If you follow me, then you may be aware that I'm a sucker for a Keri Beevis book. She is fantastic at building tension and unease and creating unexpected twists. She's also pretty good at dark and disturbing, and this book is no different.

The story follows the life of a novelist living a semi reclusive life following the sudden death of her husband and friend. When she starts dating again, unsettling things start to happen. The setting is really well described, and the characters are interesting. The book is twisty and very dark and gruesome at times. Definitely not one to read alone! I thought the resolution was perhaps a little too neat, but that's being picky. It really kept me guessing and was a real page turner - I can't wait to see what Keri comes up with next!

The Cottage by the Sea by Keri Beevis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Holy mother of plot twists. I was not expecting this story to be so good. The author did a great job and misleading me and throwing in all kinds of curveballs.

Harper is a widow and for the past 2 years she has been mourning the death of her husband, She decides to finally put herself out there and go on a dating site. She has no luck until she meets mysterious Luke. Luke seems perfect but she begins to suspect hes hiding something. She discovers a deed to a cottage that belonged to her late husband and there she finds the unexpected.

This book makes me never want to try online dating! This poor woman has been through the wringer and just as she's ready to put herself back out there, things get dangerous and scary. A good read.

I really enjoyed this book and found the writing style easy to follow and a decent pace.
I found some of the main characters choices un believable at times and found that they were written purely as plot devices rather then what would probably happen in that situation.

However I never saw the ending coming and it had me on the edge of my seat.

You can never go wrong with a Keri Beevis book and this is an excellent addition to her catalogue.
It’s well thought out, brilliantly written with a consistent pace.
The characters are believable, and the whole thing has a feeling of suspense throughout.
If you know this author, you’re getting exactly what you know and love and if you’ve never read this author before then why not start here and see what you’ve been missing.
Thank you for my arc and the opportunity to read.

Great book. This book was so intense. It was addictive and I couldnt put it down. Loved the combination of the romance and mystery. I was kept busy trying to work out who the culprit was.

A marriage built on lies, A house built on secrets.

Two years after losing her husband and best friend in a car accident Harper decides it’s time to put her life back together. She joins a dating site but soon realises the people she connects with are not who they say they are. When strange things start happening she is unsure who she can trust.

This author is quickly becoming a go to for me as I’ve really enjoyed most of the books that I have read by her. Thanks to @netgalley for the chance to read this book, one I thought I had figured out but I was wrong.

4.5 ☆

I LOVE Keri's books, and this one did not disappoint! I was lucky to get a Netgalley copy of this and am writing the review for all of you here!

This book had me literally taking sick time off work! I was hooked and didn't want to stop reading! I could tune out anything whenever I had this book in my hands!

In typical Keri fashion.... you will think you have it figured out, BUT you don't! I found myself talking myself out of the "truth" almost as often as I felt confident in knowing the ending. I was completely wrong! This book does wrap up all loose ends nicely, which is appreciated for my anxious mind that "just needs to know."

I wish the ending had slowed a little bit with more depth, which is why I felt 4.5 out of 5 was a must. These were just so many complexities and layers that I felt like the end just arrived and settled.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and I hope everyone gives it a shot! Amazing job!!!

Keri Beevis knows how to grab the reader and immerse them in the story. You find yourself out of breath or holding your breath until the very end. This is not a book you will be able to put down!!

Fun! Suspenseful and twisted! I enjoyed this story and was genuinely surprised by the end. I wasn't sure where it was going until I was there.

Harper Reed is a recently widowed author looking for love on a few dating apps. Trying to move on from her husband's death was difficult, made even harder by the fact that he was found deceased with her best friend in the car, carrying out what she assumed was an affair.

What is really going on here? There were definitely some dark moments in this book. 100% recommend! For fans of Freida McFadden and Kiersten Modglin will love this title! Especially if you're looking for something a tad darker.

I don’t think it’s possible for Keri Beevis to write a novel I won’t immediately consume and love!

This one instantly hooked me and kept me glued to the book until the very last word.

I feel this one has a very unique storyline, unlike her other works, showing Beevis’ desire to evolve and grow as a writer.

This was darkly atmospheric, enthralling, and creepy! I was so thankful my husband was reading in bed at the same time I was when I got to the doorbell scene - so delightfully creepy!

Anyone who enjoys thrillers needs to check this out! And if you haven’t already binged ALL books from Keri Beevis as I have, I recommend you do so immediately!

3.5 stars

The Cottage By The Sea by Keri Beevis is a mystery about a woman who loses her husband in a car accident, and tries to move on using a dating app.

