Desi manipulated events to portray her life and family as happy and successful, sweeping long-buried secrets under the rug. As the family spends the summer in their new gateway home, the secrets start to unravel, and the strength of the family is tested.

Calling all fans of Family Drama and Women’s Fiction...this one won't disappoint, so add this to your February TBR!

I rarely quote lines from books, but I love this one: “Hard is where the good stuff is.” There's a lot of hard in this book.

For someone who outwardly appears to have it all together, Desi is a hot mess. You want to root for Desi and yell at her
simultaneously. She is self-centered and controlling, never realizing the ripple effect of her lies and need for control. I wasn't surprised by Desi’s secret, but I enjoyed how Rea Frey slowly unraveled it. The tension felt real as Desi and her husband Peter struggled with their long-term marriage - love lost in the acts of co-parenting and career building. Her relationship with her daughter isn't much better - always choosing work over family time. The emotional contagion of Desi’s actions ripples farther than she could ever imagine.

Please review the trigger warnings before reading. Rea Frey successfully showcases both emotional and physical survival. The tragedies devasted me. And my heart raced as the characters battled the wilderness, so please beware that some scenes are not for faint of heart.

Author Rea Frey's latest book, Secrets of Our House, was inspired by her 2019 visit to the Georgia home of fellow author Emily Carpenter -- a large, black house. She has crafted an engrossing story about "secrets, lies, and betrayals," written during the pandemic when most people were spending significant chunks of time in their homes. Thus, she "couldn't think of a more perfect setting" for her new novel than the fictional Black House that figures prominently in Secrets of Our House.

The story opens at the home that Desi designed in the North Carolina mountains just outside the little town of River Falls. She runs a successful interior design firm in Chicago, while Peter, her husband, is a former Marine sniper who has made a career of training urbanites in tactical self-defense. He has also taught their daughter, Jules, to be a survivalist, and she will need those skills as the summer unfolds. Seventeen-year-old Jules is artistic and athletic, an academic achiever who is scheduled to begin her first semester at Columbia University in New York in the fall, majoring in biomedical science. She is painfully aware that her parents' marriage is in trouble. Their relationship has become increasingly "bitter, silent," with the two of them growing further apart with each passing day. Desi is lonely in North Carolina, missing the city, its energy, and her work. But she and Peter have agreed to spend the summer at The Black House for the specific purpose of deciding if their marriage can be saved.

Desi is receiving text messages from Carter, the man she loved, but hadn't seen or spoken with for years until she recently ran into him at a farmer's market. She regrets having given him her business card because now he wants to get together with her. Worse, she thinks she sees him in town. Desi isn't "sure if she secretly wants Carter to show up or if that would literally be the worst thing that could happen." On top of that, her brother, Tommy, has shown up unannounced. Tommy served with Peter and Carter in the Marines and, as a result, has suffered from PTSD and mood swings, struggled with drug addiction, and tends to appear only when he needs money. A drifter, he has just returned from Morocco and will stay with Desi's family until he decides to move on again.

Secrets of Our House is a tale about choices, and how decisions one makes about life always have consequences. Sometimes the impact of those choices is unforeseen and even unintentional, but there is no escaping the ramifications, even if, as in Frey's tautly-constructed story, they only manifest many years later.

And for Desi that's exactly what happens as the story unfolds. Jules has fallen in love with a local pilot, Will, who is four years older than she is. He has a close, loving family, all of whom have rallied around his mother, Lenore, who has terminal lung cancer. Jules loves River Falls and the close-knit community she has become part of -- almost as much as she loves Will, with whom she has become intimate. She wants to defer her studies to remain in North Carolina with her father, who dreams of building a survivalist course there. But Desi is determined to keep Jules from making decisions Desi fears she will later regret. Desi, of course, has the benefit of hindsight that Jules lacks. And plenty of regrets of her own.

For Desi, "what was supposed to be a relaxing summer has instantly turned complex." Carter is communicating with her and stirring up old feelings from which Desi has been running for many years; her brother has arrived without warning; Jules' relationship with Will is deepening and, from Desi's perspective, threatening to derail Jules' future; and Peter is becoming "less and less emotionally unavailable," despite the fact that they agreed to give their marriage one last try.

Desi astutely senses that her past is about to catch up with her and she cannot "escape herself." To give her emotional conundrum context, Frey details, at expertly-timed junctures, the choices Desi made many years ago, as well as her escalating desperation to keep long-buried secrets from coming to light. "Was her entire life really about covering up who she really was?" she ponders. Frey also explores the factors that played into Desi's decision-making all those years ago -- a desire for "stability and protection;" genuine but very different feelings for Peter and Carter; and copious amounts of guilt about her actions. Desi concluded long ago that "she needed certain and familiar, not wild and unpredictable." Frey skillfully and compassionately portrays Desi's inescapable internal struggle to finally and conclusively reconcile the war that has raged between her heart and mind for two decades.

