I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Summer at Firefly Beach by Jenny Hale Also by this author: Coming Home For Christmas, Summer by the Sea, A Christmas to Remember, The Summer House
Published by Bookouture on 17th June 2019
Genres: Chicklit, Contemporary, Humour, Love & Romance
Pages: 275
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
Goodreads
Bookshop
A totally emotional, gripping page-turner from the bestselling author of The Summer Houseabout the importance of family, re-discovering who you are, and the magic of finding true love under the summer sun. Perfect for fans of Mary Alice Monroe, Nancy Thayer and Susan Mallery.
Hallie Flynn’s favorite place in the world is her great Aunt Clara’s beautiful beachside house, with its inviting wraparound porch and enchanting views across the sparkling turquoise ocean. For Hallie, going to Firefly Beach, filled with magical memories, feels like coming home, but in one moment Hallie is left broken-hearted when her adored Aunt Clara passes away…
As always, Aunt Clara has thought of everything. In her last letter she included a bucket list Hallie wrote as a child, for Hallie to complete. Leaving her dead-end job and predictable schedule, Hallie returns to Firefly beach and embraces Aunt Clara’s words. All the time her childhood best friend Ben Murray, with his golden charm and infuriating ability to be right all the time, is by her side.
Spending the summer with Ben, as they enjoy drinks on the pier and endless talks stretched out in the soft sand, Hallie begins to remember the things that matter most to her. But following the bucket list isn’t an easy journey. It forces her to face the pain of her past as she starts to fall for the person who has been there for her all along...
Just as her heart is healing, an encounter with a newcomer to the beach town, wealthy and talented photographer Gavin Wilson, leaves her questioning her future and shows her she has to make a difficult decision that could mean losing everything.
Will Hallie be able to fulfil Aunt Clara’s last wish and change her life? Or will a secret she’s been keeping destroy her new beginning—and the chance to experience true love?
Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book and for letting me take part in this tour. I am a HUGE fan of Jenny’s work and I love her Summer books as much as her Christmas ones. Its the perfect way to tell the changing of the seasons.
In this story, we follow Hallie Flynn as she tries to cope with the grief of losing her beloved Aunt Clara. But that’s not all that Hallie is trying to cope with. I really liked Hallie. She has a big heart and is such a loving warm character. She has so much love to give. There were so many times I wanted Hallie to just open up to Ben or listen to him but she had to get there in her own way.
Ben is perfect. Oh man.. I fell hard and fast for him. It was clear to me that he has been in love with Hallie since they were children. He clearly adores her and would do absolutely anything for her. He just wants to make her happy. Swoon I just could not get enough of Ben.
Hallie also meets Gavin when she returns to Firefly Beach. He’s been helping out her Uncle and keeping an eye on him since Clara passed. Gavin turns out to be a fantastic friend and mentor to Hallie. He is such a sweet man who has already been through so much. I’m glad they had each other to share their passions.
This book is the perfect beach read but if like me you were stuck in England where it’s raining one minute and bright sunshine the next it’s also perfect for that escape to the beach. Grab a copy and curl up with a nice cup of tea (or Wine! Wine is good) and just escape to the beauty of FireFly Beach!
About Jenny Hale
When I graduated college, one of my friends said, “Look out for this one; she’s going to be an author one day.” Despite being an avid reader and a natural storyteller, it wasn’t until that very moment that the idea of writing novels occurred to me.
Sometimes our friends can see the things that we can’t.
While I didn’t start straight away, that comment sowed a seed and several years, two children, and hundreds of thousands of words later, I completed a novel that I felt was worthy of publication. The result is Coming Home for Christmas, a heart-warming story about friends, family, and the magic of love at Christmas.
I released my second book, Love Me for Me, this past summer, and my next novel, A Christmas to Remember is out now.
When I’m not writing, I’m a District Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages, a mother of two boys, and a wife to a very supportive husband.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
@jhaleauthor Thank you, Emma!