Guest Review: Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Carmen is at a loose end. Her gorgeous bookshop is the filming site of a cheesy Christmas movie, she's been ousted from her sister's house, and the love of her life has just flown thousands of miles away. It's threatening to be a very unjolly Christmas indeed!

But when the elderly owner of the shop comes to Carmen with a Christmas wish that threatens to never come true, Carmen knows she must buckle down to get the funds to save not only his trip, but the shop itself. While fending off a shady tatt-selling businessman, Carmen discovers wonders to the shop she could have never imagined, and opens a labyrinth of bookish backrooms for the customers to get lost in.

With her deadline looming, it might take more than a fresh coat of paint to solve Carmen's problems. But with the help of their neighbours, her nieces and nephew, and a very distractingly cute male nanny, Carmen might just pull her greatest magic trick yet...

Review: This book is a sequel to The Christmas Bookshop by the same author. Although it is not absolutely necessary to have read the first book, I think that it increases the enjoyment of this storyline to know what transpired previously. The story in both cases is set in an ancient bookshop in Edinburgh, owned and run by an eccentric elderly gentleman, now with the assistance of the heroine of the tale, who is trying to turn it into a profit-making business without spoiling its quaint ambience. I listened to the audio version of the book, read ably by one of my favourite narrators.

In this story, the reader catches up with Carmen, still trying to come up with ideas to increase the profitability of the Christmas Bookshop, but now with extra pressure on her to bring in some  more income, as the shop’s owner wants to go on a very special, and very expensive, expedition. It looks increasingly likely that he may have to sell the shop to an unscrupulous businessman who would like to use it to cater to tourists by selling tatty souvenirs. To add to Carmen’s woes, she has a film crew making a Christmas movie on the premises, her sister has turfed her out of her basement to make way for the new nanny and her boyfriend has set off for the Amazon on a project lasting at least 6 months. All this with Christmas fast approaching. Things begin to look up with the discovery of what lies at the rear of the bookshop, always shut off until now; customers now have access to all sorts of wonders, and start to flood in like never before. It looks as if Carmen might just be able to send her boss off on his trip of a lifetime, when the local shopkeepers and her family give her a helping hand. If only the love of her life would return as well.

I throughly enjoyed returning to the Christmas Bookshop and catching up with Carmen and her family. The story is told with Jenny Colgan’s trademark humour combined with more serious moments. As I expect when reading one of her books, the story is populated with colourful characters and wonderful situations. Among them, Carmen’s sister is once again a contradiction, wanting to disapprove of her sister while also loving her and wanting the best for her. I loved Carmen’s nieces and nephews and their often hilarious interactions with their aunt. A character who definitely stood out in this story was the children’s new nanny, who turned out to be a red-headed man with quite a personality and a wicked sense of humour, but not really a fitting replacement for Carmen’s absent boyfriend. As with the previous book about Carmen and the bookshop, there are lots of descriptions of the city of Edinburgh readying itself for Christmas, bringing the setting to life for the reader. In summary, for me, this is a really entertaining book with a strong festive theme which I can recommend to all.

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Guest Review: The Summer Skies by Jenny Colgan

Born into a family of successful pilots, Morag is used to flying high. But when a tragic accident above the clouds grounds her, could the future she'd always imagined be suddenly out of reach?

When she receives a call telling her that her beloved grandfather has been taken ill, Morag leaves her fast-paced life in London to return home to the tranquil Scottish Highlands. With her grandfather out of action, Morag has no choice but to take over flying the local route in his rickety old plane, ferrying locals across the beautiful islands of the archipelago.

But as the weather takes a dramatic turn, Morag is forced to crash-land on a remote island and suddenly finds herself far from civilisation and all alone. Then she discovers Gregor, the gruff and reclusive ornithologist taking care of the island for the season. Though the pair don't see eye to eye, Morag is forced to seek shelter at his cabin and it seems the pair are stuck together until help arrives. However long that may be . . .

As she awaits rescue, might Morag discover that a remote Scottish island, cut off from real-life, is exactly the place she needs to be?

