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Cape Light #1
Cape Light
Inspired by the artistic vision of world-renowned landscape painter Thomas Kinkade—and imbued with the light of his uplifting message—this heartwarming novel introduces us to the quaint town of Cape Light, and those who call it home…
Nestled in New England is the picturesque seaside hamlet of Cape Light, where everyone knows everyone, and folks still care about one another. But Cape Lighters have their share of hidden dreams, desires, and doubts, too. Like Mayor Emily Warwick, who sometimes feels that her job and her identity are inseparable, and her sister and rival, Jessica, who has torn herself away from the big city’s excitement and sophistication to come home and care for their ailing mother. Or Reverend Ben, who counsels and consoles an entire town while coming to grips with his own private sorrows, and Charlie, the owner of the local diner, who isn’t shy about letting the mayor know that he is after her job.
They are friends and neighbors, doers and dreamers. They laugh and love and build their lives together in the town of Cape Light—and they will work their way into your heart...
Nestled in New England is the picturesque seaside hamlet of Cape Light, where everyone knows everyone, and folks still care about one another. But Cape Lighters have their share of hidden dreams, desires, and doubts, too. Like Mayor Emily Warwick, who sometimes feels that her job and her identity are inseparable, and her sister and rival, Jessica, who has torn herself away from the big city’s excitement and sophistication to come home and care for their ailing mother. Or Reverend Ben, who counsels and consoles an entire town while coming to grips with his own private sorrows, and Charlie, the owner of the local diner, who isn’t shy about letting the mayor know that he is after her job.
They are friends and neighbors, doers and dreamers. They laugh and love and build their lives together in the town of Cape Light—and they will work their way into your heart...
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
139 people are currently reading
2010 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Kinkade
266 books180 followersThomas Kinkade was known as the "Painter of Light." His works, although spurned by the secular art establishment, were very popular with Christians and many others.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 193 reviews
December 9, 2009
I enjoyed a singularly compelling experience late last month. I cracked the cover of this book and was instantly transported to Cape Light, Massachusetts, a community whose magic lies in the development of its characters, its various plot lines, and the flowing writing style of its authors—a writing style that seems to blend the best of Luanne Rice, Nicholas Sparks, Richard Paul Evans and anyone else you can think of who writes like that.
I read book one in this series because some of the later books are Christmas ones, and I had planned to read those this month. But they are much later in the series, and rather than crash the party in the middle as I’m so often fond of doing where book series reading is concerned, I’m actually going to read the other books in the series that lead up to the Christmas ones. These are just too good not to read that way—at least the first one seems to indicate that to me. Let me try to set this up for you:
Thirty-two-year-old Jessica Warwick is coming home, and she’s not entirely happy about it. She’s leaving behind the lights and thrills of Boston to return to Cape Light. Her aging mother needs more help than Jessica’s sister, Emily, can provide alone. So reluctantly, back she goes, but she insists that it’s only temporary. Soon she’ll be back in Boston among her friends and back in the life of Paul, the sophisticated wealthy businessman she’s been dating off and on.
It is largely through Jessica’s eyes that you acquaint yourself with the other residents of this idyllic town.
In addition to Emily, Jessica’s sister and the town mayor, you’ll quickly meet Charlie and Lucy Bates. Charlie owns the town’s bustling eatery, second only in importance to the local church as a gathering place for community members. Charlie wants to be mayor, and he’s giving poor Emily lots of political headaches as he mounts his campaign to unseat her. But his domestic life is in flux; Lucy, his wife, wants to go back to college to get her nursing degree, and Charlie, being fearful of domestic change, isn’t sure he wants her to do that.
While you’re in the Clam Box—that’s Charlie’s eatery—leave a good-sized tip for pretty, quiet Sara Franklin. She’s the young woman who has come to town from Maryland for the summer and has a job waiting tables. Emily doesn’t know it, but Sara is more than likely the daughter Emily gave up years ago following a personal tragedy that involved the death of her beloved husband, Tim.
There’s an interesting conflict here as Jessica develops a serious attraction for Sam Morgan, the handsome, independent, church-going handy man. Jessica is a long way from abandoning her career-oriented Boston self to a church attending believer, at least at first.
I tend to run screaming from books that are too shrill and blatant in their attempts to proselyte me to the author’s way of believing. To my pleasant surprise, this book didn’t leave me squirming and reaching for the back cover. Yes, there is significant Christian sentiment here. The power of prayer is most definitely in play, but these authors manage to make their point without making you feel somehow button-holed and yelled at. Granted, this book is probably a little schmaltzy and syrupy and sappy in spots. But face it, this is the season where a little syrupy sweetness is likely more tolerable perhaps than at other times of the year. I felt a certain comfort level with Jessica Warwick. As she changed, I found myself accepting her changes as believable and understandable. Big-city girl though she was, she managed to keep her wits about her and her clothes on even when she and Sam were at their closest and most intimate. In other words, this a squeaky clean book devoid of explicit sexual descriptions and profanity, and even though it’s not a Christmas book, It’s a totally appropriate December read.
