I really enjoy Jenny Colgan's books and was excited to see this one pop up. It's interesting to see that she is republishing an older work with her name rather than the pen name. The biggest downfall of this book is poor Simone and the sheer amount of commentary about her weight. I found that aspect terribly disheartening.

While I still liked this Colgan book, I wasn't in love. Some of her earlier writing is a lot more engrossing and well-plotted. I found this one lacking a bit. Still, some of our patrons love Colgan, so we will definitely be purchasing for the collection.

This was an unexpectedly sweet and fun story! Set on the coast of Cornwall, we follow a school year at a girls boarding school, through the eyes of teachers and students alike.

There are so many personalities in this story and by the end you’re rooting for everyone. This was the perfect escape read!

One of the few adult genre books I have read that has multiple POVs between different aged protagonists. Welcome to the School by the Sea is an adult novel about boarding school and we get multiple third person POVs from teachers and from students as well.
If you are someone who enjoyed Harry Potter but loves contemporary novels and wants something a little more grown up, this is a book you would enjoy. We get to connect with characters both adult and young and it feels so realistic, and I can place myself into the lives of each character.
Jenny Colgan is a masterful writer and author with exceptional books, and this is one of them.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. *

Who doesn't love a good school story? Put everyone in the confined setting of a school near the sea and there's a chance for romance, friendship, comeuppances for the deserving, and growth for the striving. So glad that this series (originally published under a pseudonym) has been picked up for US publication.

I think this new series will be hit for Jenny Colgan. It is set in a girls' boarding school in Cornwall with beautiful old buildings and a view of the sea. The series begins by introducing the head of the school, a stern but kind headmistress with secrets, and the new teacher, Maggie from Scotland, who has never been away from home and is uneasy about leaving her family and long time boyfriend. The story centers around a group of girls. One has a scholarship and is thrilled to be there but finds it hard to fit in. Another will do anything to get sent home. The third is a rabble rouser who is a master at causing trouble. There is a teacher at the nearby boys' school who becomes a love interest for Maggie. It was a great story, entertaining and highly readable. I was left wanting more which is a great way for a new series to begin. I'm looking forward to the next installment!

If you are a fan of Jenny Colgan, you will love Welcome to the School by the Sea! If you liked 500 Miles From You, I think you will adore Welcome to the School by the Sea. This is the first of a six book series about the happenings at the all-girls' boarding school, Downey House, on the Cornish coast. Maggie comes from Scotland to teach English and literature, leaving behind her boyfriend, Stan. Not only is she responsible for teaching but also overseeing the welfare and behavior of an assigned group of girls. There are ups and downs. There are shy girls and mean girls, young girls and fourth year girls, pressures and fun, some bad decisions and a Christmas program for the parents. A LOT happens, but it all comes together as we've come to expect from Jenny Colgan. What an enjoyable read! I'm looking forward to the following five in the series. :)

Thank you William Morrow and Jenny Colgan for the ARC of this charming book which will be published 5/24/2022. I recomment it!

Jenny Colgan never disappoints, and this new series is no exception. In a foreword, she tells us how much she's always loved boarding school stories (a lot of readers share that love, for sure) and wanted to create one of her own. This is the first book in a planned series of four. I'm looking forward to continuing.

A new series by the popular author Jenny Colgan which takes place at a boarding school in Cornwall.

Maggie has been teaching in a inner city school in Glasgow when she has the opportunity to interview for a position with a prestigious girls boarding school. Upon accepting the position, she must leave her family and boyfriend behind and learn to navigate a different school environment and the people and students she meets.

There are several student characters as well as teachers who round out this story. It is book one in a trilogy so not all questions are resolved . It is an enjoyable read but not as engrossing as some of her other work.

I'm glad that Colgan is refreshing and expanding the series.
While School by the Sea won't be my favorite series of hers, I enjoyed the book very much. I like the shifting POVs and plot setups for the next 5 books. A boarding school series might not work for everyone but to me, it's exotic.

I have grown to love Jenny Colgan's books and her latest novel, Welcome to the School by the Sea is another wonderful addition to her works. It introduces a great new cast of characters to include Miss Adair the young teacher and her class of students as well as her boyfriend/fiancee, and others in the school. The story moves quickly and keeps the reader engaged with laughs and tears along the way. I was so excited to hear that this book is the first in a 4-part series. Fans of Jenny Colgan are going to LOVE this one!

In the introduction of this book Jenny Colgan remarked how she wanted to read a book set in a boarding school & I am right there with her. Loved this book and all of the characters! So great to get the boarding school perspective from staff and students. Can't wait for the next in this series.

I am such a fan of Jenny Colgan. This is a reprint of a series she wrote under a pen name. It is just as delightful as her other books. A little less romance-y, to be sure, but the characters are sweet and they resonate with the reader well. I can't wait to read the next installment.

I was excited to see a new Jenny Colgan book but a bit disappointed that it was an older title. Her style and skill has definitely improved. Still fun characters and setting but it just didn't do it for me.

Jenny Colgan is a consistent delight. A recommended purchase for collections where romance and lighter WF is popular.

Umm, as much as I've enjoyed other books by this author, this newest book didn't do anything do for me except make me plead for it to end quickly. Of course, I'm near retirement age so all this girls boarding school drama was grating on my nerves, even more than it did forty five years ago. For the right audience, it should be a fine read, just not something that is suited to my tastes.

This is an engaging and entertaining story of life in an English boarding school with just as many adult characters and dilemmas as there are of students who attend the school. Maggie Adair is a young teacher who against all odds lands a job at a prestigious all-girls boarding school that overlooks the sea in Cornwall, England, far different in many ways from her rural Scottish public school that caters to low income families. She is torn between loyalty for her family and boyfriend back home and the adventure and experience her new job brings, not to mention the feelings she develops for her male counterpart at the adjacent boys' boarding school in Cornwall.

There are students we get to know like shy but brilliant Simeone who comes to the school on scholarship but is outcast immediately because of her overeating problem. There's reluctant and rebellious Fliss who just wants to stay in school back home with her old friends and their familiarity, not to mention a boy she's got a major crush on. We see the perspective of life at a boarding school from the headteacher's point of view, who has administrative struggles and secrets of her own that if found out could cost her her job.

The characters were so well developed and the storylines woven so seamlessly it was a pleasure to read this book. Full of life's struggles, we delve into friendships, families, self-exploration and self-discovery, personal challenges and love. Delightful.

This was a fun little book with a sweet story line and characters. A great weekend read and I look forward to more in the series.

As the world continues to spiral out of control, it’s always nice to retreat to the safe and serene worlds that Jenny Colgan creates. In this first book in a new series, readers are introduced to the staff and students of Downey House, a boarding school in Cornwall. With plots involving both the adults and the students, this story is sure to charm and delight readers