NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A seaside town helps one young woman reclaim the light after darkness in an uplifting novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.“Romantic, warm, and a breeze to read—one of Macomber’s best.”—Kirkus Reviews Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific … place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.
Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart—and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.
Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven—and the man—she’s come to call home.
In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal.
Praise for Cottage by the Sea
“Macomber never disappoints. Tears and laughter abound in this story of loss and healing that will wrap you up and pull you in; readers will finish it in one sitting.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“Macomber’s story of tragedy and triumph is emotionally engaging from the outset and ends with a satisfying conclusion. Readers will be most taken by the characters, particularly Annie, a heartwarming lead who bolsters the novel.”—Publishers Weekly
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Cottage By the Sea by author Debbie Macomber is a perfect summer or beach read for you this season. I loved this story and the characters! The book has all the elements of personal drama, tragedy, friendship, and love to draw the reader into the depths of the story. I won’t post spoilers, but a summary will give you the idea.
Anne is grieving for her family and decides to go back to the one place she remembers feeling their love and companionship. She needs to heal from her loss and what better way than to start her adult life over in a place with sweet family memories. Anne wants to lease the little cottage where her family stayed years agos when they were on vacation. She hopes to rekindle friendships she had made at the beach town all those years ago when she was a young girl. She is not prepared for an extremely grouchy landlord and then later the trouble on her job. It seems all of the good things she wants to do for others becomes misconstrued and causes more trouble. How much disappointment can a girl take and still keep a positive disposition and friendly attitude toward others?
A beautifully written story which reminds the reader of what the true priorities of our lives should be and how easy we can extend kindness to those in need! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Absolutely could not put this book down. Easy read, emotional, sweet, romantic, feel good book. I’ve never regretted reading any of Debbie Macomber’s books. Her style of writing sucks you in, as if you were in the book. Loved it!
Heartfelt story of starting over. Debbie takes on hard-hitting issues but there’s always a gentle landing.
Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber
#CottageByTheSea #NetGalley
Starts with works by the author. Story starts out with a glimpse of a summer day and Annie is leaving but she’s left an impression on the almost 7ft tall Kenton.
Annie is a physician assistant in southern CA and she’s supposed to go home to the northwest coast sooner than for Christmas. Her brother, would be there with his wife, Kelly and child, Bella.
Her cousin Gabby would be arriving soon and they’d be spending Thanksgiving together in southern CA. They wake to a call telling them her parents house had slid down a hill and nothing was left-they were all gone, parents, brother and his family. We called our daughter when we saw this on the real news to find out if they were ok as it was in the same area they live-they had driven by the place but the road had been closed and detours were up, devastation had already happened.
..
11 months later and she finds her moving back to Seattle, waiting for attorneys and body remains….they encourage her to envision a happy place til she recalls the summer trip…her first kiss, at the cottage at the sea…
With an opening she nails the job of PA and is able to rent the cottage with Kenton’s help. She remembers him and Melly.
Like how she gets others together as they both need help from one another. She finds herself in a heap of trouble by intruding on others…love prescious treasures Keaton has given her.
She is given a chance of a lifetime and you listen to her talk to others to help her decide which path to take…also love how she helps Mellie with her problems…get such good feelings reading this.
Unpredictable, many twists along the way, good all around read.
Received this review copy from the author via NetGalley Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Ballantine Books and this is my honest opinion.
Debbie Macomber definitely has another gem with Cottage By the Sea, and I predict it will be a best-seller. Imagine the worst that can happen to your life. What to do you do and where do you go to heal? I find being near the water to be a balm and so does Annie Marlow. The pieces begin to fit together for her in this small town.
The characters in the book are very engaging and complex. They definitely drew me in because each one had their own story within this story.
The coastal setting is more than just a backdrop for the story. I can nearly hear the waves crashing while Lennon, Keaton’s dog runs chasing his stick. It is a moment such as this that Annie and Keaton meet. Keaton is an intriguing, yet quiet man who magically links everyone together. It is through Keaton that so many of the good things come to play for our characters. I keep hitting the back button lest I give away the whole story. It is times like this I wish I was in a book club, tea in hand and discussing the promise of this book. I recommend this book with 5 stars to anyone who enjoys Debbie Macomber’s style and a connection to the ocean.
I loved this story and the characters. It tugged at my heartstrings, made me laugh, and brought about a beautiful ending. Wonderful, wonderful book that I’ll definitely read again.
I didn’t want to put this book down once I started reading it. Poor Annie she goes through so much in this book especially at the beginning. Keaton is such a lovable character, I wish he was real. All the people in this book have something to overcome and happily by the end of the book they do. This is a great summer read. The book sucks you right in and you don’t want to leave. I am really happy I got to read this book.
