Sunrise by the Sea

Little Beach Street Bakery #4

by Jenny Colgan

New York Times bestselling author Jenny Colgan returns to the setting of her beloved Little Beach Street Bakery series for a timely and heartfelt novel set in a Cornish seaside village.

Marisa Rosso can't understand why everyone else is getting on with their lives as she still struggles to get over the death of her beloved grandfather, back home in Italy. Everyone loses grandparents, right? Why is she taking it so badly?

Retreating further and further from normal life, she moves to the end of the earth--the remote tidal island of Mount Polbearne, at the foot of Cornwall, hoping for peace and solitude, whilst carrying on her job as a registrar, dealing with births, weddings, and deaths, even as she feels life is passing her by.

Unfortunately--or fortunately?--the solitude she craves proves elusive. Between her noisy Russian piano-teaching neighbor, the bustle and community spirit of the tiny village struggling back to life after the quarantine, and the pressing need to help save the local bakery, can Marisa find her joy again at the end of the world?

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Audiobook, British Literature, Adult

304 pages, Hardcover

First published June 10, 2021

About the author

Jenny Colgan is the author of numerous bestselling novels, including 'The Little Shop of Happy Ever After' and 'Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery', which are also published by Sphere.' Meet Me at the Cupcake Café' won the 2012 Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance and was a Sunday Times Top Ten bestseller, as was 'Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweetshop of Dreams', which won the RNA Romantic Novel of the Year Award 2013.

For more about Jenny, visit her website and her Facebook page, or follow her on Twitter.

Jenny Colgan has also been published under the name Jenny T. Colgan.

Reviews

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so happy to return to Mount Polbearne with Polly and Huckle and the rest of the gang. It's been a while since we visited them, and parenthood adds an extra layer of humor to the story. One thing Colgan does so incredibly well is with her voicing of the young characters. Avery and Daisy add some laughs to every page they appear on, providing levity sometimes when the story could otherwise be heavy.

The main storyline here deals with Marisa, who is consumed with grief over the loss of her grandfather and cannot seem to move forward. It has manifested itself with extreme anxiety and agoraphobia, and she heads out of the big city and to a remote cottage in Cornwall for some peace and hopefully some healing. Unfortunately, her next-door neighbor (they share a wall) is Alexei, a Russian piano teacher with a penchant for playing at all hours of the day and night.

This book contains Colgan's always-welcomed food descriptions, and my mouth watered throughout with the details of the delectable dishes cooked and consumed. I thought that Marisa's journey was heartfelt and realistic. Grief shows up in ways that we cannot always explain, and there are times when we just can't "shake it off."

If you're looking for a comfort read this summer with familiar characters and a satisfying storyline, Sunrise by the Sea is one to choose. I would recommend reading the first three books in the series first in order to get the background of the recurring characters and their stories.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another lovely book from Jenny Colgan. You’re always guaranteed a warm, funny and very satisfying read. This one was the fourth in the Little Beach Street Bakery series but, it can read as a stand alone. It had all the elements that I love and it was a perfect cheerer upper I these difficult times. Highly recommend.

[Shelley Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunrise By The Sea is the 4th book in the Little Beach Street Bakery series by Jenny Colgan and an utterly delightful story. I thoroughly enjoyed every page of it. It was gratifying to be able to return to the unique isle of Mount Polbearne and the quirky, but lovable cast of characters who are truly one-of-a-kind.

This story follows Marisa Rosso who is struggling to get her life back on track after the death of her grandfather. The tragic event has thrown her life into a cycle of anxiety and isolation. She heads to some holiday cottages on the remote island of Mount Polbearne in order to find her bearings amidst the isolation, but instead discovers that her neighbor is a big, burly, loud, Russian who teaches and plays piano around the clock! Marisa’s new circumstances are anything but quiet and calming. The two form a love-hate relationship of sorts that may be just what they both need.

Polly and Huckle also join the story, along with their two, hilarious young children, and the unforgettable, Neil the puffin. Friendships are formed, healing is hard-won, love is unearthed, and bakeries are saved. This story is charming, entertaining and absolutely heart-warming!

