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    Cocoa Beach: A Novel
    Cocoa Beach: A Novel
    Cocoa Beach: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Cocoa Beach: A Novel

    Written by Beatriz Williams

    Narrated by Eva Kaminsky and Alex Wyndham

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    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 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.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJun 27, 2017
    ISBN9780062681690
    Cocoa Beach: A Novel
    Author

    Beatriz Williams

    Beatriz Williams is the bestselling author of over a dozen novels, including The Beach at Summerly, Our Woman in Moscow, and The Summer Wives, as well as four other novels cowritten with Lauren Willig and Karen White. A native of Seattle, she graduated from Stanford University and earned an MBA in finance from Columbia University. She lives with her husband and four children near the Connecticut shore, where she divides her time between writing and laundry.

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    Reviews for Cocoa Beach

    4/5

    142 ratings34 reviews

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    • 5/5
      I really liked this one. Beautiful writing as always, and I was on the edge of my seat. Did not see the twist coming. If you like historical fiction with high-impact, well-crafted writing, and characters you come to care about, then give it a go.
    • 4/5
      The book is well written, although over the top descriptive at times. But over all, a Good old fashion “who done” it mystery. Def worth the listen.
    • 5/5
      Great read hoped it might have had a little more local history but still very good
    • 2/5
      Really great story delivered well by the narrators
      The flash backs are so numerous
      The thread of the story is easily lost
      Ready spoils the experience
    • 4/5
      3.5 stars rounded up - enjoyed, but not as much as other books by this author
    • 4/5
      Ms. Williams’s book, A Certain Age tells the tale of Sophie Fortescue. Cocoa Beach is, no pun intended, the sister book as it shares Virginia Fortescue’s story. These two young women are very different and so are the books that describe them. Virginia has gone to war to drive ambulances for the American Red Cross. While doing that she meets Simon Fitzwilliam – a British doctor – and they slowly develop a relationship that ends in marriage. But for whatever reason Virginia leaves England alone without telling Simon she is pregnant.She settles back in NY and rears her daughter, Evelyn while dealing with some extreme family drama. Upon the completion of a trial she learns that Simon is dead and that he’s left his estate to her. To sort it all out and perhaps for a change of scenery Virginia and Evelyn head to Florida to learn what they can about Simon’s death and about the business he left behind.While in Florida she encounters her brother in law and sister in law but she is not sure whom she can trust. She learns from a Revenue Agent that Simon was helping to fight a local gang and that might have contributed to his death. The more she learns, the more confused she becomes.The book toggles back and forth in time and place between Virginia’s adventures in France and England during the War and her present day life as she goes to Florida in search of answers. The chapters written in Europe were tighter, cleaner and much more clear. The chapters in Florida were not as clear. In fact, like the feeling Virginia has when she is concussed, they are rather confused. In my opinion the ending could have been achieved without some of the sturm und drang. Virginia spent a little too much time in her head. But that is me – others might feel differently.I did read the book in one sitting and there were a couple of big twists and turns that kept the story very interesting. One is a real whopper. It almost made up for the extended trip to the plantation. Virginia is a very conflicting character seemingly strong but then weak as a kitten but when necessary she pulls it all together. It confused me as a reader. The other characters were defined and not so changeable. What the book comes down to ultimately is love and trust and the impacts of these on family dynamics.
    • 5/5
      First of all, I read A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams prior to reading this book. It was some time ago that I read it, but I still remember it. Beatriz Williams is that kind of writer. I say that because I became familiar with Virginia Fitzsimmons in that book, which was primarily about her sister and her father. You can read this book easily as a stand alone.You can read the dustjacket to find out what the book is about, but simply put, it is about a strong woman who falls in love with a man. There are so many circumstances that take place after that fact that must be read in the book to mean anything to you. I fell in love with this book. There is love, there is a mystery underlying everything, there are treacherous happenings, and you will want to keep turning pages to find out more. The writing is wonderful. There are phrases in this book that I will not forget for a long time. And the love letters. This book is a box of chocolates that you will both want to savor and to gobble down. It is a pleasure to get lost in.
