Love Letters on Hazel Lane

The Little Board Game Café #2

by Jennifer Page

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?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit, Fiction, Rom Com, Contemporary Romance, British Literature

416 pages, Paperback

Published January 4, 2024

About the author

Jennifer Page lives near Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire with her husband Hermi and his very – no, make that extremely – large collection of board games. Her debut novel, The Little Board Game Cafe will be published on 13th April 2022. Jennifer writes light-hearted, cosy romantic fiction which was initially inspired by her own dating adventures. Before she met Hermi, she was single for 13 years and had pretty much given up on meeting The One.

When she isn’t writing, Jennifer can usually be found playing board games; since she met Hermi, she’s become even more obsessed with them than he is! She also loves cooking (though she’d never claim to be any good at it!), caravan holidays and walking in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside.

Reviews

[Marianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Letters on Hazel Lane is the second book in The Little Board Game Café series by British author, Jennifer Page. I missed this when it appeared on NetGalley and have since read #3, Second Chances at the Board Game Café, so I was pleased to find my library had this on audio, via Libby, because I have very much enjoyed the two I’ve read. Of course, my review will be a bit less detailed as I’ve only the audio, beautifully narrated by Laura Brydon, to go on.

Jo Knox works in TV production, is known for her high level of organisation and efficiency, but her workplace has turned toxic since the new hire is sabotaging her work. On the home front, she’s recently moved to Hebbleswick and, still wary after divorcing a coercive controller, is using a dating app to meet someone.

When she encounters Kate, friend of Board Game Café Emily, they strike up a friendship. Jo bemoans her terrible luck with dates so far, and Kate makes suggestions for jazzing up Jo’s Buzz profile. And Jo decides to date only men whose name scores double figures in her favourite board game, Scrabble.

Jo chats online with a Buzz guy who looks geeky but sounds nice. Scrabblewise, Rasmus Rasmussen doesn’t score highly but she enjoys their chat: they make a date. Razz is a GP fairly new to Hebbleswick, in a practice with Emily’s Ludek, and he has started up a Scrabble club with the idea of community participation and social embedding to reduce the loneliness that he can see is common. But Kate has told him to take that off his Buzz profile: too Geeky!

Razz organises what he hopes will be a very special date for Jo, and she enjoys it, but it backfires badly on him: he’s too embarrassed to connect with her again, much to Jo’s disappointment. But then their paths cross when she goes to his Scrabble club, and she ends up agreeing to help organise a Scrabble Festival weekend.

There’s a good deal of miscommunication and wrong assumptions are made between them, together with quite a bit of self-doubt for both protagonists to overcome before they eventually, and satisfyingly, go where the story has been heading all along. On the way, there’s a nasty ex and a sleazy, manipulative narcissist who need to get their comeuppance, bullying to be addressed and, of course, a lot of Scrabble to be played.

Readers of the series will recognise characters from the first book, and will note that some in this one appear in the next. A delightful read, and more of this cast and theme are most welcome.

[ItaPixie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for kindly giving me an advanced copy of this book to read.

[Bookworm86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

BLOG TOUR REVIEW


Review for 'Love Letters On Haze Lane' by Jennifer Page.


Read and reviewed via NetGalley for Jennifer Page, Aria, Head Of Zeus, Bloomsbury Publishing and Rachel's Random resources Tours.


Publication date 4th January 2024.



This is the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely won't be my last!! It is also the second book in Jennifer's 'The Little Board Game Café' series but can be read as a standalone.


This novel consists of a prologue, 48 chapters and an epilogue. The chapters are short to medium in length so easy to read 'just one more chapter' before bed...OK, I know yeah right, but still just in case!



WOW!!!! What can I say?!?! What an absolutely beautiful book that I fell in love with!!! I cannot wait to read more books by this extremely talented author!



This book is beautifully written with vivid descriptions setting the picture perfectly in the readers mind. The title, description and cover works perfectly with the storyline.



