What happens when your ex-boyfriend becomes Americaâs most sought-after bachelor?
Just ask Marley, whose former beau bursts onto the reality TV dating scene as sheâs about to embark on the most important event of her life: the dreaded bar exam. Between cramming the books and vying for a coveted lawyer job, the last thing Marley needs is to become a social media villain. If she can find a way to crawl out from the fall-out, she just may save her imploded career and fractured relationship with the man of her dreams.
Charlotte, a socially awkward germophobe, is willing to do anything to reach her one and only goal: making partner at her law firm. Even if that means learning to socialize with the worse people on the planet, her knuckle-dragging co-workers. When she meets deckhand Jake on a work trip, he changes her outlook on life, and offers the one thing she never thought sheâd find.
Meanwhile, Bella is just trying to navigate the angst of her teen yearsâmean girls, a cringe-worthy mom, unrequited crushesâwhen she comes to discover what truly matters. And it isnât what she thinks.
Fans of The Way to Cape May will also enjoy this book.
What happens when your ex-boyfriend becomes Americaâs most sought-after bachelor?
Just ask Marley, whose former beau bursts onto the reality TV dating scene as sheâs about to embark on the most important event of her life: the dreaded bar exam. Between cramming the books and vying for a coveted lawyer job, the last thing Marley needs is to become a social media villain. If she can find a way to crawl out from the fall-out, she just may save her imploded career and fractured relationship with the man of her dreams.
Charlotte, a socially awkward germophobe, is willing to do anything to reach her one and only goal: making partner at her law firm. Even if that means learning to socialize with the worse people on the planet, her knuckle-dragging co-workers. When she meets deckhand Jake on a work trip, he changes her outlook on life, and offers the one thing she never thought sheâd find.
Meanwhile, Bella is just trying to navigate the angst of her teen yearsâmean girls, a cringe-worthy mom, unrequited crushesâwhen she comes to discover what truly matters. And it isnât what she thinks.
Fans of The Way to Cape May will also enjoy this book.
After an exhausting day at her law firm internship, Marley Maguire looked forward to an evening indulging in her favorite guilty pleasure. She changed into her comfy clothes when she got homeâleggings and an oversized Eaglesâ sweatshirtâand settled into her plush couch, waiting for her best friend to join her. The best friend who, as destiny would have it, was now her boyfriend.
Sam sauntered across the room, wearing a sultry smile, and did a little salsa shuffle before handing her a Dock Street beer. He plunked himself down on the couch and slung his arm across Marleyâs shoulder, clinking his frosty bottle against hers. [JB1]Â
âCheers to a new season,â he said. âBring on The Bachelorette.â
Watching reality TV dating shows was their mutual obsession, something theyâd started back when they were âjust friends.â It provided a perfect escape from the harsh rigors of law school and an excuse to get to know each other better. They dissected the starsâ love lives, sharing their own thoughts about dating and relationships, unaware they were planting seeds from which their feelings for one another would begin to grow.
âIâm hoping for juicy drama this season,â Marley said with a lascivious grin.
âThatâs you, National Enquirer. Bring on the tears and sob stories.â He smiled, then added, âTheirs. Not ours.â
âNo drama here,â she said, sipping her beer as she rested her head on his shoulder.
The show began as the host promised this season would be âthe most dramatic ever, in the entire Bachelorette history,â as he did every premiere.
Sam hopped up from the couch. âForgot the grub. Keep it running.â
As he salsaed his way to the kitchen, Marleyâs eyes were drawn to his hips, swaying in sync with his broad shoulders and tight glutes. His perfect physique and sexy dance moves were just two of the many reasons sheâd fallen hard for Sam. Boy was hot with a capital H.
Onscreen, a limo pulled up to the house, signaling the arrival of contestants. Man after gorgeous man stepped from the vehicle. The camera trained on expensive shoes before panning up to reveal designer suits, buff bodies, gleaming smiles, and perfect hairstyles. Each man more stunning than the last.
None more stunning than her real-life bachelor, still in the kitchen rifling through a potato chip bag and singing a Taylor Swift song in pitch-perfect falsetto.
