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Firefly Beach
When Beth LaMonte rents a cottage on the coast of Maine, she wishes only to withdraw and paint. A mysterious ball of light disturbs her peace and leads her to a secret beach where she finds the diary of a girl who disappeared in 1975. Now Beth is on a mission, not only to bury her own past, but to put to rest the spirit of Firefly Beach. See also Firefly Beach 2009.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2009
432 people are currently reading
3053 people want to read
About the author
Meira Pentermann
6 books44 followersI am an avid reader and author of three novels. I love mysteries, fantasy, young adult, children's, and dystopian science fiction.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 473 reviews
May 18, 2012
LOVED IT!!!
No more crunching numbers....only a serene life filled with painting and relaxing. That is what Beth thought she would find when she moved to Virginia Point Cove.
What she did find was many sad, lonely residents, a very unpleasant landlord, a jeweler who never spoke more than two words, a couple with a nosey wife, and a firefly that talked to her....yes a firefly. The firefly seemed to summon Beth with his wings and body turns. He frightened Beth at first until she realized he must be trying to tell her something and to guide her to where a secret or unknown item may be. She was right, and what Beth was guided to was a diary of a young girl named Katherine who was the daughter of her landlord and who had disappeared thirty-six years ago. As Beth began reading the diary, she became obsessed with finding Katherine. She even used her painting talents to imagine what Katherine looked like.
FIREFLY BEACH has a strong, passionate heroine that you would want for a friend, a town you that you would want to live in, a storyline that will keep you up late, a mystery that must be solved, and characters that are memorable, loving, and different. The characters also were an odd sort and pathetic in their own way, different, but quite remarkable. Beth brought out the good in a few of the characters....a good that helped their lives become better.
I totally enjoyed this book and did stay up late reading. The author used flashbacks very effectively in order to keep the story flowing smoothly. Her exceptional writing style pulled you in and kept up the intrigue. The book has an appealing, unique storyline with an ending that is heartwarming and one that is kept secret until the very last pages. It was a plot with a different twist. The descriptions and detail were superb. These words truly describe the story and the characters: incredible, outstanding, dazzling, marvelous, and touching.
You will love it. A huge firefly rating of 5/5.
ENJOY!!!
* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
No more crunching numbers....only a serene life filled with painting and relaxing. That is what Beth thought she would find when she moved to Virginia Point Cove.
What she did find was many sad, lonely residents, a very unpleasant landlord, a jeweler who never spoke more than two words, a couple with a nosey wife, and a firefly that talked to her....yes a firefly. The firefly seemed to summon Beth with his wings and body turns. He frightened Beth at first until she realized he must be trying to tell her something and to guide her to where a secret or unknown item may be. She was right, and what Beth was guided to was a diary of a young girl named Katherine who was the daughter of her landlord and who had disappeared thirty-six years ago. As Beth began reading the diary, she became obsessed with finding Katherine. She even used her painting talents to imagine what Katherine looked like.
FIREFLY BEACH has a strong, passionate heroine that you would want for a friend, a town you that you would want to live in, a storyline that will keep you up late, a mystery that must be solved, and characters that are memorable, loving, and different. The characters also were an odd sort and pathetic in their own way, different, but quite remarkable. Beth brought out the good in a few of the characters....a good that helped their lives become better.
I totally enjoyed this book and did stay up late reading. The author used flashbacks very effectively in order to keep the story flowing smoothly. Her exceptional writing style pulled you in and kept up the intrigue. The book has an appealing, unique storyline with an ending that is heartwarming and one that is kept secret until the very last pages. It was a plot with a different twist. The descriptions and detail were superb. These words truly describe the story and the characters: incredible, outstanding, dazzling, marvelous, and touching.
You will love it. A huge firefly rating of 5/5.
ENJOY!!!
* Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of Reading Addiction Blog Tours and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by Reading Addiction Blog Tours, no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising
January 16, 2016
Beth is having a terrible time. Her 40th birthday is quickly approaching, her mother died the previous December from a heart attack, right before Christmas, and her husband asked her for a divorce in January.
The divorce was finalized in May, her husband moved out months ago. Beth was boxing up her things to move to an apartment when she came across several paintings. Paintings she had done when she was a junior in high school. She had planned to go to an art college in Boston, maybe moving to a small town in the northeast and painting the rocky coastlines and lighthouses. Sometime her senior year these dreams were forgotten and she went to the University of New Mexico to study economics. She met her husband, got her MBA and moved up the corporate ladder.
There really was nothing keeping her in New Mexico. Is it too late to follow her dreams? She grabs an old atlas, closes her eyes, aims for the east coast and she lands on Virginia Point, Maine. A small town with a population of just over 1500. She spends a couple of days on the internet and finds a cottage to rent. Then she sets off for Maine.
She wants to just be alone and paint but something mysterious changes her plans. The spirit of Firefly Beach takes her on an adventure.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I sat down with this book one night last week. I planned to read just a few chapters before bed. The next thing I knew it was just past 1 a.m. and I had finished the book. The book had me in a trance, time had passed but was actually hours seemed like minutes. I had been tired but don't recall yawning one time. I finished the book and felt refreshed. Yes the clock said go to sleep but my mind was still wrapped up in this story.
Meira's writing has almost a tranquil lyrical flow. The characters are extremely engaging, the mystery creative and the setting idyllic. If you could read a painting this is the story it would tell. The whole story is absolutely magical.
Beth is on a journey, an emotional journey. The people she finds in her path are quirky, lovable, flawed and real. Her character evolves as do all of the others.
I write all about "Escaping Into A Good Book". This is a book that is beyond the perfect escape. Book your passage now, this is a trip you will not want to miss. This book should be on everyone's summer reading list. Escape into Firefly Beach.
The divorce was finalized in May, her husband moved out months ago. Beth was boxing up her things to move to an apartment when she came across several paintings. Paintings she had done when she was a junior in high school. She had planned to go to an art college in Boston, maybe moving to a small town in the northeast and painting the rocky coastlines and lighthouses. Sometime her senior year these dreams were forgotten and she went to the University of New Mexico to study economics. She met her husband, got her MBA and moved up the corporate ladder.