*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.*
I loved Cottage by the Sea! How does Debbie Macomber keep getting even better? The characters are wonderful – kind, generous, thoughtful, loyal (and lovers and protectors of innocent little creatures) – despite their own personal difficulties. Cottage by the Sea is a terrific, emotional, and heart-warming book. I’m so glad that Debbie Macomber wrote it – and I had the pleasure of reading it.
Annie was a PA living in LA. Her family wanted her to come home for Thanksgiving, but she already had plans. The hillside her parents lived on collapsed, killing all her family and many more. She had a bad case of regrets and depression for a year and a half. She decides to move back to a seaside town that her family always vacationed at. She meets Keaton, a very large man who doesn’t say much. He is a house painter and an artist. He remembers her from when they were teens and has always had a crush on her. She gets a job as a PA at the local clinic and rents the cottage from the granddaughter of the original owners, who has agoraphobia and a bad attitude. Keaton takes very good care of Annie. She is offered the opportunity to become a doctor, if she agrees to practice at a small town afterwards. Keaton is very upset that she is leaving and breaks off the relationship. Will they be able to mend things? I received an ARC of this book and I am giving an honest review.
The author grabbed my attention right from the beginning, and what a beginning, have the tissues handy.
Trying to find peace, going to a happy spot, this is what brings Annie Marlow back to Oceanside, and an entirely new start on her shattered life.
I loved these characters and they all seemed so real, and they meld together beautifully, hurting yes, but so much compassion for those less fortunate.
I do have to admit, I couldn’t put this one down, and now I’m sad that the page turning is over, I wanted even more, even with the epilogue!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher Ballantine Books, and was not required to give a positive review.
BEAUTIFUL LOVE STORY!
Debbie Macomber’s Cottage by the Sea is a beautiful love story! After a terrible tragedy strikes, Annie decides to move to the one place that has always made her feel peaceful. At Oceanside, she develops deep friendships with three most most unlikely people. She also manages to discover the the thing she fears most is also the thing the thing her friend Keaton fears most. Can they trust their heart to another person after having it broken so badly in the past? Macomber weaves an beautiful story of putting broken people back together and changing their lives forever. I was provided an ARC of this book by the Publisher and NetGalley. The opinions expressed here are completely my own and without influence.
Cottage by the Sea is another heartfelt tale from prolific American novelist of more than 200 books, Debbie Macomber. Physicians assistant Annie Marlow has suffered an unfathomable loss, her entire immediate family wiped out in a tragic act of nature. Left behind with immense grief and feelings of guilt and remorse, Annie left her home and position in sunny Southern California to return to her hometown of Seattle. There she would be close by for the drawn out insurance and legal proceedings that follow. Also, her two remaining relatives, her Aunt Sherry and cousin Gabby, live in Seattle.
After 16 months living a very unhappy existence, Gabby suggests Annie think about a happy place that she can recapture good memories and pull herself from her funk. It comes to Annie that place would be Oceanside, a small town on the coast where her family spent many happy times.
Initially, Annie takes an overnight trip to Oceanside. But when she finds an ad for a PA at Oceanside’s only medical clinic she sees it as a sign that this is where she just may be able to reclaim her life and move forward.
Keaton is a gentle giant. Towering more than six feet, broad shouldered, and strong, he is a talented artist who earns a living as a contractor. His upbringing was strained, having lost his mother when very young and being barely tolerated by his father. He could have become quite menacing but made the conscious decision to be kind. He had briefly met Annie when they were kids, and while other kids took to name calling for his differences, Annie had been kind and told others to quit. This had lived with Keaton like a beacon in the dark and may have led to his defense of his friend Preston and his kindness to reclusive Mellie Johnson, who Keaton convinces to lease the little cottage that Annie and her family had visited in her youth to Annie for the next year.
This story blends these characters, all injured spirits, into a beautiful tale of humanity as they each find their way in the growth of friendship, and as the two couples negotiate their futures.
Debbie Macomber is at her finest in this story. The multifaceted characters, the lovely coastline setting, and the beautiful underlying themes make this book a real winner. I do certainly recommend this book!
Totally enjoyable read. Lovable and flawed characters. Misfits that fit together well. Book is just in time for summer, feel good weather.
Annie has dreams and a great group of close friends. As a typical 20-something, she doesn’t necessarily appreciate what she has till it’s gone. Shocking turn of events, leads her back to her happy place and a lovable, cast of characters.
Macomber doing what she does best. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC. All opinions are mine.
This is the perfect summertime read!
Who hasn’t spent time on the beach somewhere as a kid and met the best looking boy or girl and fallen in love right on the spot.
However, we all went back home to our real lives and saved it in our memories to think about every now and then.