First, let me thank NetGalley, the publisher Boldwood Books and of course the author, for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 
My Synopsis:    (No major reveals, but if concerned, skip to My Opinions)
It's been two years since Harper's husband Charlie and her best friend Ashley were both killed in a car accident.  Since then, Harper has been struggling to move on, her grief overwhelming, and her bitterness toward Ashley's relationship with her husband traumatizing.

When a friend insists it is time to move on, Harper joins a dating app.  She has a lot to learn, and quickly meets some strange and dangerous characters.  She also meets Luke, although not through the app, who she thinks may be "the one".  However. when strange things start happening, her paranoia doesn't allow her to trust anyone.

Her paranoia may be well-founded.  She has been finding out a whole lot more about her deceased husband than she ever knew....and none of it good!


My Opinions:
I was actually pleasantly surprised by the book.  When I realized it was about a dating app (ie romance), I was not looking forward to it.  However, it turned out to be more mystery than romance.  A little more suspense would have been nice.

I didn't particularly like Harper, as I felt she made some really stupid decisions, and everyone kept secrets.  It was annoying.  Apparently she had no "survival" instincts, because she was so paranoid.  However, the actual plot was very good, and there were enough suspects to keep me guessing.  The story is told from both Harper's perspective, and that of the stalker/sadist.

My main issue with this book was the pace.  It moved really, really, really slow!  I felt like I was reading for weeks, and it definitely took away from the plot/suspense.  However, it did pick up eventually (maybe the last 25%).

Anyway, it wasn't a bad book, but it could have been better.

The first thing I thought while reading this was, wow the main character truly has terrible luck with men. Some of their behavior was so shocking. This was an easy-to-read thriller that truly had so many twists and turns, at times I felt it was slightly unrealistic. Towards the end, the author did a great job tying things together. I loved the addition of her rescue dog, Bailey, and I was so thankful she was unharmed during the entire book.

I have always enjoyed Keri Beevis books, and while this one was not my favorite, it definitely had a great creepy factor that is consistent throughout all of her work.
 
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own

Review posted on Goodreads

Wow! Gripping, fast paced nail biter! Once again Keri Beevis has knocked it out of the park! This book was about a woman whose husband and best friend was killed in a car crash TOGETHER. She is ready to get out into the dating world and now......strange things start happening to her. Nothing is ever what it seems......and what happens in the dark is now out in the light. Hold on tight this one will leave you hanging on to every page!!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Keri Beevis for allowing me an ARC of The Cottage by the Sea. I have always been a huge fan of Keri Beevis work. I have read and loved six of her other books. This one was no different. This book had me on my toes the entire book. I always thought I would know how it ended, but twists just kept coming! The nature of the book was super frightening! Overall, I gave this book 5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller read!

I loved this story and right up to the end I was on the edge of my seat! This was my kind of book with nonstop action. There was so much going on and I loved every second of it. If you like a twisty, psychological thriller, this one is for you.
Many thanks to the author, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Nothing is what it seems. A good psychological thriller. Although Harper's character annoyed me at times for her weakness and constant self-doubt, I was just waiting for realization to hit her. She doubted everything and everyone around her. She was also quick to jump to conclusions about people. I could relate to her experiences with online dating. I've found far more toads than princes. This is one of those books that makes several people look like the killer, until they are eliminated down to the real one. Goes to show you never really know someone. Keeps you on edge trying to figure things out.

What a thriller!!

There’s lots going on in this book. Lots of different male characters to remember but it all gels in the latter quarter of the book.

I could actually see this book becoming a movie.

Thank you for this ARC!!

3.5 Stars!!

The Cottage by the Sea was a rollercoaster of emotions. Harper lost her husband and best friend to a car accident two years ago. They had been together in the car, and she didn't question it much. However, once she starts dating again, secrets regarding her husband start to come forward. She thinks that they may have been having an affair. While she wants to uncover all of the secrets, she ends up learning more than what she bargained for. The secrets are what kept me hooked. She was so sure that she knew her husband, but we start to realize that she didn't know him as well as she thought.

What didn't work for me was how slow the beginning felt. Once I hit the halfway mark, It was a turn of events that kept me hooked. I think the beginning was drawn out too long before we reached a turning point. Also, I guessed who the man was before we were told. I love to be shocked, and it takes away the suspense a bit when I'm not.

Overall, this was an eerie psychological thriller that I'm sure others will enjoy!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for the book #TheCottageByTheSea by #KeriBeeves. Harper is still dealing with her husband’s death after two years. He, Charlie, and her best friend, Alicia, were in a car wreck together. She is convinced they were having an affair. Harper is finally ready to start dating and joins a dating website. Everyone she tries to date turns into a disaster. She is about to give up when she meets a new man, but is he all that he is cracked up to be?