Love Letters on Hazel Lane

A joy of a book to read. Settle down in the sofa with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits and prepare not to move until you’ve read the whole book.

I was so pleased to read this book which is an absolute delight. Scrabble is a great game and to base a book round it is truly inspired. Cleverly written and charming I would recommend this as a must read.

Such a good book with a really unique selling point. Of the love story revolving around Scrabble. I thought it was really good and I really enjoyed it.

A brilliant second book. Can read alone. Controlling men and bullies at work make you so cross.. Kate and her funny advice made you laugh at times . The Scrabble group and the things it led too was great. Jo was a complicated character and sometimes you were shouting at her. I loved Razz . A great read and a fab ending . Read it

Another cracker from Jennifer Page. It's such a delightful read. I thoroughly enjoyed The Little Board Game Café, and the author cleverly weaves characters from that book into Love Letters on Hazel Lane. This is a hug of a book. Snuggle up with cake and coffee and lose yourself in a well-written, page-turning read. Five big fat stars from me! I was very fortunate to receive an ARC - many thanks to the publisher and author.

I was excited for the chance to read Love Letters on Hazel Lane because I loved the author's first book about the board game cafe. I did not find this story quite so upbeat or appealing, but I did love how so much of the plot involved Scrabble. The heroine Jo is a Scrabble nut looking for that special relationship. Just moved into a new town, Jo is lonely and seems unable to find new friends or meet new people. She is bullied by a new employee in the office at work and still ruminating over the difficulties of her past marriage. When Jo meets shy local GP Ras on a dating app, it seems they are both too socially awkward to get things going and never make it to a second date. Some of the situations that kept them apart or created obstacles felt a bit contrived.

For everyone who enjoyed the board game cafe story there are plenty of return characters in Love Letters. The community of friendship created by the shared loved of the board games and Scrabble makes one wish for such a place in real life! This is an enjoyable good read I highly recommend.

This is the first book I've read by Jennifer Page and it definitely won't be the last as I really enjoyed this cozy read that feels perfect for autumn evenings.

I thought Jennifer Page’s previous book, The Little Board Game Cafe was fantastic. Well, this one is even better. The usual cosy romance tropes are all there which makes this a delightful read, and there are supporting characters from the previous book. However, what elevates this book (seems to be a theme in her writing) is the dissection of a serious social issue, in this case the detrimental effects of bullying in childhood and in the workplace with a side helping of misogyny and sexual predation. Our protagonist Jo manages to overcome these and grow as a person during the story and this is all wrapped up with the various challenges and self doubt that makes the book all the more realistic. Her romantic partner faces his own self doubts but has a charm of his own. It is difficult to put down once you start; the pages will be turning until you reach the ending. We all know what is coming but the story is told with inventiveness and humour which is a hallmark of Jennifer Page. Can’t wait for the next in the series.

Thank you so much to Net Galley, Head of Zeus and Jennifer Page for this copy to review.

I sat down on my couch, started reading, and then I was lost in the story. This book is such a cosy read - it makes you feel like you're in a big hug.

Jo is incredible, and oh my god did I relate to her. Her inner monologue is so relatable - my heart was hurting for her in all of the scenarios where she was completely ignored, overlooked or doubted herself. I absolutely loved her journey of self love - I was cheering her on the whole time. I really wanted to be there for her and tell her to open her eyes and see how much her and Ras clearly liked each other, but the way they came together was perfect, and I felt that she really did need to go on her journey of loving herself before she could truly accept Ras' love. They did have some miscommunication while they were figuring themselves out - but I did feel like this was absolutely part of their personalities.

The Scrabble aspect to this story is amazing - I loved the little snippets of it throughout the book, as well as the big focus on it. I loved all of the fun side characters as well, they were all a bit cute and loveable.

This is such a lovely book to get lost in - highly recommended!

As a Scrabble lover this book gave me much to enjoy. I laughed with Jo, felt for her in sad moments but was delighted that Ras became such a positive part of her life. Thank you for giving me the chance to review this book, which I enjoyed very much.

Having loved 'The Little Board Game Cafe,' I was excited when the publisher reached out with an invite to read an ARC Page's latest book. 'Love Letters on Hazel Lane' did not disappoint. Continuing the board game theme, this was an enjoyable read with well written characters and some helpful Scrabble hints! I enjoyed seeing some characters from the first book, and I hope we'll see Jo and Razz again in future books.

As a lover of books and board games, this was a delight to read and I can't wait for the next.

I really enjoyed reading this book! The characters, setting and plot felt so cosy, I couldn't put it down. I found myself really relating to Jo and her inner monologue, as I expect a lot of women do. I think it's the first time I've read a self-love journey that didn't make me roll my eyes, the writing was so realistic and I was cheering Jo on every step of the way. I'm not particularly a fan of the miscommunication trope in romance stories and some of the subplots keeping Ras and Jo apart felt a bit needless but I still had fun reading this.