It seems a while since I discovered a new release from Jenny Colgan. I have always enjoyed her books that I have read in the past and looked forward to starting this one. I chose the audiobook format this time, having noted that the narrator was one whose performance I have very much enjoyed previously. For readers of other formats, there are handy maps at the beginning of the book depicting the Scottish Islands referred to in the story. There is also an interesting foreword from the author with some background into where the story began.  

The story concerns Morag McGinty, a pilot who has had a ‘near-miss’ and is wondering whether she will fly again. When her grandfather falls ill, she finds herself returning to her former home in the remote Scottish islands, flying his tired old plane transporting mainly locals, and sometimes even their livestock, among an archipelago of small islands. However, when she has to crash land on the beach of one of those islands in an emergency, she finds herself marooned there with Gregor, a rather dour ornithologist who is manning the station for the summer. What at first seems disastrous for Morag being cut off without power or such luxuries as the TV and internet soon begins to appeal as she unwinds and Gregor’s icy demeanour gradually begins to thaw. Will she actually want to return to the life she knew before and the plans she had made for her future?

I quickly became immersed in this book and would recommend it to other readers. It wasn’t clear what direction the story was going to take and I liked that it kept me guessing. I have always appreciated Jenny Colgan’s style of writing, and, as usual, this story is full of her quiet humour alongside the more serious aspects of Morag’s struggle to see what her future might look like. Before landing on an island that she shared with little else than Gregor, a few chickens and a goat, she was sure of what would make her happy, but being forced to accept the lack of technology and what she considered creature comforts made her see things slightly differently. I’m sure quite a few readers will envy her this chance to destress, although maybe they would not choose to do it in the midst of a raging storm! I loved watching as the real characters of Morag and Gregor gradually emerged during their time on the small island, and was definitely willing Morag to listen to her heart and make the right choice. 

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Guest Review: An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan

Olivia and Anthony are planning A Very Extravagant Wedding at the newest hotel on the tiny Scottish island of Mure. They're flying in chefs, musicians and something called a living flower wall... and no one is even allowed to think the word bridezilla.

Flora is trying - and failing - not to let Olivia and Anthony's wedding distract her from planning her own big day with Joel. But the couple have wildly different ideas about how to celebrate and somehow, just when their relationship should be plain sailing, everything is suddenly very hard indeed.

And then there's Lorna and Saif. The local headmistress and the GP desperately keeping their relationship a secret to protect his sons. But while they're looking out for the boys, who's looking out for them?

Three couples. One midsummer's night. Can everyone get their happy ever after?

Review: This is the latest book in a series following the fortunes of Flora MacKenzie and her family, who live on the tiny and remote Scottish island of Mure. At the beginning of the series, readers met Flora as she returned to her childhood home following the death of her mother and settled back into island life. Much has happened in the intervening years, happy and sad events being chronicled in the books, all of which I have enjoyed immensely. Jenny Colgan has charmed me once again with this book, but as well as the story within, I must mention the cover, which this time is absolutely stunning. 

In this next part of the saga, Flora is preparing finally to marry her American partner, Joel. Joel wants a small wedding, but everyone on the island is assuming it will be an event involving the whole community. Meanwhile, there is to be another wedding at the Rock, the island’s prestigious hotel run by Flora. The strikingly beautiful Olivia who left the island many years ago is planning to stage the society wedding of the year there, with a whole host of outlandish ideas proposed by her wedding planner. At the other end of the island, doctor Saif is struggling with the decision of whether he should once more uproot his young sons and return to Damascus, where he feels he could be useful and the boys might be reunited with their mother. But what of his growing relationship with the island’s teacher Lorna?

This is another triumph of a story from Jenny Colgan, filled with drama intertwined with her usual brand of humour. As someone who has been following this series from the beginning, I really enjoyed catching up with Flora and other recurring characters, but I equally enjoyed meeting the new introductions. Having said that, I think that the book functions perfectly well as a standalone for those who are new to Mure. For newcomers and returning readers alike, I love that the author has included an update on the ‘story so far’ at the beginning of this book, along with a pen picture of the island and, most precious of all, a map. I can heartily recommend this book; it is entertaining from start to finish and kept me guessing right to the end.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

Carmen has always worked in her local department store. So, when the gorgeous old building closes its doors for good, she is more than a little lost.

