This is a superb debut novel and I loved it. Henry and Effie are spending their honeymoon in Cape May, New Jersey; they’ve travelled there from Georgia to stay in a family member’s summer home. Before long, they are befriended by Clara, Max, her lover, and Alma, his sister. What follows is an autumn of trashing empty summer homes, debauchery (including much drinking, sex and pure hedonism) and some extreme realisations about life and love.

For young newlyweds Henry and Effie, their seemingly full honeymoon becomes something so different to expectations when Clara, an old adversary from her childhood, comes in the scene. But it’s not until Henry and Alma strike up more than a friendship that things pick up a pace.

‘Cape May’ is extremely evocative. Its roots in the 1950s are visual; Clara is archetypal (think Gatsby); and, poor Henry and Effie’s early days of marriage are short-lived when ethereal, mysterious Alma steals his love.

Parts of this are implausiable and cliched. Would, for example, Henry and Alma’s nightly rendezvous go un-noticed, even by a sick Effie? Is it likely that all the surrounding homes are empty and devoid of life? Cheek’s focus on the sexual makes this quite the racy read in places - but Max being ‘hung like a horse ‘ could probably be a bit less obvious and more original. And I’m not sure why Clara’s husband disappears post-party and is not mentioned again, apart from the fact it leaves Max to muscle in and have his wicked way.

‘Cape May’ is assured and enjoyable. Some reviews state that the final chapter is excess to needs and I agree. Here, Cheek takes readers on a whistle-stop tour of Henry and Effie’s latter years, spinning forward to the 1980s, which I don’t think is necessary. It feels as if he has ‘dumped’ all remaining ideas into what could have been a shorter, more effective debut without surplus to requirements details. But all in all - it does what a good read should do. If provides entertainment and engagemen.

There are certainly reminders of Gatsby in the setting and style of this book. Cape May itself does not influence the book much but provides a background of emptiness in the fall and a group of young people with nothing to do except explore troubled relationships. Henry,the newly wed,cannot resist sexual temptation from elsewhere than his wife and betrays his marriage. The sexual elements of the book are very explicit and central to the story. The perpetuation of the marriage is a dust prise but in general the attraction is in the evocative pull of an imaginary era. Was it ever that simple?

I enjoyed this book. Set in 1957, young newlyweds Effie and Henry go from their home in the south to spend their honeymoon in New Jersey. The place is deserted and just as they are about to cut their trip short, they meet a decadent group of people and are swept along by their hedonistic lifestyle. Effie and Henry were both virgins at the start of their honeymoon, and one of the main themes of the book is their sexual awakening. Henry finds himself attracted to Alma, and the heavy drinking and live for today attitude of their new friends results in them both doing things which put their marriage in jeopardy before it's really started. A good read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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I've always been intrigued by the 1950's and a chance to look into the newly married lives of Effie and Henry was welcomed.

But, phew, there were some steamy bits!

Was everyone so debauched, and gin-soaked? Or was it just a select few who ended up hopping beds and hearts?

It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, I enjoyed the richly developed characters, and my, even the rather steamy bits!

Many Thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

I picked this book up despite it not being the usual type of book i read, yet I found it addictive. From the outset, the reader is able to view the other residents of Cape May through the eyes of Henry and Effie, who are trying to salvage their honeymoon from boredom, having booked at a time when the Cape is deserted.

The characters are not necessarily likeable or relatable, but they are interesting, and the book is well written and developed.

I picked this up even thought its not my normal book and was pleasantly surprised. What a great job for a debut author.

I loved having a glimpse into the world of a married couple in the 1950s.

I would absolutely recommend this book.

I thought this was great book for a debut author! The writing and the characters were very well done.

This very descriptive book is full of atmosphere and I can see that it has been well researched. Because of its descriptive style it took me a long time to get into this book. The book is written from the perspective of the male character, Henry. Not a character I particularly liked. In fact none of the characters were particularly likeable.

This was not a book for me. I really wanted to enjoy it but....

