The Magic of Christmas in a Victorian Seaside Paradise

November 2, 2023 | By Women Writers Women Books | Reply More

The Magic of Christmas in a Victorian Seaside Paradise

For centuries, travelers from all across the northeast and beyond have arrived to the welcoming spirit of Cape May, New Jersey known as America’s first seaside resort. Set at the tippy-end of the state, the town is uniquely positioned where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay.

This beach town draws visitors from near and far in the summer months and during the holiday season. The shop-lined Washington Street Mall serves up a festive display of cozy boutiques and fabulous dining options. Cape May innately captures the comfort and joy of the season with elaborate window displays and gaslit lamps. The town is imbued with a strong Victorian presence, which lends itself to the feel of a Charles Dickens classic.

I wrote this story because seeing Christmas through the eyes of Cape May helps me to fall back in love with the season. There is a comforting charm here that is unique unto itself. Cape May is consistently recognized by magazine and trade publications. Just last year, USA Today named the town as one of the top ten best small coastal towns by its Readers’ Choice Awards and in 2023 as No. 1 for best northeastern small towns for 2023. According to Condé Nast Traveler, Cape May ranks among the top 27 most beautiful towns in America and stands at No. 9 in Country Living Magazine as one of the prettiest spots in wintertime. Globe Trotter Travels rated Cape May as one of the top 10 iconic small towns in America and a great winter destination for those seeking a relaxing getaway. More specifically, Travel + Leisure believes Cape May to be one of the top 25 best towns to visit in the USA at Christmastime.

The story opens around a town treasure, which sets the stage for the holiday season: The West Cape May Community Christmas Parade held on the first Saturday in December. Now in its 58th year, many parade-goers setting up beach and stadium chairs all along the parade route on Friday afternoon, the day before the festivities take place. During parade weekend, there are tree lighting ceremonies throughout the town.

For years, our main character—Rita Abernathy and her husband Charles—brought their boys down to Cape May in the summer months and at Christmas for the parade. Rita is finally living out her lifelong dream of owning a Victorian home which is featured on the candlelight walking tours through the city’s historic district. She provides hot chocolate to all of her tour guests, and prepares for the Abernathy’s first family Christmas in their beloved beach town.

While there are many Victorian homes throughout the city of Cape May, the Abernathy’s home is purely fictional, as are the plot and characters. Through Rita’s eyes and experiences, I wanted to provide my readers with the same sense of wonder I discovered when I felt the magic of a Cape May Christmas for myself.

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A Cape May Christmas Story: A Celebration of Family and Love in America’s First Seaside Resort

From USA Today bestselling author of The Sound of Wings.

“This Christmas was different. Rita’s sons, now grown men, needed her—she had to get it right.”

Rita Abernathy’s lifelong dream has come true: She and her husband Charles are the proud owners of a one-hundred-and-fifty-year-old Victorian home in the historic district of Cape May. For years, they made treasured family memories in the quaint coastal town, spending time at the beach during the summer and experiencing true Christmas magic during the holiday season. Rita believes the Cape May magic has returned to their lives at just the right time.

But, things aren’t as cheery as they seem in the Abernathy’s magnificently decorated Victorian home…

Rita’s grown sons are two years apart in age and vastly different men. Chase is a single, online travel blogger with a following worthy of his larger-than-life personality. Paul is a disgruntled family man, worried about losing his job. With the help of her daughter-in-law and sassy six-year-old granddaughter, Rita vows to bring her estranged sons together again.

Patti Kelley is a local pastry chef, widely known for her succulent croissants. Chase lends Patti a hand the night of the Christmas parade and falls in love with the sights and tastes of the seaside paradise. Soon, Patti’s fancy coffee isn’t the only thing brewing inside that bakery…

Will the magic of Cape May be enough to heal this fractured family in time for Christmas?

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Suzanne Simonetti is the USA Today bestselling author of her debut novel, The Sound of Wings, set in Cape May. She who grew up in the New York suburbs just outside of the city. After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus on her passion for crafting fiction. She lives on Cape May Harbor with her husband. Her latest book, A Cape May Christmas Story: A Celebration of Family and Love in America’s First Seaside Resort, is Simonetti’s love letter to the charming and quaint seaside paradise she now calls home.