The Cape May Garden

Cape May #1

by Claudia Vance

Margaret Wilder’s life is about to be turned upside down …

…when her husband of fifteen years abruptly leaves without explanation.

Now as their young daughters struggle to understand why their dad has been gone for a month without so much as a phone call, Margaret begins to uncover her husband’s secrets while unraveling her own long-buried feelings about their marriage.

On top of all the personal turmoil, Margaret’s job at the wildlife refuge has cut back her hours, and a storm approaches that could ruin all of the hard work she’s put into one of her greatest joys, her annual vegetable and flower garden.

As she forms an unlikely friendship with her handsome coworker, Dave, things take a turn when she is offered a great opportunity to build the garden of her dreams on a piece of land by the beach. 



In the first book of the Cape May Series, follow the twists and turns of Margaret’s journey as she picks up the pieces of her life with the help of family and friends, set in the beautiful Victorian beach town of Cape May, New Jersey.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Womens Fiction, Summer, Contemporary

126 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 24, 2020

Reviews

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

A sweet contemporary cozy novella. This book is very mellow and a good palate cleanser in between darker themes books. It's set in the beautiful Victorian beach town Cape May, NJ which when I saw the pictures, completely took my breath away! I enjoy the characters, community, the story of love lost, and a new beginning. This has a gardening subplot there's no mystery or a dead body but somehow the friendly community pulls me in. I look forward to the next novella I'll be listening to with a Christmas theme.

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely contemporary, women’s fiction story. It’s about home, heart, family, new beginnings, and finding new love. The cast of characters and the plot are easy to follow. I really enjoyed the book!

[Gina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ok let's start with the price....$10.00 for 118 pages is a bit ridiculous but then once you crack it open and start reading your gonna feel like you were robbed. Absolutely horrible..didn't even finish it.
Let's start with the main character Margaret who from the start is very unlikeable. Loves her garden and plants more then her husband, marriage and children. Is a women who can do a thing from canning to cooking to re tiling a bathroom. The way the author makes the characters speak to one another is unrealistic. No one talks like that to someone. Also there is a part where she tells the kids the she doesn't know where their dad is and the response was not a response children would give no matter how smart or mature they were.
Then a storm come on the same day her husband who has been gone over a month returns and she is more concerned about her glass windchimes and seedlings in her garden then she is with his return or why he was gone. That's about as far as I got because it was so poorly written and so stupid I couldn't take it any more. I have never in my life not finished a book not even a horrible one but this one takes the cake. The only good thing I can say is maybe the setting is nice. But having grown up in Cape May NJ...even that's a little far stretched. It says the author lives near there but she has definitely embellished the fiber points. Seriously please don't waste your money or your time it's not worth it. Trust me I read a book or 2 a week and this was just not doing it for me.
Hopefully this author will stop writing and move on to something better like gardening

[Kim Shope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light, enjoyable, easy read. As a Cape May enthusiast, I loved some of the references to places I know, like Sunset Beach. I was able to visualize the setting so well.

[Margo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read the first two books in this series, although I have to admit I started skimming the second one. These are very sweet, comfortable books with really likable people who are working in idyllic setting and who all have good intentions.

Unfortunately, I think it was a little too sweet for me. The H's first husband behaved selfishly, but really, compared to the other books that I've read, he was merely petulant and foolish. The OW had promise -- she was one of those mellow free spirit hippie types who was actually very ruthless and controlling, but alas, it was not to be. The lead characters communicated well, were kind to each other, and treated each other with respect. The H was unbelievably perfect and supportive and enjoyed doing projects around the house. There was no possibility of truly bad behavior because both were mature adults. Strangely enough, this doesn't make for a very scintillating book. I began to imagine that maybe something would happen in the future and that it would disrupt a little bit of this charming series. I was disappointed.

Finally I had to admit that there was never going to be a book where someone set up an illegal gun-running venture to fund the bed and breakfast, and I decided to table the rest of the series for the foreseeable future. I think these are wonderful mild books for people who just want to relax and enjoy some peaceful sweetness. I think I need a tiny bit more edge, though.

[Harriet Bicksler · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s always fun to read a book that takes place in a setting with which you’re familiar—in this case Cape May, where our family has been vacationing for more than forty years. I enjoyed being able to picture where scenes were happening. However, I was disappointed by the writing, which was filled with cliches, and even parts of the plot seemed contrived. Furthermore, there were too many mistakes that should have been caught in copy editing, including rather glaring grammatical errors.

[Alysia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is so cozy.

