I wanted to read a love story by the beach and instead got a story about young newlyweds in Cape May, entangled with other people and couples that they shouldn’t have been a part of.

1950’s Cape May, Henry and Effie start their honeymoon discovering one another, and the people they meet in coastal New Jersey. Sexual desires abound, along with the gin and tonic that’s flowing, and it doesn’t take long before these couples discover their hidden desires.

Overall I enjoyed this, but I think I was expecting a different story! Definitely seeing mixed reviews on this, and while I wasn’t blown away, I found it entertaining.

*Thank you to netgalley and Celadon books for this complimentary book. All opinions are my own

I received an Advanced Review Copy of Cape May from the publisher Celadon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Effie and Henry are honeymooning in Cape May in 1957. Newly married they're a bit awkard about each other and then they run into Effie's childhood acquaintance Clara and the trip takes a wild turn.

I'll be honest this book was not for me, I found the book to be oversexualized and written for a typical intellectual man. I'm not a prude but I just thought it was excessive and seemed more like a fantasy than real life and the sexual content just seemed to be too unbelieveable.

I think the author is trying to make a point that the 1950's were more sexual and wild than we might believe. I also do think that the author was trying to point out the inherent misogyny around women's sexuality, and made it a clear focus point of the book, in a way that makes this book a good discussion book. However, I just really did not enjoy it though I think that there are certainly people who may and at the very least discuss the points the author makes about sexuality.

I found Cape May to be a slightly shocking and certainly sinful read! A young couple heads to a nearly-deserted summer town after their fall wedding. They enjoy quiet moments as they get to know one another more intimately, and though they seem to be happy, the author gives the reader the feeling that all is not quite settled and well.

The couple's slightly uncomfortable time is thrown off when they discover that there are other people visiting in town, and as they spend more time with the free-wheeling young people, they find themselves committing acts they had never imagined.

By the end of the book, the couple is left with the after-effects of their choices made during that brief time away.

I was super excited to read this book, mostly, because I am a huge fan of Cape May. The story took a way different turn of events then I had thought. I did really enjoy a look into how the 50s probably were, and the subjects of marriage, love and sexuality, especially how they have effects on a newly married couple. I think this would be a great read if you are into storylines that take place in the 50s and infidelity. Overall a decent read.

Thank you NetGalley and Celadon Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book. I have to say the book blurb does not match up to this story. It is written as psychological suspense which is it not. This is a pretty messed up story about a newly wed couple who ends up hanging out with a not so great group of people durning their honeymoon., This book made me feel really icky and dirty. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this one.

This has richly developed characters, and is a raw, unflinching account of a newlywed couple when they meet some new people on Their honeymoon. A good read!

A mesmerizing debut novel by Chip Cheek, Cape May explores the social and sexual mores of 1950s America through the eyes of a newly married couple from the genteel south corrupted by sophisticated New England urbanites.

I started this book when I was on a flight home from a work trip, and I did not want my flight to end because I was so drawn to the book. Chip Creek did a great job developing the characters and really making me as a reader invest in their outcomes. A great beach read!

This book is not the usual genre that I would pick to read but it did surprise me. The pace was pretty slow for my taste, but I kept reading because the story was intriguing and kept me guessing as to what would happen next. Henry and Effie were fairly typical 1950's characters with "good Christian" morals and views. They met the scandalous Max and Clara while they were on their honeymoon and things picked up. The story is from Henry's point of view which was sort of refreshing. It was quite descriptive throughout, but not so much that it was unnecessary. I also liked the ending as it wrapped everything up but also because it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. I really enjoyed this book, but it gets three stars because I thought it carried on in the dry parts a little much.

2 naive newly weds on their honeymoon. They arrive at Effie’s uncle’s house, and Effie realizes it is not as she remembers it, partly due to being out of season. She gets bored and wants to go home before their two weeks are up. But as they are out for a walk one day she stops at Clara’s house, a ‘friend’ from the past holiday vacations. They soon get drawn into Clara’s lifestyle of partying, drinking, boating and sex. From there on sex and drinking are the main subjects.......incidents happen that impact the rest of their lives.. A quick and ok read.