Having recently read and thoroughly enjoyed Jennifer Page's debut, I was excited to jump into Love Letters on Hazel Lane.
Jo finds it tough settling into a new area with no friends, a job she is not sure she enjoys, and a hidden passion for Scrabble that she feels no one will ever understand. She's tentatively hopped on the dating app wheel, but that isn't giving her many positive experiences.
Then she meets a new friend, Kate (who happens to be one of the side characters from the first book), who encourages her to take some chances and suddenly pushes her into directions she didn't think she would ever take.
One minute, she feels unwanted and unloved, then things change, and she begins to look at life differently, with some interesting dates, and then the start of her association with the local Scrabble club. It is run by quirky local GP Ras, who happens to be one of her previous 'disaster' dates.
Jo's organisational skills are not left unnoticed, and she finds herself in charge of arranging a Scrabble festival, as well as getting her own life into gear.
This time, the story still had all the cosy feels, with a will they/won't they romance and being able to revisit some of the lovely characters from The Little Board Game Cafe. However, there was an added, more serious thread to it, exploring childhood bullying, merging into workplace bullying, toxic relationships, and coercive control.
Ultimately, the biggest bonus in this story was the theme of self-love, and the author has done very well.
Recommended read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for an ARC.

I really enjoyed Jennifer Page’s first book so was excited to read this one. It didn’t disappoint, in fact I think I enjoyed it even more. A fabulous quirky story and a great cast of very relatable characters make this a fabulous read.

What a delightful and cleverly written read! I would highly recommend this book which gets you hooked on the story from the first page.

The story focuses on a relatable protagonist Jo and her search for a soulmate, but it's also so much more than that. Jo has to face obstacles in her past and present and as a reader you are really rooting for her.

I loved the scrabble theme and seeing characters pop up from Jennifer's first book 'The Little Board Game Cafe'. 'Love Letters' takes you on an emotional journey that makes you laugh out loud one minute and has you furious the next, eager to see some characters get their comeuppance (which they do, but not always in ways you'd expect!).

Five Stars!

I was looking forward to reading this book. After reading The Little Board Game Cafe I was excited to read another boardgame related story.

My friend and I love Scrabble and this was right up my street. The story line is brilliant, there is a great balance of drama, romance, friendships relationships and Scrabble. I loved the Scrabble elements to this book.

I really did not like Leona, she makes Jo's life a bit of a misery and I hate it. She's a bully.

Poor Jo has had a lot to deal with in her life and she very relatable.

I loved the mentions of the little board game cafe in this book, you can imagine them knowing each other or at least being aquaintences.

I was so very excited to read my name in the back of this lovely book in the Acknowledgments. I created a Facebook page a few years ago and I absolutely love the members. I run the group with the lovely Marian who became an admin to help when the group kept growing, she is just fab and I couldn't have continued without her.

The members include authors and it's such an honour to be able share work like this.

Thank you so much Jennifer, you're fabulous and I will continue to share your lovely books and support you through your writing career.

“Love is requited, they’re both just idiots” AKA JUST KISS ALREADY trope personified.

4.5/5 ⭐️
Thank you Head of Zeus and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

I would strongly advise the author to add a content warning page or maybe mention something in the description so people have an idea what they’re getting into. Relevant helpline numbers should also be listed at the end.

This book covers the topics of domestic (verbal and emotional) abuse, coercive control, BMI talk and mentions of controlled eating, please be kind to yourself when you read it.

I really loved this one and will definitely be picking up the author’s other title.
The main characters are great and you cannot help but root for them throughout.
I just wish we got to see their time together, cause we know that they’re seeing each other a lot in the run up to the festival but we barely get to spend any time with them!

All in all, it is a lovely cozy read that will leave you with an arsenal of new Scrabble words to play.

Book Review 📚
Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page - 4.5/5 ⭐

Firstly, there are some triggers in this book so take that into consideration. I'm not easily put off but a trigger warning is needed for some people. Domestic Abuse and control being the main ones.

Now I didn't have a clue that this was boardgame related but oh my what a wonderful touch! After reading this I immediately hunted down the first boardgame book by Page and it's now on my TBR. The elements of Scrabble thrown in were just amazing. I loved it.

There's so much happening in this book (not overloaded don't worry) including friendships, family, drama, love and obviously, Scrabble!

Jo, the FMC, is so unbelievably relatable and I utterly adored her character. She's perfect and deserves the world. I loved her story and I thoroughly enjoyed following her through this book. It was so well written and just perfect.

Thank you to NetGalley and Head of Zeus for allowing me to read this ARC - this is an HONEST review from my own personal opinion.

What a lovely novel- a real heartwarming story about Jo, a self confessed Scrabble fanatic who discovers a whole community of friends she never realised she had on her own doorstep. Although the story provides wonderful escapism, it does cover other sensitive issues such as bullying and mental abuse albeit tastefully and well done.