[Verity W · Rating 2 out of 5]

*****Copy from NetGalley in return for an honest review*****

So this is a weird one for me. I love Polly and her family and their lives, so that's good. But I really struggled with Marisa. I totally understand what Colgan is trying to do with her portrayal of her mental health issues, but it - combined with Polly's issues - made for a very downbeat book in a lot of ways. But the MH side of things did work out nicely - and although it was sad I liked the way that it was done. But all of this also mean that you didn't really have a lot of chance to get to know Marisa's love interest, so it was hard to see why they work together - or at least know that he's into her. So mixed for me - but I know it will work for other people - but it's just not as sunny and happy as the yellow cover would have you expect, and the blurb definitely downplays the sad side of things.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

We’re back at the Beach Street Bakery again but, this time, Polly and her family are sharing the spotlight with new protagonist Marissa. Marissa is an agoraphobic of Italian stock and her Russian piano teacher neighbour is driving her crazy. No prizes for guessing how their relationship develops but it’s a nice journey all the same.

My only two complaints are that Colgan could have chosen a slightly less cringeworthy celebrity cameo (personal musical taste will probably determine how much you agree with me) and, of course, that there wasn’t enough puffin.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

For my full review, visit me at https://mrsbrownsbooks.wordpress.com/...

Another Jenny Colgan read. I hadn’t realised how much she had written until I looked inside this book – there are still so many more I have yet to get to! And once more, this was a lovely story and I couldn’t get enough of it.

[Karen Barber · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little slice of sunshine that will put a smile on your face.
While we get to reacquaint ourselves with some familiar faces, we focus on some new characters this time round. Marisa is grieving after the death of her grandfather, and finds herself in a rented cottage off the coast as she tries to come to terms with things.
Unable to leave the house, Marisa struggles to do anything. The huge Russian piano teacher who’s moved in next door doesn’t help matters, but he’s also grieving and - you know it’s coming - the book focuses on these two slowly adjusting, learning to deal with whatever is happening and finding themselves part of the world once more.
A true bit of escapism. Though things are bad,there’s a,ways a sense that just round the corner will be a better time.
Thanks to NetGalley for letting me get my summer feel-good factor in early.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it! Another comfy cozy read by Jenny Colgan.
This one deals with some issues of depression and anxiety but in realistic and wonderful ways.
It cheered me up and I've been there before.
More later!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I’m just over Jenny Colgan’s books but this was kind of boring and not as uplifting as I was expecting it to be with all these lonely, depressed, anxious characters.

[Marloes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sinds het verlies van haar geliefde Italiaanse grootvader is Marisa Rossi overweldigd door verdriet. Ze hadden een hechte band en ze snapt dat iedereen anders rouwt, maar het lijkt alsof het leven voor de rest van haar familie gemakkelijker doorgaat. Zij is zichzelf niet meer, ze heeft agorafobie ontwikkeld, vindt geen plezier meer in het koken van Italiaanse gerechten en wil zich het liefst afsluiten voor de rest van de wereld. Wanneer haar huisgenoot haar uit huis zet, stelt hij voor dat ze in één van de vakantiehuisjes van zijn steenrijke oom Reuben trekt, en ongemerkt bewijst hij haar daarmee een grote dienst.

Als ze aankomt op Mount Polbearne kan ze de schoonheid van het eiland en de vriendelijkheid van de bewoners nog niet waarderen, ze is op zoek naar rust en stilte maar wordt dag en nacht gestoord door haar nieuwe buurman Alexei, een enorme en erg luidruchtige Russische pianoleraar. Wanneer haar therapeut haar aanspoort om met kleine stapjes de buitenwereld weer te betreden, gaat dat met vallen en opstaan, maar er komt een omslag wanneer Marisa gaat skypen met haar Nonna, die haar liefde toont door het sturen van pakketjes met de heerlijkste Italiaanse ingrediënten. Samen bereiden ze maaltijden die je laten watertanden, die wel eens de sleutel kunnen vormen tot het smeden van nieuwe vriendschappen en die wellicht zelfs Polly kunnen helpen, die moeite heeft om het hoofd boven water te houden nu de bakkerij kampt met geldproblemen.

