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A Field of Fireflies
Growing up, Nolan Lynch’s family was unconventional by society’s standards, but it was filled with love, and his parents taught him everything he needed to know about life, equality, and family. A baseball player with a bright future, Nolan’s on his way to the major leagues when tragedy occurs. Six years later, he’s starting over as the newest instructor at the community college in Washington, North Carolina, where he meets Emma Pate, who seems to be everything he’s ever dreamed of—beautiful, assertive, and a baseball fan to boot.
Emma Pate’s dreams are put on hold after her father dies, leaving her struggling to keep her family’s farm. When a chance encounter with a cute new guy in town turns into an impromptu date, Emma finds herself falling for him. But she soon realizes Nolan Lynch isn’t who she thinks he is.
Drawn together by a visceral connection that defies their common sense, Emma’s and Nolan’s blossoming love is as romantic as it is forbidden, until secrets—both past and present—threaten to tear them apart. Now, Nolan must confront his past and make peace with his demons or risk losing everything he loves . . . again.
Emotionally complex and charged with suspense, A Field of Fireflies is the unforgettable story of family, love, loss, and an old baseball field where magic occurs, including the grace of forgiveness and second chances.
Emma Pate’s dreams are put on hold after her father dies, leaving her struggling to keep her family’s farm. When a chance encounter with a cute new guy in town turns into an impromptu date, Emma finds herself falling for him. But she soon realizes Nolan Lynch isn’t who she thinks he is.
Drawn together by a visceral connection that defies their common sense, Emma’s and Nolan’s blossoming love is as romantic as it is forbidden, until secrets—both past and present—threaten to tear them apart. Now, Nolan must confront his past and make peace with his demons or risk losing everything he loves . . . again.
Emotionally complex and charged with suspense, A Field of Fireflies is the unforgettable story of family, love, loss, and an old baseball field where magic occurs, including the grace of forgiveness and second chances.
259 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2018
26 people are currently reading
250 people want to read
About the author
Joey Jones
9 books206 followersJoey Jones’s writing style is described as a mixture of Nicholas Sparks, Richard Paul Evans, and James Patterson. New York Times Bestselling Author Kristy Woodson Harvey labels Jones’s writing as “lyrical” and proclaims, “He effortlessly pulls readers into the souls of his characters.” USA Today Bestselling Author Jeff Gunhus compares Joey Jones’s work to Debbie Macomber, Nicholas Evans, and Sparks.
The ratings and reviews of Jones’s novels A BRIDGE APART (2015), LOSING LONDON (2016), A FIELD OF FIREFLIES (2018), THE DATE NIGHT JAR (2019), WHEN THE RIVERS RISE (2020), WHERE THE RAINBOW FALLS (2022), and ALONG THE DUSTY ROAD (2023) reflect the comparison to the aforementioned New York Times bestselling authors. Readers can expect the same from THE ROOTS BENEATH US (2024).
Joey Jones fell in love with creative writing at a young age and, in his early twenties, decided to write a book. His debut novel A BRIDGE APART is a suspenseful love story that was years in the making as he tinkered with the manuscript off and on while working full-time in the marketing field. In February 2016, Jones became a full-time novelist and published his second novel LOSING LONDON later that year. The average rating of Jones’s novels is 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.
In his spare time, Joey enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, working out, reading, and embarking on new adventures. His favorite meal is a New York Style Pizza with sweet tea. He won the 8th-grade spelling bee at his school, but if you ask how many students participated, he might say, “Such minor details are not important!” He currently lives in North Carolina with his family.
Joey Jones earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College where he graduated with honors (2006). He was the owner of a full-service advertising agency and taught business and marketing courses as an adjunct college instructor.