There really was nothing keeping her in New Mexico. Is it too late to follow her dreams? She grabs an old atlas, closes her eyes, aims for the east coast and she lands on Virginia Point, Maine. A small town with a population of just over 1500. She spends a couple of days on the internet and finds a cottage to rent. Then she sets off for Maine.
She wants to just be alone and paint but something mysterious changes her plans. The spirit of Firefly Beach takes her on an adventure.
Dollycas's Thoughts
I sat down with this book one night last week. I planned to read just a few chapters before bed. The next thing I knew it was just past 1 a.m. and I had finished the book. The book had me in a trance, time had passed but was actually hours seemed like minutes. I had been tired but don't recall yawning one time. I finished the book and felt refreshed. Yes the clock said go to sleep but my mind was still wrapped up in this story.
Meira's writing has almost a tranquil lyrical flow. The characters are extremely engaging, the mystery creative and the setting idyllic. If you could read a painting this is the story it would tell. The whole story is absolutely magical.
Beth is on a journey, an emotional journey. The people she finds in her path are quirky, lovable, flawed and real. Her character evolves as do all of the others.
I write all about "Escaping Into A Good Book". This is a book that is beyond the perfect escape. Book your passage now, this is a trip you will not want to miss. This book should be on everyone's summer reading list. Escape into Firefly Beach.
June 18, 2016
When Beth Lamonte moves away from her old life and rents a house on the coast of Virginia, she encounters a bright firefly that will change her life. At first she thinks she's crazy, then she becomes curious and then her adventure begins. Beth finds herself being lead down the path of young girls life who disappeared from the house she is renting 20 years ago. As the story unfolds Beth starts to feel free from her old anchors and connects to parts of herself that make her whole and hopeful of her life ahead. A good cozy, mystery with interesting characters.
July 27, 2012
This book was not what I expected it to be. Frankly, I expected it to be a murder mystery. What I got was a lethargic story about a generic heroine digging up the past.
The first problem I had with the book was the way in which things were described. The author literally tells us what color AWNING every building on a street is, in order, and describes to us the people - irrelevant people - in a store the main character is not even inside of. It is laborious, almost as if the author just wanted to make chapters longer.
Secondly, Beth is the plainest character. She is wrapped in all the cliches of chick lit. 30 something, experiencing a midlife crisis, no romantic life, a failed marriage, a parent deceased before their time, and a poor relationship with her mother. And then you come to find out she lost her virginity in an unsatisfying way, got knocked up (women in chick lit get knocked up when a man LOOKS at them, I swear), and, guess what, got an abortion. Everyone in chick lit gets an abortion.
The supporting characters fell flat - some were one-dimensional. Mary and Abigail had some truly tedious interaction. Saccharine-sweet gossips, a caricature of small-town life, interspersed with inevitable mother-daughter squabbles - all of which is supposed to be endearing, I'm sure. It is not.
Other characters were not so much one-dimensional as cell-shaded. The book presents to us what Kenny appears to be as well as his Tragic Past with heavy hands, artlessly telling us "He acts this way because of X, Y, and Z." Firefly Beach is MADE of exposition. It would have been a lot easier to take if it had simply implemented true flashbacks.
In theory, Beth is supposed to have undergone some kind of existential transformation - the book literally calls it a "spiritual journey", I believe - but I'm not buying it. All that Beth really does is realize she was a bitch to her mother, it's stupid to blame her father for dying, and start to actually care about something again, even if it is two people she never met. All of it seems very tidy, though. Sure, a ghost/muse/whatever has to taunt her for a while to get there, but in the end all it really takes for Beth to be reborn is to break down sobbing in a forest after finding a dead body... in a way that struck me as childish and disturbed, unlike any emotional display I've ever seen or heard of... And of course, it occurs with Kenny right there to be of comfort. While the book never officially "goes there", it is obvious the two are moving towards some kind of romantic relationship, which was an offensively obvious and convenient outcome pretty much from their first painfully awkward interaction.
In all this I almost forgot what might be one of my BIGGEST problems with the book: Katherine's diary. Or rather, Katherine. It boggles my mind that the author thinks this is what a teenager's diary sounds like. It was reminiscent of how 13 year old girls are depicted in commercials for comedy. Katherine was supposed to be 17 when she wrote the diary - yet she insists that she is "seventeen and a HALF" and calls her crush "Mr. Cutie-Pie." Repeatedly. It was insufferable, and offended me on behalf of teenagers everywhere.
Minor gripes:
- It is NOT that easy to sell paintings. Good grief. The term starving artist exists for a reason.
- The chapter titles were so pretentious and unnecessary. They bothered me a lot.
My one big relief:
- Beth and Susie are not the same person. I was truly concerned that this book was going to have an absurd yet predictable twist that Beth's mother wasn't biologically related, and Katherine was really her mother. Thank GOD, this did not happen.
In short, it was just poorly written. The elements of a good story were there, but they needed to be handled with much more subtlety and thoroughness than the author was willing to expend.
The first problem I had with the book was the way in which things were described. The author literally tells us what color AWNING every building on a street is, in order, and describes to us the people - irrelevant people - in a store the main character is not even inside of. It is laborious, almost as if the author just wanted to make chapters longer.
Secondly, Beth is the plainest character. She is wrapped in all the cliches of chick lit. 30 something, experiencing a midlife crisis, no romantic life, a failed marriage, a parent deceased before their time, and a poor relationship with her mother. And then you come to find out she lost her virginity in an unsatisfying way, got knocked up (women in chick lit get knocked up when a man LOOKS at them, I swear), and, guess what, got an abortion. Everyone in chick lit gets an abortion.
The supporting characters fell flat - some were one-dimensional. Mary and Abigail had some truly tedious interaction. Saccharine-sweet gossips, a caricature of small-town life, interspersed with inevitable mother-daughter squabbles - all of which is supposed to be endearing, I'm sure. It is not.
