Reviewed by Emma Crowley
In the cosy Yorkshire village of Hebbleswick, single mum Taylor dreams of a fashion design career, but she spends her days fixing zips, hemming skirts and worrying about her son, Max.
At the local board game cafe, railway enthusiast Harry, still recovering from a painful breakup, dreams of fatherhood. When Taylor and Harry cross paths, sparks fly, but Harry's confidence issues and Taylor's concerns for Max threaten their budding romance.
Can they find a second chance at love where they least expect it?
Many thanks to Aria & Aries for my copy of Second Chances at the Board Game Café via NetGalley to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
I don’t know how she does it but for the third time Jennifer Page has had me falling hook, line and sinker for a pastime/hobby that I would have thought it totally not for someone like me. She has this unique ability of turning the most mundane of subjects into something fascinating and completely engrossing from start to finish. This time around in Second Chances at the Board Game Café it’s sewing and trainspotting that is the focus and once again I was completely enamoured with everything right from the very first word. It’s rare these days that I have the ability to sit down and read a book in one or two sittings as my attention span has deserted me. But all that changed with this book and in two sittings I was done and dusted with this wonderful book but truthfully I could have kept reading on. I didn’t want it to end at all and was gutted to reach the final page and leave such fabulous characters and their stories behind.
Taylor Sweet is a single mum to eight year old Max ever since her ex decided that being a Dad wasn’t for him and he walked out leaving Taylor high and dry. Taylor hadn’t planned on falling pregnant so young and although she loves Max deeply she wishes that she had been able to pursue her dreams and become a fashion designer. But going to college wasn’t something she could so. Instead, she is stuck sewing buttons, replacing zips, shortening trousers and taking hems up when really she is itching to get creative and design outfits. She was the one who had made the Scrabble dress from the previous book and the weeble dress and it was so lovely to see such a heart-warming to see that connection emerging early on.
Taylor is someone who expresses herself by what she wears. It’s her way of telling the world who she was and what mood she as in. But Taylor is stuck in a rut and bored to death of the same old routine day in and day out. It doesn’t help that Max likes things to be in order and is averse to any sort of change to his life routine. No changes big or small can be made but little does Max know that there are a lot of changes just coming around the corner both for himself and Taylor and I was eager to see what would come for them. It as obvious from the beginning that Max was neuro diverse but it’s never explicitly stated and it didn’t need to be. His character and that of Harry were brilliantly written without needing to elicit major sympathy from the reader. The similarities between the pair were there for all to see and it only added to my enjoyment of the story because it was just so wonderfully and sensitively woven into the plot.
Taylor longs to escape from her small cramped flat where she has to pack away her bedding every day in order to get going on her sewing work but she fears Max’s reaction if she suddenly announces that they are moving from the village of Essendale. She comes across a flat for rent in the neighbouring village of Hebbleswick and here is where she meets estate agent Tarquin. Ah I thought Tarquin rears his ugly head again. I love spotting characters from the previous books and there are many here again. They play a much more prominent role than they have done since book one and I was delighted to see this. But new readers needn’t worry that they won’t be able to follow along you will do so very easily. Taylor bites the bullet and moves to the new flat which was once a shop although conditions aren’t the best. Taylor was such a fantastic character. She was strong, fierce and independent and didn’t take help from anyone unless strictly necessary. Which in itself can be a good or bad thing as she will learn later on. She attempts to get more sewing business but really designing is where her heart lies. As well as her business worries she also has to deal with the fact that Max is being mercilessly bullied at school and refuses to move. She feels a failure as a mother as she doesn’t know how best to support and help Max.
As for the main male character Harry, well all I can say is what an utter sweetheart he is. Most definitely the best male character in the series so far. Not to take away from Ludek or Ras but gosh Harry you stole a piece of my heart and as Taylor compares him to Patrick from The Great British Sewing Bee that really wouldn’t be hard. Similar to Max, Harry likes order and routine having a particular shirt for a certain day, making the same sandwiches daily for lunch and his greatest obsession/love is trains, train board games and train spotting. Harry overthinks everything down to the last detail and he tries to be funny but more often than not he comes across as being weird or nerdy. He is a stickler for following the rules in life and in board games but he does enjoy the times spent in the board game café with his very small group of friends. Harry came across as being shy, reticent, nervous and very self conscious. To say he is awkward and not blessed with the best of social skills would be an understatement but there was something very endearing about him that you just wanted to give him a hug and say everything will be all right.
Harry has been burnt in the past when it comes to love and he questions whether there is anyone out there who will love him the way he wants and deserves to be? Harry has spent his life trying to help other people to make them like him and to be honest he came across as being lost and needing guidance and direction. He makes so many blunders in his advances towards Taylor that you do find yourself cringing for him at certain points. But Taylor also I felt led him on in some ways when she knew that if she had a boyfriend that Max wouldn’t react very well to the change. Yet at the same time I thought oh just go for it Taylor, if you are happy than Max will be happy. Sometimes, you have to put yourself before others even if it was your son making you so hesitant. The more the story developed the more I was rooting for the pair to get together. They do say opposites attract and they couldn’t have been any more different from each other.
There are numerous funny situations that occur. The incident with the stuck zip being one of them and they all help move the plot along at a lovely gentle pace. These funny moments are balanced nicely with some more serious moments but it all worked so well together .I loved the sense of community and the friendship bonds that appeared the more I delved into the story. Familar faces appear once again and they all work together to try and make Taylor’s dreams come true. Who would have thought upcycling fashion would be so interesting and that it would allow Harry to come out of his shell? The way everything developed and the link to the title was just so wholesome and apt. It showed all the characters growing in confidence. The community rallying around Taylor for reasons I won’t go into was just superb and really will give you that warm and satisfying feeling inside.
No doubt about it Jennifer Page is fast becoming an author where I just know that I’ll never tire of reading her work. My only complaint though is that I wish the books came as quickly as I read this one. Trust me if you start with this one you’ll find yourself seeking out the other instalments and if you have been with the board game café since book one you’ll be dying to get your hands on the next book in the series. That ending was just pure perfection and will bring a tear to your eye and a smile to your face that’s for sure. I found myself thinking towards the end why hasn’t Kate gotten a book of her own? After all, it’s emerging that she is a stalwart and a force to be reckoned with and someone who has been the glue and inspiration for all three female heroines so far. So I was utterly delighted to discover that the next instalment, Christmas at the Board Game Café, will focus on Kate. I’ve read the blurb and it’s sounds like we are in for a real festive treat as the concept sounds so unique and original not to mention fun. In the meantime, do yourself a favour and make sure you read all three books published so far in the series. They are an utter delight which reminded me just how much I love reading and my spark for women’s fiction has been reignited. It’s so obvious that Jennifer Page is loving writing about these characters and the setting and I hope she goes on to write many many more. I for one will be there eager to read them all as she never disappoints and it’s a big thumbs up from me.
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