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Cape May #1
The Seahorse Cottage, Part 1
The Wellington family is ready for another sun-kissed summer at their treasured beachside cottage. That is until the family's world is turned upside down following the unexpected death of the father, Benjamin. Things seem to go from bad to worse for his widow, Bethany, and her three young children when they find out that their beloved second home no longer belongs to them.
The Seahorse Cottage, located on the beautiful shores of Cape May, had been in the Wellington family for generations. But unknown to Bethany, her late husband had lost the cottage as a result of his secret life and the cottage is put up for sheriff sale after his sudden passing.
In a surprising turn of events, The Seahorse Cottage is purchased by the Wellington’s estranged neighbor, who seemingly knew about Benjamin’s secret life. This would only be the beginning of the journey for the Wellington's.
The family is left to mourn Benjamin’s tragic passing, and only later do they come to truly understand the lasting consequences of his secret life. Through it all, the Wellington’s grow closer than ever, ready for whatever troubles come their way.
The Seahorse Cottage is a touching feel-good beach novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and fill your heart with warmth and love.
The Seahorse Cottage, located on the beautiful shores of Cape May, had been in the Wellington family for generations. But unknown to Bethany, her late husband had lost the cottage as a result of his secret life and the cottage is put up for sheriff sale after his sudden passing.
In a surprising turn of events, The Seahorse Cottage is purchased by the Wellington’s estranged neighbor, who seemingly knew about Benjamin’s secret life. This would only be the beginning of the journey for the Wellington's.
The family is left to mourn Benjamin’s tragic passing, and only later do they come to truly understand the lasting consequences of his secret life. Through it all, the Wellington’s grow closer than ever, ready for whatever troubles come their way.
The Seahorse Cottage is a touching feel-good beach novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and fill your heart with warmth and love.
63 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2020
2239 people are currently reading
339 people want to read
About the author
Coral Harper
114 books77 followersCoral Harper is the author of feel good beach reads along with other clean and wholesome fiction. When not publishing books, Coral enjoys soaking up the sun with family and traveling the world. Be sure to check out The Seahorse Cottage, Trip of a Lifetime, Stargaze Island, The Nantucket Estate, and Lighthouse Letters.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
November 25, 2020
Short story that stirs emotions. I was shocked by what the husband did.
February 4, 2021
Kindle Unlimited has been my friend for many years! The access to read books at my own pace has been such a blessing for me, an avid reader. I’ll admit half the time books just sit there on the digital bookshelf untouched, but I do get to them eventually!
Today I read The Seahorse Cottage Book 1 by Coral Harper. It’s book 1 of the Cape May Series. Bethany and her family have been spending summers at the Seahorse Cottage since she married Ben. It was built by his father and handed down to Ben when his parents passed a few years ago.
Summers in Cape May have become a family tradition and this year was no different. The next door neighbor is Bethany’s best friend Carol, who is there for Bethany when Bethany wakes up in the hospital after a car wreck and learns Been has died. She’s also there for her when an officer comes to the cottage with eviction papers. Bethany is in over her head with questions and anger with Ben. What will she do with their three boys all by herself now?
This book took me through all the emotions! I’m a crier and this book hear me tearing up! As I lay in bed reading, I used my blanket to wipe my tears. I don’t recommend doing that as it leaves a wet mess while trying to get comfortable for bed. Stick with tissues or a handkerchief, if you have one.
One thing about this book, how are the kids so well behaved?! With all that’s happened, how are they so polite and calm? As a grown adult I would be a basket case!! Bethany is lucky to have Carol be a sounding board and a shoulder to cry on. Carol’s and amazing friend! We all need a friend like her!
The Seahorse Cottage Book 1 by Coral Harper is on Kindle Unlimited and I give it 5 out of 5 tiaras because I quickly felt for Bethany and her boys. being that this is book 1 of a series, I look forward to book 2!
Today I read The Seahorse Cottage Book 1 by Coral Harper. It’s book 1 of the Cape May Series. Bethany and her family have been spending summers at the Seahorse Cottage since she married Ben. It was built by his father and handed down to Ben when his parents passed a few years ago.
Summers in Cape May have become a family tradition and this year was no different. The next door neighbor is Bethany’s best friend Carol, who is there for Bethany when Bethany wakes up in the hospital after a car wreck and learns Been has died. She’s also there for her when an officer comes to the cottage with eviction papers. Bethany is in over her head with questions and anger with Ben. What will she do with their three boys all by herself now?
This book took me through all the emotions! I’m a crier and this book hear me tearing up! As I lay in bed reading, I used my blanket to wipe my tears. I don’t recommend doing that as it leaves a wet mess while trying to get comfortable for bed. Stick with tissues or a handkerchief, if you have one.
