A heartwarming story about three women who found solace in baking with Cleo. Through love, loss, and life's challenges, they bonded and uplifted each other. The book is a delightful romantic comedy that's perfect for a light-hearted and cheerful read. Cleo's life hasn't been easy, but it's been meaningful. She inherited her waterfront cottage and bakery from her mother. Although she was once married, her ex-husband ran off with a neighbor's wife two years ago. Then enters Ethan Crisp, a former TV heartthrob, on his sailboat named Vagabond. There's an instant spark between Cleo and Ethan, which grows even stronger when he invites her for coffee at her bakery. These two middle-aged individuals have been through their fair share of hardships, but they're still searching for the good in life. They deserve to spend their futures together, not alone.

Thank you Netgalley and Publisher for the eARC.

A truly stunning book from Sara Jane; although she is a new author to me. It is beautifully written with lovely descriptions.

I would firstly just like to say a big thank you to NetGalley who very kindly forwarded me an arc copy of this book, for my kindle, in return for my honest review.

The Bakery At Clamshell Bay is book number one from the Clamshell Bay series and I really do hope that there are many more in the series to come as I thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I really loved the sound of Clamshell Bay and it was the most perfect setting for this story to unfold…

It was a wonderful and sweet romance and so heartwarming too and there was definitely a great sense of community, which I loved.

Cleo and Ethan were two wonderful characters and I really enjoyed getting to know them both………

As a quick summer evening read it’s great! It did make me want to eat lots of bread though 😂

A nice easy read and I am looking forward to the next one

Clamshell Bay series is going to be a favorite one for me to read. The author is new for me also.
Cleo Duvall operates the Clamshell Bay Bakery and Café. Her baking skills are some of the most awesome around. The coffee shop is the go-to place for the community to meet and eat her goodies and share the gossip of what is happening.
The connection between Cleo and her friends is so real and makes for an excellent read.
This is a series that I will highly recommend.
Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Jane Bailey and Storm Publishing for the copy of The Bakery at Clamshell Bay. This is my personal review.

This is the second book in the brand new Clamshell Bay series and you absoutely have to read the first book first. You'll be lost as the characters continue over.

Loving this new series by Sara Jane. Can't wait for the rest

A feel-good romantic comedy for a fun light and cheerful read. Would recommend this series

Thank you to Sara Jane Bailey, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the arc of this book.

What a great story! I adored The Bakery at Clamshell Bay. I found myself immediately drawn into the dual perspective of Cleo and Ethan. Two people in need of a fresh start, coming from bad relationships and difficult situations. Cleo and Ethan are very different in many ways but they share common characteristics of realness, honesty and kindness. Their attraction to each other is undeniable but carries deeper connections than just physical elements. They each like to make items with their hands. Ethan has carpenter skills and enjoys building and repairing. Cleo dreams up recipes and makes breads, cookies, cakes, cinnamon buns and so on. She gets pleasure from creating foods, he from constructing building items. Cleo finds Ethan dependable, caring and courteous. He never pushes himself on her but guides with a gentle hand. He respects Cleo for her strength, independence and focus.

Ethan Crisp was once a star of a popular television series. But that was twenty five years ago. When the show ended, he moved on. Never accepting any further acting roles offered. Instead, he took his sailboat and travelled wherever the winds would take him (including places where he might not be recognised). This time, issues with his boat lead him into Clamshell Bay. But what is meant to be a quick stop for parts and repairs, ends up lasting longer when he becomes friends with the baker and other townspeople. Although being a small place where nothing goes unnoticed, Ethan finds the community spirit quite endearing and hard to leave.

And then there is the pet event on the first day. Ethan has a soft spot for rescuing the disadvantaged. A kitten captures his heart at the local pet shop. A litter of strays are taken to the pet store. The owner must find homes for the kittens who have lost their mother. They all are adopted except one. A female with one ear. Ethan feels sorry for the little one and rescues her once discovering she will be sent to a shelter and likely terminated. But his intention is to find the kitten a new home. He tries to avoid naming her to prevent an attachment but for interesting reasons (you will read) he decides to call her Delilah. No matter how many times he tries to deny his love for this less-than-perfect creature, he cannot. And his attempts to find a new home for the kitten fail at every turn. He even offers her to Cleo but receives a firm no.

Cleo Duvall has a successful business. One that is the heartbeat of the town. She has gained the respect and care of her neighbours. She has created a solid life on her own terms, running the bakery and teaching cooking classes. She is not a keen traveller and never stays away for more than three weeks without returning to her favourite spot in the world. She is content, something her new friend, Ethan, has never been. For as an ex-actor with a lot of money, he drifts from town to town on his sailboat. He may enjoy the travelling but it is his restlessness or lack of fulfilment that keeps him moving. Until now. Meeting Cleo brings some fresh perspective and raises new emotions in him.