Wat was het een aangename verrassing dat Jenny Colgan haar lezers nog een keer meeneemt naar Mount Polbearne voor een nieuw avontuur, want door de vorige boeken ben ik een beetje gaan houden van dit prachtige getijdeneiland en zijn bewoners. Het leven is er niet altijd gemakkelijk, maar iedereen zorgt voor elkaar, houdt de moed erin en gebroken harten kunnen er worden geheeld. Een boek van haar voelt voor mij vaak als een warme deken en dat is nu niet anders, ook dit vierde deel in de serie over de kleine bakkerij is een ontzettend fijne, sprankelende feelgood!

De personages worden erg mooi en levendig omschreven, hun karakters en de zaken waarmee ze worstelen worden sterk en realistisch uitgewerkt, je gaat met hen meeleven en de dialogen zijn scherp, grappig en soms serieus, waardoor je ze nog beter leert kennen en er soms onverwachte onthullingen naar boven komen. Vooral de nieuwe relatie die tussen Marisa en haar grootmoeder ontstaat is hartverwarmend en zorgt voor meer begrip, connectie en vertrouwen waardoor ze extra stappen kan zetten. Iedereen heeft eigen hordes die overwonnen moeten worden, zelfs de mensen die alles perfect voor elkaar lijken te hebben, maar met de hulp van (nieuwe) vrienden, familie en de gemeenschap kom je een heel eind.

Dit is een vlot, beeldend en meeslepend geschreven verhaal, met aandacht voor de kleine details die alles nog meer tot leven brengen, een heerlijke terugkeer naar de geliefde personages terwijl je Marisa en Alexei ook snel in je hart sluit. De sfeer, de saamhorigheid, de warmte en de fantastische lekkernijen die al je zintuigen op scherp zetten zorgen ervoor dat dit een boek is om te verslinden, een verhaal om van te genieten!

[Rachel Gilbey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given I rarely look at a Jenny Colgan blurb before I start reading as having read all her books I know she is a safe bet of an author that I love, I was over the moon to discover we are back in Mount Polbearne for this book, and that Polly, Huckle and Neil the puffin are all still well and present.

And although initially I did think they were perhaps the main focus of the book, they are present the whole time and we do get chapters focusing on them, but the main character is Marisa who is new to the area.

And Marisa is struggling with life generally at the moment since the death of her Nonno, and her ex landlord decided he doesn't want someone who has lost their way living with him, so suggests she moves to these rather out of the way cottages in Mount Polbearne, and with no other options she does just that.

And thankfully that turns out to be the best decision of her life, although it is slow progress to come to that decision.

Moving in on the same day as her, into the neighbouring cottage is a Russian piano teacher and let's just say the cottages aren't sound proofed!

I really enjoyed seeing Marisa develop and grow over the book and to see Alexei's back story too. It was completely gripping and I was hooked on finding out what would happen next to them.

Whether you are new to Jenny Colgan's books or have read previous in this series, it can easily be read as a standalone, as the main focal characters are brand new!

Top notch storytelling as ever, and a pleasure to read, this is Jenny Colgan at her finest.

Thank you to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

[Wendy(Wendyreadsbooks) Robey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been lovely catching up with old friends in this series. Polly and Huckle are involved in the whole community as usual and it was wonderful seeing them in their new stage of life together. The introduction of Marissa and Alexei to the casting was brilliant and I loved Marissa from the very beginning. Jenny Colgan has handled the mental health issues sensitively and it was emotional seeing Marissa trying to handle the grief she was feeling following the loss of her grandfather.

[Christie Guillory · Rating 4 out of 5]

I truly hope there are more Little Beach Street Bakery books ahead for this series because Sunrise by the Sea has been the best one yet. We are introduced to two new characters whose story is tender and real. I laughed, cried, and smiled often throughout the book.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delight to read! This is by far the best in this series.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not that good, but not that bad either.

[Katie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked this book, really connected with the characters and liked the story line x

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Possible spoiler alert.

