I enjoyed the first book in Jenny Colgan's series about dedicated bread baker Polly Waterford in Mount Polbeane, Cornwall. And I absolutely recommend treating yourself to a read of that one first before going further into the Little Beach Street Bakery series. But if this book about CHRISTMAS AT LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY just arrived in your Christmas stack of books, grab it and start reading. Remember, baking wholesome food is one of the best ways to keep warm.

Kerensa, Polly's best pal, is in the family way, and as December begins she's guiltily hiding a secret. Polly is considering having a baby with her American fiancé Huckle, because her mortgage, she owns a lighthouse, and his beekeeping sales figures don't add up to a big wedding. The previous year, Polly went to her mother's for Christmas but this year she'll be on the almost-island, cut off at high tides. And since she'll be available, can she manage to fit in a stall at a charity Christmas fair -- or is that stretching goodwill too far? Her little pet puffin Neil is cosily in front of the stove, unlike all other puffins, as the blustery wind, salt spray and frozen hands remind all people outdoors that they'd rather be indoors, even the tough old fishermen.

Reuben, Kerensa's cheerful, insanely self-made-wealthy husband, is a self-centered foil for all the Cornish earthy goodness. I laughed when the couple show Polly their elaborate, gadget-filled kitchen, devoid of cooking; the chef cooks in another kitchen downstairs. To Reuben, the answer for any problem is throwing money at it, and throwing parties. But he tries to take good care of his lovely wife, and is enjoying the prospect of being a father; making Kerensa feel all the worse for keeping secrets. Polly stoically supports her friend. After all, there is nothing else she can do.

As Polly investigates her own missing father, she also has the burden of her friend's guilt. I feel that it was not fair of Kerensa to inflict this stress on her friend. Parenthood is the central theme of this tightly-woven tale, even to Polly's surrogate parenting of the little puffin. By extension, she feels a responsibility to the puffin sanctuary down the coast. I was baffled by the local do- gooders expecting the shopkeepers to donate a day's worth of their best handmade Christmas goods sales to a charity. This just doesn't happen, nobody could lose that trade. Much more likely that the shops would be asked to pay to have a stall in the fair. Spot a few seasonal recipes at the end, and enjoy reading with hot chocolate. CHRISTMAS AT LITTLE BEACH STREET BAKERY wraps up the series nicely.