Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. I have really enjoyed everything this author has written and this is up there as one of the best. Great storyline, great characters. 5 stars from me.

Sunrise by the Sea is the fourth book of The Little Beach Street Bakery where we once again catch up with Polly and Huckle.

This story mainly features new resident Marisa who hides out in Mount Polbearne as she struggles to overcome the grief of her grandfather's death. With the help of her neighbour, Russian music teacher Alexei, her grandmother in Italy over Skype, and Polly, can she find her way to a happier future?

Another great story in this series with a mixture of old and new characters. Enjoyable and entertaining, this was a great read.

A most welcome (and for me!) eagerly awaited return to the lives and loves of the residents of Mount Polbearne - although this can also be enjoyed equally as a stand-alone slice of fabulous escapism. The familiar cast of characters have all returned, centring as before around talented baker Polly, her American adonis heart-of-gold husband, Huckle, their adorably energetic twins and super-rich friends, the philanthropic, Reuben and his wife, Kerensa.

For their fourth outing they are joined by two new neighbours, Alexei, a charismatic Russian piano teacher and grieving registrar, Marisa, who also suffers with acute agoraphobia. This time round the delights of Cornwall are evoked alongside an Italian setting courtesy of Marisa’s nonna. Via a series Skype calls they cook up a range of mouthwatering Mediterranean dishes which set Marisa on a new life path and reinvigorate the tastebuds of her new Cornish community.

I loved this book and with Jenny Colgan I always feel assured of a quality heart warming read. My heart was instantly warmed from the outset as well when I read Jenny’s thoughtful dedication to teachers. Thank you to Netgalley for the advance review copy. .

Another excellent read by Jenny Colgan. She has the ability to take what is for many people, everyday problems and issues, deal with them very successfully and build up to a wonderful, gentle happy resolution and romantic ending. All in a lovely setting of course - once again, I felt as if I knew the location and characters and felt at home there.

Jenny Colgan’s latest book features a location - Mount Polbearne, off the Cornish coast - and some characters who I assume are returning from previous stories, but were new to me.

Polly and her family - including twins Daisy and Avery and a puffin named Neil - were fine and the children fun, but I really liked new characters Marisa - whose anxiety and depression were very sensitively portrayed - and her neighbour, large Russian piano teacher Alexei.

Clearly this book was written during the COVID pandemic (referred to by Jenny in an afterword) and although the pandemic itself does not feature, the influence is clearly there - video calls to Marisa’s grandmother in Italy play a big part, and the scenes of Marisa and Alexei communicating across their balconies are pure lockdown romance!

Since there’s no actual pandemic in this universe, though, we also get a big party scene, including a guest appearance from the Backstreet Boys - or as Emily Gilmore once memorably called them, the Backside Boys.

Jenny’s books are always a lovely read and I really appreciate the diversity of her characters. Oh, and I’m with the children on Goodnight Moon. That is one scary book.

Heartwarming And Engaging....
The fourth in the Little Beach Street Bakery series where the reader can catch up with residents both old and new in the remote, quaint seaside resort. Some joy, some sadness and a heartwarming, engaging read. A worthy addition to the series overall although it could happily be read as a standalone.

If you love Jenny Colgan’s books, then you will not be disappointed in Sunrise By The Sea! This is the fourth book in the Beach Street Bakery series and I think it stands ok on its own, if you’ve not read the others, but for me, having read all of Jenny’s books, it was a joy to catch up with Polly, and all the residents of Mount Polbearne - including Neil the puffin (who I’m so glad is still alive and flapping!)
In this book we get to meet Mount Polbearne’s newest residents - Marissa, a woman of Italian heritage, struggling with grief and anxiety - and Alexei, a Russian piano teacher who lives next door.
The book is full of warmth as well as dealing with issues such as long grief, agoraphobia and anxiety. It is also a powerful story of love, friendships and community. I adored it.

I really enjoy reading Jenny Colgan books and this one definitely adds to the read pile! Loved the narration of the book and the characters. The main characters Marissa and Alexei add to it all.

I always enjoy Jenny's books and this one was no exception - I think I read it in two days as wanted to know how it ended.

