3.5 stars
A steadily paced book with lots of questions that require answers.

Lee, a single mother, has never left her son Mason in someone else’s care. But when her best friend Grace convinces her she needs a small break from motherhood with a group of friends to recharge her batteries, Lee gives in. Surely a long weekend away won’t hurt. Forty-eight hours later, someone is dead and it seems all those left behind have secrets.

This story will have you thinking you’re going down one path, when BAM!, you’re off down another. All secrets are revealed in the twist at the end. It was fantastic and I never saw it coming! The twist answers the questions brought forth in the story, but after the big reveal the story just ended and didn’t feel finished. It simply stopped. That’s why this story get 3.5 stars rather than 4. I needed an epilogue, just one more chapter to completely satisfy.

Looking for a twisty, suspenseful novel? Then grab a copy of Because You’re Mine. Just wait until that title makes sense :)

Kudos to Rea Frey for a shocking ending that literally made my jaw drop! I really enjoyed how the author laid this book out, alternating between the viewpoints of Lee, Grace, and Noah as well as alternating between the current time period and past events that are applicable to the current events. The result is a puzzle that slowly comes together as you progress through the book (which made the ending all the more spectacular for me because it is not at all what I was expecting...).

This was the first book I've read by Rea Frey - after my experience with this one, I will definitely look forward to reading more of her books in the future!

Thank you to St.Martin's Press and NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

Part of my time is spent as a writer, but every single word of it is nonfiction. I read the made-up stuff - in particular the mystery/thriller genre - for pleasure; it really does amaze me how anyone's mind can even conjure up such complex characters and intricate plots that don't really exist, much less pull them all together in coherent and entertaining fashion. And when it comes to all that, boy, this one's a doozy.

Well, okay, it's a teeny bit far-fetched, mostly when it comes to how so many characters with such screwed-up lives could possibly have found each other. But that feeling quickly went by the boards as I got caught up in all the twists and turns of the story. In fact, I read the whole thing in just a few hours - that's how wrapped I got in what was going on.

In the prologue, an unidentified woman is trying to hike to the top of a mountain in the dark (yeah, I know, anybody who would do that pretty much deserves what she gets, but hang with me here). She makes a wrong turn, then a misstep, and then takes a fatal tumble. Next up is a week prior to her death, when readers meet fast friends Grace, Lee, Alice and Carol, who get together after school at least one day a week in Nashville. Lee, a hairdresser, has a young son named Mason who is on the spectrum; to help, her friend Grace introduced her to occupational therapist Noah.

Not a lot more is said about Alice and Carol, except that they want the foursome to go on a long getaway weekend at a mountain resort. Lee wants (actually, she's desperate) to go, but Mason isn't an easy child to hand off to someone else. But he does love Noah, so Lee reluctantly asks if he'll stay with her son. He agrees, and the trip is on.

Chapters shift from the perspectives of Grace, Lee and Noah - all of whom clearly have "secrets" they've been trying to hide (well, Grace has one she plans to share with Lee once the right opportunity arises, which she hopes will be during their getaway). Little by little, readers get glimpses of all three characters to learn what brought them to this point - memories that gradual merging with the present and - you guessed it - that woman who fell off the mountain.

More details? Sorry, no can do; from this point on, you'll just have to read it for yourself - and I hope you will. Thoroughly enjoyable - many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

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 re-charge 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…



My Thoughts: What began as a story about friendship and the world of single parenting would morph into a suspense thriller with so many layers of deceit that it would take rapidly turning those pages to find out more. As we delve further into Because You’re Mine we learn snippets of those long-held secrets, but we won’t realize the extent of them until the very end.

What is the story behinds Mason’s paternity? What happened to each woman’s family members that would change the course of their lives? How did Noah fit into each of their lives, past and present?

Each revelation begins to offer a peek of those lives in the past, as well as the present, but it would only be in the final pages that we truly understand the depths of the duplicity. 5 stars.

***My e-ARC came from the publisher via NetGalley.

I went back and forth with Because You're Mine by Rea Frey. At times I was really enjoying the story and at others bored, just wanting it finished. Now that I've finished the book I'm tempted to go back and read with the knowledge of what was coming. I was given an early copy to review.

OH MY GOODNESS!! That ending! 😱⁣
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This was one of the best domestic thrillers I’ve read in awhile. I thought I had this story figured out but I was wrong...so, so wrong. ⁣
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This is a book to go into blind so I’ll leave it at this- READ THIS BOOK! Bored? Stick with it. Think you have it all figured out? Think again. ⁣
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This story is an emotional rollercoaster and one compulsive read. As I finished the last page I whispered “Holy sh*t” and immediately wanted to read it again. ⁣
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Because You’re Mine gets the full five stars. A fantastic read and one not to miss! Thank you @stmartinspress for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.⁣

3.5 stars

Whew-there is a lot going on here.
It all comes together with an ending that I wish I hadn’t seen coming, because it’s a nice twist. Unfortunately there was just too much predictability leading up to it, that the reveal fell short for me,

Still a solid mystery that kept me turning the pages!