Jo has no luck with dates after her disastrous marriage. She moves to Hebbleswick to start a new life as the only thing she seems to have is her love of scrabble. She decides to use scrabble tile letters as her way of knowing if someone is good enough going on a date with.

I loved this story, the main character was so relatable and I really appreciated the journey she went on, it was both inspirational and motivational. I also loved seeing characters from the first book make reappearances, and even seeing their stories progressing.

Definitely recommend this author, love that they’re easy reads but there is so much character development throughout the story. Looking forward to any future books by her.

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

I loved her first book and I love the second.

Ras and Jo story is simply perfect and down-to-earth. I mean, I could have been Jo, she happennded to live some similarities with me. And I totally loved how she stands for herself and fight her fears. She builds confidence in a amazing way.

Ras is perfect, cute, shy, huggable and not so naive which is a bomb mix.

Lovely to see Mr B and Florence and a bit of Emily.

This time was scrabble, I have to admit never have ever played, but now I have a urged to do it.

What a lovely story this was, well written and easy to read. This is Jennifer Page's second book, again with a board game theme, this time Scrabble. Set in the small town of Hebbleswick, the writing really conjured up the place for me. I was quickly engaged with the characters and storyline and loved every minute of it.

The leading lady is Jo, a Scrabble fanatic, who is shy and nervous following years of bullying at school, work and her marriage to a controlling husband. She is desperate to find love but isn't doing very well with the whole dating game, despite her best efforts. I really liked Jo and felt for her trials and tribulations. Her best friend Gemma is great, kind and supportive, as is Kate her newest friend and confidant. Then there is Ras, a doctor, Scrabble club leader and a charming man; he is wonderful. I loved all the members of the Scrabble Club, they were quirky and funny.

This is a great story and such an easy read. It is really delightful and I got some ideas for some new words next time I play Scrabble. I look forward to more board game stories from Jennifer Page.

I really loved this story. The MC was very relatable and I really felt her journey was motivating and also inspiring. There was a lot of character development throughout the story. This book felt like a delightful hug!

Love Letters on Hazel Lane is the follow up book to The Little Board Game Cafe and is just as delightful! We get to know a couple of the minor characters from the first book a bit better and we also hear how the main characters are getting on!

This book is centred around Scrabble, the main character Jo's favourite hobby. We meet Jo not long after she has had to move to a new village, Hebbleswick, after her best friend moved away. She's finding it difficult to settle in and meet new friends, and she's also trying to find a partner - she started using dating apps again after a difficult time with her ex. Added to this, she is having a difficult time at work due to some not very nice colleagues.

Things change when she sees an advert for the local Scrabble club, run by Ras (who we were briefly introduced to in the first book). She goes along and is quickly roped into organising a Scrabble Festival! Her organisational skills quickly shine through, and whilst working on it, she meets new people, makes new friends, and her confidence slowly begins to grow. She also finds herself getting closer to Ras and realises what a good person he is. 💕

This is a lovely book! There are a couple of difficult topics in it, but overall it's a nice story about community, friendship, and love. Seeing Jo's confidence grow over the course of the book was brilliant, and seeing her finally do what she wanted to do was inspiring.

I really have enjoyed both of Jennifer Page's books and am looking forward to more! 💕

Thank you so much to Jennifer Page, Head of Zeus, and Netgalley for the arc. 💕

What a lovely book this is!
I absolutely love the game Scrabble so to base the story around this, made it so lovely and enjoyable to read.
The characters are so warm and feel so genuine that it just made me want the best for them.
I’m really pleased I requested this from Netgalley because it’s been a really light and enjoyable read.

Perfect for lovers of the game Scrabble, Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page tells a story about two people who love Scrabble and met through a dating app.

Summary: Joanne "Jo" Knox has always dated the wrong guys. She moves to Hebbleswick and decides to give dating one last chance with a fun twist: she shall only date men whose names scored highly in Scrabble. She meets Ras, who only scores 3 points, but they grow closer as they plan a Scrabble festival together.

Tropes/Genres:
• strangers to friends to lovers
• found family
• talks about emotional abuse
• small town
• Scrabble!
• contemporary romance
• set in Hebbleswick

Review: This book made me so happy! Jo and Ras are absolutely adorable. Even though I haven't played Scrabble (I know...), I could understand this book and its references to the game perfectly well, so that's awesome! It also made Scrabble look interesting. Perhaps I shall try it someday. I could feel Jo's and Ras's passion for Scrabble oozing out. It's hard not to be affected by that. If there were a Scrabble festival around here, I would be sure to attend it. I'm sure those who love Scrabble will love this book too!

Characters from The Little Board Game Café have returned in this book, both of which are set in neighbouring villages. At least, that's what I'm assuming considering Essendale and Hebbleswick are both Yorkshire villages and share a health centre. Even though I read the first book sometime back, the distinctive traits of the side characters are so hard to forget that I managed to recall who the characters are while reading this book. So that's interesting! I'd say the author did a great job crafting such memorable characters.