When the final contestantâs foot emerged onto the gravel path, Marley gasped.
No freaking way. Sheâd know those shiny red Nikes with orange laces anywhere, even on the screen of her television, where it made no sense for them to beâoutside an L.A. mansion, attached to a hopeful bachelor. The camera swept higher, revealing the next dead giveaway as to the final bachelorâs identity: his cringe-worthy outfit. Tan khakis and a blue blazer were a stark contrast to the other menâs stylish garb. No slim-fitting designer suit for this man. He owned oneâthat wasnât the issueâbut he claimed the suit pants made a tent in his crotch when he sat down, raising eyebrows and suspicions and (in some cases) false hope. He insisted on pairing the jacket with better-fitting khakis instead. If âpairedâ was the right word.
The sound of his voice eradicated any lingering doubt. The last time sheâd heard it was the night they broke up.
Sam returned with a bag of chips and flopped down next to her. âWhatâs wrong?â
Marley pointed at the TV, mouth gaping.
Sam did a double-take, spewing beer all over her brand-new Ikea coffee table. âIs thatââ
âErgh,â Marley gurgled in disbelief.
âNo. Fucking. Way!â Sam exclaimed.
âHello, Brie,â the man on the screen cooed as he kissed the cheek of the flaxen-haired, sequin-clad bachelorette. âItâs a pleasure to meet you. Iâm Richard Alabaster Smith the Third. But you can call meââ
âRick!â Sam yelled, laughing as he wiped beer from his chin. âOn the fucking Bachelorette? Are you serious right now?â
Yes, it seemedâas serious as reality TV could be.
Richard Alabaster Smithâaka Rick, aka Marleyâs farm-bred, socially awkward ex-boyfriendâwas on the fucking Bachelorette.
Rick. The guy who became tongue-tied around anyone outside his immediate social circle. The guy who hid behind wire-rimmed glasses, avoiding human interaction at all costs. Yeah, that guy. Somehow, heâd managed to put together an audition tape and beat out thousands of handsome, muscle-bound, Instagram-worthy hunks to be selected as a contestant on the wildly popular dating show. This had to be a joke.
âGood God,â Marley whispered.
Sam punched the air. âIâm so here for this!â He gave a hearty laugh and spun toward her. âMarley! Rickâs on The Bachelorette!â
âNo shit, Sherlock. I see that.â
âThose damn sneaks of his.â Sam shook his head, his expression a combination of admiration and astonishment as if Rick had just ripped one on national TV. âYou go, dawg.â
Marley had to be hallucinating. This couldnât be real. Rick was the last person to put himself out there.
Onscreen, Brie tipped her head and smiled. âHello, Rick. The pleasureâs all mine.â
Rick pulled a sock from his pocket. âIâm here to sock it to you,â he said, straight-faced, as the lovely bachelorette doubled over in a fake laugh.
âThat was darn good,â Brie quipped.
Sam laughed out loud. Marley groaned. There was no way Brie the Bachelorette was keeping Rick the Corny Jokester past the first episode.
âWhat a dork,â Marley muttered.
 âOh, Mar,â Sam said, aqua eyes wide with revelation, âI heard chicks dig dorks now. Itâs a whole new thing.â
âThanks, Glamour magazine. Iâm pretty sure dorks have always been in.â
âAm I a dork?â Sam asked eagerly.
Marley chuckled. Sam was anything but a dork, although the fact heâd asked the question brought him closer. âThe dorkiest.â
âGood.â
The premiere progressed as Brie met with each of the men. Marleyâs shock soon turned to dread when it was Rickâs turn to chat with her in the garden.
âHave you had many girlfriends?â Brie asked.
âJust one,â Rick said, giving her a shy half-smile. âAnd she broke my heart. Shattered, more like it.â
âOh, please,â Marley whimpered. âPlease donât go there.â
Her heart pounded. As his only girlfriend, she was terrified heâd tell their story and tarnish her name in the process, but Rick flipped the script and asked Brie about her past. She, too, had suffered a broken heartâde rigueur for the formulaic show. Marleyâs relief was only temporary as Brie excused herself and picked up a rose.
