The House by the Sea Book Review

10 March 2023

This was my first Louise Douglas book. I was scrolling through Audible and this cover drew my attention. This is an emotional, yet feel-good story about a mother coming to terms with the loss of her son and forgiving the person she blames for that loss.

I had no idea what to expect when I started this book but found myself quickly engrossed in the mystery and emotion. This book offers amazing scenery and left me escaping to this beautiful old villa filled with history.

The book is full of emotions wrapped in a mystery that keeps you hooked from start to end. The author created realistic characters and placed them in a stunning environment allowing the reader the chance to feel and see everything while they are engrossed in this tale.

Edie lost everything thanks to Anna DeLuca’s carelessness, so when she hears that Anna has passed away she is relieved. She refuses to pretend otherwise because everyone knows that she hated Anna. However, Anna’s will force Edie to visit Sicily and the long-abandoned Villa della Madonna del Mare. Edie is convinced that this is another of Anna’s games and she is determined to get the entire experience over with as quickly as possible. However, once at the Villa, Edie finds herself drawn to the place and changes her mind about selling it. However, the locals are not keen on outsiders and as things start going wrong Edie needs to look into her mother-in-law’s past, only to discover that there was more to Anna than she ever realised.

I enjoyed the emotion that filled this story. I was quickly engrossed and enjoyed how this story transported me to Sicily and the villa. This was an entertaining read/listen.

Edie is a brilliant creation and the narrator was a perfect match for this character. I usually battle with audiobooks that are “over-acted” but this one was really well done. I enjoyed the story and the narration – that is pretty rare for me.

Edie is consumed with hate for her mother-in-law whom she blames for the loss of her child. As the story unfolds your heart breaks for this woman, yet you understand her feelings. As she digs into Anna’s past and starts seeing a very different version of the woman who destroyed her life she changes and finds it in her to forgive Anna. The author did a brilliant job of transforming this character from a bitter woman into some who can find happiness again.

If you are looking for a moving story with some mystery thrown in, then you will not go wrong reaching for this book. It is an entertaining and easy to listen to audiobook that you will not want to stop until you reach the end.