The Summer Seaside Kitchen

My crack cocaine of the literary world! Jenny Colgan has produced another easy read that grabs you from page one and whisks you at a pace through to the end. It follows the standard formula of all her books, but it is the scenarios that keep it feeling fresh. Flora's situation is one most can associate with (well, except for the crush on her boss perhaps), and the reconnection with her family and home feels fairly realistic. Holiday read it certainly is, but if you read them at the same rate as me, then perhaps take several to last the week!!

Rules at the School by the Sea is the second book in Jenny Colgan's series set at a girls' school in Cornwall. We follow characters from the first book along with a few newcomers as teacher Maggie Adair starts her second year. Maggie and her middle school students study literature in class and life out of class. Her youngest girls seem to find new ways to get in trouble and embarrass her. Meanwhile, Maggie struggles with her love of Glasgow where her fiance and family live and her growing love for the School by the Sea and one particular English teacher at the nearby boys' school.

This one ends with a major cliffhanger and I am listening to the third book now. Easy listening but well written with funny asides as Colgan lets us into her show more characters' thoughts. She also deals with important issues such as the poverty gap and eating disorders. show less

Sorry, the main reason I cannot give this above three stars is that I can never cheer for a woman (fictional or not) being the reason that a man who is an asshole changes his ways. It never feels realistic and it just ends up making me annoyed the author writes a guy that you end up not liking and wish would just disappear from the book. I liked the character of Flora and her family (her three brothers and father are great) but thought she was self absorbed and sharp to people too much. I did love the book getting into the recipes her mother passed down and the author including some of them in the back of the book was much appreciated. That said, I found that there was a bit too much going on in this first book. We have a couple of show more plot-lines and though the selkie myth was intriguing, I wish that Colgan had leaned a bit more into that and had an air of magical realism in this book.

After having a fight with her family, Flora resolves to never return home to the island of Mure (off the coast of Scotland). Flora is determined to have a life in London and though she has crushes here and there, is mostly fixated on her boss, Joel. When a client demands that Joel's firm handle a potential issue on Mure that will impact his hotel and livelihood, Flora is sent to Mure to deal with things. Being back home among her family and friends, Flora finally comes to grips with her past and present.

Flora was an okay character, but I think another character her supposed childhood best friend Lorna who I think at one point pretty much tells Flora she needs to get over things. Lorna apparently has gone through similar things as Flora, but you don't see her being a jerk about it. Flora has two love interests in this book (I was only rooting for one) and is doing her best to have her firm look its best with her on hand on Mure to help.

We have secondary characters in this, but the book mostly revolves around Flora. I did love Flora's brother Fintan a secret that he has been harboring for a long time. His resentment of Flora for getting away from Mure was a bit much to take after a while though. I was glad when that all got resolved. I did wish we got more conversations/dialogue with Lorna.

The writing was okay, but after a while the whole book started to feel a bit same-y to me. We have Flora realizing her family's farm isn't doing so well, we have her not really working, and then she cleans and cooks. Lather, rinse, repeat. It's not until Joel shows up in Mure does the story start moving forward a bit.

The island of Mure sounds magical. I liked reading about selkies and we finally get Flora re-counting a story her mother told her about the mythical creatures at the end of the book. As I said above, I wish that Colgan had leaned in a bit more into the magical realism genre.

The ending was not the least bit realistic. However, this is a romance, so everyone gets their happily ever after. show less

Thank you librarything.com for the advanced copy of The Cafe by the Sea: A Novel by Jenny Colgan in return for my honest review.

I had never read a Jenny Colgan book before, and I almost gave up on this one, but I am glad that I didn't. It took a liitle while for me to get connected with the story and the characters, but once the setting moved to the Scottish Island of Mure, the story took hold.

This is what I loved about the novel: the descriptions of the island and its residents, their culture and traditions. If it wasn't an imaginary place, I would surely want to live there, or at the very least, visit Mure several times a year. The interaction between the main character Flora (a paralegal from a posh London law firm returning home show more for business after a prolonged absence) and her family members, especially her brothers, felt incredibly real and true. Flora's young niece Agot was my favorite character of all with her mischievousness and spunkiness. Agot may not have been in many scenes, but she stole the show for me. Additionally, the recipes made sounded amazing, and some of them appear at the end of the book. Further, this shouldn't make a difference, but the short chapters made this book such a quick, enjoyable read.

Less appealing to me was how Flora's love story turned out. I was hoping that a different character would win her heart. The one that did seemed unrealistic to this reader. Also, though I don't object to sexuality issues being incorporated into a story, in this case I didn't find it necessary, and it was introduced, announced and accepted so completely it seemed too ideallic, especially in this community. It is the type of reaction hoped for, but it just didn't feel honest.

I would definitely read this author again. Despite some criticisms, I did get lost in the story, and being transported to the Island of Mure was a beautiful escape. This would make a great beach read. show less

I don't know what to say about this book; it's unlike the other books I've read by Colgan, and a much more straightforward romance. The plot premise is implausible, at best, and the titular kitchen isn't even hinted at before the halfway mark. But it takes place on a fictional northern island off the coast of Scotland, and the romance is a slllooowww burn, so I coped, and was pleasantly diverted by the wonderful atmosphere, obviously written by someone who loves their home country.

But this was not as tightly written a story as it could have been, and felt like it was trying to tackle way too much in one book. Flora's baggage, Joel's baggage, Fintan's baggage - there was just an awful lot of baggage, leaving the important impediments show more only glossed over here and there. When things started to come together, they came together well, but at 400+ pages, the atmosphere carried me more than a time or two over some rough, and possibly extraneous, bits of story that ordinarily would have left me bored.

While I'd happily love to read another of her books set on Mure, this wasn't as good as the others of her books I've read. Still it was a nice mental holiday. show less

A light, heart-warming type of book, which is what I was looking for, but I hated the romance tropes and stereotypes, and the main character ended up with the wrong person, in my opinion. It also dragged on way too long.

I love Jenny Colgan's books - they're the perfect 'feel-good' read. Her latest North American release is The Cafe by the Sea.

What makes Colgan's books such a delight to read? Her characters first and foremost. There's always a fun female lead facing decisions, both professionally and personally. This time 'round it's Flora, born on the remote Scottish island of Mure. When her mother died, Flora fled to London to pursue her career. Three years on she hasn't returned, even for a visit. But when her boss (yes she does have a crush on him - this is another integral part of Colgan's books - the romantic will they, won't they component) sends her there for work, she is forced to confront her past - and look to her future. (Another few pieces show more of the feel-good read - conflict and heart-string tugging.)

Flora is a perfect lead - fun, quirky and very likable. The supporting cast also endears themselves to the reader - Flora's loud and noisy family, the townsfolk - and two other possible romantic entanglements......

The grief and loss Flora is experiencing over her mother's death is very well written. Anyone who has suffered such a loss will find themselves shedding a tear or two. But there's lots of joy as well - rediscovering that place we call 'home' and finding your own passion - the thing you were meant to do. The title gives you a pretty broad hint of what Flora's passion might be. Colgan's description of the joy of food and baking was, well, mouthwatering! The descriptions of Mure are vivid, bring the imaginary isle to life - and had me wanting to visit. And who doesn't love a good romantic tale - the meandering path to true love - all the while knowing that yes, there's a happy ending. But sad for the reader when the end is reached. More please!

The Cafe by the Sea is the perfect summer (okay, really anytime) read - engaging, touching, joyful, romantic, humourous and more. Loved it!

(And I have to say that I look forward to reading the note from the author at the beginning of Colgan's books - her warmth and wit shine through and add a personal note to the novels.) show less