This book is an absolutely gorgeous read filled with Scrabble, letters and love!!! It is an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions filled with heartbreak, jealousy, bullying, regrets, romance, anger, love, secrets, friendship and so much more. I was completely swept away with the storyline and loved having a holiday in the absolutely gorgeous Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick. I loved following Jo during her days in work, nights at work and Scrabble games and more. There are times when I laughed, shouted, smiled and felt full of joy. Jo moved to Hebbleswick away from her horrid ex husband after she felt it was fate when she found a Scrabble dress for sale in a charity shop window. Jo works in Pop! Productions where she loves what she does but when her colleagues stop inviting her out for drinks, she is bullied by Leona and feels isolated she starts hiding in the stationary cupboard to chat to her best friend Gemma to get some advice. Jo ends up on a dating site and after several disastrous relationships where she is taken advantage of financially and assaulted she decides to give up dating and men. However after bumping into one of the not so disastrous dates at a Scrabble club and being asked to organise a Scrabble festival Jo's life starts changing slowly and things start looking up. This book is such a fun, relaxing and humorous read where we see characters arguing over Scrabble, worrying about dating characters because their names would score low in Scrabble, a vicar becoming very embarrassed and so much more than you will not be able to put it down!!! I really cannot wait to get stuck into book one and then book three in this series when it comes out along with more of this amazing authors books!! I was utterly glued to the pages and I could not bring myself to put it down. I was carrying my phone to read it in kindle every chance that I got. I adored the gorgeous ending and would love to see this book turned into a movie!! I would seriously recommend this book to anyone and everyone, and most definitely Scrabble fans!! A gorgeous uplifting romance that will warm your hearts 💝. I am off to add the rest of Jennifer's past and future books to my Amazon wish list as soon as I've finished this review!!

Clear your schedules as this is one gorgeous and unputdownable stunner ❤️

Although this is the second book in the series I had absolutely no problems reading it without reading book one first. Any details or events that have previously happened are mentioned in just the right amount of detail to let a new reader know what has happened and yet not too much to bore a previous reader.

The characters are strong, realistic and I became completely invested in each and every one of them. They all had their own problems, secrets, feelings and all had unique personalities and I just absolutely loved getting to know them all. I felt each of their love , friendship, pain, heartbreak, happiness, anger, sorrow and so much more. I loved the main protagonists Jo and Ra's who were both such strong, relatable and unforgettable characters. My heart went out to Jo who really wasn't having any luck in her work or love life especially when it came to bullying in the workplace. I absolutely cannot abide bullies, there really is no excuse and my heart breaks for any victims of bullying regardless of their age. I absolutely loved seeing Jo go from strength to strength and seeing the difference in her from the beginning of the book to what she was like at the end was absolutely amazing!! I love seeing strong female leads in books being female myself and Jo really is an amazing woman! I am unsure if I will get to meet her again in the first book in the series but I cannot wait to see her again in the future books. I loved seeing her personality change and develop as an individual as well as watching her bond with other characters as the storyline went on. I won't go into too much detail as I don't want to spoil the storyline for anyone. Ras is also a sweet character and my heart went out to him for how he felt after certain things happened, again I can't say more. There were just so many amazing personalities in this book from the younger ones such as Cosmic, Jo's best friends Gemma and Kate, the Scrabble Gang Florence, Mr B, Malcolm, Linda, Ray, Sylvia and just so many others I would be here forever naming them!!!! Although the majority of the characters were amazing and I would love to meet them again there were also a few I was not fond of at all such as Tarquin, Simon, Leona and David and I couldn't stand them. However, regardless of if I loved them or hated them they each played their parts perfectly and it wouldn't have been as amazing a read as it was if I had loved them all!!! Jennifer does an absolutely amazing job of bringing the story to life and the characters leap out of the pages as your turning them thanks to her evocative writing skills!! It is so hard to say what I feel about the characters without giving anything away so I won't say anymore about them as I don't want to go into too much detail at the risk of spoiling it for other readers but Jennifer really has done an amazing job at bringing each of the characters to life and I am missing them already and cannot wait to meet them again in 'The Little Board Game Café' (book one in this series) and 'Second Chances At The Board Game Café' (book three in this series which will be published 6th June 2024) Well done Jennifer!!!



Congratulations Jennifer on an absolutely gorgeous, escapism filled with everything you could one in a page turner!!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books, especially the first book in this series 'The Little Board Game Cafe' . I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! This is why I would like to welcome you to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂


Overall an absolutely addictive and gorgeous book that will take you to Yorkshire and warm your heart ❤️!!!



