Beyond the Sea

A Modern Gothic Romance

By: L.H. Cosway

Narrated by: Shelley Atkinson

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

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.

Beyond The Sea

LH Cosway is a wonderful storyteller! I was drawn in from page one and found myself unable to put the book down.

The characters were interesting and mysterious and the story atmospheric and engaging. The book is entirely from Estella's point of view which added to the tension as the plot played out and motivations are revealed and twists uncovered. This story was a great in audiobook and I felt immersed in the plot as I listened.

Beyond the Sea is different than most of the books I read, but it was so well done I loved every minute of it.

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.

A moody, romantic journey

First off, I loved the narrator’s voice. It was simultaneously soothing and also a bit eerie, which fit the story perfectly. I enjoyed the journey this story took me on. The characters were complex, which I loved, and the twist was very much unexpected. I liked and related to Estella (as a former Catholic school girl myself,) and Noah was a fascinating hero. I didn’t know how to feel about him for quite a while, and the pay off was worth it. The setting was both creepy and romantic (which sounds odd to say!) I felt transported to the sea while reading this. My first gothic novel, and now I need to read more!

L.H.Cosway & Shelley Atkinson equals a Wonderful collaboration

I read this book prior to listening to the Audible version. I had already Loved the story and all the mystery it held.
Having heard it through Ms. Atkinson’s Narration Definitely brought a Voice to the cast of characters in this intriguing story. I absolutely loved it and would strongly recommend this Audible book!
Well done!