In "Sunrise by the Sea," Marisa has come to Mount Polbearne after being kicked out of her flat by her roommate for being too depressed after the death of her beloved grandfather. Caius, her former roommate, is the nephew of Reuben, the multi-millionaire friend of Polly and Huckle's who has been in the other Beach Street Bakery books. Marisa suffers from an anxiety disorder, which only gets worse when she arrives only to find her new next-door neighbor is a loud music teacher who plays day and night, allowing her no peace until she is forced to kinda/sorta confront him. Since he resembles a large bear, this understandably takes her some time.

Not much has changed on Mount Polbearne otherwise. Polly and Huckle, now with two children, are still struggling to make ends meet. Reuben and Kerensa are still rich, and unfortunately, Kerensa has become a bit oblivious to her friends' problems, as well as a tad bit obnoxious about her wealth-by-marriage.

Marisa's recovery from anxiety seems a bit too pat. Yes, she does seek counseling and there are steps she goes through, but from seeing friends and family struggle with social anxiety and depression, I felt her journey was just too linear.

Maybe I just wasn't in the right frame of mind when I read this book. It felt like the same components were used as in the other books, such as a huge storm that damages the island, Reuben swooping in to throw money at things and save the day, and Polly and Huckle never having any financial security, but with a couple new characters, with problems of their own thrown in to spice it up. It's a good book, but I think I just wanted something...more, especially for Polly and Huckle. Also, there's just not enough of Neil the Puffin.

3 out of 5 stars

I received an advance copy from William Morrow Paperbacks via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

[Monique Takens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heerlijk ! weer ff op bezoek geweest bij mijn oude vrienden Polly en de papegaaiduiker Neil + familie en vrienden . Alhoewel zij in dit verhaal niet de hoofdrol hebben want die is namelijk weggelegd voor een of eigenlijk twee nieuwkomers op het eiland : Marissa Rossi en Alexei .
De verhaallijn wordt duidelijk genoeg uitgelegd op de achterkant van het boek dus daar ga ik niets aan toevoegen ( ik ben altijd bang dat ik te veel verklap waardoor ik het leesplezier van een ander bederf )
Ik heb dit verhaal vier sterren gegeven maar ik heb het vermoeden dat mijn waardering wat lager uitgepakt zou hebben als ik de drie voorgaande delen niet gelezen had .

[Jenna | Projekti kirjahylly · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ 3.5 stars

[Sherrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fourth in the Little Beach Street Bakery series, not quite as good as the others. Polly and Huckle still have money problems, Reuben is even richer and I didn't really warm to the new characters. All a bit gloomy really.

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Everyone, if they are lucky, loses parents that they love, in the end."

Marisa lost her grandfather and the grief is all-consuming. She's slowly lost touch with friends, and family. She's become a recluse and struggles to find joy in life after such a emptying loss.

On somewhat of a whim, she decides to travel to Mount Polebearne, an isolated island, thinking that city life has become just too much. Perhaps she needs peace and quiet?

Only one problem...her nextdoor neighbor is a piano teacher. And that means she has to listen to practice from the students during the day and from the teacher at night.

And then there's the townspeople, who seem rather sweet (if a bit nosy).

Time and time again, Marisa finds herself being drawn out when she prefers to tuck in...but perhaps that's what she needed all along.

I think it was smart to approach the fourth book from a different person's perspective. I like that we get to 'visit' the previous main characters - seeing Polly and Huckle and their children was a delight!

But I do feel like their story arc was complete, so using Marisa as a way to dive back into the Mount Polebearne town was a great idea.

Her story was jarring at first - but also very identifiable for me. When I lost my grandmother, I went through a similar withdrawal. The world felt very grey to me and I didn't understand how others seemed to just 'get over' it.

And much like Marisa, I realized that people grieve all in their own ways. And that it's important to keep reaching out, even if you don't want to. It makes a difference.

[Bookworman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever a new Jenny Colgan (or Milly Johnson) book comes out I promise myself that I will savor it THIS time instead of inhaling it like a greedy child. AND as always, I stayed up until 1:00am totally devouring it until I was finished reading. Now, a month later after finishing listening to Beth O'Leary's "The Road Trip", I got to listen to this awesome story.