Ethan’s desire to protect and aid the less fortunate makes him a desirable partner for Cleo. But she has been tricked by her past ex-husband and her mistakes return to haunt her when the culprit reappears after disappearing two years earlier. Ethan tries to help uncover the man’s past to give her the ammunition she needs to cut all ties. What he (through another friend) discovers is shocking and may be the very thing to save Cleo’s home and business.

This is a heart-warming story about finding your place in the world. It is also about trying to hold on to what you love when something or someone comes along to threaten that security. For Chloe, Clamshell Bay is a place of roots and community connection. Although she has been the one to always help others and give advice, now she must learn to receive the same. When she does, she begins to feel peace in the midst of chaos. Aided by Ethan, his boat and even a kitten, she learns to breathe again. ‘A kiss full of promise and acceptance’ is just what she needs and receives.

I loved everything about this story! Justice is served and this first instalment of the series delivers a lovely conclusion. I am delighted there will be more Clamshell Bay books! Sara Jane Bailey is a new author to me but I am dying to read more of her work now. The Bakery at Clamshell Bay is a winner. Great writing, wonderful characters, intriguing plot and a satisfying climax. What more could you want! 5 Delicious Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Storm Publishing and Netgalley for my review copy.

As fresh and warm as delicious home baked bread! A great read from a brand new-to-me author. I loved the relationships and friendships and the beautiful community feel. A fab setting for a series! I love a heroine that is strong and brave and I love a hero whose heroics are down to his care and support and not his fists.
Can't wait to read the next one in the series!
Thanks to Netgalley and the author and publisher for a temporary copy in exchange for an honest review

Friendships, a great setting, this was a perfect book to read this summer. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Bailey is a great storyteller! Five stars!

Not my ordinary genre for reading, but I still enjoyed this romance. Good setting (although I'd like to learn more about it) with interesting characters. I'd read more from the series.

I received a complimentary copy of the novel from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this story. Cleo owned a bakery , the baking descriptions made your mouth water. The setting is a small town in America. Three woman come to do a baking course and they all bond. You have a neat love element . An x famous tv star falls for Cleo. You have a cute cat and when Cleo runs in to trouble her new friends are ace. A gentle feel good read. There is a second book The cottage at Clamshell bay. Also a good read

I thoroughly enjoyed this perfect summer read especially the descriptions of the baked products sold in the bakery. I really wanted to buy some of those Cinnamon buns as they made my mouth water. The story is easy and sweet and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆
Cleo lives in a small coastal Pacific Northwest town, where she runs the bakery started by her grandmother and passed down by her late mother. She’s content with her life and living in the little cottage on the sea outside of town. But when a handsome stranger walks into the bakery and takes a liking to her, she’s not sure whether she is able to trust a wandering guy again.

𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀
This is my first read of this new to me author and I really enjoyed the small town love story that didn’t just bring a new relationship but also new friends in the form of the three ladies joining Cleo’s baking class. The town is almost an entire character in itself, as is the charming former tv actor who arrives on his sailboat and adopts a kitten and a new love while he is about it. It’s a charming read, although I think one less reference to the MMC being pretty decent looking for his age 🙈 and the FMC being tall and lean would have been fine too 😉

Despite our generation being more connected than ever, we seem to be lonelier and more anxious. Nobody knows that better than the protagonist, Cleo Duvall. She’s a 52-year-old woman who single-handedly runs a cottage on 5 acres, a busy bakery, and evening baking classes. Her days are full, and she’s surrounded by great friends and a wonderful community, but at the end of the day, she’s got nobody to share her day with. A couple of years ago, her husband ran off with one of the married women in town and nobody has seen them since.

When charismatic Ethan Crisp sails into Clamshell Bay on Vagabond, his yacht and home, Cleo’s life is turned upside down. Not only is there instant chemistry, but he proves himself a great friend and protector. The more I read about this man, the more I wanted him in my corner, too. I loved watching him quietly address Cleo’s trust issues and gently support her without pressing for commitment. When Cleo finds herself at rock bottom, the town pulls together and helps one of its own.

In addition to a wonderful, sweet romance, I loved the sense of community in Clamshell Bay. In a world where nobody seems to make eye contact anymore, it’s heartwarming to read of a town in the Pacific Northwest where everyone knows your name and watches out for each other. It was lovely to read about three women who learned to bake with Cleo while they were helping each other through love, loss and life’s challenges.

I love a book that drives me to Google something I don’t understand. I certainly wasn’t expecting to do that with this genre, so it was a pleasant surprise. I was shocked to learn that Washington State is a community property state!

I binge-read this one last night and can’t wait to start book two!

I was gifted this copy by Storm Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

Very nice cozy read. Enjoyed the storyline in this book. Liked all the people on the book. Going to read the next book now. Thank you netgalley and Storm publishing for this arc.