I do feel the need to caution some of you against this book. There’s not a lot of hard-biting complicated sophistication to it. It’s pretty heartland despite its near-Boston setting. It’s what I imagine a Kinkade painting looks like. I enjoyed it enough that I suspect I’ll finish the series, including the later Christmas books.
I read book one in this series because some of the later books are Christmas ones, and I had planned to read those this month. But they are much later in the series, and rather than crash the party in the middle as I’m so often fond of doing where book series reading is concerned, I’m actually going to read the other books in the series that lead up to the Christmas ones. These are just too good not to read that way—at least the first one seems to indicate that to me. Let me try to set this up for you:
Thirty-two-year-old Jessica Warwick is coming home, and she’s not entirely happy about it. She’s leaving behind the lights and thrills of Boston to return to Cape Light. Her aging mother needs more help than Jessica’s sister, Emily, can provide alone. So reluctantly, back she goes, but she insists that it’s only temporary. Soon she’ll be back in Boston among her friends and back in the life of Paul, the sophisticated wealthy businessman she’s been dating off and on.
It is largely through Jessica’s eyes that you acquaint yourself with the other residents of this idyllic town.
In addition to Emily, Jessica’s sister and the town mayor, you’ll quickly meet Charlie and Lucy Bates. Charlie owns the town’s bustling eatery, second only in importance to the local church as a gathering place for community members. Charlie wants to be mayor, and he’s giving poor Emily lots of political headaches as he mounts his campaign to unseat her. But his domestic life is in flux; Lucy, his wife, wants to go back to college to get her nursing degree, and Charlie, being fearful of domestic change, isn’t sure he wants her to do that.
While you’re in the Clam Box—that’s Charlie’s eatery—leave a good-sized tip for pretty, quiet Sara Franklin. She’s the young woman who has come to town from Maryland for the summer and has a job waiting tables. Emily doesn’t know it, but Sara is more than likely the daughter Emily gave up years ago following a personal tragedy that involved the death of her beloved husband, Tim.
There’s an interesting conflict here as Jessica develops a serious attraction for Sam Morgan, the handsome, independent, church-going handy man. Jessica is a long way from abandoning her career-oriented Boston self to a church attending believer, at least at first.
I tend to run screaming from books that are too shrill and blatant in their attempts to proselyte me to the author’s way of believing. To my pleasant surprise, this book didn’t leave me squirming and reaching for the back cover. Yes, there is significant Christian sentiment here. The power of prayer is most definitely in play, but these authors manage to make their point without making you feel somehow button-holed and yelled at. Granted, this book is probably a little schmaltzy and syrupy and sappy in spots. But face it, this is the season where a little syrupy sweetness is likely more tolerable perhaps than at other times of the year. I felt a certain comfort level with Jessica Warwick. As she changed, I found myself accepting her changes as believable and understandable. Big-city girl though she was, she managed to keep her wits about her and her clothes on even when she and Sam were at their closest and most intimate. In other words, this a squeaky clean book devoid of explicit sexual descriptions and profanity, and even though it’s not a Christmas book, It’s a totally appropriate December read.
I do feel the need to caution some of you against this book. There’s not a lot of hard-biting complicated sophistication to it. It’s pretty heartland despite its near-Boston setting. It’s what I imagine a Kinkade painting looks like. I enjoyed it enough that I suspect I’ll finish the series, including the later Christmas books.
March 2, 2012
I am just starting to read the Cape Light series of books by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer.
In Cape Light you will meet the many people that make up the town's history. There is the Warwick family: Lillian, the matriarch of the family; Emily, the town's Mayor; and Jessica, the assistant manager at the bank. Another large family in Cape Light are the Morgan's: Sam, who is a carpenter and very much in love with Jessica; Molly, the sister who despises Jessica, and her daughters Lauren and Jill; Marie, the mother; Joe, the father; and many more members. Sara Frank has come to Cape Light in search of her birth mother, Emily Warwick. Emily doesn't not know that Sara is her daughter as she had given her away at birth per her mother's adamant request. Lucy and Charlie Bates own the Clam Box, a downtown eatery. Reverend Ben and Carolyn Lewis, Gus and Sophie Potter, Grace Hegman and her father, Digger Hegman, Dr. Ezra Elliott, and Dan Forbes, newspaper man are many more of the faces you will meet here in Cape Light.