    • 4/5
      This is a solid pick... just when I thought it was getting a little too convoluted and twisty, things starting to click in to place with the mystery. Not the best writing, but a good story and engaging characters. I am a total sucker for historical fiction and the settings (time and place) are very well done. I really liked the narrators, too!
    • 5/5
      Virginia Fortescue bravely maneuvered her Red Cross ambulance through artillery fire and nighttime rescues during World War I. While transporting patients, Virginia meets British army surgeon, Captain Simon Fitzwilliam. Virginia is enchanted, but hears rumors that he is already married. However, Captain Fitzwilliam is enchanted and promises Virginia a divorce from the wife he was forced to marry for family money. The two are married in secret, but Virginia hears of more devastating rumors about her husband and decided to return to her father's home after the War. Virginia soon gives birth to a wonderful baby daughter, Evelyn and continues to receive letters from Simon who is renovating a family orchard and running a shipping company in Cocoa Beach, Florida. It isn't until a letter arrives that informs Virginia of Simon's death that she travels to Cocoa Beach to take over the business that she discovers the true nature of the lies and deceptions of the Fitzwilliam family.Cocoa Beach proved to be irresistible as soon as I dug in; combining the elements of danger in the prohibition age with romance and a menacing mystery. I have read Beatriz Williams' other books with some of the same characters, including Virginia and was glad to pick up her story again. While I loved The Wicked City and A Certain Age, it is not necessary to read those first. Virginia enters the scene in Cocoa Beach like a fighter; as a woman in 1922 and now a widow, Simon's lawyer figures she will be uninterested in the business that Simon carried out. Virginia makes it known that "...my wishes are your business now..." and I knew that Virginia would be a formidable character. I enjoyed that the writing switched back and forth between Virginia and Simon's time during World War I and 1922 in Cocoa Beach. Through these scenes I was able to know Virginia as a hero and an independent woman, I was also able to form an opinion about Simon. I was amazed at Virginia's fortitude as an ambulance driver and appreciated the compassionate love story despite the many times others attempted to derail it. The mystery is written with many layers and twists, I thought I knew where it was heading, and yet other elements kept getting thrown in for surprise after surprise. I was also pleased to see that the story will most likely continue as there is a cliffhanger at the end.This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      Ms. Williams’s book, A Certain Age tells the tale of Sophie Fortescue. Cocoa Beach is, no pun intended, the sister book as it shares Virginia Fortescue’s story. These two young women are very different and so are the books that describe them. Virginia has gone to war to drive ambulances for the American Red Cross. While doing that she meets Simon Fitzwilliam – a British doctor – and they slowly develop a relationship that ends in marriage. But for whatever reason Virginia leaves England alone without telling Simon she is pregnant.She settles back in NY and rears her daughter, Evelyn while dealing with some extreme family drama. Upon the completion of a trial she learns that Simon is dead and that he’s left his estate to her. To sort it all out and perhaps for a change of scenery Virginia and Evelyn head to Florida to learn what they can about Simon’s death and about the business he left behind.While in Florida she encounters her brother in law and sister in law but she is not sure whom she can trust. She learns from a Revenue Agent that Simon was helping to fight a local gang and that might have contributed to his death. The more she learns, the more confused she becomes.The book toggles back and forth in time and place between Virginia’s adventures in France and England during the War and her present day life as she goes to Florida in search of answers. The chapters written in Europe were tighter, cleaner and much more clear. The chapters in Florida were not as clear. In fact, like the feeling Virginia has when she is concussed, they are rather confused. In my opinion the ending could have been achieved without some of the sturm und drang. Virginia spent a little too much time in her head. But that is me – others might feel differently.I did read the book in one sitting and there were a couple of big twists and turns that kept the story very interesting. One is a real whopper. It almost made up for the extended trip to the plantation. Virginia is a very conflicting character seemingly strong but then weak as a kitten but when necessary she pulls it all together. It confused me as a reader. The other characters were defined and not so changeable. What the book comes down to ultimately is love and trust and the impacts of these on family dynamics.
