I always enjoy Rea Frey’s women’s fiction for its well-drawn characters and dark, twisty situations.

The players:

Desi designs houses and has just moved from Chicago with her husband Peter and teenaged daughter Jules to the small town of River Falls. Peter is ex-military and now is into the survivalist life. His marriage with Desi is strained. Jules is dating Will, whose mother is sick with end stage cancer. Jules had been planning to attend college in New York, but now wants to forego school in order to stay in River Falls and be close to Will. Desi’s estranged brother Tommy shows up in town. Like Peter, he’s ex-military. Carter is Desi’s ex. He also served with Peter and Tommy in the Marines and has been trying to contact Desi.

The action of this book takes place over the course of a year. Many people in the book are under stress because of big life events. Will Jules and Will be parted when Jules goes to Columbia in the fall? Will and Ava’s mother continues to grow sicker as her cancer advances. Some characters are keeping secrets and have been for years. The marriage between Peter and Desi made me shudder to read at times. I wouldn’t really call either of them particularly likeable characters. Peter was cold and controlling and Desi was meddling and manipulative, but from a drama standpoint, watching their marriage self-destruct made for terribly interesting reading. Several huge medical events happen in the book and they were very well written with nail biting action and excellent pacing. My favorite thing about this book was the description of the setting. 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for review purposes.

5 stars for this tangled web of lies, secrets, and betrayals. This is a taut and emotional betrayal of a family that has grown apart: a husband and wife whose marriage is fractured; a mother struggling to forge a connection with her daughter; a daughter on the cusp of adulthood figuring out life, love, and her future. All three of these characters, as well as the rest of the people who inhabit this book, are amazingly complicated, fueled by their own fears, desires, mistakes, and hopes. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough, but I often stopped to reread passages to capture the essence and the emotions of highly-charged, passionate, and raw moments. I had a vested interest in what happened to Jules, Desi, and Peter as they strive to find a way forward not only as a family, but also as individuals.

Secrets of Our house is told through the eyes of Desi and Jules in alternating points of view. The house is set in the NC mountains and this book reads like a suspenseful thriller mixed with family drama. This felt like a slow burn for me. It was my first Rea Frey book, but I'd be interested to read more of her work.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for this ARC.

Enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. The title of the book says it all. There were so many secrets, I'm surprised The Black House didn't explode with everything it was hiding. I didn't love any of the characters. Desi got the life she picked, so how can she be surprised she's in a loveless marriage where both are unhappy. She chose a man for security instead of love, because she wanted a life where she could build her own company. Desi just seemed checked out from her family and always chose work over them. I'm pretty sure Peter just stayed with his wife to make her miserable. Jules was quite annoying. She turns eighteen and declares herself an adult. She has never worked a day in her life, lived a life of privilege and has always gotten everything she ever needed or wanted. It felt like she was throwing a temper tantrum when it came to college. I would have been just as annoyed with Lenore as Desi was during their dinner. I never knew what was going to happen at The Black House, with the animal attack and horrific accident. You would think that kids that grew up in the woods would know how to act around wild animals. The girl from Chicago was the only one who knew what to do.

Definitely recommend the book. It's full of family drama and huge secrets. I can't believe Desi was able to keep the truth hidden for so long. It was almost like reading a soap opera that took place in a mansion in the wildness of North Carolina. Enjoyed the story, writing style and the characters (even though I didn't like them, they brought the drama.) Look forward to reading more books by the author.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book reads like a soap opera filled with family tension, infidelity and a “big secret” which was easy to guess from early on. This was labeled as a mystery and thriller, but I found it to be mainly a family melodrama. Although there were many plot lines, I found the characters to be rather flat. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Desi and her family are headed to the black house for the summer. This is the last ditch effort to save her marriage, and her daughters last summer before heading to college. When Jules falls in love and decides she doesn’t want to go to college, that does not fit with Desi’s plans for her daughter. She makes a choice that will change all their lives.

I have loved the books I have read from Rea Frey, so I knew that I needed to get my hands on a copy of this one! Frey is just such a fabulous writer. Desi was one of those characters that you don’t really like all that much, but you also feel for at the same time. I loved Jules and Will together and wanted everything to just work out. I really enjoyed the turns this one took.

WOW! Now, I'm one of those readers who *always* picks up novels by her favorite authors without even reading the synopsis. So when I saw "Rea Frey" I instantly picked up Secrets of Our House and BOY I got even more than my highest expectations!