416 pages.



This book is just £2.48 to purchase on kindle, free with kindle unlimited and £9.19 in paperback (at time of review) via Amazon which I think is an absolute bargain for this book!!!



Rated 5 /5 (I LOVED it ) on Goodreads, Instagram, Amazon UK and Amazon US and on over 30 Facebook pages plus my blog on Facebook.



Feel free to add me on Goodreads or follow me on my website or Facebook for more reviews.


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[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sarah Kingsnorth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jennjfer Page - Love Letters On Hazel Lane.

This is the second, feel good novel from Jennifer Page.
Love Letters On Hazel Lane is a completely stand alone story, but it does contain some lovely connections to her first book, The Board Game Cafe.

I will confess to being a big Scrabble fan, so the premise of this book captured my interest immediately.
The story is fresh, fun and well written.

Jo is a likeable character, and I did feel for her as she settled into her new life.
Her decision to only date men whose names scored highly on a scrabble board, is a brave move, that may or may not pay off.

#LoveLettersOnHazelLane is a gentle and enjoyable read. It’s a letter - led romp through the world of dating.
You won’t fail to be charmed by this sweet and funny read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to NetGalley and Rachel’s Random Resources for a digital arc of this title.

[Karen Stallman · Rating 5 out of 5]

“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.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to read relaxing and cute story and this is the right type of story. Escapism at high level, small town vibes, cute characters and a fun.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Angela Moret Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Susanne Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We are following Jo on her dating journey in a feel-good book. We witness Jo going on a few dates with men who are not the right match for her, and her criteria involves a high score in Scrabble words. One date she didn't expect was with a man named Ras, a local doctor who had a low Scrabble score of 3 points. Despite her rules that prevent her from dating him, she couldn't resist his invitation to organize a Scrabble festival with him, after being disappointed by another man named Tarquin, who had a higher score of 16 points.

The Scrabble festival really made me want to go and play with others. I love how Ras and Jo organized it and got the local community involved. I haven't read the first book in the series, but I will be going back and reading more from this author as it's a laugh-out-loud moment. It has some really sweet moments, and dealing with dating in a different way is fun."

[Jai Chalke · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.75 rounded down
(I never round up unless its like a 4.9)

I LOVED this book. It was so cute, and romantic and I liked there was actually communication and resolution. This book felt veryreal. I know its a work of fiction, but the characters and setting and events all felt plausible! I liked the story and how it hd many ups and downs.

I knocked off 0.25 for some tiny things. One, it took me a while to warm up to the characters. Two, I wish we had more Razz POV! I loved the snippets we got and just wish we got more and 3rd and finally, I didn't know this book existed? And from the name and blurb you couldn't tell this was a sequel? It could be stand alone, and I think it works as that, but it's definitely better as a sequel.

All in all RECOMMEND for a cute, no smut, romance

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy a cute and sweet romantic read I definitely recommend you check out Love Letters on Hazel Lane. I didn't realize it is actually book two of a series but it still worked well as a standalone. I will be reading the first book soon.

[Grace Power · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book and its wonderful characters and the storyline was so clever. Jo is looking for love and her big love is the board game Scrabble! Ras is a local GP who runs a Scrabble club, when the two meet the game is on. The connection between them was obvious to everyone apart from them and it was lovely to see them connecting and communicating through their love of Scrabble. I raced through this book in a day as I was so invested in the story and the characters. Fun, honest, romantic and uplifting.

[Katrina Dixon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love these small town romance books but they do all seem to blend in to one. Fantastic scrabble theming though!

[Dora Nuñez · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easy read. Lovely story line.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Ryszard Hermaszewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Following the break-up of her marriage to a controlling husband, Jo moves to the quaint Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, for a fresh start. It is hard being the new person in town, and Jo is feeling lonely - especially since her best friend Gemma moved away, and Leona, the new girl at Pop! Productions where Jo works, seems to have frozen her out of the get togethers she used to be invited to.

With her confidence at an all time low, Jo decides it is time to get back out there, and gives internet dating a go to find her perfect man. Sadly, relying on misleading bios and blurry photos does not seem to be giving her the results she was looking for. All Jo really wants is someone kind and caring who loves her favourite board game, Scrabble, just as much as she does... and this gives her an idea. She will pick her prospective partner on the basis of how high their names would score in Scrabble! What could go wrong?

