CHRISTMAS AT LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY – Jenny Colgan
William Morrow
ISBN: 978-0-06-266299-6
October 2017
Contemporary Fiction

Mount Polbearne, Cornwall – Present Day

It's the Christmas season in the tiny Cornish village of Mount Polbearne and baker and entrepreneur Polly Waterford and her live-in boyfriend, American Huckle, a beekeeper, are gearing up for it. They live in a lighthouse that Polly impulsively bought without thinking that it might be a bit chilly in the winter. Polly's goal is to bake her favorite cookies, cakes, and scones for the villagers to consume, and to have a quiet Christmas cuddled up with Huckle in her drafty lighthouse.

Unfortunately, Polly's best friend's husband has other ideas. Kerensa is heavily pregnant with their first child and her husband, Reuben, wants to have a huge holiday party on Christmas Eve at their estate. Reuben is wildly rich, so money is no object, but he does want the best baker around to cater his extravaganza. How can Polly and Huckle turn down an opportunity to not only make her friends happy, but to show others what a fantastic baker she is?

Kerensa, however, is not the glowing future mother as she has a dark secret that she reveals to Polly, swearing her to silence. Shocked, Polly is also uncomfortable withholding anything from Huckle. Their relationship is open and honest. And when Mother Nature dishes up a storm for the holiday, everything is on the line for one and all.

CHRISTMAS AT LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY is a delightful and fun tale set in a magical little village with some quirky characters. Polly and Huckle have a sweet, loving relationship that also includes the comfort-loving puffin, Neil, who resides when he can next to the Aga in Polly's kitchen. Lovingly written, this is a wonderful book to curl up with as the holiday season draws closer.

Jani Brooks