You learn to care about the characters and are sad when they are sad and happy when they are happy.

There is some hands truths in this book but I enjoyed it.

I feel there are a lot of lessons about friendship in this book and how hard and rewarding they can be.
Always a bonus when a dog is included.

Beautifully told story that covers tragic loss, growth, strength of will, family and friends. I thought I saw what was going to happen at the beginning of the story, but with the twists the story took to get both characters in the right place...I was oh so wrong. Normally I have a favorite character or characters, but in this story I do not as so many of them reached out and grabbed my attention and heart. Actually, except for the minor villain of the story, there is not a character that I did not enjoy. There are two main characters who have to overcome some extreme emotional histories, but there are quite a few secondary characters that are strong and have stories that just grabbed me. Between smiling, crying, shock, anger and laughter, I do believe I felt all the emotions while I reading Cottage by the Sea. I finished this book two days ago and I still can’t stop thinking about some of the events and characters. I would love to see more of this world and all the characters, especially Millie and Preston and how they work through everything to get them to the lovely scene at the end of the book. The role of saving animals, the beauty of small coastal environments, family memories both good and bad, and the personal strength we all embody for different events in our life and friends lives, all have me apppreciating this story and all of its components. A captivating story that I really enjoyed and would recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the chance to read this book and share my opinions.

Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber is by far one of the best books I've read from her. I was intrigued by the synopsis and was hooked after only reading the first page. It is captivating and engaging; heartbreaking as well as heartwarming. I cried my way through sections of it, laughed through others and overall cherished the wonder of such a deeply moving, beautiful story.


I'm adding this book to my favorite's bookshelf and I will be re-visiting it time and again. This is the highest praise I can give a book and author - the feeling as if their book is a dear friend of mine and one I will cherish throughout my lifetime.
Mrs. Macomber, thank you for sharing your gift with the world. It's a brighter place because you are in it!

5 + Stars

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Macomber, Ballentine Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I loved this story. Debbie Macomber has outdone herself with this story. The characters all have very believable flaws that will make readers empathize with them. Readers will find themselves rooting for the characters as they each go through a journey of healing. Highly recommended!

4.5 stars

Debbie Macomber has done it again! She has delivered a sweet, satisfying romantic, warm and fuzzy book.
Annie loses her whole family in a terrible tragedy. She moves to Oceanside, her childhood happy place to heal. 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.

The things I loved about this book:

1. The utter kindness shown to stray animals and individuals who do not fit the “norm of society.”

2. A story filled with difficult issues of loss and betrayal, but no profanity or sex.

3. Characters who are deeply developed and so easy to root for!

4. Cottage by the Sea is a quick, easy light read, perfect for someone looking to lose an afternoon wrapped up in a good book.

5. I love it when authors deliver a book with such a believable plot, situations and characters.

I cannot think of a single thing that I did not like in this book. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Net Galley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Sometimes you just need a great story that tugs at the heartstrings without all the unnecessary drama or redundant sex scenes. Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber fills that need once again and she gives us a beautifully told story that not only warmed my heart but it filled my soul as well.

Her prose is wonderfully crafted and the woman she created in Annie Marlow becomes a bit of a savior for the small town of Oceanside, when in fact, she was the one who initially needed saving. Her life is turned upside down in an instant and the peace and respite from her grief is found where she always found a bit of happy as a youth, by the beach. As Annie becomes a fixture as the new Physician's Assistant at the clinic in town, we get to see her change not only her own life once stuck in misery, but of those who just needed a friendly touch that she could only give.

I liken Annie to a modern day hero as she gets Seth Keaton to smile a bit more, gets Mellie Johnson to actually talk to people again and rescues a family from abuse just by being there. Her fated relationship with the gentle giant in Keaton is at times frustrating but Annie's patience and understanding of his hesitation only made me love her more. I was in awe of the way she could solve an issue even when ill-prepared and how she fought for the strangers who with time, became family.

This is the kind of story that simple makes you feel good! There is the requisite amount of angst but there is so much love and respect to soften the misunderstandings that plague Annie and her newfound friends as they get to know one another. Keaton is quite the man, his silence a protection from what he suffered at the hands of his father. But his heart is overflowing with the need to help others and there was no way Annie could help herself from falling for him. I adore him and was more than happy to see him finally coming out of his shell.

I am always thrilled to lose myself in Macomber's words since they have a way of being the ultimate balm when life gets a bit too crazy.