However, when the promising scoring Tarquin (16 points) proves a disaster, but local doctor Ras (only 3 points) ticks all her boxes, Jo is forced to rethink her strategy - especially as Ras even runs a local Scrabble club. Friendship blooms between Ras and Jo, and soon they are working together on a Hebbleswick Scrabble festival, but can they ever become more than friends?

In this endearing follow-up to her debut rom-com, The Little Board Game Cafe, Jennifer Page returns to her beloved world of board games - this time focusing on that stalwart of many a family get-together in our household, good old Scrabble. Love Letters on Hazel Lane is also full of many of the other themes Page is so good at exploring: love, loss, loneliness, friendship, family, and community - and she ups the emotional ante here by introducing a protagonist who is recovering from a controlling relationship that has knocked the stuffing right out of her too.

Jo begins this story in a bad place, stuck in a job with a toxic environment, and finding that her tentative steps towards trusting another man only bring her more heartache. But all is not lost, because Page surrounds her with a glorious set of characters who can really help her on the way to healing and happiness - after the required number of twists, turns, and bumps in the road, of course. For readers of Page's previous book, The Little Board Game Cafe, many of these characters will be familiar faces, but this is a standalone story which can be enjoyed on its own - I do recommend going back and reading the first book as well though, for the ultimate heart-warming hit, as it is gorgeous.

The way Jo grows in confidence in these pages, facing her demons, and blossoming into the person she was always meant to be, made this story for me. Page weaves some serious subjects into her journey, which she handles with sensitivity, and everything dovetails nicely into the gentle romance that plays out between Jo and Ras. I thoroughly enjoyed how much Page waves the flag for community enterprises in helping those experiencing loneliness too - something that really comes across as being close to her own heart.

This was a joy to read, confirming Page's ability to write a comforting story full of love, romance, and hope - with an entertaining side-order of board game fever. I loved it. Roll on book three!

[Bookshortie · Rating 5 out of 5]

After Jo’s marriage ended she gave up on love especially after going on disastrous dates. So Jo decides to try something new and comes up with a unique idea that she will only date men whose names score highly in Scrabble. But then she meets Ras (who only scores three points) and he asks her to help organise a Scrabble festival. Is Ras the exception to the Scrabble dating rule?

If you're looking for a book that will help you banish the January blues that you can escape into then this is one I would recommend. It certainly lifted and cheered me up during and after I’d read it.

What attracted me to the book was the premise that it was about a Scrabble enthusiast and someone who likes board games. As someone who loves board games and particularly Scrabble I knew this was going to be a perfect fit.

The story was charming, heartwarming and what I would describe as a comforting read. I really liked Jo’s character. She is clever, enthusiastic and doesn’t hide her love for Scrabble. I loved the opening of the book when Jo sees a dress with a Scrabble tile print. It was like that perfect moment when you find treasure and something that is perfect for you. Jo is the kind of character that if I met in real life we’d probably get on really well and be good friends. However, Jo’s life isn’t where she wants it to be. She’s single, not been very lucky in love and is in a job which her heart isn’t in. What came through clearly is that Jo lacks confidence and this goes back to her awful marriage when her ex husband did a lot to crush her confidence and self worth. He was coercive, controlling, belittled her and convinced her to change her job because he believed it would be better for her and because it wasn’t very glamorous. Due to this influence Jo now finds herself in a job where she’s not appreciated, doesn’t feel like she can speak up and where her new colleague seems to have it in for her. All of which really makes Jo feel downtrodden and really bashes her confidence. What does build Jo’s confidence is meeting the Scrabble group and organising the Scrabble festival which I thought was a fantastic idea. It brings Jo out of her shell and builds her confidence so by the end of the book we meet a different more confident and determined Jo.