When her sister, Sofia, mentions an opportunity in Edinburgh - a cute little bookshop, the spare room in her house - Carmen is reluctant, she was never very good at accepting help. But, short on options, she soon finds herself pulling into the snowy city just a month before Christmas.

What Sofia didn't say is that the shop is on its last legs and that if Carmen can't help turn things around before Christmas, the owner will be forced to sell. Privately, Sofia is sure it will take more than a miracle to save the store, but maybe this Christmas, Carmen might surprise them all...

Review: I am quite a fan of Jenny Colgan’s writing and of her Christmas books in particular. This one is set in Edinburgh, which always has plenty to see and do in the run up to Christmas. I listened to the audio format of the book, which was beautifully narrated and kept me entertained on a few car journeys.

The central character in this story, Carmen, is devastated when the department store where she has worked since she was a girl finally closes down. With no better opportunities arising, Carmen reluctantly accepts her sister Sofia’s offer of a job and a room in her house in Edinburgh. The job is in an old bookshop which, unbeknown to Carmen, is facing closure if business doesn’t improve by Christmas. After witnessing the way in which the bookshop is run, Carmen can soon see why the business is in trouble, but just maybe she can turn things around for the shop and its owner, and even heal the relationship between her and her sister along the way. The customers who she meets include two very different men who show an interest in Carmen, but will she find an ideal partner in either?

I can highly recommend this festive book, which I have thoroughly enjoyed reading, filled as it is with the typical Jenny Colgan mix of drama and humour in real-life situations. It was great to watch as Edinburgh and the characters in the story prepared for Christmas; I could almost hear the sounds of merriment from the fair and smell the Christmassy offerings at the Christmas market. I loved the mix of characters in the story, especially the customers who came into the shop and the community of shopkeepers in its vicinity. I was particularly delighted to be reacquainted with characters I had met in a previous story and to find out how life is treating them. Carmen has a hard time adjusting to living with a sister who she has always felt overshadowed her, but surprises herself again and again. This is certainly one of my favourite Jenny Colgan books, and one that I’m sure will make its way into many Christmas stockings this year.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Sunrise by the Sea by Jenny Colgan

When she is given the opportunity to move to a remote tidal island off the Cornish Coast, Marisa Rossi decides some peace and quiet might be just what she needs.

Since the death of her beloved grandfather back in Italy, she's been struggling to find a way out of her grief. Perhaps this will be the perfect place for her to recuperate.

But Mount Polbearne is a far cry from the sleepy little place she was imagining. Between her noisy piano-teaching Russian neighbour and the hustle and bustle of a busy community, Marisa finds solitude is not so easy to come by. Especially when she finds herself somehow involved with a tiny local bakery desperately in need of some new zest to save it . . .

Review: I am a great fan of Jenny Colgan’s writing and was very happy to find a new story from her set on the island of Mount Polbearne and featuring many of the inhabitants I have got to know and love from her Beach Street Bakery stories, of course including Neil the puffin. Although the setting and cast will be familiar to many readers, the book can easily be read as a standalone as the story centres on two newcomers to the island as well as providing updates on the lives of recurring characters. As I anticipated, I was quickly drawn into this tale and rapidly found myself lost in the island setting. 

At the beginning of the story we meet Marisa, who has been profoundly affected by her grandfather’s death to the extent that she has become a virtual recluse. A friend suggests that a move to the island of Mount Polbearne, joined to the Cornish coast by a tidal causeway, might provide a tranquil environment where she can recover. However, her new home is far from peaceful. The thin walls do nothing to block out the noise from her Russian piano teacher neighbour Alexei, another newcomer to the island. There is also plenty of noise from other inhabitants and tourists. Just when it seems that her move is not helping her find a way out of her grief, an emergency on the island forces her to emerge from her isolation. Her cooking prowess proves to be just what the community needs and ultimately leads her to the island bakery and a way in which she can help to save it from closure. 