âOh God,â Marley mumbled, hoping he wasnât the intended recipient of the first impression rose, which would mean heâd be kept on the show for another week. âThis canât be happening.â
âOh, itâs happening, Mar!â Sam exclaimed as he stood up and did the floss dance. âGo Riiick! Go Riiick!â
Marley, dumbfounded, watched as her current boyfriend cheered on her ex. âDo you really want Rick on our show?â
âOf course!â
âI thought you hated him?â
âOnly because he was dating you.â Sam plopped down on the couch and clasped her knee. âNow that Iâve got you, Marley McMarley, I want the dude to find love[JB2]Â .â
Marley raised an eyebrow.
âLook at him!â Sam said, pleading his case. âPoor guyâs not gonna find it otherwise.â
Sure enough, Brie handed Rick the rose. âYou made the best first impression. Youâre genuine, exactly what Iâm looking for.â
The only thing Marley was looking for just then was a barf bag. Better yet, the remote. She grabbed it but Sam yanked it away.
âOh no. Weâre doing this.â
Marley slunk back on the couch and covered her face with a throw pillow. She cringed, remembering the dramatic ending of their otherwise drama-free relationship and how sheâd broken his heart. Brie was spot-on, sensing his genuine nature upon meeting him. Still, if someone had offered her a bet, Marley would have wagered all ten of her toes (with a couple fingers thrown in) that there was no chance Rick would end up on a world-televised dating show.
She likely would have stayed with him forever if her feelings for Sam hadnât toppled the dam sheâd so carefully built against them. Despite valiant efforts, she was incapable of denying the crush that had slowly burned for six years. After all, the heart wants what it wants. And what her heart wantedâhad always wantedâwas Sam.
Who could blame her? Her best friend since their freshman year of college, Sam was the most fascinating person she knew. He had a great propensity for goofiness and an uncanny ability to make her laugh, even in the direst of situations. Sweet yet strong, with an amazing legal brain and sexy AF, he consumed every one of her senses. He was beautiful, with tousled, sun-kissed hair and eyes the color of the Caribbean Sea. His deep voice and hearty laughter were music. Her skin tingled every time he touched her. His kisses tasted like honey, and he smelled like a sunny day at the beach. Sheâd never loved anyone like she loved Sam.
Looking at him now, slunk back on the couch in his faded Sea Isle t-shirt and sweatpants, her heart fluttered. She took in his perfect profile, the long sweep of his lashes, the way he bit his lower lip whenever he was sleepy, aroused, or deep in thought. He rubbed her back with one hand as he held the neck of his beer between two fingers with the other and took a sip like a badass. No matter what he did, what he wore, what he said, he just oozed sexiness, and Marley was grateful she no longer had to hide her feelings for him.
âI know what youâre doing, Mar,â he said, not taking his eyes off the TV as it went to commercial.
âOh yeah?â She curled her legs under her and teased her fingers through his hair. âWhat am I doing?â
âUndressing me with your eyes. I feel like a cheap piece of meat, Perdue.â
âBusted.â
Sam set his beer down, hit pause, and pushed her into the plush cushions, emitting a lustful growl as he grasped her bottom and slid his knee between her thighs.
âPlease donât ever stop looking at me like that,â he whispered as his lips brushed hers. He kissed her lightly, grazing his teeth against her lower lip, playfully biting it, releasing a soft whimper as his teasing tongue probed deeper. She rolled them over, straddling him, her auburn waves falling around his face as she took her turn teasing his sensuous lips.
This was exactly what she left Rick for. The wild, untamed, full-throttled passion she felt for this man who gazed up at her, helpless against her intentions.
He slid his hands inside the back of her leggings, his warm fingers clasping her cheeks. She slowly, seductively, undulated against his rigid hardness, straining to be released. His head thrust back into the cushions, and he gazed at her with sheer rapture.