Jones invites you to connect with him online to find out more about his upcoming novels, book signings, giveaways, exciting news, charities, and more: www.Joey-Jones.com / Facebook.com/JoeyJonesWriter / Instagram.com/JoeyJonesWriter
The ratings and reviews of Jones’s novels A BRIDGE APART (2015), LOSING LONDON (2016), A FIELD OF FIREFLIES (2018), THE DATE NIGHT JAR (2019), WHEN THE RIVERS RISE (2020), WHERE THE RAINBOW FALLS (2022), and ALONG THE DUSTY ROAD (2023) reflect the comparison to the aforementioned New York Times bestselling authors. Readers can expect the same from THE ROOTS BENEATH US (2024).
Joey Jones fell in love with creative writing at a young age and, in his early twenties, decided to write a book. His debut novel A BRIDGE APART is a suspenseful love story that was years in the making as he tinkered with the manuscript off and on while working full-time in the marketing field. In February 2016, Jones became a full-time novelist and published his second novel LOSING LONDON later that year. The average rating of Jones’s novels is 4.5 out of 5.0 stars.
In his spare time, Joey enjoys spending time with his family, playing sports, working out, reading, and embarking on new adventures. His favorite meal is a New York Style Pizza with sweet tea. He won the 8th-grade spelling bee at his school, but if you ask how many students participated, he might say, “Such minor details are not important!” He currently lives in North Carolina with his family.
Joey Jones earned a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College where he graduated with honors (2006). He was the owner of a full-service advertising agency and taught business and marketing courses as an adjunct college instructor.
Jones invites you to connect with him online to find out more about his upcoming novels, book signings, giveaways, exciting news, charities, and more: www.Joey-Jones.com / Facebook.com/JoeyJonesWriter / Instagram.com/JoeyJonesWriter
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews
April 27, 2022
An amazing book that kept my interest the whole time. Being able to feel like I was on of the characters was amazing.
April 23, 2018
I first read this as a manuscript sent to my by the author in exchange for my feedback and honest review back in January (before it was available on Goodreads).
I have been blurbed on the cover of his book and it sums up my thoughts really well, so I will insert it here:
“A Field of Fireflies almost has me at a loss for words. Very rarely do I come across a book that makes me cry but Joey Jones has managed to pull these emotions from me yet again. Prepare yourselves for many happy tears and being completely hooked from beginning to end in this spectacular love story with many thought-provoking issues”.
BAM! That is perfectly summed up, but I will still go into more details below!
I apologize in advance for this review being a little choppy; I’m going back in my memory to dig up my feelings about this book. WHICH WERE ALL POSTIVE BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!
This was Joey Jones’ third novel and best one yet. I have had the pleasure of reading his books from the very beginning and I see nothing but improvements in his writing. He is able to invoke so many emotions in me simply by his writing. One of his previous books made me cry in sadness, but A FIELD OF FIREFLIES made me cry in pure happiness.
This book was seriously so good, I hope I can find the words to convince anyone and everyone to pick it up.
The descriptions were so good, especially those of the fireflies. Since I’m from the South were you can find lightning bugs around every corner, I could vividly picture exactly what he was describing and it was an amazing experience.
I loved the two MCs, Emma Pate was so me it was crazy. She was so genuine and I just really saw a lot of myself in her; she was very relatable. Nolan was amazing as well, I instantly liked him as a character. The side characters deserve an A++ too because they were all freaking great from Nolan’s dad and brother to Emma’s bff. Thumbs up for sure!
The most impactful aspect of the book was the airing of Off the Field. I wont spoil anything but please, please read it if for nothing else than for this part of the book. The issues it took on regarding race was done so tactfully and sent such a powerful message. The author did a wonderful job of not pointing fingers and pointing out what we can ALL do in regards to bettering this situation. I will forever be impacted by this part of the book. The message of seeing people as people is life changing.
All of Joey Jones’ works are worth the read. While I would love for you to pick them all up, please consider his other two books as well. A Bridge Apart and Losing London are absolutely amazing!
I have been blurbed on the cover of his book and it sums up my thoughts really well, so I will insert it here:
“A Field of Fireflies almost has me at a loss for words. Very rarely do I come across a book that makes me cry but Joey Jones has managed to pull these emotions from me yet again. Prepare yourselves for many happy tears and being completely hooked from beginning to end in this spectacular love story with many thought-provoking issues”.