The book also touches on gaslighting and emotional abuse in a relationship. It also talks about knowing one's self-worth. Through Jo, readers can see how easy it is to fall into the trap of a manipulative person. I greatly admire Jo's strength. Her character growth throughout the story is worth admiring.

I recommend this book to readers who'd like to read a nice slow-burn friends-to-lovers romance between two people who like Scrabble a lot – scratch that, they LOVE IT. I'm sure people who love the game, perhaps as much as Jo and Ras, will enjoy this book too! The book also touches on gaslighting and emotional abuse in a relationship, so do read with care.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the read.

This is a delightful book that follows on nicely from The Little Board Game Cafe. Is also a good stand alone story. It is a lovely book to read, the development of the main character was particularly satisfying and the romance played out perfectly.

Never have I been so invested in scrabble but I absolutely adored this book. Jennifer Page is a new author for me and I can’t wait to read more of her work. You feel an instant connection with the characters and the plot flows well. It’s a well written heartwarming novel that I found hard to put down. Thank you to NetGalley, Head of Zeus and the author for the chance to review.

This book, for me was personal. I found Jo so relatable, the feelings you're left with when you come out of an abusive relationship were so accurately portrayed. The lack of self worth, the 'why me' thoughts, the awkwardness, following all the way through to the empowerment of gaining it back. This book has humour, emotion, struggles, love and of course, Scrabble! I was gripped by this book and it was what I would describe as a real comfort book. I felt so pleased for Jo when she started gaining friends and confidence, courage and self worth and of course Razz! I was rooting for those two! I have read the little board game cafe which is this authors first book and as much as both can be read as stand alones, I would highly recommend reading that first because again, it's a brilliant story and a real comfort. The way the characters come back into this story brought me such joy! Even just as 'background' characters, I found myself smiling at the mention of them.
I would give this more than 5 stars if I could, just for how relatable and exquisitely written it was. It's definately a book I'll purchase and re-read. I loved it!

I absolutely adore this series, and I love how it interconnected with the little board game cafe ( no spoilers or huge aspects, but it's nice to make the connections), so do yourself a favour and read both.

Jo and Ras were absolutely amazing, and I loved the banter/scrabble between them. Their meet-cute was one of my favourite parts.

Everything was so well thought out, and Jo's word scores were fascinating.

Jo's growth as a person (character) and how she came upon her own, I was thrilled she found her way and healed in the process. Ras's own growth, and boost in confidence made them such a cute couple.

I can't wait for the next in this series!

The allure of this book, thanks to its cover and title, was instantaneous for me. Although Jennifer Page's debut novel remains untouched on my shelf after this Hazel Lane journey, it's next on my reading list.
Jo, a scrabble enthusiast makes her way to Hebbleswick after bidding farewell to her shared apartment with her bestie, Gemma. She decides to re-enter the dating scene, but after a series of questionable encounters, she finds herself on a date with the equally awkward Dr. Ras. However, their budding connection takes a nosedive when Dr. Ras' fear of heights is laid bare. She wonders if it's all worth it and if should she just give up on dating altogether!
Jo then stumbles upon the local scrabble scene, where she discovers Dr. Ras is steering the ship. Could this be Jo's sought-after "scrabble tribe"?
As Jo sets upon organising a community Scrabble festival, you will wonder if these two Scrabble enthusiasts manage to figure out the dating puzzle and spell out a happy ending.
The narrative flows seamlessly, offering a charming story with characters so relatable they could be your next-door neighbours. Love Letters on Hazel Lane doesn't shy away from delving into darker themes, addressing bullying and coercive control, which adds a compelling layer of complexity and depth to the tale.
In essence, if you're in the mood for a heartfelt journey filled with highs, lows, and a sprinkle of triple-word scores, Hazel Lane is your next literary destination.

I was first attracted to this book because I love Scrabble, and when I realized this book had something to do with the board game I was instantly in love. And I have to admit I was attracted by the beautiful cover.
The book tells us about Jo, a woman who struggles with self-esteem, abusive relationships, and her love life in general. She decides to move to a little village near Manchester, where she works in Pop! productions, that turns out to be a toxic environment for her. When she moves to Hebblesick she meets Razz in a dating app. After a first date that turns out rather fun for Jo but not so much for Razz, they go their separate ways, until they find themselves in the same scrabble club, and have to organize a scrabble festival together, where love will sprout.

To begin with, the characters were pretty well written, because they had real problems they needed to overcome, and I think readers would like the characters to resonate with them. As well, I've loved Jo's journey to become more confident and leave the toxic people that were in her life. Another thing that I've liked where some of the little plot twists in the story, I didn't see most of them coming, and that's a really difficult thing to do in a romance book, that tends to have a much simpler plot than other genres such as fantasy.
Lastly, the most important thing that I liked is that it was scrabble-themed. As a board game lover, this was a game changer and it was really unique.

