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Cape May #7
Cape May Monarch Butterflies
October is approaching, and it’s the perfect time to be in Cape May, where thousands of monarch butterflies stop during their famous migration south for the winter.
A Pittsburgh gardening club has rented out the entire Seahorse Inn to see the monarch butterflies, but the problem is Margaret and Liz are not prepared for the viewing activities that were promised to them.
On top of scrambling to come up with ways for the group to see the butterflies, a hurricane looms, headed straight down the coast towards Cape May.
In the midst of the chaos, Dave wonders if he and Margaret will ever get around to planning their wedding.
Meanwhile, Sarah is in for a rude awakening when she and Chris attempt to ride the hurricane out inland at Chris’s parents’ house.
Donna and Dale agreed to start over with their relationship, and their first order of business is to redo their first date—but how many redos will it take?
In Book 7 of the Cape May Series, ride out the hurricane, experience the wonder of the monarch butterfly migrations, and take in the beauty of the shore town while everyone discovers things have a way of working themselves out.
This is Book 7 in the Cape May series. It is recommended to start at Book 1, The Cape May Garden .
A Pittsburgh gardening club has rented out the entire Seahorse Inn to see the monarch butterflies, but the problem is Margaret and Liz are not prepared for the viewing activities that were promised to them.
On top of scrambling to come up with ways for the group to see the butterflies, a hurricane looms, headed straight down the coast towards Cape May.
In the midst of the chaos, Dave wonders if he and Margaret will ever get around to planning their wedding.
Meanwhile, Sarah is in for a rude awakening when she and Chris attempt to ride the hurricane out inland at Chris’s parents’ house.
Donna and Dale agreed to start over with their relationship, and their first order of business is to redo their first date—but how many redos will it take?
In Book 7 of the Cape May Series, ride out the hurricane, experience the wonder of the monarch butterfly migrations, and take in the beauty of the shore town while everyone discovers things have a way of working themselves out.
This is Book 7 in the Cape May series. It is recommended to start at Book 1, The Cape May Garden .
122 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
April 9, 2025
Cape May Monarch Butterflies by Claudia Vance (2021)
Cape May #7
119-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
Featuring: Cape May, New Jersey; October, Bed & Breakfast - B&B, Butterfly Enthusiasts, Coffee House Owner, Quadragenarians, Sisters, Family Dynamics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Girlfriends, Coffee House Owner, Quadragenarians, Sisters, Family Dynamics, Divorcées, Gardening, Horseback Riding, Boating, Lead into Next Book - Cliffhanger, Link to Book 8 A Cozy Cape May Autumn, Link to Ocean City Tides Book 1 A Summer in Ocean City, Author's Links
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Lady Bug" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer, "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle, "When You Say Nothing At All" by Ronan Keating, "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family
Books and Authors mentioned: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Memorable Quotes: Chris’s mom appeared from the kitchen. “Well, now. This hurricane is something, eh? Let me show you two to your rooms.” Sarah looked at Chris and mouthed, “Rooms?” Chris’s mom stopped at the first room. “This is where you’ll be sleeping, Sarah, and Chris, you can stay in your old room. The twin bed is still in it. We’re going to be eating dinner soon. Why don’t you two get settled and meet us at the dining table in twenty minutes.” Chris’s mom went back to the kitchen, leaving Chris and Sarah alone in the hallway. Sarah rubbed her chin. “So, separate rooms, huh? Does she know we live together and share a bedroom?” Chris sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, she knows. I don’t know. I guess they’re a little traditional and want us to be married before sharing a room.” Sarah laughed, a little too loudly at first. “But we already share a room.” Chris shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t control my parents. It’s one night. It’ll be fine. I really don’t feel like getting into it with them.” Sarah sighed and dropped her bag on the bed. “Well, you’d better leave. I have to change. I wouldn’t want you to see anything you shouldn’t.” Chris nervously laughed, starting to realize that maybe staying at his parents’ might not have been the best choice for them.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½🛎🏖🌷🦋🚲
My thoughts: I had a hard time with this one; it felt very unrealistic and overly dramatic. I see there's a lot in romance novels and I just don't get it if you are an unmarried couple you are staying at someone else's house you should respect their culture if they want you to have separate bedrooms then have separate bedrooms especially if it's for one night. People deserve to be comfortable in their own homes, and if your parents don't want you sharing a bed with your girlfriend under their roof, then you should respect their boundaries, not throw a tantrum. If you were a butterfly enthusiast to the point that you are part of a gardening club that is taken in out-of-state 2-week vacation to see butterflies, I would expect you'd have more than an elementary knowledge of monarch butterflies. I would have been pissed if I was part of that touring group. So I couldn't get lost in this one. On to Book 8.
