Mallory Hale is a Capitol Hill staffer with big plans, goals and a whole lot of momentum. But when she unexpectedly meets a man and falls head over heels in love, her whole life changes in an instant. Soon after, she is married. Immediately, Mallory, her new husband and stepson leave the Capitol for her husband’s new job in the remote town of Moses Lake in Texas. It’s about as different from Washington, D.C., as you can get — and Mallory feels it right away as she discovers the gritty underbelly of life in the middle of nowhere.
Firefly Island by Lisa Wingate is many things — a love story, a story of finding oneself and a bit of a mystery. And it does all this well.
What I loved about Firefly Island was the pace of the book. It really draws you in, makes you care about Mallory and her family and sweeps you off on the ride. There are discoveries — some little, some bigger — around every bend. While Mallory learns to be a mom, she’s also acclimating to her huge transplant into Texan life (in a bug and vermin-infested house, no less!) — and learning more about herself.
Over the course of the book, as Mallory finds her new place and trajectory in Texas, she begins blogging at the insistence of her friends and former colleagues back home. The tie in with the blog was cute, if not a little odd in its similarities to some big-name bloggers.
The downside? Parts of the book seemed too rushed. Sometimes it seemed like the book jumped too far ahead, glazing over details that would have enhanced the story. A few more scenes focusing on showing rather than telling would have been nice.
Overall though, I loved this book and recommend it as a page-turner that is perfect for relaxing and falling in to.
Disclosure: I received an electronic copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated for this review. All opinions expressed are my own. Also, this post does NOT contain any affiliate links — links are for your convenience only.