    • 3/5
      When I was small, I dreamed up whole worlds, frequently retreating to my bedroom to talk to myself and the characters I created, advancing their stories or changing them to suit my mood. It's been a long time since I did that and I certainly never did it with any kind of thoroughness or maturity. Author Beatriz Williams is still creating worlds and revisiting them but she isn't doing it in the privacy of her room; she's sharing these people and their world with all of us in her novels. Many of her books are interconnected although they aren't properly sequels to each other. Her characters do range in and out of books about each other so reading more than one will give you insider information that enriches the reading experience though. Her latest novel, Cocoa Beach, is definitely a companion novel to A Certain Age and has strong connections to Wicked City as well.Virginia Fortescue Fitzwilliam leaves New York with her two year old daughter Evelyn after the very public trial and conviction of her father for her mother's long ago murder. As if the one tragedy wasn't enough for this young woman to endure, she must go down to Cocoa Beach, Florida in order to look into and wrap up her estranged late husband's estate. Her husband Simon has perished in a house fire leaving behind a thriving business, a shipping company, an orange plantation, and a hotel. When she gets to Florida though, things are not as straightforward as might be expected and Virginia finds herself uncertain who she can trust.The novel flips back and forth between 1917 and 1922. In the former, Virginia tells the story of her meeting and romance with Simon in France in the midst of WWI. She's an intrepid American ambulance driver while he's a handsome Cornish surgeon with a complicated background. In the latter story line, Virginia is in Florida with Simon's twin brother Samuel and his sister Clara and perhaps getting too close to dangerous things that she clearly doesn't understand. Her feelings about her husband's character have undergone a complete turnaround from 1917 and 1922 and the reasons why are liberally teased throughout the length of the novel. But she cannot completely let his memory go, not least because their daughter Eleanor is the love of her life. In fact, she feels betrayed by both her father and her husband, something that makes her question her own judgment. After some of the 1922 chapters are letters written from Simon to Virginia during their almost three year estrangement, giving the reader information about his perspective on their marriage and his character that Virginia, not having read the letters, doesn't have.The lush surroundings of a Florida just starting to be developed cease to be a tropical escape, instead feeling increasingly oppressive and scary as the tension rises throughout the novel. In the end the book almost becomes a thriller, starting to gallop along at such a pace. There are bootleggers, a shadowy revenue agent, toxic family secrets, illegitimate children, murder, a villain pulling strings, romance, life threatening danger, the question of who wanted Simon dead, and manipulations galore in this soap opera of a historical novel. Virginia is suspicious and occasionally strong and decisive but her defining characteristic is the love she has for her beloved daughter. Protecting Eleanor and being there for her always so that her baby doesn't know the pain of growing up without a mother, as she did, is the driving force in her life and it will be the thing that prompts her to not just survive but to find the strength to overcome as she uncovers all the answers she seeks. The final revelation of truth comes rather late in the story and the ending is ultimately left wide open for another book set in this same fictional Prohibition world. In fact, the end of the novel is where it might be more than a little handy to have read Williams' other books mentioned above. Williams does a good job of keeping the reader guessing about Simon's character, giving a tiny bit of proof that he is not all he seems when Virginia is head over heels with him but then countering that doubt just enough to make the reader question Virginia's change of heart. Was she right about him in 1917 or is she right about him in 1922? I liked the other books in this (loose) series a bit better but this was still well researched, pulse pounding historical fiction.
    • 4/5
      Virginia Fortescue is recently widowed, has just endured a very public trial of her father in her mother's murder and has a looming, long-standing mystery to contend with as well. The mystery is as much about who her husband Simon really was, as how he came to die in an inferno at his beachside villa. She arrives in Florida with her young daughter and so begins the tale with rum runners, a US. Marshall, former dilapidated plantations, tony seaside enclaves and secrets, lies and more secrets about lies.