One of my favourite characteristics about Jo is how she sees nearly all words as Scrabble tiles so not only does she see the word but also what that word is worth in Scrabble which leads her to come up with the dating idea. Although this seems like a good idea at the time it also puts Jo at a disadvantage because she is potentially dismissing partners whose names score low but actually might be the perfect fit for her. Jo realises this when she starts dating and meets two individuals: Tarquin who scores high and Ras who scores low. I will say very little about Tarquin because he seemed too good to be true and I wasn’t a fan. I adored the connection between Jo and Ras because it was so natural. It was like they were made for each other especially because they both love Scrabble. They’re both a little on the shy side, a little introverted but as soon as they meet they can’t stop thinking about each other. They go from one date to then becoming good friends but there is still that simmering tension between them that their friendship could be something more which they both want to pursue but that neither of them expresses to the other.

A comforting read.

[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

February Book # 9

Love Letters on Hazel Lane by Jennifer Page

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#favoritebook
#fastflashminichallengefebruary
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This was a really sweet story on the surface recommended by Jenni Lumpkin who SAID she wasn’t good at writing reviews. However her review made me want to read it and I asked her to even make it a follow the reader. I started a completely different book for the fast flash mini challenge and since I found this one on Hoopla with the word “Love” in the title finished reading this one instead!

The story is about Jo who moves to a small Yorkshire Village of Hebbleswick in England, not too far south of Scotland. She is extremely detailed oriented and works mostly in planning and scheduling and IT for a television production company. She is not normally given exciting tasks, but the office sort of takes advantage of her organizational skills and dependability, yet overlooks the importance of these skills when it comes to pitching new programming and following through on all of the details and minutiae involved.

Needless to say, she carries on, but isn’t very happy. She is befriended by Kate who convinces her to get in a dating app and do some fun things out of the office. The thing Jo enjoys above all else is playing scrabble. Her scale of whether a potential date will be good or bad, she bases on the points valued on the scrabble board with their name. Tarquin (16 points!) turns out being a dud of a date which I knew he would, and all of the humor is there, but then a local general practitioner doctor, who also happpens to love Scrabble so much, takes her and introduces her to the Scrabble club in the Village on their date! I thought he was going to be perfect, but his name is Ras (3 points only) and alas Jo never sees the relationship going past friendship. Yet these two recognize the importance of the weekly Friday night Scrabble group and how important it is to some members who are depressed and it’s their only time out of their homes for the week and their only interaction with people.
They organize a Scrabble Extravaganza with a local school and all of Jo’s detail orientation helps set up an exciting and profitable event, even though that was not part of the intent so all profits go back to the school who is offering their facility for the event.
Within this interesting plot, we get to see a few disturbing events and how they are handled or not handled. There is definitely workplace bullying or dare I say even gaslighting going on which also happens in some of Jo’s online dates and people trying to ruin the Scrabble event. There is the constant will they stay friends/ or become something more between Ras and Jo despite his measly three point name score. And of course there is the fear and unknown of the Scrabble Club’s location possibly forcing them to closing down and giving all of the aficionados no where to go.
I really enjoyed the unique story and the pretty deep character development not anticipated from a light “Hallmark type” read. I think this was a great balance of character and plot and pacing which will make it a solid 4🌟🌟🌟🌟 read for most readers!

[sasha_ddm · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG. This book was EVERYTHING. By far my favourite read of 2024 so far!

I read Page’s debut, “The little board game café” last year, and I absolutely loved it. It was actually one of my favourites last year – it was just so lovely and easy to read, and I really enjoyed reading about this universe with Emily and all of the side characters. So I was really excited to read this book when it came out, and I bought it the very same day that it was released. And I absolutely loved it, even more than the first one!

Jo was such a wonderful main character. She is someone that I can relate to, and I feel a lot of women that are reading this will relate to. I absolutely loved her character development and the lessons that she learned throughout the book, and I absolutely adored seeing her gaining confidence and realise that she is worth it. I also absolutely adored Razz. In the last book Ludek was such a wonderful character and I absolutely loved Razz as well - He was such a sweetheart, someone I can totally relate to.

It was also so lovely to see lots of characters from the first book and learn even more about them. It was great to see Sylvia and Florence again – and I loved that we learned more about them. In the first book, Sylvia, especially, was for most of the books duration, a very minor character who Emily confused with her friend constantly, and who used to be a regular visitor to the board game café – and it was really lovely to see another side of her, and to learn a bit more about her through Jo becoming part of the scrabble club. Florence and Mr B gave me absolute life and their constant arguing and their relationship with one another is just wonderful.
It was also lovely to meet lots of new characters. Leona was a great new character, especially.
The only thing I did wonder was – in the first book, Sylvia always used to come to the café with another woman called Helen, and Emily could never tell the difference between the two of them. Where was she in this?
Overall, I absolutely loved this book and I will definitely re-read it in the future. I’m already so incredibly excited for the next instalment in the series to come out in June – I can’t wait to read it and delve further into this universe!

