This has been sitting on the tbr pile for some considerable time, but this weekend I felt in need of something a bit different. The cover has a blurb that compares it to The Great Gatsby, and I can sort of see why – Clara’s world is a heady alcoholic world of yachts by day, illicit wanderings by night and gallons of alcohol. Effie and Henry are the outsiders – from Georgia compared to the other three’s big city sophistication and the reader can see that they’re heading for trouble and heartbreak.

The narrative follows just Henry and his actions, which is a little frustrating because I wanted to know what Effie was thinking and doing, but given that the author is a man, possibly for the best as I didn’t always love the way the sex scenes were written as it was so maybe I would have liked the book less if I’d been given more of Effie’s inner life. So, not perfect but I still read it in just over 24 hours so it’s very readable despite that. It’s not really Rich People Problems, because Effie and Henry definitely aren’t rich, but it is Rich People Problems-adjacent – in that the rich people are the ones who are causing the problems!

Although well-written, Cape May wasn't what I expected going in either in terms of genre or style and, as a result it wasn't a book for me. The 1950s setting is evocatively drawn but I found the characters a little 'thin' and the plot was both more erotic and more of a thriller than I was expecting. I imagine this would make for a fantastic summer holiday read but I was expecting less sizzling thrills and a little more historical slow-build mystery when I read the blurb.

What's the book about?

A newlywed couples discover just how different they are after their go on their honeymoon. Will their marriage survive their differences?

My thoughts:

Reminded me so much of Gatsby. A thoroughly riveting read.

Evocative, Escapist…
An endless, steamy summer, a couple and a honeymoon on Cape May. Just as this couple decide that they don’t really know each other at all they suddenly get swept up by a glamorous set and that endless, steamy summer really does begin. Nicely crafted, evocative and escapist.

I think that the students in our school library need to hear lots of diverse voices and read stories and lives of many different kinds of people and experiences. When I inherited the library it was an incredibly sanitised space with only 'school readers' and project books on 'the railways' etc. Buying in books that will appeal to the whole range of our readers with diverse voices, eclectic and fascinating subject matter, and topics that will intrigue and fascinate them was incredibly important to me.
This is a book that I think our senior readers will enjoy very much indeed - not just because it's well written with an arresting voice that will really keep them reading and about a fascinating topic - but it's also a book that doesn't feel worthy or improving, it doesn't scream 'school library and treats them like young reading adults who have the right to explore a range of modern diverse reads that will grip and intrigue them and ensure that reading isn't something that they are just forced to do for their English project - this was a solid ten out of ten for me and I'm hoping that our students are as gripped and caught up in it as I was. It was one that I stayed up far too late reading and one that I'll be recommending to the staff as well as our senior students - thank you so much for the chance to read and review; I really loved it and can't wait to discuss it wth some of our seniors once they've read it too!

It's the 1950's and young virginal couple Effie and Henry are on their honeymoon in an out of season Cape May, while wishing they were actually in Florida. They make the most of their new found freedom and desires and make their own entertainment after meeting the bohemian Clara, her friend and lover Max and his half sister Alma. The newlyweds are swept away by their intoxicating personalities. There's always a party at Clara's house. There is a LOT of drinking and sex in this book.

And while I've NEVER seen this on Bookstgram and it only has an average rating of 2.99 on Goodreads, I really enjoyed this. It's a sexy summer read. Even though I could guess what was going to happen it was enjoyable escapism. An easy read, nothing too taxing.

Set in 1957, Cape May is the story of newly weds, Henry and Effie and their honeymoon in Cape May.

In this near deserted town they meet Clara and get drawn into to a decadent, hedonistic lifestyle of lust, sex and parties.

This is a light, sexy, summer read, a hot summer fling.......

A very good book. Excellent characters you love or loathe, a fast-paced plot (especially at the end!) and a very well-defined setting. Highly recommend. Potentially not for you if you're not a fan of sex scenes, as these can be quite graphic (but appropriate for the storyline).

a couple go on holiday to an elite area and whilst feeling like an outsider they move closer to becoming insiders and the crazy world that exists for those who dont need to live within the rules because of the safety net they have through being wealthy.