Colgan combines snarky, witty dialogue with a heartwarming story of overcoming personal issues, a sweet love story between two lovable characters, as well as the next chapter in the Polly/Huckle story. All tied up with a big bow of HEA. Like all my favorite authors, Colgan beautifully handles tough subjects like anxiety disorder and grieving with sensitivity so that the reader feels the feelings but doesn't need to curl up into the fetal position after reading about it.

With each book, Jenny Colgan continues to hone her craft and each book just gets better and better. Well, with the caveat that "The Endless Beach" will always be my absolutely favorite Colgan of all time.

One thing I didn't notice when I read it but definitely noticed while listening is that there was very little profanity and G/PG love scenes. Not sure if this was deliberate or not but I really appreciated it.

For those of you new to this series, this book can be read as a stand-alone or, if you're a Virgo like me, you may want to at least read Book 1 so you can get the majority of Huckle and Polly's backstory. Book 2 is pretty good but don't even get me started on Book 3 and What Kerenza Did (Bleh! Ew!).

[Bookworman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever a new Jenny Colgan (or Milly Johnson) book comes out I promise myself that I will savor it this time instead of inhaling it like a greedy child. AND as always, I stayed up until 1:00am totally devouring it until I was finished.

Colgan combines snarky, witty dialogue with a heartwarming story of overcoming personal issues, a sweet love story between two lovable characters, as well as the next chapter in the Polly/Huckle story. All tied up with a big bow of HEA. Like all my favorite authors, Colgan beautifully handles tough subjects like anxiety disorder and grieving with sensitivity so that the reader feels the feelings but doesn't need to curl up into the fetal position after reading about it.

With each book, Jenny Colgan continues to hone her craft and each book just gets better and better. Well, with the caveat that "The Endless Beach" will always be my absolutely favorite Colgan of all time.

As a total Colganite, I've also purchased the audiobook and will now be able to revisit this lovely story again... after I finish listening to Beth O'Leary's "The Road Trip". Sigh... Life. Is. Good.

[Ann S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this book series and the writing of J Colgan, but this latest book is boring. A lot of pages saying not much of anything. Too bad.

[Giovanna Jansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ik moest er even in komen, 'De kleine bakkerij' serie is nooit echt mijn favoriet geweest (in tegenstelling tot Jenny Colgans 'Eilanden' serie!), en met Polly heb ik nooit zo veel gehad. Maar de nieuwe personages Marisa en buurman Alexei maakte het verhaal een stuk interessanter, vooral Marisa met de dingen die ze moest overwinnen.
Waarmee dit het eerste boek in deze serie is dat ik vier sterren heb gegeven.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this addition to the series. I always like to meet up again with Polly and Neil and now it turns out a family. Wow seven years on since way back. Nice new addition of characters while keeping previous ones in front of us.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a bad couple of weeks and I needed some Jenny Colgan! Very nicely done, shades of Little Women and something else I thought of earlier and now can't remember! I think that the anxiety was well handled and timely in current days. must go find one I haven't read!

[Gemma · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I have had a really tough time rating this book and reading it in fact.

Some parts and characters were well formed, interesting and realistic and others were there as plot devices/filler or just so plain annoying that it made the reading process quite challenging.

When I picked this book up whilst on holiday, nothing on the book itself told me that this was part of a series: this was the first thing that annoyed me.
Then we are introduced in chapter 1 to Polly and her family, now people may disagree, but they are not why I am reading this book. They were not in the blurb. I do not care about their family dynamic... I am reading this book for Marisa and her piano teaching neighbour as advertised in the blurb.
And the ending with the party (keeping it vague to avoid spoilers) but WTF? The whole scene was just unnecessary and silly.

Now having said that there were elements of the story that I did enjoy: the representation of Marisa's mental health struggles were eloquent and deep, the scenes about her family were beautiful and emotional and the neighbour character was interesting and well thought out.

Overall, I will have to really carefully select Jenny Colgan books in the future to avoid Polly stories, but maybe her stand alones will work better for me.

[Debrac2014 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good! I wasn't sure at first with Marisa and her problems but everything works! So good to see what Polly and her family are up to!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfekt bok att hitta läslusten med igen. Väldigt bra som alltid.