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Hot Cross Buns at the Little Cornish Bookshop: The perfect life-affirming, joyful small town romance for spring
A GIRL FINDING HER PLACE IN THE WORLD. A BOOKSHOP BY THE SEA. AND A ROMANCE THAT WILL SWEEP HER OFF HER FEET.
Will she discover a life and love as magical as those in the stories she reads?
Effie has always loved her quiet life in Cornwall - sea swims, beach walks, reading, and knitting. After university in London, she returned home, craving the calm of the coast. But while her friends move forward, Effie feels stuck.
So when she's offered the chance to open a bookshop in the seaside village of Polcarrow - with a flat above the shop - Effie leaps at the opportunity. A bookshop by the sea? It's the dream.
Adjusting to life on her own is tough at first, but she soon finds friendship in Lola, the local café owner, and her warm circle of friends. Then there's Jake - a globe-trotting photographer - who stirs something in Effie that she didn't expect.
As Easter approaches and the shop's grand opening nears, Effie's new life begins to bloom. But a difficult owner and a misunderstanding with Jake threaten to upend everything. Can Effie find the courage to fight for the life - and love - she's always wanted?
Praise for Jennifer Bibby
'The perfect festive romance' HEIDI SWAIN
'Charming and romantic, sweet and sunny. I loved it' MILLY JOHNSON
'A warm and charm-filled story about community, passion and following your heart . . . A holiday romance in book form - I adored it!' HOLLY MILLER
'A sun-drenched summer in picture-perfect Polcarrow - I didn't want it to end' HOLLY HEPBURN
Will she discover a life and love as magical as those in the stories she reads?
Effie has always loved her quiet life in Cornwall - sea swims, beach walks, reading, and knitting. After university in London, she returned home, craving the calm of the coast. But while her friends move forward, Effie feels stuck.
So when she's offered the chance to open a bookshop in the seaside village of Polcarrow - with a flat above the shop - Effie leaps at the opportunity. A bookshop by the sea? It's the dream.
Adjusting to life on her own is tough at first, but she soon finds friendship in Lola, the local café owner, and her warm circle of friends. Then there's Jake - a globe-trotting photographer - who stirs something in Effie that she didn't expect.
As Easter approaches and the shop's grand opening nears, Effie's new life begins to bloom. But a difficult owner and a misunderstanding with Jake threaten to upend everything. Can Effie find the courage to fight for the life - and love - she's always wanted?
Praise for Jennifer Bibby
'The perfect festive romance' HEIDI SWAIN
'Charming and romantic, sweet and sunny. I loved it' MILLY JOHNSON
'A warm and charm-filled story about community, passion and following your heart . . . A holiday romance in book form - I adored it!' HOLLY MILLER
'A sun-drenched summer in picture-perfect Polcarrow - I didn't want it to end' HOLLY HEPBURN
297 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 26, 2026
2 people are currently reading
12 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Bibby
7 books22 followersAs a lifelong lover of stories, Jennifer Bibby spent her teenage years wowing various teachers with her historical epics before finding her feet exploring the everyday lives of modern women through literature. In addition to being a bibliophile she loves classy cocktails, cake and medieval history. She's happiest by the sea and loves to travel, and firmly believes that dinosaurs improve everything. The Cornish Hideaway is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 20, 2026
This is my first Jennifer Bibby book, and it won’t be my last! I really enjoyed her writing style- it was so easy to read, flowed well and her storytelling was excellent.
Effie is a slightly anxious introvert who adores books and her job in her local book shop. But when the owner tasks her with opening up a new location 30 minutes down the coast, she has her doubts as to whether she’s up to the task. After giving it some thought she decides to have a go, and it really is the making of her. It’s hard not to feel proud of her as you read!
This story made me desperate to go to Cornwall- and get a cream tea at Lola’s cafe- as the village is very much a character in itself. The other residents and business owners become fast friends of Effie’s and the found family vibe is strong.
Effie meets Jake who is temporarily back home and they don’t get off to the best start but soon develop a friendship as Jake helps Effie with renovating the shop. I did enjoy their friendship, and their clear crushes on each other, but I started to dislike Jake as the book went on- he still has a lot of baggage with his ex and it never felt, even right at the end, that he was 100% committed to Effie. I’m sure we’ll see a bit more of them in the next book and hopefully he’ll convince me otherwise!
Overall a lovely, inspiring spring time read (it’s set around March/ Easter time)
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
Effie is a slightly anxious introvert who adores books and her job in her local book shop. But when the owner tasks her with opening up a new location 30 minutes down the coast, she has her doubts as to whether she’s up to the task. After giving it some thought she decides to have a go, and it really is the making of her. It’s hard not to feel proud of her as you read!
This story made me desperate to go to Cornwall- and get a cream tea at Lola’s cafe- as the village is very much a character in itself. The other residents and business owners become fast friends of Effie’s and the found family vibe is strong.