I thought this was going to be such a good book. I love the era and the setting sounded so nice. The more I read the more I was thinking that I was very disappointed in this book. I don’t mind books that contain sex scenes, drinking and other things but this one went way overboard. To much detail. Way to much.

I liked the very beginning, not so much the middle, and HATED the end. It was just not at all the story I thought it would be. I was just not happy with this story at all.

For me it’s just a two star read and the second star is because I actually finished this crazy book.

I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley and from Bookish First. I’m sorry but I just didn’t like it.

Review will be posted on 5/16/19

Henry is a young country boy from Georgia and he just married his high school sweet heart, Effie. They are on their honeymoon in Cape May, New Jersey and the year is 1957. They are not only exploring their sexuality as newlyweds, but they are also expanding their horizons as this isn't rural Georgia anymore. In fact, Cape May is pretty much abandoned for the season except for a group of sophisticated city dwellers from up North. They have money, they throw lavish dinner parties, they drink, they go boating, they drink more.... rinse and repeat. When Henry and Effie fall into their clutches, it alters their marriage irrevocably. Cape May by Chip Cheek is an erotic story filled with despicable characters and horrible situations--very much so that I was unable to put down the book.

At first, I really thought Henry and Effie were cute in Cape May. Adorable, really. But then I realized how naive they actually are. When they meet up with Clara, Max, and Alma who are also in Cape May during the off season that is where things go awry. It was like watching two baby rabbits fall into the clutches of a vulture. Clara, Max and Alma are worldly, experienced, and live life by their own rules. When Henry and Effie try to assimilate into their world, things don't go well as one could easily predict. So, this is where I thought the story would take on this Great Gatsby vibe with partying and different psychologically thrilling details, but I was wrong.

Without giving too much away, Henry is seduced by someone (on his honeymoon!) and starts an affair with her. Willingly. And continues it. On his honeymoon. I repeat. On his honeymoon. I was appalled. I won't say more, but it's like just the tip of the iceberg here with these two. Everything that could possibly go wrong on a honeymoon goes wrong in Cape May and it almost became unbelievable at one point. Then I started disliking all the characters. To the point where I put down the book, because I don't want my beach reads to stress me out in this manner. This was just.too.much.

And the sex. Oh, man. Now I am not a romance novel reader per se and I didn't read 50 Shades of Grey, but I like to think I can deal with an average amount of sex scenes in a novel. I can also let go of a lot of erotic details if the story is strong. But this was just too much. The sex scenes were so overly detailed that it left a bad taste in my mouth and it felt almost smutty. In fact, there was so much detail that all the sex became ineffective and I became numb to it.

But I will say I somehow became addicted to Cape May in the same way I might watch a reality TV show that is a disaster. I usually don't finish books like this, which is why I rarely review a book that I rate as two or three stars, but I had to know how it would end for these characters. And once I got to the end, I was disappointed and almost depressed by it. The overall message of Cape May, for me, was dismal.

Was Cape May well written? I guess. I will admit I was entertained, but I was disappointed because Cape May is one of my favorite places in the world and I was hoping for so much more. The town doesn't shine through the novel in the least bit. However, there are some outstanding reviews for this novel; in fact, Kirkus gave it a starred review, but ultimately, this book is not for me and one I wouldn't recommend unless novels about drinking, sex, bad decisions, and more drinking are your cup of tea.

Did you read Cape May? Let me know your thoughts in the comment below.

I just finished Cape May and I’m siting here in awe. So many thoughts running through my mind right now. First, the characters. The innocence of Effie and Henry made me love them, in the beginning. In the end, I was angry at both! Clara and Max are the ones that make everything fun, but also chaotic. I’m torn with my feelings toward Alma!
Second, the story. I love blindly going into a novel and not reading the reviews. You believe you are on the path into one story and then the entire thing blows up! You have your suspicions and then Chip just takes the story and makes you go ahh, wait... what!? Yes! No! This was a rollercoaster of emotions. Sweet and innocent is not the description to use on this one. Five stars!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! I enjoyed this book and will recommend it. This is a particularly good summer read and will definitely appeal to those who enjoy historic fiction, and those who summer on ‘the shore’!