Recommend to others: I loved the cover but this was a lull in the 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)
Cape May #7
119-page Kindle Ebook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Novella
Featuring: Cape May, New Jersey; October, Bed & Breakfast - B&B, Butterfly Enthusiasts, Coffee House Owner, Quadragenarians, Sisters, Family Dynamics, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Girlfriends, Coffee House Owner, Quadragenarians, Sisters, Family Dynamics, Divorcées, Gardening, Horseback Riding, Boating, Lead into Next Book - Cliffhanger, Link to Book 8 A Cozy Cape May Autumn, Link to Ocean City Tides Book 1 A Summer in Ocean City, Author's Links
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Lady Bug" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Kiss Me" by Sixpence None The Richer, "Butterfly Kisses" by Bob Carlisle, "When You Say Nothing At All" by Ronan Keating, "I Think I Love You" by The Partridge Family
Books and Authors mentioned: The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Memorable Quotes: Chris’s mom appeared from the kitchen. “Well, now. This hurricane is something, eh? Let me show you two to your rooms.” Sarah looked at Chris and mouthed, “Rooms?” Chris’s mom stopped at the first room. “This is where you’ll be sleeping, Sarah, and Chris, you can stay in your old room. The twin bed is still in it. We’re going to be eating dinner soon. Why don’t you two get settled and meet us at the dining table in twenty minutes.” Chris’s mom went back to the kitchen, leaving Chris and Sarah alone in the hallway. Sarah rubbed her chin. “So, separate rooms, huh? Does she know we live together and share a bedroom?” Chris sighed and shook his head. “Yeah, she knows. I don’t know. I guess they’re a little traditional and want us to be married before sharing a room.” Sarah laughed, a little too loudly at first. “But we already share a room.” Chris shrugged. “I don’t know. I can’t control my parents. It’s one night. It’ll be fine. I really don’t feel like getting into it with them.” Sarah sighed and dropped her bag on the bed. “Well, you’d better leave. I have to change. I wouldn’t want you to see anything you shouldn’t.” Chris nervously laughed, starting to realize that maybe staying at his parents’ might not have been the best choice for them.
My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½🛎🏖🌷🦋🚲
My thoughts: I had a hard time with this one; it felt very unrealistic and overly dramatic. I see there's a lot in romance novels and I just don't get it if you are an unmarried couple you are staying at someone else's house you should respect their culture if they want you to have separate bedrooms then have separate bedrooms especially if it's for one night. People deserve to be comfortable in their own homes, and if your parents don't want you sharing a bed with your girlfriend under their roof, then you should respect their boundaries, not throw a tantrum. If you were a butterfly enthusiast to the point that you are part of a gardening club that is taken in out-of-state 2-week vacation to see butterflies, I would expect you'd have more than an elementary knowledge of monarch butterflies. I would have been pissed if I was part of that touring group. So I couldn't get lost in this one. On to Book 8.
Recommend to others: I loved the cover but this was a lull in the 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)
May 28, 2025
Book number 7 done, taking a break while I order from the Public Library only have 5 more and I finished the series to date. Fun project but then can't wait until the next book.
