HALLMARK, GET READY FOR YOUR NEXT GREATEST MOVIE! This concept had me thinking through all of the what-ifs and could-have-beens in my life.

"The Other Year" follows two timelines for the life of Katie Baker and her daughter, Olivia. In both timelines, Katie and Olivia take a trip to the beach. Olivia goes swimming in the ocean. In timeline 1, Olivia emerges from the ocean. In timeline 2, Olivia drowns. The book alternates between timeline 1 and 2 throughout. The reader sees the bigger picture as Katie navigates her love life, time with/without Olivia, and her career in each timeline.

The career and love life of Katie Baker is completely Hallmark. I wasn't sure, at first, if I thought I would buy into it. I'm not a Hallmark movie person. Also, Timeline 2 is excruciatingly heavy with grief. Buuuut.... I REEEAAlly wanted to find out what happened in both timelines! I'm so glad I did. Both timelines took unexpected turns and left me with a gratifying ending. Somehow, through the stereotypical characters and scenes, I was all into this concept.

Brittany Pressley is an audio goddess in her interpretation of characters. SHE gave them a depth I don't think I could have had in reading ink and paper.

A special thank you to Harper Muse, Brittany Pressley, Rea Frey, and NetGalley for the chance to read this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What if your destiny had two alternatives? One with intense pain from loss and with different hardships. Loss creates growth as painful as it can be. This is story of finding yourself when you lose yourself. This is a story of motherhood, a struggle through grief, the mental battle of guilt and the discovery of hope. Beautiful novel of a women’s heart. Narration by Brittany Pressley was perfection!

Thank you NetGalley & Harper Muse for this audiobook.

One moment can change the rest of the trajectory of your life. In this sliding doors-type novel the author gives two alternative times lines. Kate and her 9 year old daughter Olivia go on their annual beach vacation: in one time line Olivia goes out in the water too far and drowns, and in the other they have a wonderful vacation and all is well. The rest of novel sets out two parallel lives for Kate, one where she learns how to cope with the loss of her daughter and another where Olivia is a happy normal 9 year old and Kate has to deals with her ex-husband and new romances. However, in the end some certain pivotal events in her life turn out remarkably the same.

I thought this novel was great and I loved both alternatives for Kate. One would assume that you wouldn’t enjoy the grief storyline as much but it was done really well and with an optimistic view that I didn’t dread reading it. I listened to this book entirely on audio and thought the narrator told both stories with wonderful and balanced emotion.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC

This book gives a "Sliding Doors" vibe. It's a what if story. What if your child dies? What if she doesn't? In one life Kate takes her eyes off her child for a split second and what happens in that split second changes her life forever. In the other timeline, her daughter is fine. It's a heart breaking story every parent has thought of at least once. You get to see both sides. This book will make you cry, but there's joy as well. If a child passing is a trigger, then this book isn't for you. Brittany Pressley does a great job voicing both timelines and making them seem different. Rea Frey has written a thought provoking emotional story. A must read if you like books that will take you on an emotional roller coaster.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rea Frey, and Harper Muse for the opportunity to listen to this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for this audiobook to review. WOW but also WOAH. This is a heartbreaking and heavy book told in two parallel timelines of a single mother who lost her daughter in a the split second moment when she looked at her phone at a text with different outcomes. Just when the story gets horribly sad and heart wrenching the time line shifts to remember a funny or different time to lighten your heart. The narrator Brittany Pressly does an amazing job expressing the emotions from the mother to the pre-tween daughter just right. Triggers: If you have lost a child this may be a really difficult read. I found it difficult just with my daughter having the same name. Yet It is a wonderful well told story I am glad I was given the opportunity to read.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Other Year" by Rea Frey.

"The Other Year" audiobook, narrated by Sarah Mollo-Christensen, is a moving tale of love, loss, and family dynamics. Rea Frey's story follows Quinn's journey through grief and self-discovery, brought to life by Mollo-Christensen's authentic narration.

Frey's storytelling keeps listeners hooked, though some parts may feel a bit slow. Mollo-Christensen's voice captures the emotions of the characters well, though occasionally it can be a tad melodramatic.

