Library Journal
10/15/2017
Colgan's third "Little Beach" novel (after Little Beach Street Bakery and Summer at Little Beach Street Bakery), set on the tiny tidal island of Mount Polbearne off the coast of Cornwall, England, has Polly busily making Christmas pastries at her bakery when she's not snuggling up with her boyfriend Huckle and pet puffin Neil in their drafty lighthouse home. Polly and Huckle are looking forward to a quiet holiday to themselves, but their plans change as Polly must help her friend Kerensa through a crisis and then is faced with a family problem of her own. A Christmas surprise, though, makes for a sweet ending. VERDICT Women's fiction devotees will savor this latest and utterly charming visit to Mount Polbearne with some holiday recipes included. Fans of Jill Mansell and Vanessa Greene will relish this series.
Kirkus Reviews
2017-07-17
Talented baker Polly Waterford doesn't know what to do when her best friend, Kerensa, swears her to secrecy. Kerensa's drunken one-night stand may jeopardize not only her pregnancy, but also her marriage, not to mention Polly's engagement to Huckle.Fans of Colgan's (The Café by the Sea, 2017, etc.) Mount Polbearne stories will delight—and new fans will find an easy, charming entry into the saga—as Polly, Huckle, and Neil (the puffin) return for the Christmas season. Having survived the dissolution of her graphic design business, Polly is now happily ensconced with Huckle, whose honey business is not yet thriving, in the historic lighthouse they bought in the sweet Cornish village (practically an island) whose only road to civilization is submerged under the sea twice each day. As the yuletide season approaches, however, Polly must face a bewildering number of obstacles. Is she ready to marry Huckle? Is she ready to start a family? How can she know when her own father abandoned her before she was even born? How can she give up an entire day's profits to the Mount Polbearne Christmas fair? How can she save the endangered puffin sanctuary? How will she ever bake enough for the fair plus cater a huge holiday party for Kerensa and her fabulously wealthy husband, Reuben? And how will Kerensa ever survive Reuben's wrath if the baby turns out not to be his but some 6-foot-4 Brazilian man's? Supported by the ever faithful Huckle and Neil's endearing eeps, Polly carries on from the cozy bed in the icy lighthouse, trailing flour and knishes wherever she goes. Keeping secrets, pleasing everyone, and balancing so many jobs keeps Polly busy—that is, until a massive winter storm threatens everything. Complications abound in this well-crafted, light holiday romance.
