Henry and Effie are the sweetest newlyweds going, when they travel to Cape May for a week for their honeymoon, they are happy to find they have the town to themselves, or so they thought.

Carla is Effie's nemesis from childhood, when Effie learns that Carla is staying down the street with her lover Max, she isn't all too pleased.

But when their invited round, Carla has no relocation of ever being this mean to Effie. With the drinks flowing, music playing and the elegant nights starting to set in, all is soon forgotten as the glamorous parties start to pull Henry and Effie in.

Though will their marriage last when temptation is just around the corner? As truths are exchanged, lies are told and secrets are kept under lock and key...Can everything be as smooth sailing in their new life as the couple hoped? Especially on New Hampton Avenue.

Cape May by Chip Cheek, is the first novel written by the author. I liked the sound of the book as I felt it had the same feel as Tigers in Red Weather that I read a couple years back.

Set in the 1950's I was drawn to the synopsis, I do love a book set in these eras and it was a good read. The story itself followed the lives of two newlyweds as they navigate through their first weeks of marriage and honeymoon on their own told by the young husband, Henry.

The first section of the book I really loved, the plot flowed and it worked, there are a few moments where I got a little confused on who is who but then it started to make sense. However, towards the end of the book, and I'll be honest here and its just out of preference, I did get slightly annoyed with one of the characters and the story started to seem like you had picked up an entirely different book.

With all that said though, I did enjoy the book and it was a quick enjoyable read. I would happily read more by this author in the near future.

Oh. My. God. What a book. Intoxicating. Heady. Dangerous. Sexy. All that and more. It is such a delicious read that I read it in one sitting unable to tear my eyes away.

It draws you in slowly. It is 1957 and Henry and Effie are on their honeymoon, getting to know each other outside of snatched moments on back seats of cars. It is a little awkward at first, they’re quite shy of one another and there isn’t much to do in Cape May to occupy them. They’re there at the tail end of September and the crowds have gone home leaving a ghost town in their wake. For Effie, Cape May represents summer holidays of her youth and she remembers the sparkling sea and sunny days but in blustery and cool September it has lost its shine somewhat. So much so that she suggests they cut their honeymoon short and return home to Georgia, but then, they spot a house across the street whose lights are on. There are expensive cars parked outside and music pouring from the open windows. Dressed in their Sunday best they visit one evening to say hello and there they meet Clara, Max and his sister Amla, and suddenly Cape May isn’t quite as gloomy.

This is an explosive read that takes a newlywed and quite innocent couple and throws them in the deep end. Their days are spent wandering the quiet town, popping into the few shops that are open and buying groceries at the local store. Their nights are spent exploring each other when they discover sex. But as time goes on Effie becomes more withdrawn. Henry doesn’t really know what to do and when she suggests they return to Georgia he is hurt and embarrassed at the thought of what people will say back home. These early days of their marriage, where they are almost playing at being grown ups and trying to work out what being a husband or wife is is beautifully drawn. It has a melancholy and haunting feel to it that contrasts wildly with what comes next.

The house across the street is a Pandora’s box of temptation and decadence representing everything that stiff and formal Effie and Henry are not. Clara is one of those brilliant female characters who is brash, insecure, glamorous, fragile, exuberant and brittle. She and Effie know each other from childhood and Clara is thrilled to be reunited but Effie isn’t that happy about seeing her again. Until she gets pulled into Clara’s orbit and before you know it she and Henry are spending days on Clara’s boat, working their way through bottle after bottle of gin and slowly, slowly, Max and Clara’s exuberance intoxicates this newlywed couple.

The contrast between Max and Clara and Effie and Henry is stark, with one couple representing fun and freedom and the other being stiff and uptight. Things change though, slowly, in increments and before we know something happens that turns everything on its head. From quiet and measured beginnings the newlyweds push their limits and find that they capable of more than they know.