Keaton has lives on the beach always, and has never forgotten that beautiful girl named Annie. When he sees her again one day watching the ocean, he thinks it is almost a dream. He has loved her and thought about her since the first time he met her.
Annie comes back to live in the beach house she and her family rented every week when she was young and is trying to look for happy memories of her family who have died is a sudden tragedy.
Coincidence? I think not.
This book will have you cheering on the friendship and also at times shedding tears as each chapter unfolds. Excellent quick read!
Debbie MacComber gives her readers well developed characters with realistic flaws & issues that engage our hearts & sympathies from the beginning. Keaton is considered an oddity because of his height, large build & extreme shyness. He doesn’t like being put on the spot & stumbles over his words if he is. Annie is a wonderfully energetic teenager when we first meet her, an annoyed young woman next & last a depressed sad young woman fighting her way out of grief & trying to survive. These two are drawn to something in each other from the beginning. Annie also manages to bring secondary characters into her circle with their own flaws that she is able to help them with. I enjoyed going on Annie’s journey back to life & happiness with her. Her character managed to draw Keaton & Mellie out of their respective shells & help them. There were several times I struggled to fight back tears, bite back laughter, & smile while reading. Ms. MacComber has managed to touch my heart with another terrific book.
Synopsis:
Annie Marlow has been through the worst. Rocked by tragedy, she heads to the one place that makes her happy: Oceanside in the Pacific Northwest, the destination of many family vacations when Annie was a teenager.
Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the folks she meets: a local painter, Keaton, whose large frame is equal to his big heart—and who helps Annie fix up her rental cottage by the sea; Mellie, the reclusive, prickly landlord Annie is determined to befriend; and Britt, a teenager with a terrible secret. But it is Keaton to whom Annie feels most drawn. His quiet, peaceful nature offers her both comfort and reprieve from her grief, and the two begin to grow closer.
Then events threaten to undo the idyll Annie has come to enjoy. And when the opportunity of a lifetime lands in her lap, she is torn between the excitement of a new journey toward success and the safe and secure arms of the haven—and the man—she’s come to call home.
In this heartwarming tale, Annie finds that the surest way to fix what is damaged within is to help others rise above their pain and find a way to heal. (Goodreads)
Review:
The characters are well rounded and well developed. Annie has been through an unthinkable tragedy and she is having trouble getting through it. She returns to the place that she was very happy, a place where her and her family were happy, Oceanside. There she meets Keaton and Mellie, two of the residents in Oceanside. Mellie is the landlord that Annie has to deal with to rent the cottage that her family rented. And Keaton is a man who helps Annie fix up the cottage. I enjoyed getting to meet them, but I thought that Mellie and Keaton were a little too much. Keaton could hardly talk and Mellie was a nasty woman. That became a little over the top for me. That is only my opinion and others might disagree with me.
The author is very talented in her descriptive writing and these descriptions pulled me right to the cottage by the sea. The writing style flows smoothly and the book is an easy read. The author made me feel sad, made me feel happy and made me care about the characters and that is a hard thing for an author to do.
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a well crafted women’s contemporary. Any time that I get to read a book by this author, I know I am in for a real treat.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by the publisher, Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine, and NetGalley, which I greatly appreciate.
I have always been a fan of Debbie Macomber. Her stories never fail to bring joy and happiness and hope and love. This book was no exception. Wonderful characters dealing with tragedy and learning to redefine and rebuild old their lives. I like the fact that the characters, while flawed, always try to find the positive in life and live in a way to help others. So glad I got to spend time with them! Perfect feel good beach read!
Annie has endured incredible loss. In one fell swoop, her entire family is killed in a freak landslide during the early morning hours of a Thanksgiving that she had decided she would not be attending. Spreading her adult wings she had made other plans for the weekend. That only adds to her survivor’s guilt as she moves back home to find her way through the legal mess that the tragedy has left behind. She finds herself unable to work and depression has taken hold of her life. A chance memory of a loved family vacation spot sends her to a small beachside community. That her family’s cottage is empty and she easily finds a job only reinforces the idea that coming to this place is the right move.
Her new town, Oceanside, is filled with many wonderful characters the reader will both instantly fall in love with or want to avoid. Annie finds she isn’t the only person in need of healing and it isn’t a place that makes that happen, but rather the people you surround yourself with. As Annie makes an impact on the lives of those around her, she realizes that they have touched her in a special way as well. She is faced with some tough choices as she is given the chance to realize a dream she didn’t know she still had, even if it means leaving behind those she has come to love.
It is a terrific story with a full range of emotions
This story followed some of Ms Macomber’s style . It was a book about loss, friendships, rebuilding lives, overcoming tragedy and hope.
That said, it was not my favorite story . The plot nor the characters truly engaged me.
I received this copy from Netgalley. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
Loved this book! Unexpected gem that I highly recommend!