What do you think?
Rate this book
The Cottage
The gripping new thriller with a difference from USA Today bestselling author Lisa Stone
An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…
An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 8, 2021
1115 people are currently reading
6575 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Stone
34 books393 followersAs a writer of suspense thrillers I often ask myself what if? What if this happened instead of that? Or why a particular person reacted as they did. So often fact is stranger than fiction and these books start with a fact which I develop. You may be surprised to know, for example, just how many patients experience changes in their likes and dislikes after a transplant operation ~ The Darkness Within. Or how easy it is to look into someone’s home through their CCTV ~ Stalker.
Just a little bit about me. I live in England and have three children. I have always been a writer - from when I was at school, with poems and articles in the school magazine. In my teens I began writing short stories, a few radio plays and novels. I finally made it into the bestseller charts with Damaged in 2007 which I wrote under the pseudonym Cathy Glass. Since then I have had 28 books published, many of which have become international bestsellers.
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoy the Lisa Stone thrillers.
Just a little bit about me. I live in England and have three children. I have always been a writer - from when I was at school, with poems and articles in the school magazine. In my teens I began writing short stories, a few radio plays and novels. I finally made it into the bestseller charts with Damaged in 2007 which I wrote under the pseudonym Cathy Glass. Since then I have had 28 books published, many of which have become international bestsellers.
Thank you for your time, I hope you enjoy the Lisa Stone thrillers.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,027 reviews
November 25, 2021
This is a book that once you pick up you will find it hard to put down. That’s why I borrowed the audio book as well.
A change of life a breakup, all that might be able to be eased by making a new start somewhere else.
A low rented cottage near the woods, quiet.
It didn’t work out that way though, there were things going on, spooky eerie things. Was it man or beast? It’s not turned out the quietest of places to rest her head!
I love the twists in this story and the turn it took had me googling things.
I can certainly “hear” the authors voice from her aka name from her other books in this one. I confess I listened to this book mostly and found the narrator a pleasant voice to listen to who emphasised areas that needed.
I’ve just sat on this review and there was one major thing that played on my mind….let me explain.
If anyone else has read Cathy Glass books (same author ) it is written in an “explanation “ within the observations….
Let me explain more…
This is an example but not within this book….
If police were looking for footprints and it had rained within an hour or two, it was explained that the rain would have washed the prints away! Surely a reader could deduce this without a verbal teaching aide?
That’s the reason I’ve taken a star off.
A change of life a breakup, all that might be able to be eased by making a new start somewhere else.
A low rented cottage near the woods, quiet.
It didn’t work out that way though, there were things going on, spooky eerie things. Was it man or beast? It’s not turned out the quietest of places to rest her head!
I love the twists in this story and the turn it took had me googling things.
I can certainly “hear” the authors voice from her aka name from her other books in this one. I confess I listened to this book mostly and found the narrator a pleasant voice to listen to who emphasised areas that needed.
I’ve just sat on this review and there was one major thing that played on my mind….let me explain.
If anyone else has read Cathy Glass books (same author ) it is written in an “explanation “ within the observations….
Let me explain more…
This is an example but not within this book….
If police were looking for footprints and it had rained within an hour or two, it was explained that the rain would have washed the prints away! Surely a reader could deduce this without a verbal teaching aide?
That’s the reason I’ve taken a star off.
October 17, 2021
Worst book of the year .
No background research .
All medical data atrocious ... a phenomenon from medicine is borrowed and twisted and altered to ridiculous extents. Completed the book,perhaps I have a masochist tendency .
Will not recommend this to anyone ever.
No background research .
All medical data atrocious ... a phenomenon from medicine is borrowed and twisted and altered to ridiculous extents. Completed the book,perhaps I have a masochist tendency .
Will not recommend this to anyone ever.
August 15, 2021
Remember that movie with the orphan who was actually a short 30 year old with a stalker crush on the dad? I never thought I'd find a dumber-but-still-entertaining premise. This book goes to show: never say never. Everything about it hinges on all the characters being extraordinarily stupid.