I have become acquainted with each one of these characters and more in this book. I look forward to each page I read and want more. It is a series of books I know I will enjoy to the fullest. You will become attached to these people also. I wouldn't mind living in Cape Light myself.
In Cape Light you will meet the many people that make up the town's history. There is the Warwick family: Lillian, the matriarch of the family; Emily, the town's Mayor; and Jessica, the assistant manager at the bank. Another large family in Cape Light are the Morgan's: Sam, who is a carpenter and very much in love with Jessica; Molly, the sister who despises Jessica, and her daughters Lauren and Jill; Marie, the mother; Joe, the father; and many more members. Sara Frank has come to Cape Light in search of her birth mother, Emily Warwick. Emily doesn't not know that Sara is her daughter as she had given her away at birth per her mother's adamant request. Lucy and Charlie Bates own the Clam Box, a downtown eatery. Reverend Ben and Carolyn Lewis, Gus and Sophie Potter, Grace Hegman and her father, Digger Hegman, Dr. Ezra Elliott, and Dan Forbes, newspaper man are many more of the faces you will meet here in Cape Light.
I have become acquainted with each one of these characters and more in this book. I look forward to each page I read and want more. It is a series of books I know I will enjoy to the fullest. You will become attached to these people also. I wouldn't mind living in Cape Light myself.
to-read-never
December 4, 2013I don't plan to read the book, because I can only assume I would dislike the book in the same way I dislike the art. However, many years ago while on holiday we were sniggering outside one of his 'galleries' and my brother-in-law announced: "Thomas Kinkade, painter in something that rhymes with light!". And we fell about laughing. Until we noticed that the window was open and the woman in the shop was not nearly as amused as we were...
It's hard to imagine how the sentimental twee artist of the populist painting factory thought that those skills would transfer to the literary world. I can only assume that his books are received by readers in the same love-him-or-hate-him way as his paintings. Though, that's assuming her wrote the books (or painted the pictures).
It's hard to imagine how the sentimental twee artist of the populist painting factory thought that those skills would transfer to the literary world. I can only assume that his books are received by readers in the same love-him-or-hate-him way as his paintings. Though, that's assuming her wrote the books (or painted the pictures).
October 10, 2022
Wonderful, inspirational, and just what I needed at the moment. Beautifully written romance about Faith, love, and our relationships with God. I have been a big fan of The Painter of Light since I fell in love with a snow filled landscape painting in a gallery at age 11. This is my first novel I have read by him, and it was just as wonderful as his paintings. I will be putting up my Thomas Kinkade Christmas village this year for Christmas!
August 10, 2013
4.5 Stars
Don't let the Christian Fiction genre label be an excuse to shy away from this lovely book. Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer have created such a warm fictitious New England village, Cape Light, Massachusetts. Its inhabitants are warm and generous, though there are a few whose lives are not without hardships or past sorrows. I can see Cape Light as one of Thomas Kinkade"s Rockwell-like paintings. It is not heavy-handed in its use of Bible quotations or spiritual reflections. Cape Light is just a darn good place to dwell in for a few days with some characters that will stay in my heart for a long while; that is until I seek out the 2nd Cape Light novel Home Song: A Cape Light Novel at my favorite used book store. I can't wait to see what happens to all of my "new friends" I've met here.
In Cape Light you will meet the Warwicks. Lillian is the matriarch. She is sickly and quite bitter - she thinks she and her two daughters, Emily and Jessica are above the rest of Cape Light's residents. She makes her position and views clear to everyone, oblivious to her daughter's embarrassment. Emily is the Mayor of Cape Light, while Jessica is the bank's vice president. And Jessica is counting the weeks before Lillian is strong enough for her to leave Lillian in Emily's capable hands. Jessica can't wait to get back to Boston and her life. But Sam Morgan may interfere in her plans. He is in love with Jessica, much to Lillian's displeasure. Emily loves her job, but is beginning to feel she's missed out on life. Jessica wonders why Emily came back to Cape Light, never wanting to leave it again. After all, Emily did run away years ago to Maryland with a local fisherman.
Sara Franklin knows why Emily is still in Cape Light. Emily had left her information with the adoption agency. It hadn't been hard to track down her birth mother. She decides to stay the summer to get to know Emily and Lillian and finally confront her birth mother; why did she give her up? Handsome Sam Morgan is the local carpenter and has set his sights on Jessica. Some in his huge family think he's making a huge mistake, but one can't help who one falls in love with. Molly, his sister, is working for Lillian and believes Sam is too good for Jessica. But others like Marie and Joe Morgan know that Sam has never been happier.
