The Way to Cape May: A Rom Com Beach Read About Finding Love on the Jersey Shore

by Kimberly Brighton

Where choice meets chance, there lies happily ever after…

A bride, her Groomzilla, and their guests travel along the southern Jersey shore, navigating the rocky road to romance as they each seek their own version of happily ever after, Love Actually- style.

You’re cordially invited to Delaney and Dalton’s Cape May wedding…if it happens.

Delaney is a successful criminal attorney who leaves nothing to chance. All she wanted was a simple seaside wedding to her childhood sweetheart, Dalton. But as wedding countdown begins, their love is put to the test as a series of events threatens their big day. Even Mother Nature’s RSVP of a tempestuous plus-one can’t match the turmoil of an unbridled Groomzilla, whose life-altering secret may veer this love story to Happily Never After before they can say, “I Don’t”.

Delaney isn’t the only one whose destiny is uncertain.

A seashell found in the pocket of an old hoodie forces maid of honor and DC lobbyist Kate to question her choices in life and love. Especially after her ex, whom she last saw driving off in a dilapidated VW van, has now been touted in Men’s Monthly magazine as America’s hottest surfer-preneur and newly minted millionaire. As Kate rides the gnarly waves of regret, an accidental phone switch has her dialed into someone totally new—and completely unexpected.

Free-spirited bartender Cleo is “just fine” with the surface-level, friends-with-benefits situation she has with her hot lawyer. But as her roommates move forward with their Adult Life Plans, Cleo decides slinging drinks, while fun, is getting in the way of pursuing her creative talents as an artist. Enter her best friend's plus-one, who challenges her beliefs about her troubled past, and invites her into the scary future—whether she’s ready to face it or not.

Marley, a law student and intern at Delaney’s firm, has but one to become a lawyer and practice criminal law in her beloved hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her longtime boyfriend and future fiancé, who lives in the Midwest, has been turning up the pressure on marriage but she's not quite ready. Marley can't fathom leaving her hometown, especially now that things are heating up with the one man she can’t stop thinking about, and with whom she doesn’t stand a chance—her best friend.

Set between the courtrooms of Philadelphia and the sparkling white sand beaches of the Jersey Cape, this laugh-out-loud, swoony beach read is all about choice and chance, love and loss, sunsets and cheesesteaks. With familiar romance tropes of friends to lovers, unexpected meet-cutes, and opposites attract, you’re destined to fall in love with this ensemble cast. You may even find yourself exploring your own beliefs about life, love, and destiny.

So save the date, grab a drink, and get ready to Chicken Dance—you never know what the night, and destiny, may have in store.

*Book bonus :
~ Wedding invitation and Wedding Party List
~ Spotify Playlists for lead characters (Under profile "The Way to Cape May")
~ Reader's Guide with Book Club Questions (not a member of a book club? These questions are still for you, to explore your own thoughts/beliefs, or discuss with friends!)
~ About This Books section, discussing inspiration for the stories and special information about the settings in the book

348 pages, Paperback

Published June 18, 2023

About the author

Kimberly Brighton is an award-winning romance author, incidental humorist, and asparagus enthusiast from the Philadelphia area. Her beach read romcom Cape May Series includes her debut novel, The Way to Cape May (June 2023) and A Cape May Kind of Love (February 2024). The third book in the series, Cape May Ever After, is due to be released July 2024. She studied satirical writing and screenwriting at The Second City and is the author of The Shore Blog, a travel website, and BlaBlaBlog, a humor website. The Way to Cape May is her debut novel. When not dreaming up swoony romance plots, she spends her time searching for food expiration labels and sitting at red lights. Married for 25 laugh-filled years, she’s discovered the key to a lasting marriage: takeout.

Reviews

[Meghan Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into this book with not a lot of expectations. I finished my books while on vacation in Cape May so bought this at Congress Hall because it looked like a fun read. It was so much better than I expected. It was a quick lighthearted read but super fun and very well written. I ended up buying the next two books because I enjoyed it so much. I will definitely recommend to others.

[Melany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read, I loved the funny bits and lighthearted story. However, it did have some moments to make you cringe a bit. Overall, it's a decent summer read. It'll give you all the feels in a quick read!