ARC provided by NetGalley

I'm not really sure what to think of this book... overall, I gave it 3.5 stars (rounding up to 4). For the first two-thirds of the book I thought I knew exactly what was happening and had already knew some of the "twists." However, later in the book I started questioning everything. I don't even know what to say about the ending without giving away spoilers, so I'll just say I was surprised but not satisfied.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

“The truth will set you free. But lies are what keep you safe.”

Lee has learned how to best handle her on-the-spectrum son Mason. She has their routine down and need leaves him with anyone else. But when Lee’s friends decide to take a girls trip, Lee gets talked into joining by her best friend Grace, and Noah, her sons teacher that Lee has a huge crush on. Unfortunately, one person doesn’t make it through the weekend alive. Everyone has their secrets, and nobody is willing to fess up to them.

Holy goodness this book! I totally thought I had everything figured out, and I kind of did, but also not really. The first quarter of the book moved a bit slow for me, but after that I flew through it and couldn’t put it down! I don’t want to give too much away, so all I’ll say is, everything is not as it seems. There is so many lies, so much drama, so much love, and so much hate in this book. I absolutely loved it!

Thank you to @netgalley and St Martins Griffin for allowing me to read and review this book in advance.

I was lucky enough to receive a hard copy galley from the author as well as an ebook from netgalley. So first off, THANK YOU!
I loved Frey’s Not Her Daughter and when I heard of a new book coming out I HAD TO HAVE IT!
Like her other novel it grabbed my attention immediately and I finished it in a day. There isn’t much to say without giving it away but I’m a fan. A HUGE fan of Rea Frey and will read anything she publishes.

It's interesting that BECAUSE YOU"RE MINE is categorized as women's fiction--with a cover to match--because I'd say it falls between women's fiction and thriller/suspense. I went into this one expecting a warm, kind-hearted family drama. Don't get me wrong, that does exist within the pages of the book. However, there's also a strong thriller/suspense element. I was definitely not expecting this. Thankfully Frey is very adept at conveying her characters' innermost thoughts and secrets. These secrets, as the story progresses, unravel at an entertaining pace. Stay for the end - you'll think you have it figured out, but you might be surprised!

This is a small town story told in 3 POVs in past and present with diary entries interspersed.

Lee, Grace and Noah are our three narrators with Lee being the main one for the first half and Grace taking over more in the second half. The story, at first reads like women's fiction. A tale of a single woman, Lee with a child on the spectrum (Mason, who actually holds his own and has quite a big part in the whole plot of the story) and how she balances life. She has Grace as a best friend and Noah who assists her in helping with Mason and his everyday activities. We see how life is difficult for her, but she also seems to be hiding from herself and hiding secrets from those she cares about. But in a small town, lies and secrets are sure to be revealed.

At first, I was confused with all the characters and trying to keep everyone straight. It took a bit to finally put them all together and see whose voice was whose. It didn't take away from the story, but I found myself going back and forth to chapter headings to see "where we were". I finally got to a good speed and understanding and the storyline moved in a way that seemed plausible.

The story builds up showing how each character's past has made them who they are today. But we keep getting someone's voice in the diaries, in the italics. Who could it be?

The turn around is when Lee, Grace and the girls go for a weekend trip, leaving Mason alone with Noah. This is where everything goes up in smoke and we are now waist deep in a suspense and needing to figure out the mystery of the story. Is it as clean cut as we see on the page, or is there more to each character and who is telling the truth and where does everyone's loyalty lie?

Rea Frey started a story that seemed like a simple women's fiction and turned it into a mystery/suspense that had the small town feels wrapped into lies and secrets and made it work. I liked how I thought I knew exactly where it was going and then gave me a piece of the past that made me question what the truth was. I don't think the entire story was perfect, but I liked the way it was paced for the most part. It seemed to slow down during some parts, but it was also giving me the clues I needed to come to the conclusion. The end seemed a little too quickly wrapped up and dropped that one last bomb, but it had me convinced of one thing and totally threw the last thing in for a bit of surprise. That's what makes for a good suspense.

Overall, a well written story that had a few things lagging, but everything came together in the end for a successful small town mystery that had me intrigued through the majority of the story.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Very interesting title for a very different, but good read. When you see the title, you are going to think it’s going to be a romance, but it is far from that.

We meet Grace and Lee. Both are single and both have sons the same age. Lee appears to have more baggage than Grace, but they both are overwhelmed.

Both of them seem to be hiding something.

Then we add in Lee’s son’s teacher Noah who also has a secret.

All three characters are connected through Mason, and the connection goes deep. Everything appears to be good for once for the most part until Lee goes on a weekend trip with her girlfriends, and one of the girls turns up dead.