This is a thrilling, heady book which I adored. Absolutely adored. It is sumptuous glamorous, an absolute page turner and one of my books of the year. I guarantee that this will be on every beach this summer and it is most definitely best read on a hot day with a cold drink, preferably a gin martini.

At times it was a bit odd and I couldn't decide whether to keep reading or not but overall it is ok. Not one I would read again though

If you loved "Fifty Shades of Grey" and generally enjoy this type of steamy literature (perhaps on holidays) - get "Cape May".
If you enjoy light erotica with loose storyline - get "Cape May".
If you are looking for a literary fiction book, a thought-provoking beach read - avoid "Cape May" at all costs.

Stylist, what are you talking about? Top 10 Books of 2019?!

"Cape May" follows newlywed country bumkins Henry and Effie, on their two-week honeymoon, when suddenly these very recent virgins get involved with a somewhat promiscuous set and "all hell breaks loose".

Chip Cheek (what a name) refers to "On Chesil Beach" and "The Secret History" as his inspiration. My God. Two weeks of poorly executed questionable sexual endeavours did not inspire me. I could almost feel Mr Cheek's (I am sorry to repeat myself, but what a name!) urge to describe certain things with unbound vigour and enthusiasm, while the characters of his book are lacking in everything else but escapades of a certain type. There is no real substance and dimension to Henry and Effie. We are always told what happens to them, but never shown, and no explanations are given for their behaviour (ah wait! too many gin and tonics!).

The last few chapters of the book left me a bit perplexed. Suddenly, Mr Cheek decided to go global and tell us about lives of his characters after the honeymoon. What was the point of that? Why the book? What was the reason? What was the idea? I don't know. Another steamy novel no real storyline.

I would not recommend "Cape May" because it is... It is about nothing. Or if there are some seeds (excuse the pun) of a real story, these are brushed aside in favour of X-rated adventures. I still think Mr Cheek can tell a good story - I enjoyed his language. It seems he just did not have any substantial story to tell and no ideas to develop. There is no development of characters, no coming of age, no philosophising.

I am not a prude, however "Cape May" is just tasteless. For a great holiday read (albeit less "sexy"), I recommend "Tigers in Red Weather" and/or "Villa America", both by Liza Klaussmann.

Chip Cheek , what a name for a writer! I liked this book , the narrative zips along. Henry (Hank) a 22 year old man and his new bride, Effie from Tarleton in the Deep South travel to the New Hampshire coast to spend their honeymoon in her reluctant Uncle's holiday home. The couple kind of drifted into courting at High School and are virgins. They think rather than really feel they are in love. They have vanilla sex and Effie, bored with the out of season resort wants to return home early. However, the couple meet an old friend of Effie's sister who has come to stay at her family's pad and invites them to her party, an eye opener for the young couple, as the party is awash with alcohol and debauchery. They start to spend a lot of time with Clara, her lover and his half sister Alma. The young couple's relationship starts to fracture as they are exposed to a much more hedonistic lifestyle than their church going and straight laced life in Tarleton has prepared them for.

Wel worth reading. There were a few ways the story could have gone in the end, some of the roads we were led down came to nought and the closing chapter which summarised what happened after the honeymoon was a bit jarring in tone compared to the narrative that had preceeded it and I found it a bit unsatisfying. However, I really enjoyed this book, a good page turner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was both Gatsbyesque and reminded me of On Chesil Beach. It would make a great film too.

Evelynmillsmurtagh

This is such a beautifully written book - so descriptive and atmospheric I could really imagine the people and places.

Newlyweds Henry and Effie are on their honeymoon in Cape May, home of Effie's childhood holidays. It's out of season and disappointing and they plan to leave early. Then they are invited to a party hosted by an old friend of Effie's and everything changes.

Told from Henry's point of view, this a book about people and relationships: Effie and Henry's marriage and sexual awakenings.

This book should be read in the summer with a gin and tonic.