There are the Potters who have a large orchard and roadside stand. They have wonderful parties on their property and the whole village attends them. We meet Grace Hegman and her "retired" father Digger. Grace runs a flea-market type shop and still mourns the death of her young daughter. There is Charlie and Lucy Bates who owns the popular Clam Bake diner. Charlie is loud and opinionated. He is challenging Emily Warwick to the mayor ship. But a scandal involving Dr. Ezra Elliot and the doctor's property may stand in his way. And then there is the Beanery. The new coffee shop is not only his competition, but the new owners are having a strange influence over his wife, Lucy.
The Reverend Ben and Carolyn Lewis are trying to sort out a problem of their own while helping those in their parish.
These are just some of the wonderful characters in Cape Light. And by the time I finished the novel - they all seemed to me, my beloved neighbors. Neighbors I laughed with, shared a few tears with, shook my head at. All in all this novel was a very satisfying read.
Don't let the Christian Fiction genre label be an excuse to shy away from this lovely book. Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer have created such a warm fictitious New England village, Cape Light, Massachusetts. Its inhabitants are warm and generous, though there are a few whose lives are not without hardships or past sorrows. I can see Cape Light as one of Thomas Kinkade"s Rockwell-like paintings. It is not heavy-handed in its use of Bible quotations or spiritual reflections. Cape Light is just a darn good place to dwell in for a few days with some characters that will stay in my heart for a long while; that is until I seek out the 2nd Cape Light novel Home Song: A Cape Light Novel at my favorite used book store. I can't wait to see what happens to all of my "new friends" I've met here.
In Cape Light you will meet the Warwicks. Lillian is the matriarch. She is sickly and quite bitter - she thinks she and her two daughters, Emily and Jessica are above the rest of Cape Light's residents. She makes her position and views clear to everyone, oblivious to her daughter's embarrassment. Emily is the Mayor of Cape Light, while Jessica is the bank's vice president. And Jessica is counting the weeks before Lillian is strong enough for her to leave Lillian in Emily's capable hands. Jessica can't wait to get back to Boston and her life. But Sam Morgan may interfere in her plans. He is in love with Jessica, much to Lillian's displeasure. Emily loves her job, but is beginning to feel she's missed out on life. Jessica wonders why Emily came back to Cape Light, never wanting to leave it again. After all, Emily did run away years ago to Maryland with a local fisherman.
Sara Franklin knows why Emily is still in Cape Light. Emily had left her information with the adoption agency. It hadn't been hard to track down her birth mother. She decides to stay the summer to get to know Emily and Lillian and finally confront her birth mother; why did she give her up? Handsome Sam Morgan is the local carpenter and has set his sights on Jessica. Some in his huge family think he's making a huge mistake, but one can't help who one falls in love with. Molly, his sister, is working for Lillian and believes Sam is too good for Jessica. But others like Marie and Joe Morgan know that Sam has never been happier.
There are the Potters who have a large orchard and roadside stand. They have wonderful parties on their property and the whole village attends them. We meet Grace Hegman and her "retired" father Digger. Grace runs a flea-market type shop and still mourns the death of her young daughter. There is Charlie and Lucy Bates who owns the popular Clam Bake diner. Charlie is loud and opinionated. He is challenging Emily Warwick to the mayor ship. But a scandal involving Dr. Ezra Elliot and the doctor's property may stand in his way. And then there is the Beanery. The new coffee shop is not only his competition, but the new owners are having a strange influence over his wife, Lucy.
The Reverend Ben and Carolyn Lewis are trying to sort out a problem of their own while helping those in their parish.
These are just some of the wonderful characters in Cape Light. And by the time I finished the novel - they all seemed to me, my beloved neighbors. Neighbors I laughed with, shared a few tears with, shook my head at. All in all this novel was a very satisfying read.
July 13, 2007
This was a nice little book about a small town where everyone knows everybody's business - nearly. Most of the characters in this novel either have a secret hope for their futures, secrets that haunt them in their pasts, or feelings they keep a secret even from themselves.
Cape Light has strongly Christian themes about giving oneself over to God's hands and letting God handle things. I'm not religious and expected that the Christian backbone would be distracting from the main story, but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters' faith, or lack thereof, was very much a part of each of them, and believable for the most part.
Overall Cape Light was a pleasant read and I even came away from the book learning a couple of lessons.
Cape Light has strongly Christian themes about giving oneself over to God's hands and letting God handle things. I'm not religious and expected that the Christian backbone would be distracting from the main story, but I was pleasantly surprised. The characters' faith, or lack thereof, was very much a part of each of them, and believable for the most part.
Overall Cape Light was a pleasant read and I even came away from the book learning a couple of lessons.