Cottage by the Sea is simply divine and I am delighted to give it a solid 5 stars!

Debbie is still one of my favorite authors. This is another tissue worthy story about tragedy, loss, love and new beginnings. In the end the friendship that the characters create and the love that is found is what really makes this a book I just couldn't put it down. Just in time for summer. Let the Cottage By the Sea take you away.

My thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annie is happy with her life, with a bright future ahead of her, until tragedy strikes and makes her realize that the things she thought were important aren't so important anymore. Taking a friend's advice to "find your happy place," Annie returns to the town where her family vacationed every summer and finds a connection, a place she feels she can start to pick up the pieces.

Once again, this author's writing takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster, but doing so without making readers give up hope. Annie, the main character, and her new friends Keaton, Mellie and Preston, all have baggage and past histories that they're trying to overcome. We learn more about each of them as the book progresses, and for me, it was harder and harder to put the book down as each new development occurred. Yes, it's a romance, but it's not the typical beautiful girl and beautiful boy fall in insta-love and live happily ever after. There are bumps in the road along the way, which makes the story more real to me. I can't wait to read Ms. Macomber's next book!

Loved this book. So much better than watching a Hallmark movie. A wide variety of emotionally scarred people. Healing process is not easy for any of them. Animals do help, but human touch is truly needed for actual recovery. Tissues were required.

Debbie Macomber knows how to pull at your heartstrings and Cottage by the Sea is no exception.

After tragedy strikes, Annie has to find a way to get out from under the deep depression she has fallen into. When her friends encourage her to find her happy place she ends up in the sleepy seaside town from her youth. She finds peace and the unexpected bonus of friendship and a new sense of purpose. Sometimes we have to look past the losses to become the person we were meant to be.

A great book. You never can go wrong with reading any of Debbie Macomb'er's books. I've enjoyed everyone of the past books I read of her's and this one hasn't disappointed me. With it's likable characters, and great storyline and dialogue. A sure win for a great beach read.

Debbie Macomber has touched the hearts of so many over the years, me included. Cottage by the Sea is a special story of love and family, not of blood but of relationships. Annie Marlow thought her life was over when her whole family was lost when the family home was swept away by a mudslide. She was especially devastated because her mom had begged her to go home for Thanksgiving but Annie had made other plans. Thanksgiving morning, a mudslide took her mother, father, brother, sister-in-law and baby niece. She quit her job as physician's assistant in Los Angeles to return home to Seattle to deal with business matters. After sixteen months, still in limbo, she went to the beach town of Oceanside, Washington to recapture happy memories where her family would spend a week each summer for several years. She decided to move there and took a job at a family clinic working as a PA. Through some finagling, she is able to rent the same cottage as her family. The couple that owned it have passed on and their granddaughter lives there but is living as a recluse because of bad decisions that she made when she left home for many years. Mellie feels that she let her grandparents down. She hasn't stepped outside in five years. Keaton has always been "odd" because of his size and his lack of talking to people but he has a way of helping others and animals that are injured. He and Annie form an unusual friendship. His best friend, Preston, is also somewhat different. Mellie, Keaton and Preston grew up together and are now friends but each of them have issues to hinder them from having a normal life.
Annie's aunt and cousin as well as a couple friends worry about her but she quickly settles down in the small town and is finally getting past her depression. Reaching out to help others helps her to center her life as does making a home for herself. She is drawn to Keaton but their relationship takes patience because of his quietness and reluctance to interact.
This story is one of love that overcomes and finding out what constitutes a family-one of friendship and love. It is a beautiful story of making a new beginning and new traditions with some faith threaded through it in a subtle way.
I received a complimentary copy from the author and Ballentine Books through NetGalley to read and review. The thoughts expressed are mine only.

Looking for a book that will make you feel warm and fuzzy? Cottage by the Sea is just what this book blogger orders.

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. Once there, Annie begins to restore her broken spirit, thanks in part to the people she meets.

I loved how this book started! I was drawn in from the very beginning and stayed glued to the pages until the very end.

A Debbie Macomber book means a sweet romance. This time Macomber brings us the story of Annie and Keaton. This couple was so sweet and I loved them. I think the happily ever after comes too fast, but the journey was enjoyable.

What I loved most about this book were the additional cast of characters Annie meets in Oceanside. Her neighbor and landlord, Mellie; Britt, a patient of hers and more. Each of these characters is developed nicely and their stories engaging if just a bit predictable.

