Annie has suffered from a major tragedy. She’s now practically alone and only has a few relatives and close friends on which she can depend. She’s depressed and desperate to find happiness. She’s determined to find it in the cottage where she used to spend childhood summers with her family. When she arrives in Oceanside, she runs into Keaton – a man who remembers her very well from those childhood summers.

Keaton has his own issues. He’s always been a big and strong and he’s been teased by others because of his massive size. When Annie drops back into his life, it’s like a gift from heaven to him.

I thought this book was sweet, endearing and oh, so emotional. I really enjoyed seeing how Annie and Keaton interacted with each other in this beach town. Keaton is a man of few words, so communicating orally is a challenge for him. Plus, there’s an eclectic mix of secondary characters. Annie’s neighbor (Mellie) is a hoarder with a prickly personality. There’s also an animal lover who is interested in Mellie and Annie has a wide range of patients who suffer from massive problems.

I really enjoyed this heartwarming story and I’m sure you will enjoy it, too.

When Annie loses her entire family in a freak accident she decide to go back to her happy place. She realizes that life is not all we make it out to be. In her effort to move on in life she starts to make little changes in many other peoples lives. She learns to live her life to the best of her ability without the guilt she was feeling.

This is a great feel good book


** I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

He gave her hope and provided comfort with grief and depression consumed her. Ready for a change and wanting a way out after a tragic accident Annie visited a town that had provided her family with happy times. Deciding not to dwell on the pain of the past and so much loss she seeks to regain her life. So many signs point her in a direction she knew her family would want to make. Keaton provided hope and comfort in his quiet way. He provided a solid strength as she begins to make ties into the community that gives her a purpose that was missing from her life. An absolutely harm wearying story that will remind you the importance of family and regaining the life you need.

Once again Debbie Macomber writes a tale that pulls at my heart emotionally, lovingly, and wanting to be a butterfly that follows along in her newest story Cottage by The Sea. I received a copy of this story thru Net Galley and Penguin Random House.
From the book "After tragedy strikes Annie moves in to the summer cottage where her family vacationed when she was a child. Soon Annie finds herself making new friends, even developing a romance with a quiet and mysterious painter. And as she becomes part of the community, Annie learns the surest way to heal is by making a difference in the lives of those around her". I love a story that I feel a part of, relate to, watch characters grew, and cheering them on. Debbie Macomber's has this affect on me, why I love her stories, and I can 'lose' myself in her characters world.

Debbie Macomber delivers another winner! This is definitely classic Debbie Macomber. Annie’s story is a tremendous example of someone overcoming tragedy in their life & trying to find a way to move on. The people she meets because of it (Keaton, Mellie, Preston, & Britt) make this a great read. The setting (the Pacific Northwest) is one of my favorite places, so this appealed to me even more. Highly recommend this book.

Loved this booK! For me this was a beautiful Debbie Macomber’s twist to Beauty and the Beast. Hope to see sequels from this book. Have so many beautiful characters. Such a story of second chances. Thank you to the publishers and Net Galley for a fantastic read.

Cottage by the Sea
A little disappointed in the beginning of the book, the plot set up is rushed with entirely too much happening, without details and a feel of connection to the character. I didn’t care about this character yet and we’re thrown into too many events and time jumps for a connection to be made. The story is told in a mostly third person point of view which read awkwardly at first and didn’t allow the reader to get to know the characters on an intimate level as quickly.
With that being said, once I continued reading I found myself more invested in the characters and wanted to know what happened with them. Although no real surprises, this is a feel good, light read.

Cottage by the Sea is a highly anticipated book that has made it's way onto "Must Read" lists far and wide.  The story starts with the disregard that I imagine many of us have towards our families sometimes, when times with friends seems more important than spending a holiday with family. Annie learns the hard way that family can be gone in an instant when a natural disaster strikes.

After more than a year mired in grief, someone suggests that Annie find her happy place and to everyone's surprise, she packs up and moves to Oceanside where her family spent their yearly vacations. She becomes friends with a man who she'd once met in her teenage years, moves back into the cabin where she once vacationed, and finds the peace that she lacked.