Other characters were not so much one-dimensional as cell-shaded. The book presents to us what Kenny appears to be as well as his Tragic Past with heavy hands, artlessly telling us "He acts this way because of X, Y, and Z." Firefly Beach is MADE of exposition. It would have been a lot easier to take if it had simply implemented true flashbacks.
In theory, Beth is supposed to have undergone some kind of existential transformation - the book literally calls it a "spiritual journey", I believe - but I'm not buying it. All that Beth really does is realize she was a bitch to her mother, it's stupid to blame her father for dying, and start to actually care about something again, even if it is two people she never met. All of it seems very tidy, though. Sure, a ghost/muse/whatever has to taunt her for a while to get there, but in the end all it really takes for Beth to be reborn is to break down sobbing in a forest after finding a dead body... in a way that struck me as childish and disturbed, unlike any emotional display I've ever seen or heard of... And of course, it occurs with Kenny right there to be of comfort. While the book never officially "goes there", it is obvious the two are moving towards some kind of romantic relationship, which was an offensively obvious and convenient outcome pretty much from their first painfully awkward interaction.
In all this I almost forgot what might be one of my BIGGEST problems with the book: Katherine's diary. Or rather, Katherine. It boggles my mind that the author thinks this is what a teenager's diary sounds like. It was reminiscent of how 13 year old girls are depicted in commercials for comedy. Katherine was supposed to be 17 when she wrote the diary - yet she insists that she is "seventeen and a HALF" and calls her crush "Mr. Cutie-Pie." Repeatedly. It was insufferable, and offended me on behalf of teenagers everywhere.
Minor gripes:
- It is NOT that easy to sell paintings. Good grief. The term starving artist exists for a reason.
- The chapter titles were so pretentious and unnecessary. They bothered me a lot.
My one big relief:
- Beth and Susie are not the same person. I was truly concerned that this book was going to have an absurd yet predictable twist that Beth's mother wasn't biologically related, and Katherine was really her mother. Thank GOD, this did not happen.
In short, it was just poorly written. The elements of a good story were there, but they needed to be handled with much more subtlety and thoroughness than the author was willing to expend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2015
I wasn't sure that I was going to get past the main character talking to a "firefly" or to herself, but somehow I managed to overlook this to find out the answers to the mystery.
January 18, 2013
The synopsis doesn't do this book justice. It is an emotional tale, and quite the journey for more than just Beth and the Firefly. This was one of those "deal of the day" ebook emails I get, and it seemed interesting enough to give a try. Honestly, the first 25% of the book didn't quite keep my attention, the author had a way of overly describing the scenery (but I skimmed thru that).
Once Beth starts reading the diary, my attention was hooked 100%. The journey isn't only about the Firefly, it's about Beth (and in some small part Kenny), and Katherine's father. Everyone has a past, not always one we are proud of, and sometimes want to escape from. Decisions are made, sometimes you can correct them, sometimes you just have to move on. But sometimes you can make it right. Beth becomes obsessed with making it right, with finding out what happened to the girl in the diary and along the way journeyed thru her own regrets to find closure with her own past. This book is sweet, charming, and completely lovable. I really enjoyed it.
Once Beth starts reading the diary, my attention was hooked 100%. The journey isn't only about the Firefly, it's about Beth (and in some small part Kenny), and Katherine's father. Everyone has a past, not always one we are proud of, and sometimes want to escape from. Decisions are made, sometimes you can correct them, sometimes you just have to move on. But sometimes you can make it right. Beth becomes obsessed with making it right, with finding out what happened to the girl in the diary and along the way journeyed thru her own regrets to find closure with her own past. This book is sweet, charming, and completely lovable. I really enjoyed it.
July 26, 2015
Okay right off we are informed that Beth has an anxiety problem. But seriously...I think she had something more going on. I mean she was constantly getting scared, or overly mad or upset about something stupid. It was really strange reading her reaction to basically a situation involving nothing.
For ex: when Mary's talking to her about her being a non resident of the area. Beth's response, "People don't want me here? Will they threaten me?" Seriously Beth? Paranoid much?
Or her reactions to the firefly? To where it shows up in front of her and she screams for 30 seconds. ? That long for a light? It might not sound that long just reading it but hearing it is another story.
Or how the author always has to say the exact time with everything. That just annoyed me. I mean I like to know what time of day stuff is going on but '9:31 am' or '5:46 pm' isn't necessary. When the times are mentioned like whenever Beth is doing something, a bit much.
Or her getting mad when she finds out how much she'll be likely getting for her paintings? $250. I don't know what to say about Beth, she should be thankful for what she's getting considering she's just starting out in a small town.
Some stupid/strange things the author comes up with or mentioned:
1. How Beth couldn't remember her 11th or 12th b-days. Um, I'm 32 and I can't remember them either.
2. Beth driving around looking for where Kathrine might have gone. Yes, she found the accident but still. Common sense should have told her that after all that time, she wasn't likely to find anything. And when she does she thinks that suicide would explain the car accident? Huh?
3. Speaking for the length of time, that being 35 years, the young detective asks Kathrine's father where he was the exact day Kathrine disappeared. Yes that might be standard procedure but seriously? It's been 35 years!! And he wants to know where Rod was November 13th 1977? I'm sure that would be an easy question for anyone.
4. There was still obvious glass on the ground around the car. Um...with the reader being told that the car isn't really intact anymore, there's trees and plants and whatnot all growing around and through it, would it really be that easy to see the ground? Much less to notice glass on it? Doubtful.
5. Why is the world did Beth take a bath with Kathrine's ducks? Can you say weirdo?
6. Beth finds it weird that she's never known where she was conceived? hahahahaha Really? I'm sure most people don't know.
7. Jennifer is introduced to Rod, and he invites her for a ride on his boat. She looks down at her pantyhose....okay? Why would she have to take them off? I didn't get that.