BAM! That is perfectly summed up, but I will still go into more details below!
I apologize in advance for this review being a little choppy; I’m going back in my memory to dig up my feelings about this book. WHICH WERE ALL POSTIVE BECAUSE THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING!
This was Joey Jones’ third novel and best one yet. I have had the pleasure of reading his books from the very beginning and I see nothing but improvements in his writing. He is able to invoke so many emotions in me simply by his writing. One of his previous books made me cry in sadness, but A FIELD OF FIREFLIES made me cry in pure happiness.
This book was seriously so good, I hope I can find the words to convince anyone and everyone to pick it up.
The descriptions were so good, especially those of the fireflies. Since I’m from the South were you can find lightning bugs around every corner, I could vividly picture exactly what he was describing and it was an amazing experience.
I loved the two MCs, Emma Pate was so me it was crazy. She was so genuine and I just really saw a lot of myself in her; she was very relatable. Nolan was amazing as well, I instantly liked him as a character. The side characters deserve an A++ too because they were all freaking great from Nolan’s dad and brother to Emma’s bff. Thumbs up for sure!
The most impactful aspect of the book was the airing of Off the Field. I wont spoil anything but please, please read it if for nothing else than for this part of the book. The issues it took on regarding race was done so tactfully and sent such a powerful message. The author did a wonderful job of not pointing fingers and pointing out what we can ALL do in regards to bettering this situation. I will forever be impacted by this part of the book. The message of seeing people as people is life changing.
All of Joey Jones’ works are worth the read. While I would love for you to pick them all up, please consider his other two books as well. A Bridge Apart and Losing London are absolutely amazing!
Want to read
June 22, 2018💝FREE on Amazon today (6/22/2018)!💝
Blurb:
Growing up, Nolan Lynch’s family was unconventional by society’s standards, but it was filled with love, and his parents taught him everything he needed to know about life, equality, and family. A baseball player with a bright future, Nolan’s on his way to the major leagues when tragedy occurs. Six years later, he’s starting over as the newest instructor at the community college in Washington, North Carolina, where he meets Emma Pate, who seems to be everything he’s ever dreamed of—beautiful, assertive, and a baseball fan to boot.
Emma Pate’s dreams are put on hold after her father dies, leaving her struggling to keep her family’s farm. When a chance encounter with a cute new guy in town turns into an impromptu date, Emma finds herself falling for him. But she soon realizes Nolan Lynch isn’t who she thinks he is.
Drawn together by a visceral connection that defies their common sense, Emma’s and Nolan’s blossoming love is as romantic as it is forbidden, until secrets—both past and present—threaten to tear them apart. Now, Nolan must confront his past and make peace with his demons or risk losing everything he loves . . . again.
Emotionally complex and charged with suspense, A Field of Fireflies is the unforgettable story of family, love, loss, and an old baseball field where magic occurs, including the grace of forgiveness and second chances.
Blurb:
Growing up, Nolan Lynch’s family was unconventional by society’s standards, but it was filled with love, and his parents taught him everything he needed to know about life, equality, and family. A baseball player with a bright future, Nolan’s on his way to the major leagues when tragedy occurs. Six years later, he’s starting over as the newest instructor at the community college in Washington, North Carolina, where he meets Emma Pate, who seems to be everything he’s ever dreamed of—beautiful, assertive, and a baseball fan to boot.
Emma Pate’s dreams are put on hold after her father dies, leaving her struggling to keep her family’s farm. When a chance encounter with a cute new guy in town turns into an impromptu date, Emma finds herself falling for him. But she soon realizes Nolan Lynch isn’t who she thinks he is.
Drawn together by a visceral connection that defies their common sense, Emma’s and Nolan’s blossoming love is as romantic as it is forbidden, until secrets—both past and present—threaten to tear them apart. Now, Nolan must confront his past and make peace with his demons or risk losing everything he loves . . . again.