The story is gripping. Annie finds love with Keaton, a man filled with tremendous care.  He's a wonderful man, full of depth. For some reason, Annie holds back about telling him about things he should know if they are in a relationship. I never really understood why. This created tension in the story that I felt was false. I also would have liked to see more of Oceanside. I felt like the personality of the town that makes it unique was missing. Having read Macomber before, I know that she can make a setting feel almost like a character of the story, but I didn't get that with this book.

Even with those two small complaints, the story is wonderful. The warmth and care for the characters as friends become like family is beautiful. This seems like a deeper story than Macomber's other books, with less emphasis on romance and more emphasis on life. Cottage by the Sea definitely lives up to the hype.

Annie Marlow is trying to recover from a horrible family tragedy. She thinks she has found the perfect place, Oceanside, a small beachside community her family spent happy summers at during her youth. As the long awaited Physician's Assistant at the local clinic, she is immediately immersed in a lot of the goings on around town. Although the story has a lot of sadness for almost all of the characters in the book, overall, it is a hopeful read.

I voluntarily offered to review this book with no obligations and my opinions are honest
The characters + storytelling were very captivating
Annie came to the cottage by the sea for a second chance.
She thought that a change of scenery might help her to heal.
Will this new life be enough for Annie ?
The storytelling + the character's build were awesome!
It has all the ingredients that you need for a great book!

Debbie Macomber is one of my favorite go to authors. I can't even begin to tell you how many of her books I have read. Cottage by the Sea just came out this week so naturally I was first in line at the library to read this.



I actually read this in one night. Last night I stayed up past 3 am to finish the last few pages. I loved it. It was a touching story of how Annie worked through her grief.



This wonderful story shares some valuable lessons. It is important to take one day at a time while going through a difficult patch in your life. Take a breath. It's ok to grieve. And the definition of family is a group of people who may not share the same bloodline but who love and are there for each other.



I recommend this to friends and family.

In her newest book, Cottage by the Sea (Ballantine Books), Debbie Macomber takes readers to the idyllic beach town of Oceanside where the community is picture perfect but the lives of those who live there are not. Annie Marlow is working hard as a physician assistant--and playing even harder--until one day she loses everything she has ever loved in one sweeping tragedy. Unable to move beyond her guilt and events of the past, Annie seeks out her happy place, leading her to the small Oceanside cottage where she used to spend the summer with her family growing up. Annie begins to immerse herself in her new surroundings, securing a job at the clinic and befriending the locals, including a teenage barista, her shut-in landlord, and the strong, very silent Keaton. Through his actions, and very few words, Keaton helps Annie adjust to her new life. With the help of her new friends, she is able to forgive herself for her past, and find happiness in her present. Macomber is the master at weaving heartwarming tales about friendship and love, and Cottage by the Sea is no different.

Debbie Macomber does it again! She writes characters that you can relate to, root for, and fall in love with so easily.

Annie tries to start over in the town where her family used to summer after a tragedy strikes. She tries to pickup the pieces. In doing so she meets Mellie her new landlord, who is a shut-in, and Keaton a local painter. Keaton is used to being the guy on the outside looking in and when he comes upon Annie at the beach he is drawn to her for many reasons. For the first time in his life he feels like someone sees him, and not just because he is the tallest person in the room.

They all come together to heal, and move forward. I laughed, I cried, I cheered them all on!

A delightful summer read by Debbie Macomber. One to be added to your summer to be read pile, for sure.

I've been a huge fan of Debbie Macomber from the very first book I ever read...she never disappoints! This book had me at the first chapter. The book writes around Annie, a young lady who has everything going for her, until tragedy strikes and her whole world is turned upside down. She then finds herself searching for peace and happiness and that is in a place where her family vacationed with her when she was a kid. The book then centers around Annie at the Cottage by the Sea and interacting with people that she crossed paths with as a child when she vacationed there. It's a time for healing, second chances and helping those that have experienced their own grief and obstacles. Annie is a wonderful character, and so are the secondary characters. Debbie's books have a way of turning tragedy into helping others all the while healing yourself. This is a feel good, easy read, slightly on the predictable side; however, a beautiful story with a beautiful ending. Have the tissues ready...it'll pull at your heart strings.

