Henry and Effie, newlyweds from Georgia, decide to honeymoon in Cape May, New Jersey at a family member's seaside retreat. They soon realize that late September is not tourist season, leaving the town with a deserted feel. Just as they decide to cut the honeymoon short, an old acquaintance of Effie's sister shows up with siblings Max and Alma in tow. Will their sophisticated ways challenge the relatively sheltered couple in ways that they cannot fathom?
The story is set in 1957, but the premise feels definitely more modern than that. None of the characters have redeeming qualities and nothing really attracted me to the story. Cape May was not worth the hype it received, as it is more about desire and illicit attraction than about a young couple just starting out with their adult lives. The author accelerates the ending through several years, just to get readers up to date with the main characters, but that was not a successful conclusion in my opinion. For these reasons, I would not recommend Cape May to other readers.
The story is set in 1957, but the premise feels definitely more modern than that. None of the characters have redeeming qualities and nothing really attracted me to the story. Cape May was not worth the hype it received, as it is more about desire and illicit attraction than about a young couple just starting out with their adult lives. The author accelerates the ending through several years, just to get readers up to date with the main characters, but that was not a successful conclusion in my opinion. For these reasons, I would not recommend Cape May to other readers.