November 8, 2018
My mom has been a fan of these books for a number of years. Each year for Christmas, we get her the newest release in the series. I was visiting and not interested in the book I brought with me. I picked up this little gem and was immediately sucked into the world of this cast of characters. And what a cast it is! I had to start a notebook of all the people we were being introduced to and how they were all connected. But once you get to know them, this is a charming story. if you enjoy Debbie Macomber's Cedar Cove series, Susan Wigg's Lakeshore Chronicles, or Sheila Roberts' Icicle Falls series, then you will definitely enjoy the staring book of this series.
June 19, 2020
It has been many years since I have read this book, but as I see it here I remember the wonderfully sweet sense I had as I read it. I really enjoy Kinkade's wrtings and I remember that I couldn't wait to read the next in the series. I only made it to the third one, but not for lack of wanting the next one. The books were very engaging.
February 18, 2024
It was a very good book. Good story line.
December 14, 2020
A little predictable, but still a nice story.
June 18, 2024
The characters are likeable and the multiple story lines are engaging, but the main romance story follows the typical formula.
October 23, 2012
Wonderful read. Taking it back to the Library and getting the next one tomorrow!!
February 9, 2017
I've read all these and love little town series:)
March 20, 2019
"Light" is right, as in 'light weight'. Predictable and sappy is an apt description.
January 16, 2020
Cape Light is a small, very connected, and generally religious New England village. In this first book of 20 (so far), we are introduced to some of the inhabitants of the village--the mayor and her family, who are still somewhat reeling from a scandal in the past; the local diner owner who is very set in his ways and has designs on unseating the mayor in the next election; the reverend and his wife, whose joyful news is overshadowed by a wayward family member. Characters are established and at least one romance blooms, in this book that covers a summer in Cape Light.
Though there are a lot of characters to keep straight, I found that it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I had a few moments that needed clarity, but I followed it well enough. And for the first half of the book, I was interested in the lives and backstories of these people. In fact, I never stopped being interested in that. But what seriously detracted from it was the plight of the main character and her romantic entanglement.
Jessica Warwick, the mayor's sister, has recently moved back from not-too-far-away Boston, and she intends to return as soon as she can. She's only in town to help her ailing mother, who is starting to recover well. She has a life back in Boston, and a sort-of boyfriend. Enter Sam Morgan, whom she is immediately taken by, though she refuses to acknowledge it for a long time. But when her boyfriend conveniently gets really busy, she starts dating Sam, even while making it clear that she's moving back to Boston at the end of the summer. What follows is a ridiculously drama-filled mess that could have easily been solved in multiple ways. I don't know which of these two irritated me more--the woman who dated a guy in town while knowing that she wasn't done with the previous boyfriend yet and continued a relationship with a man who was clearly falling for her hard, despite her warning about there being no future, or the man who ignored her warning about there being no future because he held out hope that he could change her mind.
While romance novels are always pretty obvious, in that the two leads are going to end up together, I prefer those that are more in the backdrop to an interesting plot. There was little in the way of plot involving Jessica and Sam that wasn't directly related to their relationship. The situations that occurred just to make them fall in love and/or add drama to their relationship were so much more obviously contrived than I prefer. By the end, I just wanted the book to be done already, which makes me sad, because I did enjoy unraveling the lives of the others in town.
The Christianity in the book was weirdly both shallow and heavily permeating. Apparently a large amount of the village's inhabitants go to the same church, and many of them have a strong faith. Several others are seeking, and a lot of the same advice is given by different people. The series starts with 4 not-specifically-holiday books, but apparently by book 5, it continued as a Christmas series, which is what brought it to my attention at this time of year in the first place.
The writing was a bit pedestrian, but it only bothered me at times. I am going to give the series another chance, because just about every plot arc that was started in this book was left hanging, and I really do want to see what happens. Since the main thing that bothered me about this book should take a back seat in the future, I am hopeful about continuing. With proper planning, I can be ready for the first of the Christmas books by November or December.
Though there are a lot of characters to keep straight, I found that it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I had a few moments that needed clarity, but I followed it well enough. And for the first half of the book, I was interested in the lives and backstories of these people. In fact, I never stopped being interested in that. But what seriously detracted from it was the plight of the main character and her romantic entanglement.
Jessica Warwick, the mayor's sister, has recently moved back from not-too-far-away Boston, and she intends to return as soon as she can. She's only in town to help her ailing mother, who is starting to recover well. She has a life back in Boston, and a sort-of boyfriend. Enter Sam Morgan, whom she is immediately taken by, though she refuses to acknowledge it for a long time. But when her boyfriend conveniently gets really busy, she starts dating Sam, even while making it clear that she's moving back to Boston at the end of the summer. What follows is a ridiculously drama-filled mess that could have easily been solved in multiple ways. I don't know which of these two irritated me more--the woman who dated a guy in town while knowing that she wasn't done with the previous boyfriend yet and continued a relationship with a man who was clearly falling for her hard, despite her warning about there being no future, or the man who ignored her warning about there being no future because he held out hope that he could change her mind.