The lesson I learned from this book was to visit family and friends as much as you can. You never know when it'll be the last time you see them. Love and hug daily! We all have struggles and grief that we experience and know that life does go on and everything happens for a reason.

Title: Cottage by the Sea
Author: Debbie Macomber
Genre: Romance, fiction
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

To recover from a horrible tragedy, Annie moves to Oceanside, the seaside town where her family vacationed when she was a teenager. She loves the small town and the people who live there.
Like Keaton, the gentle, almost-silent man who always helps her out. Mellie, her landlord and next-door-neighbor, who never sets foot outside her door and is cranky and angry. And Britt, the girl at the coffee shop who Annie suspects hides a terrible secret.

Annie feels at home in Oceanside and falls in love with Keaton, but when she’s offered the chance of a lifetime, she must choose between her dreams and her healing heart.

Debbie Macomber is a solid, consistent writer who always delivers a compelling plot, great characters, and interesting conflict. Cottage by the Sea is no exception. Annie suffered a horrific tragedy, and grief almost overwhelms her until she returns to the scene of her younger happiness. Keaton is a fascinating character, and I loved reading about him.

Debbie Macomber is an international best-selling author. Cottage by the Sea is her newest novel.

(Galley provided by Ballantine in exchange for an honest review.)

The best book of the summer. Another winner from Debbie Macomber. Some readers will relate others like me will enjoy the story. A must read. A 5 plus star rate.

I'm conflicted about this one.

I have read a lot of Debbie Macomber books. While my taste in books these days lean towards spicier stories I still enjoy a good sweet one now and then and Cottage by the Sea was definitely sweet.

I enjoyed the love story about Annie and Keaton, and the secondary love story between Mellie and Preston. What I had a little problem with was the writing. Unbelievable, right? After all this is Debbie Macomber but for some reason this story felt choppy for me. (I'm not sure how else to describe it.) The words just didn't seem to flow. I wish I could pinpoint this and state in better terms why I felt this way. It didn't bother me enough to not finish the story, I really needed to see how it played out, but it did take me longer than usual to read this 352 page book.

There are a lot of things going on in this story. The tragedy that happens to Annie's family, Keaton's relationship with his father, Mellie's irascibility and inability to leave her house, a pregnant teenager and more. All of these plot points kept the story interesting and it held my attention even though the words just didn't seem to flow smoothly for me.

Keaton may just be one of my favorite characters this year. He is almost unbelievably sweet but also fiercely protective. Mellie loves animals and that helps to make up for her nasty demeanor. Annie just wants to forget what happened to her family and find some happiness. The tears flowed more than once while I read this story.

Fans of Debbie Macomber should really enjoy this sweet, clean romance.

A review copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley but this did not influence my opinion or rating of the book.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***

Another great creation from Debbie Macomber with beautiful scenes and fantastic characters. We join a character looking for a peaceful life and this book is written so wonderfully we really do enter this world. We are there throughout this character's journey of healing.

I have long since admired the author, Debbie Macomber as I feel like the writer pens novels with a genuine heart. "Cottage by the Sea," is yet another novel that reflects the soul of the author's writing. In fact, this book might be my favorite one to date in a long line of outstanding, unforgettable novels by Macomber.

When I first meet Annie, the heroine of the book, I find her to be bubbly, joyful, carefree and I liked her character immediately. After a tragedy occurs that tears Annie from her family, she is left to not only pick up the pieces of the shattered life that she now lives but now must also learn how to mend her broken heart.

I admire Annie's story. She faces the unthinkable. Yet, she finds the light in the bitter tasting of darkness. Through her determination, Annie finds happiness, love, and a second chance at her life. Now, for Keaton, the hero of the book.

Keaton felt a bit off to me throughout most of the story. He had a good heart. He is a good man. I think he and Annie had some kinks to work out. Their relationship was not perfect. It was reality and modern love that we deal with on a day to day bases. My issue with Keaton might be the way that I was reading him. His nature could be true to his own unique characteristics. Either way, I read the book strictly for Annie's story.

I liked this book. It was warm, satisfying and just an enjoyable read for a summer's day.