The Endless Beach audiobook

Easily without a doubt in my mind, the best book Jenny Colgan has ever written. My only regret was that I hadn't started it earlier in the day so that I could have read it in one sitting. In fact, please don't waste your time reading this review, just go buy the book now, settle down in your comfy reading spot and read that instead, it will be a far better and more enjoyable use of your time. Why?Well that's because the book is brilliant. It is heartwarming, it is emotional and I just didn't want to put it down at any point. I adored being back on the island of Mure with Flora and her family, and although Flora is arguably the main character, I found it was all the other storylines that I was loving even more. I loved catching up with Fintan, one of Flora's brother, and seeing how his relationship was progressing. In fact Coltan is pivotal throughout the book, and yet although you know he is up to something, I was open mouthed in shock when his big secret was finally revealed. Then there is Saif, the refugee doctor on the island, who has been working hard to be accepted by the islanders, while continually awaiting for news of his family. Saif's story was gripping, I absolutely loved him so much, especially when seeing what he had to cope with in this story. Joel who we got to know quite well in The Summer Seaside Kitchen is also full of surprises and we finally get to find out more about his background, as well as him being responsible for some of the rather shocking bits of the book. This book is a sequel to The Summer Seaside Kitchen, but it could be read as a standalone. There are a good reminder in Jenny Colgan's ever present, and always useful letter to her readers at the start of the book, that even as someone who had read the first book, brought my mind right back to Mure and the story before it even got going. Such wonderful writing, it draws you in and won't let you go, I really cared about every last character, and the children that are present in the book are fabulous too - including Agot who has such a great personality for a 4 year old and is a real tonic for any scene she is in. I found the first bit of the book started slightly slowly, as it took a bit longer than I would have expected to be completely engrossed, but once I had a grip on the new characters, and recalled Mure fully, I had to keep reading and reading it. The many storylines are fantastic, and I really wouldn't have predicted a fair amount of the book. The Endless Beach is already one of my favourite books of the year, I think this may be they start of a slight change in the writing from the author, as I don't recall feeling this emotional and churned up after other books by her in the past, and if that is the case then I am incredibly excited for the next releases. Thank you so much to Sphere and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Flora quit her job as an attorney in London and moved back with her family on the Isle of Mure in the Scottish Highlands to work in the bakery.Much to her surprise, her boss, Joel, decided to join her. Flora didn’t know what to expect, but she didn’t expect love. She finds out Joel had a difficult childhood in foster care and doesn’t want to open up about it. That is a secret Joel keeps, a secret that causes problems for him as well as Flora, but this definitely adds interest to the story line.THE ENDLESS BEACH sounds like a wonderful place to vacation and relax. I don’t think I would want to live there because of the remoteness, but the simple, stress free life would be lovely.We follow Flora, Joel, Saif and Flora’s brothers as lives, interests, secrets, and personalities are revealed. Each character had a story - some sad. some happy. It took a few pages to get everyone connected and to grab my interest, but the bakery, the whales, and the atmosphere on the Isle of Mure made it a very appealing read.If you enjoy being in a quaint, lovely place and enjoy visiting with unforgettable, lovable characters, THE ENDLESS BEACH is a book you won’t want to miss. 4/5This book was given to me free of charge and without compensation by the publisher in return for an honest review.

Reading a Jenny Colgan book always fills me with contentment. I know the story will draw me in and the dialogue will be both funny and serious and I will love the characters. I just know it. And, I was not wrong this time either.READ THE REST OF THE REVIEW OVER AT FRESH FICTION!