Marissa is a likeable character and you are rooting for her to deal with her anxiety and sympathise with how hard life is for her. Holly is lovely and you want only good things to happen for her and her family.

I'm hoping we may get some more stories from this set of characters....

Another fantastic read by Jenny colgan! I have loved all the little beach street bakery books so was thrilled to read sunrise by the sea.
To be back in the idyllic setting of mount polbearne, and to see how the lives of polly,huckle and Neil have progressed is just like a warm comforting hug, mixed in with old acquaintances and new characters.
Mount polbearne once a haven for polly now works its magic on two very different newcomers Marissa and Alexei the huge bear of a man!
Marissa is grieving after the loss of her grandfather and has become isolated insecure and agrophobic and is seen as a recluse since her arrival. Alexei is a huge hairy bear of a man who seems eccentric but is grieving the loss and breakup of his relationship, gradually the pair of them start to recover aided and abetted by the sea air,good food, companionship and community support.
Mental health issues are at the forefront of this read and are sensitively and positively addressed and highlight just how common these issues are and that anyone of us could be in that situation but with care, support and friendship we can overcome and conquer.
A lovely heartwarming relatable read that will stay with you long after you have read it.
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

Marisa is having trouble coping with the grief of losing her beloved grandfather. So much so that it’s interfering with all aspects of her life. She is working from home - which in her case is in Caius’ house - and she’s putting a damper on his life. He suggests that she move out, and provides an alternative - moving down to Mount Polbearne, where his uncle just happens to have some holiday lets free. But it’s not as quiet there as she’d hoped - particularly having a neighbour whose thinks it acceptable to play loud music all day and most of the night.

Just the book I needed to read - full of compassion, joy, empathy, good advice and such wonderful sounding food that my mouth was watering. I related to Marisa, laughed and cried, and willed her to be able to cope, to realise we all feel a bit like she does. Maybe not quite as dramatically but losing someone you love is part of life. I gave myself the day off to read this, and am I glad I did. Just the pick-me-up I needed and so much cheaper than therapy. A definite recommendation.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I love Jenny’s books and was delighted to receive her latest book about the adventures of Polly, Huckle and Neill the puffin, along with the twins, at the little Beach Street Bakery.
Although this book certainly continues the story, it also tells of Marisa who has come to a difficult time in her life and is offered a fresh start in Cornwall, where she proceeds to hide away from the world around her. How can she overcome her worries and fears? She knows almost no one, with the exception of Polly and her new next door neighbour, a scary huge Russian man who looks like a bear. Estranged from her family following a bereavement, Marisa just can’t see a way forward...
I devoured this book and am already looking forward to the next one! Thank you NetGalley!

Jenny Colgan weaves a spell and does it in every book. She makes you laugh and cry while tackling issues with empathy and wisdom. Her characters are very human-fallible and warm. (And everyone loves Neil the puffin in the Mount Polbearne books!) For me every book is a warm hug, whichever series she is writing. This book which covers grief, anxiety and agoraphobia is particularly poignant and a real 5⭐️ read.
Thanks to Little Brown and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review.

TW: death (off-screen and on-screen), stroke, grief, loss, anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, snakes

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for my eARC of Sunrise by the Sea. All views and opinions discussed here are my own.

Just when I was starting to think I was cursed with a string of unenjoyable books, Jenny Colgan comes through for me. There is something about her writing that instantly makes me fall in love with the characters and the world and this book was no different. In fact i'd go as far as saying this has been my favourite of her books so far. I was absolutely captivated by the story and the characters and the romance; it was exactly what I needed to reassure me I do like books!!

I adore everything about Alexei and Marisa; they're both such complex and interesting characters. They're nuanced, in that at times, you definitely want to shake them but you can't help loving and enjoying them. I adored Alexei so much and now I want my own Russian piano player please. And Marisa, where do I even start with Marisa. She was such an amazing character; watching her try and heal and pick herself up from the grief and loss of her grandfather was so heart-breaking. I cried along with her, I laughed with her, and I utterly enjoyed her running out and screaming in the rain. I loved how she developed throughout the book; I don't have an anxiety disorder or agoraphobia myself so I can't necessarily comment on how this was dealt with (i'd be intrigued to know opinions on this).

