This is an incredibly emotional story about what it means to be a mother, how impactful that role is on an individual, and the fear of losing a child.

Thank you NetGalley.

What if you could see what your life would be like if things went a different way in a specific situation? That's the predicament Kate finds herself in when she and her daughter are enjoying a two-week vacation at the beach. In one life, she is trying to get through each day without her daughter, in her other world, she finds herself dealing with a lot of different drama.

I loved the way this story was told, with two different scenarios or timelines, not knowing which one would win in the end. I ached for Kate when she felt like she couldn't go on without Olivia. And enjoyed the life she had with Olivia, even with all of the teenage angst that her daughter brought to her world. It made me stop and think about how different our lives can be in a snap of the finger.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Other Year, as I have all of Rea Frey's books. This is one I will remember and think about for a long time. Highly recommend it!

This one was a wild and mesmerizing ride. Told in parallel timelines, it delves into the heartbreaking "what if" for a single mother and the moment that her 9-year-old daughter goes missing. In one timeline, she is fine, and in another, well..... This one is potentially triggering for some, and full of emotion. Many times I was nearly overwhelmed and wanted to put it down, but I needed to see what would happen next. Powerful and stunning, this is one of those stories that will stay with you long afterwards, and makes you appreciate all the loved ones in your life. This was my first read from Rea Frey, and it was much more than I thought it would be. Thank you so much to Rea Frey, the publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this e-arc.

It's a book that I easily gave 5 stars to, but still couldnt consider one of my favorite books of the year because of how dark it was. This book tackles grief and moving on in such a heartbreaking, but hopeful way. It also encourages us to appreciate what we have before we lose it and to enjoy life as it is.

This is an incredibly emotional story about what it means to be a mother, how impactful that role is on an individual, and the fear of losing a child.

This was a good read - I really enjoyed this book. I'm so glad that I got the chance to read it early and will definitely be recommending it to multiple people who enjoy these types of novels. I enjoyed the characters and especially enjoyed the writing by this author. I'm excited to see what the author comes out with next as I'll definitely be reading it! Thank you to the publisher for my early copy of this book!

The Other Year by Rea Frey is a beautifully haunting story. Knowing what the book was about created a tense anticipation as I started to read. When the storyline gets to the part where Kate loses Olivia my heart wasn’t prepared for the grief and heartbreak that poured out of the pages. As a mother, and as a mother of a daughter named Olivia, I had a hard time picking the book back up for a couple days. I’m so glad that I did though.
I really liked the way the chapters alternate timelines of Kate without Olivia and Kate with Olivia. Kate’s life with Liv was not a perfect HEA and I appreciated the realism of life with a tween daughter. Kate’s life without Liv was raw and inspiring as we see Kate deal with her guilt and doubt that are amplified by her unimaginable grief.

I have posted this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/CwaLShRrbVp/?igsh=MnUzNzlpZnY2cGtr

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5743209643

And Amazon

4.5 stars!

This was such a unique story, and I often found myself questioning which of the two scenarios being told was reality.

Kate Baker takes her nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, on a beach vacation, but in the blink of an eye she vanishes beneath the ocean waves. Kate begins to panic, but in the next moment Olivia resurfaces. But what if she hadn’t? This story explores two worlds, one in which Kate is forced to navigate through life without Olivia and one in which her life carries on as if she never had to deal with the tragedy of losing her daughter.

These alternate timelines explore the depth of love and loss, and how a single moment can change the outcome of our lives forever. For Kate, it was bittersweet because she simultaneously experienced both outcomes as if in a parallel universe. It was a bit confusing at times to keep track of the individual stories, but also really interesting to see how each situation panned out. Highly recommend!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing a copy of this book to review.*

This book is a must read ♥️

I had originally gotten the approval from NetGalley for this one but unfortunately it got archived before I got to it (seriously have to get better at not letting that happen 😂) but after seeing so many great reviews I had to buy it and I’m so happy I did.

Told in alternate timelines this story follows a heartbreaking loss as well as what life would have been without that heartbreak ❤️‍🩹 It perfectly intertwines and you will not want to put this book down 🥲

😩😩😩 oh noooo I wanted to love it!!!
I saw amazing reviews and people saying how much they cried and how much I was going to cry as I'm a mom of a girl the same age as Olivia when she passed away. I swear I even started reading it when I was feeling good and all. And I just never got to read what the rest did or what???

There's two timeline okay? One where the daughter passed and other where she didn't. And you go back and forth, starting there, I'll say it was tiresome. You can't focus on one side or feel much of the grief because suddenly there's the kid again. So it's like she passed, she didn't, she passed, she didn't, she passed, she didn't. So what? I suppose to be sad and feel, the no, then yes, then no, then yes ??? This didn't help me feel!!! The timeline where Olivia is alive I felt was useless and helped me to feel annoyed by the girl, sorry.

