An “insidious, suspenseful tale” (J.T. Ellison) with a “shocker of an ending you won’t see coming” (Michele Campbell), Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey, the author who “brings to mind Jodi Picoult” (Booklist) and “will appeal to readers of Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen” (Sally Hepworth) is a novel about how the truth will set you free.But it’s the lies that keep you safe.Single mother Lee has … 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. And what will happen to Mason, 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.
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I received an ARC through NetGalley.
I loved this book! The author’s note and the acknowledgements make this story even more special. The short fast-paced chapters kept me turning pages. I had to know what happened next.
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!
This is a small town story told in 3 POVs in past and present with diary entries interspersed.
Lee, Grace and Noah are our three narrators with Lee being the main one for the first half and Grace taking over more in the second half. The story, at first reads like women’s fiction. A tale of a single woman, Lee with a child on the spectrum (Mason, who actually holds his own and has quite a big part in the whole plot of the story) and how she balances life. She has Grace as a best friend and Noah who assists her in helping with Mason and his everyday activities. We see how life is difficult for her, but she also seems to be hiding from herself and hiding secrets from those she cares about. But in a small town, lies and secrets are sure to be revealed.
At first, I was confused with all the characters and trying to keep everyone straight. It took a bit to finally put them all together and see whose voice was whose. It didn’t take away from the story, but I found myself going back and forth to chapter headings to see “where we were”. I finally got to a good speed and understanding and the storyline moved in a way that seemed plausible.
The story builds up showing how each character’s past has made them who they are today. But we keep getting someone’s voice in the diaries, in the italics. Who could it be?
The turn around is when Lee, Grace and the girls go for a weekend trip, leaving Mason alone with Noah. This is where everything goes up in smoke and we are now waist deep in a suspense and needing to figure out the mystery of the story. Is it as clean cut as we see on the page, or is there more to each character and who is telling the truth and where does everyone’s loyalty lie?
Rea Frey started a story that seemed like a simple women’s fiction and turned it into a mystery/suspense that had the small town feels wrapped into lies and secrets and made it work. I liked how I thought I knew exactly where it was going and then gave me a piece of the past that made me question what the truth was. I don’t think the entire story was perfect, but I liked the way it was paced for the most part. It seemed to slow down during some parts, but it was also giving me the clues I needed to come to the conclusion. The end seemed a little too quickly wrapped up and dropped that one last bomb, but it had me convinced of one thing and totally threw the last thing in for a bit of surprise. That’s what makes for a good suspense.
Overall, a well written story that had a few things lagging, but everything came together in the end for a successful small town mystery that had me intrigued through the majority of the story.
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
This book is almost impossible to talk about without giving up too much information but I’m going to do it. There’s Lee, the single mother of 7-year old Mason who is brilliant and on the spectrum. Lee’s a hair stylist with a salon setup in her home and she keeps to a strict regimen everyday. Noah is his in-home tutor who has an amazing rapport with Mason and helps keep tension to a minimum. Grace is a successful businesswoman, a divorced mother of 7-year old Luca, and who’s Lee’s best friend. They have two other friends in their circle but Lee and Grace have a close bond. When a girls weekend is planned, Lee is faced with being away from her son for the very first time.
I started this story blind but because of the seemingly meandering start, I read the synopsis after about the 30% mark. The prologue sets the stage for what’s to come but I just wasn’t certain where it was leading. It was interesting, very much so, but the point felt elusive. Then it took a turn and I literally couldn’t put the book down. I was so hooked that I grumbled when I had to pause to celebrate my husband’s birthday with friends but came back and continued to the finish in the wee hours.
I’m used to unreliable narrators but this story took that concept to a new level. It became impossible to decipher truth and lies so I just rolled with it, absorbing it all and reflecting in the moment. Then came that WTH moment in the end that I never, ever saw coming and threw everything up in the air. I rarely get fooled this bad so kudos to the author for a rocking twist.
This was also a buddy read with Tina @ Reading Between the Pages and I’m so happy we agreed to pair up because I needed to discuss this along the way with someone. We were both feeling the same emotions and thoughts at pivotal junctions, no surprise as she’s one of my book twins. I highly recommend this book as a buddy, group or book club read because there’s so much to digest and sort out. I loved it.
(Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin & NetGalley for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)
I will start this review with a trigger warning. I am not giving anything away because the author goes into her own experience at the beginning of the book. The triggers are sexual assault, suicide, drug use, and alcoholism. If any of those triggers you, do not to read the book.
I enjoy reading mystery/thriller/suspense novels. I like the charge I get when reading them. I love not knowing what is going to happen next in the book, which is why I decided to review Because You’re Mine. I am glad I did because this book was fantastic!! It was everything I thought it was going to be.
Because You’re Mine has three plotlines. They are Lee, Noah, and Grace. When I first figured that out, I was kind of “eh” about it. If there are many plotlines, I sometimes have an issue keeping track of them. In this case, though, I was good. The author marked each chapter with who it was (Noah, Grace, Lee). She even went one step further and marked it when the book went from past to present. When I noticed that, I whispered a “Thank you.” That is a huge pet peeve of mine when reading books with numerous and intertwining plotlines. They aren’t marked and if there are changes between present and past, forget it.
I will admit, I was a little irritated by the journal entries. I couldn’t understand why they were there. But, as I got into the book, the entries started making sense. Of course, I got who was writing them wrong.
I liked Lee. Life wasn’t easy for her. Raising an autistic child was hard. She had to keep to a precise schedule for Mason, which meant no dating, no men. She was slightly selfish. When she got together with Grace, everything was about her. She never let Grace get a word in edgewise. But, then again, if my only outlet were talking about my past, I would do the same. I will say this; I was not expecting a couple of twists that popped up in her storyline.
I was iffy with Noah. I felt that he was throwing mixed signals at Lee. I didn’t understand why he couldn’t have come clean sooner to her. I did feel bad for him when his secret was revealed. I would not have been able to live with myself after that, which leads to the second secret. If the first secret hadn’t of happened, then the second one definitely wouldn’t have happened.
I thought Grace was a great friend. I felt terrible that she had to hide her secret from Lee. Her stress was palpable. I could understand why she wouldn’t have wanted Lee to know. Her other secret blew my flipping mind. I couldn’t believe it. I put my Kindle down and said “No freaking way.“
I thought that Because You’re Mine was a great fit in the mystery/suspense/thriller category. The author did a fantastic job of keeping Lee, Noah and Grace’s many secrets, well, a secret until the end. I did guess Noah’s and had kind of a feel for Lee’s. But Grace’s, no way. Talk about blindsiding someone.
There are a few sex/sexual scenes in Because You’re Mine. The one involving Noah and Grace disturbed me. Not because of the rough sex but because of what Noah said. I got shivers reading it.
The end of Because You’re Mine messed with me. I was not expecting the 180 a particular character did. Talk about making my mouth drop. I was a little aggravated at the lengths that person was going to go through to get back at people. If you read the book, you know what I am talking about. Other than that, it was one of the best endings I have read in a while.
Talk about thinking you know the answers, don’t be so sure, I was confident I had it all figured out, but wow did not see most of this coming.
Up until the last page is turned and even then, the surprises keep appearing, and didn’t let up.
A child, a mom, a mom, a friend, a foe, you will be shaking your head and then the father, who can you trust, and when you do you probably shouldn’t have, no one seems to be who you meet at first and right up to the end it keeps changing.
If you enjoy suspense, you don’t want to miss this one, it will keep you up late, and then enter your dreams!
I received this book through Net Galley and the Publisher St. Martin’s Press, and was not required to give a positive review.
Because You’re Mine is a book of love, friendship, family and deception. The story is told from three different points of view, which leads to all the twists that this story takes. The author has set the traps and I fell in. I thought I knew what the outcome was going to be, but I did not and found myself surprised by the ending.
At the beginning of the book, I was drawn in by the friendship and camaraderie. But as the story progressed, I started to question what was truly going on. This is a well written mystery full of suspense and intrigue. The story flows smoothly with shifts from present to past, adding more questions as the story progresses. The characters are well developed and are very real. Each has his or her own secrets you can’t wait to uncover with every twist and turn.
I highly recommend this book. Thank you #Netgalley and #StMartinsPress for approving mine request for an ARC of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are solely my own.