One thing about this book, how are the kids so well behaved?! With all that’s happened, how are they so polite and calm? As a grown adult I would be a basket case!! Bethany is lucky to have Carol be a sounding board and a shoulder to cry on. Carol’s and amazing friend! We all need a friend like her!
The Seahorse Cottage Book 1 by Coral Harper is on Kindle Unlimited and I give it 5 out of 5 tiaras because I quickly felt for Bethany and her boys. being that this is book 1 of a series, I look forward to book 2!
October 24, 2020
This is book one of the Cape May series and has Beth and Ben taking their annual trip to the family cottage that has been in Ben Wellington’s family for three generations. Their three kids Hudson (12), James (9) and Reese (7) are looking forward to spending a month of the summer holidays at the beach and with friends amongst their neighbours who they meet up with every year. Ben spends more time than Beth, visiting the cottage on lots of weekends throughout the year, supposedly for maintenance purposes, but as she will find out later, that is probably not the truth! They arrive later than normal and so the kids just get packed off to bed and everyone has a late night. The next day, their neighbours Carol and Dan call round and they arrange some activities to do together as families, for the kids and for themselves.
They arrange their weekly barbecue and go shopping for supplies, before ending up with ice cream, followed by a trip to the beach for the rest of the day. Beth wants to speak to her husband Ben about his quiet mood as she was driving that day, but doesn’t get the chance, telling herself to do it later, once the kids are in bed. When he offers to take her out for an evening meal without the kids, leaving them with Carol and Dan and their kids for a movie night, she looks forward to some alone time. On their way there, with Ben driving, he tells her to get her feet off the dash and to close her eyes. Weird! Her next memories are of harsh sounds of metal crashing together. She awakes in a hospital bed, to find out Ben and the other driver are dead, but is lucky enough to have her friend and neighbour Carol still looking after her kids, while she has to stay in hospital. She has to unfortunately break the news to her three young sons of their dad’s death and for them to behave for Carol until she can join them back at the cottage.
When she does return to the cottage and the kids return to her arms, the same evening a sheriff’s officer calls at the cottage, to evict them! The bank has repossessed the cottage as her husband had some huge debts and hadn’t been keeping up the payments on it. A cottage that when they got married, was all paid for, is suddenly being taken away from under her feet. What her husband has been hiding is unclear, but she will have to pack everything up and return home, long before they expected to. Carol comes to the rescue again, by buying some moving boxes for them and even their unwelcoming neighbour on the other side of the cottage, brings some boxes over to her to help as well. Beth doesn’t know how many days they have left in the cottage, so they have to pack up as quickly as possible. She asks Carol to take the kids when it comes to her and Ben’s room and when she tackles the desk he used to work at sometimes, which also belonged to his father, she finds evidence of some of Ben’s money issues. But that may not be the only secret he was keeping from her.
Carol accompanies Beth to the bank’s auction, where lots of other properties that have been foreclosed on, are also being sold as well as stolen of lost property from the sheriff’s department. She is tempted to bid on one of the other lots, but needs every penny to see if she can purchase their cottage back. Even all three of the boys gave her their piggy banks to use towards it. But she was overbid on the popularly located cottage and has to face losing it and their summer holiday location and second home, forever. That is until a sheriff’s officer comes across to her and hands her some keys, with just the message that someone has bought it and wants to give it back to her and the family, but want to remain anonymous. The book doesn’t tell you who bought the cottage, but the blurb for the book does, which is a bit of a let down. A very short story which is a bit rushed in some parts, but still manages to tell the story of the tragic events. The kids are superstars for their behaviour in such tragic circumstances, but can be expected to blow occasionally. Lots more to come from this series and I hope some longer stories to follow. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
They arrange their weekly barbecue and go shopping for supplies, before ending up with ice cream, followed by a trip to the beach for the rest of the day. Beth wants to speak to her husband Ben about his quiet mood as she was driving that day, but doesn’t get the chance, telling herself to do it later, once the kids are in bed. When he offers to take her out for an evening meal without the kids, leaving them with Carol and Dan and their kids for a movie night, she looks forward to some alone time. On their way there, with Ben driving, he tells her to get her feet off the dash and to close her eyes. Weird! Her next memories are of harsh sounds of metal crashing together. She awakes in a hospital bed, to find out Ben and the other driver are dead, but is lucky enough to have her friend and neighbour Carol still looking after her kids, while she has to stay in hospital. She has to unfortunately break the news to her three young sons of their dad’s death and for them to behave for Carol until she can join them back at the cottage.
