Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery: A Novel by Jenny Colgan

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

For fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Jojo Moyes, and Jane Green, Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery is an irresistible novel—moving and funny, soulful and sweet—about happiness, heartache, and hope. And recipes.

A thriving bakery. A lighthouse to call home. A handsome beekeeper. A pet puffin. These are the things that Polly Waterford can call her own. This is the beautiful life she leads on a tiny island off the southern coast of England.

But clouds are gathering on the horizon. A stranger threatens to ruin Polly’s business. Her beloved boyfriend seems to be leading a secret life. And the arrival of a newcomer—a bereft widow desperately searching for a fresh start—forces Polly to reconsider the choices she’s made, even as she tries to help her new friend through grief.

Unpredictable and unforgettable, this delightful novel will make you laugh, cry, and long for a lighthouse of your own.

my thoughts:

I loved Little Beach Street Bakery, so I was super excited to learn about Colgan's new book, Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery. How fun to be able to catch up with Polly, Huckle, Neil, and the people of Mt. Polbearne.  Talk about a delicious treat!

In this latest story, we find all is right in Polly's world.  She's baking her delectable breads and selling out faster than you can spell "dough".  Huckle and Neil continue to bring love and smiles to her 24/7.  And the people of Mt. Polbearne seem to have finally accepted her into the fold.  Life is good.  And then it most definitely isn't.  The owner of the bakeries that Polly runs has died, which means that change is inevitable.  Yep, Polly has a new boss named Malcolm.  He's rude, dirty, eats all the bread, and is determined to oust Polly.  She tries hard to make him happy and continue making her yummy eats, but nothing seems to work.  Eventually he fires her outright and fills the bakeries with manufactured bread wrapped in plastic.  Polly is devastated.  Her life is baking bread and now she no job and no money.  Ack!  Talk about stress.  Especially, since she decided to buy the lighthouse that she lives in (with Huckle and Neil).  How will she pay her mortgage now?  And then Neil gets attacked by a cat! Oh, and Huckle heads back to America to help out on a farm that his deadbeat brother ran away from.  And did I mention that Tarnie's wife Selina has moved back to Mt. Polbearne - a woman that Polly has decided to befriend instead of confessing to that she slept with her husband. Talk about horrible, weird, and uncomfortable situations all around.  Yep, life is now filled with stress, anxiety, and too many problems to handle.  What's Polly to do?

Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery is chick lit at its best!  A woman's career is over, her relationship is on the rocks, her pet puffin is attacked, her best friend's have lost all their money, her ex-lover's wife is back in town, and she may lose her lighthouse.  Cripes! That's a lot to handle.  And yet, Polly perseveres and everything manages to get resolved.  After all, love and friendship really do conquer all - at least they do in chick lit novels (which is why I love them!).  Of course, there were plenty of predictable and over the top scenes and plot lines, but in the end the funny, engaging, and sweet story is what kept me hooked.  I loved Polly's strength which reared its head when needed and I loved Neil's return in the end.  All in all, Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery was a charming and entertaining read.  I would happily recommend this book to fans of Colgan and fans of chick lit - you will love this book!

Here's the link to the TLC Book Tour schedule for: Summer At Little Beach Street Bakery

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!