8. The whole thing where Beth is comparing her life to Kathrine's, stupid! What the hell is wrong is Beth? There's more than anxiety with her. Sorry but any girl who has sex with a guy just so he likes her, even though she doesn't like being with him? Making herself available because he makes her feel wanted? Just stupid! Sorry but I don't feel sorry for someone like that.
9. Beth guesses Lou to be around mid 60's. On that assumption, a reader would think that Mary was probably around the same, say around 60. Then her mother Abigail would be around 80? Yet both characters talk and act like they're a lot younger. It just didn't match up for me.
Awnings, Awnings, Awnings. Need I say more? Besides...did the author get bored or suddenly go crazy with having to describe all those awnings? Actually she pretty much did the same thing when Beth is looking for the Bottomless Blue. Or Kathrine's diary entries. Again over detailing/describing.
In the end, details. Details. Details. Obviously details are a good thing, helps the reader imagine people and places. But there is such a thing as WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL. That was what the author did for this story. And FYI for the author, informing the reader that Beth is using a low level light is sufficient enough. The extra detail I mentioned before, that would have been when you informed us that it was a 25 watt bulb.
Needless to say, this book was SOOOOO BORING!!! I feel strange that there are so many good/high reviews. I just don't get it. I can only imagine that the rest of the people aren't reading very adventurous type books? IDK. This one just feel flat for me. I could have stopped at anytime, not caring what happened to anyone and been fine with it. Sadly, I don't like not finishing a book. Just a recap: I HATED THIS BOOK! There was nothing redeeming about it.
For ex: when Mary's talking to her about her being a non resident of the area. Beth's response, "People don't want me here? Will they threaten me?" Seriously Beth? Paranoid much?
Or her reactions to the firefly? To where it shows up in front of her and she screams for 30 seconds. ? That long for a light? It might not sound that long just reading it but hearing it is another story.
Or how the author always has to say the exact time with everything. That just annoyed me. I mean I like to know what time of day stuff is going on but '9:31 am' or '5:46 pm' isn't necessary. When the times are mentioned like whenever Beth is doing something, a bit much.
Or her getting mad when she finds out how much she'll be likely getting for her paintings? $250. I don't know what to say about Beth, she should be thankful for what she's getting considering she's just starting out in a small town.
Some stupid/strange things the author comes up with or mentioned:
1. How Beth couldn't remember her 11th or 12th b-days. Um, I'm 32 and I can't remember them either.
2. Beth driving around looking for where Kathrine might have gone. Yes, she found the accident but still. Common sense should have told her that after all that time, she wasn't likely to find anything. And when she does she thinks that suicide would explain the car accident? Huh?
3. Speaking for the length of time, that being 35 years, the young detective asks Kathrine's father where he was the exact day Kathrine disappeared. Yes that might be standard procedure but seriously? It's been 35 years!! And he wants to know where Rod was November 13th 1977? I'm sure that would be an easy question for anyone.
4. There was still obvious glass on the ground around the car. Um...with the reader being told that the car isn't really intact anymore, there's trees and plants and whatnot all growing around and through it, would it really be that easy to see the ground? Much less to notice glass on it? Doubtful.
5. Why is the world did Beth take a bath with Kathrine's ducks? Can you say weirdo?
6. Beth finds it weird that she's never known where she was conceived? hahahahaha Really? I'm sure most people don't know.
7. Jennifer is introduced to Rod, and he invites her for a ride on his boat. She looks down at her pantyhose....okay? Why would she have to take them off? I didn't get that.
8. The whole thing where Beth is comparing her life to Kathrine's, stupid! What the hell is wrong is Beth? There's more than anxiety with her. Sorry but any girl who has sex with a guy just so he likes her, even though she doesn't like being with him? Making herself available because he makes her feel wanted? Just stupid! Sorry but I don't feel sorry for someone like that.
9. Beth guesses Lou to be around mid 60's. On that assumption, a reader would think that Mary was probably around the same, say around 60. Then her mother Abigail would be around 80? Yet both characters talk and act like they're a lot younger. It just didn't match up for me.
Awnings, Awnings, Awnings. Need I say more? Besides...did the author get bored or suddenly go crazy with having to describe all those awnings? Actually she pretty much did the same thing when Beth is looking for the Bottomless Blue. Or Kathrine's diary entries. Again over detailing/describing.
In the end, details. Details. Details. Obviously details are a good thing, helps the reader imagine people and places. But there is such a thing as WAY TOO MUCH DETAIL. That was what the author did for this story. And FYI for the author, informing the reader that Beth is using a low level light is sufficient enough. The extra detail I mentioned before, that would have been when you informed us that it was a 25 watt bulb.
Needless to say, this book was SOOOOO BORING!!! I feel strange that there are so many good/high reviews. I just don't get it. I can only imagine that the rest of the people aren't reading very adventurous type books? IDK. This one just feel flat for me. I could have stopped at anytime, not caring what happened to anyone and been fine with it. Sadly, I don't like not finishing a book. Just a recap: I HATED THIS BOOK! There was nothing redeeming about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2012
When Beth Lamonte was a junior in high school she had cherished the dream of going on to an art college in Boston after graduating high school. She wanted to live of off her paintings, selling the shoreline and lighthouses paintings that she adored doing. But somehow along the road to adulthood, reality and a need for order and money intervened and she took a scholarship in New Mexico and earned her CPA. After time she believed this to be her true calling and her paintings where packed away and forgotten. She married, worked harder, smiled less and less and then one day, it was all over.
With the loss of all she had come to hold dear, Beth knows she has been given a second chance. Picking a new home was as easy as using a pin, closing her eyes and going to the town closest to the pin. Virginia Point, Maine has roughly 1500 residents, 1501 counting Beth. She has rented an old cottage by the shore owned by Rod Thompson, found a place to sell her art work in town and is so ready for a new start!