Peter has always been a dedicated father to Jules, but often withdrawn and unreachable in his relationship with Desi. He promised to leave the Marines once they were married, but broke that promise, serving several more tours before finally coming home to stay. Did he have reasons for making that choice about which Desi has remained unaware? If so, why has he never told her the truth? Jules is decisive and committed to the life she is designing for herself, but earnest and loathe to disappoint her parents, especially her mother, in any way. With respect to Jules, Desi is well-meaning but, like every parent, makes mistakes. And her failure to appreciate the impact of her actions on not just her daughter's life, but others' lives, as well, could prove catastrophic and heart-breaking.

Frey heightens the dramatic tension and suspense by placing her characters in life-threatening situations that force them to put their differences aside and work together to ensure the survival of those they love most. In the process, revelations -- some shouted in anger and frustration at inopportune moments -- come amid critical, strategic decision-making. Desi and Peter have also long harbored resentments, jealousy, and anger toward each other and, individually, experienced profound disappointment and sorrow. The truth comes to light as they navigate an unspeakably harrowing crisis in the wilderness that could cost them everything they hold dear.

Secrets of Our House is an absorbing, entertaining, and richly emotional examination of a family that has been careening toward a crossroads -- a reckoning -- for a long time. Having now arrived there, she illustrates how each character reacts and adapts when the truth is known, and what they decide is best for each of them moving forward. Will they be able to forgive each other, and themselves, in order to forge new, healthier relationships with each other?

This is a domestic drama about a family with many secrets. Set mostly in a beautiful mountain town in North Carolina, this book explores the bonds of family, the thrill and heartache that comes with first love, paths not taken.

This book was fast paced like a thriller, but it wasn’t a thriller at all - but instead a domestic family drama. And boy was it well done. I was hooked from the first page. I found myself often thinking about the book even when I couldn’t be reading it (pesky life getting in the way!).

This book had me intrigued - by the concept and because I could not figure out what would happen next! I loved the characters - especially Jules and Lenore.

This was my first ever Rea Frey novel, but I can assure you, it will NOT be my last.

I just cannot go wrong with a Rea Frey book! Her stories grip you from the beginning and then you cant eat, sleep, drink, raise kids, until you know the ending!

Finished another book of hers toot suite!

Thank you!

Rea Frey really knows how to write characters. I loved reading about Desi and Jules and their family, both genetic and chosen. There were a few thrills in the bumpy road to the end, and they kept me reading. If you love a book where you want to shake everyone and just say “it’s called communication! State your thoughts bro!” Then this one is for you.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s / Griffin for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.

This is a Family Drama Fiction/Suspense. I cannot figure out why this is said to be a mystery because I do not think there is anything mystery in this book. The end of this book as a good amount of action and suspense. The best way I can sum up this book is that it is a book about when a Mother's secrets and actions comes to bit her in the butt. Desi (the Mother) in this book is not the most likable character. Her character tries to make everyone do want she wants, but her biggest secrets is she make a big mistake when she was really young which she never as moved on from. I really enjoyed this book, and I think it was while written. The secret the Mother has been keeping unfolded slowly, so it keeps you guessing a little. There was some things put into the book like the bear attack that I did not think it needed to be there. I feel it was put in just to add more drama/action which was not needed. Overall, If you enjoy Family Drama Fiction that I really think you will enjoy this book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (St. Martin's Griffin) or author (Rea Frey) via NetGalley, so I can give an honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.

Desi is an architect who along with her husband Peter and their seventeen-year-old daughter Jules, are spending the summer at their vacation home. While Desi and Jules are the narrators, and certainly the main characters, their house, The Black House, designed by Desi, was a character too (IMHO). I could picture it perfectly as well as the surrounding location, so kudos to the author's vivid descriptions.
As for Desi, sigh, I wasn't prepared to feel so much dislike for a fictional character. She is unhappy in her marriage and has been for a long time. This was one of those times when I screamed at my Kindle more than once. The gist to me was please, for everyone's sake, just get a divorce already! There was no sense that the marriage was fixable, even though I never really got a good sense of Peter's character. Honestly, I didn't feel like Desi did him any favors by keeping their family together. Side note: I could picture a book featuring Peter, a divorced dad who was finally living his best life! But I digress.
As for Jules, her chapters shined with youth, young love, and hope for the future. Without her perspective, I am not sure if this story would have drawn me in. I may have thought the ending was just too picture-perfect, considering the circumstances, but honestly, Jules did deserve only good things.
I wasn't furiously flipping pages, but at one point in the story, I couldn't tear myself away. There were plenty of secrets and lies and it certainly was drama on top of slow-burn drama from the first page. 3.5 stars.