[Karen Antonaitis · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is an enjoyable light Beach Reed. this is based in Cape May New Jersey and because I went there as a child I was interested in starting this series. this is book one I did mistakenly do start book four first because I didn't realize it was a series. I do recommend that you start first. I didn't finish the book. I'll go back and do that because the characters make more sense if you start and do it in order. it's kind of neat cuz I'm they refer to the Jersey shore all the time which is what people call it. there was nostalgia songs. they do references to restaurants. the characters are all pretty much delightful. it was interesting to hear about Judy and Bob, the parents relationship and how it started on the boardwalk actually at the ice cream place. it's the main character is actually Margaret Wilder and her and her husband of 15 years separate for a little bit and she has to realize what her feelings are. he just takes off for a month and disappears. they have two delightful children, Abby and Harper. I think they're six and eight and they're very cute in the book. Margaret works at a wildlife refuge hospital and suddenly the budget gets cut and she actually gets an interesting job on going on social media and trying to get funds and that's really good. she also gets an opportunity to help restore the property of the house that her sister Liz bought her and her husband bought this place and ironically her co-worker Dave who works at The refuge place. it used to be his home, his homestead and he had paintings on it and they were trying to find different information out about it so that's really kind of interesting. there was a little scary moment at the beach behind here when they had a family reunion at her aunt's Mary's house and it's interesting. what happens with a phone call from her Aunt Mary about this beach house which it's supposed to be like a really expensive place where it's located now. it was by a long time ago. her sister is at the light, her friend, her best friend Sarah from high school always gives good advice. their reunion was kind of funny. they had a bad storm and she lost some of her crops and it's interesting about Dave's ex-wife and Margaret's ex-husband, so I don't want to give away too much. but I highly recommend reading the series, especially if you're from the Jersey shore area or just love a great beach read it was pretty quick

[January · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Cape May Garden by Claudia Vance (2020)
Cape May #1
123-page Kindle Ebook

Genre:Contemporary Romance, Clean Romance

Featuring: Abandoned Spouse and Family Trope, New Jersey; Gardening, Children, Quadragenarian MC, Wildlife Refuge Hospital, Sisters, Family Dynamics, Separation, Marital Issues, Family Reunion, B&B, Poconos, NYC, Food, New Start, June, Fourth of July, High Road, Link to Book 2 Christmas in Cape May, Link to Ocean City Tides Book 1 A Summer in Ocean City

Rating as a movie: PG-13 for adult situations

Songs for the soundtrack: "Cloud Watching" by Paul Hardcastle, "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon, "Sailing" by Christopher Cross, "I Can't See for Lookin'" by Red Garland, "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones, "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac, "The Sounds of Silence" by Simon and Garfunkel, "Unchained Melody" by The Righteous Brothers

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌱🍅🌻

My thoughts: This was the perfect mix of sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, just an overall feel-good quick read. I loved that the MC is rightfully petty but level-headed.

Recommend to others: Yes. I'm already gearing up to read the entire series.

Cape May
1. The Cape May Garden (2020)
2. Christmas in Cape May (2020)
3. Cape May Stars (2021)
4. Cape May Beach Days (2021)
5. Cape May Summer Nights (2021)
6. Cape May Locals' Summer (2021)
7. Cape May Monarch Butterflies (2021)
8. A Cozy Cape May Autumn (2021)
9. The Cape May Movie Theater (2022)
10. Cape May Hydrangeas (2022)
11. Cape May Sunshine (2022)
12. Cape May Raindrops (2023)
13. Cape May Sunsets (2023)
14. Cape May Magic (2024)
15. Cape May Glitter (2024)
16. Cape May Dreams (2025)

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cape May, NJ/May-October

The story focuses on gardening and moving on. The romance was minimal. Friendship and family are bigger priorities. I wasn't surprised by what happened in her marriage, but I was surprised by the way everything came together. It added a bit of humor to the situation. Home renovation was also a part of the story. I like the history behind the house. It tied everything together.

[Cindy]

The highlight...the infidelity scenario .An interesting complexity,twist regarding infidelity connects the h and her new friend soon to be man ! Otherwise, it is a thrill a minute...😂😂😂 For instance, when her husband unexpectedly finally arrives home after over a month away after his abrupt,unexplained absence,her main concern is to lament the potential failure of her gardening escapades.🤔

[Karen Shipman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret’s life is turned upside down but she discovers things can be better than she ever dreamed. I love Cape May so I enjoyed the setting. I wish the editing was better as the errors were distracting.

[Dawn Braddock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet, wonderful story about places I know so well.
This Jersey Girl is loving this series.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cozy sweet novella set in Cape May.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutie little easy local read!!!

[Carrie Sprys · Rating 4 out of 5]

After living in New Jersey for seven years, reading Claudia Vance’s book made me long for “home.” She captured Cape May in such a beautiful way and I look forward to reading more from the series.

