Wow this book blew me away.At first I found Lee a little irritating at first but with all of her stress it is understandable.I like Grace who is the supportive best friend and Noah who is the sensitive tutor who brings Lee's son out of his shell.All three have secrets.

This is told in in Grace's,Noah's and Lee's POV in both the present and past.Even with the flashbacks the pace remains fast and steady.The twist and turns make sense and manged to surprise me.

I've been burnt out on domestic thriller/dramas lately and this was a breath of fresh air.

I was so excited to read this book as I enjoyed this authors first book. I am so glad she wrote a second book, I enjoyed this book and I will keep this author on my TBR list !

I swear every time I read a book published by St. Martin's Press I discover another author I MUST follow. Rea Frey, I am delighted to say, is no exception.

I absolutely loved this book. The writing was clear, yet descriptive and stuck to the plot, no rambling. At the same time, the characters were fully developed, including backstory. The novel piques your interest in the beginning, then grabs hold and won't let go until it rockets to the end. Ah, the end, I love it when I don't see the final twist coming. Because You're Mine was a pleasure to read from the first chapter to the oh so satisfying end.

Come the first week of August, I'll be telling everyone this is a book not to be missed!

Single mother Lee has a lot on her plate. She has a son, Mason with special needs, works as a hairdresser from home, in her garage, and barely makes ends meet. If you thought this was going to be a typical story about an overworked mom living in a neighborhood she can barely afford while all of her friends have more money then she does, you would be sadly mistaken. When Grace, her closest friend suggests a weekend away from all the children, a girlfriends' getaway weekend, it seems more than Lee can handle. She's never left her son Mason alone, and yet Noah, Mason's tutor is willing to look after Mason while she is gone. Not only is Lee short on cash and always stressed, but she's falling for Noah, who doesn't seem to reciprocate her feelings. A girls weekend away sounds like paradise to Lee and with Noah watching Mason while she's away, even after an awkward declaration of her feelings for him, what could go wrong.

Unfortunately, one of the women doesn't survive the weekend away and everyone's life changes in ways that you couldn't have imagined. Everyone has a secret from Grace to Noah to Lee. The story is told from Lee, Grace, and Noah's POV, in the past and in the present, and wow, let's just say that my life at its most convoluted looks like a day at Disney compared to these three. How is it that these three characters lives are related? All I can say is that by the final page all will be revealed. The characters were well written and are connected in ways that you could never imagine. Several times I thought I knew where the author was going with the plot and while I guessed certain aspects of the story, I didn't see the whole picture.
The first book I have read by this author, and as it is going to be published in August, I think it would make a terrific beach read. 4.5 stars.

Just when you think you have this book figured out, think again!!! This book kept me on the edge of my seat … until the very last page!! I am still trying to get my head wrapped around this story and how it all played out!! This is my 2nd book by Rea Frey and I thought her first book was also gripping but this one …you just have to read until the end. I can’t give it away. Just read till the very end and you will not guess what happens. (or at least I didn’t) It did move a little slow for me in the middle of the book so for that reason, I'm giving it 4 stars. Still enjoyed it overall. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this great book in return for my honest review.

Lee is a single mom to Mason, a boy on the autism spectrum. When her bff Grace invites her away on a girls weekend, Lee gives in. 48 hours later someone is dead, and everyone has secrets that start to come to light.

This is an enjoyable read. Just when you think you have this book figured out, another Rea Frey throws another curveball at you.

#BecauseYou’reMine#NetGalley
I was asked to review Because You’re Mine, written by Rea Frey. Her last book, Not Your Daughter, was an excellent read. Her new book also has a question of parentage but is totally different.
Strangely, this novel begins with Reader Notes which you would expect to find at the end. This sets the theme of the book.
We begin to read an interesting story of women’s friendships and how being able to confide in someone is so important. However, there is an undercurrent this time that gradually plays itsself out. People are not always what they seem.
Drugs, alcohol and explicit sex play a part here.
A journal is found but are the entries true?
You’ll need to read to the very last page!
The author alternates chapters by time and characters so you gradually begin to see what is happening.
Because You’re Mine will appeal mostly to women.

Rea Frey's sophomore effort is nothing like her first book, with one exception, it's a FANTASTICALLY COMPULSIVE READ.