[Felicity Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Letters On Hazel Lane. OOH! A novel with a board game twist ... and not just any old board game at that, we are talking Scrabble.

Thrilled to have found a read that's that bit different. For those who aren't fans of Scrabble {or word games in general} I say give Love Letters On Hazel Lane a try; chances are you'll be more than pleasantly surprised. And as for those who are fans, well, if anything like me, your tied to be equally delighted to have found a book set in the world of the iconic word game and will love the little snippets throughout the book ... to say nothing of the fact that you may well come away having gained some new words to use the next time you play.

Kudos to the author for not only writing a cozy-romance that I actually enjoyed but one that had characters that I could resonate with and, even more surprisingly, had plot twists that I didn't see coming; something that for whatever reason rarely happens in novels of this genre.

Then there's the fact that, whilst, yes, overall a 'nice' cozy-romance, this isn't a 'fluffy' read. Main character Jo's story is somewhat difficult; her relationship with her ex toxic and, on top of which, she is being bullied by a work colleague. In my experience this is darker than your typical novel of this type which gave it an edge that I really rather liked.

Reliably informed that this isn't the only book by the author to be set in Hebbleswick {or the world of board games for that matter}. That, though to all intents and purposes, a standalone novel, the Yorkshire village and some of its residents feature in the first book in the 'series', The Little Board Game Cafe which I'm hoping to read real soon.

Reviewed on Pen and Paper @ http://pettywitter.blogspot.co.uk
With thanks to Rachel of Rachel's Random Resources for organising a paper copy. One of several bloggers participating in the Blog Tour of this book, agree or disagree with me, all opinions are my own; no financial compensation was asked for nor given; threats of violence towards my favourite teddy bear went unheeded as did promises of chocolate.

[Emma Crowley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, is all I can say what an incredible book Love Letters on Hazel Lane was and dare I say it even better than Jennifer Page’s debut, The Little Board Game Café, which I absolutely adored. Who’d have thought I would get completely sucked into a book where the main character is a major fan of Scrabble but once I began reading this wonderful story I could not leave it out of my hands. The beautiful, eye catching cover would make you want to pick up this book and then the story that awaits you inside well, it’s a real treat that I devoured in short order. It really gave me Love Heart Lane vibes from the brilliant author Christie Barlow and I hope this is a series that I hope will continue on for some time. It’s not at all necessary to have read the first book as previous characters only make brief appearances but I do suggest if you get the opportunity do give it a read as it was a fabulous story. Jennifer Page is a really talented writer and it’s been ages since I felt the buzz and pleasure of discovering a new author and knowing that I just want to read everything that she writes.This is a real hug of a book, a comfort read with a heroine you will be rooting for all the way.

Jo works at Pop Productions with her ex husband, Si, but she is lonely and feels that she isn’t worthy of finding love even though she longs to share her life with someone. Instantly, I though oh Jo why are you so down on yourself. If you look hard enough there is love waiting for everyone and everyone is worthy of being loved and cared for. Her flatmate Gemma has moved away and her workmates have stopped asking her out but she does have her love of reading and playing Scrabble which are the constants in her life. Jo has issues from her childhood of being bullied at school and these experiences still affect her today. When we first meet her she has recently moved to Hebbleswick and had spotted a Scrabble dress in the window of the local charity shop but she hasn’t the confidence to go in and buy it thinking where would she wear it and does she deserve it? I could see that Jo didn’t value herself or believe that she is good enough. She needed a push and an outlet to get her back into the world and by joining a dating app she hopes that she can achieve this. I thought it was ingenious that she set criteria for herself that she would only date men whose name would score highly in Scrabble.