Everyone is settling into their routines the couples are learning each other styles and new things, the married for a while happily settling in. Tensions are high as a hurricane heads straight to Cape May while the B&B is full of guests in search of Monarch Butterfly migration through Cape May. Dale and Donna start over and are slowly finding their way, Chris and Sarah agree to communicate better after miscommunications lead to hurt feelings and arguments. Margaret and Dave are narrowing down their wedding maybe book 8 will finally lead them to their next chapter!
Everyone is settling into their routines the couples are learning each other styles and new things, the married for a while happily settling in. Tensions are high as a hurricane heads straight to Cape May while the B&B is full of guests in search of Monarch Butterfly migration through Cape May. Dale and Donna start over and are slowly finding their way, Chris and Sarah agree to communicate better after miscommunications lead to hurt feelings and arguments. Margaret and Dave are narrowing down their wedding maybe book 8 will finally lead them to their next chapter!
July 4, 2022
I just love this sweet series about Cape May, NJ.
It really magnifies everything good about New Jersey that we so often forget in this busy and crazy world.
This series will relax you and might even spur you to explore and do more in South Jersey.
It really magnifies everything good about New Jersey that we so often forget in this busy and crazy world.
This series will relax you and might even spur you to explore and do more in South Jersey.
April 25, 2026
Margaret & Liz find themselves with a gardening group from Pittsburgh staying at the B & B for two weeks with the expectation of seeing the migration of the Monarch Butterflies and activities included in their stay. This was a result of a miscommunication between their employees Dolly & Kim and the gardening group. With the threat of a hurricane Margaret & Liz are trying to find a way to show the gardening group the Monarchs and protect the B & B. Fortunately, for Margaret & Liz their new hires: Irene, Jackie, and Bonnie really stepped up to decorate the B & B and help the women coordinate activities in Cape May.
Margaret, Liz, Dave, Greg, Chris, and Sarah all pitch in to show the Pittsburgh group a great time after the hurricane clean up. Dave sets up a tour of the garden, explaining the harvest process, and viewing of the butterflies. Sarah will be having an educational talk about butterflies and themed drinks at The Monarch Coffeehouse. Chris will be giving a boating tour to see shorebirds and the hawk migration. Margaret is going to bring the group to the Garrett Family Preserve and Cape May Meadows. Greg is putting together a monarch-themed dinner at Heirloom.
There are some sweet surprises for everyone such as the butterfly and lima bean festival, the old projector found in the basement of the B & B, The Book Nook bookstore, a pop-up art gallery, and a message in a vintage bottle.
This is the 7th book in the Cape May series and I enjoyed this one the most so far. Claudia Vance provided more details and the story flowed better than in previous books. I like how the book stayed with the main idea of the butterflies and built around that topic.
Notes below the line are for me to remember the book.
—-----------------------------------------
The hurricane didn’t cause much damage to the B & B. Everyone including the guests cleaned up. Dave and Margaret find an old projector in the basement with black and white movies and one of a wedding at the B & B. Judy (Margaret & Liz’s mom) was reunited with Marcy from the gardening group. It turned out they used to work on the Wildwood Boardwalk together as teenagers.
Margaret and Liz have a new friend in Gina. Her father is the owner of The Book Nook. She also takes the Pittsburgh group to the butterfly festival. While on the birding tour some vintage bottles wash up and one has a message from a young woman to the man she loves. This inspires Margaret to discuss plans with Dave and get married sooner like he wanted.
The owner of the pop-up art gallery Norma takes the Pittsburgh group to her home to see her butterfly garden and her husband Bert explains the butterfly rescue they have established. They hatch the eggs indoors and then release the butterflies.
During the hurricane Chris went to his parents inland to ride out the hurricane. He convinces Donna to come there too. While there Chris gets in an argument with his parents and leaves Donna floundering at the dining room table. She eventually leaves for the B & B. Later in the story Chris’s parents reach out by showing up at The Monarch Coffeehouse during the butterfly talk. His mother apologizes and Sarah seems to have gotten over it. Chris and Sarah decide to invite his parents over for dinner.