On her first night in the old cottage, she sees a lone firefly dancing. As she sleeps, she is troubled by disjointed dreams involving her long dead father. When she sees the firefly a second time she has a feeling of dread wash over her, and tries hard to hide from what she keeps telling herself is a firefly, but she is wrong.
The firefly keeps trying to get Beth to follow it to a very secluded beautiful beach. As Beth has become accustomed to the firefly and suspects it is more than just a regular firefly, when it again wants Beth to follow, she finally does. In the beautiful cove, wrapped in several layers of plastic Beth finds a book. It is what the firefly has been pushing her towards all along. Beth continues to have troubling dreams.
In a town full of eccentrics, including local jeweler Kenny McLeary and Lou and Mary Schmidt, owner/operators of The Virginia Point Cove Bed and Breakfast, Beth is finding it hard open up to people and ask questions. Now that she has the book, if she wants to find out anything about it she will need to.
The book turns out to be a diary, Katherine's diary. While Beth at first has no luck finding anything out about Katherine or the diary, she soon finds herself embroiled in a decades old mystery, one with very sinister undertones.
The author paints a very vivid picture of the main coast, the vastly changing and fluidity of the ocean and the wonderful gardens at The Cove. The characters are that wonderful mix of eccentrics often found in small artistic towns. The story at times ran a little slow, but was none the less a great little read. An adult coming of age, with mystery, a touch of romance and the acceptance one can find within oneself.
With the loss of all she had come to hold dear, Beth knows she has been given a second chance. Picking a new home was as easy as using a pin, closing her eyes and going to the town closest to the pin. Virginia Point, Maine has roughly 1500 residents, 1501 counting Beth. She has rented an old cottage by the shore owned by Rod Thompson, found a place to sell her art work in town and is so ready for a new start!
On her first night in the old cottage, she sees a lone firefly dancing. As she sleeps, she is troubled by disjointed dreams involving her long dead father. When she sees the firefly a second time she has a feeling of dread wash over her, and tries hard to hide from what she keeps telling herself is a firefly, but she is wrong.
The firefly keeps trying to get Beth to follow it to a very secluded beautiful beach. As Beth has become accustomed to the firefly and suspects it is more than just a regular firefly, when it again wants Beth to follow, she finally does. In the beautiful cove, wrapped in several layers of plastic Beth finds a book. It is what the firefly has been pushing her towards all along. Beth continues to have troubling dreams.
In a town full of eccentrics, including local jeweler Kenny McLeary and Lou and Mary Schmidt, owner/operators of The Virginia Point Cove Bed and Breakfast, Beth is finding it hard open up to people and ask questions. Now that she has the book, if she wants to find out anything about it she will need to.
The book turns out to be a diary, Katherine's diary. While Beth at first has no luck finding anything out about Katherine or the diary, she soon finds herself embroiled in a decades old mystery, one with very sinister undertones.
The author paints a very vivid picture of the main coast, the vastly changing and fluidity of the ocean and the wonderful gardens at The Cove. The characters are that wonderful mix of eccentrics often found in small artistic towns. The story at times ran a little slow, but was none the less a great little read. An adult coming of age, with mystery, a touch of romance and the acceptance one can find within oneself.
August 12, 2012
I am apologizing in advance for this horrible review I am going to write. I have a sinus infection that will not go away.
During the first chapter this book will just wow the reader. I had a very hard time putting this book down. It was simply amazing. Luckily I got to read this book before I got sick. Since being sick, I have not wanted to read anything. My brain just cannot concentrate on the words or the plot.
This book has one main character and several minor main characters. The main character is Beth. She is a recent divorcee who is moving to a new area to start over and pursue a career as an artist. From the description Beth sounds like a person that would be a witch to work under. She is a former CPA who loved to go over all the accounts looking for errors. Granted in numbers and accounts there is no room for error but we as humans make errors. That is what makes us human. Errors, mistakes, or accidents are just part of life.
Somewhere along the way Beth decides to paint. I have wondered if Beth was painting in oils or watercolors. I guess that is something left up to the reader to decide. If I get to pick then I choose oils. Oil based paint have more vibrant colors in my opinion.
Somehow Beth see’s a firefly or what she believes is a firefly. This firefly is trying to communicate with Beth. However they are having a hard time understanding each other.
Okay if you follow this blog much you will know I always talk about the book. However I talk more about how much I enjoyed the book and how I related to the book. Well this is the part where I have to stop describing the book. If I do not stop I will give away spoilers and I hate spoilers in a review.
This book should be a must read for everyone. There is some romance in this book but it is on the very back burner. It is not the main focus/plot of the book.
This book is very well written with a plot that grabs the reader and refuses to release. I will admit that I could not decide who I cheered for more Beth or the Firefly.
Take an extra 2-3 days or even a week and read this amazing book. The bunnies loved it as much as I did.
Thanks for an amazing read Meira.
The bunnies and I give this book 5 carrots. (Sorry to tired to find my carrot rating photo).
During the first chapter this book will just wow the reader. I had a very hard time putting this book down. It was simply amazing. Luckily I got to read this book before I got sick. Since being sick, I have not wanted to read anything. My brain just cannot concentrate on the words or the plot.
This book has one main character and several minor main characters. The main character is Beth. She is a recent divorcee who is moving to a new area to start over and pursue a career as an artist. From the description Beth sounds like a person that would be a witch to work under. She is a former CPA who loved to go over all the accounts looking for errors. Granted in numbers and accounts there is no room for error but we as humans make errors. That is what makes us human. Errors, mistakes, or accidents are just part of life.
Somewhere along the way Beth decides to paint. I have wondered if Beth was painting in oils or watercolors. I guess that is something left up to the reader to decide. If I get to pick then I choose oils. Oil based paint have more vibrant colors in my opinion.
Somehow Beth see’s a firefly or what she believes is a firefly. This firefly is trying to communicate with Beth. However they are having a hard time understanding each other.
Okay if you follow this blog much you will know I always talk about the book. However I talk more about how much I enjoyed the book and how I related to the book. Well this is the part where I have to stop describing the book. If I do not stop I will give away spoilers and I hate spoilers in a review.