Effie meets Jake who is temporarily back home and they don’t get off to the best start but soon develop a friendship as Jake helps Effie with renovating the shop. I did enjoy their friendship, and their clear crushes on each other, but I started to dislike Jake as the book went on- he still has a lot of baggage with his ex and it never felt, even right at the end, that he was 100% committed to Effie. I’m sure we’ll see a bit more of them in the next book and hopefully he’ll convince me otherwise!
Overall a lovely, inspiring spring time read (it’s set around March/ Easter time)
Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC.
March 29, 2026
Another lovely story set in Polcarrow. Jennifer Bibby really has a knack for writing characters you want to befriend (and the occassional horrible person, but luckily their presence is always short), and businesses you want to visit and spend time in.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you Bonnier Books UK and NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
4.5/5
I can’t believe I read this in just one evening. Effie’s character captured me from the very first page and I got extremely attached to her as the story unravelled. While previously a bookshop assistant, Effie gets promoted to the position of manager, placed in charge of opening a new branch in the quaint village of Polcarrow. Her boss is quite on the inactive side regarding his bookstores, so he passes on all his responsibilities to Effie. He is the worst type of boss, the one who has good intentions but is severely dormant and not prone to confrontations. Still, Effie perseveres.
Moving her entire life to Polcarrow, Effie’s introversion and anxiety surfaces, and it is handled by the author with extreme delicacy and realism. However, our heroine handles everything well, finding herself in a welcoming community quite eager to have a cosy bookshop open. Here steps in our leading viking, Jake, helping Effie throughout all her struggles and being an anchor for her when all she has around is change. Likewise, this is perfectly mirrored in Effie’s role in Jake’s life, her being the lighthouse of his tormented seas, guiding him home, guiding him to his own development and change.
I must admit, Effie is so dear to me that I felt Jake’s red flags personally hurtful. Nonetheless, they are quite realistic, and he has been rather open to her about his situation. Despite the slight disconnect, I enjoyed the healthy communication and the openness. Sometimes, the truth hurts, but it is better to be made aware of it rather than be lied to. He is a great character on his own, his complexity being revealed quite well even if he doesn’t have a direct point of view.
The appearances of Lola and Freya were absolutely great! I deeply enjoyed them.
The prose is very good, simple where needed, but both raw and delicate when the situation requires. The descriptions made me miss the lovely sea and want to visit the area myself. I would say Jennifer Bibby’s writing style and the manner in which she structures her novels, along with the themes she takes on, are right in the middle between the already established styles of Lucy Score and Emily Henry. Bibby has Score’s keenness of cosiness and surprising, romantic gestures and twists, and Henry’s leaning towards the genre of novels of manners, along with the tendency of having more raw, realistic male leads and takes on relationships. I can’t wait to see how Jennifer Bibby further establishes herself as a writer.
(As a note, I totally envisioned Effie as Hannah Dodd and Jake as Henry Ashton; I just couldn’t help myself.)
Eager for the next two books, which I saw already have release dates!
4.5/5
I can’t believe I read this in just one evening. Effie’s character captured me from the very first page and I got extremely attached to her as the story unravelled. While previously a bookshop assistant, Effie gets promoted to the position of manager, placed in charge of opening a new branch in the quaint village of Polcarrow. Her boss is quite on the inactive side regarding his bookstores, so he passes on all his responsibilities to Effie. He is the worst type of boss, the one who has good intentions but is severely dormant and not prone to confrontations. Still, Effie perseveres.
Moving her entire life to Polcarrow, Effie’s introversion and anxiety surfaces, and it is handled by the author with extreme delicacy and realism. However, our heroine handles everything well, finding herself in a welcoming community quite eager to have a cosy bookshop open. Here steps in our leading viking, Jake, helping Effie throughout all her struggles and being an anchor for her when all she has around is change. Likewise, this is perfectly mirrored in Effie’s role in Jake’s life, her being the lighthouse of his tormented seas, guiding him home, guiding him to his own development and change.
I must admit, Effie is so dear to me that I felt Jake’s red flags personally hurtful. Nonetheless, they are quite realistic, and he has been rather open to her about his situation. Despite the slight disconnect, I enjoyed the healthy communication and the openness. Sometimes, the truth hurts, but it is better to be made aware of it rather than be lied to. He is a great character on his own, his complexity being revealed quite well even if he doesn’t have a direct point of view.
The appearances of Lola and Freya were absolutely great! I deeply enjoyed them.
The prose is very good, simple where needed, but both raw and delicate when the situation requires. The descriptions made me miss the lovely sea and want to visit the area myself. I would say Jennifer Bibby’s writing style and the manner in which she structures her novels, along with the themes she takes on, are right in the middle between the already established styles of Lucy Score and Emily Henry. Bibby has Score’s keenness of cosiness and surprising, romantic gestures and twists, and Henry’s leaning towards the genre of novels of manners, along with the tendency of having more raw, realistic male leads and takes on relationships. I can’t wait to see how Jennifer Bibby further establishes herself as a writer.