âGod, Marley,â he moaned, âlook what you do to me.â
Marley pulled the waistband of his sweatpants down, her fingers frantic to find her prize. Sam let out a low grunt as she clasped his throbbing member, fondling it before he flipped her on her back. He ran his fingers, light as a feather, down her navel and slid them into her leggings, past her soaked panties, until he found her sweet spot, satiny with anticipation.
âIâm about to rock your world,â he whispered, his fingers swirling their magic.
âOh, God.â Marleyâs back arched, not able to take any more.
They tore at each otherâs clothing and gave in to raw desire; the air between them practically combusted. Working each other to a frenzy, their passion erupted as they came together. As always.
âWorldâŚrockedâŚâ Marley panted afterward, fully sated.
It had been a year, almost to the day, since Sam had confessed his love for Marleyâwhen they scrambled out of the friend zone and dove into the relationship theyâd been denying themselves for years. It felt as if theyâd made love a million times since then, yet each time was better than the one before, each encounter thrusting her further into an other-worldly dimension. Just what a simmering, sizzling, slow burn will[JB3]Â do to friends destined to be more.
âGod, I love you,â he said as he fell against her, spent, chest heaving.
Her head spun, and dopamine coursed through every inch of her being, rendering her powerless against movement.
His raspy voice asked the question she pondered every time. âHow does this keep getting better?â
âI donât know,â she said, looking up at him. âIt just does.â
He clasped her hand, squeezing hard as he gazed at her. âYou are the love of my life,â he said. âCan I please marry the hell outta you now?â
She kissed the tip of his nose. âYou know my answer. Not until we pass the bar.â
Theyâd only just graduated from law school, and the monumental bar exam loomed a month ahead. She didnât want to make any major life changes until she found out sheâd passed. One step at a time: she had to meet her primary goal before planning any future ones.
âWhat if you meet someone else before then?â he whined.
She gave him a wry grin. âI guess thatâs a chance you gotta take.â
 âAlright.â He sighed. âJust be warned. If you ditch me, mine will be the next shattered heart stepping out of a limo on The Bachelorette. Only with better footwear.â
She swatted him with a couch cushion, and he laughed. He might have been joking but they both knew the truth. Marley and Sam were in it for the long haul. Nothing would ever come between them.
Â
Marley is aiming for a position at the law firm she interns at, just as soon as she passes the bar exam. But when her ex-boyfriend becomes Americaâs new heartthrob on a reality dating show, her dreams seem like theyâre on the cusp of slipping away from her.Â
Charlotte is hoping to make partner at her law firm, but sheâs expected to put her social skills to use in order to meet expectations. But the problem is, she has zero social skills. Now her dream hinges on trying to be someone sheâs not.Â
Bella is just trying to survive high school and her teenage years. A fake friend, strict parents, and boys are at the top of her list of problems. It seems sheâll never find her place in life.Â
A Cape May Kind of Love follows three separate stories, but theyâre similar in the sense that things turned out the way they were supposed to for everyone in the end. Admittedly, it was a bit of a slow start for me. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, and it wasnât until several chapters in that I started to see how they all would possibly connect.Â
But despite the slow start, I was drawn in by the characters and the immediate connection I had with them. I went to college in Philadelphia, and grew up taking trips to the Jersey shore, so it was nice to be familiar with their environments. Similarities aside, I liked how each of the main female characters had their own unique personalities. Charlotte was incredibly quirky, and probably my favorite female character.Â
While I had some strong feelings about Marley as a character on her own, I loved her and Samâs relationship. They knew how to handle disagreements maturely, and I loved how they easily overcame those disagreements. Sam balanced Marley out and brought out her good qualities that were often overshadowed by her head strong personality.Â
I do wish that the connection between all of the characters was a bit more prominent. I was expecting all of their lives to intersect in a bigger way, but with the minimal interactions they had with each other, it made each of their stories feel like I was reading three different books at times.Â
Overall, this was a fun read. While I was hoping for more interaction between all of the characters, I did enjoy each of their stories and found myself eager to keep turning the pages. I also appreciated that although they all had their own unique struggles, they were all able to gain valuable lessons from those challenges.Â