First of all, the cover is gorgeous. I just had to say it so now about the story: I loved it. The POV switching between mother Desiree ("Desi") and daughter Juliette ("Jules") was done with such a masterful hand. You get very attached to both Desi and Jules (I enjoyed them both equally.) as you read and I often found myself gasping aloud, rolling my eyes, and generally thinking "Ah! No! Don't!" when they'd get in a bind.

The reader is always in the mind of the character with the most tension and that propels the plot forward even in the seemingly peaceful moments. I'd describe this as a quieter thriller since it deals with family strife, lies, and betrayal more than flashy murders or big gotchas. That said, it isn't any less shocking because it makes the hits land harder.

The environment and character backgrounds really added to the plot too and no development felt forced or hacky. I will warn you now though: this novel is *impossible* to put down. Laundry will be left unfolded and dishes will be on the counter because once you sink your teeth into Secrets you won't be able to stop.

I'd 100% recommend this book to any reader but thriller fans (especially domestic thriller lovers) are in for a real treat!

Note: I received a free electronic edition of this book via NetGalley in exchange for the honest review above. I would like to thank them, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to do so.

Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal abound at The Black House. If these walls could talk.

A modern emotional story of loss and healing—unraveling the buried truths of love, family, and forgiveness.

The savvy bestselling author and talented storyteller Rea Frey returns with a heartfelt dazzling "grown-up" novel about fractured families. Her previous books (I have read them all and been a fan since her debut) feature mothers and younger children.

SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE showcases a successful businesswoman and architect, Desi (wife and mother), married to Peter (ex-Marine), and a mother to her daughter, Jules, a brilliant college student with a bright future. They reside in Chicago, and this is their vacation home in NC.

Set in the beautiful Western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains at The Black House in a fictional town called River Falls. Surrounded by nature and the wilderness, this stunning luxurious contemporary home features floor-to-ceiling glass, steam showers, a spa, a sauna, a gym, and all the modern high-tech touches.

Designed by Desi, the famous architect, their home is located on the crest of a bulbous mountaintop on almost an acre of land. The house was supposed to be their haven, but it has turned into a keeper of dark secrets within its walls.

Desi feels she is running out of time. She and Peter will be empty nesters; however, they have grown apart. Their marriage is in trouble. Her daughter is grown up about to start a life of her own. They barely communicate.

One decision can affect so many lives. Desi thinks about Carter. The guy she loved. Her choices and her future. Is Desi the architect of all their lives?

Now Carter surfaces and Desi must make some tough choices. Jules, her daughter, also struggles with a life-changing decision and keeps secrets. Jules and Will are in love, but what does their future hold?

Rea deftly takes us through the seasons from summer, fall, winter to the following summer. From mother and daughter POV Desi and Jules, we soon learn their stories are more similar than they know.

Through loss came clarity. Through tragedy came truth. Through all the darkness comes light. From hidden secrets to honesty, the characters gained the possibility of a more honest future and a road to recovery. Life is not always IG. It is messy.

SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE is compelling and thought-provoking—an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.

The novel is a little different than her past psychological thrillers in that it is more focused on character development, family drama, marriage, motherhood, and essential life lessons. Well-written, there are emotions, guilt, shame, suspense, tension, and loads of secrets and lies. There are some major takeaways here.

Rea is known for her signature writing of mother-daughter relationships, and she does not disappoint.

With lyrical prose, there are beautiful symbols and metaphors. The survivalist and wilderness parts combined with the beauty of both the house and the setting of nature are sharp contrasts of our lives. The weather, nature, and the wilderness can be beautiful and dangerous.

Keeping secrets and locking them away in the darkest parts of self and the fear of hurting someone can often backfire. Often it is better to be RIP off the band-aid than let it fester.

On a side note: As I was reading/listening to this well-written, thought-provoking drama, it made me think of the new TV drama, "Ordinary Joe." I adore this show, and if you have not watched it— it follows a man, Joe, and the three possible paths he could have taken in life based on a single decision made ten years earlier at his college graduation. In all three paths, there are clear benefits and hardships.

As the novel portrays as well as "Ordinary Joe" and "This Is Us"—have we all not second-guessed ourselves, our past decisions, and our path in life? Choices we made or did not make. Courses we could have taken, or people in our lives. The what-ifs?

Highly recommend all Rea's books. (if you have not read her back list, do so). She is an incredibly gifted writer featuring real-life characters, emotions, and vivid settings that continue to draw readers in. Plus she is a heck of a business superwoman and podcast host helping aspiring writers.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented narrator—Samantha Desz (always enjoy) for an outstanding listening experience as well as read the e-book.

A special thank you to Get Red PR, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillian Audio for a digital and audio ARC.

