After a shocking tragedy, Annie picks up her life and moves to Oceanside, a quaint beach town where she grew up spending her summers. She rents the cottage where her family used to stay and hopes that the happy memories of her childhood will help her cope. She gets a job as a PA & makes herself at home in Oceanside. Suddenly she finds herself invested in so many of the lives of the people she's met and makes it her mission to help them through whatever hardships they face. And in the midst of all this, she finds herself a man. But not just any man! I found myself cheering for Annie the whole time! A great story of love, loss, friendship, and grief- this would make a great beach read

As a longtime fan of Debbie Macomber, I was less than thrilled with the last two books I read by her. Always willing to give her another chance though I decided to give this book a try. I’m glad I did because this book is classic Macomber with all the things I love about her books: down-to-earth characters, realistic situations and a realness to the story that makes it worth reading.

This book was easy to get into. When tragedy strikes Annie’s life readers are taken along on her journey to a new normal and a new life. The tourist town of Oceanside appealed to me and some of its inhabitants, though quirky, were all realistic. It was fun to meet everyone and discover the town right along with Annie. I love that Macomber creates characters that readers can care about.

While the story has a serious tone to it the author included enough lighthearted moments to balance everything out. The story moved along at a good pace and I was never bored while reading the story. I was kept wondering what Annie was going to do and how it was going to affect her newfound friendships. I was a bit worried that the ending was going to be rushed but Macomber wrapped up everything in her typical fashion leaving me satisfied with the story. I would definitely like to see more books set in this town and be able to catch up with these characters again.

I definitely recommend this book. It is Macomber at her best. This book is so quick and easy to read that it would be great as a weekend or vacation read. Or a great anytime escape.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review. All opinions are mine.

~~Reviewed by Evelyn~~

Another Hallmark movie for Debbie Macomber? I would hope so. Her most recent release, Cottage by the Sea, is one of her best and certainly deserving of that honor. Far more emotionally involving than many of her books, I was hooked from page one.

Annie Marlow spent many happy childhood days with her family vacationing at a peaceful seaside cottage. She flees there again for comfort after a horrible tragedy leaves her reeling. As she tries to deal with her grief, she meets other local residents, most of whom, like her, are dealing with serious issues in their personal lives and have gone there to try to heal. She forms a special bond with a painter, Keaton, who has spent his life dealing with a dysfunctional family. Can they rescue each other as their relationship flows gently from friendship into romance?

The characters are very strong and well-written in this novel. The two main characters are very believable, and I cried with them as they rode the rollercoaster of emotions. The many secondary characters, all with issues of their own, gave the story a family feel as they helped one another to get through difficult times.

The storyline has as much depth as the characters and was far more complex than a typical Debbie Macomber book. Her books are usually very light-hearted, and while there were light-hearted moments, the overall mood was much darker but with a sense of hope.

Cottage by the Sea is definitely a 5-star read and is suitable for all audiences.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

My emotions were all over the place with this book. I loved it and I loved the characters so much! I will admit that I shed some tears while reading. I felt that heartbreak and sorrow from these characters. It may be focused more on Annie as the main character, but let me tell you that she is not the only one in this book who has heartbreak or the need for healing. This is one of my favorite books I've read by Debbie Macomber and one I won't be forgetting anytime soon. I think it and the characters will be in my thoughts for a long time.

When I saw the setting for this book and the title, I thought, yay a sweet beach read. Many years ago, I lived close by Oceanside, where this book is set. So of course, that and loving this author's books, I had to read it. Let me tell you that I loved reading about this quiet little town. The author did such a great job describing it and the quietness of it during the off season for visitors. The little movie theater, the coffee shop, the doctor's office, the kite store...all places that I'm familiar with. I actually saw one of the Twilight movies on opening night at that movie theater. Ha! Crazy right?! The movie theater where I lived was all sold out and I had debated about going for opening night with my friends until too late to get a ticket. But my friend's family lived in Long Beach/Oceanside and snagged several tickets for us when that movie theater was able to show the movie last minute. It was kind of a big deal too because we weren't that far from Forks, WA.

Ok, little tangent there. But all my memories helped connect me to this book. Annie was a beautifully written character. A woman who has everything going for her, and thinks that nothing is coming her way, when suddenly everyone she loves deeply are gone from her life. Trying to survive and not be emotionally overwhelmed is not working. Annie finally remembers a place she loved and has great memories of her family. When she moves to Oceanside, her scars are hidden and she becomes connected to many others who don't hide their scars (figuratively) beneath the surface.

I absolutely loved Annie and watching her befriend this group of characters in this book. The slow healing. The connections that come, as well as the small connections from Annie's youth. The older I get, the more I see how interconnected people are (and many times without even realizing it themselves). My husband had a college professor who could make a connection with anyone, within 6 people. It was pretty amazing to see him do that with every and any student. Absolutely amazing. I thought about that a few times while reading this as these characters are returning to each other's lives. I love connections and feel that they are so important. Especially in helping us as individuals in our healing, and we all have many moments when we need to have healing and peace.