Very interesting title for a very different, but good read. When you see the title, you are going to think it’s going to be a romance, but it is far from that.
We meet Grace and Lee. Both are single and both have sons the same age. Lee appears to have more baggage than Grace, but they both are overwhelmed.
Both of them seem to be hiding something.
Then we add in Lee’s son’s teacher Noah who also has a secret.
All three characters are connected through Mason, and the connection goes deep. Everything appears to be good for once for the most part until Lee goes on a weekend trip with her girlfriends, and one of the girls turns up dead.
Many subtle hints are given in every chapter about what’s going on but nothing is revealed, but there is an undertone of menace throughout.
BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE is filled with characters with secrets and characters with private burdens. It also deals with friendship issues, decisions, grief, and drug and alcohol use.
BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE will appeal to those readers who enjoy subtle suggestions of what is going on with the characters and readers who would like to get to know the characters better because you really aren’t sure what’s making them tick or who is telling the truth.
The book actually was depressing at times, but you will want to continue reading to see what happens to the characters and what the real truths are.
The ending will have you saying “what?” 4/5
This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Because You’re Mine was a very good read with a fast paced plot. I’m not positive how I feel about this because some parts were a big draggy for me and most of the characters I disliked. I loved Mason – absolutely loved him. His overworked, always on edge mom Lee? Not so much. I felt like she woke up stressed, added more stress every day even over simple things and built everything up more than it needed to be.
Noah? Oh gosh, don’t get me started. Creepy. I know he was supposed to be, but just too much for me.
The story was very interesting and I enjoyed following along as plans were made for the weekend away. I will confess that I didn’t see the ending coming, but once I thought about it, it did make sense. I kind of hate that it ended because I would have loved to know more about life after that ending.
All in all, this was a good read that did keep me guessing and wondering what was going to happen, which is what this genre should do. I’d definitely give it a chance if you’re consider reading it.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts in this review are my own and freely given.
WOW!! Just WOW! THAT ENDING!
I love Rea Frey’s books before but this one is one that is beyond just WOW! It’s so good you won’t believe it. It will take you in from the beginning and you won’t want to put it down until the very last word. It will completely blow you away. That ending is perfect. I never saw that coming. It was a complete shock to my system. So many books I do figure out when others say they can’t or didn’t but this one I honestly did not see it coming at all. No way. Great job Ms Frey. Great job.
I enjoyed this book so much. It has some parts that some people may find offensive but if you read it it’s beautifully written and I don’t mean in a poetic way but a way that sets you up for an explosive ending that you won’t expect.
Friends, honest close, best friends. That is what Lee and Grace are. Two single mothers who have very different sons. Lee’s son suffers from autism and needs help with his teaching and some physical therapy. She is not rich by any means but Noah, recommended by Grace, helps out and at a price Lee can afford. Grace knows Noah and has known him for many years. Lee trusts him to help her son and her son does great with him. He does great with Grace also.
Grace is a divorced single mother to Luke who is just a typical seven year old carefree child. Grace is Lee’s best friend and helped her get the teacher, Noah, for her son Mason. Grace is the best friend Lee needs. They know everything about each other. Or do they. Are they each hiding some secrets that they are not ready to reveal? And Noah, who exactly is he. Lee has feelings for him but he seems to pull away from her when she says something that lets him know how she may be feeling.
Noah, a kind, caring man who is great with Mason. A friend to both Lee and Grace. He’s got secrets of his own. He’s also had a terrible thing happen to him. He lost his brother years before. Grace lost her sister years before. Terrible losses for each of them. Both have their own secrets also. Who exactly are these to people and what do they mean to each other? If anything…
A two night, three day, vacation with just the girls. Lee leaves Mason with Noah who promises to keep in touch every day, hourly, to let her know all is fine. Four friends on a trip together, just the girls. Away from children and some away from their husbands. What could happen? All seems fine there and back home. But is all ok or will something horrible happen? Who will make it and who won’t. Is it an accident? Was alcohol involved? So many questions. Just who are each of these women and men? Three have deep secrets that they vow to take to their graves.
