The New York Times bestselling author of A Certain Age transports readers to sunny Florida in this lush and enthralling historical novel—an enchanting blend of love, suspense, betrayal, and redemption set among the rumrunners and scoundrels of Prohibition-era Cocoa Beach.Burdened by a dark family secret, Virginia Fortescue flees her oppressive home in New York City for the battlefields of World … the battlefields of World War I France. While an ambulance driver for the Red Cross, she meets a charismatic British army surgeon whose persistent charm opens her heart to the possibility of love. As the war rages, Virginia falls into a passionate affair with the dashing Captain Simon Fitzwilliam, only to discover that his past has its own dark secrets—secrets that will damage their eventual marriage and propel her back across the Atlantic to the sister and father she left behind.
Five years later, in the early days of Prohibition, the newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in the tropical boomtown of Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. Despite the evidence, Virginia does not believe Simon perished in the fire that destroyed the seaside home he built for her and their young daughter. Separated from her husband since the early days of their marriage, the headstrong Virginia plans to uncover the truth, for the sake of the daughter Simon never met.
Simon’s brother and sister welcome her with open arms and introduce her to a dazzling new world of citrus groves, white beaches, bootleggers, and Prohibition agents. But Virginia senses a predatory presence lurking beneath the irresistible, hedonistic surface of this coastal oasis. The more she learns about Simon and his mysterious business interests, the more she fears that the dangers that surrounded Simon now threaten her and their daughter’s life as well.
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Wow! What a roller-coaster ride. My favorite kind of book. I have read all by one of Beatriz Williams’ books, having been a fan ever since Overseas. This may be her very best. I love a long, complicated story and she delivered. I also love, based on her Author Notes, that even she did not know how it would end until she got there. Looking forward to more.
Great writing. Held my interest from start to finish. I plan to read more of Beatriz Williams books.
4 stars
Intriguing mysterious events in the past. A page-turner because it’s very hard to figure out. I usually look ahead but this time I resisted and followed the story. Fast-paced ending.
A story of mistaken identity, mystery, and murder, it had me guessing until the very end. The characters are complex and riddled with faults that will be their undoing. Cannot wait to read the next Beatriz Williams book.
I didn’t enjoy it. It jumped back and forth too much.
A surprising read. Highly recommend.
Beatriz Williams does not disappoint! Cocoa Beach is a topsy turvy tale that had flipping pages til the end!
This book hooked me from the very beginning and never let up. Enjoyed the characters and the story so much. Great beach read!!!
I have family in Cocoa Beach so I was especially interested to read this, to get some historucal perspective. Cocoa Beach was also a “bedroom community” for rocket scientists working on the early space program. Who knew bootlegging came before?? Story kept me guessing until the end, so it was a good read, by definition.
Got to be a bit convoluted but enjoyed the romance of the central characters and the history of the war and of the Cocoa Beach area.
This book surprised me more than once, especially as it came to a close.
At first I couldn’t relate to the main character, but her unconditional devotion to her daughter brought me around shortly into the story. The characters, their intentions and relationships were anything but predictable, and the locations–the house on the beach, the old plantation, the docks, and even the hotel–had a mysterious quality until the last chapter.
The writing was good, but not quite up to the level of authors like Elizabeth Strout. That’s what kept me from rating it five stars.
I didn’t think that the story flowed very well.
Intriguing period novel with surprising twists. Interesting time shifts between World War I in France and early Florida and a woman’s uncertainty about the character of the man she married.
I liked this book very much at the beginning but it kept getting more and more complicated and weird with false identities and he’s dead! No h’es not! Then on hte very last page two new characters are introduced for apparently no reason.
The plot was way too confusing!!!!
The only reason I’m giving this book 1 star is because there is no way to give it less. I have read several of Williams’s books and enjoyed them. This one is hard to read and very, very dark. Even though I have read 3/4 of the book, I will not finish it – too disturbing.