Flora MacKenzie has recently returned to the place where she grew up, the Scottish island of Mure. She is busy running a cafe and is in the beginning stages of a romance with her former boss, Joel. This is the second book in the Summer Seaside Kitchen series but can be read as a standalone novel as the author does a good job catching the reader up on what happened in the previous book.What I enjoyed most about this book was the focus wasn't solely on the two main characters. Instead the book also explored the lives of other characters who lived on the island. This definitely wasn't a complete lighthearted romance as there were some serious things going on although they never completely overpowered the book where it felt too dark. Would love to see where the author goes from here in the next book as I am interested what she has in store for the supporting characters. Definitely recommend if you like romance books that aren't complete fluff and have a little substance.I won a free copy of this book in a giveaway but was under no obligation to post a review. All views expressed are my honest opinion.

What a heart warming yet bittersweet story. I am not ready to let these characters go, I want another book with their story to continue.

Loved this book. I love Jenny’s books and have read loads of them over the years. I’m always pleased to see a new one come out and can’t wait to get my hands on it. She never disappoints and her books are always a joy to read.

Una delicia volver a la isla de Mure, una continuación que pensaba que iba a ser de transición pero todo lo contrario, continúa de forma muy atrayente tanto la historia de Flora como la de su hermano Fintan y la de Lorna y el doctor Saif.Tres pilares que se siguen entrelazando con la vida en la isla, mucha comunidad, familia, pasado y futuro ante todos.Una de las series más feel good que he leído últimamente. Con ganas de seguir.Reseña completa:http://saraalectora.blogspot.com/2020...

This is a sequel to the Cafe by the Sea - so don't read this without reading Cafe first (Also a 5-star read for me)I ADORED this book. I adored book one too. The character are so rich, so engaging, so real....I fell in love with them and the entire town. I absolutely adored every single page.In this one - although very romance-centered, there is a storyline that will hurt your HEA heart. The main couple has a HEA but there is a storyline that a romance-only book fan will not like.But this town and the people in it - can not be missed. I can't believe this author has never come onto my radar. HUGE thanks to Angie (https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5...) from Angieville who has been tweeting about this series. It's a must read.

Doesn't the cover make you want to dive right in? Well it does for me as I am a huge Jenny Colgan fan. If you haven't read any of her books I would strongly recommend them with a big mug of tea and a biscuit or two. This story is all about life on Mure it follows on from the seaside kitchen where we first meet all the wonderful residents that live there. The characters make you feel as though your part of the community and shows you that no matter what your going through they will always pull together to help you. The added bonus is when you finish the book and there are some cracking recipes to test out yourself.