I laughed, cried and cheered my way through this book. Marisa’s tale was so compelling and Jenny Colgan’s writing brought her to life so successfully that I could feel her pain as she struggled with extreme grief. I felt sure that she was going to be OK when she got to Mount Polbearne and the welcoming people there, but her accommodation and her difficult neighbour just seemed to add another problematic dimension to her struggle with life. I loved her relationship with her grandmother in Italy. Thank goodness for Skype that allowed them to cook together and exchange banter. Alexei was also an interesting character, not always likeable, but struggling to find his way. I have loved all the stories set on this island and revolving around the bakery; other fans will be glad to know that there is plenty involvement of the familiar characters in this story, including Polly, Huckle and Reuben. This is a book that I can wholeheartedly recommend to other readers, even if you are not familiar with the series. Tissues may well be required for the tears, whether of sorrow or laughter. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan

On the tiny Scottish island of Mure, Christmas preparations are even more hectic than usual . . .

Flora Mackenzie is worried about her brother. Fintan hasn't got over the death of his partner, Coltan, and Flora thinks he needs a project.

The Rock - the rambling, disused hotel on the tip of the island - was Coltan's passion project before he died. With Flora's help, Fintan is going to get the hotel up and running in time for Christmas, transforming it into a festive haven of crackling log fires and delicious food. But running a hotel, they are about to discover, is not that easy. Especially when their motley staff includes a temperamental French chef, a spoilt Norwegian kitchen boy who can't peel a potato without mutilating his own hand and a painfully shy kitchen assistant who blushes when anyone speaks to her.

Can they pull it together in time for the big opening?

And can Flora help her family find happiness this Christmas?

Review: This is the latest in a series of books by Jenny Colgan about the remote Scottish island of Mure, which in fact is closer to Norway than the Scottish mainland. The books have focused mainly on the MacKenzie family who have a farm there, but readers learn lots about other inhabitants as well. Because there are so many characters featured in the books, I would suggest that reading this book before any of the others would be confusing; they make a wonderful set when read together anyway. As the title suggests, this story is set in the run up to Christmas, and has a lovely festive feel about it. As usual with Jenny Colgan’s books, I sat down to read (or in this case listen) and didn’t want to pause until I reached the end. One comment I have about the audiobook is that I was disappointed to find that the narrator was different from the lady who has covered so many of Jenny Colgan’s previous books; I have no complaint about the new narrator, but it changed my perception of the characters I have come to know.

The story this time is set about a year after the end of the last one in the series, which ended really tragically for Fintan MacKenzie. He has now inherited The Rock, a rundown hotel at the end of Mure, and is trying to continue his husband Coltan’s project to open it as a luxury destination for tourists and locals alike. When he is showing little enthusiasm for the job, his sister, Flora, steps in to help. The aim is to have a grand opening on Christmas Day, but there is much to be done and many obstacles along the way. Fintan employs a very temperamental French chef whose ideas are not always suited to what is available on the island. In addition, the kitchen staff includes a Norwegian playboy who has been sent away by his family to learn some sense and has no clue about cooking, and a very shy village girl who lives with an overbearing mother who disapproves of her daughter working at the hotel. With such an assortment of kitchen personnel, can Flora and Fintan pull it off? Meanwhile, there is plenty of other activity on the island as people prepare for the festivities. The islanders we have met before are all present and correct, with developments in the story of the island’s doctor and his sons.

I can highly recommend this book to those who are following the continuing tale of the island of Mure. As I said at the beginning of this review, I’m not sure that it would be an ideal read for someone who has not read at least one of the other books in the series. I very much enjoyed catching up with all the goings on in the island. The staff at the hotel provided a great deal of amusement, the spoilt boy learning to do things he usually had a staff to deal with, and the chef impatiently getting used to island life. It was hard to know whether they would get the hotel up and running on time. In common with small communities everywhere, there was a certain amount of suspicion towards change, and such was the case with the introduction of Christmas lights - another amusing part of the story. As well as enjoying the characters in the book, I was once again struck by the rugged beauty of the island, with its sometimes stormy seas and lovely long beach, all brought to life so well by the author.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Five Hundred Miles from You by Jenny Colgan

Lissa loves her job as a nurse, but recently she's been doing a better job of looking after other people than looking after herself. After a traumatic incident at work leaves her feeling overwhelmed, she agrees to swap lives with someone in a quiet village in Scotland.

Cormac is restless. Just out of the army, he's desperately in need of distraction, and there's precious little of it in Kirrinfief. Maybe three months in London is just what he needs.

As Lissa and Cormac warm to their new lives, emailing back and forth about anything and everything, finally things seem to be falling into place. But each of them feel there's still a piece missing. What - or who - could it be?

