Books Read: Jenny Colgan - Little Beach Street Bakery

Polly Waterford is recovering from a toxic relationship. Unable to afford their flat, she has to move miles away from everyone, to a sleepy little seaside resort in Cornwall, where she lives alone above an abandoned shop. 

And so Polly takes out her frustrations on her favourite hobby: making bread. But what was previously a weekend diversion suddenly becomes far more important as she pours her emotions into kneading and pounding the dough, and each loaf becomes better and better. With nuts and seeds, olives and chorizo, with local honey (courtesy of local bee keeper, Huckle), and with reserves of determination and creativity Polly never knew she had, she bakes and bakes and bakes . . . And people start to hear about it. 

Sometimes, bread really is life . . . And Polly is about to reclaim hers.

Amazon links: Kindle or Paperback 

Having enjoyed reading Jenny Colgan's recent novels, I couldn't wait to read Little Beach Street Bakery so didn't hesitate to request a review eBook when I saw it was available on NetGalley. 

With her business failing and her relationship in tatters, Polly Waterford needs to consider what she wants to do with the rest of her life but first she needs to get away from it all.  When she stumbles on the remote island of Mount Polbearne just off the Cornish coast it seems like the perfect spot for her to disappear and lick her wounds. 

So with plenty of time on her hands she starts to do the one thing she has always loved to do... bake... and she's not short of a few volunteers to taste her creations as the delicious aromas have the locals flocking to her door.

Once again Jenny Colgan has written another cracker of a story with the perfect setting which gave Polly plenty of time for soul searching, I could do with retreating to Mount Polbearne myself at the moment. 

As for the characters, they certainly were an interesting bunch from Polly's ex Chris and best friend Kerensa who both think she's mad to move somewhere so remote, to the locals who welcome her into their fold such as fisherman Tarnie and bee keeper Huckle.   But it wasn't any of these characters that stole my heart, no that belonged to a character that I honestly never imagined I would meet in a book, young Neil, I loved the bond that he and Polly shared. 

But a word of warning do NOT read this book if you are even the tiniest bit hungry as the tantalising descriptions of Polly's creations will have you reaching for your snack cupboard...