Review – Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

This post was originally published at Novelicious.com and is now at WritingTipsOasis.com. WritingTipsOasis.com acquired Novelicious.com in June 2022.

Reviewed by Kay Brooks

When Polly’s graphic design business goes under – as well as her marriage – she is left without a penny and lonely. Apartments in her hometown of Plymouth are far too expensive and Polly is about to surrender to a life of sleeping on her friend’s sofa when she spots a cottage, much in need of repair, in the equally dilapidated seaside village of Mount Polbearne. On a whim, she takes the cottage, hoping that it will provide her with peace, solace and a place to lick her wounds. Polly is soon to find out that Mount Polbearne is not the quiet village she had assumed it to be. There’s going to be arguments with her landlady who hates outsiders, forbidden romance, heavy storms and an injured puffin called Neil just for starters. Polly is about to realise that her own dreams are, with a little help from friends and neighbours, destined to come true.

Having read and enjoyed Jenny Colgan’s novels before, I was pleased to see this arrive through the letterbox. As with others, the characters are very likeable and even the ‘villains’ have their reasons and qualities. The writing is lively and comfortable, like talking to an old friend. This story seemed more developed than previous novels, with more twists, revelations and developments to be enjoyed. There were a lot of characters to remember but, being so different, they were all easy to relate to and become attached to, especially Neil the puffin! There are lots of interesting characters such as the American bee-keeper, Huck, who is also trying to escape the disappointment of his past; his eccentric, millionaire friend Reuben, too, and Tarnie, the welcoming fisherman determined to look after his workers at any cost. Despite taking place in such a small village, the story even takes the reader to places like New York and Cape Cod.

At the start, the storyline seems quite depressing – what with Polly having lost everything – and the action only really begins when she moves away and begins work in the bakery. Polly is a genuinely lovely character with a kindly nature that seems to draw the other characters to her. She sees the best in people and is grateful for the little that she has got. Her ability to find joy in the simple gifts of life, such as nature, the success that comes from hard work and a smile from a neighbour, makes her endearing. Even when she is at rock bottom, she has the ability to see that the view of the sea from her ramshackle home is something to be treasured. Unfortunately, her naivety can also get her in to trouble!

One downside of the novel was, every time Polly described the bread she was baking, it made me hungry! On a positive note, there are recipes for some of the mentioned bakery products in the back that I will definitely be trying out. 

Another heart-warming installment from the wonderful Jenny Colgan!

9/10

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