This book should be a must read for everyone. There is some romance in this book but it is on the very back burner. It is not the main focus/plot of the book.
This book is very well written with a plot that grabs the reader and refuses to release. I will admit that I could not decide who I cheered for more Beth or the Firefly.
Take an extra 2-3 days or even a week and read this amazing book. The bunnies loved it as much as I did.
Thanks for an amazing read Meira.
The bunnies and I give this book 5 carrots. (Sorry to tired to find my carrot rating photo).
February 10, 2013
This book desperately needed an editor to clean up clunky and repetitive language and suggest some cuts for the often draggy and too long description. The timeline of the story was implausible and while there was growth in the character, it was a little stilted. The storyline was fine and has potential, and I did finish it. I analyzed as I read, however, and was not swept away by the story at any point.
June 8, 2012
Firely Beach is a story of a lonely divorced woman Beth, who decides to leave her former life after the death of her mother and move to the coast of Maine. There she rents a cottage and wants nothing more than to paint and maybe make a living while she is at it. That does not happen though at first because on her first night she sees a light that she thinks is just a firefly. It is not a firefly though but an other worldly entity. After she finally figures out what the light wants of her, she follows it to a hidden beach and there she finds hidden away, a diary. As she reads this diary she is determined to find out more of the writer of this diary. What happened to her, where is she and is she still alive?? These are questions that Beth is eager to answer. Along the way she meets some very interesting people in the town. As I was reading this novel I was as eager as Beth to find out what happened to the writer of the diary. It is an emotional story of heartbreak, lost love and doing the right thing. The author's writing is such that I was pulled right into the story.I enjoyed this book very much and read it in two sittings. A definite must read. I give it 5 stars.!!
July 19, 2012
This is one of those books where I finished and thought, "Wait, was that the climax?" The characters just didn't interest me, so I felt pretty uninspired to follow or care about their stories. By no means was the book poorly written, but it was just a bit...bland.
February 20, 2014
It has been a while since I have read a really good paranormal cozy mystery book! Because that what "Firefly Beach" was: a really good and awesome book!
The main character of the book, Beth LaMonte, decides to move on with her life after she goes through the divorce with her husband, and so she moves to the coast of Maine where she wants to start her life again and also concentrate on painting.
The place she moves to is a welcoming one, having both kind folks but also strange ones.
Beth's confort is disturbed when a mysterious light starts appearing near the forest she can see through her window and it deepens when the strange so called firefly leads Beth to a long forgotten disappearance.
After countless strugles Beth decides to solve the mystery that lies behind the secrets that she discovered, having at times the help of Mary and Kenny, the people she got most close to.
The ending of the book is a really nice one, fact that made me happy since many books do not have these kinds of endings anymore.
I really liked how the author created some kind of a bond between Beth and Katherine, the one whom the secret revolves around. While digging deeper in the past, Beth is also remembering her own past and also making connections about things she discovers and things she needs to let go of.
I can say that I really enjoyed the book of Pentermann, and at times I felt like in a movie or a game in which the protagonist investigated every person that could have been related to the secret on which the plot is centered.
I also loved the fact that Beth liked to paint and I was amused of the moments when she kept missing the sunrises and sunsets which she needed to use in her paintings.
I am not a big fan of some books that include paragraphs in which there are many descriptions of the surroundings that might not help the protagonist in any way, but I can not say that I have not enjoyed the author's way of writing because I did! I focused on every little paragraph and I imagined how the places around Beth looked and also the people. The secret place of Beth and the forest were some of the best!
It was interesting to see characters evolving, not only Beth but also of some secondary characters.
The cover of the book is also wonderful and it really suits it since it is a painting and Beth love to paint(and so do I)!
Quotes:
The main character of the book, Beth LaMonte, decides to move on with her life after she goes through the divorce with her husband, and so she moves to the coast of Maine where she wants to start her life again and also concentrate on painting.
The place she moves to is a welcoming one, having both kind folks but also strange ones.
Beth's confort is disturbed when a mysterious light starts appearing near the forest she can see through her window and it deepens when the strange so called firefly leads Beth to a long forgotten disappearance.
After countless strugles Beth decides to solve the mystery that lies behind the secrets that she discovered, having at times the help of Mary and Kenny, the people she got most close to.
The ending of the book is a really nice one, fact that made me happy since many books do not have these kinds of endings anymore.
I really liked how the author created some kind of a bond between Beth and Katherine, the one whom the secret revolves around. While digging deeper in the past, Beth is also remembering her own past and also making connections about things she discovers and things she needs to let go of.
I can say that I really enjoyed the book of Pentermann, and at times I felt like in a movie or a game in which the protagonist investigated every person that could have been related to the secret on which the plot is centered.
I also loved the fact that Beth liked to paint and I was amused of the moments when she kept missing the sunrises and sunsets which she needed to use in her paintings.
I am not a big fan of some books that include paragraphs in which there are many descriptions of the surroundings that might not help the protagonist in any way, but I can not say that I have not enjoyed the author's way of writing because I did! I focused on every little paragraph and I imagined how the places around Beth looked and also the people. The secret place of Beth and the forest were some of the best!
It was interesting to see characters evolving, not only Beth but also of some secondary characters.
The cover of the book is also wonderful and it really suits it since it is a painting and Beth love to paint(and so do I)!
Quotes:
"It seemed preposterous in the sobriety of day, but she gazed out the window toward the forest and tentatively wondered wheter or not there was a secret beach hidden by the rocky cliff. A thin layer of fog lingered in the forest; wispy tentacles slithered in and around the trees."
"After gazing at the painting for several minutes, she decided she had earned a break.
The twilight bathed the living room in a warm glow. Beth fetched the diary and sat on the couch. She had recovered from her brief brush with the past, and she was eager to learn more about the captivating girl. She flipped through the diary to find her place. Then she pulled her legs up under her bottom, leaned on the arm of the couch, and read."