The couple get caught up in the fun and exciting lives but at a cost of their own relationship and their own security.

An interesting and intriguing book, however the pace was at times slower

Erotic, scenic and somewhat historic. This novel has a beautiful setting and truly transports is back to 1950’s Cape May. I’m not overly enthralled with the characters as much as the setting however

A lovely retelling of the 1950s honeymoon in Cape May of the fresh out of school Effie and Henry. I feel that this was an ok read with a little more sex than substance overall.

Cape May was an addictive, short but sweet read. The writing is beautiful and really pulls you in, and the setting was equally as captivating. Would recommend!

It took me a little while to get into Cape May, I actually ended up reading in two setting that were quite far apart (my fault!) but it was easy to slip back into the story.

I really enjoyed the simmering 1950s setting and it was more erotic and evocative that I was expecting - in a good way - but I couldn't quite connect with the characters, so found myself not becoming completely invested in the narrative.

The drawback for me was that I think I'd heard too much about this on Twitter, which made it too hyped up for me. Still an enticing little read though!

A very different book to what I am used to....a couple on their honeymoon end up befriending and being facinated by a few characters and spend a lot of inappropriate honeymoon time with them....it was a bit slow but got erotic and I was strangely gripped! The ending certainly built up but it was a slow start.

I think this would make an ideal summer read if you are looking for something quite glamorous and easy reading. The writing is atmospheric and evocative but certain characters did fall a little flat sometimes.

This was an ok read very well written! Not my usual genre but it was surprisingly enjoyable didn’t really find myself connecting with any of the characters and the ending I felt was quite rushed

Spoilers in this review: don't read on unless you've finished it.

I found the prose here beautifully descriptive and evocative, creating a very believable setting and well-drawn characters. However, the sex scenes were overdone in my opinion. Only one character of the five didnt have sex with three of the others, which seemed rather too much for a set of people in 1957, most of whom had never met before, and in any case, it felt prurient, like an upmarket Fifty Shades of Grey. I was like - can I maybe have a chapter without a series of orgasms please? I actually liked the last part best; it was elegiac and sort of hauntingly real.

If you enjoyed Fifty shades of grey , this might be the book for you. I found it shallow, the characters were poor and lacking depth. Most of the book seemed to concentrate on Henry the husband , Effie the wife’s opinions didn’t seem to matter. It could be a good holiday read if you want a book that you don’t have to think about. So saying that the scenery descriptions were good and the reader felt you were in 1950s Cape May.
I felt like the ending was a bit of an add on

An interesting tale that keeps you involved throughout the book. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

It starts out a simply: Henry and Effie spend their honeymoon in a cottage by the sea. Accidentally arriving off-season, finding half the town empty with little to do, they think of cutting their trip short. Then they meet glamorous Clara and Max and their young companion Alma. Dazzled and captivated by the charismatic couple, they become reeled into the sybaritic circle. Their marriage will never be the same.

It’s a short book, compared – as seems to be the convention now, of any story that includes monied people set before 1963 – with The Great Gatsby. The comparison makes no sense; this novel is nothing at all like Gatsby and should be allowed to ride on its own, considerable merits.

It is a very erotic book.

I don’t read erotica. I find most literary sex boring for the same reason I find most musicals boring, the seemingly endless description of the act interrupts the plot. I just want to get past it and get on with the story, and the story is deeply engrossing. I was completely absorbed in this short, disturbing tale of innocents corrupted, a happy marriage ruined. I skipped over the, at-times seemingly-endless erotica. I appreciate this is just a personal preference, and, considering the importance of sex to the narrative, probably a silly niggle, but there’s a lot to be said for simply drawing a veil and getting on with the story.

It’s a character-led tale. The plot is entirely driven by its personalities, their inner-world and motivations. It centres about Henry, the innocent, inexperienced, new-husband who becomes subsumed by the older couple’s indulgent, amoral lifestyle. But there are no truly sympathetic characters. Effie is the most innocent, and ultimately most damaged, but even she proves to have her darker side. It is a very human book; it’s certainly not an uplifting tale.

The ending seems superfluous. We really don’t ned to know what happened in the far-flung future, what happened at Cape May is rich enough for a book twice the length; end the story there.