Thank you to Netgally, the publishers, and Jenny Colgan

When I requested this book I was unaware that it was apart of a series, one that requires you to read the previous books for this one to make sense. I am unable to read all the previous books along with this one before the publish date. Therefore, I will rate this a fair 3/5 stars and will adjust the rating and review when I am able to read all the books in the series along with this one.

I listened and read to this 3rd installment of Maggie Adair. Jenny Colgan's books seem to be a hit or miss for me. This series isn't my favorite but I always like to see what the characters are up to.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 7 March 2023

May be my least favorite of the series but still a good yarn. I love her settings most of all. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher!

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. This was book three in the series School by the Sea. I felt like this book was not a great as the others in the series, and dragged in many parts, and David and Claire drive me nuts. Honestly, their relationship or lack of relationship and missed opportunities is starting to annoy me.

Lessons at the School by the Sea

by Jenny Colgan

Although there were two boys’ boarding schools in my home town in the the U.S., boarding school seems more important in British history and culture than it is in the United States. Jenny Colgan originally wrote this series about a pair of neighboring boys’ and girls’ boarding schools in Great Britain under a pen name at her publisher’s suggestion. They are currently reissuing The School by the Sea Series under the same name as her other popular books.

Having read the first book in the series, I was interested in revisiting the two schools and catching up with the characters. I was disappointed with the pace in Lessons at the School by the Sea. The characters are stymied by their respective roles and are frankly unlikable. There are two storylines. One focuses on the teachers and the other one on a core group of students. The two plot lines in the story overlap.

There is a new character in this addition to the series. Ismé is a scholarship student who keeps her three roommates at arm’s length. Suddenly, one of the roommates questions her own gender and sexual orientation and falls in love with Ismé because of a kiss in a play. The relationship seems contrived and unrealistic.

The only part of the book that truly got my attention is the efforts of David, who has to take a job teaching English literature to high school students at a low income school in a rough part of town. I was interested in his methods to draw the students in. He doesn’t give up even when they resist his attempts to get control so that he can actually teach them. He is somewhat naive but stands by his moral principles and has a positive effect on his students and the whole demoralized school.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 3/5

Category: Fiction, Women’s Fiction, Young Adult

Publication: March 7, 2023—Avon and HARPER

Memorable Lines:

“But everyone here is so rich and knows everything and how to get by…” Maggie stared out the window. “Nah,” she said. “They’re faking it just as much as anybody else. Posh people are just better at pretending.”

She couldn’t bear to think that any Downey girl—any student who had ever been in her care—would be capable of doing such a thing. But she knew this was bias, that people did do horrible things on the internet, every single second of the day.

“…if you behaved like a bad person, whatever your intentions, it was entirely possible that you would become one.”

Special Memorable Quote for Those Who Love All Things Bookish:

On Saturday morning she had driven all the way into Exeter, which had the nearest Paperchase, and spent a very happy hour there—like all book lovers, she had a special affinity with stationery and could happily spend half a day among it—choosing the finest, most beautiful writing paper and pen she could find.

Jenny Colgan is my go to author for good-feelings and a happy story. Her books are always witty combined with heartfelt characters. I lovee Jenny's books.

They're always good for a great escape; something you can 'live in' for the duration.

The girls boarding school has happenings every day so you'll never be bored.

Also a love story with two teachers: one from the girls' school and one from the nearby boys' school.

Lovely.

A Massive Thank You to the Author, the Publisher and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book prior to its release date.

The third book in Jenny Colgan’s Maggie Adair series, I think this was my favorite installment yet until the cliff hanger ending. I didn’t realize there was a 4th book coming in 2024. Gah, now I have to wait to find out what happens!

Let me start by saying I love Jenny Colgan’s books. They are about character development and love and the female experience. However, (clears throat because of uncomfortableness) this book was not it. There was cheating, lack of caring for others and honesty I just couldn’t love the characters. This was a miss for me.

This is book 3 in this series. I read book two and therefore had some idea of what was going on. I honestly think it can be read as a standalone without losing too much though.
There are two boarding schools, one for boys and one for girls. Typically you would think there’s lots going on being the students, but in this story it’s actually more between two teachers. They aren’t allowed to have relationships and David, an English teacher from the boys school Is forced to leave before their relationship had even begun. Maggie, also an English teacher, is allowed to stay at school but cannot have any contact with David.
There’s lots of typical mean girl scenes and rich vs scholarship students. I really enjoyed the story. It does end on an abrupt cliffhanger but I don’t mind because I can’t wait to read more.
Thank you to Netgalley, Jenny Colgan and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is book 3 in the Maggie Adair series and I think I would have liked it better if I had read the previous books. Maggie is supposed to go home and marry the man her parents want for her but she and a teacher at the boys school have been keeping company. Since it’s a boarding school there is a good bit of attention to some of the students. This was an okay read for me, I’ve enjoyed Jenny Colgan books in the past but this one didn’t hold my attention.

I am always delighted to spend time with a book by this author. She writes the kinds of stories that give readers an opportunity to exhale.

This title is part of a series of stories set at a school. This is the third novel. Readers may want to go back and spend time with the others if they have not already read them. However it is possible to read this as a standalone. A list of major characters is included at the beginning of the story.

Boarding school stories are staples for young readers. Colgan tries to give adults that same sense of enjoyment in this series.

Students Fliss, Alice and Simone are back following the summer break. There is a new student character introduced as well. Teacher Maggie also returns and has some complications to her love life.

In addition, there is a boys’ school close by. There is a teacher there who is also important to the plot.

Regular readers of this author’s books will want to give this one a look. New readers may enjoy it as well.

Read the author’s introduction to the novel to learn more about its composition. There is a recap here for those unfamiliar with the series.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper and Harper Voyager for this title. All opinions are my own.