While romance novels are always pretty obvious, in that the two leads are going to end up together, I prefer those that are more in the backdrop to an interesting plot. There was little in the way of plot involving Jessica and Sam that wasn't directly related to their relationship. The situations that occurred just to make them fall in love and/or add drama to their relationship were so much more obviously contrived than I prefer. By the end, I just wanted the book to be done already, which makes me sad, because I did enjoy unraveling the lives of the others in town.
The Christianity in the book was weirdly both shallow and heavily permeating. Apparently a large amount of the village's inhabitants go to the same church, and many of them have a strong faith. Several others are seeking, and a lot of the same advice is given by different people. The series starts with 4 not-specifically-holiday books, but apparently by book 5, it continued as a Christmas series, which is what brought it to my attention at this time of year in the first place.
The writing was a bit pedestrian, but it only bothered me at times. I am going to give the series another chance, because just about every plot arc that was started in this book was left hanging, and I really do want to see what happens. Since the main thing that bothered me about this book should take a back seat in the future, I am hopeful about continuing. With proper planning, I can be ready for the first of the Christmas books by November or December.
May 26, 2022
I bought the first 6 books in this series after being told it was a similar series to Jan Karon's, Mitford series.
It has a wonderful, picturesque setting in a quaint, small Massachusetts town.
Almost everyone knows everyone and real news as well as gossip travels fast. There is much concern about what others will think. The Warwick women are the central figures to the story. Mother Lillian is the domineering Head and her daughters are struggling to make choices for themselves without her constant interference. Emily is the Mayor and the younger Jessica temporarily works for the town bank. They face the usual life choices or challenges and think on them constantly.
For me this didn't measure up to Jan Karon's beautiful characters, humor and storyline. It doesn't measure up to Joan Medlicott's novels either.
If readers are familiar with the TV series Cedar Cove based on the novels by Debbie Macomber I would compare this book to that or other D. Macomber novels.
They just aren't compelling enough for me and they lack humor. I had a hard time picturing the characters but I felt they look much like the modern day Hallmark romance movie characters.
I found this first book to be a bit insipid, nothing unique and I sincerely hope the next books will improve and make me care more. Perhaps this is merely intended as an introduction to the series that will grow on me.
I still gave this 3 stars because I did finish and am willing to try again and some people really enjoy these small, lake or beach town stories.
I myself live in Lake Country, VA.
It has a wonderful, picturesque setting in a quaint, small Massachusetts town.
Almost everyone knows everyone and real news as well as gossip travels fast. There is much concern about what others will think. The Warwick women are the central figures to the story. Mother Lillian is the domineering Head and her daughters are struggling to make choices for themselves without her constant interference. Emily is the Mayor and the younger Jessica temporarily works for the town bank. They face the usual life choices or challenges and think on them constantly.
For me this didn't measure up to Jan Karon's beautiful characters, humor and storyline. It doesn't measure up to Joan Medlicott's novels either.
If readers are familiar with the TV series Cedar Cove based on the novels by Debbie Macomber I would compare this book to that or other D. Macomber novels.
They just aren't compelling enough for me and they lack humor. I had a hard time picturing the characters but I felt they look much like the modern day Hallmark romance movie characters.
I found this first book to be a bit insipid, nothing unique and I sincerely hope the next books will improve and make me care more. Perhaps this is merely intended as an introduction to the series that will grow on me.
I still gave this 3 stars because I did finish and am willing to try again and some people really enjoy these small, lake or beach town stories.
I myself live in Lake Country, VA.
July 17, 2017
This was a good summer read. Funny story; it was on my to read list and I found it in a 'give one take one' free book exchange. I picked this one up because it was set in Maine and I wasn't disappointed with the plot. I liked hearing each of the characters' stories because they were all so different from each other. I think one of the main reasons as to why I liked them was because they felt so real.
On top of that I liked the Christian bits. I'm no super religious but this book was such a nice break from all of the books that seem to mock religion--mostly fantasy. I like them but it gets kind of annoying to constantly see religion always portrayed negatively so it was nice to have a story like this that talked about it positively. But at the same time didn't constantly talk about it. Basically like real life religion; it's there for some people but they don't talk about it 24/7--well not everyone lol.
On top of that I liked the Christian bits. I'm no super religious but this book was such a nice break from all of the books that seem to mock religion--mostly fantasy. I like them but it gets kind of annoying to constantly see religion always portrayed negatively so it was nice to have a story like this that talked about it positively. But at the same time didn't constantly talk about it. Basically like real life religion; it's there for some people but they don't talk about it 24/7--well not everyone lol.