Throughout the book Jo had the most extraordinary way of thinking in that she loved Scrabble so much that she would randomly calculate word scores for exceptional, special or unusual words. This could have been so annoying throughout the story but it actually worked brilliantly and I found myself learning new words and putting them in my own memory bank for when I next play Scrabble. Jo meets Kate when she attends a Your Best Life Talk at the church hall and it as brilliant to get to catch up with Kate again who was the best friend of Emily from book one. She is still as mad as ever searching for Mr Right and she became a good friend to Jo and I felt she gave her the push to keep searching for the right man for her and to have more confidence and faith in herself. I loved the descriptions of the dates that Jo went on and the speed dating quiz at the pub where she meets Tarquin was brilliant. I could tell from the start that he was sleazy and had ulterior motives. But it’s when she goes on a date with Ras well then my attention picked up even more and I could sense that he was going to form an important part of the overall plot.

Ras doesn’t meet Jo’s Scrabble name criteria but he takes her on a very interesting first date. He is kind and thoughtful and a really good listener, scruffy and not conventionally good looking but Jo feels a spark of attraction there. But will it be reciprocated? It soon turns out that Jo and Ras have Scrabble in common and Jo ventures along to the Scrabble Club which he runs and here she makes more friends. But the pair play so hot and cold with each other and there are so many misunderstandings and a lot of not saying what they really feel that I felt there was no hope for the pair at all. Jo just begins to feel that she is destined to fail and once again her love life takes a battering. But on the social side she began to be like a butterfly emerging from the chrysalis and it was a joy to read about and see her transform. Again her love of books and Scrabble plays such a big part in this and as I have said before I don’t know how Jennifer Page did it but she made Scrabble seem like the thing that everyone should be partaking in and in doing so such a varied cast of characters was introduced all of whom had their little stories to share.

As Jo becomes part of the community and finds her tribe in the Scrabble Club it was inspiring to see her go from strength to strength. I won’t say much about the Scrabble Festival except it as one of the major highlights of the book and it allowed Jo to come into her own and from that so many other minor subplots were created and explored. The range of ideas she came up with was astounding and to be honest I found myself wanting to attend so good did the author make it seem. There is a little bit of strife and trouble to deal with and it seemed as if things were going downhill just as Jo was finding her feet but the last quarter or so of the book went from strength to strength and I couldn’t tap the pages quick enough on the Kindle to see what as going to happen next. I really cared about what was going to happen to Jo and that’s the sign of a really great author who makes you get inside the characters heads and feel empathy for them but you also want the best for them as you feel as if they have become a real life friend.

I didn’t think Jennifer Page could top her previous effort but she did and if this is the calibre of what she is currently writing I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us in the future. Love Letters on Hazel Lane should be read in as few sittings as possible and by the end you’ll find that you will be itching to play Scrabble whether you are a fan of the game or not. What could have been very boring subject matter was turned into something exciting which brought people together in the most unexpected and joyful of ways and I couldn’t get enough of it. I really didn’t want this fantastic, charming and heartwarming story to end. I could have read on for several more hours as I felt I was in the company of friends and seeing Jo emerging from the trauma of divorce and fighting her true self as just brilliant to observe. This is a book that I hope finds its way to lots of readers as it’s a little gem.

[Deanne Patterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Kelly Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today is my stop on the Love Letters on Hazel Lane blog tour. Thank you to Rachel’s Random Resources, Jennifer Page and Aria for the chance to take part.

I was thrilled when this dropped in my inbox because I loved Jennifer’s debut novel The Little Board Game Café.

Jo’s biggest love is Scrabble, and it is what she finds comfort in whilst trying to date (unsuccessfully) and settle in to a new village where she doesn’t know anyone. With her last attempt at dating, she decides to include her love for Scrabble and judge potential dates on how highly their name would score. When even that seems to fail she meets Ras (a low scorer) who asks her to help a Scrabble festival in her new home. The two become closer through the love of the game, but will Jo take a chance and ignore the rule she set herself.

This book certainly lived up to expectations. Set in the next village along from that of The Little Board Game Café meant that there was some cross over with Jo visiting the café as well as characters from the first book appearing here too.

Jo and Ras are both lovable characters and relatable as unlucky in love. For Jo in particular you are rooting for her to stand up for herself and to overcome the set backs that are facing her from her past. And with characters like Ras, her new friend Kate and Gemma in her corner you knew she had the right people around her to do so.