November 11, 2014
This seems like a crazy-high rating for a free book I picked up on Book Bub and decided to read on a whim. I was sort of in between books, although I had officially started my next book club pick, which is non-fiction. I just wasn't gaga over it and felt like I needed something light to read in between. So I put it down and picked up this little gem. It engaged me from the very beginning. Not sure if it would win any awards for writing, but I thought it had a great plot and good characters. The setting is a small coastal town in Maine, which seemed very picturesque and even tranquil. This book was truly a little escape! It was a super quick read and very enjoyable! I would call this a perfect summer read!
April 25, 2013
Beth moves from AZ to Maine. From married. From number cruncher to artist, painter. from emotionally bound and exhausted thru curious and angry to resolution.
This is a wonderful mystery.
Our heroine not only finds the facts and finds resolution for her own past, she helps others along their way, and reunites family members.
Abigail is my favorite character. Older woman. Meeting people's needs. Selling Kennys jewelry creations in FL. Pulling Rod into the circle gathered at the graveside. Loving people and caring about them beyond their faults. a Good listener.
This is a wonderful mystery.
Our heroine not only finds the facts and finds resolution for her own past, she helps others along their way, and reunites family members.
Abigail is my favorite character. Older woman. Meeting people's needs. Selling Kennys jewelry creations in FL. Pulling Rod into the circle gathered at the graveside. Loving people and caring about them beyond their faults. a Good listener.
April 1, 2013
Firefly Beach, kept me riveted to my kindle. The story revolves around Beth, a recently divorced woman who has moved across the country for a new start. She is not prepared for the new start that finds her. With the help of a supernatural and very persistent firefly, she will face off with a troubling past, hers and others in her new hometown. Anyone who likes mysteries, coming of age stories and self-discovery stories will enjoy this story.
Pamela Jo
Pamela Jo
August 14, 2013
Comparable to my favorite tea, Russian Caravan, the story is smokey, aromatic, full-bodied and utterly delicious from the first sip—or page--to the last. Evoking a melancholy mood, mystery and a sense of upheaval, Firefly Beach equally engenders a calmness that permeates the pages no matter the action.
January 19, 2020
It took me a bit to get into the story when it seemed that a firefly was trying to communicate with Beth, the main character. Once I allowed myself to accept the paranormal possibilities, I actually found myself enjoying the book. Beth was a hard-driving and successful executive whose marriage to another hard-driving exec fell apart and she has moved to a small town in Maine to attempt to make a living as a painter (a lifelong dream). As expected, she meets interesting characters including crotchety people who may turn out to be not so bad in the long run. The book includes Beth attempting to solve a decades old mystery which had some interesting twists and turns. I enjoyed it.
July 6, 2019
Good book
I enjoyed this book very much. Loved the mystery and Maine them too. I would definitely recommend this book for a good summer read!
I enjoyed this book very much. Loved the mystery and Maine them too. I would definitely recommend this book for a good summer read!
July 15, 2025
I didnt think id like a book like this. the main character navigated her loneliness after a divorce and grieved the loss of a stranger she didnt know and in turn helped her grieve her dad's death. all thanks to a firefly that only she could see 😉
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2012
Beth LaMonte is in an emotional turmoil. Her beloved mother passes away and then her husband leaves her. She needs time to be on her own and away from her troubles. She pursues her dream of being an artist and rents a cottage on the coast of Maine. It appears to be the perfect place for peace and quiet, but she soon learns that’s not to be.
The townspeople are definitely an eccentric group. Her landlord is the town grouch, the jeweler is a recluse and her new friend is the local gossip. Then there’s the firefly…yes, a firefly who is desperate to make a connection with Beth. The bright light seems to be leading Beth on a mission which takes her to a secret beach. She discovers a hidden diary belonging to a woman who went missing in 1975. Beth becomes so obsessed with the young girl’s story that she sets out to learn what became of the woman.
Beth begins to unravel the story and even learns a few things about herself along the way. This story takes us on a journey using flashbacks from 1975 and mixing it into the present day.
At first I wasn’t sure I would like Beth. She seemed to be wrapped up in her own issues and oblivious to anyone else’s. Then, when she begins delving into the mystery, she grew as a person and readers began to understand her more. I became fascinated with this story and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s not often that I will stay up late to read a book, but I had to know how this was all going to turn out.
This is a great beach read with some heartbreaking moments along with some happy ones. It’s a fast read and the author’s writing is so smooth, each word flows beautifully on each page. Readers will truly care about the characters and their outcome.
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
The townspeople are definitely an eccentric group. Her landlord is the town grouch, the jeweler is a recluse and her new friend is the local gossip. Then there’s the firefly…yes, a firefly who is desperate to make a connection with Beth. The bright light seems to be leading Beth on a mission which takes her to a secret beach. She discovers a hidden diary belonging to a woman who went missing in 1975. Beth becomes so obsessed with the young girl’s story that she sets out to learn what became of the woman.
Beth begins to unravel the story and even learns a few things about herself along the way. This story takes us on a journey using flashbacks from 1975 and mixing it into the present day.
At first I wasn’t sure I would like Beth. She seemed to be wrapped up in her own issues and oblivious to anyone else’s. Then, when she begins delving into the mystery, she grew as a person and readers began to understand her more. I became fascinated with this story and I couldn’t stop reading. It’s not often that I will stay up late to read a book, but I had to know how this was all going to turn out.
This is a great beach read with some heartbreaking moments along with some happy ones. It’s a fast read and the author’s writing is so smooth, each word flows beautifully on each page. Readers will truly care about the characters and their outcome.