Without doubt The Endless Beach is the best book Jenny Colgan has ever written. Once I started this brilliant read, I easily finished it within a couple of hours as I became so entranced by the magic of the island of Mure and by the astonishingly excellent storylines and characters. This books packs a real emotional punch and readers would be forgiven that they weren't going to find such emotions and feelings running through what many would term a 'chick-lit' book. No this goes way beyond that, dealing with plot lines that would in the most recent past never have been dared to be mentioned in books in this genre. Not once did Jenny shy away from her subject matter but in fact the male characters really come to prominence in this book and that was so refreshing. To get the male perspective of things, although in this case one or two are hiding things with what they think is good reason, rarely if ever happens in most of the books I read. The women weren't forgotten but I sensed we had come to know both Flora and Lorna previously and although we see how they are feeling as well the men get their chance to step into the spotlight and in doing so provided a really well rounded view of all the characters and the ups and downs they are experiencing on the tiny island of Mure in Scotland.The Endless Beach can easily be read as a standalone as Jenny has written an authors note bringing readers up to date with the characters. We first met Lorna and Saif in the Quick Reads novella A Very Distant Shore and then last year we made our acquaintance with Flora and Joel in The Summer Seaside Kitchen. But I think if you read this on its own although you would love it as much as I did I feel you would be missing out on what makes this series so compulsive and you would want to fully understand why said characters act the way do. So do indulge yourself and read all three books preferably one after the other without any interruptions.As I was already familiar with the characters I felt I wasn't looking out for hints as to their previous stories and I could just launch straight into the story and see what was going on now. Admittedly I was reading along and at first I wasn't finding Jenny's writing as gripping as I usually do, there was nothing wrong with the story per se it's just that compulsive urge to keep turning the pages wasn't there. At this stage I was getting slightly worried as this has never happened to me when reading a book by this author before. Then all of a sudden everything started happening and I couldn't get enough. There was no way I was going to bed until I had finished this captivating book which provided so much more than your usual run of the mill boy meets girl story. It was great to discover what happens next to the characters after we have left them behind in the previous books so the reader is not left wondering 'is it all plain sailing in a bed of roses or are you meant to work at things to keep the romance alive?' 'What happens when obstacles are sent to try and test your relationship to it's very limits?' In this case Flora and Joel will certainly find out if their romance can go the distance through tough and turbulent times.The setting for The Endless Beach was just perfect, the wild and rugged island of Mure which I had fallen in love with when reading Flora's story. All the characters I had come to know were once again present and I am glad there wasn't that many new characters bar maybe Mark and Marsha introduced. This allowed us to get to know the ins and outs of the small rural community even more, Island living is all about community and sharing. Gossip is the lifeblood of so many residents and where better to indulge in the latest goings on than in Flora's seaside café which is going through its own ups and downs businesswise. Not partly due to the fact Flora is that bit too generous especially when it comes to the boys who visit thanks to Charlie and Jan's outward bound charity. Flora has such a good heart and I was pleased to see her romance with Joel was in the beginning very much on an even keel. You could see the passion, love and deep appreciation they had for each other. Flora had battled for her man and won and she wasn't going to let him go that easily even if his city colleagues wonder what he is doing with her and the islanders question whether Joel is really suited to small island life. Joel is a lawyer and a very busy one at that. Colton, a billionaire who hopes to open The Rock hotel, has employed him to do some work as a matter of great urgency. This in turn takes Joel away from the island and there in lies the problem for the majority of the novel.Flora feels Joel slipping away from her, the longer he is away from the island working. Initially I thought woah hold on Flora you are totally over acting. if a man has to go away to work let him be. If he is busy of course he can't answer every time you ring. I thought she was reading far too much into things and should just enjoy the relationship and hang on until Joel could return. Colton seemed to have some sort of hold over Joel and I was worried that something nasty was afoot. Things seemed to spiral out of control fairly rapidly and maybe Flora had been intuitive enough to see her worries at such a distance may have been justified. I wanted everything to be OK for the pair, for them just to enjoy being together, but as is true to life things have to be worked at and some times distance and time may help to put things right. But still at the back of my mind I wanted to know the underlying things going on. Surely behind all this stress and worry was a very valid reason for Joel remaining so shut off and aloof, for that was what he was for most of the time. When the reasons become clear I understood Joel so much more. It was lovely too to see things between Colton and Fintan, Flora's brother, stepping up a gear and also the author acknowledged the fact that in such a small community where narrow minded views could abound especially in a traditional family that maybe people were starting to became more open and understanding.The other male getting more of a storyline was Saif, the Syrian doctor not long on the island. Oh how I felt for Saif, his feelings of utter desolation and hopelessness. He feels like a fish out of water in this alien community. Yes he goes through the motions of doing his job caring for the sick and for those who claim to have an illness but just really need a chat. He may be present in body on the island but his mind is firmly rooted with his wife and two children whom he left behind in Syria several years ago. He has heard nothing from them and as each day passes he never gives up hope that they will all be reunited. Again the author was highlighting a modern day crisis which all too often tends to be brushed under the carpet and never gets explored in books. Saif is living a daily hell full of nightmares and although early morning walks on the endless beach and bumping into Lorna every now and again soothe his soul momentarily, the thoughts and horrors soon come rushing back into his heart and mind. Saif keeps himself distant and separate from the islanders bar treating them when necessary as he continues to wait on news. But all the islanders want to do is help to show their community spirit is alive and well and sincere not fake or false. Will Saif see a change in fortune or are things going to get much more challenging before any hope is in sight? I couldn't begin to understand what Saif was experiencing but the author certainly did a remarkable job of conveying what turmoil he was going though on a daily basis. I hoped Saif would eventually find some comfort.The Endless Beach provides comfort and escape for the reader. It felt like returning to old familiar friends and for several hours the real world remained at bay whilst I enjoyed everything the island of Mure and its residents were offering me. This was certainly an emotional roller coaster which offered numerous laugh out loud moments ( Agot springs to mind – I think she now rivals Neil the puffin for my affections) but at the same time a deeper more hidden depth of feelings were explored mainly from the men's side and for this I applaud Jenny Colgan. There were two crucial points where I exclaimed oh no out loud because I couldn't believe what I was reading. I was saddened and disheartened and then several pages later hopeful. The islanders and Flora, Joel, Saif, Lorna and co are resilient but times are testing them. The way the book ended I felt left room for another story and I do hope Jenny has more in the pipeline. I loved this book and am gutted it had to end if only it could have been as endless just like the beach in the title.