Emotionally complex and charged with suspense, A Field of Fireflies is the unforgettable story of family, love, loss, and an old baseball field where magic occurs, including the grace of forgiveness and second chances.
June 15, 2022
5 stars for the book and 5 stars for Bill’s Hot Dogs (ft in this novel 😂). Slow start, won’t lie. But, loved the book and the character build. Lots of perspective on race/racism/our society that I completely agreed with. Great ending.
November 5, 2018
Nolan Lynch was in a new town, starting a new career and trying to erase some of the pains of his past when he stumbled upon the girl of his dreams. An innocent misunderstanding led both Nolan and his romantic interest Emma Pate on a journey of love, secrecy, loss, reconnection and healing. The storyline and relationship between the main characters developed rather quickly, so I was hooked within the first few minutes of reading. I found this book hard to put down. My favorite character in the book was Emma, with her playful nature and spunky personality. The flirty banter between the two was great and had me laughing out loud more than once. The plot was rich and deep and there were a lot of moving parts. The story was not hard to follow, though, and some of the twists and turns were surprising. I thought I had the storyline pegged from the get-go, but I was completely wrong.
A friend picked up my signed copy of the book from Mr. Jones at Mum Fest in New Bern. This was my second Joey Jones book and I was more than satisfied with the plot and characters. For the most part, Mr. Jones has proven to be a descriptive writer, so I truly felt like I was in Little Washington or in the middle of Firefly Field. My only criticism with A Field of Fireflies is with the character description for Nolan. I still can’t clearly envision what he looks like and I thought his race was mixed until the point in the story where the news headlines came into play. I read this book just before a vacation to Boston, so the connection to Fenway Park was right on time. I toured the park while on my trip and I couldn’t help but picture Nolan on the pitcher’s mound. Another timely piece to the story was the race issue. With the sensitivities regarding race in our country now, Mr. Jones delivered a message through this book that I wish the entire world could read and truly grasp.
This book was well written and edited. I experienced a wide range of emotions, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying. Overall, it is a book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys love stories that are set in North Carolina. I have always been a Nicholas Sparks fan, but I can say without hesitation that I enjoyed this book even more than the last book of his that I read. I am truly a Joey Jones fan now and look forward to reading A Bridge Apart and his future works.
--Stephanie B. Summerlin
Beulaville, NC
A friend picked up my signed copy of the book from Mr. Jones at Mum Fest in New Bern. This was my second Joey Jones book and I was more than satisfied with the plot and characters. For the most part, Mr. Jones has proven to be a descriptive writer, so I truly felt like I was in Little Washington or in the middle of Firefly Field. My only criticism with A Field of Fireflies is with the character description for Nolan. I still can’t clearly envision what he looks like and I thought his race was mixed until the point in the story where the news headlines came into play. I read this book just before a vacation to Boston, so the connection to Fenway Park was right on time. I toured the park while on my trip and I couldn’t help but picture Nolan on the pitcher’s mound. Another timely piece to the story was the race issue. With the sensitivities regarding race in our country now, Mr. Jones delivered a message through this book that I wish the entire world could read and truly grasp.
This book was well written and edited. I experienced a wide range of emotions, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying. Overall, it is a book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys love stories that are set in North Carolina. I have always been a Nicholas Sparks fan, but I can say without hesitation that I enjoyed this book even more than the last book of his that I read. I am truly a Joey Jones fan now and look forward to reading A Bridge Apart and his future works.
--Stephanie B. Summerlin
Beulaville, NC
April 13, 2023
I have now read two of this author's books, The Date Night Jar and A Field of Fireflies. Both books get a 3/5 for being quick, easy reads mostly. Everyone has stylistic preference, but I found the frequent mention of North Carolina geography to be overdone. As a North Carolina native, I appreciate the inclusion of Eastern NC small towns, but the amount of times landmarks are mentioned feels unnecessary.
Although these books were romance books, the metaphors and similies made in the book were a bit too easy. I expected more elegant wording and better development of the characters.
