Beyond the Sea

A Modern Gothic Romance

By: L.H. Cosway

Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson

Length: 10 hrs and 43 mins

Publisher's Summary

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 stand-alone gothic romance set in modern times.

©2020 L.H. Cosway (P)2020 L.H. Cosway

Secrets

So many secrets can tear people apart. I caught myself yelling at my device “what are they hiding?!” I was captivated by this story. I just had to know what all the secrets were and it was not what I thought it would be. The whispers in the dark aren’t always there to help you. Curses may or may. It exist, but everyone is responsible for their future. Great and captivating story!

It was wonderful.

It was done wonderfully by this narrator. The book and this story are one of my favorites. I had already read the book, but listening to it was even better. I can't recommend it enough.

Loved this story two times over

So I originally read this story when it released, but when I was able to get a copy of the audiobook, I decided it was good enough for a second visit.
I’m so glad I gave it a listen, the narrator did it such justice, and I absolutely loved it!

Beautifully written

I love this modern Gothic romance story! The narrator did a great job with this story. It was hard to stop listening when I had to pause it and it stayed on my mind until I was able to listen to it again. I highly recommend this book and author. Loved it!

Outstanding Story & Listen🎧Beautifully Haunting!

Consider me wowed, this is one powerful, mind-blowing story that captivated my mind to the point where I could not tear myself away from it. The story is original and unique, it is beautifully written with interesting and compelling storylines. It is a step away from my usual genres but I loved every minute of it. The characters are complex and well developed, they are realistic, easy to relate to and connect with. I adored the lead character, Estella, an eighteen year old girl, losing her Dad in an accident when she was sixteen she is left living with her not so nice stepmother, Veronica aka Vee. Her life resembles Cinderella’s without the sinister stepsisters or the Prince Charming. Estella is set to inherit some of her fathers money when she finishes school so she is just biding her time and has plans to leave and live her life. Veronica’s mother also lives in the house, she is wheelchair bound and needs constant care. A big part of the story is the house, it was Veronica’s family home, an old seaside Victorian, I’d like to say there was a charm about the house but it was quite the contrary and Estella could feel it, there is an eeriness lurking within the walls. Estelle is thrown for a loop when Vee’s mysterious younger brother, Noah, shows up. She does not know what to think but she is intrigued by him, heck I did not know what to make of him either. L.H. Cosway keeps you wondering, she brings you to the edge of your seat at times and you’ll feel goosebumps on your skin as well as a chill up your spine. The story is cleverly plotted and there is never a dull moment, there is plenty of drama, a bit of angst, mystery, some mind blowing twists and turns that you never see coming, thrilling and suspenseful moments, heartfelt and heart-wrenching moments and a surprising and unlikely romance. I can not praise this book enough, it is a hauntingly beautiful story and I would recommend to anyone who loves great books, this is definitely one of them. L.H. Cosway, thank you for this amazing story, the journey and the emotional rollercoaster ride, I loved every minute of it and every word.

Shelley Atkinson is a fabulous narrator and voice artist. She brings the characters to life, gives each their own voice and personality. She does a great job portraying each character, capturing their persona and humanizing them with their emotions which can be heard in her performance. She is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this great listen🎧

Emotional and engaging

Wow - this is a compelling novel. It's a little different from what we have seen from LH Cosway in the past, a little darker and grittier, but it is so well-written and emotional. And the narration by Shelley Atkinson really enhances the story, too. I read this novel months before I listened to it. It was still just as compelling as an audiobook, and I loved the connection to the emotional parts of the story.

Estella is living sort of as a modern-day Cinderella, but more of the Grimm's fairy tale type than the Disney type. She is 18, living with a wicked, alcoholic stepmother that mistreats her. Her father loved her deeply and was loved, but that love died along with him. She lives in darkness - no love, no hope, nightmares and mistreatment. But her faith and her religion help her make it through.
Noah is her stepmother's younger brother. He is dark, mysterious, and Estella is drawn to him to help him find light and get them both out of the darkness that mires them down.
Angst abounds in this book, and along the road that they travel, Estella gets stronger and more confident, and Noah comes out the other end definitely transformed.

This is much different from your typical LH Cosway books. Much different, but an engaging and consuming story.And as I mentioned, the narration was very good and added to the emotional nature of the material.

A wonderful modern gothic romance

When I first heard that LH Cosway was writing a modern gothic romance, I wasn't sure what to expect, but this book was a wonderful read, with fascinating characters, and a great story line. I previously read the ebook version, and I loved it.