Donna and Dale try to have another “redo of their first date” Again it is thwarted by the rain. Dale ends up cooking a beautiful meal for the two of them at his home. Donna’s ex-husband shows up during the hurricane at her parent’s home. It turns out he was trying to make Donna jealous by dating Jen, the softball coach. At the end of the story he realizes that Donna is happy with Dale and heads back to California.
By the end Margaret and Dave are thinking of an October or November wedding with some ideas being their favorite places in Cape May.
Margaret, Liz, Dave, Greg, Chris, and Sarah all pitch in to show the Pittsburgh group a great time after the hurricane clean up. Dave sets up a tour of the garden, explaining the harvest process, and viewing of the butterflies. Sarah will be having an educational talk about butterflies and themed drinks at The Monarch Coffeehouse. Chris will be giving a boating tour to see shorebirds and the hawk migration. Margaret is going to bring the group to the Garrett Family Preserve and Cape May Meadows. Greg is putting together a monarch-themed dinner at Heirloom.
There are some sweet surprises for everyone such as the butterfly and lima bean festival, the old projector found in the basement of the B & B, The Book Nook bookstore, a pop-up art gallery, and a message in a vintage bottle.
This is the 7th book in the Cape May series and I enjoyed this one the most so far. Claudia Vance provided more details and the story flowed better than in previous books. I like how the book stayed with the main idea of the butterflies and built around that topic.
Notes below the line are for me to remember the book.
—-----------------------------------------
The hurricane didn’t cause much damage to the B & B. Everyone including the guests cleaned up. Dave and Margaret find an old projector in the basement with black and white movies and one of a wedding at the B & B. Judy (Margaret & Liz’s mom) was reunited with Marcy from the gardening group. It turned out they used to work on the Wildwood Boardwalk together as teenagers.
Margaret and Liz have a new friend in Gina. Her father is the owner of The Book Nook. She also takes the Pittsburgh group to the butterfly festival. While on the birding tour some vintage bottles wash up and one has a message from a young woman to the man she loves. This inspires Margaret to discuss plans with Dave and get married sooner like he wanted.
The owner of the pop-up art gallery Norma takes the Pittsburgh group to her home to see her butterfly garden and her husband Bert explains the butterfly rescue they have established. They hatch the eggs indoors and then release the butterflies.
During the hurricane Chris went to his parents inland to ride out the hurricane. He convinces Donna to come there too. While there Chris gets in an argument with his parents and leaves Donna floundering at the dining room table. She eventually leaves for the B & B. Later in the story Chris’s parents reach out by showing up at The Monarch Coffeehouse during the butterfly talk. His mother apologizes and Sarah seems to have gotten over it. Chris and Sarah decide to invite his parents over for dinner.
Donna and Dale try to have another “redo of their first date” Again it is thwarted by the rain. Dale ends up cooking a beautiful meal for the two of them at his home. Donna’s ex-husband shows up during the hurricane at her parent’s home. It turns out he was trying to make Donna jealous by dating Jen, the softball coach. At the end of the story he realizes that Donna is happy with Dale and heads back to California.
By the end Margaret and Dave are thinking of an October or November wedding with some ideas being their favorite places in Cape May.
March 29, 2022
I’m enjoying this series very much …
May 4, 2022
Love.
I am really enjoy the Cape May stories. I live one hour way from Cape May and love it down here at the shore.
I am really enjoy the Cape May stories. I live one hour way from Cape May and love it down here at the shore.
June 16, 2022
Just love this series and now on to book 8
July 29, 2022
This series is a pleasure to read especially if you love Cape May.
August 25, 2023
Another nice story set in Cape May. This series brings me comfort.
November 8, 2023
Love these books! They are like short stories. I like keeping up with Liz, Margaret and the rest of the Cape May crew!
March 25, 2024
Fun story about the group of friends, again they came together to help with a garden club of people from Pittsburgh. Interesting info about monarchs.
Read
October 28, 2024Fun story
January 25, 2025
Enjoyable read with nice characters and setting. Relationships are a big part of these books. Of course love Cape May!
May 8, 2025
Cute, about the butterflies & a hurricane.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews