Hewitt.

I like how simple yet intense the book is; maybe it's the setting of the story, which is based on a small town. The story draws out the contrast between small-town and city life. The plot is excellent, as it is very engaging, and the author seems to be talented in engaging her readers.

I did not like gaps between chapters; an example is the gap between chapters 8 and 9. I also found the end to be a bit abrupt, which is likely to leave readers hanging.

I rate this book Coming Home to Starr’s Fall by Kate Hewitt 3 out of 5 stars for the above reasons.

I recommend to those whose readers who love simple yet engaging books based on small-town livelihood bringing out its simplicity and love, they will find this one quite entertaining. I also recommend it to those with life hurts and scars. The book is about going through life with hope and appreciation despite life's pain and unfulfilled dreams, being grateful for what you have and what you don't have too, because that too can be a blessing in disguise.

I enjoyed the coziness of this small town romance! Laurie’s story was fun to see her grow in her new community, and I loved how welcoming the people of Starr’s Fall were. I think her personal growth outweighed the romance in the story, which is totally fine, but I do wish there could’ve been a little more to the budding chemistry of Laurie and Joshua. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and it’s a perfect fall read!

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

Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the reviewer copy of this book.

Coming Home to Starr’s Fall.

The cosiest book I’ve read all year!

If you love a small-town romance, you’ll love this book.

Laurie Ellis, and her dog Max, move to the small town of Starr’s Fall with the hopes of opening up a pet store and bakery. There she meets and gets to know the locals, including the antiquarian book store owner Joshua Reilly (AKA The Grinch). It turns out there’s another reason she’s moved to this sleepy town that includes her past and a possible link to Starr’s Fall.

This book is perfect for fans of Gilmore Girls, enemies to lovers, and grumpy/sunshine relationships.

This book was probably the cosiest book I’ve read all year, and definitely perfect for Autumn. I loved all of the characters, the setting descriptions, and the storyline. I come away from the book with a genuine feeling that I’ve been to Starr’s Fall and have experienced the warmth and tight-knit community there. I loved that there was serious issues intertwined with the romance and cosy aspect of the book. It was an incredibly enjoyable read for me.

***Spoilers***

The only thing I would say is that I want to know more! I want to know more about Laurie’s mum; why she was being so mysterious and rude, why she gave Laurie up for adoption in the first place. I want to know who Laurie’s dad was also, as I just assumed it would be whoever played Lysander in the production, but we never find out. I want to know more about Henrietta’s daughter and if she ever heard from her. I wanted to experience Laurie helping the town create the Winter Wonderland Festival.

Overall I really loved this book and hope there will be more to come!

I absolutely devoured this cozy little fall read! I loved watching Laurie find community and peace in her new life. Definitely recommend this clean, fall romance!

I have read almost all of Kate Hewitt's books and while this book wasn't awful it wasn't my favourite. I found it read like mid level Gilmore Girls fiction and I missed her English country side setting.

A good cosy story. I loved Max’s place, and really enjoyed the community feeling the book made. Particularly with Laurie finding her people, going to town meetings and helping Henrietta Star.

However to improve, it would have been really lovely to see more growth as the shop was built from a tiny dusty space to a bustling business it became at the end. Plus the part about Laurie finding her mother after all these years. It all felt a bit rushed which caused a lack in the important details, making the book extremely slow and boring at time. Other than that a good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and BoldBooks for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Loved reading this book. New author to me. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. It was hard to put the book down to work. Hopefully this will be a series.

This is a Hallmark movie in writing, it has all the cosy vibes and had to be read whilst drinking a PSL!
If you like Gilmore Girls and cheesy movies, you will absolutely love this book.

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 chose this book because I enjoyed Kate Hewitt's World War II saga 'Into the Darkest Day'. Although this is a very different genre - a warm, Hallmark-movie hug of a book set in smalltown Connecticut in the fall - I trusted her to tell a good story with an emotional punch.

It's a very easy read. Laurie Ellis is a likeable protagonist to root for. If I have a minor criticism, it's that the initial description of the romantic hero Joshua as "like a grownup Harry Potter" was a bit off-putting, though kudos for him being an antiquarian bookseller...

Favourite line: "Life could hurt because no one got through it unscathed, unscarred. But the scars were signs of survival, badges of grace."

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

Laurie Ellis is about to start life anew in a small town called Starr’s Fall, northwestern Connecticut. She is going to open a pet store and pet bakery.
Joshua Reilly runs the dusty bookstore opposite Laurie, handsome but grumpy.
Laurie is optimistic that Starr’s Fall will be just what she’s looking for in life.

I very much enjoyed reading this book. The authors writing description was so vivid I felt as if I were there, and could picture everything perfectly.
The book does have some sensitive issues but in general I thought it was caring and positive.
Laurie is a very likeable character.
I am so looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced e-book copy. Opinions about the book are entirely my own.