Rating: Loved It!
Source: Purchased
Description: 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.
Genre: Fiction
Why I Picked This Book: I like Jenny Colgan so I buy her books indiscriminately when I come across them in the bookstore. It made it to the top of the pile because the sequel to this book is on Audible Escape and I figured I should read the first book before listening to the second.
My Impression: Well this was just delightful! I laughed, I cried, I wanted bread, and I decided I simply must get a puffin to have as a pet even though I'm in the completely wrong climate and my cat would probably object. Polly is a fairly typical Colgan heroine. Her life has imploded - her business has gone under, her relationship is in tatters, and she has nowhere to live and no real income. But she's a bit of a scrappy fighter with a tendency to make impulsive decisions. Polly's impulsive decision lands her in a tiny apartment above an abandoned bakery on a little island in the back of beyond. But this little island is full of quirky characters, sea air, and a puffin or two.
The island quickly came to life as Polly slowly stretched her legs and gained her footing. I loved getting to know the island and the characters and the puffin. Puffins are a severely underrated animal sidekick by the way. I thought I knew what to expect from this book but Colgan surprised me in an at times heartbreaking way. I was a fan of Colgan before I picked up this book and this read definitely cemented that status. I'm looking forward to reading more Colgan in general and the sequel to this book in particular.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Absolutely! Colgan is a favorite!
Would I Recommend this Book? Definitely! If you're looking for a light read with a bit of heart and a touch of romance this is a great choice.
I've heard so many good things about this author's books and I've not ever read one. Sounds like this one would be a good one for right now. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely review about a book that clearly charmed you, Katherine. I hope you get to read more books like this one in the coming days:)
ReplyDeleteI haven't read this author before but this sounds absolutely delightful. I will have see if my library has a copy.
ReplyDeleteOh I can't wait to get into this - just have to seek it out soon.
ReplyDeleteColgan is on my list of authors to try. This sounds utterly delightful.
ReplyDeleteKatherine, my mouth started watering! B-R-E-A-D!!!
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