After that, when Olivia is alive, she is a brat!!! Ohmy I'm a mom of a 9 year old girl and know a bunch of kids and I want to know if the author does or what kind of kids she knows!!! What a kid FFS!!!! The way she speaks haha is she an entitled teenager or did I miss something?

Ohmy and allow me to talk about the romance insistence!!!! In both timelines the mother is confused about her feelings, no joke. It made me confused about myself hahaha and I'm not even in a love triangle hahaha. But seriously, she is grieving but can't stop thinking about the guys. Her daughter is alive and there's another love triangle tension. Instead of showing grief I felt the mom more confused about love than sad. I don't get it. I thought the book was more about her as a grieving mom but both timelines it's something different. As a mom this was weird to read. Who am I to judge someone's grief no? But was a weird grieving...

I have loved other books by this author so I hope to love the next one. But this one, couldn't wait for it to end! 😔😩 I feel so bad for this review, really.

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for my copy of the book in exchange of an honest opinion.

A unique and entertaining read!

I read Rea Frey’s debut novel “Not Her Daughter” in 2018. I loved it and since then I’ve read and enjoyed more of her books. I’m always excited when I see that she is releasing a new book.

I was thrilled to have The Other Year ebook and audiobook to review. In my opinion, both were great!!

Kate Baker is an agricultural engineer. She has demanding clients and many projects that she oversees. She’s hoping for a promotion which will mean less field work. It also means she would be more available to her nine year old daughter, Olivia (Liv).

After an especially tough year Kate and Olivia are taking a two week vacation. Kate’s best friend, Jason and his daughter Ayana will joining them. It’s also Kate’s fortieth birthday.

Kate and Liv arrive and head to the beach without even stopping at the rental house. Liv is so excited to swim. Both of them love the water and Liv is an excellent swimmer. But suddenly Kate doesn’t see Liv among the waves.

“One moment she is there-right there. The next, she is gone."

In a single moment everything changes.

The chapters then alternate telling two versions of the story. One where Olivia resurfaces and the other where she doesn’t.

In my review of this author’s debut novel I had said “Rea Frey’s writing comes across very authentic and honest and she addresses some very important issues”.

I still feel the same way. Even more so after reading more of her novels.

There were many great characters in this story. Characters you can’t help but love and root for.

Both “worlds” were well written and engaging. The author brought it all together so well and I thought the ending was perfect.

The Other Year is a very intelligent and moving story about parenthood, family, love, loss, grief, and healing.

I am already very excited to read Rea Frey’s next novel!


I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

Are the courses of our lives altered irrevocably by singular moments, or are our paths pre-determined no matter the choices made and actions taken? Rea Frey explores this concept in her novel, “The Other Year,” a touching, tender story about a mother’s love her for her daughter throughout two very different scenarios.
Kate Baker and her daughter, 9-year-old Olivia, are enjoying a beach vacation when the unthinkable happens: Olivia slips under the ocean water momentarily. In one timeline, Olivia resurfaces, oblivious to her mom’s panic; in the other, the young girl doesn’t, and those few moments change Kate’s life forever.
Written in parallel timelines, the novel explores the year following their beach vacation; in one, Kate and Olivia navigate through the months ahead, facing challenges and changes, while in the other, Kate must live through the days without her daughter.
“The Other Year” is a moving what-if story that is equal parts hopeful and heart-jerking. Frey’s prose is lovely, and I enjoyed the parallel timelines, which were executed well throughout this novel. The subplots — Kate’s tug-of-war of emotions between her ex-husband and her best friend, combined with potential new romantic relationships and a different job — keep the story moving and a little lighthearted, for sure needed during the times when her grief and despair are gut-wrenching. Both timelines end nicely, each in their hopeful and satisfactory conclusion.
Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for this advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review.

There was a lot I liked about The Other Year, but there were certainly flaws. For starters, the men in the book were all selfish and self-absorbed. Kate was better off without any of them and I was annoyed that they detracted from the dual stories.
In one timeline, Kate and her daughter Olivia are at the beach and she looks at her phone for a second and in that second, Olivia drows. In the other timeline, she looks at her phone as well, but Olivia pops up in the ocean, unharmed. From there, the book diverges into what life is like depending on what happened.
I was kind of waiting for more to happen... there wasn't a ton of plot, which may be why we ended up with love trianges (ugh). I think this would have been better with more focus on Kate and her relationship with her daughter (and perhaps her relationship with her ex-husband), rather than Kate trying to decide if she should be with Jason or not.
I love the Sliding Doors timeline. This was definitely a new and interesting way to present this, and I really appreciated it.

Stunning, heartfelt, and heartbreaking. This novel explores grief, relationships, guilt, and moving on.
Many thanks to Harper Muse and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. It took me awhile to read this book due to the storyline and I wasn’t sure if I could read it knowing it was about losing your child and my nephew recently passed away so I was still dealing with the aftermath and pain of that. I am so glad I read this book as it was so beautifully written. I absolutely loved the dual timelines about Kate’s life trying to survive without her daughter in her life and the second timeline of living each and every day and enjoying her life with her daughter still in her life. The healing process that Kate went through felt real and not fake and it shows how much time it actually takes to get over such a horrific time in one’s life and shows how difficult it is to move on for some and how the healing process for others is to move on and enjoy the memories. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did!!!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to receive this book for an honest review.