And what if it's currently five hundred miles away?

 

Review: This book is a lesson in how books can be both wildly romantic but also impressively real life at the same time. It has been too long since I have been immersed in a Jenny Colgan novel and I am so happy to be back in her world once again, this truly was a triumph. 

I absolutely loved the premise behind this novel, the idea of a job swap and living in one another's lives in the best kind of meet cute there could be and both of these characters were the kind of people who needed that change to push them out of their comfort zones and really make them sit up and take notice. I loved watching the journey that Lissa and Cormac both took during the course of this book. I loved all the intricate details they both knew about each other's lives and those we were let into as reader-it felt really special. 

Lissa is a really cool character to get to know because we know she has gone through a trauma, we start the book with that and so seeing how she deals with that instantly lets us into the secret of her character. Then taking her out of her comfort zone and dropping her in the middle of nowhere to sink or swim was really fun. I loved Cormac from the start, I would really love to have met him in real life and he is the person I would really like to see more from in future Jenny Colgan novels. I loved how he handled himself and I really liked watching his journey of bringing some Scottish heart to London. 

The book is a dual narrative of sorts which always make for a quicker read for me but there is occasionally a third voice, a kind of narrator who I can only assume is Jenny Colgan talking to us and this made the book read just a little like a fairytale, I felt it added another level and really appreciated it. I also feel like the setting added another level, I loved the juxtaposition between the Scottish setting and the urban hum of London. Having spent time living in both settings I could feel the difference coming off the pages and this writer’s description triggering lots of memories for me. 

I listened to this book on audio and the narrator did a really great job. When the book had both an English and a Scottish character I was prepared to be let down by the narrator's accents but she did really well with both accents and dialects and so I highly recommend this book to you in whatever format you choose. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan

Escape to the Scottish Highlands where a tiny bookshop perches on the edge of a loch

Zoe is a single mother, sinking beneath the waves trying to cope by herself in London. Hari, her gorgeous little boy is perfect in every way - except for the fact that he just doesn't speak, at all. When her landlord raises the rent on her flat, Zoe doesn't know where to turn.

Then Hari's aunt suggests Zoe could move to Scotland to help run a bookshop. Going from the lonely city to a small village in the Highlands could be the change Zoe and Hari desperately need.

Faced with an unwelcoming boss, a moody, distant bookseller named Ramsay Urquart, and a band of unruly children, Zoe wonders if she's made the right decision. But Hari has found his very first real friend, and no one could resist the beauty of the loch glinting in the summer sun. If only Ramsay would just be a little more approachable...

Dreams start here...

 

Review: How lovely to find a new book from Jenny Colgan. I have enjoyed so many of her books in the past, with their amazing characters, and loads of humour mixed in with real life drama and romance. Although Jenny says in her introduction that this book is not a sequel to The Little Shop of Happy Ever After (or The Bookshop on the Corner for US readers), it sounded to me as if there might be echoes of that story in this one. I sat down to read and was reluctant to pause until I got to the end.

This story concerns single mum Zoe and her son Hari. Although four years old, Hari has not begun to talk, which is causing Zoe not inconsiderable concern. She has other concerns too, living in a small, noisy and altogether unpleasant flat in London where the rent is about to be raised beyond her reach. A possible solution comes out of the blue, when a friend tells her of not one but two jobs in a remote Scottish village on the shores of Loch Ness, living in as nanny to three children and helping out on a mobile bookshop. With that all sounding pretty good, if a little far away, Zoe and Hari board the bus to the highlands towards a new life. However, on arrival, Zoe finds herself landed in the midst of a truly dysfunctional family and working for a bookshop owner who is hard to please and with customers who are even more difficult to deal with. Can the wonderful setting, in such contrast to what she has left behind, and the fact that Hari seems happy compensate for the challenges of her new situation?