Without saying too much more because it really would spoil this story, the sweet love story was really just that, sweet. I loved it! Ok, I might keep saying 'I love it,' but it's true. I did, I do! If you are a Debbie Macomber fan, or need a beach read that's a beach read but so much more, grab this gem. And I will recommend tissues. Especially for the beginning of the book. I didn't have any and was riding in the car with tears streaming down my face. I was a mess. Grab it and fall in love with this quiet, quaint little town. And then go visit there if you haven't.

Content: Clean. A tragedy, loss of family members, talk about physical abuse and children with bruises/broken bones, a minor character who threatens Annie, and a character who refuses to leave her home. Some kissing and mild innuendos but no sex scenes.

I received a copy from the publisher, Ballantine Books, via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions in the review are my own.

Happy Reading!!!

I receive an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for my review. Annie had everything going for her, a promising career, devoted friends and a busy social life, and in the blink of an eye-it all fell apart. Now she is looking for a way out of the darkness that has become her life. She decides to start over in a place that used to bring her so much joy.

Keaton's life has not been easy either. He has struggled with many issues throughout his life and now lives quietly in the shadows, not wanting to put himself out there to be hurt again. When Keaton sees Annie, it pushes him to reach out to her. Can they both risk getting hurt again?

For as much as I read, I have never read Debbie Macomber's books before, but after this story I am a big fan! I love it when I discover a new author I like and they have a huge back catalog of books for me to read. I look forward to reading many more of her works!

Fantastic book with lovely characters that you just want to be friends with. Annie, the main character, is someone I championed from the beginning. The grief was realistic and the process of reclaiming her life was wonderful.

Would definitely recommend to my friends.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my opinion.

Annie is lost after a family tragedy and she returns to a childhood place that she was last happy. A cottage by the sea is a heart rending but HEA tale that should be in your summer book TBR pile. This author never fails to disappoint me. The story is simplistic but the story building is poignant and I really enjoyed it. Five stars!

What did I like? The romance between Keaton and Annie is a slow burn but it gets pretty good. I loved how Annie and Millie finally worked out and how she seemed to make everyone better in this town, those types of people are a rare treat. The author does an amazing job of pulling you in and keeping you until the end.

Would I buy this book? Yes, it's definitely a loaner for my friends. It's not an erotica but it's a beach read I'd definitely loan out. Great book!

Words for the author? Sorry my review came out so late, my own mother passed and this book really grabbed me because the character experiences. So the book was heart felt. Thanks for your beautiful writings. Five stars!

Annie has been through a traumatic event were she loses her parents, brother,his wife and their child. Anyone who has been through a traumatic experience can understand how hard it is to find peace and move on. Annie needs to find her peace and move on after such a great lose.

Her cousin suggests she find her Happy Place. When she thinks of her “Happy Place” it takes her back to the place her Family would vacation at every summer. A place called Oceanside where they would have a week that was care free. She decides she needs to go to there to visit. While she visits there it gives her such great peace that she decides should move there.

She ends up finding people that need her as much as she needs them. She is able to move on with her life and finds Love with someone who has loved her for so long.

It was a very enjoyable book. It is feel with so much emotion. I had a hard time putting it down and when I did I couldn’t wait to get back to it.

*Very Clean read, mild kissing*

{I received this book from Netgalley in return for my honest opinion}

I love Debbie Macomber books and this one did not disappoint. I always enjoy the story lines and the characters seem very real. Some you love, some you love to hate. Annie experiences a huge loss in her life. She will never be the same care-free young woman she once was. She seems to move through life in a haze now. In an effort to find her "happy place", Annie decides to move to Oceanside, WA where her family once used to vacation. There are happy memories here and she hopes that she can remember those times and be happy once again. She meets many people and they seem to help her find a purpose and she seems to help them as much as they help her. Very inspirational and a "feel good" ending.

Damaged people and love in the seaside air

Annie was a party girl until a terrible tragedy (based on a real event) devastates her.

She finally gets some solace and healing when she goes to Oceanside, Washington and rents the summer cottage her family always used to rent. She remembers those past summer vacations with love and happiness. She moves to Oceanside and goes to work at the local clinic as a Physician's Assistant.

Keaton remembers Annie from years ago - the girl he never forgot - and the two of them get to know each other and help heal each other.

And theirs is not the only romance in the story.

I loved the different characters, all depicted in fine detail by author Macomber. I like all the personal growth the characters make. And of course the romances were great.

I received this book from Random House through Net Galley in the hopes that I would read it and leave an unbiased review.

This is absolutely a wonderful Debbie Macomber story. I think I would have known it was her book without even seeing her name on the cover. Fans will adore this story of Keaton and Annie and there is a bonus romance between Mellie and Preston. Of course no life is perfect and Annie has several trials to face in her story from death to witnessing child and animal abuse . The story could not be more refreshing and easy to read. This would be a wonderful book to gift to a new romance reader. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest reviwe.

Debbie Macomber's books are always so uplifting. They find a way to make you see the good or the possibilities in any particular circumstance.

I loved everything about this book, the town it was set in, the main characters and the overall uplifting feel of the book. It just made my world a little brighter and I was happy to read it.

