Title: Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Suspense
Length: 358 pages
Book Rating: B+
Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley
Summary:
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 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.
Review:
Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey is an absolutely riveting domestic mystery.
Lee Chambers is a single mom to seven year old Mason who is highly intelligent but suffers from sensory processing disorder. She is very protective of him and she is quite pleased at his progress now he is homeschooled by Noah Banks. Lee’s best friend Grace Chambliss is very supportive and she has a good relationship with Mason. Lee is guarded and tight-lipped about her past but will a girls’ weekend away provide her the opportunity to confide in Grace?
Lee has carefully structured her life to revolve around providing the environment Mason needs to thrive. She is a skilled hairdresser who runs her business out of her home. She and her son socialize with Grace, her son Luca and the other two women in their circle of friends and their children. Lee is uneasy about going away on a three day getaway but after Noah agrees to stay with Mason, she begins to look forward to relaxing with her friends. After a fun-filled evening in which they take turns sharing secrets, will Lee be able to handle an unexpected revelation?
Grace is completely devoted to Lee and Mason but she is irritated that Lee’s problems sometimes dominate their time together. She and Mason share a tight bond and since the two families spend so much time together, she knows how to relate to him. Grace is frustrated when her attempts to confide in Lee are thwarted, but she plans to tell her friend her news during their girls’ trip.
Noah is patient, kind and compassionate and it is quite obvious Mason is special to him. He is also a friend to Lee as she navigates the ups and downs of single motherhood. Noah is absolutely delighted by Mason’s brilliance and he quickly adapts his lessons to nurture his student’s curiosity. But is there more to Noah than meets the eye?
Narrated from several points of view and weaving back in forth in time, Because You’re Mine is an engaging mystery with a clever storyline. The characters are richly developed and likable despite their all too human flaws. The plot is unique and filled with tension as Lee wrestles with an unexpected attraction and Grace tries numerous times to discuss something important with her best friend. Rea Frey deftly builds suspense from the explosive opening chapter until the twist-filled, stunning conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend this fantastic mystery to readers of the genre.