      We're taken on the journey in three different ways, the courtship of Virginia and Simon in WWI France where she drives an ambulance and he's a physician; the present & in past letters Simon's written to Virginia. The mystery really propelled me through this story as I wanted to know the truth and didn't trust most of the people surrounding Virginia. She had her own credibility problems but I wanted the truth for her. I was surprised just how many lies the Fitzwilliams were living with and how deeply the damage ran. From about chapter 21 to the final line, this is a pretty gripping read and because adulting is a required thing, when I had to put the book down, I did so grudgingly. The epilogue was a good tie off and also dropped a kernel that made me think there may be another book coming.

      This was my first read by Beatriz Williams. While reading I found out that this book is part of a series, I wished that I'd read the prior book. Alas, I found that I had three other books by Williams on my TBR that I bought. Two that are part of another trilogy (The Schuyler Sisters) and finishing this prompted me to buy the one I was missing (Tiny Little Thing) so those will be the next I read by her. I definitely recommend Cocoa Beach. Even if, like me, you haven't read the others in this trilogy, it holds up well as a standalone historical fiction.

      Thanks to HaperCollins through Library Thing Early Reviewers for a copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.
    • 3/5
      Readers of Williams' previous "A Certain Age" might remember one of the heroines' older sister, Virginia Fortesque, possessor of an awkwardly absent husband and protector of their little daughter. As a minor character, Virginia walked on a few times and participated in a certain novelistic sleight-of-hand to advance the plot to its conclusion. Hardly memorable or intriguing, mysteriously missing husband or no. In "Cocoa Beach", Virginia gets the full star treatment. The story opens in Florida, with Virginia grappling with the effects of her husband's demise in a house fire. What to make of his various complicated and secret business deals? Can his family help? Or hinder? Was the fire an accident? Or are more sinister forces to blame? We travel back and forth through time to their romance on the WWI battlefields of France, whirlwind marriage, painful estrangement, and now Virginia's sudden widowhood. Virginia has been described as headstrong by many readers in her efforts to unravel the details of her husband's death. In "A Certain Age", Virginia had been the commonsense strong foil to her flighty sister, holding the family together after their mother's horrific murder and subsequent murder trial. Here, she clearly has survived much as a WWI Army nurse. And yet, I found her frustratingly too naive and trusting. Enough so that I eventually gave up on caring. (This may also have been a result of an incredibly lengthy lead up to any real action in the tale.) I also found the ending to be ... Meh? Puzzling? Unsatisfying? To say more would be to give too much away, so must leave it to others to form their own opinion. None of this is to say that Williams is not a very accomplished writer. She perfectly captured the muggy, quasi-Gothic atmosphere of 1920's Florida. I've enjoyed several of her books and assuredly will look to read more in future. This one just wasn't as successful for me as her others. The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed my first book by what turns out to be a semi-prolific author, this historical book had just enough mystery to keep the pages turning. Virginia Fortescue heads to France near the end of World War I to drive an ambulance, where she falls in love and eventually marries an Englishman. Five years later, we follow Virginia to Florida after her husband's death in a house fire. The story moves back and forth between the time they met and the 'present' of 1922, where Virginia's gut feelings lead the reader around Cocoa Beach. Simon's brother is there to greet her, along with his sister, trying to continue Simon's work at bringing back an old family citrus farm and shipping business. The historical details are fascinating--from rum runners during prohibition to this Fisher guy that was basically digging mangroves out of the coast to make a pretty beach in Miami. It definitely made for a good summer read, but Virginia did frustrate me a bit, I thought after all that she'd been through--taking off to France during wartime etc., that she wouldn't be quite so naïve and trusting.
    • 4/5
      Headstrong Virginia Fortescue leaves her home and what's left of her family behind in New York City and begins driving an ambulance in France during World War I. While there she falls in love with a charismatic British army surgeon and as they begin a passionate love affair, she learns that Captain Simon Fitzwilliam is hiding secrets of his own.

      Five years later and newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam has just arrived in Cocoa Beach, Florida to settle her husband's estate. There was a house fire, and while his brother confirmed it was indeed Simon inside the house, Virginia has her doubts that he's really dead. After all, Simon was cunning and kept his share of secrets from her - secrets that ruined their marriage and had Virginia fleeing back to New York very early on. But now she needs to uncover the truth, not for herself, but for the sake of their daughter.