FTC Disclosure: The author provided me with a copy of this book to review. This did not influence my thoughts and opinions in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
November 15, 2013
Newly divorced accountant Beth leaves the world of stress and numbers behind, moving to Maine to pursue her dream of becoming an artist. As she settles into her rented cottage, she begins to become acquainted with the colorful residents of Virginia Point Cove, each with his or her own set of eccentricities and foibles. No sooner does she move in than Beth finds herself with a strange new "friend", which she at first takes to be a firefly but then realizes it's a strange little orb of light that can zip around a great speed and travel through solid windows and walls. The orb leads her to a secluded beach, where she discovers a diary hidden away amongst the rocks of the cliff face. Soon Beth is intent upon finding the girl, a woman now, who hid the book away before she disappeared from town. She will not be able to settle comfortably into her new life until that happens. It seems likely that there will be a sequel, since when Beth and the handsome craftsman living in town team up to solve the mystery together, a deeper relationship seems afoot.
Firefly Beach is perhaps most suited in its simplicity to a young adult audience.
Firefly Beach is perhaps most suited in its simplicity to a young adult audience.
June 11, 2015
Let me preface this review with this fact: I got this book free from Amazon; my expectations were quite low. While the language used was technically ok, it seemed like it was trying too hard...it was as if the author spent too much time with a thesaurus, and some of her word choices were mildly awkward.
However, the storyline was somewhat endearing; it kept me up late at night to see what would happen next. It wasn't the most gripping story, and again, the language was a bit over the top, but for a free book, it far exceeded my expectations - I often don't expect to want to finish the books that are "temporarily free" on kindle.
Two sentence synopsis: nearly 40 yo woman escapes a well-paid comfortable career after divorce to pursue her dream of being an artist in coastal Maine. Her new landlord's family history comes to light throughout the first month of her stay in his cottage through some mildly supernatural occurrences and coincidences that include deep dark secrets, teenage romances, disappointments, misunderstandings, revelations, police investigations, and closure.
However, the storyline was somewhat endearing; it kept me up late at night to see what would happen next. It wasn't the most gripping story, and again, the language was a bit over the top, but for a free book, it far exceeded my expectations - I often don't expect to want to finish the books that are "temporarily free" on kindle.
Two sentence synopsis: nearly 40 yo woman escapes a well-paid comfortable career after divorce to pursue her dream of being an artist in coastal Maine. Her new landlord's family history comes to light throughout the first month of her stay in his cottage through some mildly supernatural occurrences and coincidences that include deep dark secrets, teenage romances, disappointments, misunderstandings, revelations, police investigations, and closure.
October 25, 2015
Beth LaMonte moves to Virginia Point, Maine to make a new start in her life. Her mother's recent death followed by her husband of 16 years divorcing her and a job that was unrewarding emotionally have all spurred her to move on with her life. In Virginia Point Beth easily makes friends with most of her neighbors. She has a supernatural experience when a firefly leads her to a secluded beach that hides a long ago secret. Beth makes this "secret" her own in that she attempts to find out what happened. Beth's determination is one of the things I liked most about this book. She just doesn't let go, even though she is told to do so by several people to do so. Or rather the firefly won't let her go; constantly reminding her as though calling to her and she dreams of the mystery she feels compelled to explore. Her search and discovery also lead to a cathartic letting go of her own pain so that she is really able to move on.
May 2, 2012
**4/4.5 Stars** (I am up in the air as to 4 stars or 4.5 stars... I will think on it and fully decide at a later date)
Amazing book! The author did a great job depicting the setting for the story. It made me want to go back to the B&B in Camden, ME again. I could perfectly visualize the town, The Cove, and Firefly Beach.
The book is a beautifully written mystery with a little supernatural thrown in. I was actually worried about half way through the book when the mystery seemed to be wrapping up, but the author played it off perfectly. You really felt the emotion the main character went through as she searched out the young girl who had gone missing so many years before.
A book I would highly recommend to others.
Amazing book! The author did a great job depicting the setting for the story. It made me want to go back to the B&B in Camden, ME again. I could perfectly visualize the town, The Cove, and Firefly Beach.
The book is a beautifully written mystery with a little supernatural thrown in. I was actually worried about half way through the book when the mystery seemed to be wrapping up, but the author played it off perfectly. You really felt the emotion the main character went through as she searched out the young girl who had gone missing so many years before.
A book I would highly recommend to others.
July 20, 2017
Firefly Beach drew me in until I could not put the book the down. The mystery kept me guessing right to the very end. Its characters haunted me, making me feel their heartbreak, filling me with emotion and sometimes tears and causing me to keep thinking about them even after I had finished the book, as if they were real people and not fictional characters. This story is very unique and creative, unlike any mystery or paranormal I've ever read. I highly recommend Firefly Beach and say don't miss this story if you enjoy haunting mysteries! I will definitely be looking for more from Meira Pentermann.
June 12, 2012
Beth is ready for a change, and when she settles into a small town in Maine, - she encounters interesting people that make her feel welcome ( along with a mysterious firefly ).
The firefly leads her to a beach and a mystery that takes Beth along many twists and turns.
I was captivated by the first page with this story of young romance, family and a beach that holds secrets.
This is a wonderful story and I really enjoyed it!
Disclaimer: I was given a copy of this book from the author for my honest review.
November 26, 2012
There are no words for how well written, thought provoking, and overall amazing this book is. Though I wish there would have been more focus on the romance developing between Kenny and Beth, I can only thank my lucky stars I got this as a freebie and pray for a sequel. I don't think there's any reader, spiritual or otherwise, whose heat won't be touched by at least one aspect of this book. No spoilers...go out and read it! You won't regret it.
January 28, 2013
This was a great read. Beth got divorced and moved to Main. She decided to take up a new profession, painting. She met new friends, new state, new everything. Along the way, she also met a firefly, yes, a firefly. It took her on an adventure from 35 years ago. Beth decided to do some detective work and really got caught up in it. This will take Beth to places and emotions that surprised her and will surprise you. This was a great read!!!
April 22, 2013
"Firefly Beach" tuned out to be an entertaining read.....This book evoked so many emotions.....sometimes starting over in a new environment is just the beginning to healing...Beth finds herself solving a mystery, making new friends, taking chances and coming to terms with her own life....would have liked more from Beth and Kenny...a sequel?
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