Blog Review:
@JudithDCollins
#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
Pub Date: Feb 8, 2022

Rea Frey is fabulous!
You feel like part of the book when reading her stories because they are very life like.
It’s always a sad moment when you read the last word because you don’t want the book to come to an end knowing you have another year to read her next story.
Love this author!!!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest book by Rea Frey, wonderfully narrated by Samantha Desz. 4.5 stars!

Desi, her husband, Peter, and daughter, Jules, live in Chicago but Desi designed their beautiful NC mountain home, named the Black House. When they arrive to spend the summer before Jules heads to NYC for college, tensions between the three peak. Peter seems checked out of their marriage and Desi spent so much time on her career that her and Jules are far apart. Jules is experiencing her own issues - madly in love with Will and not sure about leaving for college. Plus everyone is keeping secrets.

This book really drew me in - especially the latter part of the book when everything is so tense. Each of the characters are fully developed and you can, in turns, sympathize and agonize with all of them. It's a story of family, regrets, secrets. I also loved how atmospheric it was - everything from the house itself to the wilderness just added to the drama.

I alternated between the digital and audio - the narrator was wonderful voicing all the characters, including the males.

How far would you go to keep a secret?

Behind the smooth, polished exterior of this ebony compound – a dream home - lives a family at odds with one another. Despite being the mastermind behind her dream getaway home in River Falls, having a successful career as a designer, and having a daughter who is heading off to Columbia University, Desi still has things in her life she can’t control. Her marriage is on the rocks and her relationship with her daughter is fraught with tension. This summer in the mountains is the last-ditch effort to fix all that is crumbling.

This thrilling domestic drama has all the ingredients of a great read: a disgruntled couple, a strong and assertive teenage girl in love for the first time, a looming tragedy, a lifetime of secrets, betrayals and lies, and a home nestled high in the mountains. Not only does Frey use the power of the wilderness to its fullest extent, but she also allows the home itself to become its own character. Frey highlights the regrets we have, the love we give, the mistakes we make and how far we’ll go to make things appear ‘fine.’ Along the way we realize that money can’t solve all problems, the past comes knocking at our door when we least expect it and if we want to survive, we need to find new ways to carry on. The narrative is engaging, the characters are richly drawn, and the slow-burning tension gains momentum and ends with a dramatic ending.

Beware of the wind; it exposes what was hidden and only allows the strongest to survive.

I was gifted this advance copy by Rea Frey, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.

4.5/5

I can say without a doubt that Secrets of Our House by Rea Frey completely blew me away. I went in expecting women's fiction and some family drama, but I got a hell of a lot more than that! This is definitely in the domestic fiction genre but there is a ton of action that I wasn't expecting, and I got to the point where I literally couldn't put it down because it was so tense. I guess the beginning of the synopsis does call it a "thrilling domestic drama" but I really didn't consider how accurate of a statement that would actually be. I stayed up until almost 3 AM to finish and once it gets to a certain point you legit won't be able to stop reading since that would mean stopping in a very critical part of the story. I experienced so many emotions while reading this and there was one point near the end that I was bawling like a baby. I can't believe this was my first time reading Frey and clearly, I have been missing out!

The audiobook is completely fantastic and narrated by Samantha Desz who I noticed has narrated all of Frey's novels so far. I love when they stick to one narrator for an author, especially when it is someone as talented as Desz. I was listening via the NetGalley Shelf app, so the audio quality wasn't great (think robotic sound above a 1x speed and skipping at anything over 2x speed) but that didn't stop me from loving Desz. Her voice was great, her tone was on point throughout, and she was AMAZING during the emotional and heart-pounding scenes. I was really impressed by how great of a narrator she is, and I will just tell you now that I plan to listen to every single book of Frey's past and future from now on. Secrets of Our House is domestic fiction at its finest and while Desi drove me crazy sometimes, I still couldn't help but feel for her and I truly loved her daughter Jules. As the title suggests, this family has secrets galore, and I couldn't wait to find out every single one of them.

Thank you to the publishers and Get Red PR for my advanced listening and digital copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Yikes! I thought I had a crazy family, but then again, don't we all?

This was my first book by Rea Frey, but I have since gone back and stalked her previous work and purchased a few. Frey, made me an instant fan with Secrets of Our House.

Although I would not classify this as a mystery novel, I actually liked it so much more as a suspense novel. This book is filled secrets, twisted family drama and a lot of action . I was not a fan of Desi (mother) she had the personality that you love to hate. Secrets never stay hidden and her secrets come back to bite her.

I would consider this a slow burn but it also sets the story for what is to come. All in all I really enjoyed this novel and I would recommend this book to all those who love a suspenseful family drama.