There are three main characters in this book... Lee, her son's tutor, Noah and her best friend, Grace. Every character is remarkably fleshed out, even Lee's son, Mason. Mason as a character was a pleasure to get to know and I'm so glad he held such an important role in this story.

It becomes obvious early on in this story that all three of these people have deep hidden secrets. The reader is left trying to decipher these secrets as well as how these mysteries connect the lives of these characters.

Secrets are slowly revealed, many, if not most, are guessable prior to their reveal. I don't know if this was on purpose or not but it definetly served the atmosphere of the story well.

So well that it allows you to get comfortable.

Too comfortable.

So comfortable that when everything you thought you knew is hurled out the window and you're left with that "Sixth Sense" moment, it's all the more jarring.

Definetly a book you'll want to re-read just so you can try to find any hints that you clearly missed the first time around.

4.5 Stars ⭐ rounded up


Thank you thank you thank you Jordan Hanley with St Martin's Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.💖

Wow! I LOVED this book! Frey's writing is absolutely engaging, incredible, exciting, etc. I really enjoy reading books about mothers and their children, so I jumped at the chance to read this one. This was probably the best book I have read this year so far. It was that good! I was surprised by the twists and turns along the way, and I was so engaged with the characters. I could not wait to see how the story unfolded. I highly recommend this one to all readers who are looking for a book they cannot put down!

I enjoyed this book but the title did not make sense until the very end. I finished the book yesterday and I’m still not sure what to think. The characters were very well developed and the story was interesting to read but the ending has a twist that makes me rethink everything I had read. It was completely unexpected and changed the story for me. Overall I thought it was a good book but have open questions that were not resolved.

Rea Frey is AMAZING. I read her first book (Not Her Daughter) through NetGalley and when I was contacted by her publisher about the second, jumped at the chance. Frey has a marvelous ability to develop characters that leap off the page (for good and ill) and to throw out-of-nowhere twists in when you absolutely least expect them. She has a brilliant writing style that is very engaging and compelling, with just enough twists, turns, and teasers to keep you guessing - and flipping pages furiously while you do.

The reveal in (literally) the last pages can be a dangerous plot forma - it backfires more often than it works, in my opinion, because most authors use it as a last-ditch attempt to save a faltering piece of plot. Not so AT ALL here - Frey works it to maximum advantage, using it not to tie up loose ends but to shatter a lot of what the reader thought based on the entirety of the story. In masterful hands, such a trick is not only fabulous to read but evidence of a marvelous ability to plot and plan that makes everything read up to that point feel like a game of cat and mouse with you, the reader, left hunting for the cheese...

I'd read Frey's grocery list at this point - she's that good. If you aren't familiar with her work, you should be!

It's been a very long time since I've been truly shocked by an ending, but I"m so glad it was impossible to guess because the twist was better than anything I had been imagining.

Because You're Mine started off a bit slow for me, however, with Rea Frey taking her time by laying the groundwork for the story during the first third of the book. We are introduced to the main characters through several domestic scenes that are well written, even if nothing in particular happens besides a proposed and then scheduled girls' trip to the mountains. As the book slowly unfolds, we find numerous allusions to secrets that the main characters are keeping, but the immediate issues seem to be more centered around the stresses of single motherhood. At that point, the story was interesting but not captivating, and I figured it would end up being a solid three-star book.

But as the secrets come out, the plot heats up. I soon found myself becoming more engrossed in the story and more invested in what happened to the characters, especially after learning their backstories. After several shocking reveals, including some with wonderfully crafted emotional scenes, I'd mentally bumped my review up to four stars.

And I honestly thought, right up until the last few pages, that I would be giving a four-star review. However, this book earned five stars just for the shrewd, audacious, spit-out-your-drink ending that I couldn't see coming until it had already flattened me.

I've been anxiously awaiting the release of this book! Thank goodness I didn't have to wait until the release date in August! I loved Rea's first book Not Without My Daughter, and I loved this book as well! I'll be ordering a copy for my library!

Whoa...LOVED this book. It hooked me from the first page and I literally read for hours before finally making myself put it down. It reads super fast and the characters are totally engaging. My favorite book I've read in a long time.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. This book had me guessing from start to finish. I actually did an out loud WTF , shook my head, and went back a page to make sure I had it right. The story had everything you want in a thriller. Good characters, interesting back stories, twists and turns. I couldn’t put it down till I got to the unexpected and goose bump inducing ending.

