The Way to Cape May - by Kimberly Brighton (Paperback)

About the Book

Discover what destiny has in store for a bride, her groomzilla, and their guests as they make their way along the coast to a Cape May wedding, each seeking their own version of happily ever after, Love Actually-style.

Book Synopsis

Where choice meets chance, there lies happily ever after...

A bride, her Groomzilla, and their guests travel along the southern Jersey shore, navigating the rocky road to romance as they each seek their own version of happily ever after, Love Actually-style.

You're cordially invited to Delaney and Dalton's Cape May wedding...if it happens.

Delaney is a successful criminal attorney who leaves nothing to chance. All she wanted was a simple seaside wedding to her childhood sweetheart, Dalton. But as wedding countdown begins, their love is put to the test as a series of events threatens their big day. Even Mother Nature's RSVP of a tempestuous plus-one can't match the turmoil of an unbridled Groomzilla, whose life-altering secret may veer this love story to Happily Never After before they can say, "I Don't".

However, Delaney isn't the only one whose destiny is uncertain.

A seashell found in the pocket of an old hoodie forces maid of honor and DC lobbyist Kate to question her choices in life and love. Especially after her ex, who she last saw driving off in a dilapidated VW van, has now been touted in Men's Monthly magazine as America's hottest surfer-preneur and newly minted millionaire. As Kate rides the gnarly waves of regret, an accidental phone switch has her dialed into someone totally new-and completely unexpected.

Free-spirited bartender Cleo is "just fine" with the surface-level, friends-with-benefits situation she has with her hot lawyer. But as her roommates move forward with their Adult Life Plans, Cleo decides slinging drinks, while fun, is getting in the way of pursuing her creative talents as an artist. Enter her best friend's plus-one, who challenges her beliefs about her troubled past, and invites her into the scary future-whether she's ready to face it or not.

Marley, a law student and intern at Delaney's firm, has but one dream: to become a lawyer and practice criminal law in her beloved hometown of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But her longtime boyfriend and future fiancé lives in the Midwest and has been turning up the pressure on marriage, for which he is very ready. But Marley doesn't want to leave her hometown, especially now that things are heating up with the one man she can't stop thinking about, and with whom she doesn't stand a chance-her best friend.

Set between the courtrooms of Philadelphia and the sparkling beaches of the Jersey Cape, this laugh-out-loud, swoony beach read is all about choice and chance, love and loss, sunsets and cheesesteaks. With familiar romance tropes of friends to lovers, unexpected meet-cutes, and opposites attract, you're destined to fall in love with this ensemble cast. You may even find yourself exploring your own beliefs about life, love, and destiny.

So save the date, grab a drink, and get ready to Chicken Dance-you never know what the night, and destiny, may have in store.

Review Quotes

"The Way to Cape May is a fun read that fully embraces its Love Actually-inspired plot, featuring enthralling vignettes which take their protagonists through the ups and downs of love and life." - Reedsy Discovery (starred review).

"From the bustling courtrooms of Philadelphia to the tranquil sandy shores of the Jersey Cape, Brighton's tender yet humorous Cape May series explores the power of choice and fate and the complexities of love." - Prairies Book Review

"Brighton's mastery of complex yet endearing characters shines through as the tensions between each couple reach a boiling point before finally simmering down. With her astute understanding of human psychology, she weaves a story that is both heartwarming and full of passion and vulnerability." - Prairies Book Review