" I am an abomination...born from darkness and misery"
BLURB: On a lonely cliff beside the vast blue sea there is a house.
In the house there lives a girl, and in the girl there lives a dream. Soon she'll be as free as the fishes that swim beneath the water. But until then she bides her time and lives quietly, her every move ruled over by an uncaring, heartless stepmother.
The hope for freedom is all she has to hold onto. So close she can almost taste it. But when her stepmother’s estranged younger brother comes to stay, he presents a mystery that lures her in.
The girl doesn’t understand that beneath the allure of the unknown sometimes all we find are horrors. And in searching for the truth, her heart is in danger of falling like a rock to the bottom of the deep dark sea. Beyond the Sea is a standalone Gothic Romance set in modern times.
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BOOK REVIEW
Genre: Gothic Romance
Overall rating: 15/20
Trigger warning: Trauma, alcohol abuse, sexual abuse.
This book follows 18 yr old Estella, living with her step-mother Vee, after the death of her father. Vee is spiteful and often cruel, and all Estella wants to do is get through the last few months of school, claim her inheritance and leave for good. However the arrival of Vee's little brother complicates matters. Because Estella has long felt menacing shadows in the old decrepit house she lives in with Vee. And with Noah's arrival those shadows seem to be getting ever stronger and sinister. As she is drawn more into Noah's darkness she fears her own dark past may swallow her whole. This book is billed as a gothic romance set in modern times. And I couldn't agree more. The house itself has such an unearthly presence throughout the book, and the more we find out about its history and its previous inhabitants the more eerie the whole thing becomes. Set in an old Irish coastal town, the cliffs and sea add on another layer of menace. As the story progresses, it becomes horrifyingly clear not everything is as it seems.
As always L. H. Cosway has a way of weaving a mystery that leaves you wandering what is happening. As we are lead through it by Estrella we only know what she knows but we are rewarded for our patience as the slow unravelling packs a punch when you do find out the truth. The story has an additional element of the paranormal threaded throughout that really elevates the story in my opinion.
The romance is very slow burn and sweet, but Id say it isn't the main focus. The mystery is by far the more compelling element.
I really enjoyed the story and finished it over one sitting. I would recommend this book if you like gothic settings, unexplained happenings, a bit of revenge and a sweet, tender romance.
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