However, there are things I do not like that much. For instance, the miscommunication between the main characters. At some points it was utterly frustrating that they didn't express what they were feeling when it was obvious, I get that's necessary for the story to develop but I don't usually like that trope.

With that being said, I've really enjoyed the book, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a good romance book, especially if you are into board games. As well, I would like to thank the author, the publishers, and net galley for allowing me to read it.

I loved this heartfelt read! Loosely connected to her previous novel, this is also fine to read as a standalone book. Our heroine Jo is obsessed by Scrabble and is tired of being trod on by various people, be it at work or by her ex-husband. When she joins the local Scrabble club it takes her life in a direction she could never have foreseen!

“Love Letters on Hazel Lane” by Jennifer Page. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and what can I say other than I loved it and read in one day. The setting of a tiny village called Hebbleswick sounded like just my cup of tea, I could picture it especially as I have visited small villages in England. It had everything you could want in a story friendship, community and love. I adored Razz and how he seemed to really like Jo but they both had insecurities getting in the way.

I found the characters to be well developed, and multi-dimensional. It’s a great follow up to The Boardgame Cafe , and I can’t wait to pick up the authors next book!

I will definitely read other books by this author.


I requested and received an advance reader copy of this book from Aria and Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Having read already read a book by this author was keen to read this, her latest. The beautiful book cover drew me in, with a storyline involving the ancient game of scrabble what’s not to like. Once again a great read.

Jo and Razz were lovely interesting characters and I enjoyed reading about their journey. They were explored and developed well with great writing.

I loved the tiny village setting - so cute!

As mentioned in the blurb, I love how much scrabble plays a part in this book, it’s so nice to see representation of all different hobbies and games not always seen in books!

There are some deeper topics covered too but they’re done in a good way.

There were also a few twists throughout the story which were great and kept things interesting!

A lovely enjoyable romance read I’d recommend to others.

Such an entertaining story that was filled with great characters and an uplifting story.
Jo is struggling with her life, a past emotional abusive relationship has caused her to up sticks and move to a new area. Her ex husband was so horrible to her, putting her down and sapping away her self esteem, and so she finds it difficult to mix and socialise with new people.
On top of that work is stressful and she feels the outsider there too.
So when she finally makes a friend and starts to immerse herself into the community (and dating) things begin to look up for her. Joining the scrabble club really turns her life around and gives her plenty of opportunities to overcome her past and to grab a new life for her future.
I loved seeing her find her tribe and to allow herself to learn to trust others around her. Seeing her connect with Razz was brilliant, their gentle friendship was perfect and you could see her blossoming from the connection.
Her backstory was told in a very honest way and it was sensitively written. You could really understand the awful experience she had and you so wanted her to overcome it and break free from her memories.
An uplifting story that was also incredibly fun to read too!
Win win!

A joyful romance that I consumed in a day. This delightful story follows Jo as she seeks love and friendship with the help of Scrabble. Full of heart, depth and great sense of place and community it left me uplifted and eager to read more from the author.

Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page

I received an advance review copy for free thanks to Rachel's Random Resources and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blurb

Scrabble fan Jo always seems to pick the wrong guys. Now she's moved to the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, and decided to give dating one last chance. This time, there's a she will only date men whose names would score highly in her beloved word game.

After Tarquin (16 points) proves just as disappointing as the rest, she meets low-scoring local doctor Ras (3 points). Her rules mean she can't date him – but when he asks her to organise a Scrabble festival with him, she can't say no.

As the event draws nearer and Jo and Ras grow closer, will Jo ignore her rule and let true love blossom over the triple letter scores?

My Opinion

Who would have thought you could write such an entertaining book about Scrabble? Jennifer Page has a love of board games and that is made clear in this series. Whilst this is part of a series it can easily be read as a standalone as we are mostly introduced to new characters.

We have a beautiful cover to draw in the reader and a lovely plot to hold the reader's attention. There are some great characters that are really easy to connect with. This is a great book that I would have no hesitations in recommending, I read this book in an evening.

Rating 4/5

Thanks to the Publishers and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I absolutely loved this story. I felt that you could relate to the main character and how she feels. Reading about her journey was uplifting.

It was lovey to meet up with characters from the previous book and read about how their lives progressed.

I recommend this book.

A quirky & fun read with realistic characters. Jo is a socially awkward, but highly organized person. Try as she might, Jo can't get ahead in her job & ends up with disaster date after disaster date. This leads her to believe every disaster is some how her fault. The only thing right in her life is her love if Scrabble. This of course eventually leads to a Scrabble club and meeting up with Ras, one of her disaster dates, who has his own issues. The Scrabble club leads to other things, like organizing a Scrabble festival. Jo needs to learn how to successfully navigate her life through everything, and hope that her one disaster date might not end up being a complete disaster. This is the 2nd book by this author that I've read & will definitely read more.
I received an ARC copy from NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Fantastic - 14 points
Brilliant - 11 points
Enjoyable - 21 points

Just 3 of the words I would use to describe this latest book from Jennifer Page, featuring scrabble mad Jo, and Ras.