January 4, 2022
I'm currently listening to a free audio recording of this on YouTube while I do some DIY. This is really not a very good novel. There are two basic threads (which obviously will meet at the end) and at chapter 48 these have been just repeated and repeated and repeated. Every single action of the protagonist is given to us. 'She put two slices of bread into the toaster and refilled the coffee machine. She took her coat off the hook by the front door. She collected the toast from the toaster and her coffee from the coffee machine and carried them with her coat, which she'd taken off the hook by the front door back through the kitchen where she'd made the toast.' I exaggerate slightly, but, trust me, only a little. Chapter 48 and Jan (ditzy and annoying) has heard someone at the cottage window about ten times so far. Just repeated. She's sitting in the sitting room on the couch which is in the sitting room, watching TV in the sitting room (it's almost fun to write like this)... noise at window. Nothing. Next night. Same thing. Some fixing of a hole in the hedge. Next night... next night... etc etc. My God! Do something! And if you were staying in someone else's house and found a box stored in a spare room with a pair of baby's booties and a little baby sleep suit, folded into tissue paper, and when you mentioned you'd found it the ex-boyfriend of the owner got very upset, what would you think? Well, they'd had a baby together that had died? Is that really Sherlock Holmes territory of deduction? Sheesh. But not our Jan. She thinks they might have belonged to a doll. I actually find that more creepy than the dead baby scenario.
The second thread of the story is even more daft. A couple who lose two babies due to birth defects discover they are half brother and sister as their mothers went to the same infertility clinic and were given the same donor sperm. Now, I can understand not knowing your father wasn't your biological father might come as a shock, but why would you blame the clinic that you'd married someone with the same donor father? I mean what are the chances of that? Hardly the clinic's fault. Chapter 48, and you now know as much as I do. I've told this in one paragraph. But I've had to listen to forty-eight chapters of this boring drivel. Why am I still listening? Well it's quite hard to constantly get on and off the ladder, so I'm just letting it play on.
I'll update when done, but I can 100% guess the rest of the plot and I could probably tell it in a few succinct sentences. I've never mastered the trick in my own writing of padding things out. I tend to put my characters through unrelenting, fast-paced hell. Okay, they occasionally get to drink a nice cup of tea, they are English after all, but the slow monotony of describing every single action has never interested me, either in reading or writing.
As ever, I'll update when I either fall off the ladder through utter boredom of listening or the book is finished.
I can take no more. This will be a did not finish for me. I almost plummeted deliberately off the ladder just to make it end. Could anyone with an actual brain read this awful nonsense? The midwife who delivers the so-called dead babies (obviously they weren't dead) has been keeping them because she knew they'd die soon and that would distress the parents? Seriously? She works full time but has a house full of babies and children with birth defects she's tending to and loving until they die to save the parents having to go through this? Uh huh. A house full of mutant children and babies. And she works full time. And the neighbours know nothing. But this life is better for the children than remaining with their own parents until they die. Uh huh. How old is this author? I'm guessing she's never had a baby herself or known anyone who did?
Nope, that drop to the concrete beneath me was looking good.
This is a book I'd give zero or minus stars to if those ratings were available.
Avoid.
The second thread of the story is even more daft. A couple who lose two babies due to birth defects discover they are half brother and sister as their mothers went to the same infertility clinic and were given the same donor sperm. Now, I can understand not knowing your father wasn't your biological father might come as a shock, but why would you blame the clinic that you'd married someone with the same donor father? I mean what are the chances of that? Hardly the clinic's fault. Chapter 48, and you now know as much as I do. I've told this in one paragraph. But I've had to listen to forty-eight chapters of this boring drivel. Why am I still listening? Well it's quite hard to constantly get on and off the ladder, so I'm just letting it play on.
I'll update when done, but I can 100% guess the rest of the plot and I could probably tell it in a few succinct sentences. I've never mastered the trick in my own writing of padding things out. I tend to put my characters through unrelenting, fast-paced hell. Okay, they occasionally get to drink a nice cup of tea, they are English after all, but the slow monotony of describing every single action has never interested me, either in reading or writing.
As ever, I'll update when I either fall off the ladder through utter boredom of listening or the book is finished.
I can take no more. This will be a did not finish for me. I almost plummeted deliberately off the ladder just to make it end. Could anyone with an actual brain read this awful nonsense? The midwife who delivers the so-called dead babies (obviously they weren't dead) has been keeping them because she knew they'd die soon and that would distress the parents? Seriously? She works full time but has a house full of babies and children with birth defects she's tending to and loving until they die to save the parents having to go through this? Uh huh. A house full of mutant children and babies. And she works full time. And the neighbours know nothing. But this life is better for the children than remaining with their own parents until they die. Uh huh. How old is this author? I'm guessing she's never had a baby herself or known anyone who did?