I *blush* to admit how much I enjoyed this steamy, booze-soaked novel. Cape May could have been a fairly quiet and uneventful story of Effie and Henry, two young, sweetly naive southern newlyweds on their honeymoon in a sleepy off-season beach town...if only they had left a day earlier! As Dinah Washington sang: What a difference a day makes. I won't say much more as a big part of the electricity of this novel is watching how things unfold for these characters, accept to say it's a marital drama that reads like a thriller, and lies somewhere between Flannery O'Connor and Danielle Steele. If I have one (small) criticism, it's the author's somewhat unnecessary fast-forward style epilogue, but considering I tore through this book on two flights and it kept me up several late nights, I'm willing to forgive that minor complaint.

Cape May is a complex look at getting married when you’re both too young and too naive (the novel is set in the 1950s). Henry and Effie are newlyweds from rural Georgia and they’re in Cape May, New Jersey for their honeymoon, only it’s the off season and they’re bored. They stop by a neighbor’s house when they see a light on, only to get sucked into a world of debauchery and drinking. Both are easily manipulated, and soon Henry and Effie are barely recognizable to each other. Cape May, though a bit steamy and explicit, is a well done character study looking at the ramifications of betrayal and remorse.

Cape May
by Chip Creek
Published: April 30, 2019 by Celadon Books
Dates Read: May 6 – May 8, 2019
Genre/Category: General Fiction (Adult), Women’s Fiction
Read For: ARC /NetGalley Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 stars

1950’s Shades of Cape May. That’s it, review over. Go home. No, seriously, I cant say that, there is some depth to this book and it’s certainly worth the read.
Book Synopsis from Amazon: A mesmerizing debut novel by Chip Cheek, Cape May explores the social and sexual mores of 1950s America through the eyes of a newly married couple from the genteel south corrupted by sophisticated New England urbanites. Late September 1957. Henry and Effie, very young newlyweds from Georgia, arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, for their honeymoon only to find the town is deserted. Feeling shy of each other and isolated, they decide to cut the trip short. But before they leave, they meet a glamorous set of people who sweep them up into their drama. Clara, a beautiful socialite who feels her youth slipping away; Max, a wealthy playboy and Clara’s lover; and Alma, Max’s aloof and mysterious half-sister, to whom Henry is irresistibly drawn. The empty beach town becomes their playground, and as they sneak into abandoned summer homes, go sailing, walk naked under the stars, make love, and drink a great deal of gin, Henry and Effie slip from innocence into betrayal, with irrevocable consequences. Erotic and moving, this is a novel about marriage, love and sexuality, and the lifelong repercussions that meeting a group of debauched cosmopolitans has on a new marriage.
There were so many mixed reviews about this book before I had even gotten my copy that I was skeptical going into it, thinking it was going to fall flat. Fortunately I’ve learned to always follow my own path. Henry and Effie, typical southern 1950’s couple, not really sure of each other, not really sure what brought them together, and no clue what it’s like to live together as a married couple. I always enjoy reading about love in this era, it can sometimes be comical when these poor innocents learn about sex, and this book certainly delivered in that department. When Effie and Henry clearly have no idea what to do with each other, alone and by themselves for the first time ever, the first thing they want to do is bail and go home. Fortunately for them, right before leaving, they run into a friend of Effie’s cousin, and their plans change back to remaining in Cape May, even longer than expected.
Once you meet Clara, Max and Alma, the heart of the whole story changes and this is where we start to find out that just because it’s the 1950’s and you are from the south, doesn’t mean you don’t have hidden sexual desires. Who else to bring out those hidden desires than your NYC socialite and playboy. This is where my fifty shades of Cape May comment comes into play, but its certainly much tamer than that, and much more tasteful. You do learn a little bit about each of these supplemental characters, so they’re not just strangers, but I don’t think its enough to “connect” with them, as some readers feel they need to do.
Every book has its climax (no pun intended) and its ending. A lot happened at this point, and it was exhilarating and frustrating at the same time. This is the only place where I felt things were a little rushed, like the ending was more of just a quick wrap up. I felt like we just spent all this time with Henry and Effie, and then their lives were just summarized in a few pages like a news article or a feature obituary. Although I felt satisfied with the ending, and overall enjoyed the book, parts of me would have liked just a little more detail into the aftermath of all that happened.
There was a personal attachment to this book because I’ve spent a ton of time at the Jersey Shore including many trips to Cape May. Chip Creek does this enchanting town a phenomenal amount of justice, and should be commended just for that alone. If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend a visit, even in the off season, because it is just as magnificent as described.
I give this a 4 stars. Cape May didn’t blow me away but it is undeniably a memorable novel. You have to consider the depth of the decisions that were made by these characters, because the truth is, in the heat of passion, what decision would you make? It’s easy to have morals and values outside of the bedroom, but when desire comes into play, morals and values seem to very easily get pushed by the wayside. It’s a good read. I would definitely recommend picking it up.
Thank You so much to NetGalley and to Crooked Lane Books for the ARC and the opportunity to review this book. I received this ARC for an unbiased and honest review.