The narrator has done a marvelous job of bringing this complex story to life. She drew me into the story, and I felt completely immersed. With her lovely voice, she allowed the story to flow, complementing the story rather from distracting from it in any way!

We see the story through Estelle's eyes - she is 18, orphaned, and living with her wicked step-mother, Vee, in Vee's family home. Her dream is to complete her schooling so she can finally move away. A surprise appearance by Noah, Vee's mysterious younger brother, complicates Estelle's plans. Gradually Estelle and Noah get to know each other, and their relationship develops.

The house itself, Ard na Mara, is another character in the story. It is an old, creepy, run-down, Victorian house on the coast, that oozes negative energy that affects seems to affect its inhabitants, particularly Estelle.

The author draws us in with her wonderful depictions of the characters and their interactions with each other. Then as Noah's plans unfold, everything that Estella thought she knew about all these people twists around on itself, leading to surprising climatic finish.

This audiobook is a wonderful presentation of the story, and highly recommended!

a beautifully written modern gothic romance

It’s been a while since I’ve read an L.H. Cosway book and I was really excited to pick this one up. Beyond the Sea is a beautifully written modern gothic romance and I enjoyed it lots.

Estella’s story starts off much like a version of Cinderella (without the stepsisters). After the death of her father a few years ago, she’s living with her evil stepmother. Estella is eighteen and in her last year of school, but has nowhere else to go, she she has to stay put. Her life’s the same mundane day by day until Noah shows up.

Estella’s life hasn’t been easy, but Noah’s has been torturous. Noah is her stepmother’s much younger brother and he hasn’t been home for a long time. The house they live in is creepy at best and holds the most unpleasant of memories for Noah. Noah and Estella form a bond. Noah’s past is dark and Estella is there for him in ways no one else has been.

I listened to the audiobook of Beyond the Sea and it was narrated by Shelley Atkinson. She did a great job voicing Estella. This story was hauntingly beautiful and I was intrigued from the start. I loved Noah and Estella and I love that they weren’t your typical characters. I loved watching their relationship build and finding out new things about them both and their histories.

This book was addicting and original. It was definitely a slow burn romance and forbidden in a way as well. It was heartbreaking, angsty, and made me feel. I love that L.H. Cosway writes unique romances, and this was no exception.

Hauntingly beautiful story

I’ve read this book prior to listening to the audio and I just absolutely love the story! It is haunting, poignant and utterly beautiful. The setting, and the trials and tribulations that the characters went through really brought out the gothic theme and I found the relationships really interesting to experience. Lots of mystery and revelations, as well as some darker scenes.
Shelley Atkinson did a good job with the narration. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it, as I thought her voice sounded a bit old for Estella, but as Estella is mature for her age and has gone through so much it ended up making sense as to why she sounded older. Her narration definitely added an eerie quality to the story that enhanced the gothic theme and added depth to the listening experience.

Beyond Great

I loved the book and I couldn't wait to get the audible. But truth be told I'm sometimes afraid of audibles. If the right narrator isn't picked to read a favorite book of mine, I won't be able to get the narrator's voice out of my head.
This was not the case. It took me a bit to used to the cadence of the narrator but it's like that with me for every book. Into the first minute I was sold and this was Stella for me. The rest of the audible went by easily.
So with that being said, this will be another LH book that I will listen to and read multiple times.

Fantastic!

I ADORED this book when I originally read it on Kindle. It is one of my Top Reads 2020.

Estella Shannon is counting down the days when she can finish school and escape from her stepmother's cruelty. When her stepmother's hitherto unknown younger brother, Noah Dylan, comes to stay, the landscape of her life begins to change as everything she thought to be true unravels, as shocking revelations come to light bit by bit.

It is such an engrossing story! The novel played out in my head like an old Hitchcock film. The author built atmosphere, eeriness and creepiness into her descriptions of the house. I loved Estella's character. She was stoic, kind and strong in her faith. She was inexperienced and often confused by Noah but also really smart. He was a bundle of mystery and contradictions. He was clearly a bad boy but I adored his manner with Estella - he was protective and fascinated by her, and he pushed her to be braver. I loved the connection and sexual tension between them. It was thrilling and delicious, and all the little things made me sigh and my heart feel full.

Listening to Shelley Atkinson bringing it to life was wonderful. Her voice perfectly portrayed the sweetness, innocence and strength of Estella, as well as her fears and the first flush of attraction and love. Her voice had an almost fey quality that I thought was well-suited to a gothic novel. She had great pacing and did well with the other characters' voices. A thoroughly enjoyable listening experience.