There is a lot of scrabble and scrabble scores in this book, and it does for the basis for a fair amount of the plot.

But there is so much more to it than just that, as Jo starts to make improvements in all areas of her life.

And I loved the idea of a Scrabble festival, and would dearly love to go to it, being a big fan of the game too.

Set in the next village over to the author's first book, we have loads of cameos and connections to The Board Game Café, which as a fan I loved seeing. but rest assured this can easily be read as a standalone book too.

I read this on holiday, on Christmas day, and it was the perfect read. After all who hasn't played scrabble or another board game with loved ones over Christmas, so this felt like a fitting read, while I was soaking up the sun.

Thank you to Aria and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Divorced Jo moves to the little village of Hebbleswick. After not having much luck with dating, she decides to only date men who have names that would score highly in her beloved Scrabble. When low scoring Ras asks her to help organise a local Scrabble festival, will she break her rule?

I really liked Ras, and the misunderstandings throughout the book. The constant Scrabble scoring did get a bit irritating after a while, but a host of entertaining Scrabble players made up for it! Comedic and serious elements are in the story, a nice easy read.

What a fantastic fun read all based around the game of Scrabble.
Jo’s life is a bit messy until she joins the local Scrabble Club bringing in new friends especially with Razz. Wonderful cast of characters along with a great storyline. I think I may have to play Scrabble now.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Joining Hebbleswick's Scrabble club is about to change Jo's life . A very enjoyable rom com, whether you are a scrabble player or not. A totally different story, showing the change in Jo's life, increasing her self confidence and self esteem. Wonderful reading.

Absolutely brilliant book. Having read Jennifer's first book I knew we were in for a treat. Basing the story round a board game is a unique and clever idea. I look forward to Jennifer Page's next book.

Jo Knox divorced and in her mid thirties is living in a small town called Hebbleswick in West Yorkshire.
Jo’s hobby and passion in life is the board game Scrabble.
Jo is new to living in Hebbleswick, she is lonely, she needs some new friends and company.

A very enjoyable easy fun read, it does exactly as intended and hits the feel good factor.
It addresses bullying but in a sensitive way.
A bunch of mainly likeable characters with a few bad apples thrown into the mix, such is life.
I look forward to reading future books from this author.

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

Very well written , a fun story based on the game of Scrabble but with a good storyline to go with it. This is a book that you won't want to put down. 5 Stars.

Thanks to Netgalley, author and publisher for this ARC

Another 5* read from Jennifer Page! I loved this book just as much as her first, and I'm really hoping there will be more in this series. Whilst there was a slight crossover with characters from The Little Board Game Cafe (which was a nice touch), this could definitely be read as a stand alone. A fab story covering difficult but important topics, written and handled so well. The characters were all so likeable and well written. Read this in two sittings, the best start to my 2024 reading journey.

Thank you so much to the author, publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved the incorporation of all things scrabble, especially as someone who loves board games and other hobbies similar. I liked seeing Jo come to improve her self-confidence and love of herself throughout the book and the romance and friendship between her and Razz was great too.

This is a charming second novel from Jennifer Page. Set near the location of her first book, The Little Board Game Cafe, it features some of the same characters. It was so good to see them all again but you definitely don't need to have read that one to get into this one.

This is the story of a woman wanting to change her life but not quite knowing how to. She's settled with a job she's good at but doesn't love and she's trying different ways of dating to try and move on from her failed marriage.
Through a love of Scrabble and a need for community, she finds her people and maybe her career and love life woes might just find themselves getting solved.

Page's writing is full of love and humour, this a perfect comfort read for anyone who enjoys romantic fiction.

Jo (not Joanna!) has recently moved to Hebbleswick after her best friend moved away. She's still trying to find her feet, between dating after divorce, working at a job she hates, and trying to find new friends when she discovers the local Scrabble club. She nearly walks away when she realises she's been on a date with the organiser, but by the end of the evening, she's been asked to organise a bigger Scrabble event.

I enjoyed the next installment of the adventures of Essendale/Hebbleswick residents (although it's driving me a little insane that I can't remember what the Scrabble dress was about in The Little Board Game Café). In my last review, I said Kate (the (new) best friend was self-absorbed. She still is but she's more helpful this time (eventually) - although you have to wonder what would have happened if she hadn't given 'helpful' suggestions on the dating profiles!

As before, the characters are really well written - plenty to actively dislike and characters to route for.

Although it's not graphic, emotional (and possibly sexual) abuse is a large part of the story as it's part of Jo's history and also a toxic, bullying workplace - so this book isn't your usual miscommunication, happy Hallmark romance but a little darker (with a Hallmark story around it).