This book is so full of mysteries and twists you won’t ever figure it out. It’s written exceptionally well. It’s touching, sad, happy, a tiny bit funny in parts and tragic. The build up to the ending is so good. You will expel a deep breath when you find out exactly what happened and why.
The characters are great, likable, a bit mysterious in parts and so well developed. The plot is excellent. The whole book is so good. The ending is jaw dropping, unexpected and so good.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #St Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
A definite 5++ stars from me. I highly highly recommend this book. WOW!! It’s that good I promise.
Four “mom-friends” ((two married (Carol and Alice), two single mothers (Grace and Lee)) decide to take a 3-day girl trip to escape their never-ending responsibilities, to rejuvenate and enjoy themselves. Each is relaxing into the experience and enjoying the beautiful setting. But at the end of 48 hours, one of them is dead. The death is ruled accidental, but was it really?
Told in three time periods (the week leading up to the fall, the present, and the past) and in three points of view (Grace, Lee, and Noah) plus assorted diary entries, the author held this reader’s interest from the first page to the last.
There are so many secrets, lies, deceit and betrayals to explore. That, along with intricate plot lines, well-developed main characters and a powerhouse of an ending make this a 4-star read for me.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Rea Frey and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read a copy of this novel in exchange for an unbiased review.
Whoa. This was NOT what I expected. It enticed and cajoled, had me skipping blissfully down the path and then turned everything I thought I knew on its head. Lots of secrets, heartache and tragedy, but in the midst of it all, a family cobbles itself together in a place where love and security seem to bloom, not in spite of, but because of all they’ve endured.
The main cast of characters are Lee, her special needs son, Mason, his occupational therapist/tutor, Noah, and Lee’s best friend, Grace. Grace and their other girlfriends convince Lee to go on a girls’ weekend with them, leaving Noah to care for Mason. The book alternates between past and present with the intent of building up tension about all the secrets and their ultimate revelation.
This one left me with opposite feelings than what I anticipated. I was fine with the format and even okay with skipping portions of narration that did little to add to the story. I enjoyed the intrigue and the shocks and thought the storyline was carefully planned. In the end, it left too many unanswered questions. We have no clue as to what Noah’s future holds nor how the other girlfriends will react if things develop as we’re lead to believe. It wasn’t the shocking twist at the end, so much as the unanswered questions that left me unsatisfied.
If this author intended to create a story that is sure to elicit strong reactions, she succeeded. Your reaction will depend on what type of reading you enjoy, but make no mistake, you will have one, likely shock and confusion, but I doubt you’ll be ambivalent. Check out what other reviewers have to say and make an informed decision as to whether or not this book is for you.
*I read an early edition of this book freely and voluntarily, having made no commitment to provide feedback and receiving no compensation of any kind from any source.
Because You’re Mine, hit every mark on my thriller, and suspense must have needs list. This book grabbed me from the beginning. There were multiple times when I thought I had this story figured out…But I WAS WRONG! And I loved being wrong because as it turned out, the twist was even more devious than I thought. This is the first book by Rea Frey that I have read. I see her as an up and coming author that should not be missed, and I look forward to reading more of her work.
This book is told from the three perspectives of the main characters, Lee, Grace, and Noah. Also, Ms. Frey gives us glimpses of these character’s past secrets and lies that are perfectly interspersed throughout the book, giving the reader just enough mystery to keep us on edge.
Lee is a single mom to Mason, who is very intelligent, on the spectrum, seven-year-old. Noah is Mason’s occupational therapist and homeschool tutor. Grace is Lee’s best friend who is divorced and also has a son Mason’s age. Over time Lee, Grace, Carol, and Alice become good friends. They all feel sorry for Lee as she struggles with being the single mom of an autistic child, so they suggest a getaway weekend. This is when the book takes off, so hold on tight, because it becomes a wild ride of secrets, lies, deceit, and at times, pure ugliness. I feel that I can’t say anything more about the plot because there are so many twists and turns and unexpected events that it would ruin the read.
I enjoyed the writing style of Ms. Frey; the way she developed and intertwined each character into the story, gradually giving out small details and hints as to the genuine nature of these three characters. I found Mason to be an engaging and lovable character giving this sometimes dark tale some balance. Be prepared for some wicked twists that you will not see coming (I didn’t).