(As a note, I totally envisioned Effie as Hannah Dodd and Jake as Henry Ashton; I just couldn’t help myself.)
Eager for the next two books, which I saw already have release dates!
February 28, 2026
A really lovely book to read especially on weekends or just before bed, apart from towards the end it’s pretty cozy and relaxing.
Set in Cornwall our protagonist, Effie, works in a book store. I’m avoiding spoilers so keeping it vague. There is romance, no sex, friendship and some peril. I loved the development of the community and the sense of the village a real joy, really another character.
At times Effie was irritatingly passive, I could see why there had been an absence of romance in her life. There is definitely character development for her but again no spoilers. The romantic relationship was a joy, at times, and also he was just so whiney and annoying. The mention of his hair drove me to distraction and not in a good way. Would I read it again? No. Did I enjoy it and did I think about the characters during and after the reading yes. I would definitely recommend if you are interested in a gentle romantic book set in a village and book store. I’d definitely look for this author again because so many books are just not suitable, for me, just before I go to sleep.
It’s not sprinkles it’s hundreds and thousands that’s my main criticism and really should deduct a ⭐️for just that. I wonder if the author, who I think is British, did it so it wouldn’t be confusing for Americans.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced copy for free, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion.
Also as an add on, I’ve just looked for more books from the same author and realised this is part of a series, I think this shows that this book stands alone if you want to start here! I am currently buying the other ones!
Set in Cornwall our protagonist, Effie, works in a book store. I’m avoiding spoilers so keeping it vague. There is romance, no sex, friendship and some peril. I loved the development of the community and the sense of the village a real joy, really another character.
At times Effie was irritatingly passive, I could see why there had been an absence of romance in her life. There is definitely character development for her but again no spoilers. The romantic relationship was a joy, at times, and also he was just so whiney and annoying. The mention of his hair drove me to distraction and not in a good way. Would I read it again? No. Did I enjoy it and did I think about the characters during and after the reading yes. I would definitely recommend if you are interested in a gentle romantic book set in a village and book store. I’d definitely look for this author again because so many books are just not suitable, for me, just before I go to sleep.
It’s not sprinkles it’s hundreds and thousands that’s my main criticism and really should deduct a ⭐️for just that. I wonder if the author, who I think is British, did it so it wouldn’t be confusing for Americans.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this advanced copy for free, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion.
Also as an add on, I’ve just looked for more books from the same author and realised this is part of a series, I think this shows that this book stands alone if you want to start here! I am currently buying the other ones!
March 12, 2026
Ooof, you know when a book completely envelops you, hits you in the feels and immediately lands? That was this one.
The cosy vibes were strong, I’m now fostering an intense need to go down to Cornwall, open up my own bookshop and be welcomed by a gorgeous community of lovely homely people.
Following Effie as she developed a solo book shop in Polcarrow was so heartwarming and I honestly loved it for her. To read her going from strength to strength and building her confidences made for such a nice read and I just wanted to see her succeed more than anything! I was so invested and honestly, I’m looking forward to rejoining the characters again in the future and reading more in this lovely series, as well as other books from this author. It was such a pleasurable read!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
The cosy vibes were strong, I’m now fostering an intense need to go down to Cornwall, open up my own bookshop and be welcomed by a gorgeous community of lovely homely people.
Following Effie as she developed a solo book shop in Polcarrow was so heartwarming and I honestly loved it for her. To read her going from strength to strength and building her confidences made for such a nice read and I just wanted to see her succeed more than anything! I was so invested and honestly, I’m looking forward to rejoining the characters again in the future and reading more in this lovely series, as well as other books from this author. It was such a pleasurable read!
Thank you to the author and publisher for this book on NetGalley in return for my honest thoughts and review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Hot Cross Buns at the Little Cornish Bookshop is a warm, comforting read that feels like a cosy escape to the Cornish coast. The story follows Effie as she takes the chance to open a bookshop in a seaside village and begins building a new life for herself. Along the way she finds friendship, community and the possibility of love. The setting is beautifully described and gives the novel a charming, uplifting atmosphere that makes it perfect for a spring or Easter read.
April 1, 2026
I loved this book from start to finish.
I really related to Effie and her insecurities and enjoyed seeing all the characters in Polcarrow return.
I really related to Effie and her insecurities and enjoyed seeing all the characters in Polcarrow return.
April 4, 2026
Enjoyed the book but not the editing
I enjoyed reading this book, I’d say it was a page-turner, but I found a lot of mistakes in it which spoiled it. It needs to be better edited.
I enjoyed reading this book, I’d say it was a page-turner, but I found a lot of mistakes in it which spoiled it. It needs to be better edited.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews