Cape May

Author: Chip Cheek
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Celedon Books, 2019
Pages: 256
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: Late September 1957. Henry and Effie, very young newlyweds from George, arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, for their honeymoon only to find the town 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.

Review: First, let's talk about the cover. It's so pretty and nostalgic. In fact, that's why I read the book despite reading some negative reviews, and knowing this would contain graphic sex, which really isn't my thing.

I tend to shy away from men writing women, but decided to give this guy a chance because. . .the cover.

Cape May actually started on with a good premise, and the writing was decent. I could see a story developing. With the exception of the last chapter, the final 1/4 of the book was nothing but sex, graphic sex. I suspect that section of the book is what the author actually wanted to write, but he had to build some kind of story around it to sell it. I skimmed over it, but actually felt like the first 1/2 of the book, and the last chapter were decent. The author has potential, but not everything you want to write has to be published. Reign it in a bit, and voila. Of course I realize this is just my opinion, and there are plenty of people who won't have an issue with it.

Also worth noting, the setting of this novel is immaterial. This won't give you a glimpse of vintage Cape May. The events in this story could have happened anywhere.

This author has a young (baby) daughter, and at some point she is probably going to want to read what he wrote. This isn't what I want to picture my dad writing, and I'll leave it at that.