I thought this was a marvellous story. It has it all; humour, many dramatic moments, surprising revelations and promises of romance. Having previously read The Little Shop of Happy Ever After, I was delighted to meet up with familiar characters and find out how their lives have progressed. I’m sure I’m not alone in enjoying that aspect of any story. Here, although Zoe finds herself in the midst of a chaotic household with a distant father, children with behavioural problems and a weird housekeeper, she is not deterred and I admired her tenacity greatly. Of course, her lovely surroundings, so well depicted by Jenny, free from the noise and bustle of the city, would go a long way to persuading anyone to stay. I was impressed with the way in which Jenny dealt so sensitively with the mental health issues raised in the story. This is a book I would highly recommend to other readers; you might even be tempted to go monster hunting in this stunning area of the highlands.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: An Island Christmas by Jenny Colgan

Christmas on the remote Scottish island of Mure is bleak, stark - and incredibly beautiful.

It's a time for hunkering down, getting cosy in front of whisky barrel wood fires, and enjoying a dram with the people you love - unless, of course, you're accidentally pregnant to your ex-boss, and don't know how to tell him. In what should be the season of peace and goodwill on earth, will Joel think Flora is a bearer of glad tidings?

Meanwhile Saif, the doctor and refugee from war-torn Syria is trying to enjoy his first western Christmas with his sons - but without his missing wife. Can the little family possibly find comfort and joy?

Travel to the beautiful northern edge of the world and join the welcoming community of Mure for an unforgettable Christmas.

  

Review: This is the 4th book in a series set on Mure, an island situated far to the north of Scotland. I have read all the other books in the series and was really looking forward to getting into this one and reacquainting myself with the characters from the previous stories. I was certainly not disappointed; as soon as I started to read, I was transported once more to this lovely but desolate island and immersed in the lives of its inhabitants. Although part of a series, this book could be read as a standalone. 

As with the other books in the series, the story centres mainly on Flora MacKenzie, who has returned to the island after a short spell working as a legal assistant in London. She has settled back into Island life, running a successful cafe/bakery as well as looking after her father and grown up brothers. However, she suddenly finds herself expecting a baby and not at all sure how the father, her ex-boss Joel, an American attorney, is going to react to the news. She is not the only person facing a dilemma in the run-up to Christmas. Saif, the island's doctor and Syrian refugee, is no longer sure that this is the best place to bring up his sons. American millionaire Colton, who has invested in the island and now lives there, is gravely ill and considering the future for his family. On top of everything else, a huge storm is brewing, adding to the overall drama as the story builds to a crescendo. 

I found this a really compelling story. Once started, I just had to keep on reading right to the end. It is a tale that has every emotion condensed within its pages. There is drama, romance and heartbreak, and all so well written; I found myself in turn smiling and laughing and crying, as well as sitting on the edge of my seat. Jenny Colgan has completed this book with a few recipes for Scottish treats which Flora might be serving in her cafe. I really hope that this is not the end of the series about Mure; I would love to know how things pan out for some of my favourite characters.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest Review: The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan

On the quayside next to the Endless Beach sits the Summer Seaside Kitchen. It's a haven for tourists and locals alike, who all come to eat the freshest local produce on the island and catch up with the gossip. Flora, who runs the cafe, feels safe and content - unless she thinks too hard about her relationship with Joel, her gorgeous but emotionally (and physically) distant boyfriend.

While Flora is in turmoil about her relationship. her best friend Lorna is pining after the local doctor. Saif came to the island as a refugee, having lost all of his family. But he's about to get some shocking news which will change everything for him.

As cold winter nights shift to long summer days, can Flora find her happy-ever-after with Joel?

Review: I was very pleased when I found this latest novel from one of my favourite writers, Jenny Colgan, in audiobook format, and listened to it in just a couple of sittings. I anticipated a compelling, romantic and heartwarming story, and I was not disappointed. 

The story is set principally in the lovely but remote Scottish island of Mure, which readers may remember from Jenny's last book, The Summer Seaside Kitchen. Once again, the central character is Flora MacKenzie, who has returned to the island after a spell living in London and has opened the Summer Seaside Kitchen, a cafe popular with locals and tourists alike. Flora is in a somewhat troubled relationship with Joel, an American lawyer representing Colton, an American millionaire with interests in the island. Her best friend and island teacher, Lorna, is also having romantic problems, having a crush on Saif, the doctor who came to the island as a refugee, having become separated from his wife and sons. 