Additionally, I have struggled to see a difference in the two stories...the main theme revolves around a younger man who is emotionally traumatized by his mother's untimely death that is an accident caused by him/he blames himself for...yes, this was the plot of BOTH of these books, just different characters, which made me lose interest halfway through The Date Night Jar as I read A Field of Fireflies directly prior.
The Date Night Jar: 3/5⭐️
A Field of Fireflies: 3.5/5⭐️ (extra 0.5 for the positive content regarding race relations)
Please let me know if anyone else feels this way or leave a comment about the book! I am open to all conversations about what you liked and disliked about these books!
Although these books were romance books, the metaphors and similies made in the book were a bit too easy. I expected more elegant wording and better development of the characters.
Additionally, I have struggled to see a difference in the two stories...the main theme revolves around a younger man who is emotionally traumatized by his mother's untimely death that is an accident caused by him/he blames himself for...yes, this was the plot of BOTH of these books, just different characters, which made me lose interest halfway through The Date Night Jar as I read A Field of Fireflies directly prior.
The Date Night Jar: 3/5⭐️
A Field of Fireflies: 3.5/5⭐️ (extra 0.5 for the positive content regarding race relations)
Please let me know if anyone else feels this way or leave a comment about the book! I am open to all conversations about what you liked and disliked about these books!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2018
First time reading this author. Meet him at a local holiday show and his books intrigued me.
I really give this 3.5 stars. The storyline is good and you feel like you want to know more of the characters. Being from Eastern NC I like seeing points of reference that I actually know. My only negative comment is that the book felt rushed. A little more detail in certain areas of the book would have given it that extra oomph that it needed. Overall a good read and I look forward to reading his other 2 novels.
I really give this 3.5 stars. The storyline is good and you feel like you want to know more of the characters. Being from Eastern NC I like seeing points of reference that I actually know. My only negative comment is that the book felt rushed. A little more detail in certain areas of the book would have given it that extra oomph that it needed. Overall a good read and I look forward to reading his other 2 novels.
July 22, 2021
A Field of Fireflies is a deeply heartfelt story about love without conditions and even forbidden love. It emphasizes that our family can be any shape, culture, or color and a parent's love has no limits. One of the main characters, Nolan, has some wounds to heal in order to allow love back into his life again. Once he is able to forgive himself with the help of a woman who loves him deeply and a magical place that helps to facilitate his healing, he is able to spread his wings and soar once again. The writing flows so beautifully and pulled me right in! You won't want to put this one down!
July 10, 2018
This is the third book I have read written by Joey Jones and I found this one to be my favorite. His writing keeps improving with each book. This book is one I could barely put down so I managed to finish it after 1 AM the second day! The characters were developed at just the right pace. There were some surprising turns in the book which kept me reading. I liked that he incorporated some current issues in the plot as well. Now I am looking forward to his next book.
April 28, 2019
I enjoyed every minute of this book. The romance, the twists and turns...the social issues that seem to work its way into our daily doses of media. I appreciated and rooted for these views to be something we see more of in future generations.
The flow of this book was such an easy read, I had to get to the end and see how it all played out.
It was well worth the late night reading, and sleep deprived day I will face tomorrow.
May we all strive to be like the Lynch family.
The flow of this book was such an easy read, I had to get to the end and see how it all played out.
It was well worth the late night reading, and sleep deprived day I will face tomorrow.
May we all strive to be like the Lynch family.
April 23, 2018
Great book by Joey Jones once again. I love how he decided to incorporate recent society issues within his book without forcing you to believe what others want you to believe. He makes you think about how our society should be. I love the twist and turns in this book as well. He keeps you guessing about certain things in it as well. His writing over all of getting better with each book.
January 1, 2020
Great story
This novel not only has a great story line of love, passion and secrets, but it also has a good message about racism. I really enjoyed this novel and think that the added parts about how we should label each other only as people not as (color) people sent a very strong message to the readers.