[Joan Mazzafro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Claudia Vance is an amazing writer. Her Cape May series is exciting to read. I have read many books from the series. I really enjoyed reading her books.

[Notserp2002 · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable - want to know what happens next so will get the 2nd in the series.

[Karen Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book

I really enjoyed this book. A nice clean story with excitement and heartbreak, and wonderful children. I would recommend this book to everyone. Who loves a nice clean love story. I haven't read a book this good in a while. Claudia Vance is a wonderful writer. I can't wait to read the next book by her.

[Jennifer Simpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m not a stranger to this genre, the feel-good fluffy relationships type book, but this one was so dull. I wanted to listen to it because I’m planning a trip to Cape May, NJ, so I thought it would be fun to read a light book set there. I did get a few little peeks into the beach town, but nothing super enlightening. The main character was so boring. Her husband left her and then, oh surprise, he was actually cheating on her? But what’s this? How could she already start to notice the dimples in another man’s smile before her lost husband even reveals his infertility? Ah oh well, it’s just a marriage. Her two little kids won’t care, she can just end this one and start over. No big deal. Mysterious man at work turns out to be a sensitive hunk? Ok then. And gee, I’ve always thought it’d be fun to just run a little farm stand/bakery/shop in my spare time after my work in the animal rehab center. Nothing to it. Sorry, I got a little carried away with reviewing the activity on the cliche generator! This book is not for me, and I definitely won’t be revisiting the characters in the next book of the series. I need a little more heart and grit, even in my light fluffy books.

[Cathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars

I was excited to read a book about my favorite beach town, but there were few references that were specific to Cape May, making it feel as if the story could have taken place anywhere. I disliked the author’s style of completely changing topics by separating them with 3 stars. It make the book feel disjointed. Paul’s actions and reactions did not seem believable to me. There were way too many coincidences, which were also unbelievable. I doubt that I will be continuing the series.

[John Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cape May

Reading this book makes me hope there is a real Cape May. I would to find it and go there. Thank people are so nice. I would hate to think if something really bad happened not sure they could handle it. It was an easy read just do not expect a lot. It was easy no big bad thinks to think about.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Light weight book. The writing is so-so, and the plot was predictable, but I enjoyed the references to Cape May since I have been there. Easy to read before bed.

[Maura Heaphy Dutton · Rating 1 out of 5]

Recommended because friends were meeting on Cape May, for our High School Reunion. So how much fun would that be, reading something with a bit of local color ...?

Not much fun, to be honest. Among my many beeves with this slim volume is that Local Color -- zilch. Having done my homework, and read it before visiting, I learned that there is an ocean nearby, lots of old houses, and many places to eat brunch. Any sense of how Cape May is different from about a zillion other places that can tick those boxes -- zilch. Now that I've actually been there, I feel that so many opportunities were missed to show how Cape May is unique, and how it differs from all of those other ocean-side, quaintly pretty, brunch-delivering places.

I will freely admit that I did this book a terrible disservice, going into it with the mistaken idea that it was a Cosy Murder Mystery. When I reached 48% on my Kindle, with no sign of a body, or any mystery (or, indeed, much of a plot ...), I realized that, perhaps, I hadn't read the description with my full attention. And still, I lived in hope that a Body might appear (better late than never) -- wistfully hoping that, if the victim wasn't the Errant Husband (buried in the woods by the creepy, but oh-so-attractive handyman), could it please be the smug and obnoxious protagonist? Perhaps beaten to death by one of her own heirloom tomatoes? Please? No?

So, not a Cosy Mystery. My bad. But even as Light Romance, this is dire. The explication is unrelenting (we hear about every morsel anyone eats, what the children dress in for school, every thought that goes through the protagonist's head, every step that she takes and every word she says. And the words, oh, the words: the characters talk to each other in purest Wooden Speak -- the way that no one speaks to anyone, ever, anywhere.

And the plot. There is no plot. My (extremely biased and very bitter) summary:Protagonist's husband of 15 years (and father of her two small children) has a midlife crisis and disappears for a month, and what does she do? Try to find him? Ask around about whether he might be depressed (because he is married to her) or has suddenly developed an allergy to heirloom tomatoes and wooden conversation? Try, for one New Jersey minute, to try to save her marriage, at least for the sake of the two small children? Nope. She starts hitting on the creepy handyman. She ends the book with a guy -- huzzah -- and he's a guy who can build a trellis for the damn tomatoes ... It's like a fairytale ...

So, a couple of bodies, Midsummer Murders style, might have both livened things up and been more realistic, but I don't think it would have saved it. My advice -- visit Cape May yourself. However many hours it takes you to get there will be hours better spent than reading this.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Cape May Garden by Claudia Vance is a 2020 publication.