Henry and Effie honeymoon on Cape May in 1957. Only 20 and 18 they are young, foolish and naive but ready to start their new life together, whatever that entails.
Clara has only visited Cape May during the main holiday season, when the place was alive with people and entertainment. Now, out of season it is a disappointment........until Clara arrives. Beautiful, vivavious, immoral, her need to be entertained and to entertain others changes the lives of those around her.
A bittersweet story of missed chances and wrong choices which remains long after the final chapter.

Unfortunately this really just wasn't for me. I think comparing it to Gatsby set it up on such a high pedestal and it just didn't live up to the acclaim. I think a book is able to be crude as long as it is still full of depth and I don't think Cape May had that. I did enjoy the characterisation and I enjoyed the era it took place in. I really wanted to love it and it sounded perfect for me but unfortunately just missed the mark.

For me the book took a while to get going, it was about 40% in when I decided I was committed to reading through to the end. The writing style is very descriptive at times (hence why for me it took a while to get into it). The main lead character I didn't like therefore had very little sympathy for him throughout the book, the other characters were also not that likeable (this may be intentional!)

It was an ok read overall, I just didn't care for any of the characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for a honest review.

It is 1957 and Henry and Effie, a Southern couple, arrive in Cape May for their honeymoon. It's off season and they are disappointed by the emptiness of the resort, passing the first part of their honeymoon quietly and deciding to cut their trip short. Then they meet Clara, Max and Alma and the two innocents are awakened to a world of sex, alcohol and parties that would put Gatsby to shame (with a lot more explicit sex than F Scott Fitzgerald thought to put into 'The Great Gatsby'!) As the five characters' lives become more intertwined and the lies flow as freely as the gin, Henry and Effie's lives are changed forever.

I did enjoy this book, although enjoy might be the wrong word - it was certainly engaging and quite compelling, although the subject matter was dark. There was a feeling of tension throughout and the time period and resort of Cape May were both beautifully evoked.

However, there were a few things that jarred. Firstly, I really didn't like Henry and wished that more of the story was told from Effie's perspective; the sexual double standards of the time would have been more powerfully exposed through Effie rather than Henry. Secondly, I didn't like the author's letter at the beginning - it felt like it was justifying the book or explaining it which isn't necessary. Finally, some of the writing was a little distracting and undermined the dark, cool tone of the book - there seemed to be glowing/luminous breasts a lot (and breasts that filled a room at one point) and a man crying at his Argyle socks. I'm sure these things were intended to be deep and meaningful, but they stood out to me and made me laugh!

Aside from the odd funny phrase, this is an engaging read and one I would recommend to those who like stylish historical fiction with a dark heart.

I can see why this book has been compared to The Great Gatsby for the 1950s scenes of decadence and devil may care attitude, but this is a more modern and sexier, no holds barred version and the devil definitely doesn't care at all!
A young recently married couple fear life is going to become humdrum, but before it has a chance to do so, they decide to rev things up a notch…and then some. Sex is involved of course, and plenty of it. For two people who were sexually inexperienced beforehand , they are certainly making up for lost time now! Henry is the husband of the main couple and it’s his eyes we see things through. He’s on a mission it would seem to sleep with as many people as possible, and that got me thinking that this story would have been very different and dare I say more interesting had Effie had a greater role in its narration. I would have liked to have known more about Effie and female sexuality and attitudes towards it, especially as this was the 1950s and there were some very different attitudes and standards back then.
That’s not to say the novel isn’t a lot of fun - it is, and a perfect beach read. Wouldn’t it be great to read on the Cape May beach! Sun in your face and sand between your toes as you read. The 1950s style and beach life is nicely evoked. I so wanted to be able to see the white washed houses the lighthouse, the cape and feel the sun on my face. It does seem like the ideal honeymoon spot!

The deserted spot, the ideal honeymoon setting and then there’s the moment when all that changes, when they meet the otherworldly hedonists who introduce them to sex, lust, alcohol and obsession.

I enjoyed this book, but I thought it had more potential that was not utilized. It was very well written full of atmosphere of the 50's beach resort. I wished I was there :) However, somehow that atmosphere was inserted in a quite dark and depressive book, which I thought was not for me, and also was a loss of opportunity.
It's good writing and I'm sure some people will enjoy it for what it is.