Nope, that drop to the concrete beneath me was looking good.
This is a book I'd give zero or minus stars to if those ratings were available.
Avoid.
December 18, 2021
4.5 stars
June 20, 2021
Well this was a hell of a book to read on Father’s Day
December 5, 2021
From the cover and rave tag line you might be fooled into thinking this is a good book. Save yourself the time and pick up something else.
Dialogue is clunky with every character talking the same exact formal English.
"She knows exactly the right thing to say. She doesn’t mind talking about what happened to David. She said I could talk to her whenever I wanted to. She understood. I even asked her what David looked like."
Start one more sentence with she or I I dare you.
"Anne, our midwife, persuaded me to."
This is from one character to her husband. Who would know the fact that Anne was their midwife.
"It formed part of the storyline in the film Shallow Hal." Who talks like this in a regular conversation? You'd say "Like in that movie, Shallow Hal".
"They can also determine the sex of the baby from this scan." Again, in casual conversation with a shopkeeper. It sounds more like a formal letter than a casual conversation.
"But it was too late by then. I feel very uncomfortable and sad about all of this."
Me too, buddy. Me too.
Secondly there's a lot of tell don't show. It just reads like a clunky middle school draft.
Lastly this book takes place in some universe where all deformed children are just carted off to secret labs to experimented on cause they look different apparently. Ableism is a thing, yes. But this just ridiculous.
Dialogue is clunky with every character talking the same exact formal English.
"She knows exactly the right thing to say. She doesn’t mind talking about what happened to David. She said I could talk to her whenever I wanted to. She understood. I even asked her what David looked like."
Start one more sentence with she or I I dare you.
"Anne, our midwife, persuaded me to."
This is from one character to her husband. Who would know the fact that Anne was their midwife.
"It formed part of the storyline in the film Shallow Hal." Who talks like this in a regular conversation? You'd say "Like in that movie, Shallow Hal".
"They can also determine the sex of the baby from this scan." Again, in casual conversation with a shopkeeper. It sounds more like a formal letter than a casual conversation.
"But it was too late by then. I feel very uncomfortable and sad about all of this."
Me too, buddy. Me too.
Secondly there's a lot of tell don't show. It just reads like a clunky middle school draft.
Lastly this book takes place in some universe where all deformed children are just carted off to secret labs to experimented on cause they look different apparently. Ableism is a thing, yes. But this just ridiculous.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 21, 2021
Jan feels things are almost too good to be true when she rents a secluded cottage for a bargain price after losing her boyfriend and job. Everything starts well, until Jan starts hearing strange noises, figures in the dark and strange tapping on the windows....
This book is incredible - I loved every part of it. It goes from Jan seeing figures at the window, to Anne the midwife, Ian and Emma who have just lost a child, and Beth the police officer. Don't be put off by the thought of too many people - the story is so easy to keep up with and flows so well! I absolutely loved how the story came together, I loved the chills it gave me, especially reading it in the dark! A perfect spooky book for Halloween, a definite must read!
This book is incredible - I loved every part of it. It goes from Jan seeing figures at the window, to Anne the midwife, Ian and Emma who have just lost a child, and Beth the police officer. Don't be put off by the thought of too many people - the story is so easy to keep up with and flows so well! I absolutely loved how the story came together, I loved the chills it gave me, especially reading it in the dark! A perfect spooky book for Halloween, a definite must read!
July 28, 2021
It was a double whammy! Jan Hamlin lost her job, and then her boyfriend. Feeling a need for a fresh start, she rents a small isolated cottage on the edge of the woods. The rent was really low because she wil be there for 6 months only until the owner returns and she has to care for the owner's dog.
She's pretty happy where she is .. except things she can't explain starting happening. First it's a tap on the window .... and strange noises outside. The dog goes crazy trying to get outside, so Jan knows it's not just her imagination.
Jan refuses to be scared off.. but whoever or whatever isn't going away. The forest is holding secrets ... and Jan finds the nightmare is only beginning.