When Margaret’s husband takes off, leaving a brief note announcing his departure, she believes he’ll be gone no longer than a week. But now a month has passed and he’s still away, not even bothering to call their daughters.

Meanwhile, Margaret’s life begins to change in other ways- first she realizes her marriage has been in trouble for a long time, and then there are changes to her job, and a surprise move from her sister, bringing them closer to each other… but there’s also a new friend in her life… a guy named Dave.

This is a novella length story, a first in a long-running series. I liked the cover and thought it sounded like a nice clean story with a lovely setting. I was not familiar with this author, and just checked the book out on a whim.

I didn’t notice a publisher- so I’m presuming this is an indie or self-published book, and well, with lots of experience reviewing this type of work, I am able to overlook some issues because I know the challenges of going it alone.

Unfortunately, this first installment is pretty rough around the edges - even for me. There are few descriptions of the characters- what they look like – tall, short, blonde, etc. The dialogue and situations are flat and unrealistic.

That said, it was such a quick read- and a library loan- (thank goodness)- that I wasn’t too overly annoyed by the plainness of the story or its many flaws. I have already checked the second book out because it has a Christmas theme- so I will go ahead and give the series a second chance- but if it doesn’t improve much, there will not be a third…

[Janelle Metzler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Margaret Wilder’s husband Paul of fifteen years walked out on her leaving a note on the kitchen table that read: I’m sorry. I need a break. Together they share twin six year old daughters Harper and Abby who miss their father and don’t understand why he left and neither does Margaret. Paul has been gone a month without any word. Margaret spends her time working on her garden and volunteering at the wildlife sanctuary while deciding on her next move. Then, the night of a storm Paul shows back up. Margaret has to figure out what she thinks is best for her life. I liked this easy, short read and look forward to continuing the series.

Notes below the line are for me to remember the book.
—-----------------------------------------
Margaret and Paul do not end up back together. Margaret learns that Paul was having an affair with a woman he met named Sandy. Margaret finds a friend in Dave who works at the wildlife refuge. By the end of the story they begin dating. Their relationship is very sweet with a picnic on the beach and working on the farm together. Margaret’s sister Liz and her husband Greg buy a huge piece of property that was once a working farm thirty years prior. In a twist of fate it used to be Dave’s family farm and another twist of fate Dave’s ex-wife happens to be a friend of Sandy’s. Margaret and Liz are given the Seahorse Inn by their aunt and uncle. The Seahorse Inn is a beach front bed & breakfast.

[Diane Wachter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cape May Series, Bk. 1, EBK-M, Kindle, @2020, Read 10/15/22. Fiction, Contemporary Romance. Margaret is thrown for a loop, when her husband leaves a note on the kitchen table that he needs "space". She and their 2 young daughters hear nothing from him in a month, and she finally discovers he went to a friend's cabin with another woman. She also has her work hours cut because of funding, and must figure out her next step. She works her way through with the help of her mother, her sister, her best friend, and a long-time male co-worker who never really communicate much with her. Very quick read, a feel-good, clean romance. Not earthshattering, but a refreshing break from heavier books. 3☆'s = Good.

[Kimberly P · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was this book sweet? Yes.
Was this book enjoyable because I love Cape May? Yes.
Will I read more in the series? Probably, yes, it was a quick read, and I love the setting.

Was it well-written? NO! As an elementary school teacher one of the things I teach my students is good writers do not use the same word twice in a sentence. I guess Claudia Vance never had a teacher who told her that. There were literally sentences that had the same word in it three times. I am wondering why her editor did not suggest using a thesaurus. Or perhaps she is self published and doesn’t have an editor.
At any rate for a light beach read, this is your book. It’s less than 150 pages.

[Cassie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow... This was so cringy. The writing is stifled and choppy. There’s no real flow or sense of time. The author includes oddly specific details that feel so unnecessary, while simultaneously leaving out details that would help build out this world and provide context. The dialogue is so awkward and stiff and expositional. It’s like a hallmark movie but worse. Had to give it at least 2/5 stars because I love Cape May, I do love a cheesy romance, and it was short, at least! Regardless of my thoughts on how cringy this was, I have to keep reading the series. It’s the only one I’ve found that’s set in Cape May and I have to see if the writing gets any better. I’m invested now, I guess!

[Mother Goose Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in the Cape May series is a great introduction to the beginning of this lovely series about Margaret and her life in Cape May. Margaret’s life seems to be coming apart as she once knew it but readers find out that, for Margaret, as doors close for her, others are opening. This book explores themes of love, loss, family, friends, and new beginnings. Additionally, readers enjoy the beautiful setting of Cape May, NJ as well as an emphasis on gardening. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.