Poor Maggie! Knows what she wants but still doesn't go after it. This book was probably my least favorite of the series as the tension seemed so unnecessary and I felt like I was just waiting for things to come together. Oddly enough, David's storyline was the most interesting and engaging. But the introduction of a new student, Isme, usually indicative of some major teen drama, felt rather flat with her character never felt developed and only used to help Fliss' character progress. That was a missed opportunity. But, while I feel like this was billed as a trilogy, and Ms. Colgan is the queen of trilogies, she says she has a few more adventures in mind for the students and staff at the girls and boys schools in Cornwall. I'll be right here waiting to read them.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins and Jenny Colgan for a digital ARC of this book. This is the third in the delightful School by the Sea Series. Glaswegian Maggie is a teacher at Downey House, a girls’ boarding school in Cornwall. Maggie is in the midst of planning her wedding to Stan but beginning to have misgivings about their future. Not the best time to develop romantic feelings for fellow teacher David! After a scandal, Maggie and David are kept apart. True love prevails however and they find their way back to each other. Jenny Colgan is a warm and empathetic writer who really cares about her characters and their struggles. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to readers who enjoy a light and uplifting story. I definitely recommend starting with the first book in the series as the same characters appear in each book.

I love Jenny Colgan's books and couldn't wait to read this one. I didn't realize it was the third book in what will eventually be a series of 6. I couldn't figure out why I ha until I Jenny explains in the introduction that the first 2 were published under a different name. She recommends Reading these then order but I have to say, I didn't read the first 2 (although I want to now) and I didn't have any problem picking up this story and enjoying it thoroughly. Picture it, two neighboring boarding schools, one for boys, one for girls. Teachers from all walks. Students from all walks. Males and females, mostly separated but occasionally together. And you can only imagine what happens next... Loved the story, the complex characters. The setting.

This series really does need to be read in order. After two books of Maggie sticking with her fiancé, Stan, it was great to see her let him, and her old life go. David's situation was sad, but it was compelling to keep reading to see how his stint in private school would turn out. The year 3 girls, Simone, Fliss, Alice, and the new girl Esme, got up to all sorts of new trouble. They go back and forth between being likeable you girls and unlikable brats. There are a couple of cliffhangers at the end, Dr. Deveral's foreign visitor and Maggie's sisters call that something had happen to Stan, to lead us into the next book in the series.

Lessons at the School by the Sea is the third book in the Maggie Adair series. Jenny Colgan’s books always have an endearing, cozy quality to them, even when they are also problematic and troublesome. There is something about her stories that always draws me back and yet I’ve found her last few offerings to be questionable and unsettling.

Her characters are the main issue I have with this particular series. They can be quite reprehensible in not only their behavior toward others, but also in the way they allow others to treat them. There seems to be a sense of self-flagellation of sorts and a willingness to be treated in a way that seems unhealthy. They demonstrate poor communication, deal with some sensitive topics all-too lightly, and are more and more liberal in their thoughts and actions.

I also don’t appreciate the way the stories in this series have concluded. The last sentence or two always seems to come out of nowhere and leaves the reader on a huge cliff-hanger. That plot device can be done well, but in these stories, since the turn of events is so off-topic, it comes across as an easy way to get the reader to buy the next book.

Jenny’s books are definitely atmospheric, they can be emotionally moving and quaintly cozy. There were aspects of the story that I found entertaining and I know others have really enjoyed this story and series. But all of the drama and the way it was handled, in addition to the poor interpersonal communication between adults, just didn’t work for me.

This sweet story is part of the Maggie Adair series. I recommend reading the other books in this series to fully enjoy this book, which starts immediately following the events of book 2.

After realizing that she doesn't love Stan, but David, Maggie makes a grand gesture at the train station and chooses David. However, the couple is not destined for a happily ever after....at least not yet.

The scandalous act costs David his job and Maggie nearly loses hers as well. She can only retain her position if she refrains from contact with David. Needless to say, her break is not what she was expecting.

At the beginning of the new term, Maggie works with her new students while David has the challenge of unmotivated students at his new school.

There are a lot of difficult topcs addressed in this book and the story ends on a cliffhanger.

Fun romping story of boarding school girls, and their relationships with each other and the boys at the next school over. I was absolutely entertained by the dialogue and narration. And I loved that Colgan threw in some teacher drama too!

I recently started the School by the Sea series as I thoroughly enjoy Jenny Colgan's writing. I was utterly surprised to find out this isn't a new series, but republished under the author's name instead of the alias she originally used. Lessons at the School by the Sea is recently published, and it is the third act in this series.

I enjoyed Maggie, the young teacher and main character of the storyline. Her love interests are intriguing as well. The series starts out with a thorough introduction to Maggie and her students. So thorough in fact, that I felt a bit lost as to where the plot might head. Once the introductions are done and the girls are deposited at boarding school, the story line begins moving forward. It is a charming and sweet story of a young woman from urban Glasgow who moves to Cornwall to teach at a posh, private boarding school. The series covers several years of Maggie's life at the school, and how she deals with the ups and downs of her teenaged charges.

The student's drama was less interesting to me, but it is essential to Maggie's story. Maggie's roommate, Claire, is hilarious as the stereotypical French teacher from France. I enjoyed David, the handsome teacher from the nearby boys' school. He and Maggie are obviously good for each other, but various people and things keep them from exploring a relationship together. This is the main angst, and it fills all three books. The angst is a bit overplayed and stretched out for my taste.

By the end of this third book, there is some closure with a happy-for-now ending that is really a beginning of a new chapter in Maggie's life. The series in enjoyable--even more so in the audiobook version. While it didn't hold the same magic for me that other series from the author have, I would still recommend the series to anyone interested in a sweet romance.

3.5 stars