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?

I do love a good psychological thriller and Keri Beevis always writes great ones! I think this is the fourth or fifth book of hers I’ve read.
This one is set in Norfolk and our main character is Harper Reed, who is 37, a widow, and an author of romantic novels. She lives alone in a big house with her cocker spaniel Bailey. After a traumatic two years trying to deal with her husband’s death, she is learning to leave the house again, now she has a dog. Persuaded by her best friend Megan, who lives in London, she joins an online dating site.
As she begins dating, strange things start happening, as if there has been someone in her garden. She has a couple of bad experiences dating, but eventually finds someone who seems lovely.
Her husband Charlie died in a car crash with her best friend Alicia and as she finally sorts out his rooms, she realises he has been keeping secrets from her.
Well, I can’t really tell you much else, you just have to read it yourself! So much happens, you are constantly trying to work out who in Harper’s life is actually genuine and trustworthy. It’s such an intriguing story and very easy to get into, as straight away, you want to find out more.
I tried online dating myself a few years back and I thought I’d had some bad experiences, but this book just reminded me that things could have been a lot worse!
The Cottage by the Sea – despite its idyllic sounding title – is very unnerving and a real twisty-turny thriller which will have you guessing and second guessing all the time. It’s exciting, fast-paced, and a wonderful page turner. Highly recommended.

I haven’t read a psychological thriller that literally made my toes curl for a long time; this one had me do it more than once. You have been warned. That being said, it is a belter of a book & went in some directions that I really wasn’t expecting. Yet another stonking standalone from this author.

Harper’s husband died two years ago, as a result of a car crash, her friend was a passenger & died instantly. She has never been certain why they were together & suspected an affair but her best friend, Megan, has convinced her that it is time to move on & persuades her to try online dating. Some comedic moments due to this decision but also some shocking ones, suffice it to say not all the dates were successful.

A gripping read with some fairly graphic, but necessary, descriptions as Harper discovers who her husband really was. The story could have gone so differently but I’m glad it didn’t. I do think I need to read something light & fluffy now. Read it & find out why.

Beevis is to books what Mr Kipling is to cakes and she certainly does know how to write exceedingly good books!

The Cottage by the Sea is an edge of your seat thriller that slowly builds in pace with each turn of the page, building to a crescendo with each revelation. It's narrated from multiple POV, has some fantastic characterisations and suspense in spades.

It's dark, disturbing and decidedly delicious, making it my favourite of the Beev's books to date!

Harper's hidden herself away since the sudden death of her husband and friend in a car accident, and why were they in the same car anyway when he was supposed to be working? Now though, she needs to get herself sorted out, royalties from her previous books aren't going to keep paying the bills, she needs to get back to writing, start going out again and start dating. So she starts to work on her next book, adopts Bailey (an adorable spaniel who if Keri kills off I will find her) and joins the dating site IntoYou - where her friend Megan met her husband. As she starts to get the hang of swiping and hearting profiles, she starts to realise that people can be whoever they want to be online, that maybe she didn't know her husband as well as she thought she did, and maybe there's danger closer to home than she ever thought....

It's creepy. Creepy, sinister, heart-racing, scary, unputdownable and creepy. Did I say creepy? EVERYONE was suspected as being the creepy creep, I'm never doing online dating or just being in my house alone in the dark ever again, and now I trust no one. Especially the genius (creepy) mind that came up with this - still keeping an eye on you Keri. In all seriousness, Harper is a great character, the whole stalkery/paranoia vibes was well written and unsettling, and the absolute unrelentingly thrill-ride of part 3 kept me from my bed longer than it should have. Just buy it. Quick. Go.