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.comI will warn you now - my review of Jenny Colgan's new novel will not do the book justice in the slightest. The only way you're going to be able to appreciate such outstanding, literary craftsmanship, is by grabbing a copy for yourself, turning off every link to the outside world, and delve into a story which you will never want to leave.I have been a huge fan of Jenny Colgan's novels for as long as I can remember, with every new release raising the bar just that little bit higher in terms of brilliance. Until now. 'The Endless Beach' hasn't just raised the bar of brilliance a smidge, no. It has completely sent the bar skyrocketing into space. 'What do you mean by that?', I hear you ask. Well my lovely readers, I mean that Jenny Colgan has written her best book ever with 'The Endless Beach', without a doubt.Hand on heart, I have never read a book which I took me a couple of hours to read without stopping, due to me not wanting to break the hold which the author unknowingly had on me. The storyline pulled me in to a world I never knew existed. A place where friendships weren't just friendships, they were lifelines. A place where helping each other wasn't expected, yet the community helped those who needed it without question, or judgement. A place where a cafe wasn't just a place to grab a coffee and a quick bite to it, it was a place where the community could go whenever they felt lonely, knowing full well that someone would be willing to have a natter. A place where romance isn't determined by whats in your trousers, but what is in your heart.Before starting 'The Endless Beach', I had absolutely no idea what sort of journey the book would take me on and, if I'm being totally honest, even after reading the book I couldn't even begin to tell you what sort of journey I went on. All I know is that it was a journey I had never been on before. A journey which I will be remembering for a very, very long time.I wish I could go into detail about what I loved about this book, but because I don't want to give anything away, you're just going to have to trust me when I say that you need to read this book without stopping. Seriously. Ignore everyone. Ignore your bladder, and just read. This enchanting storyline needs to be cherished without the spell being broken.Not only did 'The Endless Beach' make me smile until my cheeks hurt, it made me cry tears of joy and tears of pain. I felt the pain which certain characters endured. I felt the joy within joyous situations. Everything about this book was perfection - I cannot recommend 'The Endless Beach' enough.Never mind being a book about an 'Endless Beach', it's a storyline with 'endless' possibilities, 'endless' joy, with 'endless' reasons to keep fighting when life throws you sand balls.'The Endless Beach' has blown me away and ignited the fire in my belly which has been hidden for a very, very long time. This is, without a doubt, Jenny Colgan's best book yet, and it deserves to be cherished like the magnificent book that it is.Beautifully written, enchanting, heart stopping, and utterly poignant; 'The Endless Beach' will warm your heart like the sun on a summer's day - absolutely incredible.

