Can a fresh start chase away the demons of the past?

Synopsis

Spring is in the air in Starr’s Fall, and for two people, love may be just a roll of the dice away…

As the frozen earth gives way to the first spring crocuses, pushing their way into the warmer air, Maggie arrives in Starr’s Fall. She’s looking for a new start, with her lovable but painfully shy teenaged son in tow.

It feels like the odds are against her, but she’s determined to come out winning this time, and to fulfil her dream of opening up a board game café. But not everything’s a game, and when she finds herself attracted to a man who’s known as a different sort of player, she worries she’s setting herself up to lose.

Zach is funny, surprisingly geeky, and, most importantly, bonds with her son. But Zach is also drop-dead gorgeous, has a reputation around town, and is also ten years younger than her.

When he asks her out on a date, Maggie is totally thrown. She can’t deny she’s attracted to him. But is she ready to risk her heart with another roll of the dice?

A totally gorgeous, unmissable, small town romance, perfect for fans of the Gilmore Girls and Virgin River, from million-copy bestselling author, Kate Hewitt.

My review

After losing her husband, Maggie and her son Ben need a fresh start. As Starr’s Fall is the one place that holds happy memories, the broken family decide to make the move. With Ben as inspiration, Maggie wants to open a board game café, hoping that it will allow Ben to become less shy and a happier teenage boy.
The community of Starr’s Fall is not only a curious one, but everyone is also rooting for Maggie. And Zach is not only rooting for them, but he is also ready to help them out. With a shared gaming interest, quickly a bond is made between him and Ben. But that is not the only bond, as he also shows an interest in Maggie and even asks her out on a date.
However, Zach has the reputation of being a player, not taking relationships seriously. And then there is also the fact that he is ten years younger than Maggie. So many red flags that make Maggie doubt about his intentions. But she cannot deny that she is in a way also attracted to him. But is she ready to take a risk, when it’s not only her own heart at stake?

It took me a minute to get reacquainted with Starr’s Fall. But once I did make the connection, I was completely back in. And I loved returning to this quaint place and reading this wonderful, heartwarming, heartbreaking and even inspiring story.

My heart went out to Maggie and Ben, as they have endured a terrible loss, and their grieve is very palpable. But it’s also clear that beside Maggie losing her husband, and Ben his father, there is something else haunting this broken family. Something that will take time to be revealed, yet I already had an indication of what that could be rather quickly.

Yes, it may seem strange reading how a new home was chosen based on a place they visited twice on holiday. But let’s be honest, many stranger things have happened in books, hasn’t it?

Yet that didn’t take away the fact that I admired Maggie for the choice and decision she made. It may not be easy to leave your home behind, even if it is filled with painful memories. That shows her dedication as a mother, as she would anything for Ben.

Opening a board game café may not be that evident, especially with a world where everything is getting digitalized. But I liked reading how Maggie wants to find a way to make it work, and how ‘old-school’ games and digital games find a perfect blend in this book. Even if greatest part of the mentioned games didn’t ring a bell to me 😊.

While perhaps Ben isn’t a main character in this book, it for sure felt that he is of great importance. Not only because he is the reason for moving, but also because he is the reason for Zach and Maggie getting closer.

Zach is from the start a great character. He is kind, understanding and helpful. And even if this is just a book, I could just see his gorgeousness.
But he is also perhaps the most misunderstood person of Starr’s Fall. Because everyone has a certain image of Zach, the image of him being a player.

And I felt confronted by that. Because what someone did in his past, is just that, in the past. Yet nobody sees the man that Zach is now, a man that gave up perhaps his own dreams, a man that has many great ideas but is facing the stubbornness of his own sister. A man that is looking not only for something that makes his heart beat faster, but also for someone that makes him feel like that.

But it was so heartwarming  to see the connection between Zach and Ben. How a game can bring two people together, people in complete different stages of their lives. And how an outsider is able to let a shy teenager, with many struggles and demons to fight off, to get out of his shell.

I liked it how the author added another extra layer to this story, by making Maggie the older character of the romantic pair. A woman that has already been through a lot, and is initially not ready to take a new chance at love.

It’s true that there are many prejudices in the world about a woman and a younger man. But does age truly matter? Isn’t the most important thing love? Age doesn’t make someone more mature or wiser, it’s life experience…

Of course there are several ups and downs in this book, but that is also they beauty of the book. Because a fresh start doesn’t mean a new life without struggles, or erasing the past. It doesn’t mean that that characters aren’t making new mistakes. But it all depends on how they handle those ‘downs’, and how they are during the ‘ups’.

This was a real heartwarming story, showing the strength of people, but also some weaknesses. But those weaknesses can turn us into stronger people. Stronger people ready to start over, to be welcomed in a beautiful community with great people, ready to help out.
I loved reading this book, as it can be used as an inspiration, because no matter how many lemons life throws you, there is always the opportunity and the help to create an amazing lemonade!