Sometimes the title of a book doesn’t seem to fit, and at the start of this book, I felt that way. By the end of the book, as I was shaking my head trying to figure out what I just read, I actually said to my self, Lori, you were wrong again. Because You’re Mine is the perfect title. I also wanted to mention that there are some adult themes in this book that may be disturbing to some readers. I am one of those readers who always read the authors’ note and also the acknowledgments. In this particular book, I highly recommend you read the section, a Note to Readers. This gave me an insightful look into how poignant this book was for Ms. Frey. I highly recommend this book for all lovers of the thriller-suspense genre.
***I kindly received this galley by way of NetGalley/publisher/author. I was not contacted, asked, or required to leave a review. I received no compensation, financial or otherwise. I have voluntarily read this book, and this review is my honest opinion .***
I loved Frey’s first novel “Not Her Daughter” and was happy to find that her second book did not disappoint. This book is very much one of shifting human relationships – Lee and Mason, Mason and Noah, Mason and Luca, Lee and Grace, Lee and Shirley. I especially loved the relationship between the sons Mason and Luca. They were adorable. As the story moves back and forth from present to past and back to present we observe the shifting and the reasons behind the shifts. The story is also told in the alternating perspectives of Lee, Grace, and Noah. Of course all three have deep secrets. All the characters in this book are so realistic that they really tapped into my emotions.
The author expertly timed the revealing of their secrets and the impact on the characters. Thrilling and suspenseful. The level of plotting and revenge was shocking! The ending did seem a bit rushed but it still all worked for me. This would be a great book club read just has her first book was.
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and GoodReads for the advance copy for review purposes. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
A new author for me, and I plan to read her debut. This is a well written book with strong characters. Rhea Frey writes a story of best friends, losses, lies and deceit. It is narrated alternately by the main characters. It is filled with twists and turns until the slam dunk ending. My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. I loved it!
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #RheaFrey
Last year I was given the privilege of a sneak peek reading of @reafrey ‘s second mind blowing, suspense filled, stay up all night, read myself into a book hangover novel #becauseyouremine . The story opens with single momma Lee and her quick witted son Mason, who has sensory processing disorder. Lee’s life is based on a strict structure in order to keep Mason safe, so when her best friend Grace talks her into a quick getaway with friends, Lee reluctantly leaves Mason in the most capable hands of Noah, his tutor. By the end of the trip someone is dead. Lee, Grace and Noah all have secrets that come crashing in on their lives…. I immediately fell in love with Mason, Rea Frey masterfully portrayed this child and all that his world entails through the story. This book had me hooked immediately and I couldn’t put it down until the last page. And the ending?!?!!??? I NEVER SAW IT COMING!!! And that’s what I love in a book. #mindblown #treatyoself and pre order this book. And if you haven’t read #notherdaughter , you MUST!!! Huge Thank You to Rea for the opportunity. I cannot wait for her next book. #bookstagram #thrillerbooks #bookhangover #suspensethriller #killerreads #pageturner #nailbiter #icouldntputitdown
Another fast paced book that kept me turning the pages! This book really surprised me! Wow! Another unexpected ending!! I thought it was good
This book will surprise you! The author paints a picture of each character and then bam at the end you won’t believe what happens. I recommend this book to keep you on your toes.
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC. This review is in my own words.
Fascinating second novel from Rea Frey. The characters are well developed and the story moves along nicely. Just when you think you know what’s going on, this story flips and twists back on itself and you’re left stunned. A multi-layered domestic sunspenser that will hook you from the start and hurtle you all the way to the shocking end!
Wowza what a ride! This book is told by 3 points of view. Lee, a single mom to Mason. Grace, a single mom to Luca. Noah, who is Mason’s teacher. Lee and Grace become friends after meeting and connecting with their sons. Mason is autistic and needs an at home teacher for that one on one care. Grace is friends with Noah and connects Lee with Noah. Lee and Grace go away with two other moms for a girls weekend. One doesn’t return home. There are so many secrets that come to light with all three of the main characters just when you think you have something figured out, you realize nope you are wrong! The end floored me and I had to read it a few times to let it all sink in. I thoroughly enjoyed this books with all its twists and turns. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.