Thank you Netgalley for the advanced copy in return for a review.

Wonderfully described setting for this book - an empty beach town in America in the 1950's..

There are only five main characters, and the story tends to be told through the eyes of Henry who is spending his honeymoon with wife Effie in a house belonging to a member of her family. Whilst exploring the streets and beach they meet Clara, Max and Alma in a big house not far away with, it seems, a cabinet full of alcohol.

The emptiness of these other houses fuels Henry's lust, and there is plenty of steamy action ( and drinking!).

I would have preferred a little more of the story from Effie's point of view, and the ending was rushed.

But as a debut novel, it was enjoyable.

Many thanks to Net Galley for the chance to read and review.

Great descriptions of the decadence and innocence of the time. Being young naive things on honeymoon is all very well but you can get into all sorts of trouble when the neighbours are fast living, hard drinking party goers. Whilst I enjoyed the initial scene setting I did reach a point when I felt I needed a bit of action. Thankfully the neighbours were there to spice things up.

Things are all tied up at the end, perhaps too much for my liking. I did not really need to know about the rest of their lives, I would have been happy knowing how they left Cape May (as in together or apart) and then leaving the rest to my imagination. So all in all quarter one: top read, quarter two: bit flabby, quarter three: top read, quarter four: unnecessary.

This stylish and accomplished debut novel is a brilliant evocation of 1950s America (one of my favourite settings) and is highly reminiscent of Richard Yates in tone and theme with a smattering of F. Scott Fitzgerald thrown in for good measure.

It tells the story of a young couple, Henry and Effie, on honeymoon in Cape May, a seaside resort at the tip of southern New Jersey. It’s out of season and the couple appear to have the entire town and beach to themselves, but then they notice lights on in a house just down the street and find themselves drawn into the strange world of a trio of intriguing characters: Clara, a socialite; Max, her wealthy playboy lover; and Alma, Max’s aloof and pretty half-sister. Over the course of the next couple of weeks, the newly married couple experience life lived on a whole new level — with numerous sailing trips, glamorous dinner parties and all-night drunken revelry — but this heady time comes at a cost, for seduction, betrayal and heartbreak await.

Compulsively readable, with great characters and snappy dialogue, Cape May begins as a sweet story of new love before it morphs into a seedy and sexually explicit tale of lust, desire and hedonism. It’s certainly not for the prudish, but as a fast-paced entertaining read — perfect for the beach or holiday — they don’t come much better than this. My only criticism, apart from the over-done sex scenes, is that the ending, charting the lives of Henry and Effie long after the honeymoon is over, feels slightly tacked on, but nonetheless this is a terrific page-turning read!

Thank you netgalley for allowing me early access.

I did not really get on with the story. I did not like Henry who acted as though he was god's gift to women. I did not like the fact he be believed he was allowed to have an affair and when his wife and him participated in an orgy he believed it was wrong.

However the writing style was fine and I cannot say anything bad about that. I just couldn't get on with the story.

I would try the author again however

Thank you to netgalley.co.uk for giving me a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review

The 1950s is not a decade I would read about in fiction, but it's something I would like to learn more about. It was quite a quick read for me, finished it in a couple of sittings, I thought the writing was brilliant, and I was hooked into the novel straight away. I found the characters quite impressive, they weren't the usual modern characters I am used to reading about, I felt Cheek's characterisation fit well into the period she was writing in.
However, the one thing I didn't like about the book, there were parts in the novel where there did not feel like anything was going on, it was filled up with a lot of sex which was quite explicit. I was also disappointed in the last chapter, the novel really did not need this, I think overall, the final chapter should have been cut out.

“Who were these people? Where had they come from? They had materialized out of the enveloping dark.”

Henry and Effie are newlyweds when they arrive on their honeymoon in 1950s Cape May, a popular seaside town in the northeast US. It’s the off-season, so the homes on the street are empty – except for one.