Thanks a lot NetGalley and the publisher for tihs ARC in exchange for an honest review.

* It was ok.
A pleasant enough read,that I felt didn't really go anywhere.
In fact had you taken out the sex,I might have enjoyed it more.
Small town 50's newly weds on honeymoon.

The last few chapters added nothing to the book I thought.

It's 1957, Effie and Henry are 18 and 20, newlyweds, and visit Cape May for their honeymoon to Effie's family holiday home as she remembers wonderful summers there. It's Fall so the place is empty, apart from one other house which they discover belongs to Clara Strauss, a lady who Effie isn't very fond of. They develop a new friendship with her, her lover Max and his younger sister Alma.

The book mainly focuses on this honeymoon period in Cape May in the 50's, Effie and Henry discovering each other properly for the first time, but also how the other half live (sex, drinking, losing their innocence) and the whole experience changes them. It is filled with sex scenes, I'm no prude, but there are maybe a bit too many than are needed and they don't really add much to the story.

I went through the book either loving parts but then feeling let down and a little bored which is my reason for the 'middle of the road' rating. I also really disliked Henry.

The honeymoon, and main part of the book, I feel is stretched and a little thin and repetitive but those last scenes after they leave Cape May and we hear about their future were probably my favourite parts. You can see how their experience of Cape May has shaped their future.

I must add that the scenery descriptions are wonderful and you truly can feel yourself being there.

Thank you Orion and Netgalley for the ARC.

I found this book utterly compelling. From the start the reader is drawn into a world of decadence and louche glamour, as seen through the eyes of an unworldy, newly-married couple, Henry and Effie, who are powerless to resist personalities they don't really understand. Whilst it is hard to sympathise with any of the characters involved in this drama, it is very easy to get swept up in a well-told story, which sweeps inevitably towards an "end-of-the-holiday" conclusion. The sense of period is subtle, but well-drawn. My only criticism is with the rather lengthy, and slightly dull sex scenes, which just serve to slow down a great story.

This book might have worked better if it had been told from the point of view of Effie, the young wife as well as Henry, her husband in a pastiche of Gatsby. There was a lot of explicit sex in the book, and I'm no prude, making it an unsubtle read.

Set in 1957 in Camp May, a seaside resort shut for the season, virginal Henry and Effie arrive on their honeymoon. Before they are due to leave they meet Clara, a bohemian acquaintance from Effie's childhood who invites them to stay on with her boyfriend Max and his younger sister, Alma.

Unknown to Effie Henry becomes besotted with Alma while she herself gets drawn into the hedonistic lifestyle embraced by her hosts, with predictable results.

Thanks to Orion, whose books I usually enjoy, and NetGalley but this one wasn't for me. I suspect it will find many fans though.

I am giving this book three stars because i found it was really well written,. You can almost feel the atmosphere of the 50’s beach resort out of season and the descriptions of the settings made you almost see them and be there.
That said, I found this book both dark and depressing. The picture on the book cover and the comments from other writers and magazines etc made it seem a much lighter story than it was, but we’re all different with different tastes - this just wasn’t to mine.

Henry and Effie are on their honeymoon, and soon the holiday town in its off-season leaves them feeling underwhelmed. Enter Clara, a bohemian figure from Effie's childhood, and her whirlwind of friends, parties and casual sex. At first cocooned in their new marriage Henry and Effie gently exist on the fringes of Clara's life, but soon they are sucked in...

This was a really enjoyable Gatsby-esque read, that delves a bit deeper into relationships, the accompanying expectations and the concept of corruption. Henry's double-standards for his sexual behavior vs Effie's is brilliantly written, and the writing perfectly conjures up a summer of excess and then its eventual disintegration..

Chip Cheek's debut novel showcases how easily people can be manipulated. Henry and Effie are young, virginal newlyweds from rural Georgia on their honeymoon in Cape May., in 1957, arriving in off-season, when it’s largely deserted. Just kids, they are naive and unprepared for their meeting with three worldly hedonists who introduce them to booze, lust, and sexual obsession.

Cape May is an exploration of young love, the power of desire, and the lifelong ramifications of choices made in an instant. An unsettling look at a man - and a marriage – undone by betrayal.