I'm always a fan of Jenny Colgan, though this series isn't my favorite. I really like the adult characters, but the teenage girls are shallow and irritating (though maybe true to form, just not what I want to read about). And while I like what each of the two main characters, David and Maggie, were doing at their respective schools all year, I much prefer to read about them together than apart. Still, it ended with a bit of a cliffhanger and I"m in for the next in the series.

Fit right in with the rest of the series. It had my attention from the get go. I’m excited to see if there will be a book 4.

Sadly didn't read the first book, so might be the reason why I just couldn't get into this one. Usually really like this author, but struggled a bit to stay involved with this one. Would still recommend, especially if you read book 1.

I'm so grateful Jenny Colgan decided to pick back up with this story. Maggie and David are priceless as a couple, Veronica's storyline is a gem and the escapades of the students...well, it's something. A perfect blend of humor and heart...just a joyous delight of a novel.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Avon/ Harper Voyager for the ARC.

Lessons at the School by the Seas
Jenny Colgan
March 7, 2023
Harper Collins /Avon
Third book in the series.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.

Maggie and David are the central characters, but the stories about others are layered into the tale and are entertaining, and sometimes poignant. Maggie has, in fact, changed since starting her new career at Downey Girls' School. She's enthusiastic about her students, and works her lessons to keep their interest. David is a kind, concerned teacher who desperately misses his former job, but has taken on the challenge of trying to get his present students to appreciate what an education can do for them.
There are six books scheduled for release in this series. I sure hope it doesn't take as long to release number 4 as it did this one. Great ending that makes me want to read more.
4 stars

Cornwall, England - Present Day

Maggie Adair is heading home to Glasgow at the end of the summer term at Downey House girls boarding school in Cornwall. She loves her job as an English teacher, mostly loves her students, and should be heading home to marry her fiance, Stan. But, as she sits on the train as it prepares to leave, her heart isn't into a future with Stan, it's with David McDonald, the English teacher at the Downey boys' school. As if it isn't difficult enough, the girl that David says he's engaged to is also on the train. But everything goes a bit wild when, as the train begins to leave, Maggie sees David leaping over the barrier and racing towards her carriage! And before she can think clearly, Maggie pulls the cord to stop the train.

The results of the frantic behavior by David and Maggie wasn't pleasant. David lost his job at the boys' school, and Maggie only held onto her position when the headmistress, Dr. Deveral, made it clear that Maggie cannot ever call or email David. Afterwards, of course, Maggie had to go home, and that meant telling her family, and Stan, that the wedding is off, and she's very sorry. Everyone there thinks that her job at the posh girls' school changed her, and made her think she's better than anyone at home. So, it's not a great school break by any means.

Upon returning to Cornwall, Maggie sets into working with the girls she's teaching, including a new scholarship girl, Isme, from London who isn't settling in well. The three other girls in Isme's room are as different as she is. Simone is another scholarship student who is determined to succeed despite not fitting in completely. Felicity (Fliss) and Alice are girls from wealthy families, and occasionally Alice can be a bit over the top about that. So Maggie has her work cut out trying to get Isme to fit in, even though it's pretty apparent that Isme isn't that concerned about making friends.

Sadly, David, although well-loved by his former students, has had to take a position at the Phillip Dean Comprehensive Secondary School in a not so delightful part of town. The students are less than thrilled to be there, and go out of their way to make David know that. David, on the other hand, takes this as a challenge. But will that attitude work on these down on their luck kids?

LESSONS AT THE SCHOOL BY THE SEA is the third book in this series. Maggie and David are the central characters, but the stories about others are layered into the tale and are entertaining, and sometimes poignant. Jenny Colgan always brings the people in her novels to life in oh so realistic ways. Maggie has, in fact, changed since starting her new career at Downey Girls' School. She's enthusiastic about her students, and works her lessons to keep their interest. David is a kind, concerned teacher who desperately misses his former job, but has taken on the challenge of trying to get his present students to appreciate what an education can do for them.

Humor, tears, and everyday life abound in Colgan novels, and LESSONS AT THE SCHOOL BY THE SEA won't disappoint.

this is a typical Jenny Colgan book. Sweet and unintimidating, which is what it is set out to do . Never challenges your thoughts or feelings, just a great author to spend some time with.