Sometimes a good epilogue can get me past the feeling that the happily ever was too fast. With a good look ahead, I’m given an assurance that they really are living the happily ever after. Debbie delivers that here and I closed the book with a smile on my face because I knew everyone I met in Oceanside was indeed happy.

My Review: It has been a while since I last read anything by Debbie Macomber, I have been hoping to get into another one of her series after finishing Rose Harbor. I don't know yet if this is going to be part of a series or a standalone (but I honestly hope that it does become a series). As usual with her books, there are a lot of emotional ups and downs, tragedy and a whole lot of hope. I absolutely fell in love with all the characters in this book and the interactions between them. I was completely drawn into the story and invested in it, I was not able to put it down and read it in a single day. If you want a book that will make you feel all the emotions definitely pick this one up!



My Rating: I absolutely loved the characters in this book and all of their individual personalities. Have I mentioned that I adore the tall silent guys?! This is definitely a book to hit you in the feels but then lift you back up. I give it a rating of Four Paws.

After a shocking, unspeakable 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 and start over. She gets a job as a physician's assistant and immediately makes herself at home in the small town, making friends with a cast of very interesting characters who have always lived there. 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. Also there's a man. Isn't there always a man? :) A strong silent type who's held a torch for her since her summers in Oceanside as a young girl. It's a sweet story about love, loss, friendship, and grief. A perfect, cozy, easy beach read.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Tragic and how everyone handles it is what pulls the story together. Strong characters and friends can get you through just about anything. Small towns are just what some people need to find their happy place. A well written perfectly paced story pulling you in from the start.

Annie suffers a devastating family loss and subsequently returns to the beach her family spent summers at when she was a child. It's her only hope for healing. In the small, quaint town she begins to make many new friends and establishes herself as a trusted doctor. Confronted by the mysterious town handy man/painter and his dog, Annie's intrigue grows. Will her heart have room for love again? Cottage by the Sea is another page turner by Debbie Macomber. This one definitely does not disappoint.

Annie lives in California and her family is in Seattle. Her mother calls and wants her to come home for Thanksgiving. Her brother, sister in law and niece are all going to be there. Annie refuses because she already has plans. Although she says she will be there for Christmas. Annie gets a call that something bad has happened. Now Annie is heartbroken and having many regrets. She's having a hard time dealing with what has happened. She needs to get away, go find her happy place. Will she be able to find it? Will she be able to move on and get over the regrets she's facing? You will have to read the book to find out.

This is the second book by Debbie I've read. I can't wait to read more of her books. The cover of this book is beautiful, it what caught my eye. Once I started reading, I wasn't able to put it down. It's definitely a page turner. I had different emotions while reading this book. At times I was sad, happy and laughing. I have to say my favorite characters were Annie and Keaton.

I highly recommend this book to others. You won't be disappointed, you are going to love it.
I received a copy of this book from Ballentine Publishing through Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

I am a Debbie Macomber lover. If I see she has a new book, I want to read it. When I pick up one of her novels, I know I am going to get a clean sweet romance with family values and small town USA. I got that but so much more. Once I started I could not read it fast enough. There were some parts where I was either smiling or laughing out loud. Then there were others, let me just say, have your Kleenex handy. One decision can change your life. Annie is a very strong lovable heroine. She gets a second chance at starting over after losing everything. I am afraid to say anything more, I don't want to spoil the story for anyone. I would recommend reading this book. If you like Debbie Macomber and are familiar with her writing, this one is the best I've read. I loved this book. I received this book from Ballentine Publishing through Net Galleys. The opinion expressed in this review is completely my own.

What a wonderful story that tells of a tragedy that can lead to happiness and a future with someone you love! Annie Marlow loses her family in a freak accident and feels the guilt and loss so much that she decides to take a leave of absence from her career. After more than a year of mourning, she decides to return to the only place she can remember feeling happy, a cottage that her family visited every summer in Oceanside.

Keaton remembered Annie from his teenage years but had never left Oceanside. When he sees her on the beach, he can’t believe it is really her. But his physical size kept people from knowing him and he desperately wants to know her again.

They tiptoe around each other and eventually things change for them. Life is again good until Annie gets an offer back in Seattle for a job opportunity that only comes once. She’s got to decide if the job or Keaton is most important.

A well written story with lots of highs and lows, emotional, and heartwarming!

I received an ARC from the publisher for an honest and unbiased review. No compensation was promised or received for this review.