Grief and loss is something that impacts and affects us all in different ways and for Marisa it impacted her in a way she could not see coming and didn't know how to get out of. Marisa has to deal with family & friends not understanding what she's going through and struggling to comprehend why she can't just get out and go to a party. Some mean well, others not so much, but for Marisa those comments just push her further inside her home and her walls and reinforce to her why she should stay inside. It was heart-breaking to read at times but what I really loved was the connection she made with her grandmother through skype. I loved watching them navigate that relationship and connected and begin to learn from one another and how Marisa grew with the help of her grandmother.

We get delights of Polly, Huckle, and Neil again throughout the book and I loved their addition tot he story but it never took over. This could be a trilogy entirely on it's own and stand up just as well to the original trilogy. I would love to see more from this story and from these characters! A brilliant five star read from me.

Pub: 10th June 2021 so you get to make your mind up then (it's going straight onto my to-buy list for sure)

This was an utterly beautiful book from an author who can always be relied upon for escapism and romance.
We are back on Mount Polbearne, the little island separated from the Cornish coast by a causeway, the home of the little beach street bakery. This time although Polly and Huckle are still central characters, our new heroine is Marisa, the Italian/ British newcomer to the island.
Marisa is a joy to read about, such a lovely character who is struggling after the loss of her beloved grandfather. When agoraphobia starts to strangle her life, her move to Polbearne turns out to be just what she needs. There is pizza, baking, romance and music. What a delight.
Honestly I adored this book and would recommend it to all. If you like Jenny Colgan's earlier books, you cannot fail to enjoy this.

I haven’t read any of the little beach street bakery series before reading this book but I have read a few other books by Jenny Colgan and I find they always feel you leaving heart warmed and happy. And I really am game for any book set in lovely Cornwall!

This book had an endearing start and you were immediately rooting for Marisa, one of the central characters to the story. It’s a book you slip into straight away and there’s enough of a draw to pull you in and keep you reading! Marisa has a lot to overcome and starts the book facing many demons - she’s sad, grieving and retreating into a shell she’d like to break free from, and it was lovely to see her grow throughout this book!

It was an enjoyable read (if a little sad in parts) and the ending was great and a really lovely way to end a book. The main romance to the story was adorable and great to watch it develop throughout the pages. It was a lovely little feel good read!

The death of Marisa’s grandfather is the catalyst for her mental health problems. Anxiety and agoraphobia lead to her house-share landlord sending her to a remote Cornish island. All Marisa wants to do is disappear into a quiet and lonely existence, unfortunately thin walls and a Russian piano-teacher neighbour make this impossible.

I really enjoyed this tale, the first I’ve read by Jenny Colgan. It works well as a standalone story. Marisa was a well written character, her mental health struggles were realistically and sympathetically handled. Over the course of the novel she heals, and reconnects with her family and life in general. There’s a really sweet romance between Marisa and Alexei. It’s an uplifting book, a perfect read for the current strange times.

This is a warm-hearted hug of a read which empathetically tells the tale of Marisa whose grief for her grandfather triggered a high level of anxiety which resulted in her flatmate suggesting she stay in one of his uncles holiday cottages situated off the Cornish coast. It was great to return to Mount Polbearne and catch up with Polly from the little bakery (not to mention Neil the puffin) and continue her story alongside that of Marisa’s. There’s some great existing characters and another intriguing newcomer in the form of music teacher Alexei, the storyline is very gentle and well lead by the characters and it really doesn’t make light of Marisa’s struggles which for me was a really good thing. Although there’s no major surprises in this it’s fantastic escapism which is ideal for these times.

I really loved this book. I loved being back on the island with poppy but also loved the new characters Marisa and Alexei. Another book that left me starving hungry by the end and one I couldn’t read quick enough

With grateful thanks to netgalley and jenny colgan for an early copy in return for an honest opinion
Having read the previous books in the little bakery was delighted to be back reading about Neil and what he was getting up to was an nice easy read and great to be back in Cornwall.