Scan barcode
marselli's review against another edition
2.0
This turned out to be a crazy book, a little in the tradition of Rebecca but set in the far less exotic locale of Brevard county. Sadly the titular town is far weakly fleshed out compared to the lush war time storyline environments. I've never read anything from Beatriz Williams so I didn't know what to expect, but Cocoa Beach is an old haunt so I decided to give it a listen. The audio book is wonderfully performed. A fun take on what I'd pick as "beach read" but not nearly as glamourous as I thought a prohibition era Florida would promise.
mayflowergirl74's review against another edition
4.0
I'll admit, it took me a long while to get into Cocoa Beach. I love Beatriz Williams and her writing and am usually able to figure out the coupling I should be rooting for, but in this one I couldn't and wasn't even sure one man or the other was even a possibility and who was alive and who was dead. It was confusing at times, and Beatriz writes in her author note at the end that she'd switched plots and wasn't sure herself who was going to be the goodie or the baddie and not really deciding this until the end. But it does come together at the end, answering so many questions, making it clear who is good and who is not so good, and giving us the kind of ending I love with her books. If you're a fan of Beatriz Williams and you've seen the lower ratings for this book and don't want to get invested, I'd tell you to give it a go. I believe this may be the last book connecting to the characters we first met in A Certain Age and The Wicked City.
peaknit's review
3.0
Maybe even 2.5 for me, a bummer since I typically enjoy this author. This one was tough to follow as it went on, more and more frantic, there were so many twists and turns and I found myself not really caring what happened but wanted to get to the end.
cassidre's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
jilligin's review
5.0
I loved this book. So twisty! I never knew who it was going to be! Really interesting and well written, but I need to know who the redhead is!!
lamom77's review against another edition
4.0
I love Beatriz Williams stories and her writing style and her formula for twists in her storylines. Unfortunately, this book was a bit of a disappointment as the mystery kept building and building and I was confused as to who was lying or telling the truth just as the main character was throughout, but the conclusion was so vague. We found out who was good and who was bad, but I was frustrated in that there was very little description of what the good guys were doing during most of the book (I am having a hard time explaining this without giving spoilers). Then the epilogue was just what you want, then leaves you on a huge cliffhanger!
One of the things I have always liked about Beatriz Williams's books is that even though there are many connections through the stories, they are all standalone books. But the last few books have left the endings open for more and the more hasn't come yet. I thought this book might give us a glimpse of some of the characters whose stories were left open (i.e. The Wicked City). Maybe it is still coming in her next book. I hope so as I am feeling a little frustrated by the ending of this book.
One of the things I have always liked about Beatriz Williams's books is that even though there are many connections through the stories, they are all standalone books. But the last few books have left the endings open for more and the more hasn't come yet. I thought this book might give us a glimpse of some of the characters whose stories were left open (i.e. The Wicked City). Maybe it is still coming in her next book. I hope so as I am feeling a little frustrated by the ending of this book.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
4.0
The Beatriz Williams we loved for the Shulyer Sisters trilogy is back!
After A Certain Age and The Wicked City, I was a bit wary of this book but I am so glad I gave it a go! This book is everything brilliant about her earlier works. It has the more “European” feel to it and has an interesting cast of characters. There is only one storyline which makes it all the more engaging.
I am looking forward to reading her next book, Summer Wives this summer!
After A Certain Age and The Wicked City, I was a bit wary of this book but I am so glad I gave it a go! This book is everything brilliant about her earlier works. It has the more “European” feel to it and has an interesting cast of characters. There is only one storyline which makes it all the more engaging.
I am looking forward to reading her next book, Summer Wives this summer!
beastreader's review against another edition
3.0
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.
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.
ifyouhappentoremember's review
3.0
2.5
Cocoa Beach is a spinoff/sequel to [b: A Certain Age|25817466|A Certain Age (A Certain Age, #1)|Beatriz Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462516131l/25817466._SY75_.jpg|45583549], the events in this book take place in roughly the same span of time as the last third of A Ceratin Age.
Cocoa Beach starts out intriguing enough. Newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. However, she can not escape the feeling that the circumstances surrounding her husband's death are suspicious. She doesn't believe that her husband, Simon Fitzwilliam, is dead.
This book is messy. It's a story dealing with multiple layers of lies and deception. It gets so convoluted and tedious. By the time I got to the end, I had some logistical questions because the book just sweeps away some events off to the side with a one-sentence explanation.
At least I found this book to be a quick read and mildly entertaining enough. I can't say I recommend this book though.
Cocoa Beach is a spinoff/sequel to [b: A Certain Age|25817466|A Certain Age (A Certain Age, #1)|Beatriz Williams|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1462516131l/25817466._SY75_.jpg|45583549], the events in this book take place in roughly the same span of time as the last third of A Ceratin Age.
Cocoa Beach starts out intriguing enough. Newly widowed Virginia Fitzwilliam arrives in Cocoa Beach, Florida, to settle her husband’s estate. However, she can not escape the feeling that the circumstances surrounding her husband's death are suspicious. She doesn't believe that her husband, Simon Fitzwilliam, is dead.
This book is messy. It's a story dealing with multiple layers of lies and deception. It gets so convoluted and tedious. By the time I got to the end, I had some logistical questions because the book just sweeps away some events off to the side with a one-sentence explanation.
At least I found this book to be a quick read and mildly entertaining enough. I can't say I recommend this book though.
othersimmons's review
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5