The Other Year by Rea Frey was one of my top books this year! This work is a poignant and beautiful look at grief, women's rich inner lives, and exploring our compounding impacts through a dual timeline. I loved the illustrative language and the detailed interactions between mother and daughter. The audiobook was well executed - the narrator was clear and had good intonation. I docked one star because I feel the book relies too heavily on the unnecessary romantic subplots in both timelines, and it hinders the messaging of moving through, not around, grief. Overall, this book was lovely, and with the obvious trigger warning for child death, I would recommend it widely.

I really enjoyed the idea of a dual/Sliding Doors storyline and found it easy to follow and switch between the two. I didn’t particularly find the characters likeable and the big focus on a love triangle was disappointing and distracted me from what should have been a gut wrenching and moving story. I think this is ultimately the reason I didn’t particularly care for this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rea Frey and Harper Muse for this ARC . A positive review was not required, just my honest opinion.

I received this audiobook via NetGalley but opinions are my own.

Wow, I knew it would be going into it- but this is a tough one to get through, especially toward the beginning. The timeline where Olivia has died is absolutely heart wrenching. The narrator did a PHENOMENAL job. The anguish Kate went through was 100% felt through the narrator. Just when I thought I would have to stop listening and take a break it switched to the other, happy timeline.

I really appreciated the honesty the author shared in her note at the beginning of the book. This is my second audiobook by this author and while I enjoyed both, this one is my favorite of the two.

I have noticed my rating is higher than the average reviewer’s and I am aware I could be biased. While not the same, I have a child who I could have lost on more than one occasion due to health issues. As a result, I may have empathized and appreciated the effort, pain and thought that went into the timeline where Olivia drowned.

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen and review!

This book is heart wrenching & deeply emotional. It's a story of a mother and her daughter who are at the beach for the mother's birthday. They are at the ocean and for a second, the mom looks away. The book separates very quickly into two alternating timelines...
one timeline is where her daughter resurfaces. the other, her daughter doesn't and she drowns.

This book had me crying every other chapter & I was wrecked. It also included so many different aspects of grief I wasn't expecting and was deeply touched to read about. I am not a mother but I plan on it someday, and I cannot imagine reading this as a mom. It takes you on an emotional rollercoaster throughout and the author knew exactly how to convey grief in such a well receiving way.

Thank you so much NetGalley for this book, it was beyond what I expected it to be!

This book was not what I expected and I hovered at 3 star feelings for the majority of it, then it came through a bit in the end.

A Sliding Doors story of dual realities based on one “what-if” moment. Kate, a single mom, watches as her daughter plays in the ocean and then disappears among the waves. In one reality, she pops back up after a brief moment, in the other, she does not surface.

Such a sad, but really interesting premise.

Unfortunately, this book seemed less about that and more about “which man should she choose to be with?”
Which was really not something I cared about at all, at least not in the timeline of grieving her lost daughter.

In the end, I’d have preferred an entire book dedicated to the more tragic timeline. It had more depth, I more to overcome, more story, and although the outcomes were both great, the journey to the outcome of timeline two mattered more to me.

Despite that, this was well-written, well-performed, and a decent read overall.

I know going into Rea Frey’s books I’m going to be in for an emotional ride. Her writing is amazing and she creates characters you can relate to and want them to be your friend. This book is told in two timelines in alternating chapters starting with a pivotal event. The timelines are different outcomes from the same event. What I kept looking for was events that happened in both timelines. Were certain things going to happen no matter the outcome of the pivotal event? Be ready to enjoy this book!

THE OTHER YEAR by Rea Frey is heartbreaking, full of grief and pain but also full of love and finding peace. In a second, Kate’s life changes forever when her daughter slips under the waves at the beach. In one timeline, her daughter pops back out of the water and they go on with their vacation. In the second timeline, Kate faces her worst nightmare living without her daughter. The second timeline is difficult to read and you feel her pain and grief. It’s interesting to read a unique story like this seeing where that one second difference took her life.

I highly recommend the audiobook for this one! It’s narrated by Brittney Pressley, who does a fabulous job as always.

The Other Year by Rea Frey
I loved this book!! The format is genius (two chapter one’s, two chapter two’s, etc.) It’s not a dual timeline, but rather a parallel timeline of basically the same story with two different twists. It will remind you, sort of, of the kids’ “Choose Your Own Adventure” books. Giving no spoilers, I will only share that the protagonists are a divorced mother and her nine-year-old daughter. A tragic event occurs, and the mother is courted by three different men across the two parallel timelines. I wondered how Rea Frey would close the book, which storyline would end the novel? Again, the denouement is genius…READ to find out how Frey ties everything together.

I reviewed the audio version of this story, - one with a very interesting premise - and an execution I would actually have likely preferred if I had read a printed or electronic copy.

The story is actually two stories - told in parallel timelines, both centering on our first person POV narrator, Kate Baker, who is the subject of a what-if-scenario played out with two diverging outcomes from one life-altering event.