Many subtle hints are given in every chapter about what's going on but nothing is revealed, but there is an undertone of menace throughout.

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE is filled with characters with secrets and characters with private burdens. It also deals with friendship issues, decisions, grief, and drug and alcohol use.

BECAUSE YOU'RE MINE will appeal to those readers who enjoy subtle suggestions of what is going on with the characters and readers who would like to get to know the characters better because you really aren’t sure what’s making them tick or who is telling the truth.

The book actually was depressing at times, but you will want to continue reading to see what happens to the characters and what the real truths are.

The ending will have you saying “what?” 4/5

This book was given to me as an ARC by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Loved this book! I was so sure I had everything all figured out, but then WHAM! The ending was not even something that ever crossed my mind! Brilliant! Gripping! I couldn't put it down!

This book is so twisty! I found myself wondering the whole time when the next piece of the puzzle would be revealed, and truthfully, I didn’t see many plot twists coming!

I don’t want to leave any spoilers, but if you’re into psychological suspense and mysteries, this book is for you!

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC, I’m giving this book 4 stars!

Everyone has deep hidden secrets and when you think you have them all figured out half way through, NOPE!

A twisted and suspenseful story. Glad I got to read it!

A new author for me, and I plan to read her debut. This is a well written book with strong characters. Rhea Frey writes a story of best friends, losses, lies and deceit. It is narrated alternately by the main characters. It is filled with twists and turns until the slam dunk ending. My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. I loved it!
#NetGalley #StMartinsPress #RheaFrey

"Because You're Mine" is a novel about how the truth will set you free. But it’s the lies that keep you safe, and author Rea Frey unveils this fact one piece at a time and keeps readers guessing until the end.
The characters include single mother Lee and her son with autism Mason, occupational therapist Noah and Grace, Lee's best friend and a friend of Noah's. While everyone seems happy between these three adults, everything is not as it seems. Someone will die and secrets that each character want to keep hidden will be revealed.
If you like thrillers and suspense stories, this one's for you. It promises to keep readers awake all night, and it certainly delivers!
I liked how the author includes autism and Sensory Processing Disorder in the book. She also does a great job of leaving clues that point to the conclusion but keep readers guessing until the very end.
The beginning quarter of the book is a bit confusing. It includes too much information that makes the book feel "in your face," and the writing style is choppy at first. But the book really takes off after the first quarter, and I couldn't put it down.
While I really like the suspense part of this book, the content is dark and includes violent sexual content, rape, drug use, adult language, and suicide. For that reason, I can only give it two out of five stars.

This is my second book by author Rea Frey.

Lee is a doting single mother to her young son Mason. When Lee's best friend Grace and a group of mom friends convince her to go on a fun and relaxing girls weekend she agrees. Lee does not like to leave Mason, but she trusts his tutor Noah to watch after him. Things quickly spiral out of control. Horrible and unsettling truths are revealed. Secrets, lies and revenge come to fruition.

A tale of how poorly made decisions can affect lives years later. This is definitely a suspense filled thriller that will leave you with questions until the very end.

My only negative feedback would be how the story just ended. I was expecting to turn the page and have a bit more of the story revealed. However this will not deter me from reading more from this author.

I really enjoyed the author’s last book so I was really looking forward to this one but I am sorry to say I found it disappointing. The novel does begin with the foreshadowing that someone died, although not clear who, and then the story begins one week earlier leading up to the death. Throughout the novel the POV shifts between three characters. The most prominent and prolific is Lee who is the single mother of Mason, an autistic boy who is very smart and challenging in his own way. Her best friend is Grace, also a single mother, who feels that her friend is not always as there for her as she is for Lee. Finally Noah is Mason’s tutor and Lee has a crush on him.

The biggest issue for me right away was that I found the setup to the novel uninteresting. It did not help that I did not like Lee. It’s only because I liked the author’s last book that I even continued with this book instead of giving up on it. The first third or so of the book is the setup of the women going on a girls weekend away. There’s Lee not sure about leaving Mason and her struggles as a single mother. Grace is concerned about telling Lee something that she knows will upset her. After the reveal the story adds in a new timeline with flashbacks to the past that come in a slow reveal.

This is one of those novels that’s supposed to be set up with shocking reveals. I did not find any of them shocking. I thought it was obvious from the beginning what was going on and even who the victim was going to be. Even if I had not seen it coming it would not have added anything interesting to this story. Worst of all for me is the shoddy plotting. I hate this new trend of suspense novel where the big reveal is supposed to excuse mistakes in writing. Unless the character is expected to be mentally ill they cannot have an internal dialogue that is full of lies. If we read how the character feels that cannot suddenly be switched for the sake of a reveal. I don’t understand why one character was treated as they were and if the author thought this was fair it makes no sense to me. After wading through to the end I’d recommend saving your time and skipping this.