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book by Jennifer mainly because it was about something completely different to many books on the market these days.

If I had to sum up this book in three words I would go for:
Strong (7), surprising (13), captivating (19)

Trigger warning: there is reference to a previous marriage that was coercive which has a central part of the main characters story line.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - I have not read the first book by Jennifer but am keen to catch up. Jo is a very relatable character - she has been through tough times and I felt like I understood her anxiety and self consciousness. She was someone that normal people could believe in.

It was a great start to my 2024 reading. There was plenty to keep me reading and just when I thought things were settling down and working out another problem would raise its head and everything I wanted for Jo would come in to question. There was a perfect balance of hope and heartache throughout to build suspense.
I’ve never been good with spelling and scrabble is a game that feels very out of my depth but I loved that Jo is always working out scores for words as she thinks. It made me smile each time.

If you are looking for a new read to help you feel good in these new year blues the head down to Hazel Lane.

Love Letters on Hazel Lane is Jennifer Page’s second novel. I love the idea of romance novels featuring board games and the theme for this book is Scrabble – my favourite board game. (In fact, I used to go to a Scrabble club and compete, before the pandemic!)
We meet Jo, a single woman in her mid-thirties who works in an office for a firm called Pop! Productions and loves board games. She lives in Hebbleswick, a place the author describes beautifully. (I want to go there!) She tries online dating and has a couple of bad experiences, so resigning herself to giving up on all that, she decides to go to the local Scrabble club meeting. Whether she finds love there, or anything else, you’ll have to read it to find out. I really enjoyed getting to know the different characters that go to the club and to see how much they get out of it.
There’s such a gentle quality to Jennifer Page’s writing, it’s hard to put into words, but it’s lovely and a unique voice. A real warmth shines through the pages. You love Jo straight from the start. She’s flawed but so human, we can all relate to her. She doesn’t have many friends, she has a broken marriage in her recent past and she’s a bit shy and awkward. I really wanted to be friends with her, we’d get on so well!!
The book is about much more than romance. It covers work relationships, friendships (Jo has some lovely friends!) and how a person sees themselves and perceives their value. A lot of Jo’s issues come from her past and how she has previously been treated by men. (I can relate to this bit too!) But the tone of the novel is lightly comedic most of the time and was pitched absolutely perfectly.
I really loved it. You don’t have to be a fan of board games to enjoy it, but if you are, you’ll enjoy it even more. Highly recommended, 5 stars from me.

I think I might just start by saying that I honestly thought this book was even better than the author’s excellent first – immensely enjoyable, really original with its focus on Scrabble (who would ever have thought that could work?!) and such a well-told story, but also with a heroine I immediately took to my heart and was rooting for throughout, a (very!) slow-burn romance I really believed in, a wonderful community around them, and an overall depth to the story that I found particularly satisfying.

Since the end of her toxic marriage, Jo has been sharing a flat with Gemma, the kind of friend we all need when things are tough – but, when Gemma moves away, she finds herself living in a new Yorkshire village where friends and a social life are hard to find. She’s less than happy at work too – although she’s immensely organised and good at her job, she’s never been part of the in-crowd, and there are those who make her working life particularly difficult. And her attempts at online dating, egged on by Gemma at a distance, have been… well, pretty disastrous really, even when she jazzed up her profile a little, with the help of professed dating expert and tentative new friend Kate. But then there was Ras, not too promising at first, but he did go to a lot of effort to make their first date particularly memorable – for them both, in different ways – and she was a little disappointed when he didn’t follow through.

The one thing she didn’t include on her dating profile was her passion for Scrabble – and she’s delighted to find a local club, and surprised to find that it’s run by Ras. With a busy life as a local GP, he’s looking for someone with the time and organisational skills to plan a weekend event – and when Jo picks up the baton, it turns into a full-blown Scrabble festival, taking her well outside her comfort zone at every turn, but increasing in confidence with every small victory. It becomes increasingly obvious that she and Ras are made for each other, but she’s vowed to only look seriously at someone whose name would score highly on the Scrabble board – you’d really have thought she’d have learned her lesson with Tarquin (16 points), wouldn’t you?

Life really hasn’t treated Jo well, with childhood bullying followed by a coercive and controlling marriage, and now the way she’s being treated in the workplace – all issues handled with particular sensitivity by the author – and it was an absolute joy to be at her side as she learned how to move on, gradually regaining her confidence and sense of self-worth, and looking forward to a happier future. And she’s surrounded by a cast of quirky and superbly drawn characters – some of them familiar if you visited the (now not so little) Board Game Cafe – who provide support and brighten her life in their different ways, as she begins to realise she’s far from unloveable, lonely or alone. The whole story is quite beautifully told, with the loveliest touches of humour and an all-enveloping warmth, plenty of unexpected twists and turns, and so much poignancy at times that it brought a tear to my eye (closely followed by a smile and laughter). And those Scrabble elements? They make the book very different, and are so very cleverly done – I was quite disappointed to find out that a WordPals app that Jo uses didn’t exist when I became increasingly convinced that Scrabble might be something I might be missing in my life too (but Words with Friends looks like a good alternative!).