In Timeline One, Kate, (an agricultural engineer living in Nashville, and the fortyish mother of nine year old Olivia) vacationing in Florida, nearly loses her daughter to a sudden drowning incident. In Timeline Two, Olivia is not so lucky, rendering Kate’s new world as one which is inconceivably different.

The character of Kate herself, as portrayed by the author and enacted by the audio narrator of this book, experiences radically different events and emotions, and is very sympathetically drawn. The author manages to keep the timeline worlds distinct and memorable, focusing mainly on Kate’s romantic dilemma in Timeline One and very sensitively depicting her horrific grief in Timeline Two, as Kate struggles to cope with her new and terrible reality.

Olivia, on the other hand, in the one timeline which features her, turns out to be a whiny and dare I say bratty child, who is extremely difficult to take in audio form, — the very tone of her drawn-out syllables coated in petulance invariably setting this reader’s teeth on edge.

The storylines, in both cases, had both a very good start, and an ending this reader enjoyed. Timeline Two was easily the better story, centering on Kate’s traumatic journey and healing, which this reader found heartbreaking, engrossing and authentic.

All in all, despite the audio flaws, this book, as written, is engaging, emotionally intense, well-crafted, and definitely worth the read.

A great big thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for an ARC of this audio book. All thoughts presented are my own.

Very well done! Such a difficult topic to digest, but beautifully written. The 2 timelines could’ve been very confusing but it was so well written that it was seamless.

What an emotional roller coaster ride!

The Other Year is told in parallel timelines and tugged at my heartstrings. It is full of grief, challenges, guilt, healing and so much more.

As a reader who loves character driven books and books that give me all the feels The Other Year was the perfection. Not all the characters are likable which I love because that is real life. The good, the bad and the ugly of people.

I listened to the audiobook and Brittany Pressley is one of my favorite narrators.
She brings this story to life.

⚠️TW loss of a child ⚠️

I know because of the TW not everyone will be able to read this book but if you do, please read the author’s note. It is so honest and raw.

EXCERPT: She erupts from the waves every few seconds, her orange long-sleeved one piece slightly too large. She is growing so fast and caught between sizes. Her crotch sags with collected sand, but surprisingly, she doesn't complain. After a year of no vacations due to my intense work demands, she isn't going to waste a second of this one.
When my phone dings in my pocket, I answer, one eye trained on Liv while scanning for shark fins, the other on the message. It's from Michael, as if by thinking about him I've conjured his text.
We really need to talk, K. Call me when you can, por favor, mi amor.
I sigh. Mi amor. Though we are divorced, there is still so much love between us. I miss him. I miss us. I miss being a family. I text back a reply that we are on vacation and I will connect with him when we're back in two weeks. Disgruntled, I return my focus to the ocean, back to Liv.
The waves climb and crash. Other children scream and play, tossing tiny footballs to each other or riding boogie boards on healthy waves. I search for Olivia's unruly brown curls, her bright bathing suit, that oversized rainbow on the chest. My heart seizes, and I take a step towards the water.
One moment she is there - right there.
The next she is gone.

ABOUT 'THE OTHER YEAR': Can the entire course of a life be traced back to a single moment?

On a coveted two-week beach vacation, working mom Kate Baker’s nine-year-old daughter, Olivia, vanishes suddenly among the waves—a heart-dropping incident that threatens to uproot her entire reality. But in the next moment, Olivia resurfaces, joyously splashing.

What would I do if she didn’t come up? Kate wonders. How would I live without her?

In another set of circumstances that hold a different fate, Kate doesn’t have to wonder. Because in that “other” world, in the pulse-pounding seconds after Olivia goes under, she doesn’t come back up.

Told in parallel timelines, Kate begins to live two lives—one in which Olivia resurfaces and one in which she doesn’t. In the reality that follows her daughter’s death, she maneuvers through every mother’s worst nightmare, facing grief, rage, and the ques­tion of purpose in the aftermath of such profound loss. She endures, day by day, in a world without her daughter.

In her alternate timeline, while she explores a tremulous romance with her best friend, Jason, she finds herself grappling with the ex-husband who abandoned Kate and Olivia years prior. Even as eager Kate scrambles to hold her daughter close, Olivia pulls further away. The line between joy and loss seems to get thinner with each passing day.

MY THOUGHTS: I honestly didn't know how I was going to get on with parallel timelines, the medium used to tell this story, but I loved it. It's an interesting concept and Rea Frey's talent as a writer ensured that changes between realities were seamlessly handled. At no point was I confused about which reality I was experiencing.

In Timeline one, Liv is at that pre-teen age where she seems to have a foot in each camp. At one time she is her eager to please, childish self, taking pleasure in simple things; another she is strident, demanding, sulky and prone to playing her parents off against one another. There are inevitable clashes as mother and daughter each try to assert their will.

In Timeline two, Liv is dead, and Kate is grieving and taking time out for herself away from the pressures of her busy professional life. She takes great pleasure in odd moments that remind her of Liv - like when someone uses the word 'dank'; Olivia's favorite word at the time of her death.