Review also posted to Goodreads but unable to link account

Keri Beevis is one of those authors I can depend on to deliver an engaging thriller and The Cottage by the Sea is no exception. I was immediately immersed in the plot of Harper, a widow who found out her husband was cheating on her after a fatal car crash two years ago, has been coerced by her friend into an online dating service. Harper seems very naive and in my mind the stage was set for Keri to take the reins, which she certainly did. Harper made some poor choices early on, again being very naive.
The sinister POV chapters from the stalker definitely had the ultimate sick serial killer vibe. The coming events were very predictable but the identity of the stalker kept me reading just one more chapter until the conclusion. So sad that there truly are sick sadistic predators like this in our world but books like this always serve to open eyes to the dangers inherent in online dating.
Many many thanks to Keri Beevis, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for providing me with the pleasurable opportunity to read an arc of this engaging psychological thriller…four heart stopping stars for this read.

This was a great book with plenty of ups and downs and creepy moments which I enjoyed. A very twisty story and at times I didn't know which way it was going. The ending surprised me and I loved it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

I went into this book expecting a cozy mystery, but around 60% in, it took a chilling turn with the introduction of a creepy serial killer. The shift wasn’t just surprising—it was brilliantly executed, with the author delving into the unsettling and twisted psyche of the killer in a way that really heightened the tension. While I loved the intensity once the story got there, I do wish the pacing had picked up a bit earlier on. Overall, the buildup was worth it, and I ended up really enjoying the darker twists!

I’ve enjoyed a few of this authors books but this one just didn’t do it for me. I found the main character to be annoying and the way she acted quite unbelievable. To continue using the dating app after so many disastrous dates just didn’t make sense. Also would have liked more of the backstory from before her husband died as the blurb made it sound this was a key part of the storyline which it wasn’t.

The Cottage by the Sea by Keri Beevis was another excellent book but with this book it was very dark psychological thriller and I was gripped from the beginning till the end. This was a book I did not want to end, I feel this way with all Keri's books, as they have been excellent with lots of twists and turns and The Cottage by the Sea did not disappoint! I am looking forward reading more books by Keri in the future xx

Big Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my ARC.

I'm reviewing this via NetGalley, as part of a tour with Rachel's Random Resources.

This gripping psychological thriller follows Harper, who, at the start, decides to try a dating app recommended to her by friends. Harper’s husband Charlie passed away in a car accident two years ago, and so the idea of a new relationship is very daunting for her.

As well as following Harper and her experiences, there's another character, providing their own account of events, and I was compelled to keep reading, to understand who this was. The book's title was also something that I didn't fully understand until later on.

Harper was a character that I felt an immediate connection with; I felt as though she could easily have been a friend of mine, or someone I knew. I felt there was plenty of suspense early on in the book, but the latter part was more sinister and complex, as Harper confronted some demons from her past.

This was an intense read, nail-biting and unsettling. It played with my mind and kept me guessing. If you're a fan of thrillers, give this a try.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and to the author, for the opportunity to read and review this.

The Cottage by the Sea
by Keri Beevis
Pub Date: Oct 14 2024

The Cottage by the Sea is a fantastic read! My first book by author Keri Beevis and I'm anxious to read all of her other books if they are as good as this one!

It starts out with the main character, Harper losing her husband and best friend in a car accident. Not knowing why they were in the car together she's assuming they were having an affair. This puts Harper in severe depression and she stays in her house with her rescue dog Bailey for two years. Her best friend talks her into joining an online dating site to meet potential partners. From there Harper meets many losers as well as dangerous men. All at once someone is stalking Harper and even worse in one case it goes beyond stalking!

This is a chilling mystery, suspenseful and psychological drama that I highly recommend! A real page turner with a twisty ending you won't see coming.

Many thanks to #TheCottagebytheSea #NetGalley and #Boldwoodbooks for providing me with an E-ARC of this fantastic book!

Keri Beevis, how do you do it? Every book you write, without exception, is outstanding.

Harper lost her husband a few years ago, now she has decided, with some aiding and abetting by her close friend, that she needs to dip her toe into the world of online dating. Is she about to find love again, or is something much darker at play out there?

At times, I was really freaked out by what Harper had to face. Someone was stalking her, but who and why. What secrets were waiting to be uncovered in the cottage by the sea?