In this house is socialite Clara, her wealthy lover Max, and his younger half-sister Alma (as well as whoever happens to be passing through for their gin-fuelled parties). Henry and Effie befriend them, a decision that sets them on a course of tension, lies, and betrayal.

I picked up this book because I tend to enjoy historical fiction set in this time period, and because it’s been described as reminiscent of The Great Gatsby. The group of new friends play games, go sailing, have parties, and drink gin – but at times it felt as if the whole book was this sequence on repeat.

By the time the plot picked up, I was tired of Henry, from whose perspective we see the story unfold, and felt the ending was too rushed. Cape May is already making “best of” summer reading lists, and while I liked the idea of the story in theory, the reality and execution of it just didn’t work for me.

Nice easy read to start with but gets much more exciting. Stick with it as it is well worth it. The setting and the characters are believable. You don’t have to like them all but you can’t ignore them. Maybe in another life this could be you.

This book was slow starting, lots of explicit sex but didn’t feel I got to know the characters at all. It was an ok story but not one I would normally read.
Not the best I have read recently, prefer something with a bit more depth.

Whilst this was a fun read, I found the comparisons to The Great Gatsby somewhat misleading. It was sadly quite a slow burner.

Cape May isn’t the normal genre of book that I would go for but it sounded great so I gave it a go. I couldn’t put it down, although now it’s finished I do wonder what the point of the story was.

Henry and Effie are on their honeymoon in Cape May, where Effie grew up. It starts off quite boring, with the couple getting to know each other. Then they come across a childhood friend, Clara and the rest of the holiday changes dramatically.

The books describes in great detail, the lavish lifestyle of the 1950s which Henry and Effie get drawn into, and there is so much sex in the book. Henry just seems to be at it all the time with not much of a disastrous conclusion. The ending could have been much better, but the last chapter seems to summarise their lives until death, which I thought was a bit pointless.

Overall it wasn’t bad but I’m not sure I would read it again.

A solid 3.5. I am interested in 1950's USA, and at first the couple conformed to the stereotypes I had in mind. Was I wrong though?! Despite not having a single truly likeable character, I was compelled to find out how they fared. I great escapist read, with some much darker sections.

An interesting, well-written, book that I have to admit was not really one of my preferred themes. I enjoyed the book but I never really got to know any of the characters enough. I was hoping for some twist or turn at the end but the story line extended in summary form for many years.
I guess the book covers the male view on affairs that it is OK for the male but not for the woman.

I don't really know what to say about this book. It sounded great - a cross between The Great Gatsby and On Chesil Beach. I was hoping for a literary historical read, steeped in atmosphere and with a bit of sex. What I got was a historical bonk buster.

The biggest issue I had with this novel, aside from the cringingly explicit sex scenes (I'm not averse to sex scenes, far from it but these were laughable) was the fact that it was so utterly male gaze focused. None of the 3 main female characters seemed to have any autonomy and neither did the author focus on them aside to have them as objects of desire. No matter what they did, from pulling a wedgie out of their bums or dancing, every action was portrayed through a mask of male lust. And the main male characters were the same - sex was a major driver for both of them, there was no depth to anyone.

Whilst I do appreciate that men and women viewed each other differently 60-70 years ago eg when the married couple first see each other naked - I was disappointed with the depictions of the women as either hussy or virgin or mad drunk witch - with no attempt to even speculate beyond this on their agendas and desires.

Having said all that, I couldn't put this book down - I loved the depictions of luxury, the wealthy houses, the sailing, the expensive clothes, the parties, the food. The bits when they skinny dipped were brilliant. But the ending was very disappointing. I feel like this novel could and should have been a statement about sexuality, wealth and class during a time when American society teetered on the brink of huge cultural change. But instead it was a fun romp with an odd ending. I'd only recommend it as a great holiday read but if you're expecting F Scott Fitzgerald, you might be disappointed!