      I didn't find this one as good as her others. It goes back and forth between when Virginia met and fell in love with Simon and afterwards where we learn they are married but not together and they have a daughter Simon doesn't even know about. At first I didn't like that this was only about one character. Usually we have two different people from two different time periods. I also found that it was a bit overly descriptive; too wordy and repetitious at times. I do love Williams' writing - she paints a vivid picture with real characters. There was no shortage of secrets, lies, and manipulation. The story really picked up towards the end. But the actual ending - I do not understand what happened. I did not enjoy reading this book as much as I like it looking back on it now that it's over.
    • 4/5
      One of the great pleasures of reading Beatriz Williams' books is that if you are intrigued by a secondary character, frequently you will get more of them in a subsequent book. In a previous book, A Certain Age, set in the jazz age of New York City, Virginia Fortescue is the older sister of Sophie, who is a major character in the book. We learn a little bit about Virginia, enough to peak our interest.In Cocoa Beach we get Virginia's story. During WWI, Virginia volunteered to work overseas in France, driving an ambulance to bring wounded men to get medical attention. She meets a handsome British doctor, Simon, and they quickly fall in love, even though Simon is married.Simon has a difficult family situation, as does Virginia, perhaps that is one thing that attracts them to each other. They marry, but soon something tears them apart. They are separated for three years, and then Virginia is notified that Simon has died in a fire on his property in Cocoa Beach, Florida.Virginia goes to Cocoa Beach with her three year-old daughter and finds Simon's brother and sister waiting for her. She has her doubts about her husband's death, and is determined to get to the bottom of what Simon has been up to for these three years.Williams' drops us into the humid, muggy atmosphere of south Florida, and you can almost smell the sea air, taste the sweet oranges, and feel the hot sand under your feet.One thing I find interesting about many of Williams' female characters is their interest in cars. In Cocoa Beach, A Certain Age, and Tiny Little Thing, the women learn not only how to drive cars, but to repair and maintain them as well. This is most unusual for women of these times.The writing in this story reminds me of watching a 1940's Barbara Stanwyck movie on Turner Classic Movies. The dialogue is rat-a-tat-tat, and the repartee is snappy. Cocoa Beach could have easily been a movie about the 1920's made in 1947. I also enjoyed the British slang in this book- "dosh" (money), "rotter" (a bad guy, a "player"), and "skint" (broke). Fair warning: I will be tossing these terms around in my everyday language.You don't need to have read A Certain Age to enjoy Cocoa Beach, but you will have a deeper appreciation if you did. And I was happy to see Marshall, the Prohibition agent from A Certain Age, pop up here; I hope the end of this story leads us to see more of him in the next Beatriz Williams book.Cocoa Beach is a terrific beach read, a book to get lost in while you are lounging on your porch with a glass of iced tea. (The cover is gorgeous too.)
    • 5/5
      I received an ARC of this novel as part of LibraryThing Early Reviewers. This one grabs you by the shirt, pulls you in, and holds you rapt until the ride ends. A complex story that shifts between warn-torn Europe in 1919 and Florida in June/July 1922. Want a complex romantic entanglement? Got it. Want a confusing, twists and turns murder plot? Right here. Want bootleggers, landed Englishmen, and family drama? Yup. A really good novel has a blind turn right before the ending, and Ms. Williams delivers, with enough blind turns to make you dizzy. Loved.
    • 4/5
      Virginia Fortescue's life hasn't really been easy. Her mother was murdered when she was just a child and obviously this has impacted her tremendously. As an adult, she has spent a lot of time driving ambulances in the war. While at the war, she met Dr. Simon Fitzwilliam and sparks flew. They got married and had a child, but things got complicated and they became estranged. Virginia gets news that Simon has died in a fire at his house in Florida. Virginia hurries down there to see what exactly happened and the more she discovers about Simon, the worse it gets. It doesn't help that Simon's twin, Samuel, is also down in Florida sending her mixed messages about Simon and Agent Marshall is constantly warning her to go back home as she and her daughter could be in danger. The more Virginia uncover about the truth surrounding her husband, the more she wants to find out despite the dangers involved. Cocoa Beach by Beatriz Williams is a suspenseful thriller set in Prohibition age Florida that kept me on the edge of my seat.Virginia is an interesting character in Cocoa Beach. She isn't one to be meek or sit on the sidelines. She wants answers for herself and heads to Florida with her daughter to get them. I liked that she drove ambulances for the Red Cross in the war and that she is headstrong. She did frustrate me a little from time to time, but overall, she was an enjoyable character that I was most definitely rooting for.Williams had me on the edge of my seat when I was reading Cocoa Beach. At one time I thought Simon was despicable. The next moment I thought his brother was the bad guy. Then I changed my mind and was confused all over again. She had me changing my alliances and the truth was definitely revealed slowly. The last quarter of the book kept me flipping the pages till late as there were many plot twists and a lot of action. It left me a bit breathless as there was SO much going on at the end; nonetheless, it was entertaining.The setting of Prohibition age Florida was very atmospheric in Cocoa Beach. I could practically feel the thick humidity, smell the tropical flowers, hear the crash of the waves and feel the strong Florida sunshine. It was all very well done.Although I enjoy Williams' Schuyler Sisters series a bit more, I still appreciated Cocoa Beach and enjoyed the suspense. If you are looking for a historical beach read that will keep you guessing and flipping the pages, look no further.