This is one of those books, once started, the reader will not want to put down. The atmosphere is dark .. with an isolated cottage set alongside a forest, devoid of light and full of shadows. Well written, the story line is positively full of many twists and turns that lead to an unexpected conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Harper 350 / Harper Collins / Netgalley for the suspenseful thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
She's pretty happy where she is .. except things she can't explain starting happening. First it's a tap on the window .... and strange noises outside. The dog goes crazy trying to get outside, so Jan knows it's not just her imagination.
Jan refuses to be scared off.. but whoever or whatever isn't going away. The forest is holding secrets ... and Jan finds the nightmare is only beginning.
This is one of those books, once started, the reader will not want to put down. The atmosphere is dark .. with an isolated cottage set alongside a forest, devoid of light and full of shadows. Well written, the story line is positively full of many twists and turns that lead to an unexpected conclusion.
Many thanks to the author / Harper 350 / Harper Collins / Netgalley for the suspenseful thriller. Read and reviewed voluntarily, opinions expressed here are unbiased and entirely my own.
October 22, 2023
Jan Hamlin is desperate for a fresh start after losing her job and boyfriend, she decides to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods. The rent is low as she will be dog sitting, staying there for six months until the owner returns. Is it too good to be true?
She settles in well until strange things happen, a tap at the window and strange noises outside.
Jan refuses to be scared off but whatever is happening isn't going to stop anytime soon and the nightmare is only just beginning.
Lots of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. A great chilling read that had me imagining all sorts as I sat in the dark reading this on my own!!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
She settles in well until strange things happen, a tap at the window and strange noises outside.
Jan refuses to be scared off but whatever is happening isn't going to stop anytime soon and the nightmare is only just beginning.
Lots of twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. A great chilling read that had me imagining all sorts as I sat in the dark reading this on my own!!!
Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
I would personally summarize this novel as “some of the most one-dimensional characters in the world slowly figure out an obvious mystery in a book that is about 15% too long.” That said, the plot is compelling enough that you do want to find out how the mystery unravels and if it really is as straightforward as you think (spoiler: it is AND it isn’t!). Based loosely on some real-life events, with a slight twist to the science of genetics, the story does explore some interesting scenarios that might come along when unscrupulous actors capitalize on advances in reproductive technology. While this wasn’t a five-star book for me, it was a compelling mystery that kept me reading.
August 5, 2021
Jan has just lost her job and her boyfriend. Desperate to get away from it all, she decides to rent a cabin in the woods. At first, she loves the isolation. It's just what she needed to clear her mind and find inspiration to start writing. But things soon turn ominous. It starts with strange noises then quickly escalates to trespassing. Is it just wildlife? Or is there someone out there in the woods...someone who knows she's alone?
Intertwined with Jan's tale, is a story of a couple, Ian and Emma, who have lost one baby during childbirth and just lost another during a home birth. This isn't just a case of a tragic stillbirth. There was something horribly wrong with both of their children, and Ian is determined to understand why.
These seemingly unrelated stories intertwine themselves in an interesting way. However, for most of the book it does feel like two completely different stories and (just my opinion) they probably should have been because they didn't intersect in a meaningful way for me. I was much more invested in Ian and Emma's story. It was tragic, it was weird and it was suspenseful. With Jan's story, it had it's moments and gave me some creepy vibes for sure, but my attention did waiver during her chapters.
This is a really unusual story. It's definitely a thriller, but it had a real horror movie feel to it. If I had to sum it up, I would say it was a mixture of The Strangers and Offspring. It was super creepy and unsettling, even if it was pretty predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Intertwined with Jan's tale, is a story of a couple, Ian and Emma, who have lost one baby during childbirth and just lost another during a home birth. This isn't just a case of a tragic stillbirth. There was something horribly wrong with both of their children, and Ian is determined to understand why.
These seemingly unrelated stories intertwine themselves in an interesting way. However, for most of the book it does feel like two completely different stories and (just my opinion) they probably should have been because they didn't intersect in a meaningful way for me. I was much more invested in Ian and Emma's story. It was tragic, it was weird and it was suspenseful. With Jan's story, it had it's moments and gave me some creepy vibes for sure, but my attention did waiver during her chapters.
