Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery - Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan's newest book is Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery. Now, it's a follow-up to Little Beach Street Bakery, but you don't need to have read it to enjoy 'Summer'. (Although you might want to pick it up as well and tuck both into your summer reading beach bag)

Polly Waterford has made a place for herself in the tiny Cornish town of Mount Polbearne - she's running a successful bakery (she doesn't own it yet, but...) has bought a home (yes an operating lighthouse!), has a fabulous boyfriend (Huckle, a transplanted American honeybee keeper) and a pet puffin named Neil. Life is good. Until....

.....a new owner takes over the bakery - and that changes everything.....Polly faces uncertainty again on every front....

Colgan has created a wonderful backdrop and setting for her characters. I love quaint little towns and quirky characters and Mount Polbearne is just that. (I think I'd be quite happy living there) Polly is a great lead character - she's someone you'd love to have as a friend. And it's impossible not to cheer her on. Huckle is great, but it's Neil the puffin who takes best supporting character. Without saying much more than Eep, he'll steal your heart. (He does have his own twitter account @neilthepuffin) I wasn't completely sold on friends Kerensa and Reuben - they were a bit over the top. But they play their designated roles perfectly.

Colgan's description of the breads and baking had me salivating as I read. I've always dreamed of having my own business and enjoyed following Polly's start-ups.

Summer at Little Beach Bakery has everything you want in a great chick-lit book - love, loss, drama, humour and yes - a just right ending. There are many more stories waiting to be told in Mount Polbearne - I hope Colgan has plans for another book set here.

Jojo Moyes contributes a blurb to the cover - "Deliciously warm and sweet." I absolutely agree. Tuck Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery in your beach bag - it's perfect summer reading! Read an excerpt of Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery. 

"Jenny Colgan is the New York Times bestselling author of numerous novels, including Little Beach Street Bakery, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins’ Sweetshop, and Christmas at the Cupcake Café, all international bestsellers. Jenny is married with three children and lives in London and Scotland." You can connect with Jenny on Twitter @jennycolgan and find her on Facebook. See what others on the TLC book tour thought - full schedule can be found here.