After losing her job and long time boyfriend, Jan decides to rent a remote cottage in the woods in the UK to get away from everything and figure out her life. But the relaxing vacation it is not. Creepy noises keep happening outside the place. She wants to see what's going on but is too scared to look. What she thinks is animals are getting braver and braver and Jan is becoming more frightened of staying there. Jan wants to get to the bottom of what's going on so she bucks up and sticks it out.

I'm not sure how I really feel about this story. We have the whole Jan thing I mentioned above, but then a few chapters in we get two new characters who seem to have absolutely nothing to do with the story. The couple, Ian and Emma Jennings, lost a baby during a home birth. Then we get this wild tale about how a lot of people in town used a sperm donor clinic to get pregnant. Like it literally feels like EVERYONE in this town used them, as the story keeps referring to how many people look alike. Turns out, the clinic was using the same donor... and we can all guess who that was... the owner, Carstan Moller. No kidding, I saw this one coming a mile away with all the subtle hints. But I kept reading. More stuff happens at the cottage, then more stuff happens with Ian, who wants to get the bottom of the whole thing. The book felt like two stories smashed into one. The ending wasn't all that great, as you can see where the story is headed ahead of time if you thought about it. We also have two police officers who honestly have no real barring on the story. I thought the one police officer might of been aware of what was going on by the cottage and was covering it up, but I didn't get that vibe by the end of the book. There characters felt forced and just used for convenience to move the story along.

I want to add that there probably should of been a trigger warning tagged onto this book. For someone who went through what I like to call a DNA crisis (I found out my mother's husband, the man who raised me, wasn't my biological father after doing a DNA test. We are known as NPEs.) and once I saw where the story was heading, I had to put myself in a different headspace to finish the book. Finding out you're parent isn't actually biologically related to you is absolutely devastating. And I thought Ian, who didn't know he was a sperm donor child (Emma did), I believe he should of been more torn up about the entire thing. This is why the book lost me and I gave it three stars, which probably should of been two, but because I wanted to know what the hell was going on outside the cottage and what the hell was up with the town that I kept reading.

This book was provided to me by Harper360 HarperCollins and #NetGalley for my honest opinion.

A gripping story in whichever you’ll be enraptured almost immediately. Creepy, you’ll want to keep reading.

Jan needs a break from her life after breaking up with her long term boyfriend and losing her job all in the same week. She finds a remote cottage a mile outside a little town. All is fine until strange visitors begin coming near her cottage at night. She can't get a picture or video of them and no one will believe her. In the meantime, a couple's baby is stillborn with deformities. They are determined to find out why this happened and why it has happened to others. This is an interesting mystery with good bones to keep the reader engaged at least at the beginning.

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.

<b>Note:</b> I received a copy of this book from Harper Collins via NetGalley.

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…

Wow. I'm not really sure what to say about this one. Reading it alone in my bedroom late at night did give me the creeps. I thought the overall concept was a little weird but I enjoyed the story throughout.

Jan decides to rent a remote cottage only to find that perhaps she isn't as removed from everything as she hoped. Every night something disturbs Jan's sleep and when she tells people around her they are very quick to attempt to dissuade her from thinking it's more than animals or the wind. Simultaneously occurring are mysterious stillborn babies being born. I found The Cottage to be intense. While it wasn't scream out loud sort of scary, anytime the sun went down I found myself getting stressed out about Jan's well-being. The result certainly wasn't anything I had anticipated and all the loose ends tied together. I read all sorts of science fiction and this borders on that mixed with something that could happen in real life. It's a 3.5 star rounded down.

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.

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.

This one was…okay.

While the book was a bit sluggish in pacing, I was interested enough to stay with it. I did find that I was a little disappointed by the reason behind everything – both because it was way too easy to figure out and because it was all so prosaic. I wanted something shocking and mysterious. I got…that.

In addition, the book felt like it was about 20% too long, and it wasn’t that long of a book. I kept thinking it was finished and it just kept going on.

I didn’t hate the book, but I also won’t remember it next week.

*ARC via Net Galley

I don't mind suspending my disbelief to enjoy a story. However this one was a little tough to suspend the entire time. It was still a fun read and I would definitely recommend to someone starting off in the genre!

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 will 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.

I thought this book would be interesting, but I found it really wasn't for me. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

The Cottage Review!

Thank you so much Netgalley, @HarperCollins360, and Lisa Stone for a gifted copy of The Cottage, in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the vibe of this book. A secluded cottage in the woods with very creepy creatures, disturbing a single woman during the night. The Cottage was a 3.75/5 ⭐️ for me! The fact that some parts of this fiction book were inspired by true events really freaked me out. This book is VERY disturbing at times. It has some great twists, some I did and didn’t see coming! It was a fairly slow read and the suspense took a while to build up.

Synopsis: Jan needs to get out of the city and just be by herself. She decided to rent a very secluded cottage in Coleshaw Woods. For a while Jan thinks it is the perfect place for some peace and quiet and time to finally write her book. When dark comes though, there are taps at the window and the dog will not stop barking. Something is right outside her cabin and Jan is terrified.

This is a new author for me and she didn’t disappoint. It has a very interesting storyline about the topics of “atavism”, sperm donors, and fertility clinics. The way the author addresses these topics is very unique. The plot has mystery, suspense, secrets and many surprises. The characters are very relatable. I highly recommend it. Excellent book, Lisa Stone!

I thought I knew what was going on right from the beginning, but decided to keep going because I enjoyed then author’s voice. I’m glad I kept at it! Though I had some aspects figured out, there were further twists coming that I did not expect. And don’t worry, ***spoiler*** the dog is fine.

I received an advance copy of, The Cottage, by Lisa Stone. This is a pretty good thriller. The ending really surprised me.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper 360 and Author for this readers ebook copy in return for an honest review!
Harper 360 is an absolute amazing publisher and I can't thank y'all enough for the chance to read and review this amazing book!.

I read The Cottage description and knew I had to try and get my hands on a advanced readers copy!
Because well this book is right down alley!
And crazy enough I simply enjoyed it all!.
This was such a tense, crazy ride.
At first I didn't quite understand how Jan the the married couple were were tied together but that is makes for a good book right?
Well soon enough I understand why. This way Stone writes is amazing, it was spell binding and intriguing.
I devoured the book in two sittings. And by the end I didn't want it to stop.
This book is crazy good. With amazing characters to boot.

Thanks again NetGalley, Publisher and Author for the chance to read and review this amazing book!
I'll post to my Goodreads, Bookstagram and Facebook account closer to pub date!