This was not a thrilling domestic drama as stated in the summary. The first 70% of the book was a slow family saga of a couple who don't want to be in their marriage anymore but then do odd things like spend the summer trying to rekindle their relationship, going to marriage counselling, etc. I couldn't grasp why when they both wanted out. Instead of a suspenseful drama, this felt very much like women's fiction, trying to get in touch with what you really want kind of story. The problem with that for me was that I didn't like Desi. I didn't understand the choices she made, how she interacted with her family, and the foreshadowing that seemed overly dramatic. Finally, at about 70% of the way in, some drama and suspense finally makes it into the story. This part was very good and I wish it had been a larger portion of the book.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was a tiny bit disappointed because this book was listed in the mystery/thriller section, and it was clearly a fiction book with a little suspense. The only part that was a bit intriguing to me was uncovering the secrets Desi was keeping from her family. I feel for Desi as she tells her story of just wanting the best for her family. She pushes her daughter to be the best and hopes to steer her in the right direction of being successful like herself. She wants to have her marriage to Peter work out, but it's been failing for a long time. Desi is keeping several secrets from Peter and Jules, and when they become known, it changes all their lives.
I really enjoyed reading about this family. I also enjoyed how it centered around a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains with this grand house that Desi designed called The Black House. This family endures so much together. I highly recommend this heartfelt read.

I will post my review on instagram @thrillersandcoffee

Desi and her family are spending one last summer together as a family before Jules goes off to college in the fall. They have a house that Desi designed herself,and is quite proud of, in a small town in North Carolina. They have plenty of access to the mountains and the forest, ponds and waterfalls, and also lots of wildlife. She is hoping this will also be a reset for her marriage to Peter - a last-ditch effort to save their marriage. All of Desi's hopes for the vacation go up in smoke however. Jules has fallen in love with one of the local boys,and now she no longer wants to go off to college. Peter is as distant as ever. Soon, secrets start to come out, and when they are out they can't be unsaid.
I have enjoyed all of this author's previous books,so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy this one as much. I never felt like any of the characters were particularly likeable or had much depth to them. I was hoping for bigger, juicier secrets, so I was let down when I had already guessed what they were. I think it may have just been me,because a lot of people really loved this one, so take my review with a grain of salt. She is an excellent writer though, and this one book doesn't discourage me from reading more from her.

This story was a quick read, finished in a matter of hours. The first 1/4 of the book kept me engaged, there was a wife keeping secrets from her family of a forbidden love, a daughter dealing with her first relationship, and a distant husband.

Then, things took a turn when the parents meet the boyfriend’s family, with tensions running high. Unfortunately, after that, the story broke off into a few separate plots that confused me. It seemed like there was too much jammed into one story and it didn’t flow for me. Everything bad that could possibly happen to this family did - a bear attack, a plane crash, and that’s just the tame stuff. There wasn’t enough depth to the characters to make me sympathize or relate to their struggles, they all did their own thing because they were so miserable being together.

Rea Frey has done a wonderful job of describing the world her characters live in, in Secrets of our House.

The house of the title is a sweepingly beautiful house in the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, with a unique architectural detail, that lends itself to the name, "The Black House".

It's the story of how a family copes with multiple tragedies, secrets, and love (or lack of).

I cried at LEAST 3 times while reading this, a tribute to the author's ability to instill emotion through words.

While this is classified as a Mystery & Thriller, I would call it "women's fiction". Full of beautiful prose and drama.

Thanks so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance reader's copy.

After reading three other books by Rea Frey and enjoying them I was very excited to read Secrets of Our House. Secrets of Our House is a domestic drama with an edge of suspense and is told by alternating the point of view between characters.

Desi has designed her dream getaway home in the mountains of North Carolina in River Falls where she and her husband and daughter plan to spend the summer away from their home in Chicago. With Desi and Peter at a rough place in the marriage they need the time to figure things out and Jules, their daughter, at seventeen is figuring out what she wants from her life and whether college is the next step or is there something else out there for her.

Secrets of Our House by Rea Frey is certainly aptly titled as that is exactly what you find in the novel, Secrets that all the members of the family hold. The past comes back to haunt the family and the future is uncertain so I couldn’t help but be swept up with this family and engaged in their lives from the start. There’s tension in the relationships then there’s tension in the actions that all combines to make an entertaining read yet again for me from author Rea Frey.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I can't say enough good things about this book! I read it in one sitting late at night and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was intrigued and wanted to know what was going to happen next, causing me to get deeper into the story that pulled me in further and further.

I especially related to Jules and her struggle to become independent, do what she wanted to do with her life, and come into her own. In a way, each member of her family had the same struggles, just in different aspects of their lives.

