'Glamorous, nostalgic and very sexy' Paula Hawkins
'Powerful and devastating... A heady cocktail' Mail on Sunday
'The new Gatsby' Stylist
'Thoroughly sexy and engrossing' Heat
'Nods to classics like The Great Gatsby and Revolutionary Road' Independent
September 1957
Henry and Effie, young newlyweds from Georgia, arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, for their honeymoon. It's the end of the season and the town is deserted.
As they tentatively discover each other, they begin to realize that everyday married life might be disappointingly different from their happily-ever-after fantasy.
Just as they get ready to cut the trip short, a decadent and glamorous set suddenly sweep them up into their drama - Clara, a beautiful socialite who feels her youth slipping away; Max, a wealthy playboy and Clara's lover; and Alma, Max's aloof and mysterious half-sister.
The empty beach town becomes their playground, and as they sneak into abandoned summer homes, go sailing, walk naked under the stars, make love, and drink a great deal of gin, Henry and Effie slip from innocence into betrayal, with irrevocable consequences that reverberate through the rest of their lives...
'Gorgeous, seductive storytelling, martini-dry prose reminiscent of James Salter's finest. I loved it' Lucy Foley, author of THE HUNTING PARTY
'An exquisitely crafted exploration of young love, the power of desire, and the lifelong ramifications of choices made in an instant... A modern classic' Whitney Scharer, author of THE AGE OF LIGHT