Overall, "The Other Year" audiobook offers a touching listening experience, with Frey's engaging story and Mollo-Christensen's narration making it a journey worth taking.

I found the book highly engaging and a great read. It really broke my heart in the second timeline - especially immediately after the child's death. This author knows how to write and the narrator was absolutely amazing. She really pulled in the tragedy and sorrow through her voice and it made it gut-wrenching to listen to the main character's inner dialogue through her voice.
On a personal note, I'm not the biggest fan of the "two timelines lead to the same destination" story. I would have LOVED to devote all of the time to the second storyline and truly explore that narrative in depth. That being said I still very much enjoyed myself and is a great read on motherhood, grief and letting go.

This needs to come with a major trigger warning for parents or those who have lost a child. I read this shortly after my son was flown into the PICU with a collapsed lung and hit home waaaay too hard. While the author portrays true depth of our anxieties, it was just too much for me. I felt panic attacks coming on multiple times and would burst into tears as my mind would start reeling with the “what ifs” similar to the story. If you are up for the ride, it will definitely destroy you emotionally.

I picked this for the narrator. Shew was almost too good in this role. I was hurting imagining losing one my own nine year old daughters. I know mothers survive loss every single day and go on, but I can't even handle imagining it.
This one hurt. I know it is supposed to be a book about resilience and a bunch of lines and moments stuck with me - but I am just too sensitive.

🎧THE OTHER YEAR by Rea Frey was narrated by Brittany Pressley and was quite an emotional trip!

I saw that this was still offered by @harpermusebooks via @netgalley and remembered it had been well received by many, so I was happy to have received it! Thank you both!

This was a heavy read. The loss of a child...or not.

I think the exploration of how life would be in a different direction is fascinating. I appreciated how this story used a tragic event to point out how we can romanticize the "what-if's" when real life doesn't usually work out so lovely. I also appreciate how, with loss, the hard stuff would be so worth it if we could have them back.

I can't pretend to know how to feel with a loss this big. I have had close proximity to such losses, but it isn't the same. I did value the exploration and sharing of one such journey.

The audio was done very well. There was deep emotion in the narration. I am glad I listened to this story as it became a bit hard to keep going, but the audio kept me moving.

This was published back in August of 2023, so it is available now and if you are ready to engage on a moving yet difficult story, I would recommend it.

#TheOtherYear#
Kate takes her daughter on a seaside vacation. Kate watches the child play in the water. Kate sees her daughter go under. Terrified she rushed to the ocean and sees her child surface giggling. Later Kate is distracted a split second. The unthinkable happens. After rescuers bring the drowned girl to her mother, Kate suffers every emotion known to man. She begins to live two lives one with her child and another wrestling with reality of her loss, and her guilt. A story you will never forget. Highly recommend. I received this book from the publisher and net galley in exchange for a honest review. Thank you publisher and NetGalley.

Thank you Harper Muse for allowing me to read and review The Other Year on NetGalley

Published: 08/15/23

Narrator: Brittany Pressley

Stars: 2.5

More enjoyable than an average book, however, I have already had to skim the synopsis i.e., forgettable. The subject matter is what aids remembering after the skim.

While on vacation Mom is on her phone texting while her 9-year-old daughter plays in the ocean and subsequently drowns. The story is written in dual timelines: before and after death. The requisite ex-husband has his self-centered role and family friend Jason is always available in both timelines. Do I sound snarky? The sexual tension between the three irked me while I was reading.
I kept most of my focus as Brittany Pressley snapped her fingers and did a couple yoo-hoo pay attentions -- Seriously, she really was amazing as a performing narrator.

As the story unravels more characters enter and having sex and potentially finding love overtakes the story of a woman texting while her 9-year-old daughter played in the ocean and drowned. This point was not addressed and it sickened me.

Without Pressley this is a creative writing paper that needed a point edit -- nonsensical texting or possibly, child dies and mom wants a male companion.

It’s hard for me to write a review of this book without potentially giving away spoilers.

This is an amazing story of a mother who loses her daughter… or did she? The dual timeline is so captivating- how characters fit into each. I became completely invested in all the characters. Navigating loss, friendship, old love, new love. My heart ached listening to this story.

Beautifully written story.

The narrator was 5 stars.

