The Christmas Retreat 1

Cape May Xmas #1

by Grace Meyers

*** Amazon #1 Best Selling Author *** She was broken in the blink of an eye. But can she discover the true value of family? For 50-year-old workaholic Lena, her career was her life. Now struggling with the sudden death of
her husband and her strained relationship with her daughter, her world spirals into chaos when she
discovers her savings account mysteriously emptied. Forced to move into her aging parents’ quiet beachside Bed & Breakfast while she hunts for
answers, Lena is soon brought face-to-face with her estranged daughter… and she’s forced to realize
the far-reaching impact that her workaholic life has had on her family. As Christmas draws closer and a charming, free-spirited traveler steps into her life, Lena will be
swept up into a seaside mystery that will cause her to question everything she thinks about money,
work, and the true meaning of success. Can Lena repair the fractured bond with her daughter and
create a new life for herself in this idyllic beachside town? Or will she be sucked back into her
corporate job and lose her family forever? Perfect for fans of cozy Christmas-themed mysteries with a heartwarming dash of wholesome
romance and a gorgeous beachside setting, the Cape May Xmas Series is a charming tale that
touches on timeless themes of love and the importance of family. Scroll up and grab your copy
now. This is Book 1 of 6 in the Cape May Xmas Series.

Genres: Christmas

76 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 9, 2021

About the author

Grace Meyers is an author of beachy feel-good romances and women's contemporary fiction. She was born in the south, but has traveled a bit since then and now lives in a small coastal town.

https://www.facebook.com/Grace-Meyers...

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/grace...

Reviews

[Kim Bruce Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Workaholic Lena finds a life changing notice on her door the morning after her 50th birthday. Panic sets in while she tries to figure out what her husband was doing behind her back before he died.

[Julie Booklover · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author's excellent start to a new series, Lena is a widower, and we start the book right after her milestone birthday. But, unfortunately, the next day begins a waterfall of events that will turn her life upside down. I am looking forward to what looks like an interesting mystery or two that needs to be solved.

Thank you to Booksprout and the Author for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.

[Kathy Sandlin · Rating 3 out of 5]

On a book this short that doesn't really end with book 1 it is hard to rate. I would give this first one a solid 3.5. It was a quick read and hooks you with wanting to know the secrets that Lena's deceased husband kept from her. I will keep reading...

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena is married to her work. It's all she does in her life, which today many people can relate to. When problems in her life arise, she is forced to confide in her daughter whom she has an estranged relationship with. This book leaves me wondering what did Lena's husband Erik do before his death, and how has her money disappeared. The one thing I didn't like in this book is that is just ends. I know it is the first of a series but it doesn't have a real ending and forces you to read the next book in order to know what happens. It leaves you wanting more and I can tell it will be a series where you cannot only read one book without reading the previous ones.

*I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

[Bernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

book 1in a new series
Lena wakes up the day following her 50th birthday, widowed for 2 years and discovers her life is exploding around her. The foreclosure notice on her front door is the catalyst.
She discovers notices of mortgage arrears have been sent to a PO box, opened by Erik, with the co-named Casey Underhill, of whom she has no knowledge. Her savings account, accrued over many years has been cashed out and the monies moved over into an account in Erik's name and has an overdraft. A panic attack lands her in hospital..
So many questions and no answers. What has Erik done and why? Who is Casey Underhill and how is she involved?

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good start to this new series. Unexpected and unwelcomed circumstances throws Lena Hoffman in a tailspin. So many unanswered questions will no doubt be revealed in subsequent books in this series. What Lena doesn’t expect is a trip out to see her parents and estranged daughter…however, an alarming development is disclosed just after Lena has boarded the plane…what will happen now? Read to find out!

Glad to see that the author is increasing her word count as this may in turn give more depth to her characters throughout this series.

Received this as an Advanced Reader Copy and would recommend this short, intense read!

[Penny Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grace Meyers has started another brilliant series. Not your usual Christmas story; it boasts several mysteries and hope for second chances. Lena is a middle aged lady who recently lost her husband. She was a workaholic who was estranged from her daughter due to her rigorous work schedule. Lena soon discovers that her bank account has been emptied and she has no idea who might have done it. The mystery that surrounds the disappearance of her money has her reconsidering her life values. Will this self- reflection help her reconnect with her daughter?
This is a great beginning to this new series! I can’t wait for book #2!!

[Mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lena has never had her priorities in order and now it is all catching up with her. Her job has always been more important to her than anything else to her. Her husband stay home to raise their daughter because she made more money than he did & she didn't have much of a motherly instinct. She worked all the time & was hardly ever home. Her husband died about two years ago leaving a big mystery behind & a lot of unanswered questioned. Will Lena loose her house? What happened to all of her money? Will she get a happy ending? Looking forward to a good ending.

I received this ARC for free & I am giving my honest review of my own free will.

[Dee Gurganus · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the first in a series of what I would call a novella. It is like a TV series that at the end leaves to a cliffhanger to entice you to watch next week. I am not a fan of these types of books, but the story is good & I will be reading the rest of the series. ALL six books.
Lena is the main the character in the story. In this book, we are starting to get to know Lena. A middle-aged widow who is an engineer that works entirely too much. We also start to learn that how materialistic Lena is. While family seems important to her, it not as important as work, her house, and the money she has saved. We'll see if Lena starts to realize these characteristics in herself. On to Book 2!