The author did a beautiful job describing the setting and the black house, making me feel as if I could see them and kind of wishing I could VRBO the house for the weekend!

For an interesting look at secrets brought about by poor choices and the effect it has on one family, this the book for you. Pick it up and give it a shot!

Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Rae Frey is a fabulous author. She writes books about family drama and hidden secrets. In this book Desi and Peter are married with a daughter, Jules. Jules is in love with Will, a slightly older man, which makes a difference with you are 17 turning 18 years old. The book focuses on the relationships of the two couples and the relationship between Jules and her parents. Her parent ls want what every parent wants, the best for their child. What they think is best is not what Jules thinks is best.

I loved this book. It started out a little slow but quickly picked up. The relationships are very complex and you wonder which ones are better off alone. There is a lot of emotion in the book and it is perfect. I loved Jules for her strength and knowing what she wanted. I was very happy with the ending of this book.

Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy.

I liked the description of the story, but felt like the actual book didn't match. I liked the story, initially...but then it just went way too far. There were way too many catastrophic events and it just didn't seem real. I won't add any details to prevent spoilers, but if you have read the book you will know what I am talking about. It also tied up loose end way too neatly, IMO. Thank you for the read.

This is a slow burn domestic drama that tunes up near the end when a crisis forces the revelation of several family secrets. Desi and her husband Peter are both unhappy with their marriage but neither will admit it to the other. Desi has built them a vacation house in North Carolina which she thinks will heal things but...Their daughter Jules, meant to go to Columbia University, falls in love with Will and wants to stay. Desi was once in love with Carter, who resurfaces in her life. This takes place over the course of a year and you,. like me might figure out some of the secrets but that doesn't mean there's not a lwist or two. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in return for a fair review. Once again I've found another Rea Frey book that I loved. Desi and Jules both tell the stories from their point of view. This book held my attention the entire time and I couldn't put it down. The suspense had me hooked and the ending was amazing .

What It's About: Desi and her family enjoy spending their summer at their dream getaway house called "The Black House" which was designed by Desi. Others may see them as a happy family but Desi knows things are falling apart and this summer at The Black House is her last attempt to save her marriage and family.

My thoughts: This was an intriguing read although it wasn't what I expected or my usual genre. I think what stood out for me was the writing which I find beautiful and engaging. I enjoyed the overall plot too.

This was a character driven story with good character depth and got me invested in them. I liked both Desi and Jules!

The mystery in this story is light but definitely not lacking in suspense! There were some heart-pounding moments and the twist towards the end of the story was so unexpected!

Overall, this is a great domestic suspense and I recommend it if you enjoy stories about family and friendships with a dash of mystery!


Pub. Date: Feb 8th, 2022

***Thank you St. Martin's Press for this gifted review copy. All opinions expressed are my own.***

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: Feb. 8, 2022
Powerhouse author Rea Frey, really delivers with her new novel, “Secrets of Our House”. As a long-time fan of Frey who has read every one of her fiction novels BEFORE their release dates (and loved every one), I eagerly took the chance to read her newest novel and, as usual, Frey does not disappoint.
Desi has finally built the house of her dreams- a large mansion in the North Carolina Mountains- and she is desperate to reconnect with her husband and her teenage daughter, hoping that some time away at her dream home will help mend fences. But the house, and the town itself, holds some dark secrets that Desi has worked for years to keep hidden. When her teenage daughter, Jules, is lost in the wilderness after a tragic accident, Desi realizes that she must reveal all of her secrets, even if it means destroying the family she fought so hard to save.
“Secrets of Our House” almost reads like two separate stories; at first, the plot focuses on Desi and Peter, and their crumbling relationship, and Jules’ new love interest and future aspirations, all with the looming darkness of Desi’s past secrets. Then, almost two thirds through the novel, a plane crash, missing teenagers and a search through perilous winter conditions that was too intoxicating for me to put down. Frey manages to connect these two very different storylines with the strong foundations of her characters, and the relationship she builds between them and her readers.
When Desi’s secret was finally revealed, I was not surprised, as this was one of those twists that readers of the genre (or watchers of Lifetime movies) will see coming. However, I was already hooked in to the story’s plot and there were so many other things going on, that I was desperately invested in the final outcome. The ending could’ve gone a million different ways but Frey did it right, providing the soothing reassurance and satisfaction that can only come after such a pulse-pounding sequence of events.
Well-written, creative and full of intense action, “Secrets of Our House” was one suspenseful ride! The latter half of this novel was especially difficult to put down, and I felt an immediate connection to the characters, especially to Desi.
“Secrets” is the exact story readers will expect from Frey, and I eagerly anticipate her next suspenseful domestic read!