This novel not only has a great story line of love, passion and secrets, but it also has a good message about racism. I really enjoyed this novel and think that the added parts about how we should label each other only as people not as (color) people sent a very strong message to the readers.
July 26, 2023
wonderful book!
This is my 6th book I have read by Joey Jones. He is an amazing writer. I loved the setting of Washington,NC in the book. If you love baseball you will love this book. I do, and enjoyed reading more about baseball. Lots of great information in twined in this love story like no other.
This is my 6th book I have read by Joey Jones. He is an amazing writer. I loved the setting of Washington,NC in the book. If you love baseball you will love this book. I do, and enjoyed reading more about baseball. Lots of great information in twined in this love story like no other.
August 28, 2023
This is a dud. DNF. I tried and tried to get through this but it was so SLOW! No interesting characters just plain boring. I wanted to like it because I like Nicolas Sparks. Joey Jones was compared to him and also a local writer. I can’t force myself any longer to read this book. Will be donating this back to the free library.
July 11, 2024
This is the third book I have read by this author. This wasn't a bad story, but I feel that the author over does the cliches and detailed descriptions. Out of the three books I've read so far, Losing London (the author's second book), had the better storyline. The author has some work to do to be on the same level as Nicholas Sparks (who he has been compared to).
May 10, 2018
This book may be my favorite fiction novel, ever!! Joey incorporated love, loss and redemption in such a beautiful way. This book even deals with real-life issues regarding race and the media. This book is hands down a must read. Joey, this is your best yet, brother! Don't stop now!!
May 16, 2018
Excellent Read
From page one until the last page I couldn't put it down. I read it in two days! I loved the characters and storyline! They came alive as I turned each page! I look forward to reading another book written by this author!
From page one until the last page I couldn't put it down. I read it in two days! I loved the characters and storyline! They came alive as I turned each page! I look forward to reading another book written by this author!
May 22, 2020
Another wonderful story! Thanks again Joey for proving a story to fall into and get away from all the stress currently under at work. And I got a free copy so I have a copy of this and The Date Nigjt Jar to give to someone to share the stories!!!!
November 22, 2020
I liked it because if the scene being 15 minutes from where I live. It also hit the tough subject of racism as we all know has been a huge new topic. If you like Nicholas Sparks you should give this author a go. I am going to try and get his other books for future reads.
March 25, 2021
While this was no Pulitzer Prize book, and there may have been a few things in the story that seemed pulled from a tv show, I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet story. We read it for book club for NC author month and this fit in perfectly!
October 8, 2024
Loved that this book is set in a familiar small town in Eastern NC. Joey Jones has a great writing style that keeps readers hooked at every turn. Made me root for Nolan and Emma Pate throughout the story!
December 10, 2024
I love everything about this book. Kept me wanting to come back for more... I was sad when I had to put it down because I was moving, but as soon as I got everything done, I was back for the last 3 chapters. You won't regret it.
January 28, 2019
Good story
This was a very good story. I don't want to give away spoilers but I'll just say, read the book and you won't be disappointed.
This was a very good story. I don't want to give away spoilers but I'll just say, read the book and you won't be disappointed.
August 4, 2019
Good book by new author. Having lived in Washington, NC for 38 yrs, his locations were spot on. Book is set in Washington.
September 11, 2019
What a lovely sweet story !!! Read this through Hurricane Dorian -- made my heart glad !
June 23, 2020
Loved the story so much!
May 24, 2021
It was a quick and wonderful read. Though it was light at times it had some heavy parts and gave the reader things to think about. Love, death, family secrets, and racism
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 1, 2021
Loved it!!
Such a good book. Loved the story and the characters. This is the Second book I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to read more!!
Such a good book. Loved the story and the characters. This is the Second book I’ve read by this author and I can’t wait to read more!!
June 29, 2021
What a beautiful love story. There were some funny times and a lot of sad things that made me shed tears. Loved the main characters of Nolan and Emma.
January 12, 2022
A Field of Fireflies is a story about two people who fall in love, face challenges, and learn how to work through their past. This book was just as good as his others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 44 reviews