This is a really unusual story. It's definitely a thriller, but it had a real horror movie feel to it. If I had to sum it up, I would say it was a mixture of The Strangers and Offspring. It was super creepy and unsettling, even if it was pretty predictable.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
July 31, 2021
Before the ending, I was enraptured. I could not put the book down. As I got to the end, I was disappointed. Some parts were very far fetched, and I will not elaborate, so as not to add spoilers. It was all too trite and implausible. I will still give it 3 stars because it kept my interest until the end. Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins for this ARC
January 19, 2022
I love a book that you can’t put down and this is one of them! Brilliant thriller, couldn’t wait to read it to see what would happened next and sad that I’ve finished it. Looking forward to reading the next Lisa Stone book!
May 14, 2024
the dog was called tinder. that’s all i need to say
February 6, 2022
Finished The Cottage by Lisa Stone (AKA Cathy Glass) and sorry to say I didn't enjoy it at all!
Third book in a row I've read with a massively silly storyline, relying heavily on the stupidity of it's characters with easy to see 'twists'. Did not enjoy the writing style either, every action, no matter how dull was described ... the preparation of an omelette was one example!
❗Would also like to offer a warning to anyone wanting to read the book as the blurb is very misleading and I feel there should be a trigger warning for anyone who will find child loss and miscarriage distressing❗(Not a spoiler as it occurs about 2 chapters in)
Third book in a row I've read with a massively silly storyline, relying heavily on the stupidity of it's characters with easy to see 'twists'. Did not enjoy the writing style either, every action, no matter how dull was described ... the preparation of an omelette was one example!
❗Would also like to offer a warning to anyone wanting to read the book as the blurb is very misleading and I feel there should be a trigger warning for anyone who will find child loss and miscarriage distressing❗(Not a spoiler as it occurs about 2 chapters in)
Read
October 21, 2021Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Contemporary
Publication date : July 8, 2021
In this story newly single and unemployed Jan Hamlin (29) and married couple Ian and Emma Jennings, who have been through their baby's stillbirth find their lives interwined in very strange way...
I expected this story to be about Jan and the mystery about an isolated cottage at the edge of a wood. But then other sub-plots were introduced (Ian+Emma, detective) and I thought why I'm reading about them? What they have to do with the Cottage Jan rented?? It made more sense as the story progress and I realized where author heads with this story.
It was pretty easy to work out some of the twist. Also I have to say that at times it sounded repetitive, unrealistic, too contrived, too difficult to buy into the story line. Some of the POVs felt unnecessary and more like fillers than of any importance.
Some of the topics may be disturbing for some readers
PS: Its odd that the main characters were called Jan/Ian. And why so many authors have started to name their heroines with gender-neutral names? What's wrong with Janet or Janice? Or is that some sort of new requirement now?
If you want something more creepy but not too gruesome and spooky, then try Darcy Coates stories. I really enjoy her vivid writing style. You may also like Lock Every Door and Home Before Dark.
Publication date : July 8, 2021
In this story newly single and unemployed Jan Hamlin (29) and married couple Ian and Emma Jennings, who have been through their baby's stillbirth find their lives interwined in very strange way...
I expected this story to be about Jan and the mystery about an isolated cottage at the edge of a wood. But then other sub-plots were introduced (Ian+Emma, detective) and I thought why I'm reading about them? What they have to do with the Cottage Jan rented?? It made more sense as the story progress and I realized where author heads with this story.
It was pretty easy to work out some of the twist. Also I have to say that at times it sounded repetitive, unrealistic, too contrived, too difficult to buy into the story line. Some of the POVs felt unnecessary and more like fillers than of any importance.
Some of the topics may be disturbing for some readers
PS: Its odd that the main characters were called Jan/Ian. And why so many authors have started to name their heroines with gender-neutral names? What's wrong with Janet or Janice? Or is that some sort of new requirement now?
If you want something more creepy but not too gruesome and spooky, then try Darcy Coates stories. I really enjoy her vivid writing style. You may also like Lock Every Door and Home Before Dark.
October 13, 2021
Wow. I’m really going to miss reading this book. Really got attached the the characters.
Top read
Top read
August 3, 2021
This was a creepy, though predictable, book, centered on Jan, who rents an isolated cottage in the woods after she loses both her job and her boyfriend. Shortly after moving in, Jan starts seeing and hearing things around the cottage at night. She asks for help but those around her aren't taking it seriously.
Jan launches into her own investigation about what is going on. There are a couple side stories involved that are seemingly unrelated, but the author ties it all together. I figured out the primary plot twist almost immediately, and though there were a couple other surprises, I still found the book to be predictable, as well as unrealistic. That being said, it definitely is creepy and the author does a great job of creating a haunting atmosphere.