I won this book from a Goodreads giveaway. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished one of the sweetest stories I’ve ever read. THE WAY TO CAPE MAY is a hopeful story of 4 friends searching for love on the Jersey shore

Delaney is marrying her perfect match Dalton she had brought her bestie, her sister and her intern/friend along for the ride. Cleo a cynical artistic woman who is just looking for someone to fight for her, Kate the younger whimsical sister who second guesses if she should have taken a chance and Marley who is trying to find herself and hoping that her best friend isn’t me right.

This novel is heartwarming, lovely, sweet and fun. It is subtly sexy and a fun read

It is filled with all the best tropes: meet cute, second chances, friends to lovers

I loved the shout out to my (and the authors!!!) alma mater and loved the references to some of my favorite beachy places.

My heart is full for these characters and I can’t wait to read the second and third installments! I have 4 new book buddies and a few new book boyfriends. Thanks Kimberly! @kbrightonauthor

[Patricia Miles · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun read! And very well written - funny, touching, characters you care about. This book is a great beach read, especially fun since it hits so many familiar spots along the Jersey shore. A really enjoyable book like this is so hard to find. Loved it!

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, lighthearted, fun vacay or beach read!

[Erika Troop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love, love, love! So cutsey! Followed a few different love stories but wasn’t hard to follow!!

[Melissa-ann Strausser · Rating 5 out of 5]

#1 in the series. Excellent start

[Samantha Downes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect summer beach read. Light hearted but still substantive. I loved the shifting perspectives and the intertwining story lines!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect light, cheesy summer read for those of us who grew up in Philly and going to the shore

[Amanda Janiszewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lighthearted easy read. Cringey at times but I guess that’s what you get in a “rom-com”y book. Don’t know why I thought I’d enjoy a book about shoobies but here we are

[Vicki Starcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Since I grew up near the southern Jersey shore, this book felt like visiting home, recognizing towns, landmarks, stores, and roadways. The novel kept my interest by the roller coaster ride of wondering “Will they or won’t they end up together!” The Way to Cape May is a quick beach read that will evoke lots of smiles and some tears.
Some readers might not like the strong language and a couple scenes, so I guess I’d rate it about a PG-13+.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute Rom-com centering on Delaney and Dalton who are getting married in a week and the love life or lack of for Kate )Delaney's sister), and her friends Marley and Cleo. Loved how the chapters were divided into how many days before the wedding. And then subsections within the chapters centering on Delaney, Kate, Marley, and Cleo. This is a 3 book series and I'm looking forward to A Cape May Kind of Love.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stumbled upon this cute little rom com at a beach bookstore and I’m so glad I did!! Such a perfect beach read! A quick read about the Jersey Shore with so many cute stories and many lovable places. Even Philadelphia made an appearance and you felt like you were there. Found myself loving these characters!

[Kathi-Lyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

great rom com for Philly/Jersey shore people


Fun book with a cute story I loved the Philly and Jersey shore references made it fun to read. Look at the play list at the end fun to listen to while reading

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Such well developed characters living in Philly & vacationing at the jersey shore, just like me! Loved the wedding & everything that went on in this book. I couldn't put it down & can't wait to read the next one!

[Julia Ravegum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun beach read from this first time author!

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.86 / 5 (round up to 4): so cute !!

[Jennifer Shirk · Rating 5 out of 5]

The perfect, fun, beach read! Loved the local references too.

[Nicole Rizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect beach read!!

[Rosemary Bartuska · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy beach read once you got used to the format. It was a bit predictable and cheesy at times but still enjoyable.

[Elaine Matangos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kimberly’s first novel was a fun read and brought back many fond memories of my childhood vacations to the Jersey shore. We also just spent some time in Cape May on our recent, family beach trip this past June. I would definitely enjoy the second book in this series also and will purchase it soon.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Way to Cape May is a fun read that fully embraces its Love Actually inspired plot, featuring enthralling vignettes which take their protagonists through the ups and downs of love and life.

The novel follows four women – bride-to-be Delaney, sister and maid of honor Kate, best friend and bridesmaid Cleo, and intern attorney Marley. Delaney is scheduled to marry her love since childhood, Dalton, but between her work and a potential hurricane, the wedding could take a turn for the worse. Kate has always believed in destiny, so when she’s suddenly faced with reminders of her past relationship, she begins to question if she made the right decisions. Cleo has had a rough life, so her cynicism may get in the way of potential romance. Marley works for Delaney with her best friend, Sam, whom she harbors feelings for. As the wedding approaches, these women face relationship struggles and learn hard life lessons.