There are, of course, a host of other characters in the story, including Flora's family, many of the islanders, staff and visitors connected with the local activity centre and people from Joel's background. Although there are some humorous parts to the tale, some more serious topics are dealt with causing pain and a great deal of worry for some figures. 

I would definitely recommend this latest book about the island of Mure to anyone looking for an entertaining read. At the very least, you find yourself wanting to be transported to this lovely spot and the amazing beach of the title, with the added lure of some delicious snacks from the Seaside Kitchen. Jenny has included a selection of recipes for Scottish specialities for those of us feeling creative. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Guest QuickRead Review: A Very Distant Shore by Jenny Colgan

Wanted: doctor for small island. Must like boats, the seaside and having no hope of keeping a secret...

Lorna lives on the tiny Scottish island of Mure, a peaceful place where everyone helps their neighbour. But the local GP is retiring, and nobody wants his job. Mure is too small and too remote.

Far away, in a crowded camp, Saif is treating a little boy with a badly-cut hand. Saif is a refugee, but he's also a doctor: exactly what Mure needs.

Saif is welcome in Mure, but can he forget his past? Over one summer, Saif will find a place to call home, and Lorna's life will change forever.

Review: I was delighted to find this short story from the brilliant Jenny Colgan on the shelves of my local bookshop. It's part of the excellent Quick Reads series. I love short stories, but occasionally they fail to deliver; fortunately, this one didn't fall into that category. 

The story revolves around two main characters. The one we meet first is Saif, a refugee from the fighting in Syria who also happens to be a very well qualified doctor. The other main protagonist is Lorna, head teacher of the primary school on the small Scottish island of Mure, a community in sore need of a new doctor. That is how the characters come together and where the story really starts. 

I'm sure we have all seen the disturbing scenes on TV of boatloads of refugees landing on foreign shores, and those who weren't so lucky. This story looks at one of these refugees from a different perspective - what happens next. Despite their need for a medical professional, how will the people in this small community accept this man from another world as their new doctor, and how will he relate to them? Also, although he is lucky to be safe, there is the question of what has happened to his family and how can he find them. Saif and Lorna are brought together by her father's illness. As the weeks and months go by, their friendship grows, but how far can it, and will it, go?

I really enjoyed this story. It was definitely thought provoking and well worth reading. Although short, it was not lacking in depth and substance. All in all, an excellent way to pass a couple of hours. 

This book is available in paperback or Kindle and benefit the fabulous Quickreads! Just click here to get yours!

Guest Review: Christmas at the Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan

It's Christmas in the Cornish coastal village of Mount Polbearne - a time for family, friends and feasting. When Polly's not creating delicious treats in the Little Beach Street bakery, she's cuddled up with her gorgeous boyfriend, Huckle. But when a storm cuts the village off from the mainland, can the villagers work together to save Christmas for everybody?



Review: As a great fan of Jenny Colgan's writing, and of her Little Beach Street Bakery tales in particular, I was really looking forward to reading this book. I have really enjoyed following the earlier books in the series, but to have one set at Christmas was an added bonus. 

In this story, we return to Mount Polbearne, the little village cut off from the mainland except when the tides are right and the causeway is open. All the characters from previous stories are there, including the one that I am sure fans will agree is the star - Neil the puffin. Polly Waterford, owner of the Little Beach Street Bakery, and creator of such wonderful mouthwatering delicacies, has been working hard and is looking forward to a lovely quiet Christmas with fiancé Huckle in their lighthouse home. Of course that is hardly likely to happen. As well as being dragged into various Christmas activities, Polly is struggling with herself, wondering where her life should be going next. 

Although the book centres around Polly and Huckle, there is plenty going on with the other characters as well. In particular, Polly's best friend, Kerensa is having a crisis and forcing Polly to keep a secret that is testing Polly's friendship and loyalty. There are also fears about the future of the island village. They have previously resisted plans to build a bridge to make connection with the outside world 'easier' but will this work against them when they campaign to reopen the village school? 

Although this is the third book in the series, you wouldn't have had to read the others to follow the plot of this one. On the other hand, I can't imagine anyone reading this wouldn't want to go back and find out how it all began. It is lovely to follow Polly's journey from when we first met her to this present time. I think this book is a festive delight, filled with romance, humour and drama, and would be a great addition to anyone's Christmas stocking, or ebook collection.