[Lori R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great first book in a new series by Grace Meyers. The story was interesting and full of drama. It also left me with a number of questions which I liked. I felt so sorry for Lena, whose husband died two years ago from a heart attack and now she is having issues with their bank. Unfortunately she cannot ask Eric about what happened and why it happened. The book also ended leaving poor Lena in a horrible predicament. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.

[Norma Wiegert · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena is a workaholic, and has been her entire life. Her husband Eric who died of a heart attach 2 years ago became a stay at home dad raising their only daughter Ariel. But Eric had a secret and now Lena has discovered she will lose her house due to forecolosure unless she can pay the delinquent mortgage payments immediately, only to find that her savings accounts have been depleated. How could this happen?

I received an advance copy from the author and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Pam Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun quick start to a new series. Lena wakes one morning to find a foreclosure notice on her house. As she goes to the bank to try to make arrangements, Lena finds out her husband secretly opened a post office box, and has emptied their bank accounts of most of Lena’s hard earned savings. In desperation, Lena finally informs her daughter Ariel of her problems. Ariel insisted her mom fly home for a visit to make plans.

Thank you to the author for this ARC. This review is my honest opinion.

[Judy Gittleson Hendrickson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lena is widowed, has an estranged daughter and is a workaholic. Suddenly everything starts to unravel and she ends up at her parents B & B, talking to her daughter and trying to figure out what happened to her career, money, and her husbands secrets. The characters are starting off with backstories with big gaps and lots of questions. The storyline has drama, surprises, family and much more. Hooked now and can not wait to see what is happening next for her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ellen Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book in Grace Meyer's new series. Lena's husband passed away a couple of years ago. She and her daughter have a strained relationship because Lena is a workaholic. Looks like this is going to be another great series. It's a short clean read but has a lot in the 8 chapters. Can't wait for the next book.

I was given this advanced copy for free, and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Baby Girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This first book has me excited and I cannot wait for the story to unfold. I am rating it a five start because I am already intrigued...!! Grace you never disappoint. Lena has so much on her plate and her story has me feeling so much angst... Can wait for the next book!!

I received this book for free as an ARC reader and my reviews are my own.

[Kristi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never disappointed with Grace's books. Her writing pulls you in and keeps you turning the pages to find out what happens and this book is no exception. Her characters are enjoyable, realistic, easy to get to know and easy to relate to. A perfect holiday series!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dosha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good

I enjoyed the book 1 of 6 , but I do not appreciate breaking the into segments and book payments. I feel scammed. I hope she finds her money and mends her relationship with her daughter but I'm not going to be dragged along for 5 more books with five more charges. Sorry I didn't read the fine print. Shame on me. The writing and story line was good.

[Donna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realize that this book is part of a series; however, there's not even an ending to this book. Really disappointing. I shouldn't have to buy the whole series in order to get the story. Normally a series is a continuation of a story, maybe expanding on another character or something. This book is more like reading the first couple chapters of a book.

[Bev Stegmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very good read. Lena has found herself in a real mess of circumstances. Who has absconded with all her savings and taking her family home. The plot thickens and leaves you on the edge waiting for the next book to answer these burning questions.
Love this read❤️

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book full of drama and will keep you turning the pages to see what happens next.
I look forward to reading the next installment of this series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first short book in the six part series called Cape May Xmas. A good start to this continuing story of the troubles Lena comes into the day after her 50th birthday. I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm...not sure what to say about this one. I guess I didnt realize going in that it's not a complete story...this is like episode 1. The set up is interesting and I'm intrigued enough to want to continue...but it's hard to rate something that is basically just the beginning of the story.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast read

This book definitely leaves you with a cliff hanger. It was also a fast read. It didn't take me long to finish the book, but honestly it felt more like Part 1 of a much bigger book then book 1. As of right now I'm not sure if I will read the next book or not.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looked forward to a read about a town I really love- Cape May. This is a story about a woman, Lena, who lives in Chicago but has ties to the cute New Jersey town. The story ends so quickly, you are left hanging.

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! What a great start to a new series. Lena is a widow and just turned 50 & is going about her dull life when a note on her door changes her world forever. I look forward to seeing what happens in book 2.

[Linda Weber · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Christmas Retreat was a teaser story for me to be introduced to The Cape May Series, by Grace Meyers, which looks to be very good. This intro leaves you hanging just enough to make you want to read more. I plan to! It appears I need to go back and read 3 books before which I wasn’t aware of.

[Kay Eckelstafer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book

I really was liking the book until it told me to go to another book.you had a story that was really good. But I hate anything continue. I'm sorry I could not give you 5 stars.but i will still read your books because you are a great writer

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing. Not a complete book at all; absolutely no resolution. And, so far, none of the characters are extremely likeable. It has promise and the story is compelling, but I'm not sure that I want to buy five more "books" to get to the conclusion.

[adele odgers · Rating 1 out of 5]

Refuse to pay

I am disappointed to start a series and then have to not only wait until next release, but to have to pay. What’s the purpose of having unlimited kindle service 🤷‍♀️

[Brandi Stultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story was ongoing and engaging. But the ending left me grasping for what happens next! Definitely going to need to read the next in the series!!