The Best Jenny Colgan Books Ranked by Super Fans

** The Ranked Jenny Colgan Books Post Updated 7/29/22 **
While shopping at the Narberth Bookshop, the cover of Jenny Colgan’s The Bookshop on the Corner caught my eye. I bought it out of pure instinct and it set me on a course of super fandom. After finishing the book, I shoved it into Jackie’s hands and she joined in my obsession with Jenny Colgan books.
Jenny Colgan’s stories have a formula – girl hits rock bottom, girl needs to change her life, girl travels to a remote island/town/country and finds herself again through books or food. Let me tell you something. I hope Jenny NEVER changes that formula because these books are comfort food to my soul.
I feel like I know the residents of the places in her books. Her books are about community and the connection between people…. and yes, a hint of romance. Neil the puffin is my imaginary pet. I want to visit Nina’s mobile library, have some of Polly’s freshly baked bread, and walk the shore of Mure Island with Flora and her family. I’m in deep with these characters. They are my friends. The characters I turn to when the world is a little too loud and my head needs to embrace the calm.
What are the Jenny Colgan Books in Order?
- Amanda’s Wedding (1999)
- My Very 90’s Romance (2001)
- Looking for Andrew McCarthy (2001)
- Scottish Girls About Town (2003)
- Working Women (2003)
- The Boy I Loved Before (2004)
- Where Have All the Boys Gone? (2005)
- West End Girls (2006)
- Operations Sunshine (2007)
- Welcome to the School by the Sea (2008)
- Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend (2009)
- Rules at the School by the Sea (2010)
- The Good, The Bad, and the Dumped (2010)
- Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe (2011)
- Rosie Hopkins Sweet Shop of Dreams (2012)
- Christmas at the Cupcake Cafe (2012)
- The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (2013)
- Christmas as Rosie Hopkin’s Sweetshop (2013)
- Little Beach Street Bakery (2014)
- The Christmas Surprise (2014)
- Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery (2015)
- The Bookshop on the Corner (2016)
- Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery (2016)
- The Cafe by the Sea (2017)
- The Endless Beach (2018)
- Christmas on the Island (2018)
- Bookshop on the Shore (2019)
- Lessons at the School by the Sea (2019)
- 500 Miles from You (2020)
- Christmas at the Island Hotel (2020)
- Sunrise by the Sea (2021)
- The Christmas Bookshop (2021)
- An Island Wedding (2022)
Let’s Rank Some Books
So now, Jackie and I decided to turn our love for Jenny Colgan’s novels into a fun blog post and we thought – why not rank them? Could we rank them? Surely it would be impossible to decide on rankings we could both agree on.
Actually, it was easy. Colgan’s earlier works are at the bottom, which isn’t a surprise as most authors get better with time like a fine wine. Our top 3 were a quick and unanimous decision. The middle area is where it got harder, but we ended up being able to slot them into order with ease — and remember the joy each book brought us as we debated if Polly’s Christmas story was better than our introduction to Rosie Hopkins. (It was for the record.)
So below you will see our favorites in order, followed by a list of the few books of hers that we haven’t yet read. It’s no surprise that the book that drew us to Jenny Colgan is in the top spot, but perhaps you will disagree with our placement of the rest.
Our Favorite Jenny Colgan Books

The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
The Bookshop on the Corner #1
This book was the first book that I read by Jenny Colgan and is different from her others. It is not centered around food but rather, books.
When Nina, a librarian, finds herself without a job, she decides to embark on a journey with a mobile bookshop. There is nothing not to love in this sweet book.
For the Ultimate List of Feel Good Books, check out our post!

The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan
The Bookshop on the Corner #2
I love Jenny Cogan and I was so happy to have an advance copy. This book, while related to her previous book āThe Bookshop on the Cornerā, is not a sequel. In fact, I felt that this book was a departure from her previous work. It dealt with some issues that are definitely more serious and delved into these issues in her unique way. The book felt light and easy to read even though it had some more serious issues without trivializing them. Despite the length of the book( 400+ pages), I really wish the ending was longer. I loved the character development and wanted more. Iām hoping there is a sequel! 4 stars.
For the Ultimate List of Books about Books, check out our post!

Christmas on the Island by Jenny Colgan
The Cafe by The Sea #3
The third book in The Cafe by the Sea series left me gutted. I cried so many times at the end of this book. It was very cathartic but so heartwrenching. I honestly felt for every character impacted by the many tragic storylines. I know the fourth book in the series is coming out soon, and I canāt wait to get my hands on it now. 4 stars.

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan
The Bookshop on the Corner #3
This is Lissa and Cormac’s story and it’s one of the more unique romances I’ve read. Lissa and Cormac are both first responders who end of switching places.
Cormac heads to the hustle and bustle of London and Lissa heads to quiet, sleepy Scotland. They correspond via email and text without every having seen each other.
This book also deals with organ donation and transplantation in a lovely, meaningful way. 4 stars.