All in all, OK read but I wish there would have been more surprises. I thought the end was well done and walked away feeling satisfied. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Jan launches into her own investigation about what is going on. There are a couple side stories involved that are seemingly unrelated, but the author ties it all together. I figured out the primary plot twist almost immediately, and though there were a couple other surprises, I still found the book to be predictable, as well as unrealistic. That being said, it definitely is creepy and the author does a great job of creating a haunting atmosphere.
All in all, OK read but I wish there would have been more surprises. I thought the end was well done and walked away feeling satisfied. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 19, 2021
I often goes into books rather blind, only reading the blurb so maybe it was wrong of pöme expecting another kind of story and being disappointed in what I got. Wanted a more scarier book and much more suspenseful. I was renting my own cottage when I listened to bits of this and wanted a more thrilling book but it didn't work for me. But it was my own fault for not researching the book more before.
October 16, 2021
I honestly didn't care for this book. The first half wasn't so bad, but it got worse farther into it. It wasn't creepy or scary it was just annoying and kind of weird.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review from netgalley.
November 2, 2022
The ramblings of a mad woman thank god it only cost a pound
March 15, 2022
This one has set on my Netgalley queue for a long while and, as it turns out, for a reason. I do try to be discerning when it comes to mystery thriller selections for there are simply too many for them out there, but it isn’t always possible. And so, sometimes books like this slip through.
Not that The Cottage is a terrible book, it just isn’t a very good one.
For one thing, the author is simply too prolific for quality to enter the equation. She has a good working idea of how these things are done and plies the formula. Flat writing and flat characters and a thoroughly predictable plot included.
It’s all serviceable enough the way mediocre thrillers often are, but just barely so for a discerning genre fan and in the end (including the very ending) it just gets kind of stupid. Or maybe trite is a nicer way of putting it? Either way, this tale of sperm donations, breeding challenges and small-town mores doesn’t have much to offer. Ok, the depiction of a city person taking a remote cottage is decent enough, the paranoia, the creeping unfamiliar noises, etc. but that’s about it. Which is nowhere near enough for a book this size. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.
Not that The Cottage is a terrible book, it just isn’t a very good one.
For one thing, the author is simply too prolific for quality to enter the equation. She has a good working idea of how these things are done and plies the formula. Flat writing and flat characters and a thoroughly predictable plot included.
It’s all serviceable enough the way mediocre thrillers often are, but just barely so for a discerning genre fan and in the end (including the very ending) it just gets kind of stupid. Or maybe trite is a nicer way of putting it? Either way, this tale of sperm donations, breeding challenges and small-town mores doesn’t have much to offer. Ok, the depiction of a city person taking a remote cottage is decent enough, the paranoia, the creeping unfamiliar noises, etc. but that’s about it. Which is nowhere near enough for a book this size. Pass. Thanks Netgalley.
September 30, 2021
The story started off quite fast and scary but nearly mid way it became preposterous. I just couldn’t believe what I was reading as it was so unbelievable. I finished it but wished I hadn’t.
November 2, 2021
After reading the first couple of chapters I found this book to be you're not very suspenseful and not scary at all. There was no thrill in the story and a lot of talking about nothing
January 15, 2023
I've never written a book, Lisa Stone has so at least 1 star ⭐️ for that.
SYNOPSIS:
"An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…" Goodreads synopsis
MY THOUGHTS
🤦🏼♀️ The title and cover of this book are misleading.
���🏼♀️ Two stories are being told from the outset and you spend a lot of time wondering how the heck they are connected, but this does soon become clear.
🤦🏼♀️ The plot of this thriller is utterly ridiculous - I can take an out-there story and go with this but this was just utterly unbelievable. Where I shouted out loud "oh c'mon" a few times when reading.
🤦🏼♀️ TRIGGER WARNING for anyone with fertility issues or pregnant - DO NOT READ.
🤦🏼♀️ The concept of **SPOILER AHEAD** of "normal babies" and their opposite being "creatures" or "monster children" "defected in some way" is utterly abhorrent and made me so angry the negativity this does to disability rep is mindblowing.
🤦🏼♀️ **SPOILER AHEAD** The likelihood of a fertility doctor creating so many related children (I KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED IRL but bear with me...) that then go on to all be in relationships with each and have children that are "genetic throwbacks" if just so ridiculous it makes me wonder how this passed the editing process!?