Each timeline is handled with great sensitivity. In one Kate is learning to be a single parent and starting to spread her wings. In the other, Kate's grief is raw, her love for her daughter overshadowing everything as she comes to terms with her loss and a new way of life.

The Other Year is a beautifully written story of a mother's love, fate and growth.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.1

#TheOtherYear #NetGalley

THE AUTHOR: Growing up, I believed the false story that writing was a hobby; it wasn’t a job. But I’ve always liked a challenge.

After a “publishing experience gone bad” for my first novel, I decided to learn everything I could about the publishing industry. And along the way, I decided to share my knowledge with authors, in hopes that they too could go into this world with eyes wide open and pick the right publication path for them.

What started out as a simple writing coach side hustle quickly scaled to a multiple six-figure business with nearly 100 first-time authors landing agents, nabbing six-figure book deals, and reaching #1 bestselling status.

What I’ve learned in the publishing industry—from numerous traditionally published novels with the “Big 5,” to four traditionally published nonfiction books that (somewhat) crashed and burned—is what it takes to be a successful author, how the publishing landscape continues to change, and how vital it is for authors to understand all the moving parts if they want to birth their own books into the world.

Now, as a book doula, I offer my guidance so that authors can stand on their own two feet.

DISCLSOURE: Thank you to Harper Muse for providing an audio ARC of The Other Year written by Rea Frey and superbly narrated by Brittany Pressley for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

What if? What if a split second changes your whole life. A one second distraction takes away the person you love the most.

This has been such a rollercoaster for me, because it speaks truth. Who hasn’t been distracted for a moment, have the cold fear take hold of your heart before you sigh with relief if what you feared hasn’t happened.
I literally had tears in my eyes at some times listening to this heartbreaking story. I loved how all the characters where connecting and interacting. Seeing how one moment can change the course of your whole life.

This is the perfect book for lazy summer evenings it is my first book from Rea Frey, but i would read more of her for sure. It was really that good!

3.5 stars rounded to 3 because the subject material may be hard for some listeners/readers to make it past. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this audiobook ARC. This was so gut wrenching and raw. It was difficult to make it through every other chapter where there was no liv and tense during the chapters when she was alive. It is realistic to romanticize the dead. The message is in the middle, life is short enjoy your people and let go of guilt. If only we could realize it without tragedy slapping us in our face. The loss timeline seemed deeper and less frantic and stressful surprisingly there was more of a calm to her grief than to her anxiety at the possibility of loss. Perhaps that’s the real message.

Thank you, NetGalley for sharing this story with me.
I want to start off by saying anyone that is about to read the story, particularly if you are a mom, you must be in a good headspace. This book has a sweet ending that comes full circle.
The authors use of two separate timelines with two very different trajectories is relatable. Despite the two tractors, there is a clear establishment of character development within both.
Overall, it’s a great read!

I loved the characters in this book. Life changes in a blink of an eye and finding one's way through a tragic incident is different for everyone. I liked that Kate, the mother, found joy in a different location through gardening/farming.

Four stars for this heartbreaking alternate reality/ parallel timeline novel. Brittany Pressley’s narration really helped bring this emotional, gut punch of a story to life.
Despite my reservations about listening to a novel about the death of a child, I’m so glad I did. It’s a beautifully written story about love, loss and ultimately hope.
This was my first listen/read of a Rea Frey novel and it definitely will not be my last.
Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse, Rea Frey and the incomparable Brittany Pressley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

We all think about the what ifs of life and wonder if our futures are predetermined or if we made one different choice where would we end up? A gripping and heartbreaking but heartfelt telling of how the road differs with one difference in choice. Do we wind up where we want or where fate always intended? Would definitely recommend but have your tissues handy.

This was the most incredible sad book that I have read this year, for a mother this is the worst nightmare coming to life, and it was also sad, because I think I lived the process of grief with Kate, not for a child but for my mother…

At first I was confused with the two timelines, and I was hoping the main one where Liv didn’t die, ended in a different form, but it still made sense, and I must say that I did enjoy it thoroughly… this is a book that make the grief come out in a painful way, and I must say, I don’t know if I would be able to keep on if I was Kate…

I loved the narrator Brittany Pressley, did a terrific job, she went so many phases during this book, and did all the voices very well. I really recommend this audiobook, its a sad story, but it also full of home, how someone goes to hell and comes back from that…

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse for the free ARC, and this is my honest opinion.

This was a beautiful story of exploring grief. The author supplies a beautiful note at the beginning. Grief is often a connection that everyone can relate to but is so openly and often avoided. In this novel a Florida vacation goes wrong in a moment. One moment, one text message precedes a lifetime of regret. The dual timeline enhances the point of how much one moment changes everything.

I liked how everything was resolved in each timeline and the epilogue.

The audiobook enhanced the experience because the narrator, Brittany Pressley, does a wonderful job. The individual characters are well represented and her tone resonates with the listener in relating to the character’s grief.