Category Archives: Rea Frey

August 10, 2020 · 11:58 pm

Review: Until I Find You by Rea Frey

Title: Until I Find You by Rea Frey
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Suspense
Length: 316 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

In Until I Find You, 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.

2 floors. 55 steps to go up. 40 more to the crib.

Since Rebecca Gray was diagnosed with a degenerative eye disease, everything in her life consists of numbers. Each day her world grows a little darker and each step becomes a little more dangerous.

Following days of feeling like someone’s watching her, Bec awakes at home to the cries of her son in his nursery. When it’s clear he’s not going to settle, Bec goes to check on him.
She reaches in. Picks him up.
But he’s not her son.
And no one believes her.

One woman’s desperate search for her son . . .

In a world where seeing is believing, Bec must rely on her own conviction and a mother’s instinct to uncover the truth about what happened to her baby and bring him home for good.

Review:

Until I Find You by Rea Frey is an edge of the seat domestic mystery.

Widowed mother to three month old Jackson, Bec Gray has lost most of her vision due to a degenerative eye disease. She is still grieving the death of her husband Chris and she has also recently suffered another heartrending loss. Living on her own and refusing any help offered to her, Bec is exhausted and struggling with her increasing fears that something will happen to Jackson. Suffering from nightmares and insomnia, Bec is already on edge when she makes a shocking discovery: someone has swapped Jackson for another baby. With her ex-boyfriend homicide detective Jake Donovan suddenly back in her life, he tries to convince the local police department to take her assertions seriously. But with the police slow to act, he and Bec try to figure out whose baby she is now caring for.

Bec has a circle of friends who are only a phone call or text away. Jess also has a young baby but she has a nanny to help care for her son. She urges Bec to allow her to take Jackson to give her a much needed break, but Bec stubbornly refuses. When Bec tells her about the baby switch, will Jess believe her friend?

Beth is another mom that Bec and Jess spend time with. Her baby is about the same age as Jackson but their parenting philosophies are quite different.  Her son is much fussier than Jackson but Beth would not switch babies with Bec. Would she?

Bec also attends a grief support group and she has become close friends with Crystal and her ten year old daughter Savi. The women have bonded over their respective losses but their lives are quite different. Crystal is busy building her interior design business while Bec is focused on caring for Jackson. Beth is initially unaware of about Bec’s search for Jackson, but she completely and fully supports and believes her friend’s belief that her son is missing.

Switching seamlessly between Bec’s and Crystal’s perspectives, Until I Find You is a chilling domestic mystery. Bec’s anxiety and increasing desperation are palpable as she frantically tries to find Jackson. The storyline is engrossing and the tension builds to a fever pitch with every chapter.  With a jaw-dropping plot-twist, Rea Frey brings this riveting mystery to an unanticipated conclusion.  I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend this clever mystery to fans of the genre.

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Filed under Contemporary, Domestic Mystery, Mystery, Rated B+, Rea Frey, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Suspense, Until I Find You

August 5, 2019 · 11:57 pm

Review: Because You’re Mine by Rea Frey

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.

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Filed under Because You're Mine, Contemporary, Mystery, Rated B+, Rea Frey, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Suspense

August 19, 2018 · 11:58 pm

Review: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey

Title: Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction, Suspense
Length: 352 pages
Book Rating: B

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

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 Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma 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. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. 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 whether 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 Emma is gone without a trace.

As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?

Review:

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey is a suspenseful debut novel about the abduction of a five year old girl.

Sarah Walker is a successful businesswoman who is leaving on a business trip when she first glimpses young Emma Townsend being treated roughly by her mother.  Fast forward a few months and she is shocked to spot Emma again and this time, Sarah is determined protect her from her seemingly abusive mother. Her decision to rescue (i.e. kidnap) the young girl is both premeditated and impulsive since she makes tentative preparations yet at the same time, she is reacting to Emma’s situation with her abusive mother.  Sarah then heads out of town with no real strategy in mind other than getting out of the public eye before an Amber Alert can be issued. Sarah knows what she has done is wrong, but what will she return Emma to her parents?

In Emma, Sarah sees a kindred spirit since she knows all too well what it is like to have an inattentive and abusive mother. While she recognizes on an intellectual level she has committed a crime by taking Emma, on an emotional level? She views her actions as saving Emma from a lifetime of confusion and pain that often results from an abusive childhood.  Although somewhat conflicted about whether or not she should keep Emma with her permanently, Sarah eventually makes a conscious choice that is virtually impossible to walk back from.

The mother of two young children, Amy Townsend is desperately unhappy and quite stressed. Although she treats her youngest child well, she cannot control the rage and antipathy she feels toward Emma. She is quick to lash out whenever she feels like Emma is deliberately misbehaving. Amy hides the worst of her actions from her husband, but it is just a matter of time before the truth about exactly what happened the night of Emma’s kidnapping is uncovered.

The chapters weave back and forth in time and alternate between Sarah’s and Amy’s perspectives. Sarah rationalizes her decision and deliberately downplays the other options available for helping Emma. She dotes on the young girl and delights in the changes that occur in Emma while she is under Sarah’s care. Amy is concerned for her daughter’s safety but there is no denying her sense of relief that Emma is gone.

Initially slow paced, Not Her Daughter eventually picks up steam at about the half way point. The characters are well-drawn and except for one notable exception, none of them are particularly likable or sympathetic.  Emma is truly a wonderful child who easily adapts to her new circumstances.  Rea Frey takes the black and white issue of child abduction and attempts to turn it into a grey area by characterizing Sarah’s actions as rescue vs a true kidnapping.  Whether or not she is truly successful is subjective and relies on readers’ perceptions of both women and their reactions to the situation. With an interesting premise and an intriguing moral dilemma, this debut novel is engaging but the ending is a bit unrealistic and somewhat unsatisfying. All in all, a worthwhile but sometimes frustrating read.

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Filed under Contemporary, Not Her Daughter, Rated B, Rea Frey, Review, St Martin's Griffin, Suspense, Women's Fiction