This is one of those books that gripped me by the throat and didn't let go! I loved Frey's first book so knew this one would have plenty of suspense and surprises and wow, did it ever! The story revolves around best friends Lee and Grace, their sons, and Noah, an occupational therapist and teacher. To say much more would simply not do justice to the novel; it just begs to be read! Past and present, secrets, lies, betrayal, deception...what's not to like? There is also sexual abuse, alcoholism, and drug use as well so if these bother you be aware. But it's just such a riveting plot that I couldn't stop reading. Literally gasped at the end...what???

I would normally give a bit of a recap of the plot here, but I won’t, because I could not do it justice. There were so many “oh my goodness” moments! You think you have just worked it out, and then there was another twist. That ending was so startling and unexpected that I defy anyone to work out what was going to happen! I did read the previous book, Not Her Daughter, by the author and loved it and this one is just as amazing, or even better. She sure knows how to tell a story and keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow. I absolutelyloved this book. Fast moving. Lots of twists and turns. At first I didn't like the back and forth between past and present, but I got used to it and it was fine. I never did figure out the ending. I had idea but wasn't right. I would highly redeemed this. Interesting learning about the autistic child too. Thank you to netgalley for letting me preview this book for honest review.
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Special thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for a free, electronic ARC of this novel.
“Because You’re Mine” is the newest novel by author Rea Frey, whose previous work, “Not Her Daughter” surprised and delighted me.
Single mother Lee has finally found a life that works for her and her sensitive son, Mason. She knows how he needs to adhere to a strict routine, and how he thrives in a controlled environment. One day, when her best friend Grace encourages her to go away on a girls’ weekend, Lee takes the biggest plunge of her life and leaves Mason with his teacher and mentor, Noah, and tries to enjoy some time with her friends. However, while on the retreat someone turns up dead. As secrets start to unveil with the help of a diary, it is soon discovered that Noah is not who he claims to be and Grace has some huge secrets of her own.
I thought I had predicted the twist in this novel early on. Even still, I was hooked form the beginning, desperate to see how it all played out! When I turned out to be mostly wrong, I was actually delighted (a feat that does not happen often for me).
All the characters had major secrets, and none of them are what you expect. From page one, the character development is top-notch and the plot weaves down a twisty-turny, thorny path. All this describes an author with years of experience honing her craft. However, as Frey is a new author, her storytelling speaks to her innate skill and creativity. She was simply born to write.
Mason’s eccentricities are honest and charming, and I was completely hooked from the start. Anyone who loves a special need child knows the delight in their brutal honesty and the joys that a small gesture can bring. Frey is upfront and delightful in her depiction of such needs, and there are no excuses or justifications, Mason simply fits into the world as only he can.
From the powerful, heart-wrenching authors’ note at the beginning (and I highly suggest you read every word), to the surprise ending, “Mine” is gripping, suspenseful and completely immersive.

First, I want to thank Rea Frey, St. Martin’s Griffin, and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you with this review.

Rea Frey seriously brought out all of sorts of emotions in this reader in Because You’re Mine. There were many moments in the story where Rea totally shocked me that I never saw coming. Moments where I stress you will need a box of tissues!! Not to mention all the secrets that this book has that eventually will come out. This was a must-read book though.

This book may not be for everyone as it deals with some difficult subjects that may trigger some. Some of those topics are rape, bearing a child out of rape, suicide, alcoholism, your best friend dating your father, etc.
In the very beginning of this book Rea writes an extremely personal note to her readers. She tells her extremely brave story about the time her teenage boyfriend raped her and how it affected her afterword’s. She also lists some great references if you or anyone you know have been sexually abused or having suicidal thoughts.

My favorite character in this book was Mason. The book didn’t come out and literally say it but all the traits were there he had Asperger’s. Ironically, I had the honor of babysitting a 8 year old boy by the name of Mason who had this. He too like the character in the book was so incredibly bright and didn’t like change either. Many scenes with Mason pulled on my heart strings big time. Not to mention I have a soft spot for children and adults with this disorder.

One thing I could feel while reading this book was that Rea was very passionate about Mason and Wyatt (another boy with Asperger’s) story line and that it was close to her heart! This made for a more special read.
Sadly, the book didn’t hook me right always. It took a little bit to really grab my attention. However, when it did I was totally hooked and could not put it down.