With this book, although it is a standalone and can certainly be read without reading The Little Board Game Café, for me it felt like a continuation from that. Although it was set in the next village and there were new leading characters it felt like I was jumping back into that world. I love how Jennifer’s writing transports you into the characters lives and how it is easy to imagine being a part of it, whether that’s being part of the Scrabble club or visiting the Little Board Game Café,

I can’t wait to read what Jennifer brings out next in the meantime I’m off to get my board games back out.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was completely charmed by Jennifer Page’s enchanting new novel, Love Letters on Hazel Lane.

Jo might be an absolute whiz when it comes to her beloved Scrabble, but when it comes to romance she always seems to be off her game. Picking the wrong guys seems to be a bit of a specialty for Jo and giving up men seems like a logical solution after her string of romantic disasters – until she moves to the Yorkshire village of Hebblewick and decides to get back into the dating game. Will her quest for love finally be a success? Or is she doomed for disappointment?

Jo decides that she will only date men whose names would score highly in her beloved word game. Unfortunately while Tarquin would score her 16 points, it is immediately clear that he is far from Jo’s Prince Charming. Doctor Ras is a non-starter due to his low-scoring name. His name immediately rules him out of the running, but when he asks Jo to organise a Scrabble tournament, she finds herself unable to say no to Ras.

As the tournament draws closer and Jo and Ras find themselves falling for one another, will a triple word score lead to their happy ending? Or will Jo’s rules end up costing her the chance to be truly happy?

I adored Jennifer Page’s Love Letters on Hazel Lane. Clever, funny and simply delightful, this winning romantic read had me smiling from ear to ear as I found myself completely caught up in this uplifting and immensely enjoyable page-turner.

Perfect for Scrabble fans and romantics everywhere, Love Letters on Hazel Lane has propelled Jennifer Page to the very top of my must-buy list.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[travelsalongmybookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Words were her consolation, her solace.’

Scrabble fan Jo is unlucky in love, always seeming to pick the wrong guy. She moves to Hebbleswick in Yorkshire and decides to give dating one more chance, but picking only men whose names score highly in Scrabble.

Tarquin (16 points) is very disappointing but then she meets low scoring Ras ( 3 points) the local doctor. They hit it off but her rule means she can’t date him. Then he asks her to help organise a local scrabble festival and she can’t say no.

They begin to grow closer and Jo wonders if she should relax her rules and find love where she least expects it.

We are real games enthusiasts in our house and so when I found this follow up to The Little Board Game Cafe, I leapt at the chance.

I have to say I LOVED this book from the start! The combo of words, games and love in a story is like catnip for the soul. Written in an easy style, it’s comfort in a book and perfect for curling up with a glass of wine.
The characters Jennifer creates are lovely, they have real life worries and troubles for sure but the themes are handled well and with sensitivity.

I really liked how one or two characters cameo from Jennifer’s debut novel, it creates a real sense of community and connection. I also adored the little additions of the scrabble word scores through the book too (making notes over here for our next family game!) I feel more prepared now for some family scrabbling ourselves!

A really joyous read filled with love, friendship and really great Scrabble tips!

[Krystina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this is the first book by Jennifer Page I've read, I kept meaning to read The Little Board Game Cafe but book tours got in the way! So now I've made sure I got to read this one as part of a tour! And it's been a brilliant read, it's the right kind of easy and uplifting book that I needed when I picked it up. I loved Jo and could completely relate to her rubbish experience with dating so I loved her idea of picking men whose names score high on Scrabble, a game I'm rubbish at by the way so I loved her enthusiasm for it!
I really liked that Ras wasn't your typically amazingly handsome love interest, he was just a normal guy which makes a really pleasant change and I found his lack of confidence so endering. It was really nice to follow their friendship and how it, with bumps in the road, developed into more and I was really rooting for them the further on in the book we got and towards the end, I may have been telling them off/encouraging them to just get on with it because you could see how perfect they were for each other.
I loved seeing Jo's confidence grow as the book progressed and how she grew as a person and learned to stand up for herself, it's not an easy thing to do when someone has ground your self-belief into next to nothing and I found myself feeling so proud of her for that.
I loved the writing style of this book so I really can't wait for the next book in Hebbleswick, I'm hoping we get lots more and I get to have a Jennifer Page shelf to match my Heidi Swain one!