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3.71 AVERAGE
3.71 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Jenny Colgan has become something of a master at what she does, creating little community based books around fledgling business headed by young, love torn women searching for peace and happiness in their lives. We've had the Cupcake Cafe, Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop, a Paris Chocolatiers and now Polly with her Little Beach Street Bakery.
It is not the main heroine nor the possibility of romance which make Colgan's books so special, it is instead the surrounding cast of characters she brings to each book, building not just singular stories but ones which have strong atmosphere and a sense of real community and camaraderie.
In this novel we meet Polly, who facing bankruptcy with her boyfriend Chris decides to uproot herself to a tiny Cornish fishing village where she rents a rickety tumbledown old bakery. Before she knows it her bread is healing her wounds and integrating her into the little fishing community. With all the fishermen, her little puffin Neil and a strange American beekeeper called Huckle it's not long before I was completely hooked on this book.
The way in which Colgan wove in the stories about the dangers of fishing and the worries the families of those who risk their lives fishing face was lovely and gave another perspective to the story and mixing in the eccentric billionaire who lives nearby meant there was never a dull moment in this book.
I truly hope this is not the last we see of Polly, I hope her little bakery is given another novel in the same way as we've been allowed to revisit the Cupcake Cafe and Rosie Hopkins. I'd truly love to read more about Polly, her puffin, Mrs Manse and the little community Polly helped to build.
It is not the main heroine nor the possibility of romance which make Colgan's books so special, it is instead the surrounding cast of characters she brings to each book, building not just singular stories but ones which have strong atmosphere and a sense of real community and camaraderie.
In this novel we meet Polly, who facing bankruptcy with her boyfriend Chris decides to uproot herself to a tiny Cornish fishing village where she rents a rickety tumbledown old bakery. Before she knows it her bread is healing her wounds and integrating her into the little fishing community. With all the fishermen, her little puffin Neil and a strange American beekeeper called Huckle it's not long before I was completely hooked on this book.
The way in which Colgan wove in the stories about the dangers of fishing and the worries the families of those who risk their lives fishing face was lovely and gave another perspective to the story and mixing in the eccentric billionaire who lives nearby meant there was never a dull moment in this book.
I truly hope this is not the last we see of Polly, I hope her little bakery is given another novel in the same way as we've been allowed to revisit the Cupcake Cafe and Rosie Hopkins. I'd truly love to read more about Polly, her puffin, Mrs Manse and the little community Polly helped to build.
Polly is at the lowest point of her life, with her career, her personal life and her living circumstances all in shambles. Unable to afford any accommodation in her hometown of Plymouth and unwilling (understandably) to go live on her mother's couch, she stumbles across a desolate little hut on a tidal island, that gets cut off from the mainland in regular intervals. She makes the move and lands on Mount Polbearne.
The rest of the story involves a lot of baking, skeptical locals soon warming up, a bit of tragedy, a lot of romance and my personal favorite character, a Puffin named Neil.
The "Little Beach Street Bakery" is a light read, sweet and entertaining. Polly, in particular, is a likable character, whose resilience (or stubbornness?) in the face of all her challenges encourages one to soldier through tough times as well. So are her supporting characters, albeit all a bit flat and archetypal (the hardened sailor, the wise friendly vet, the quirky flashy model-like best friend and one guy that reminds me of a certain Genius-Billionaire-Playboy-Philanthropist) but in the setting of the story they work okay and help Polly's story along.
My one aspect of critique would be that at a few random times the narrative perspective changes abruptly. Most of the book is written from Polly's point of view and remains strictly with her and her thoughts. However, on a few rare occasions we get to see the inner thoughts of those around her, about her, for a few lines before we are back to Polly. This threw me off a little bit but not enough to consider quitting.
All in all Jenny Colgan's "Little Beach Street Bakery" is a sweet little Chick-Lit piece and for a light read on a weekend or on vacation it is certainly perfect!!!
The rest of the story involves a lot of baking, skeptical locals soon warming up, a bit of tragedy, a lot of romance and my personal favorite character, a Puffin named Neil.
The "Little Beach Street Bakery" is a light read, sweet and entertaining. Polly, in particular, is a likable character, whose resilience (or stubbornness?) in the face of all her challenges encourages one to soldier through tough times as well. So are her supporting characters, albeit all a bit flat and archetypal (the hardened sailor, the wise friendly vet, the quirky flashy model-like best friend and one guy that reminds me of a certain Genius-Billionaire-Playboy-Philanthropist) but in the setting of the story they work okay and help Polly's story along.
My one aspect of critique would be that at a few random times the narrative perspective changes abruptly. Most of the book is written from Polly's point of view and remains strictly with her and her thoughts. However, on a few rare occasions we get to see the inner thoughts of those around her, about her, for a few lines before we are back to Polly. This threw me off a little bit but not enough to consider quitting.
All in all Jenny Colgan's "Little Beach Street Bakery" is a sweet little Chick-Lit piece and for a light read on a weekend or on vacation it is certainly perfect!!!
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Quelques coquilles dans la traduction, et quelques scènes faisant peu de sens mais un bon livre feel good dans l'ensemble !
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Two stars for the location descriptions. Zero for everything else. Pet puffin? Everyone eats shitty baked goods to placate a mean old lady? A man who sells honey and is named Huckle? Everything about Polly and the way she interacts with men? Star Wars wedding?! I can’t with this book. As others have said, this is the exact same plot as Bookshop, which was also a bit absurd but much better written. I love escapist books set in quaint little towns, especially if they involve cooking and/or books, but this was just awful. Regretting buying the sequel on sale.... 🤮
Jenny Colgan is my current go-to for light-hearted fiction. I love her story lines following a main character escaping life in the city for a more quaint, peaceful existence in a tiny village. In this case, the tiny village is an island off the Cornish coast. There's a bakery, friendly fisherman, a handsome bee-keeper, and an orphaned puffin. Enjoyable, light reading. The audio wasn't as good as is typically the case for Colgan's books. I would read this one with your eyes.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No