September 24, 2023
I inherited this book from my mother after she passed away, and it has been sitting on my shelf for three years. It was a nice story, not my usual genre. Life in a small town with a collection of people going about their everyday lives - the loves, the conflicts, and all else that goes with human relationships. Central to the story is the religious overtone, the faith many people had and many came to know.
I gave this book three stars for a couple of reasons. First, some of the missing words (proofreading) - I would have let this go if it were only one or two, but I found several missing. Secondly, the timeline of the summer seemed out of line for the days and weeks that supposedly passed. The third and biggest issue was with the ending, which I didn't feel tied up one of the most important parts of the story. As I don't want to give away a spoiler, I will leave it at that for now.
All in all, it was a nice story that many people will enjoy.
I gave this book three stars for a couple of reasons. First, some of the missing words (proofreading) - I would have let this go if it were only one or two, but I found several missing. Secondly, the timeline of the summer seemed out of line for the days and weeks that supposedly passed. The third and biggest issue was with the ending, which I didn't feel tied up one of the most important parts of the story. As I don't want to give away a spoiler, I will leave it at that for now.
All in all, it was a nice story that many people will enjoy.
December 18, 2024
I have admired the artwork of Thomas Kinkade for many years. The use of light in his paintings is distinctive. When we visited Graceland last year I saw a painting and new without even checking the signature that it was by Kinkade.
Would this lightgiving gift transfer into fiction, I wondered? So, I checked out a copy of this first book in the Cape Light series to find out. Like the Mitford series, Cape Light is set in a small town. The Clam Box is a gathering place for the locals, as is church. And the mayor is a woman named Emily Warwick. Her sister Jessica has returned to town to help Emily care for their mother Lillian during stroke recovery. I was not a fan of Lillian! Jessica's new friend Sam Morgan was much more fun to get to know. And there are kittens, y'all! You may also have a craving for lobster and/or clams after reading this Boston area read.
This was a heartwarming read, but missed some opportunities. I will try Book 2, but that might be it for me.
Would this lightgiving gift transfer into fiction, I wondered? So, I checked out a copy of this first book in the Cape Light series to find out. Like the Mitford series, Cape Light is set in a small town. The Clam Box is a gathering place for the locals, as is church. And the mayor is a woman named Emily Warwick. Her sister Jessica has returned to town to help Emily care for their mother Lillian during stroke recovery. I was not a fan of Lillian! Jessica's new friend Sam Morgan was much more fun to get to know. And there are kittens, y'all! You may also have a craving for lobster and/or clams after reading this Boston area read.
This was a heartwarming read, but missed some opportunities. I will try Book 2, but that might be it for me.
June 8, 2019
I love this story! It takes place in a small town named Cape Light. In this town, everyone knows everyone.
Jessica Warwick isn't too excited about coming home to help take care of her mother. She has no intention of staying for long and has a desire to return to the city.
Then, Jessica bumps into Sam Morgan, a construction worker.
I really like the small town setting in this book. It really felt as though you were getting to know every person in town. I'm not a big fan of Lillian Warwick, however; she seems too judgmental to me.
Also, I think that Jessica was fighting her feelings a little too hard. If she really wanted to be with Sam, she should have broken it off with Paul a lot sooner. I know she realizes how she feels by the end; I just wish she figured it out sooner.
Onto the sequel!
Jessica Warwick isn't too excited about coming home to help take care of her mother. She has no intention of staying for long and has a desire to return to the city.
Then, Jessica bumps into Sam Morgan, a construction worker.
I really like the small town setting in this book. It really felt as though you were getting to know every person in town. I'm not a big fan of Lillian Warwick, however; she seems too judgmental to me.
Also, I think that Jessica was fighting her feelings a little too hard. If she really wanted to be with Sam, she should have broken it off with Paul a lot sooner. I know she realizes how she feels by the end; I just wish she figured it out sooner.
Onto the sequel!
June 3, 2018
Whenever I try to feed my 4yo niece something that she’s never seen before (i.e. something not pizza or McDonald’s) she says, shyly and regretfully, “I can’t like that.” Leaves you with the impression that she would if she could- but she just simply can’t.
That’s how I felt about Cape Light. I wanted to like it- after all, all those beautiful pictures Kincaid painted! But I couldn’t. There’s a fine line between the Mitford series, which I loved, and Cape Light, which left me cold. They are quite similar in ways, but the dividing line makes all the difference.
To me that line was purpose. In Mitford it seemed like the characters I met had a point. In Cape Light, they lived, moved, suffered, and cheered- but I could find no purpose in it. The town seems aimless, which left me tired.
That’s how I felt about Cape Light. I wanted to like it- after all, all those beautiful pictures Kincaid painted! But I couldn’t. There’s a fine line between the Mitford series, which I loved, and Cape Light, which left me cold. They are quite similar in ways, but the dividing line makes all the difference.