This book was written in simultaneous timelines. What would you do if you had to cope with the losing a child and then being grateful you didn't lose her at all.

This was a very emotional book filled with ups and downs. I highly recommend this book but get ready to cry.

First, I will tell you this book has a child loss trigger warning, so if you are triggered by that, please be careful when reading this book. Second, I will tell you this: wow. Just simply put: wow. This book was absolutely gut wrenching, page turning, captivating read of a mother and daughter and an emotion "what if" scenario.
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Filled with heartache, grief, guilt and more, this story truly took me on one of the most thought provoking rides I've been on in a long time. As a mom, it was a struggle in some places to keep reading but it also was something I knew I had to push through reading. I can't imagine losing a child, not being able to hug them, talk to them, etc. But, I felt the raw, screaming pain that Kate felt and it was thought provoking.
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Hearing the story read by 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 was beautiful. She captured so many of the emotions of Kate as she struggled in one time line and lived a life of full motherhood in the other. It was both a refreshing & agonizing time. Beautiful job by the narrator for sure!
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𝚁𝚎𝚊 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚢 is a magnificently talented author. One who's work I enjoy, but I warn you again. If you have triggers, please be cautious when reading this. It will gut you. It will take you on an absolutely emotional ride and leave you wanting to hug every single person in your life.

The Other Year is a sliding-doors style read where a mother lives one year in two different ways: with her daughter and without. For mom Kate, a vacation with her beloved daughter Olivia, turns into a parent's worst nightmare when Olivia is swept under a wave. When she pops up, Kate is beyond relieved but wonders what would have happened if Olivia hadn't survived? Told in a parallel timeline Kate lives both versions of the ensuing year-mourning Olivia and navigating this heartbreak as well as the year where she considers her best friend Jason's feelings for her while her ex-husband tries to reconcile. This culminates in a beautiful, breathtaking story about the fragility of life, choices we make and how quickly things can change. This is Rea Frey's best work to date!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

3.5 Stars rounded up.

Told in parallel timelines, this novel explores the idea of a single moment and how it can change everything.

Kate Baker takes her daughter to the beach every summer. Their first day there Olivia goes swimming. She's a strong swimmer and knows how to stay safe in the water. In both timelines she vanishes among the waves but in one, she pops up at the last moment causing relief, and in the other, she disappears among the waves for too long, causing panic. What does Kate's life look like in each of these timelines as a divorced, single mom? In one she navigates a life with her preteen daughter, and in the other she navigates her grief. In each timeline she has an ex-husband and a best friend, both vying for her attention. As Kate tries to keep her life together/put her life back together she finds herself trying to sort out the emotions that keep getting in the way of what is best for her.

It's an interesting story. I found the strongest writing to be in the grief timeline where Kate really had to dig deep to redefine herself. While I did get tired of the "which man will she pick?" storyline, it was supported by her personal journey of growth. And of course, I loved the ending. It's a testament to fate, and what will be, will be. What's for you won't be against you.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I have now read all of Rea’s books!!! I love her style and writing and have become a fan for life. This novel is completely different from her other domestic suspense books, and reads more like straight-up women’s fiction. I was fortunate enough to receive both the e-copy of this first, and upon finishing was gifted the audio. While both had their own unique perks, the storyline is the same so I will duplicate the review for the audio as well.

Life can simply change in a moment. A single second or two can make or break paths taken or cause life to continue or cease to exist. That’s what Kate realized (or better perhaps, the reader) in this alternate timeline. While at the beach, Kate’s gets a text…she moves to look at it and swipe through, but her daughter (9), Olivia, gets swept up in a current and drowns… However, in the other timeline, Olivia resurfaces and is fine. But you don’t know this until you see very distinctive chapter breaks — I loved that and have not seen that before. We therefore follow Kate’s grief, find her family and best friends coming together for a funeral and subsequently helping her navigate what’s left of her future. But then we also see her continue though her vacation with her best male friend, contemplate getting back with her ex-husband, thriving in her job and live a normal life. The only difference between leading two different lives is that they both intersect at Serenbe — a very different town with a very different lifestyle than the hustle and bustle of everyday life at home. It’s here, that Kate is introduced to a whole new perspective of what her life means… and it’s where she learns to truly love again.

Again, beautiful writing and a great concept, with the cool introduction to a real place that I now want to escape to!
The reason for my 4 stars is that personally, i was frustrated with the MC’s back and forth with her feelings for her best friend and ex-husband. It started to get a little too repetitive for my liking. I was screaming at the book for her to “get on with it already!” :-)
Otherwise, it was solid read in her repertoire! I appreciate the chance to read early and review