One of my latest downloads is Secrets of Our House, by Rea Frey. On NetGalley, this is listed under Mystery & Thrillers and Women’s Fiction, but I would just characterize this as Women’s Fiction (although there are some crazy scenes that will make your heart race). Anyway, this is about a couple, Peter and Desi, and their seventeen-year-old daughter, Jules, who are spending the summer at their amazing and incredible mountain home, The Black House. Peter and Desi have been married for twenty years and are miserable with one another, considering the summer as one last shot at their marriage. Jules is planning to start Columbia in the fall, however, she’s never felt more at home in River Falls, which is also home to the boy she is falling in love with. Other characters along the way are Desi’s freeloading brother, Tommy, and Carter, who served in the military with Tommy and Peter but is also Desi’s first love. So, a lot going on here!

First of all, Desi is an extremely unlikeable character, so prepare yourself. She is one of the most selfish characters I have encountered while reading, yet at times I felt bad for her and really wanted her to be happy. She spends most of the novel obsessing about Carter, whom she hasn’t been with in decades, while also whining and pouting because her marriage is failing. Pick a team woman! Peter is so grumpy and quiet, I don’t feel like I even got to know his character. Then there was Tommy just barging in on their summer vacation and taking up residence in their house, reminding me of cousin Eddie from National Lampoons. But the star of the novel is Jules.

Jules is getting ready to start her adult life, falling in love for the first time, and learning who she really is and wants to be. Her story is the meat of this novel and quite honestly, the main thing that kept me reading. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely loved this novel, but without Jules, it would have been depressing and uninteresting at best. I loved everything about her and Will and was cheering for them from beginning to end. I must admit though that there were some moments involving Jules that were a bit too far-fetched for me personally, nevertheless, I loved her character.

Overall, I found this to be a page-turner. Frey painted a perfect picture of a broken and lonely marriage, the toll it takes on the entire family, and the enormous stress of changing family dynamics. With the exception of Peter, I applaud the character development. The plot was unique and had some nice surprises sprinkled throughout. This is one of those books that I curled up with a blanket on a cold day and knocked it out in just a few hours – it was that good. I highly recommend this to women’s fiction fans that like a tiny bit of thriller mixed in.

*Thanks to St. Martin’s Griffin and Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This is a book that starts out slowly and builds to a story of high action and high drama! For this family, secrets are abundant. When they are revealed, nothing will ever be the same!

Desi and her family have a dream getaway house set in the mountains of North Carolina. They love to visit during the summer and have just arrived. Everyone in the family has secrets. Desi is in love with someone else from her past, Carter. It turns out he is a friend of her brother. Desi and Peter's marriage is falling apart. Their daughter, Jules, has been accepted at Columbia, but she does not want to go, in fact, she never did, it is Desi's dream for her. Jules is in love with local boy, Will and she wants to stay in North Carolina. She agrees to try one semester but she hates it and now she has a huge secret. When tragedy strikes, will they be able to pull together.

This is a domestic drama, a story about a family with relatable problems and issues. Desi is an overbearing mom, who thinks she knows what is best for her daughter, Jules disagrees. She also has a secret, an old secret, that still causes issues for her. We gradually find out what it is as the story progresses. She is not the most likable character as she is bossy and wants everyone to do what she wants them to do. As we meet Will's family, it is like everything that can go wrong will go wrong. There is a parent with cancer, a bear attack and Will being in love with a rich, summer girl. There are some surprises along the way, but this is a well written, family story with lots of questions, decisions and secrets that can pull a family apart, or push them together when tragedy strikes. I recommend you pick this one up if that is a genre that you enjoy.

A couple things about this book impressed me. First is that Rea’s previous fiction has been more suspense/thriller novels and I thought she did an excellent job with this family drama. Being able to write multiple genres well, is something I certainly find impressive! I also felt like she explained Desi’s struggles with her marriage and past decisions very well and also how they have affected her family’s lives. And though we really got a clear picture of her thoughts and feelings, I would have liked to have had more insight into what her husband’s were. Overall, the story was well paced and easy to read.

After the initial pages, I found myself not connecting with the story or characters, so I decided to pass on this book. Did not finish

A black house in the North Carolina mountings harbors an unhappy family. A marriage unraveling, a daughter who doesn’t want to go to college. And secrets, so many dangerous secrets. Most of the characters were miserable during the story and I didn’t particularly care for any Of them. The ending redeemed the story, somewhat, but it’s pretty bleak book.

The premise of this book sounded very interesting.. However, I could not get into it. I ended up DNF at 25%