The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan is back with a stand-alone Christmas story about a failing bookshop and the woman that saves it. Carmen is stuck with no boyfriend, no job, and living at home, while her sister Sophie seems to have it all – beautiful house, great husband, a killer job, and 3 kids with one-more on the way.
When she realizes her client is going to lose his bookshop and home, she overs Carmen up for the job of turning the shop around, offering her a room at her house to boot.
But the long standing rivalry between the sisters is out in full force, Carmen seems to sabotage her own happiness in the romance department, and her bookstore boss might be hiding some family secrets that need uncovering.
A charming Christmas tale in true Jenny Colgan fashion, this heartwarming story also has some appearances from beloved characters from previous books. 4 stars.
For more holiday novels, head to our Ultimate List of Christmas Books!
More Jenny Colgan Books Ranked

The Endless Beach by Jenny Colgan
The Cafe by the Sea #2
The continuation ofĀ The Cafe by the SeaĀ series features Flora, Joel, and the cast of characters on the Island of Mure. We see how their relationship is progressing and we get to dive into some of the other romances on the island. I really enjoy book series that immerse the reader into a community. I feel like the inhabitants of Mure are my personal friends at this point! I was happy about their successes and I cried once too. 3.5 stars.

The Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
The Little Beach Street Bakery #1
Jenny Colgan is known for her heartwarming tales of self-discovery and this book is no different. Our main protagonist loses her job and her boyfriend and heads to Cornwall to lick her wounds.
Soon she finds love, a new job, and

The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan churns out another light beach read with heart. Cafe by the Sea is set on the gorgeous island of Muir in Scotland.
Scotland shines in this story about life in a town set in its ways and trying to resist the pull of modern life. There is a romance in this story, but the pull was more on the heroine reconnecting with her old life and family. Jenny Colgan is the queen of bakery romance novels and you can check out our list of The Best Jenny Colgan Books Ranked by Super Fans

An Island Wedding by Jenny Colgan
Cafe by the Sea #5
Colgan takes us back to Mure, Scotland in the 5th (!!!) book of the cafe by the sea series. This time, Joel and Flora are FINALLY planning their wedding, but they aren’t on the same page about what it should look like.
Meanwhile, Olivia, Jan’s famous sister wants to throw an over-the-top wedding on the Rock that is making Flora just a wee jealous, while creating tons of drama around the island.
We see Jan become almost unhinged with jealousy, Lorna still nursing her secret passion, and Fintan trying to get over his recent loss too.
Please let us get a sixth book in this series!!!

The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan delivers every time.Ā Her books follow a formula that is tried and true.Ā The girl goes to a new place, starts a chocolate shop/ cafe/ bakeshop/ bookshop, and meets a man, falls in love, etc.Ā Ā
I read her books because I need an escape and she delivers every time. This book was no exception so there was no question that it belongs on a list of books set in Paris.
And if you love Jenny Colgan like we do, check out our post The Best Jenny Colgan Books Ranked by Super Fans.

Christmas at the Island Hotel by Jenny Colgan
The Cafe by The Sea #4
This was definitely a happier book in the series than the last one. We get to see Flora and Joel’s new baby, check in with Fintan and meet a new cast of characters as the residents of Mure prepare for the new hotel opening.
There were cute love stories, wrapping up of some longstanding plot lines, but also space for more books in the series to be written.

Christmas at the Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
Little Beach Street Bakery #3
I read this book when the snow was coming down outside and I wanted a cozy little pick-me-up. Colgan’s Little Beach Street Bakery series is one of my favorites because it’s light and fluffy with characters I adore, and drama that isn’t as serious. This was no different as we see Polly trying to navigate the Christmas season and keep her darling friend’s big secret!

Sweetshop of Dreams by Jenny Colgan
Rosie Hopkin’s Sweetshop # 1
I read this book quite quickly. I needed something light after I had read some heavier books. Colganās books are always light and sweet. Though they all follow the same general storyline, I enjoy knowing that I am going to read something with a happy ending. 3 stars

Meet Me at The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan
Cupcake Cafe #1
Warning:

Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery by Jenny Colgan
The Little Beach Street Bakery #2
The continuation of Jenny Colgan’s Little Beach Street Bakery series is another hit. I loved the continuation of Polly, Huck, and Neil’s story. Polly gets fired from the bakery and needs to figure out a new business plan. We get to catch up with all the lovable characters in the small Cornish town, see inside Polly’s new lighthouse home, and have delectable bakery items described throughout. 3 stars.

Diamonds are a Girlās Best Friend by Jenny Colgan
Jenny Colgan has become one of my go-to for fluff reads. I love her books that are centered around food. This most recent book is a departure from her bookshop-centered books as well. Sophie Chesterton is the āitā girl with her clothes, diamonds, and money. She is shocked when she finds out that she has to start earning a living for herself. There was more character development than I thought there would be. 3 stars

Amandaās Wedding by Jenny Colgan
This was Colganās first book and although I enjoyed it, it did not have the charisma her other books have. There is something so comforting about a book that involves friends, food, and love. This story was a different sort of equation with characters that are a little more flawed and a little less adorable and loveable than I have become accustomed to.
Jenny Colgan Books We Still Need to Read
We haven’t been lucky enough to read all of Jenny Colgan’s books just yet, but we have plans to in the future! For now, those that we haven’t yet read or that haven’t been released yet, are listed below. The question now is which Jenny Colgan book do we read first?
So that, dear friends, is our final line-up. Do you agree with us?

500 Miles From You is book 3 in the Bookshop on the Corner series, and it is fantastic! I gave it 5 stars! I would totally read it next.
It’s sitting on my bookshelf! I can’t wait to read it!