🤦🏼♀️ The only reason I finished this was that I was reading it with friends and thought maybe it will have a more believable plot twist/ending. NOPE, IT DID NOT.
I rarely write reviews that are this negative, but too many plotlines in this book angered me not to. So yeah decided for yourself if you wish to read it - this was my opinion only (well and that of all my friends I read it with!)
SYNOPSIS:
"An isolated cottage…
After losing her job and boyfriend, Jan Hamlin is in desperate need of a fresh start. So she jumps at the chance to rent a secluded cottage on the edge of Coleshaw Woods.
A tap at the window…
Very quickly though, things take a dark turn. At night, Jan hears strange noises, and faint taps at the window. Something, or someone, is out there.
A forest that hides many secrets…
Jan refuses to be scared off. But whoever is outside isn’t going away, and it soon becomes clear that the nightmare is only just beginning…" Goodreads synopsis
MY THOUGHTS
🤦🏼♀️ The title and cover of this book are misleading.
���🏼♀️ Two stories are being told from the outset and you spend a lot of time wondering how the heck they are connected, but this does soon become clear.
🤦🏼♀️ The plot of this thriller is utterly ridiculous - I can take an out-there story and go with this but this was just utterly unbelievable. Where I shouted out loud "oh c'mon" a few times when reading.
🤦🏼♀️ TRIGGER WARNING for anyone with fertility issues or pregnant - DO NOT READ.
🤦🏼♀️ The concept of **SPOILER AHEAD** of "normal babies" and their opposite being "creatures" or "monster children" "defected in some way" is utterly abhorrent and made me so angry the negativity this does to disability rep is mindblowing.
🤦🏼♀️ **SPOILER AHEAD** The likelihood of a fertility doctor creating so many related children (I KNOW THIS HAS HAPPENED IRL but bear with me...) that then go on to all be in relationships with each and have children that are "genetic throwbacks" if just so ridiculous it makes me wonder how this passed the editing process!?
🤦🏼♀️ The only reason I finished this was that I was reading it with friends and thought maybe it will have a more believable plot twist/ending. NOPE, IT DID NOT.
I rarely write reviews that are this negative, but too many plotlines in this book angered me not to. So yeah decided for yourself if you wish to read it - this was my opinion only (well and that of all my friends I read it with!)
April 2, 2022
Overview: I've been looking forward to reading this book ever since my friend said she read it in a day because she couldn't put it down. It certainly didn't disappoint and I finished it early because I was so intrigued to keep reading, but in all seriousness, this is the most f**ked up book I've read! And it's based on a true story? 🤢🤢
Good Points: I enjoyed the different POV and seeing the connections between the seemingly random characters begin to inter weave into each other. It was a fascinating story and as it unfolded I was so shocked at times. I must admit I didn't see a lot of it coming or if I did it was done in a different way than i expected.
Not so Good Points: The main issue I had was that Jan's side of the story was pain stakingly repetitive. Yes, I know it was done to increase tension and creepiness but after the 12th time the dog barked at a random noise or a creepy knock appeared at the door I was a bit like...yeah, ok...and then what? I also didn't like Chris. What a douche!
Overall a really decent thriller that I would recommend for those of you who enjoyed a twisted and slightly sick story.
Good Points: I enjoyed the different POV and seeing the connections between the seemingly random characters begin to inter weave into each other. It was a fascinating story and as it unfolded I was so shocked at times. I must admit I didn't see a lot of it coming or if I did it was done in a different way than i expected.
Not so Good Points: The main issue I had was that Jan's side of the story was pain stakingly repetitive. Yes, I know it was done to increase tension and creepiness but after the 12th time the dog barked at a random noise or a creepy knock appeared at the door I was a bit like...yeah, ok...and then what? I also didn't like Chris. What a douche!
Overall a really decent thriller that I would recommend for those of you who enjoyed a twisted and slightly sick story.
June 19, 2024
Una casa aislada ๏ Ruidos extraños y golpes en la ventana ๏ ¿Huyes o abres la puerta?
Cuidado… porque la verdad que encuentras puede ser peor que la realidad que imaginas.
Una casa en el campo es un libro que disfruté muchísimo, sobre todo porque la sinopsis revela solo un parte de lo que te vas a encontrar… y no tampoco diré mucho al respecto para evitar spoilers.
