The Other Year by Rea Frey ~ My Thoughts #TheOtherYear @harpermusebooks

 

The Other Year by Rea Frey

Contemporary, Magical Realism, 352 pages

Published August 15, 2023 by Harper Muse

Can the entire course of a life be traced back to a single moment?

On a coveted two-week beach vacation, working mom Kate Baker’s nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, vanishes suddenly among the waves—a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality. But in the next moment, Olivia resurfaces, joyously splashing.

What would I do if she didn’t come up? Kate wonders. How would I live without her?

In another set of circumstances that hold a different fate, Kate doesn’t have to wonder. Because in that “other” world, in the pulse-pounding seconds after Olivia goes under, she doesn’t come back up.

Told in parallel timelines, Kate begins to live two lives—one in which Olivia resurfaces and one in which she doesn’t. In the reality that follows her daughter’s death, she maneuvers through every mother’s worst nightmare, facing grief, rage, and the ques­tion of purpose in the aftermath of such profound loss. She endures, day by day, in a world without her daughter.

In her alternate timeline, while she explores a tremulous romance with her best friend, Jason, she finds herself grappling with the ex-husband who abandoned Kate and Olivia years prior. Even as Kate scrambles to hold her daughter close, Olivia pulls further away. The line between joy and loss seems to get thinner with each passing day.

Woven into a single story, both Kates discover a breathtaking fragility and resilience in their respective journeys. Bringing to light the drastic polarities dire circumstances often create, The Other Year explores truths about love, loss, and the sharp turns any life can take in the blink of an eye.

“In this world-altering women's fiction novel, single mother Kate Baker looks away for a single moment, only to lose sight of her daughter in the ocean. As a result, her world splits into two separate realities: one where she gets to keep being a mother and the other where she doesn't. The message is clear: Love your people. A tear-jerker with heart.” —Brenda Novak, New York Times bestselling author

My thoughts about The Other Year ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First lines—"The Red flag ripples in the wind. Olivia is all business, her body primed for the impending crush of waves."

What if you could see what your life would be like if things went a different way in a specific situation? That's the predicament Kate finds herself in when she and her daughter are enjoying a two-week vacation at the beach. In one life, she is trying to get through each day without her daughter, in her other world, she finds herself dealing with a lot of different drama. 

I loved the way this story was told, with two different scenarios or timelines, not knowing which one would win in the end. I ached for Kate when she felt like she couldn't go on without Olivia. And enjoyed the life she had with Olivia, even with all of the teenage angst that her daughter brought to her world. It made me stop and think about how different our lives can be in a snap of the finger. 

I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Year, as I have all of Rea Frey's books. This is one I will remember and think about for a long time. Highly recommend it!

I received an eARC of The Other Year via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

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About the author

Rea Frey is the award-winning, bestselling author several nonfiction books and four suspense novels. Her latest women's fiction/magical realism novel, The Other Year, hits bookstores in August.

Known as The Book Doula, Rea helps other writers birth their books into the world. To learn more, visit reafrey.com ~ Goodreads

Connect with Rea

Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

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Until I Find You by Rea Frey ~ My Thoughts #UntilIFindYou #NetGalley

Until I Find You

Until I Find You by Rea Frey
316 pages
Published August 11th 2020 by St. Martin's Griffin

Celebrated author Rea Frey brings you her most explosive, emotional, taut domestic drama yet about the powerful bond between mothers and children…and how far one woman will go to bring her son home.

The Set-Up

Soon, Rebecca Gray won’t be able to see. Diagnosed in her twenties with a degenerative eye disease, each day her world grows a little darker. She’s moved to the suburbs to raise her son, Jackson. In the wake of her husband's death, it should be a quieter, easier way of life.

It won’t be.

The Moment That Changes Everything

When Bec awakes after fainting in the park, she makes promises to start taking better care of herself. When her son begins to cry, she approaches the crib.

Reaches in.

Picks him up.

But he’s not her son.

The Search

There’s nothing Bec won’t do to find Jackson. But she’s a blind woman in a world where seeing is believing. The police think she’s confused. Her friends don’t see any differences. Relying on the conviction of her instinct and the power of a mother’s love, Bec must push the limits of her world to uncover what happened to her baby boy…and bring him home for good.

     

My thoughts about Until I Find You ~~ 

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"Someone's coming. My feet expertly navigate the familiar path toward the path without my cane. Footsteps advance behind me."

I can't even imagine a life like Rebecca's—a blind, single mom who is still mourning the death of her husband. Just being able to raise a child alone is hard, but then to not be able to see that wonderful child and the world around him would make it even harder.

Things start happening in Bec's world, things that make her think that someone is messing with her or out to get her. Is she just being paranoid? Then one day, when she picks up her son out of his bed she discovers it isn't him. It's someone else's baby. Why won't anyone believe her?