    • 3/5
      Not one of my favorite Beatriz Williams books. I found this one to be plodding and wordy, with not much happening until well into the book and by that point I didn’t much care. I didn’t find any of the characters to be engaging, and the main character, Virginia Fitzwilliam, didn’t seem to be the sharpest tool in the shed (example: she becomes addicted to opium, never once thinking she was taking anything but aspirin). The story constantly bounced back and forth in time, from 1917 WWI France to 1922 Florida, and the years between, which I found confusing. Sorry I can’t recommend this book, as I have enjoyed her previous ones.
    • 3/5
      I have read several books from this author and enjoyed them. Yet, this book did not have the same passion of the characters and the storyline that I have come to enjoy from this author. Yes, I liked Virginia and Simon. Despite the age gap, they were good together. Part of the reason that they worked well together is because Virginia acted more mature for her age. Additionally, I gravitated towards her independence. The only flaw I had towards Virginia is that she did not give Simon more of a chance. He was not perfect but he really loved Virginia. The letters that he wrote to Virginia made him more endearing to me. I wished that I could have stayed in the past. The present was a bore to me; despite the mystery surrounding Simon's death. Try as I might, I could not connect with the rest of Simon's family. The mystery was fine but lacking in intrigue. Every time that the story switched to the present, I was not a fan. In fact, there was a few times where I would skip just to get back to the past. This book is not one of my favorites from this author.
    • 4/5
      I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Virginia Fortescue, a young woman who decides to go to Europe during World War I to assist as an ambulance driver.While overseas she meets Simon Fitzwilliam, a young man who is seemingly infatuated with her but who also unfortunately has other responsibilities in life. Virginia can't resist her infatuation with him though, and given her extremely sheltered upbringing she doesn't know how to defend against his charm and endearing personality. However, its only after the wedding that Virginia finds out Simon may have had some ulterior motives. Alternating between explaining their past and how their relationship began and the present day, Virginia and Simon's story unfolds in a way that you would never expect. Overall I ended up liking this book a lot more than I expected to. The first half of the book really was hard for me to get into, the story line ended up being really interesting but at first did not reach out to me at all. I thin part of my problem was that I couldn't figure out how the last book connected to this book. And really her book A Certain Age has more of a connection since Virginia is actually mentioned in that book (the book is about her sister, Sophie). Once we got about halfway through the book though, the pace of the story line really picked up and the two timelines kind of merged together enough that things started making a lot more sense. The first half of the book I didn't really think I'd like the book but the plot twists in the second half of the book were great and really grabbed at the reader. I would recommend this one but be warned it might be hard to get through the first half.
    • 3/5
      Cocoa Beach is part adventure, part romance, set in World War I and its aftermath in the 20s. These are themes continued from author Beatriz Williams’ earlier books. The protagonist and narrator here, young Virginia Fortescue, escapes a smothering family life (and some family scandals) in New York City by joining a volunteer ambulance corps that ends up supporting the British in France. After a brief battlefield romance, she ends up marrying an English doctor, who turns out to have his own set of secrets and family scandals, bad enough that she ends up leaving him as soon as she has a chance to meet his family. The rest of the story is what happens after she is notified of his death in Florida a few years later, where she is the heir to a lucrative citrus and shipping business he’s built there. That turns out to fueled by rum-running. Various bad guys and relatives show up with designs on her inheritance and the plot gets suitably twisty. The author keeps things ticking along and you won’t guess all of how things turn out. It’s an enjoyable read and would be a great beach book.
    • 5/5
      Outstanding read! This book kept me guessing all the way to the end. Excellent plot twists and turns keep leading the reader to think they know what's coming, then turn around on a dime. I will definitely !took for more from this author.
