Little Beach Street Bakery Published by Sphere by Jenny Colgan
Series: Little Beach Street Bakery #1
on March 13, 2014
Genres: Contemporary, European Literature, British Literature, Fiction, Romance, Women's Fiction, Chick-Lit
Pages: 416
Source: Borrowed, Library
Format: eBook
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Also by this author: The Christmas Bookshop
Find the Book: Amazon | Goodreads
ISBN: 0751549215
Rating:
Amid the ruins of her latest relationship, Polly Waterford moves far away to the sleepy seaside resort of Polbearne, where she lives in a small, lonely flat above an abandoned shop.
To distract her from her troubles, Polly throws herself into her favorite hobby: making bread. But her relaxing weekend diversion quickly develops into a passion. As she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, each loaf becomes better than the last. Soon, Polly is working her magic with nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, and the local honey-courtesy of a handsome local beekeeper. Drawing on reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes . . . and discovers a bright new life where she least expected it.
Given my love for all things girly, chick-lit, and romance–I honestly don’t know why I took so long to pick up a Jenny Colgan novel. Probably because sometimes the most-loved things can be a tad bit overrated. That wasn’t so with Little Beach Street Bakery.
As with most of these novels, we start with a bright, but somehow-stilted heroine, who is undergoing quite the personal upset. Then, she realizes that she has to find herself and what makes her happy. Enter the small, charming, seaside town and a conglomeration of quirky, fantastical characters.
So, yes, a bit cliche. But, really, if it’s working, why fix it? So, Polly (what an adorable name!) finds herself in said predicament. She then decides to move to a little island town off the coast of Cornwall. Now, seeing as how the farthest away from California that I’ve ever been is Wyoming–I really have no idea what England or any of its charming counties are actually like. But, when I was reading this novel, it was so easy to picture myself surrounded by the violent sea and dilapidated stone buildings that make up Polbearne.
Fascinating fact: Polbearne was actually based on the real-life island of St. Michael’s Mount. Which, just like it’s fictional counterpart, has a road that is only accessible at times of low tide. I can’t even imagine!
Along with the inspiring setting, are the descriptions of delicious breads and goodies that Polly makes at her bakery. What a life!
Polly was a realistic character: full of flaws, yet incredibly likeable and relatable. The rest of the characters reflected the town from where they came; unique, whimsical, and almost fairy tale in their quality.
This will be a book that I have to revisit down the road.
About Jenny Colgan
The setting of this book sounds SO amazing. And somewhere I would love to visit. Or even live!
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