Third year for the girls at Downey School is filled with old familiar characters and some new ones. A lot of drama in this one, a lot of it with relationships. I absolutely adore Jenny Colgan but this one seems to be a bit more choppy than her usual books. Just didn't flow well for me. I do like that she touched on some contemporary issues and brought another school perspective. Can't wait for the next installment. This makes me long to be young and go to a British boarding school.

Jenny Colgan’s work is endearingly, reliably funny, warm, dramatic, poignant, and absolutely diverting. Here she delivers a terrific school story—teachers and students with their own interior lives. The cast of adolescents and grown-ups feature personalities and behavior that ranges from good, to trying-to-be good, to not-so-great. Not quite a boarding school or a prep school drama, and not a send-up of or paean to the teen years or dedicated teachers, but a charming, generous look at lifelong learning in the realm of romance and friendship.

Another fun Jenny Colgan novel!
Colgan masterfully manages the progression of a large cast of characters and incorporates new ones.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy. I love Jenny Colgan books, and am a fan of the School by the Sea series. This is the third book in that series, and it is perfect for light reading. The characters are relatable and I am invested in their storylines. I like the inclusión of storylines about students, faculty, and administrators, although I missed the head teacher, Dr. Deveral’s story in this book. It was hinted at several times and I assume it will be part of book four. I like the main characters, both faculty - Maggie Adair and David McDonald, and the tension between them due to a forced separation. They both seem to prioritize career over personal relations in this book, which is fine since they are both in their early to mid 20s. The ending was very satisfactory, although it ended on a cliffhanger. Looking forward to book 4 now to see how this series continues to evolve.

Lessons at the School by the Sea was the third in a series. I didn’t read the first 2 but had no trouble picking right up in this book. It was a love story between two teachers with plenty of teenage angst set at a girls boarding school. I thought the setting was the star of this book with varied and engaging cast of characters. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Is the second book in the series by Jenny Colgan, the story continues with teacher Maggie Adair and the students at Downey House. The first book in the series was fun, different, and enjoyable. However, Lessons by the Sea, fell a little short. The story felt rushed and there seemed to be a political agenda by the author. It was very disappointing to read this one because I have always loved Colgan's book. Keep the politics out of the stories and stick to the wonderful writing like before!

Lessons at the School by the Sea
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 3/7/23
Author: Jenny Colgan
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 304
GR: 4.13

I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Avon Books and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.

Synopsis: Beloved high school teacher Maggie Adair had been comfortably, if somewhat ambivalently, engaged to her dependable long-distance boyfriend Stan. But in the heat of summer, Maggie's attraction to her colleague David McDonald has caught fire. Now both are facing an uncertain future as they try to figure out how to stay committed to their careers--and each other. Meanwhile, the girls of Downey House--mercurial Fliss, glamorous Alice, and shy, hard-working Simone--have had long summers at home, which weren't quite the respite they had been hoping for. But the new school year is thankfully here, and it will bring new pupils and lots of fresh challenges for students and teachers alike at the school by the sea.

My Thoughts: This picks up right at the cliffhanger of the last book, being no. 3 is the Maggie Adair series. The total series is scheduled to be six books. It took awhile for this third installment to publish, so hopefully no. 4 will not take as long. While this one does end in a bit of cliffhanger, you come to expect with with books in a series, it gives you something to look forward to. Even though we do have cliffhangers in these books, they can be read as a standalone. I do like how Colgan explored some hot topic issues such as social media bullying, public v. private school education, racism, and gender issues, and Colgan does it in a graceful way. The characters were well developed with depth, flair, authentic, and intriguing. The author’s writing is complex, creative, emotional, and keeps you engaged throughout the story. I do recommend not only preordering this one, but picking up the first two books in the series, Welcome to the School by the Sea and Rules by the School by the Sea.

So pleasant and fun to read. I struggled with the characters at first, maybe that's because I haven't read the previous books in this series, but they definitely grew on me. The setting and the general vibe of the story were lovely. The writing was good, not the best, but I also warmed up to it eventually. I recommend it to those who look for cozy stories, slice-of-life plots with nice settings.

While I had not read the book prior to this one, I found this one easy enough to follow. There are some loose ends that I don't know about, but I think they will be further explored in the next installment, as they didn't play a big role here. The main story is about two teachers and the fallout after their romance, which is against school rules. You also hear from the student point of view, and coworker point of view. I would have liked to have seen more of the romance story, but I think that is perhaps what is in the previous book. Ideas explored in this book include lgbtqia relationships, suicide, student/teacher relationships and student bullying. I would recommend this book to anyone who has read the previous book, and also to anyone who wants to get an idea of how a boarding school works.