Thanks to netgalley for allowing me to listen to this audiobook.

I absolutely loved the concept of two parallel timelines in this book. Each one told so uniquely. I would definitely recommend this book and read it again!

The Other Year by Rea Frey

Thank you Harper Muse and NetGalley for the free audiobook.

Blurb:
“Bringing to light the drastic polarities dire circumstances often create, The Other Year explores truths about love, loss, and the sharp turns any life can take in the blink of an eye.

✨My thoughts:
This story completely wrecked me. I actually read and listened to this book and both were so good! Rea Frey literally ripped my heart from my chest and left me with a bleeding heart. All while my two boys were cuddling me. This book is not for the faint of heart and I highly suggest checking the trigger warnings. I loved to see the two different timelines and both pulled at my heartstrings in two very different ways. This story was written so beautifully. It was also written so painfully raw that I almost forgot I was reading a work of fiction. Honestly I’m getting choked up thinking about this book again. The Other Year is a meaningful and memorable story, written with pure talent and heart, and one I’ll never forget. There is so much to take away from this story and if you can handle reading about the loss of a child, you should really pick this one up. This one will break your heart and put you back together again.

“Slowly, achingly, I am learning to live.”

Happy reading!

One of my favorite movies is Sliding Doors. It stars Gwyneth Paltrow and is about the two paths a woman’s life takes: 1. She makes it on the train just in time 2. She misses it completely.

The Other Year, is a riveting story that drew me in immediately because it’s the same type of storytelling. The heroin is Kate and one day at the beach, her daughter disappears in the waves and she begins to desperately search for her. In one year; her daughter, Olivia, resurfaces moments later. In “the other year”, she tragically drowns. The book then follows the parallel timelines in alternating chapters, describing Kate’s life after that day at the beach.

This story will make you feel everything from heartbroken to joyful. It is a reminder that everything can change in an instant. It is about the human spirit’s strength and perseverance through any kind of obstacle; whether that’s losing your child or dealing with how they pull away from you as they grow older and more independent. It is about the strength of a woman, regardless of her obstacles.

Thank you @harpermusebooks @netgalley for a copy of this book. Rea always writes books that wrecks me. This one is a sliding door story told in 2 parallel timelines. One with Kate loses her daughter at the beach and her grief and how she moves on. The other timeline, Olivia is okay and how her life is. I liked that in both story, Kate faces big decision and all the supporting characters played a big role in both dimensions. Brittany Pressley did a phenomenal job in bringing out all the emotions.

This was two stories in one essentially and done really well. I thought it was interesting how one event could impact someone in such very drastic ways. The author did a fantastic job with capturing all of the emotions and looking into the future with these two avenues.

🌀Synopsis
Kate finally takes her daughter on a vacation and when she disappears beneath the waves the story diverges onto two paths- in one path she doesn’t come back up and in another path she does.
The story goes on to show the future in both of these paths, emphasizing just how critical one moment can be. In the story where she doesn’t come up, she dies and Kate has to force herself to reckon with the grief. In another path she deals with the difficulties of raising her daughter as a divorced parent.

Many thanks for the complimentary ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and the author/publisher.

This is the ultimate “what if” scenario between a child living and dying. No doubt this will not be for all readers/listeners. One storyline is happy; the other a painful, heart-rending, and raw emotional journey. As other reviewers caution - trigger warning - loss of a child.

The idea for this book is certainly unique, and is contemplative of how quickly our lives can change in a few seconds. The roller coaster of emotions - grief, happiness, regret, hope, guilt, fear, failure - drives the intensity in the dual timeline. It accurately portrays how our view of someone lost in a tragedy tends to be remembered better than in reality with the opposing storyline to put this into perspective.

WOW! This story was A LOT! Trigger alert: Children death and grief. Also spoilers!

This book was everything. Funny, silly, sad, witty, charming, interesting, and so thoughtful. 2 different versions of what happens on a day when Olivia is in the ocean and she goes under. 2 different stories wonderfully intertwined. I listened to this book and as always the narrator Brittany Pressley was amazing (I didnt know she was the narrator until I started and it made me even more excited to listen!). 5 stars!

Thank you for the advanced reader NetGalley!