    • 4/5
      Thanks to goodreads for a copy of this book for review. I've never read this author before and I enjoyed this book so much that I'm now ordering her older books to read.Virginia is definitely a strong woman. When we first meet her she is driving an ambulance in France during WWI. She left her family home and all of her secrets behind in New York and ran away to France to help with the war. While there she meets a British doctor, Simon, who will change the whole course of her life. The book moves between Virginia's days in France and five years later when she moves to Florida to try to find out what happened to her husband and to settle his estate. This move puts her life and the life of her young daughter in danger and she continues to face challenges as she tries to solve the mystery surrounding his death.This was a fantastic very readable book. The author knew both time periods very well and managed to give us a look at life in the early part of the 20th century as she crafted an immensely interesting mystery plot. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.Thanks to goodreads for a copy of this book for review. I've never read this author before and I enjoyed this book so much that I'm now ordering her older books to read.Virginia is definitely a strong woman. When we first meet her she is driving an ambulance in France during WWI. She left her family home and all of her secrets behind in New York and ran away to France to help with the war. While there she meets a British doctor, Simon, who will change the whole course of her life. The book moves between Virginia's days in France and five years later when she moves to Florida to try to find out what happened to her husband and to settle his estate. This move puts her life and the life of her young daughter in danger and she continues to face challenges as she tries to solve the mystery surrounding his death.This was a fantastic very readable book. The author knew both time periods very well and managed to give us a look at life in the early part of the 20th century as she crafted an immensely interesting mystery plot. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
    • 5/5
      Virginia has learned that her husband, that she met in France during WWI has died and this comes just as the trial of her father has ended for the murder of her mother. She takes her daughter to Florida to settle his accounts and as she is doling this she thinks back to their meeting and the life they had before they split after the war. She remains deeply in love with Simon, but was he involved in some shady dealings? She has been left with a shipping company and a citrus plantation, but also with a brother-in-law whom seems to be interested in her. Is his interest for her or for the inheritance that she is about to gain? Why does a federal agent contact her and warn her to go back to New York? There seems to something fishy going on here and she is determined to find out what it is. A lot of twists and turns in this one and even a few surprises. An excellent read.
    • 3/5
      Beatriz Williams is one of my favorite authors. I have now read 7 of her books. Unfortunately, this is the first one that I did not really enjoy. Though the writing itself was still good, the story line was very convoluted and the time changes added to the confusion. I did not really feel much affinity with any of the characters and disliked many of them. I also felt that the "surprise" ending didn't work for her style or this story. Sorry, Beatriz. Though this was a miss for me, I will of course be first in line for your next novel.
    • 3/5
      Once I realized that this book was a sequel after reading it, the huge plot gaps finally were explained. I don't think I will go back and read the first book though, as this was just an average read for me.
    • 4/5
      I really do enjoy all of Beatriz Williams books, I was half way through this one before I realized it was a continuation of characters from A CERTAIN AGE. This made me move forward with the book but I really had to pay attention for the twists and turns Beatriz does so well. I read a lot of books, and she is one author I can't do without.
    • 5/5
      Virginia Fortescue flees distressing family relations in New York Cityand becomes an ambulance driver in World War I France.A charming British Army surgeon (Captain Simon Fitzwilliam)whirlwinds into Virginia's life, bearing secrets of his own.Eventual marriage, return to the states, inevitable estrangement and birth of a daughter pepper their past.Five years later, Virginia and young daughter Evelyn are summoned to Cocoa Beach, Florida with news of Simon's death in a fire at his seaside home.The plot proceeds through a series of convolutions that are intricate but well executed.There are lots of twists and turns and a surprising conclusion.4.5 ★ and highly recommended
    • 3/5
      In the Acknowledgments to her novel, Beatriz Williams admitted that during the writing, it "was proving a Very Troublesome Manuscript. The plot kept growing and transforming, throwing off shoots, like the gothic Florida vegetation itself." She handed it over to her editor whose advice allowed her to finish the book.The finished novel still has too many plots, some of which are unresolved, and too many characters, who make brief appearances and then disappear. Generically it's a rather lurid romance cum mystery cum psychological drama cum historical novel. I will admit the writing and the setting kept me turning pages (hence the 3 stars), but the ending was just too contrived.