The conflict is somewhat contrived and some twists seem cliché. For example, more than one character experiences a medical emergency on the same day. However, it can be argued these make sense given theme. Life itself doesn’t come with warnings. The way each character handles the unexpected situations thrown at them is done rationally. While some individuals are more sensible than others, the story as a whole treats each conflict with respect and maturity. As for the predictability, any Rom-Com is equal to if not more cliché, and each lucky or unlucky occurrence fits nicely with the recurring motif of destiny.

The most interesting vignette by far features Marley. She is fierce and ambitious but also sweet and loyal to those she loves. Her perspective is very unique as she juggles jealousy and questioning if her work-obsessed boyfriend is the right man. She is also least connected to Delaney, so her story and romance is given room to breathe without being absorbed into any main wedding conflict. The next interesting vignette is Kate’s ex-boyfriend troubles. Constant memories and the current success of Greg threatens Kate’s ability to move on and find new love. This is definitely the most humorous of the stories as well, which makes for a nice contrast with the others. Cleo’s vignette is also exciting, as she deals with abandonment issues and getting through loss while finding love beyond another hook-up. Lastly, Delaney truly embodies “trouble in paradise” as her conflict at times seems mild compared to what her friends face. While she and Dalton don’t have the most exciting chemistry, their relationship is still believable and provides a perfect center to the story.

Overall, this is a charming romance novel definitely worth the read. It receives four out of five stars for being fun and exciting while clearly portraying the twists and turns of life.

I received a free copy of this book from Reedsy Discovery. All opinions are my own. See my review here: https://reedsy.com/discovery/book/the...

[Stephanie Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant summer read. Lots to love about this book. It took me a minute to get in to the 4 POV’s, but it works really well. Like a summer version of Love, Actually. I loved the characters, loved the banter & witty comebacks, and I’m already looking forward to the next one in the series.

[Hannah Redrup · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really good (even though it took me awhile to read). It’s such a cute story and I loved it after visiting the shore towns mentioned in this book a few weeks ago. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series

[Lauren Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

The perfect beach read. I was looking for a light-hearted escape and I found it with Kimberly Brighton’s debut novel. The characters were well developed, loose ends were tied up, and happy endings prevailed. It helped that I am familiar with both Philly and south Jersey beaches, but I think even people from far away will appreciate this story. The back cover accurately described it as a rom-com. I do wish the author included more about the criminal case. It was merely a brief mention in the background. I think it would have contributed to the story to include more about it. This book was pure and simple a drama, a story about people. But it was an enjoyable read.

[Jodi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Note: I received a copy of this book from a giveaway (thank you!), so here's a rare (short and sweet) book review from me. :)

Overall, I really enjoyed reading The Way to Cape May. When I saw the comparison to Love Actually, I was like, sign me up! (Side note: Who doesn't love Love Actually?) 

While I definitely enjoyed some couples/storylines more than others (Marley + Sam 4 Ever!), they all ended at least satisfactorily to me. Which is all a girl can ask for, honestly.

The next time I'm in the mood for a light, cute read, I'll certainly consider picking up the next book in Kimberly's Cape May series.

Rating: 4 ⭐

[Mary Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Kimberly Brighton's "The Way to Cape May" and I immediately ordered book 2 & 3 of the series. It is a fun, engaging summer read that takes you right to the shore with all the wonderful characters in her story. I love the women she created. They are smart, strong and have just enough drama in their love lives to keep you turning the page! It is as fun to read as a Hildebrand or Henry and just as hard to put down. If you are a Philly girl, (or even if you are not) I know you will love this book

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good beach read if you vacation at the jersey shore! I liked how you got 4 different pov and the chapters were short! I didn’t like the last few pages/ how it ended. Was weird to end like that but overall enjoyed!

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

definitely a good beach read, although sad of the actual amount that was placed in cape may :( but super cute nonetheless

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute little romantic , Delaney and Dalton had to work through some trials, and tribulations ,to make it to that alter , Her sister Late struggles, with her breakup, when she discovers a shell, in her pocket that makes her wonder if what she did with Greg , her ex, was the right decision , when a phone mix up , brings her the guy ,of her dreams , cleo, her friend ,doesn’t believe ,in love, or romance ,and finds it ,when she isn’t looking for it ,and Marley finally ,gives in to her feelings ,of loving her best friend Sam!