If you love Jenny Colgansbooks as much as me then this is not a book to be missed. Or if you haven’t read a Jenny Colgan book before and you are a fan of romance/chicklit this book is for you. Without doubt a must read for all. I simply loved this book. It was beautiful, romantic, emotional and heartbreaking. I greedily gobbled up this book in one sitting and absolutely loved it from beginning to end. It was so lovely to go back to Mure again. A place I would absolutely love to live. Even though I know it is fictional it sounds such a beautiful place to inhabit. Being surrounded by the sea and the rolling hills sounds idyllic. Although this book is mostly about the main character Flora who owns the Seaside Kitchen. It is the other stories that run along side it. That make this book so beautiful. Especially the story of Finton and Coltan. Their love story is so beautiful and really moving. It had me in floods of tears. It is so nice to meet up with Saif again. The refugee doctor that we meant in the little book that runs along side the Summer seaside kitchen. His love story and learning about his life and what he has, had to live through were really moving. Joel is also a pivotal person in this book. Who has his fair share of secrets and shocking announcements that we learn more about in this book. This is the second book in the Summer Seaside kitchen, and although I would recommend you to read the Summer Seaside kitchen book first. Just so you get some more background and content to the story. This book can be read as a stand alone. Also while you are reading the first book. Make sure that you read the mini book that goes along side it. Which introduces Saif to the little island. I always really love reading Jenny Colgan book as they always manage to put a smile on my face. All the characterisation in this book are Wonderful and you can help taking them all to heart and wishing them all lots of happiness. This really is a lovely book. That I recommend you all to read. So don’t forget to go and get it on the 11th Jan. it is sure to make you smile on these cold and dreary winters nights. I for one absolutely loved it. Another gem by the fantastic author that is Jenny Colgan.

I have 5 authors that are guaranteed winners for me. Jenny Colgan is one of those writers that never disappoints. She crafts a sweet, romantic story about life on the small Scottish island of Mure. “The Endless Beach,” centers around Flora MacKenzie, the owner and proprietor of the charming local bakery who is in love with an American attorney with lots of secrets. But for Flora, when she loves, she goes all in. I so enjoy how Ms. Colgan develops the various island relationships, small town country atmosphere, and keeps each character interesting. 5 stars for pure, sweet fun and some recipes thrown in for good measure. This is the second novel following “The Café by The Sea” but you can read them as a stand-alone. Just read them! #sigh #FloraMacKenzie #Mure #Scotland #selkie #bakery #scones #food #fun  #enjoy #fivestars #books #book #read #literary #reading #fiction #novel #booknerd #Ilove2read #iLive2read #booklover #readit #bookstagram #reader #romantic #booknerd #bookworm #bibliophile⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ @jennycolganbooks @williammorrowbooks @harpercollins_publishing @littlebrown #jennycolgan

Quite simply, this is the best audiobook that I have ever listened to. It was like getting a hug from a book. Jenny Colgan is the perfect summer read and the The Endless Beach was a delightful follow-up to Cafe by the Sea. I loved going past the supposed "happily ever after" of the first book with Flora, Joel, Fintan, Coltan and the rest, only to discover that this happiness is something that doesn't come easily. This one was both sad and uplifting. If you get the chance to listen to the audio version, it is well worth it. Sarah Barron moves effortless through accents, making this book something special.

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE Jenny Colgan and everything she has ever written. This series is especially magical :-) LOVE.