Once they find out her story, everyone always wanted to express their condolences and how badly they felt, when a monstrous mud slide occurred in Washington state, taking the lives of Annie’s parents, her brother, his wife and their infant daughter. Annie felt bad enough, since she deliberately chose not to go home for the holiday, even though her mother pleaded with her at the last moment, so the reminisces only made her feel worse. Annie, a PA at a nearby hospital, could not seem to get over the grief of losing her entire immediate family, so, months later, decided, to move to the cottage by the sea, where she had spent many wonderful summers years ago with her family. Once in the small seaside town, Annie managed to persuade the curmudgeon landlord of the cottage to lease it to her, though the place was in really bad shape, for one year. Annie is heartened at her luck. Next, she came upon Keaton, a big, burly man, who seldom spoke and, ever cognizant of his size and its effect on people around him, had become a man alone, with few friends and acquaintances and no love life or hope of one. Keaton remembered Annie from her days long ago at the cottage with her parents and brother and had secretly had a crush on her. Even Keaton and her gruff landlord neighbor softened to Annie’s wiles. In fact, Annie finally found the peace and happiness that eluded her after the death of her immediate family. Annie would like things to go on as smoothly as they are, but do they ever? As her life moves along, Annie reveals secrets within herself, while listening to other’s stories (and secrets).

This was a rather predictable novel, but it still held my interest. I thoroughly enjoy the way Debbie Macomber writes and how she unravels the stories, whatever they are, in her novels. I found the relationship between Annie and Keaton as enjoyable as the one between Annie and her curmudgeon landlord neighbor. It was interesting to watch them both come around. The pace of the story was not so fast that things happened too quickly or before anticipated. This novel is as good as the others in the author’s repertoire. As always, the writing is smooth, realistic and definitely envelops the reader from the start. If you like her other works as much as I do, you will love this one. I am not going to say it is my favorite, but it is still up there with the rest of her books. I received this from NetGalley to read and review.

What a sweet story! It's predictable and comforting, and certainly made me wish I had a little cottage by the sea to escape to! It was an enjoyable, relaxing read.

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 longed for. 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.

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Debbie Macomber is always a must read for me and I always request her books because I know we're going to get a great story out of her - this was no exception. I loved Annie and Keaton. I loved Keaton's quiet nature and it even describes him as that. I also love that almost all of Ms. Macomber's books have a message to them or they are just good for the soul to me. I might be going out on the limb but she just makes me happy. This was the type of book you take to the beach with you. It was awesome.

Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber is the perfect beach read. Annie suffers a crushing loss. She returns to the place she found the greatest happiness in life-- the cottage by the sea. Here, she meets Keaton. This book is full of broken people that are dealing with past and current hurts. It is a novel of overcoming challenges. Ms Macomber is a master storyteller. Here, she spins a sweet tale that is perfect to take along on vacation. I highly recommend it. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher. These opinions are entirely my own.

I liked the new person that Annie Marlow evolved into after the tragic loss of her family. She suffered a terrible depression and after sixteen months of this, she returns to Oceanside where there are pleasant memories of past family vacations. There she meets Keaton and Mellie and Preston and Brittni and learns that they also have tragic backgrounds and heavy baggage also. It is a story of rebirth and new beginnings and another Debbie Macomber classic.

Thanks to the publisher and to NetGalley for an ARC; all opinions are my own.

I am a fan of Debbie Macomber’s books so I may gush a bit. THe characters pulled at my heart strings and felt like friends and family. With Debbie you know you are going to get a book that isn’t full of sex and dirty words I am comfortable letting my 13 yr. old niece read Debbie’s books. Every time she comes to visit she heads straight to my bookcase.. Buy this book you won’t be disappointed

I am a fan of Debbie Macomber’s books so when I was offered an opportunity to read and to review her latest book, I accepted without hesitation.

“Cottage by the Sea” is a story of healing, of friendship and of finding peace with the past. Annie has wonderful memories of staying in a cottage by the beach in a small town in Washington as a child so when a horrific tragedy befalls her family, she finds solace in that same quiet place.

Keaton has a special memory of a beautiful young girl who he fell in love with so long ago and never expected to see again… until Annie comes back into his life.

Theirs is a love that grows slowly and tenderly as their hurts and pain begin to heal. A secondary story line intertwines with Annie and Keaton’s story as their friends, Mellie and Preston, are swept up in the romance and the love swirling around them.

I enjoyed this book and do not hesitate to recommend it.

4.5
I would like to thank Netgalley and Ballantine Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It reminded me a lot of Mia Sheridon’s Archer’s Voice book which if you haven’t read is amazeballs!! Like one of my all time favorites ever. So yeah, I loved this book.

As you can read from the blurb, Annie has a tragedy in her life and decides to go to the one place that was always her happy place. The cottage by the sea, her family would spend a week every summer at while she was growing up. When she visits everything just seems to fall in place for her and she decides to stay there and restart her life. While there Annie makes new friends and even falls in love with Keaton, who had a crush on her while they were growing up.

This is a sweet love story about love and loss. It’s clean but the romance is still there. Keaton is adorable with just the little ways he shows Annie that he cares. Great summer story and I wouldn’t hesitate to pick this book up.