Today I’ve got a perfectly timed seasonal treat for you, ideal for reading as the leaves on the trees are starting to change colour. Many thanks to Rachel’s Random Resources for having me on the tour and sending me a copy of the book to review.
The Book: 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 realise 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.
Purchase Link – https://mybook.to/starrsfallsocial
The Review: I loved this book! I’ve read a few of Kate’s books in the past but none for a number of years as I got sucked down the rabbit hole of new authors. However, I’m thrilled I joined in this blog tour. This is a fabulously cosy, heart-warming read that shows that community can be a good thing, without making it over-sweet. Some books can over do the community support, everyone wanting to help vibe, but this one does it perfectly. I liked Laurie, Joshua and Max and it was a joy to watch them all interacting. Watching Laurie evolve in this new setting and take on some big challenges was so rewarding. Life isn’t always perfect and I find it nice when book characters also have to deal with some troubles in their journey. It makes them more realistic, and potentially inspirational, depending on the book. In this case, Laurie has her plans and her goals and she is determined to succeed, and happily isn’t above accepting some help along the way.
I enjoyed visiting Starrs Fall and meeting it’s residents. While it clearly needs some new life and new businesses, because it’s suffered with the effects of the pandemic and people’s changing shopping habits, it’s feels like a lovely place. The existing business, bakery, diner, etc make it easy to imagine popping in somewhere for a coffee and having a wander around the town window shopping and possibly buying the odd book. It also had a relaxed feel to it and that’s probably what contributed to the cosy feeling I had throughout the whole book. It’s absolutely perfect for this time of year, ideal reading after walking outdoors, perhaps in a woodland, experiencing all of the autumn colours, before going back home and getting all cosy indoors under a blanket with a hot drink in hand and this book.
I’ve done a quick internet search and notice there’s a second book set in this town due out April 2025, and I’ve already pre-ordered it. I can’t wait to come back to Starrs Fall in the spring.
The Author:
Kate Hewitt is a million copy bestselling author of historical, contemporary and romantic fiction. An American ex-pat, she lives in a small market town in Wales with her husband and five young(ish) children, along with their two Golden Retrievers.
Social Media Links
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Twitter: @author_kate
Instagram: @katehewitt1
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