When she does return to the cottage and the kids return to her arms, the same evening a sheriff’s officer calls at the cottage, to evict them! The bank has repossessed the cottage as her husband had some huge debts and hadn’t been keeping up the payments on it. A cottage that when they got married, was all paid for, is suddenly being taken away from under her feet. What her husband has been hiding is unclear, but she will have to pack everything up and return home, long before they expected to. Carol comes to the rescue again, by buying some moving boxes for them and even their unwelcoming neighbour on the other side of the cottage, brings some boxes over to her to help as well. Beth doesn’t know how many days they have left in the cottage, so they have to pack up as quickly as possible. She asks Carol to take the kids when it comes to her and Ben’s room and when she tackles the desk he used to work at sometimes, which also belonged to his father, she finds evidence of some of Ben’s money issues. But that may not be the only secret he was keeping from her.
Carol accompanies Beth to the bank’s auction, where lots of other properties that have been foreclosed on, are also being sold as well as stolen of lost property from the sheriff’s department. She is tempted to bid on one of the other lots, but needs every penny to see if she can purchase their cottage back. Even all three of the boys gave her their piggy banks to use towards it. But she was overbid on the popularly located cottage and has to face losing it and their summer holiday location and second home, forever. That is until a sheriff’s officer comes across to her and hands her some keys, with just the message that someone has bought it and wants to give it back to her and the family, but want to remain anonymous. The book doesn’t tell you who bought the cottage, but the blurb for the book does, which is a bit of a let down. A very short story which is a bit rushed in some parts, but still manages to tell the story of the tragic events. The kids are superstars for their behaviour in such tragic circumstances, but can be expected to blow occasionally. Lots more to come from this series and I hope some longer stories to follow. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.
October 22, 2020
This is my first time reading something by this author so I didn't know what to expect. It is the first book of a 6 book series. Although this is a short book, it was certainly satisfying. The author has a smooth writing style and does a great job developing the characters and giving them depth. The author did a great job of bringing the characters and story to life and I couldn't help but fall in love with them. It's a feel-good, warm story and perfect for reading on a rainy afternoon. I enjoyed this story and am looking forward to reading the next book!
I received a free copy via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review.
I received a free copy via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review.
October 24, 2020
Spend two hours with this family-friendly tale dealing with grief as a summer vacation at Cape May goes seriously awry after a car crash.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 27, 2020
I was pulled right into this short story and I felt sorry for Bethany, who may not have really known her husband and his secret life of gambling. This first book felt like a house of cards, ready to fall down. I cannot wait to see what happens in book 2.
October 24, 2020
A lovely written book that I didn't want to end. From the very start of this book you are connected to the characters and the story. Highly recommended reading this book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 8, 2020
On to Book 2
October 21, 2020
This was a quick read but it does end with a cliffhanger. It draws you in quickly but leaves you with lots of questions. Love the setting of the cottage and the fact that it's been in the family for years. There isn't lots of character development but they are interesting. The whole thing is very mysterious but intriguing too. Will definitely read the next book because now I have to find out what is going on.
LOL!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
LOL!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 21, 2020
The Seahorse Cottage is a touching feel-good beach novel that will keep you on the edge of your seat and fill your heart with warmth and love.
This is book 1 of 6 in the series.
The characters are endearing, relatable and realistic. A heartwarming story of family, tragedy and how they overcome the difficulties of a family member's secret life. You find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and turning the pages to find out what happens.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 1 of 6 in the series.
The characters are endearing, relatable and realistic. A heartwarming story of family, tragedy and how they overcome the difficulties of a family member's secret life. You find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat and turning the pages to find out what happens.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 22, 2020
Easy, clean read! Recommend!
January 18, 2021
Who would do such a thing?
This is a great beginning of a new series. At first I thought it was a little short on details, but there is just enough to get you interested in what happens next.
I certainly intend to read the series. There is romance intrigue and suspense, and maybe a surprise ending.
This is a great beginning of a new series. At first I thought it was a little short on details, but there is just enough to get you interested in what happens next.
I certainly intend to read the series. There is romance intrigue and suspense, and maybe a surprise ending.
October 22, 2020
Such a sweet read! If you love cliff-hangers, this one is for you!
October 22, 2020
Great read - can't wait for Book 2!
January 18, 2021
Excellent
Beach Summer Cottage with many secrets!
Cliffhanger can’t wait to find out more of the story. On to read book three.
Beach Summer Cottage with many secrets!
Cliffhanger can’t wait to find out more of the story. On to read book three.
January 6, 2021
Heartfelt
What a tender story. Romance, family, the beach and death. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book of the series.
What a tender story. Romance, family, the beach and death. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book of the series.
