"Summer on Cape May" follows three longtime friends: Lu, Kenya, and Natalia, whose deep bond is tested during one summer.

The story portrays authentic female friendship. They have weathered many life's storms together, but now face individual challenges that threaten not only their personal happiness but their own bond.

What captured me most was how the author balanced the serious emotional themes with the vivid charm of the setting's backdrop. Cape May itself becomes a character, with its historic real estate, beaches, and warmth of small town comfort. While following the familiar women's fiction beats, the characterization and thoughtful handling of difficult subjects, grief, forgiveness, betrayal, and second chances elevate the reading experience. This story reminds us that true friendship can survive the most difficult revelations and that healing often comes through honesty and vulnerability.

This was an enjoyable beach read about friendship, relationships, family and secrets. I loved the setting in a relaxed beach town and the characters relationships with each other, their growth and realistic struggles.

Totally gave me all the Jersey vibes! Growing up in NJ, I couldn't resist picking this one up right away. The story follows three very different best friends, each dealing with their own struggles, plus a few secrets thrown in. At times, the book moved quickly, while in other parts, it slowed down. Overall, it was an enjoyable and easy read!

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this Arc!

What a great book!
I haven't read anything by Monica Garner before, and I was pleasantly surprised.
The story follows three friends (or sisters, as they call themselves) as they deal with their life's troubles and situations. This was very slow and fast-paced at the same time, but very moving and entertaining. Loved all three women and how in the end they came together. Sisterhood is the best thing ever in this world.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this ARC.

This story of strong female friendships and forgiveness was such a good read! I enjoyed following Lu, Natalia, and Kenya on their different journey’s and even though they had some struggles between themselves, when it really mattered, they forgave each other and were able to move past their lies to each other. There seemed to be a few too many secrets and the three main storylines only connected by their lies to each other. There was some romance between Kenya and one of Natalia and Zach’s friends and the family struggles for Natalia that let Zach support her in so many ways even after he was not honest about his past. Lu had a different set of struggles with wanting so badly to be pregnant after losing her first pregnancy and even the shock that her husband delivered later in the story.

This story started on the slower side, but quickly pulled me in and made me want these women to find everything that they deserved! It also showed the female friendships can survive anything.

We meet three friends, but friends that keep secrets from each other.

Lu owns a B&B and is engaged to Zach.

Natalia owns a winery and wants a baby but keeps losing them.

Kenya's husband was killed in a car accident.

Then a huge surprise phone call causes Lu's life to spiral. This seems to be a huge secret.

It sounds like everything is out in the open between these three friends, but each friend found out a secret about one of them and a secret they kept to themselves.

They couldn't share these secrets just yet, but how long can they keep them?

We follow the three friends through everything - good and bad.

Found out how it all turns out in this change of pace and a true tribute to friendship read. 4/5

Thank you to the publisher for a copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Great read! First read from this author. This book makes me want to read more from this author. Kept my attention and interest until the end.

"Set over one summer in the charming seaside resort of Cape May, New Jersey, amid the planning of a lavish wedding three longtime friends find that past secrets, new loves, and hard choices test their bond like never before."

This book had everything I could've wished for in a book, although it didn't deliver how I'd hoped. A Jersey girl through and through, I will truly read just about anything if it takes place within this state, especially if it takes place somewhere I frequent often. This book had very sweet moments between friends, but their fall out and make-ups felt rushed and unrealistic. I also feel like the second half of the book was rushed just to fit in the wedding and anything that came after that in the timeline.

This would be a perfect beach read if you want something quick and breezy to read that leaves you feeling warm inside!

Three friends wend their way through personal troubles.. Can their friendships last?

Lu finds out her mother was not truthful to her about her father and now her fiance has not been completely truthful to her either. Will their long planned wedding take place?

Kenya lost her husband in a accident, or was it suicide? Either way she was left out of decisions that she should have been party to. Now a new man in her life wants her and she's not sure she can do a relationship again.

Nathalia wants to be a mother in the worst way. After a miscarriage, she finds her husband's old lover and mother of his child is still in contact with her husband. Can they move forward after this loss and betrayal?

All three women are guilty of keeping information from each other, and sharing information with others that they were sworn to secrecy to keep. Their rock solid girl group is now shattering as truths come to the surface and each of them feels betrayed by the others.

Three different stories for these three different women. After being close friends for ages, can they work through their individual issues and be there for each other?

I enjoyed this book. Although it begins a bit slowly, the book finds its legs and scampers forward quickly. A wonderful resolution for all three women.

This is the first time I have read this author and I really loved this book. The three friends, Lu, Kenya and Natalia really shared a love for Cape May. and they have a great friendship. Each moved to the historical area for their own reason. Lu, was running a B&B and planning a wedding and heard from her dying father that she didn't know. It is a great part of the story. Kenya loved living their to get away from the city everyday. She is a lawyer. Natalia ran a winery and faced some problems of her own. A GREAT READ..

I'm so glad Netgalley provided me an ARC of SUMMER ON CAPE MAY by Monica Garner. Being a Jersey girl, I thoroughly enjoyed this story of a group of successful Black women living on the Jersey shore.

Ms. Garner not only did a wonderful job showing the intricacies of female friendships, but she even added a bit of suspense to the story. Nice work!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this one. A new to me author and I'm excited to see what she comes out with next. A fun beach read.

I loved this book. 3 chosen sisters who had each other's backs. Then life happened. All I can say is this is an amazing book. Read it now. I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley and this is my honest review.

I loved the story and the characters. I grew up in south Jersey, so the location was dreamy to me. I'd love to live in Cape May. The characters were smart, strong, human women with great friendships and connections with family - blood and chosen. However, the language and word choice was odd to bad in places. Gideon's inhibitions? Where were those? That's not the right word. Also, so many adjectives that I thought they were getting paid per word. But all in all, I like the book. I'd actually read more about these women. Thanks for the chance to read a book I would have otherwise missed.

I enjoyed this book. I finished it in one afternoon it was too good to put down.
I especially loved the cover and in all honesty it was what drew me to read it. It didn't disappoint.
Also a new author to me that did well to draw me in from the beginning.
The characters were wonderful and the storyline made me feel like I was actually there.
5 stars from.me for an excellent read. I recommend it.
Thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.