I had a difficult time becoming engaged with this book. The writing style was good and I enjoyed the setting of 1957. However I did not become invested with the characters. I just did not like them very much.
Many thanks to Celadon Books and to NetGalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Cape May, by Chip Cheek, was a disappointment. The very thin plot described the honeymoon of a very young couple, in Cape May during off-season. They quickly meet with a group of slightly older and significantly more hedonistic people, and are gradually pulled into a house party that is best characterized by its heavy drinking, casual sex, and complete lack of respect for other people’s rights or interests. Not a single character in this novel had a shred of ethics or values or even regard for people they purported to love. I hope that I will that the memory of each will fade as quickly as I expect.

The only redeeming quality of this novel is Cheek’s masterful prose. It is lyrical and evocative. I hope his next book has a more compelling plot and characters with more depth. Thank you to NetGalley and Celadon Books for the opportunity to read an electronic ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Like being on vacation, this book is dreamy and unfurls slowly while a couple gets to know each other other over the course of a debaucherous multi-week honeymoon.

I dug this book, but I could see where other's may not. Henry, our narrator, is immature and makes some seriously bad choices in this story (i.e. having an affair ON HIS HONEYMOON.) Not a lot actually happens either, other than an escalating account of those bad choices. But I still found it interesting because this plot serves as as entry point into conversations around monogamy and sexuality in the 1950s that I'd not read about before.

Of course people were doing wild things back in the day, but in the majority of books and movies, we're mostly treated to very traditional, chaste depictions of these relationships. I appreciated seeing a different perspective and learning how the characters in this book responded to those things (particularly, Effie, who Henry--and, to some extent, the reader--immediately writes off as a sweet good girl without first getting to know what makes her tick.)

I think what I liked most about this book is the way it's written--how the reader, like the characters in the story, kind of get submerged in an alternative universe where things move at a different pace, where you're not sure of what day of the week it is, where the atmosphere of the place and time plays as much role in the story as any of the character's actions.

Thanks to the author and NetGalley for granting me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a tough review to write. I was so perplexed by this book. Upon starting it I thought it was a bit historical fiction - especially because that was how it was tagged in Goodreads. Not sure that I would have categorized it as that though.

Two young newlyweds, Henry and Effie escape to Cape May for their honeymoon. Effie remembers Cape May from a childhood trip, but quickly realized that that atmosphere in October is much different in this summer resort town.

Mostly I would say the book is about the sexual awakening of this young couple during their extended honeymoon when they meet up with a distant acquaintance of Effie’s visiting Cape May at the same time.
Still trying to figure out how I really feel about this one - it’s definitely risqué