La historia se desarrolla en una casa aislada, ubicada junto al bosque de Coleshaw donde Jan Hamlin se muda por unos meses tras perder su trabajo y a su novio. Pero por las noche se enfrenta a ruidos extraños y golpes en la ventana, lo que la lleva a descubrir los oscuros secretos que esconde el bosque.
La autora emplea un estilo que engancha al lector desde las primeras páginas, combinando ciertos elementos de misterio y terror con una trama que poco a poco aumenta en intensidad. Presenta dos subtramas diferentes que, al principio, parecen no tener relación, pero que eventualmente convergen… para develar tristes secretos.
No hay muchas descripciones, solo lo justo para sumarle tensión al relato, pero sí abundantes diálogos que le brindan suficiente agilidad para leerlo de una sentada. Quizás no todos los secretos son imprevisibles, pero no me ha importado, porque la autora ha sabido manejarlos.
También “la protagonista” me pareció un poco simple y a veces un personaje plano, pero le di más importancia a la historia que nos estaban contando, y porque después te enteras que está basada en ciertos hechos reales.
“...una respuesta completamente calmada y racional ante un hecho que desafiaba toda lógica. No era normal”.
Cuidado… porque la verdad que encuentras puede ser peor que la realidad que imaginas.
Una casa en el campo es un libro que disfruté muchísimo, sobre todo porque la sinopsis revela solo un parte de lo que te vas a encontrar… y no tampoco diré mucho al respecto para evitar spoilers.
La historia se desarrolla en una casa aislada, ubicada junto al bosque de Coleshaw donde Jan Hamlin se muda por unos meses tras perder su trabajo y a su novio. Pero por las noche se enfrenta a ruidos extraños y golpes en la ventana, lo que la lleva a descubrir los oscuros secretos que esconde el bosque.
La autora emplea un estilo que engancha al lector desde las primeras páginas, combinando ciertos elementos de misterio y terror con una trama que poco a poco aumenta en intensidad. Presenta dos subtramas diferentes que, al principio, parecen no tener relación, pero que eventualmente convergen… para develar tristes secretos.
No hay muchas descripciones, solo lo justo para sumarle tensión al relato, pero sí abundantes diálogos que le brindan suficiente agilidad para leerlo de una sentada. Quizás no todos los secretos son imprevisibles, pero no me ha importado, porque la autora ha sabido manejarlos.
También “la protagonista” me pareció un poco simple y a veces un personaje plano, pero le di más importancia a la historia que nos estaban contando, y porque después te enteras que está basada en ciertos hechos reales.
“...una respuesta completamente calmada y racional ante un hecho que desafiaba toda lógica. No era normal”.
October 3, 2021
This isn't a great book.
To sumarise as I'd rather close the chapter of my life that is this book and move on swiftly:
The characters are basic, uninspiring and very stupid in this book.
There is no horror element to this book, there are 0 scares and little suspense.
You will likely figure out the book at about 1/4 way through, your assumption will seem absurb to you but... *With a heavy sigh* you're right.
I fail to see the twists or turns, again what happened was fairly well expected to a degree.
This is an easy read that you will fly through quickly and will be another notch on the yearly number of books read. It once again dissapointed me that a 'horror/psychological thriller' yet again failed to be anything even close.
Other recommendations for books worthy of such a genre are welcome...
To sumarise as I'd rather close the chapter of my life that is this book and move on swiftly:
The characters are basic, uninspiring and very stupid in this book.
There is no horror element to this book, there are 0 scares and little suspense.
You will likely figure out the book at about 1/4 way through, your assumption will seem absurb to you but... *With a heavy sigh* you're right.
I fail to see the twists or turns, again what happened was fairly well expected to a degree.
This is an easy read that you will fly through quickly and will be another notch on the yearly number of books read. It once again dissapointed me that a 'horror/psychological thriller' yet again failed to be anything even close.
Other recommendations for books worthy of such a genre are welcome...
October 10, 2021
What I liked about this book is the spooked out vibe I got. Like something weird was up, and I didn't know how it all tied together, and it was getting weirder, building in suspense. Now, the big reveal was odd and I never would have suspected. It almost even pulled me out of the mood I was in. But then the author did one last turn to really mess with me! I liked it and felt like it was a great fall read, especially around Halloween.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,027 reviews