Ms Beevis certainly knows how to create a scene. The touch of comedy she brings to the dating game lulled me into a false sense of security But, make no mistake, this author’s greatest gift is that she can pen really dark and creepy scenarios that sent tingles down my spine and threatened my heartbeat. I also had scarily jump out of my skin moments! My imagination ran wild, but never as wild as Keri’s, the atmosphere she creates followed me around long after I had put her book down!

This book is the ultimate Halloween story, do not read after lights out, or when you are on your own!! BUT, do read it!!



Harper lost her husband a few years ago, now she has decided, with some aiding and abetting by her close friend, that she needs to dip her toe into the world of online dating. Is she about to find love again, or is something much darker at play out there?

At times, I was really freaked out by what Harper had to face. Someone was stalking her, but who and why. What secrets were waiting to be uncovered in the cottage by the sea?

Ms Beevis certainly knows how to create a scene. The touch of comedy she brings to the dating game lulled me into a false sense of security But, make no mistake, this author’s greatest gift is that she can pen really dark and creepy scenarios that sent tingles down my spine and threatened my heartbeat. I also had scarily jump out of my skin moments! My imagination ran wild, but never as wild as Keri’s, the atmosphere she creates followed me around long after I had put her book down!

This book is the ultimate Halloween story, do not read after lights out, or when you are on your own!! BUT, do read it!!

Keri Beevis does it again! Way to have me feeling glad I am not dating. Or being stalked.
Protip though. If your in real life best friend is sad about being widowed, instead of talking her into dating, talk her into volunteering or meeting other women to be friends with, so she is out of the house but not dealing with men.
As it is, the first half of this tory is way too real and way too relatable.
Of course, we wouldn't have a story otherwise.
How about that ending though?

4⭐
Genre ~ psychological thriller
Setting ~ England
Publication date ~ October 14, 2024
Publisher ~ Boldwood
Est Page Count ~ 354 (43 chapters)
Audio length ~ 9 hours 46 minutes
Narrator ~ Shakira Shute
POV ~ multiple 3rd and single 1st
Featuring ~ dark secrets, torture

Harper is kinda sorta ready to get back in the dating game since it’s been 2 years since her husband, Charlie, was killed in a car accident. She meets a few men giving us some likely suspects when someone starts harassing her.

This was really slow moving for quite a while. It was date after date after date at the same place over and over and over again. Then she starts finding out secrets about her husband and the harassment went into full force and that’s when the pace really picked up. I couldn’t figure out who the culprit was, so woo hoo for that.

Overall, I love when secrets are revealed after a spouse dies, and this secret is a dark doozie. I can see this one being a big hit.

Side note ~ her dog Bailey plays a big role in the story, so I just wanted to let you know that no harm ever comes to him.

Norfolk England

Harper Reed, 37, is creating an online dating profile for herself for the app IntoYou. It’s a difficult endeavor for her even though she is an author who writes two books a year. Her husband, Charlie, was killed in an auto accident two years ago and her friend, Megan, has been pushing her to get out and date again. She has recently adopted a dog named Bailey and it has helped her to get out more.

A man named Adrian, 38, who works in IT responded and after chatting for a few times, they decide to meet for a drink at a pub. They enjoy the evening chatting and agree to meet another time.

When taking Bailey to the beach to play, she runs into Adrian with obviously his wife and two children. Shocked, she asks what he’s doing there. He tries to tell his wife that Harper is some woman from work who has been trying to get with him. Furious, Harper tells the woman the truth and he is angry with her. He texts her later to watch her back. On the way to the car, a bicyclist knocks her down leaving her leg injured. A man calling himself Luke and saying he’s a doctor, helps her to her car and dresses her injury.

Leary of online dating, Harper decides to try one more time which turns out to be another disaster. Now, she is ready to quit the app, but someone is watching her and waiting.

Oh my goodness! This was an incredibly scary book that had me cringing as I read it. Makes me thankful that I’m too old to try a dating app. However, I have my wonderful husband to make me happy. Yikes…but enjoy!I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.