I always enjoy a trip back to the island! I can never say no to a Colgan novel and recommend her to everyone looking for a HEA. Will purchase for the library, too.

This is number three in a series about a boarding school in Cornwall, and although I did not read the first two books, it didn’t impair my ability to catch right on and enjoy this one.

Maggie Adair is a 31-year-old English teacher at the all-female Downey House, and 34-year-old David McDonald is an English teacher at Downey Boys, just over the hill. Both are considered to be superlative teachers. The two, very attracted to one another, have been told not to see each other after a “scandal” when David, out of desperation, stopped the train Maggie was leaving on. Ironically, she was leaving not only for summer break, but to marry her fiancé Stan. But when she saw David, on whom she “had a deep, passionate crush” . . . . Maggie’s personal life was in shambles.

Her students aren’t faring so well either, although being 14 didn’t help. Maggie is especially involved with a quartet of girls living together: Alice, Fliss, Simone, and a new scholarship student, Isme. Their physical changes, hormonal spikes, and interactions make for high drama as well as occasional humorous relief.

David, meanwhile, has asked to absent himself from Downey Boys, at least until the “scandal” dies down. He has taken a position at Devon’s Phillip Dean Comprehensive Secondary School - a “normal” school (what Americans would call a public school) - where boys and girls are taught together and some of the kids are considered to be “savage beasts.” It was huge - nearly three thousand students, and sixty-five percent had English as a second language. There was a constant police presence in term time, and the headmaster told David “It’s more of a holding pen than a school really.”

David and Maggie both turn a brave face to the challenges they are given, and try (unsuccessfully of course) not to think of one another. A crisis with the kids, involving a girl at Maggie’s school and a boy who had been David’s form tutee, brings them back together, at least superficially. They need to figure out how they really feel after so much time has gone by, and what they would like to do about it.

Evaluation: While this series is different from the usual Jenny Colgan fare, her creation of compassionate and very human characters, whom she clearly loves, and her talent for contriving humorous and romantic situations, holds up in this book, and presumably series, as well.

Jenny Colgan's Little School by the Sea series is quite different from her other series, but everything she writes is a comfort read for me. Colgan wanted to replicate the feeling she got from reading boarding school novels as a child, but for an adult audience, and she has definitely succeeded.

In the third in the series, she continues the stories of the faculty of posh Cornwall girls' school Downey House and the girls who attend it, especially the 14-year-olds in their third year. English teacher Maggie's growing relationship with nearby boys' school teacher David has evolved, even though she plans to marry her fiancé over the summer break. Early scenes will set the tone for the rest of the book with regard to this fraught love triangle. Head teacher Veronica is coming to terms with her new relationship with the son she gave up many years ago. Returning students--the overly emotive Alice, conflicted Fliss, and scholarship student Simone--each have their own coming of age stories, trials and tribulations, and they are joined by standoffish new student Isme, who doesn't appear to be a good fit as their new roommate. A holiday play in which all four participate and an online scandal are featured plot points, and I enjoyed the juxtaposition of these elite schools with a much different coed school where chaos rules.

I find this series charming while also dealing with some difficult issues. The book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but rather than being annoying, it only motivated me to look forward to the next book in the series.

My thanks to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book.

Fans of Jennie Colgan, and there are many, will probably enjoy this trip back to Downey House, a boarding school for girls set in Cornwall.

I continued to enjoy reading about Maggie as the main character, although the ongoing love triangle was very disappointing. I also liked the British girls at the school, as I had in the first book,

However.

Maybe her main audience is overwhelmingly British, and it doesn’t matter to Colgan how she portrays people from a vast and complex country. Her character Zelda, the American girl, is inexplicable. No one talks like Zelda. Or styles her hair like Zelda. Does she truly believe a young woman who has lived all over the world would be that coarse and unpolished? On top of that, middle to upper middle class people in the US are absolutely obsessed with educating their children well. Zelda would have been able to keep up. What made the Zelda problem so much worse was that she was a completely unnecessary character. The series didn’t need her. The original crew was interesting enough. They are lovable. No Americans needed!

And the whole weight obsession was really off putting.

Still, Colgan has a spritely voice as a writer. She has written some incredibly entertaining books and I will certainly read more of them. This just is not my favorite.

I had forgotten that I had preordered this book, so when I was approved for this NetGalley copy, I had already read it. Nonetheless, I thank NetGalley for the copy of this book.