January 16, 2021
Didn’t want it to end
Can’t wait to see what happens. Really kept my interest and I felt so sorry for this poor women who thought she lost everything
Can’t wait to see what happens. Really kept my interest and I felt so sorry for this poor women who thought she lost everything
February 4, 2021
Excellent
I felt Bethanys pain at losing her husband and discovery she really didn't know much about him and their finances!
I felt Bethanys pain at losing her husband and discovery she really didn't know much about him and their finances!
February 2, 2021
Such a cozy story. A bit sad, but so many kind warm people and so nice to be back in Cape May NJ. Also a bit of a mystery. Looking forward to book 2!
October 31, 2020
Teaser Book
Teaser Book ?
Do not like "teaser" books that are so short . It feels like a scam. I will not be continuing series.
Teaser Book ?
Do not like "teaser" books that are so short . It feels like a scam. I will not be continuing series.
November 12, 2020
Benjamin, Bethany and their three kids are on holiday heading to The Seahorse Cottage like every single summer. But Bethany can feel that there is something weird with her husband, although she has no idea what it is. Then a terrible accident happens and all her life crumbles down.
The storyline is very interesting, but, at the beginning, it is a bit boring with so many details and things that are not important. The reaction of the children to their father’s death is not very credible. However, the surprise at the end of this first installment makes the reader want to know more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
The storyline is very interesting, but, at the beginning, it is a bit boring with so many details and things that are not important. The reaction of the children to their father’s death is not very credible. However, the surprise at the end of this first installment makes the reader want to know more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 26, 2021
Life
Life can be full of tragedies, surprises, love and sorrows. Praise God through the hard times, some good can shine the darkness. I’m glad Beth was able to get the cottage back after the loss of her husband and finding out about his gambling issue. I was also glad that Beth had the support of her friend Carol and her family. Life is about relationship. We need to try to build good relationship when we can.
Life can be full of tragedies, surprises, love and sorrows. Praise God through the hard times, some good can shine the darkness. I’m glad Beth was able to get the cottage back after the loss of her husband and finding out about his gambling issue. I was also glad that Beth had the support of her friend Carol and her family. Life is about relationship. We need to try to build good relationship when we can.
July 16, 2021
I borrowed this one through Kindle Unlimited. It's a good start to a series. Although a very short story, it's full of emotions and drama. I didn't get a really good feel for the characters yet, but I'm hoping that will happen with the rest of the series. For now, this is a nice intro of what we are in for with this series. Beware, there is a cliffhanger, but I'm one of those that love cliffhangers.
December 20, 2020
Seahorse cottage review
This story line is a good idea; however, I felt it read like it was written by a very young person. I could not get past the way the author depicted the 7 and 9 year old. Especially the 7 year old. In some places, the I felt they were taking about a toddler. Sorry it’s just my opinion.
This story line is a good idea; however, I felt it read like it was written by a very young person. I could not get past the way the author depicted the 7 and 9 year old. Especially the 7 year old. In some places, the I felt they were taking about a toddler. Sorry it’s just my opinion.
March 19, 2021
Moved quickly and left gaps
This is not a "Book 1" of a series. This is the beginning of a story that has no real end. You would have to read the other books to figure out what all is going on. The writing doesn't flow well enough to endure more. If this book had an ending, it would be worth the time spent.
This is not a "Book 1" of a series. This is the beginning of a story that has no real end. You would have to read the other books to figure out what all is going on. The writing doesn't flow well enough to endure more. If this book had an ending, it would be worth the time spent.
July 26, 2021
This is an episodic series I read via borrowing from Amazon. Each book is very short.
The first book gives us an introduction to the family.
Then something tragic happens, alerting us to shocking secrets being kept.
Bethany learns her entire marriage may have been a lie. How can she move forward?
The first book gives us an introduction to the family.
Then something tragic happens, alerting us to shocking secrets being kept.
Bethany learns her entire marriage may have been a lie. How can she move forward?
October 27, 2020
A feel-good story with lots of twists and turns that keep you guessing. Complex and interesting characters. There are lots of secrets and unexpected twists in the story. Good read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 5, 2020
I really enjoyed this emotional and heartfelt story. The characters were complex and likable. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 5, 2021
The Storyline Was Good
This novel and probably the series needs characters with emotions. Reading this book was like reading a boring speech. It was short so I made it through. I want to read the rest of the series to find out what happened. I can only hope they get better.
This novel and probably the series needs characters with emotions. Reading this book was like reading a boring speech. It was short so I made it through. I want to read the rest of the series to find out what happened. I can only hope they get better.
January 20, 2023
This is actually just one chapter of a book, and not a very good one. Your husband dies, but you stay at the vacation house. Really? There are a lot more implausible things, but I won't list them all. I did read "book" 2, and it's just as lacking.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews