Genre: women's fiction
Pub date: 2/8/22
In one sentence: Desi brings her family to spend a relaxing summer in at their NC mountain home - but one summer will change all their lives forever.

I loved vacationing in the NC mountains as a child, so I was very excited to read this book. It starts off strong, setting up Desi and her husband's distant marriage, her daughter Jules' first love, and the return of Desi's former flame Carter. From there, it devolved into a melodrama with increasingly implausible plot lines. I understand the woods are dangerous, but the odds that one family would experience both a bear attack and plane crash in the space of a year are slim. I had trouble relating to the story because it was too over the top. The narration by Samantha Desz was good, but the story was ultimately not for me.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I couldn't get beyond the first chapter of this book. It may have just been that the narrator's voice scraped at my brain, but it could be that the characters are quite unlikable at the beginning.

This book reminded me so much of the Novel In An Instant. Except the crash is at the end of the book instead of in the beginning.

The author does a fantastic job of weaving in the Theme of “what does it mean to be a survivor?”

We survive things every day in our lives. We survive the hurt we go through, accidents we are in, physical pain, emotional pain.we survive the end of a relationship, the pain in a current one.
We survive the choices we make for our kids, our families, our partner, choices we make for our career. And sometimes we even learn to survive the pain we inflict by choosing ourselves first.

As the book is told between two perspectives Des and Jules, we learn about how a family survives both emotionally and physically for so many years as they endure so many experiences. And when they are challenged with the biggest need for survival in the end of the story, we watch how the choices of their past have helped prepare them for the hardest moments in their lives.

“What we survived in the past, prepares and equips us for what we face in the future. “

From my blog: Always With a Book:

This is the second book I’ve read by Rea Frey and I can now say I am a fan! I just love her writing because it’s emotionally driven and addicting.

This domestic drama is so compelling. I loved how it was told from just two points of view – Desi and Jules. I found the mother-daughter relationship to be so fraught with tension that it kept the momentum of the story moving, especially in the beginning as the stage is being set for all that is to come. This book is based on a web of secrets and lies, and I loved how they were woven into the story and eventually revealed. While I did guess one or two, I was completely caught off guard with the final one.

This is definitely a slow-burn that picks up in pace and intensity in the last bit, leaving you on the very edge of your seat. The characters are so vividly drawn and it is quite easy to become attached to them and their stories. I might not have agreed with all their choices but I was all about the drama that ensued.

This author has proven she can write addictive, binge-worthy stories that you just don’t want to put down. I really enjoyed this one and am not going to be checking out her backlist while waiting to see what comes next from her. If you enjoy domestic dramas, I highly recommend picking this one up!


Audio thoughts: I thought the narrator, Samantha Desz, did a fantastic job bringing this story to life. Her pacing and intonation were spot on and she gave each character their own unique voice. She really kept me engaged in the story and I will definitely be checking out what else she has narrated.

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.

The very beginning of the synopsis for this one calls it a thrilling family drama so I assumed I was about to read a tense, suspenseful book. I was wrong and so is the synopsis this is NOT a suspense, a mystery or a thriller whatsoever and had I know I was going to be reading regular old fiction (or women’s fiction whatever) I may have liked this one more. Expectations are so important to me as a reader and mislabeling it did this book no favors at all. I will say the very end did have some tension but that is not enough for me to call it a thriller. Just wanted to get that all out because I have a feeling had I known what I was getting into here this would’ve earned a higher rating from me. It was dramatic but in a soap opera kind of way with the characters making very stupid choices and then the secrets? Really predictable and honestly disappointing. I’ve really enjoyed this authors books in the past, but man this one just didn’t do it for me. I spent most of the book wondering what the point was and I’m still sorta feeling that way now. If you do read this go into knowing it’s fiction and try the audio because I swear that’s the only way I finished it.

Secrets of Our House is told through the eyes of Desi and her daughter Jules. The relationship between these two women propelled the book and kept me engaged, though each perspective was independent from the other. Both women have their secrets and tough decisions influenced by the people around them. While I thought many parts of the story were unrealistic and overly dramatic, I did enjoy the overall premise of the story. The characters had decent depth, though I wish we got to know Will a little better since he is such driving force in the book for Jules and her relationship with her mother.
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Thank you to the author, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

DNF. Unfortunately, this was a book I started multiple times but could just not get into. I appreciate having the opportunity to read this book, it was just not a good fit for me as a reader. I Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my gifted review copy.

I wasn't a fan of this book. It takes itself very seriously and is much more drawn out than it should be.
Pointless storyline with one dimensional characters.

it was ok. some domestic saga, misunderstandings. lies.... consequences ... the usual. The husband irritated me. a lot though.

If you could only read one genre, what would you choose? I am all about the family drama. I was expecting a thriller or mystery from this one (I rarely read a synopsis), and was happily surprised to find a domestic drama full of family secrets.
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Desi is a successful professional who designed her dream getaway house in the mountains. It’s her family’s favorite place to spend the summer, but their feelings about the small town change when eighteen year old Jules falls in love with a local pilot. Desi’s marriage to Peter is on the rocks and her first love has mysteriously showed up in town. That’s a glimpse, swipe for the synopsis.
There’s so much happening in this novel and while I didn’t really like Desi, I was here for all the family drama and unfolding secrets from the past. I thought the pacing was perfect, I love a slow burn. Thanks to @macmillan.audio and @netgalley, I listened to this one and I loved the narration.

"Secrets of our House" audiobook started off so good, but then???

This is the story of Desi, Peter, and their teenage daughter Jules. Desi has designed her dream house which the family calls "Black House". It has every modern convenience one can imagine. It is a sprawling silver house with a black roof in the North Carolina mountains. Desi is successful, Peter is a great dad, and Jules is a beautiful daughter in love with a local boy named Will. What more could they wish for?


As the story progresses we learn that Desi and Peter's marriage is in shambles. Desi is in love with someone from her past. Peter is unhappy and wants a divorce, but he stays because he loves their daughter Jules. Jules has been accepted at a prestigious college, but does not want to go. She deeply loves Will and wants a life at home with him.


Much of the book is about unhappiness in the family and a controlling selfish mom that I struggled to hear about especially towards the end of the book. I absolutely hate to give a negative review because I love Rea Frey's other books. I personally had issues with this book, but I am probably in the minority. I know from reading other reviews that many loved it. I actually feel this book is 2 stars, but since I felt the writing started out so strong I am going with 3 ⭐⭐⭐.


Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for allowing me to review this audiobook. I appreciate you! This audiobook will be published February 8, 2022.

Secrets of Our House by Rea Frey is a riveting audiobook. The narrator does an excellent job of varying her voice to create unique tones for each character. There are plenty of secrets and drama about Desi and her family. Parts of this book will leave your jaw dropping and you’ll be sitting on the edge of your seat while you listen. Read (listen) and enjoy!

Love love love! Rea Frey never disappoints. I think this one might be my favorite of hers! Well done! 👏👏

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 did a read/listen with story, with the audiobook narrated by Samantha Desz. She did a wonderful job with the story and added to the suspense and revelations as they happened. Her performance added to my enjoyment of this story. She did a good job with the voices and expression in the story. I will not hesitate to listen to other books narrated by this talented voice actress. I recommend you pick this one up if you enjoy stories of family and secrets in the domestic drama genre.

Set in the mountains of North Carolina, SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE, is a page turning big juicy family drama full of love, lies, deception, and the power of long kept family secrets coming back in to your life.... Parts of the book reminded me of the popular book from this past summer THE PAPER PALACE, with the main character of this novel Desi, re-connecting with an old flame and it spins some chaos into her life and requires her to make decisions about her future.....and the novel also has a storyline about Desi's daughter Jules finding love at 17 and discovering what to do with her life. I really enjoyed Jules- she was my favorite character in the book.

I flew through it in 2 days; it didn't have a lot of suspense, I think the cover is a little mismarketed, but it does have a lot of action and page turning suspense that keeps you reading with bated breath in the last few chapters! The ending brought the book from a 4 star rating to a 5 star rating for me! 👍🏻 👍🏻

This one was a disappointment for me.
And the title made it seem like it might be more fiction or mystery instead of chick lit, sex hungry female and something I probably would trfer to a those looking for nonsense so called romance books.
This one did not entertain me and took me 2 weeks to finish the audio.

This book is most definitely not a thriller. Main character, Desi, is one of the most unlikable characters I have ever encountered in a book. She and her husband Peter decide to spend the summer at their mountain home. Their daughter, Jules, comes along and of course, she falls in love.
I found this book to be filled with over the top drama that did not make sense. Almost no characters made believable decisions. The ending did not really wrap anything up.

Although not my favorite read, it did keep my interest until the end

*** huge thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a fantastic audiobook and story. I love the narration, and thought the narrator did a great job of portraying each character, without needing a full cast of voices.

The book is amazing, and reminds me of Kristin Hannah - a tragedy within a family, mystery and lots of suspense. I appreciated the action-packed ending and mid section, to keep the readers interest. I would definitely recommend this to my friends and book community, I will be sharing a post of this audiobook later today on http://www,instragram.com/deebibliophilia