I loved and hated this story—loved it because of the complexity of what was happening to Bec and her son and all the clues thrown out as to 'who done it', and hated it for those very same reasons. I suspected everyone at some point and I never knew who Bec could trust. Just when I thought I was on the right path to the 'bad guy', the author would take me in a different direction. There were several times I just wanted to scream at everyone to take Bec seriously! She knows her own baby! Why won't they listen to her?

Until I Find You got me pretty worked up and stressed out for Rebecca—and I loved every minute of it! This is a book that will easily draw you in and keep you intrigued to the very end.

I received a copy of Until I Find You from the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

About the author

Rea Frey is the author of Not Her Daughter, Because You're Mine, and her upcoming release, Until I Find You.

She is also the founder of Writeway, where aspiring authors become published authors. ~ Goodreads

Connect with Rea

Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Instagram

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Release Day! Because You're Mine by Rea Frey ~ My Thoughts #BecauseYoureMine #NetGalley

Congrats Rea

on the release today of

Because You're Mine!

Because You're Mine by Rea Frey
Print & e-book, 358 pages
Published August 6th 2019 by St. Martin's Griffin

But it’s the lies that keep you safe.

Single mother Lee has the daily routine down to a science: shower in six minutes. Cut food into perfect squares. Never leave her on-the-spectrum son Mason in someone else’s care. She’ll do anything—anything—to keep his carefully constructed world from falling apart. Do anything to keep him safe.

But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in to a weekend trip. Surely a long weekend away from home won’t hurt?
Noah, Mason’s handsome, bright, charismatic tutor—the first man in ages Lee’s even noticed—is more than happy to stay with him.

Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead.

But not all is as it seems. Noah may be more than who he claims to be. Grace has a secret—one that will destroy Lee. Lee has secrets of her own that she will do anything to keep hidden.

As the dominoes begin to fall and the past comes to light, perhaps it's no mystery someone is gone after all…

Because You're Mine is a breathtaking novel of domestic drama and suspense.

Prepare to stay up all night.

My thoughts about Because You're Mine ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first line.)

First line—"She is going to die. She doesn't know it yet."

Amazing! This story, with all it's twists and turns, is absolutely amazing! 

I knew there were going to be twists. And secrets. And lies. I knew someone was going to end up being the bad guy, or gal. As I got deeper and deeper into the story, my idea of who that bad person was going to be kept shifting. It got so I didn't trust hardly anyone's story. But there were are so may likable characters, I didn't want any of them to be bad. 

Because You're Mine is definitely a book that will keep you up late as you try to figure it out. And then the ending. Boom! Did not see that coming. Totally fooled me! And I was suspicious from the get-go and I still got sucked in.

Put this high on your TBR list, you really need to read it!  

I received a copy of Because You're Mine via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion of the book.

About the author

Rea Frey is an award-winning author of four nonfiction books. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter. Her debut novel, Nor Her Daughter, was released 8.21.18 and has been optioned for film. Her new novel, Because You're Mine, will be published 8.6.19. Read more at reafrey.com.~ Amazon

Connect with Rea

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Release Day! Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey ~ My Thoughts #NotHerDaughter #NetGalley

Happy Release Day!

Not Her Daughter

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
Print and ebook, 352 pages
Published August 21st 2018 by St. Martin's Griffin

Gripping, emotional, and wire-taut, Not Her Daughter raises the question of what it means to be a mother—and how far someone will go to keep a child safe.

Emma Grace Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes. Brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma Townsend is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Abandoned by her mother. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal--and when a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her, far away from home. But if it's to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure she wants her daughter back.

Amy's life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now she's gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But her real mother is at home, waiting for her to return--and the longer the search for Emma continues, Amy is forced to question if she really wants her back.

Congratulations Rea

 on the release today of

Not Her Daughter!

My thoughts about Not My Daughter ~~

(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)

First line—"I grip her hand. Dirt clings to her small palm and makes caked half-moons under her nails."

Not Her Daughter is a captivating story that had me bouncing back and forth between the women in the book. I didn't know how I felt about either one of them. One of the women is the mother to little Emma. A mother should be a loving and warm person, doing everything she can to keep her children safe. But Amy is just the opposite—she is a horrible mother to her daughter and she made me so angry. 

And then there's the other women, Sarah, the one who just wants to protect the little girl. But is kidnapping the way to save her? She provides the love and comfort that Emma needs but she is breaking the law. Both women's actions are wrong so who should end up the hero of this story? 

This is a story that will grip you from the first and keep you turning the pages as Sarah and Emma try to keep ahead of the authorities at the same time that Amy and her husband come under scrutiny from the police. Such messed up lives!  

I am totally amazed that this is a debut novel from Rea Frey. What an amazing book! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for her next book. 

I received Not Her Daughter from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

About the author

Rea Frey is the author of four nonfiction books. Her debut novel, Not Her Daughter, will be released by St. Martin’s Press August 21, 2018.

When she’s not exercising, mothering, adulting, wifing, eating, or writing about herself in the third person, you can find her hard at work on her next book and ghostwriting for other people.

Connect with Rea

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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