My first book of 2024, and I’m happy to call this one a book of the year already – it was just gorgeous and so delightful, heart-warming and uplifting, and I couldn’t recommend it more highly.

After reading A Little Board Game Cafe I was delighted to see another board game-based book by the author. And so quickly as well. The board game cafe idea is fresh and bright, not a subject that has been rehashed many times over in books.
From the author's writing I'm going to make the deduction she loves writing
because her books are so fun and original, she loves board games and loves to see others happy in their romance when they find the right person for themselves.
You've got to admit the cover is really cute and the font used to spell out 'Love Letters' in the title is a perfect match for a book loosely based on scrabble games.
After escaping a controlling man in her marriage Jo is ready to make a new start in the Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick and possibly give dating one last chance. She enjoys playing Scrabble, but to say that may be an understatement. She enjoys Scrabble so much she only dates guys that have names that score highly in her favorite game, Scrabble. When she becomes interested in a man with a name that scores low, she couldn't possibly date him. Asking her to organize a Scrabble festival with him she figures, sure, what will it hurt?
I loved seeing the character growth, especially Jo, she becomes self-assured, willing to try new things and stand up for herself.
Ras is such a positive influence in Jo's life. His character is warm, compassionate and he goes the extra mile with Jo helping her to become the best person she can be.
The many Scrabble games were so fun to read about, and the town loved coming together to play. I loved seeing the fellowship the game created and how the lonely characters were no longer lonely. It was a lovely way to bond.
Loved this book and all its characters and greatly look forward to more board game books by the author.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Am I the only person who still hasn't visited a board game café?

Scrabble was the game that us seventies kids grew up with, I fondly remember the tantrums and arguments over made up words.

Jo is looking for love and decides she's throwing herself back into the dating pool...lets hope they're as passionate about Scrabble as she is, especially as she's only willing to date them if their names come with a high word score...brilliant!

Love Letters on Hazel Lane was the perfect feel good fiction read to settle down with after the hubbub of Christmas and the New Year. It's lighthearted, fun and it was great to reconnect with some characters from the previous book alongside making friends with new.

An uplifting cosy romance that's highly enjoyable, entertaining and has made me want to get the Scrabble board out of hibernation.

I absolutely love playing modern board games, which is one of the reasons why I chose to read this book. Although I’ll be honest and say that Scrabble is not one of my favourites but that’s simple because I’m not very good at it lols.

Anyway this story, Love Letters on Hazel Lane, has been a delightful read from start to finish. There was so much going on, and I really enjoyed getting to know all of the characters especially Jo and Razz. I felt like I related a little bit to Jo, in that she wasn’t very good at standing up for herself. I’ve a tendency to suffer from that, so know how hard it can be in overcoming in.

I loved the community spirit, of the scrabble club and the school, how they all came together to ensure the success of the festival.

There really is so much to enjoy whilst reading this story, lots of drama, some emotional moments as well as plenty of laugh out loud moments. It was all so very well written too.

I literally can’t wait for Jennifer next book, although I’m hoping it’ll feature modern board games like her first book did rather than classic board games, but either way I’ll still read it lols.

Love Letters on Hazel Lane is the second novel by Jennifer Page and is set within the same fictional world, in the next village to the setting for the first book, The Little Board Game Cafe. Although a few of the characters from the first book make an appearance, it could still work as a standalone novel.

I loved Jo’s adventurous spirit even though she is not normally the sort of person who would be considered adventurous. She really learned through the book to put her needs first, and to love herself. Her love of Scrabble and her organisational skills lead to her joining the local Scrabble club, and organising a Scrabble festival, which seriously sounded like so much fun.

I must confess to having a tiny crush on Rasmus because he was smart, low maintenance, and was oblivious to just how attractive he was.

There was a little intrigue in addition to the main storyline, which was centered around the ‘will they? won’t they?’ element of whether romance was going to bloom between Jo and Rasmus.

If you have a secret hankering for a decent game of Scrabble, a delightful romance and a sprinkle of dastardly deeds, this book should make you smile as much as I did!

Jo moved to Hebbleswick when her best friends went to live with her boyfriend. She is new, she doesn't have any friends, she feels lonely, and when the men she meets on a dating app made her feel dejected, she tries a Scrabble club. Will she finally find her tribe? Or will she keep feeling and outsider?

Jo resonated with me since the beginning, her loneliness is a common feeling for a lot of people. I've envied how she doesn't allow herself to feel too bad for her circumstance and she tries to overcome her social difficulties with a little bit of initiative and kindness.

This is the first novel I read by Jennifer Page and it won't be the last because the storyline was catching, and her characters were well depicted, especially Jo that I found relatable.