Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery

Delightful. Delectable. Heartwarming. Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery is a wonderful look at one woman’s life on a small island and all the fun, drama, and craziness that comes with it. This is the story of Polly Waterford. She is a baker in a small island off the coast of England. Her work is what makes her who she is. When Polly is fired from her bakery, everything changes. Her boyfriend is away from their home in England to help family back in the States. There is a new woman, Selena, in town that Polly is trying to guide through a difficult time. Her friends are going through ups and downs in their relationships and finances. And because of this, Polly is forced to take a good look at her choices and make some new ones that could have repercussions down the line. With a cast of fabulously diverse characters, Polly will do her best to navigate through her life. Lucky for us, we get to go along for the ride. Let’s have a moment and talk about the writing. In a book like this, the writing can make or break the book. As the reader, you want to identify with the people that you are reading about. You want to feel like you are there. Well…Jenny Colgan does just that. She has an effortless style that is so enchanting that the pages just fly by. The characters she creates are real people. Through their experiences, struggles, and happiness, the reader becomes invested in Polly as well as all her friends. I don’t know how she does it, but the author transports the reader to this quaint town and allows us all to just be part of it all for a little while. If you are looking for a fun, delightful, and positively scrumptious read, this is the book for you. It is the guilty pleasure read without any of the guilt! I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed the story and I hope that you will too. Series Note: Though this book is the second in the series, the beauty of it is that it can stand alone. You can start with the first book and then dive into this one. Or you can just pick this book up and give it a try. As in any series, there are characters that carry over, but you will not be lost or unable to enjoy the story.

I adore this series, it’s one of my favorites combining my endless fascination with all things Brit, compelling characters, a touch of drama, a dash of humor and a story that transports. Jenny Colgan writes with an openness that draws readers in to the place and situations. An island off the coast of Cornwall, busy in summer with tourists yet nearly deserted and quiet in the off season is home to people used to a harder life: fishing the ocean, dealing with the vagaries of tide and isolation, generations eeking out their survival. Into this mix is Polly, a mainlander and outsider, choosing the island of Mount Polbearne after a break up and near financial ruination forced her hand. Now settling in and finding her place, she’s discovering just who she is, and how different it is from that which she expected. The time she’s been on the island has been full of ups and downs: but with Huckle the honey farmer on her side, and Neil the Puffin enjoying his sidecar rides from their new lighthouse home to her small bakery on the main street – things couldn’t’ t be belter. Until they get worse… A fight over the costs at the bakery after the owner’s unexpected death forces some difficult decisions and a rash move for Polly, determined to hold on. Facing potential disaster and the chance of losing all she has worked so hard to build, and with Huckle back in America dealing with a situation caused by his brother, this is a tough time for Polly, undermining the hard won confidence and happiness. Back and forth the story goes, not unlike life, and you can’t help but want everything to work out for Polly. I love this story, rife with second and third chances, there for the taking should one only chance to reach for them. While it seemed that Polly often made choices in haste, the true beauty is in her willingness to try to do what will be best: and to be as open and friendly as possible. There are few moments where you don’t cheer for Polly, wish ill on those who seek to harm her business as you picture every moment, longing to be there. I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via Edelweiss for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.