Lately Jenny Colgan was proving with her every new release what a brilliant author she is, and each of her book was better than the previous one. However, with "The Endless Beach", she has probably outdone herself - this book is perfect in every way. I would go that far and say that it's probably Jenny Colgan's best yet. This book has fulfilled all of my expectations and more. It is heart - warming, uplifting, emotional and incredibly realistic, and written in this brilliant and unmatchable Jenny Colgan's writing style.This is a sequel to "The Summer Seaside Kitchen" that can be read as a standalone, but I personally would recommend to read the first book as well - even though there is a reminder in the letter from Jenny at the beginning of "The Endless Beach", which is very helpful btw, the first book was equally gorgeous and I think it will let you to understand the characters and their actions much better.In "The Endless Beach" we're back to the island of Mure and the characters that I already love plus some of the new ones, that are equally adoring. Flora's storyline was supposed to be the main one, and well, yes it was, but she shared the book pages equally with the other characters, whose stories and backgrounds and present were as intriguing and hooking as hers. To be honest, I have a feeling that this time the male characters' subplots were more prominent in this story, which only made it feel refreshing and even more interesting (as if it were possible!). This time it were the men that were hiding something, not the women! The story of Saif was heart - breaking. It was very actual and even though I may think it is a topic that doesn't necessarily belong in fiction, I could give the author a standing ovation for writing it this way and for finding the courage to make one of her lead character a refugee. It was brilliant to see that the islanders - of course, after initial reservations - accepted him with open arms and what they did later when he brought someone to the island was absolutely gorgeous. His story was such an eye - opener, too, and I fell for him immediately, and I could cry when reading about his past. It was great to be back with Fintan, who can finally be himself and I loved his relationship with Colton, how much in love they were with each other, how they were around each other. There was of course a secret involved and even though I might have started to suspect something, the reveal has totally took me by surprise, took my breath away and made my cry because it was written in such a beautiful, sweet, gentle way, and you could feel through the pages the love and desperation there. Joel... I really don't know how it is possible to write such raw emotions, I think Jenny Colgan has just got into his head.The author didn't forget about our girls, of course. Flora and Lorna's feelings and emotions are true to life. It was brilliant to see what's happening in their lives after we have left them behind, closing "The Summer Seaside Kitchen". I must admit, I have expected that Flora's life and her relationship with Joel would be plain sailing but it turned out it is far from this. They had their ups and downs and there were some moments that I got a headache as it seemed they just can't communicate with each other in a normal way. I so wanted to bang their heads together because I so wanted this relationship to work and it just seemed that they rub each other up the wrong way, they're getting hot and cold with each other all the time. This relationship was so genuine and so raw, they both felt so vulnerable in it because they loved so much but didn't know how to show this, and it made me feel so, so desperate! Flora has such a big heart, and not only when it comes to be generous when running her own business, no, she's just a wonderful, good natured person. There is so much passion in her in all aspects of her life, she doesn't do things halfway through and I just kept everything crossed for her and for Joel. He was distant and sometimes I wanted to shake him but I also knew that there is a reason to his behaviour, and even though we don't know till almost the end what it is, there was something in Joel that made you fell for him immediately and to understand him without knowing more.But one of the best characters must be AGOT, and when you read the book you'll know why I write her in capitals.The way the story went and the many subplots took me by surprise, I must admit, I think I have expected something different. Not sure what but whatever it was, this story just tug at my heart strings, it was full of emotions and feelings. There was this magic that you always look for in the book that you read, there were brilliant storylines and characters that you could die for, as they so got under your skin. This writing was just one and only. It was beautiful, it enveloped you and you just didn't want to put this book down.The setting in this story couldn't be more perfect! I fell in love with the wild island of Mure when reading the first book, and this story only reinforced me in this feeling. I think I would feel completely contended there. There was a brilliant community feeling that was especially visible at one of the weddings when the author so beautifully put it into words that it is the most important thing for the islanders and even though they're not officially invited, they are invited, they can come and feel at home, and it was brilliant. The author lets us know the ins and outs of the little school run by Lorna, the island living and its villagers, when they know your comes and goes better than you yourself but they only mean well. "The Endless Beach" was a real escapism and it is really so hard to put into words how great this book was. There was everything I was looking for from Jenny Colgan and even more. It was full of laugh out loud moments, as well as many poignant ones, it was full of heart and understanding and with incredible depth. It made me hold my breath and then start to hope again. There was the lovely mention of the mystery of myth, that I simply adored, there was this close knit community, it brought to us some new and fresh perspectives of characters that usually are not introduced in such stories. I really didn't want this book to come to an end and if you haven't read this enchanting story yet, drop everything and treat yourself - but be warned that you're going to disappear for a few hours, as it's just unputdownable. Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.