To me that line was purpose. In Mitford it seemed like the characters I met had a point. In Cape Light, they lived, moved, suffered, and cheered- but I could find no purpose in it. The town seems aimless, which left me tired.
July 24, 2018
Truly I love Kinkade's paintings, espeically his Disney ones. The details are beautiful, I even bought a Kinkade calendar for 2016...I just think he should've stick to talent he is truly gifted in and that's art. Not writing.
I stopped at Chapter 3. The way Kinkade introduce the characters are too much. They're so many characters, all having a first and last name to keep up with. It just didn't flow nor with SO many character did it make me want to read about their slowly dragged life issues in Cape Light. If Kinkade made a connection with each character one at a time, as well as made it flow that would've been a lot easier to read. Until then, stick to painting please.
I stopped at Chapter 3. The way Kinkade introduce the characters are too much. They're so many characters, all having a first and last name to keep up with. It just didn't flow nor with SO many character did it make me want to read about their slowly dragged life issues in Cape Light. If Kinkade made a connection with each character one at a time, as well as made it flow that would've been a lot easier to read. Until then, stick to painting please.
January 24, 2026
This was a comforting book, one from early 2003, but still enjoyable to read. I've wanted to read this one for a long time, and I'm glad I was finally able to. There were a lot of characters to get to know in the beginning but the flow of the story makes it easy to make friends with all the townspeople as you read. They face difficulties yet they employ resiliency, morals, and turning to God, along with aiding each other, to come out on the other side of their troubles as well as possible. The people are varied in their personalities and that makes them more believable and real. Im excited to read the next book of the series.
December 31, 2025
I really like this series. I just wish I could access it as an audiobook. It reminds me of Jan Karon’s Mitford series, which is my favorite of all time.
Emily Warwick, mayor of Cape Light, has a past she doesn’t speak of, but that is closer than she realizes. Her sister Jessica is I. Town temporarily to take care of their mother. Reverend Ben reminds me a little of Father Tim from Mitford. Other characters such as his wife, newcomer Sara, Charlie, and a whole host of engaging figures make this a book that feels like you’re there in Cape Light with them.
Emily Warwick, mayor of Cape Light, has a past she doesn’t speak of, but that is closer than she realizes. Her sister Jessica is I. Town temporarily to take care of their mother. Reverend Ben reminds me a little of Father Tim from Mitford. Other characters such as his wife, newcomer Sara, Charlie, and a whole host of engaging figures make this a book that feels like you’re there in Cape Light with them.
December 22, 2021
Coming Home Can Be Interesting
Cape Light, small town, quite, and a nice place to live. Two sisters, one loved living in Boston and never wanted to come back to this quite town. She had to when her Mother had a stroke. She quickly learned she might find new things to amuse her while staying in Cape Light. Her older sister, Mayor of the town, always doing things for others gets a surprise of her life. Read and get to know the people of Cape Light.
Cape Light, small town, quite, and a nice place to live. Two sisters, one loved living in Boston and never wanted to come back to this quite town. She had to when her Mother had a stroke. She quickly learned she might find new things to amuse her while staying in Cape Light. Her older sister, Mayor of the town, always doing things for others gets a surprise of her life. Read and get to know the people of Cape Light.
December 17, 2022
Just discovered this heart-warming series. Perfect uplifting book for December, with character living a small town on the northern coast of Massachusetts. Secrets abound within several families, setting the stage for books to come. There is just enough of what each character is thinking to see yourself in one of them, and empathize what they are going through. Look forward to learning more about the people of Cape Light.
August 17, 2025
I was immediately taken by the book’s cover and catchy line, “It’s a little town you’ve never been too, but you know it by heart…” but was disappointed with how true this was. Many of the characters feel too stereotypical to be believable and much of the plot, especially the ending, relies on convenient coincidences. If you’re looking for an easy, feel-good, heavily religious novel, this might be for you. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend.
October 8, 2018
This is my first book by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer. I admit it was slow going at first. I put it down in favor of other books instead, but I could never quite forget about the characters in this novel. I would find myself wondering what will happen to them and finally pulling the book back out to read more. Overall, I enjoyed the book and will continue the series.
January 1, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though it took me a few months to work my way through it. It is definitely a slow paced book, and very much what I would classify as a "comfort read." I am really looking forward to reading more from the series and following the lives of the characters in Cape Light.
January 15, 2019
Challenges: RRRCs January 2019 - National Kazoo Day: musical, younger and older characters/brings joy (9); Create Your Own Readathon/Stacking the Series/Steeped in Books - Tertiary List/Level 4/Book 1. A truly joyful book with multiple romances and well-drawn characters of many ages, skills, and spiritual paths to walk and upon which to grow.
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