This isn't the jump scare in the dark sort of horror book I was expecting and hoping for. It's psychological with a bad rooted in people, not monsters. And from that I found it hard to read because the actual subject matter is a sensitive subject. For subjects such as this book, and others, should offer trigger warnings like a movie would.

Aside from all that the book was lacking. I didn't like the female lead and found most of the secondary characters to be lacklustre. The story telling felt simplistic and overly explained to the point of boredom.
The setting was good. A cottage in the woods on the edge of the village offered hope of a better story, but was left lacking.

Grab this book if you have nothing else to read or do. Don't grab this book if you've faced fertility issues of baby loss.

Trigger warning : Fertility and baby loss.

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.

I've been in a bit of a reading slump lately and haven't read anything for a month, but i picked this book up at the weekend and I've finished it in two days! It was a really intriguing read and had my gripped from start to finish. I did have a general idea of what was to come quite early on, then did some research as the author said it had some truth to it, and my guesses were confirmed. Didn't spoil it in anyway though and I highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for this book.

I felt the writing was done well in this book but there was just something missing for me and I couldn't get into it and enjoy it as much as I hoped I would.

The Cottage is full of twists and turns and at the true heart of the story this is something that I would expect to find on a Netflix documentary. I could not put this book down and really enjoyed the twists and turns that the book presented to me.

Having gone through a breakup Jan wants to restore the calm and quiet to her life and agrees to house sit in an isolated cottage in the woods but the cottage seems to be hiding some dark and sinister secrets. Having heard noises outside and with a conviction that someone has been in the garden Jan starts to realise that thing are not as they seem. On the other hand Ian and Emma have just lost a child and through their grief they make a shocking realisation that implicates them and midwife Anne. But how does it link to the cottage?

Overall this is a very interesting read and has a real human interest aspect to it. I would highly recommend.

A gripping read which I couldn't put down. I hadn't expected the unusual direction the story would take.

Having lost her job then her boyfriend and her home, Jen is ready for a change. An isolated cottage rental she finds seems ideal. The locals are friendly and she has plenty of time to focus on writing her book. But it isn't long before she senses shadowy visitors start approaching the cottage in the night, and it seems the locals are hiding something.

CW: Infertility, still birth

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.


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.

Having read and enjoyed a few of Lisa Stone's previous books, I was only too happy to read her latest and I was not disappointed.

There are two strands to this book; the first is an intriguing story set in an isolated cottage at the edge of a wood. The main character, Jan, is not in a good place and needs a break away from a life that has spiralled down ... well she gets it but not in the way she would have hoped. The second, is the devastating story of Ian and Emma's loss of their baby and the repercussions of Ian's investigations as to why it has happened to them for a second time.

How are these two strands connected ... if at all?

Written at a steady pace with interesting characters, this is a book that will keep you reading to find out what happens. I admit that I worked out the twist quite early on but needed to keep reading to see how it all played out and, on the whole, it was very satisfying.

My thanks go to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest, unbiased and unedited review.

This is the 1st book ive read by Lisa stone, and it wont be the last. Once i picked up this book I couldn’t put it down, i read this book in 7 hours!, The story is well written! The descriptions of surroundings make the book creepy, eerie and suspense filled! I will defo pick up another book written by lisa.

Great book. Really enjoyed it. The plot is easy to work out from quite early in the book but there are a few twists.
Hard to put down.

I was so excited to read The Cottage, Lisa Stone is my favourite author, her books never fail to disappoint, The Cottage is such an addictive read, I was unsure where it would lead I absolutely love the story I was utterly gripped.

Jan Hamlin looses her job and her boyfriend finishes with her. She answers an ad to live in a secluded cottage backing onto woods for a low rent on the proviso of looking after the owner's dog while she's away. The cottage is lovely.... in the daylight but when the very dark nights creep in Jan gets scared. It's so quiet for a city girl and she when hears the slightest noise like the tapping on the window and the strange noises from the garden and forest send her imagination into overdrive.

Running alongside is a story about a couple called Ian and Emma who have tragically lost two children during childbirth. Ian plans to find out all he can about their DNA and why their children are stillborn. The stories are loosely interweaved and things become clearer as the story progresses.

I found it a creepy read and it's got a twist at the end I didn't see coming. Would recommend.

Omg, this was such an atmospheric book with the main character wanting some peace and quiet rented the cottage as it was within her budget. But it came with the eerie surroundings where there was only darkness.
The writing gripped me and fear made my throat close up many times.
The cottage set in isolation seemed to be the perfect setting for a horrifying storyline, and added to that was another story that went parallel, finally intersecting the main one. The author was pretty clever the way she did that. I got the audiobook too and enjoyed reading and listening to the story. This was so apt for those of us who loved the creepy factor more in our thrillers.

The Cottage was not what I was expecting after reading the description but I still enjoyed it very much. It had plenty of twists and turns to keep me gripped and the ending, although a little abrupt, was good.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for my ARC.

I wanted to read The Cottage as from the synopsis I expected it to be a gripping thriller: an isolated cottage; strange noises in the night and a forest that hides secrets.

In essence the book is two separate stories that intertwine throughout the novel. Jan has lots her job and split up with her partner so decides to rent Ivy Cottage, a secluded property in the woods. Ian and Emma Jennings are expecting a baby but things down go according to plan. The book takes you on a bit of a rollercoasters but whilst the book was enjoyable, I found some parts were predictable and the book just didn’t grip me as I expected it to. Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the author for the chance to review.

The cottage by Lisa Stone.

I've read every book by Lisa Stone and this one is up there with her very best , and I read it in two sittings.
In the book , it has a few storylines running through it , but they are all linked in an almost unbelievable way , which makes it all the most interesting.
Lisa Stone certainly knows how to write a good book , with great , strong characters and excellent plotlines.
Can't wait to read her next one.