Have you ever thought about how life could have turned out based off how a key event could have been?

Kate Baker is on a two-week beach vacation with her nine-year-old daughter named Olivia and with one single moment could change the entire course of her life. Olivia ends up being swallowed up the waves and from there The Other Year splits into two timelines. One timeline is where Olivia resurfaces, and the other is where Olivia passes away. In each timeline, Kate's life plays out in different ways.

The Other Year definitely explores the what ifs in life and is truly heartbreaking when we follow the timeline where Olivia does not make it. We see how this single pivotal moment causes grief and derails Kate's life with Olivia's passing but on the other hand we see how Olivia living has a catalyst on things turning out differently than what Kate wanted her life to look like.

I honestly enjoyed both timelines and how they all came together in the end. It was a truly emotional and heartbreaking read that is impactful. I could not stop thinking about The Other Year once I finished it.

As a person who does not have children, I could never imagine how gut wrenching and terrible it is to lose your child and I have only seen a family member go through this when I was a young child, which I did see how hard it was for them. For those who are not parents like me, The Other Year gives you a glimpse of what that deep grief looks like for a parent losing their child and the what ifs playing in your brain of what happens if this and this did not happen. We see the what if scenarios play in Kate's brain in both timelines and you just can't help yourself from sympathizing with Kate and wanting to grab her out of the book to give her a big hug.

If you are looking for a book that has parallel timelines, explores grief, from a parental point of view, and that want an impactful read, then definitely pick this book up.

A unique and entertaining read!

I read Rea Frey’s debut novel “Not Her Daughter” in 2018. I loved it and since then I’ve read and enjoyed more of her books. I’m always excited when I see that she is releasing a new book.

I was thrilled to have The Other Year ebook and audiobook to review. In my opinion, both were great!!

Kate Baker is an agricultural engineer. She has demanding clients and many projects that she oversees. She’s hoping for a promotion which will mean less field work. It also means she would be more available to her nine year old daughter, Olivia (Liv).

After an especially tough year Kate and Olivia are taking a two week vacation. Kate’s best friend, Jason and his daughter Ayana will joining them. It’s also Kate’s fortieth birthday.

Kate and Liv arrive and head to the beach without even stopping at the rental house. Liv is so excited to swim. Both of them love the water and Liv is an excellent swimmer. But suddenly Kate doesn’t see Liv among the waves. .

“One moment she is there-right there. The next, she is gone."

In a single moment everything changes.

The chapters then alternate telling two versions of the story. One where Olivia resurfaces and the other where she doesn’t.

In my review of this author’s debut novel I had said “Rea Frey’s writing comes across very authentic and honest and she addresses some very important issues”.

I still feel the same way. Even more so after reading more of her novels.

There were many great characters in this story. Characters you can’t help but love and root for.

Both “worlds” were well written and engaging. The author brought it all together so well and I thought the ending was perfect.

The Other Year is a very intelligent and moving story about parenthood, family, love, loss, grief, and healing.

I am already very excited to read Rea Frey’s next novel!


I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this novel. All opinions are my own.

A beautiful and exciting story! I loved the characters and was rooting for them the whole time. A must read!

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a good one, bit emotional at times so don't be like me and listen while at work! The author really makes you feel for the characters, and the narrator did great adding to that.

I really liked this parallel story. This was definitely a page turner and a tear jerker. It gave me all of the feels.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʏᴇᴀʀ
ʀᴇᴀ ꜰʀᴇʏ
ʜᴀʀᴘᴇʀ ᴍᴜsᴇ
ᴀᴠᴀɪʟᴀʙʟᴇ ɴᴏᴡ
✩✩✩✩

I was in the mood for an emotional read and I’ve seen a lot of good reviews regarding 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑂𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑌𝑒𝑎𝑟 by author @reafreyauthor. So I gave it a try and well it definitely was an emotional read! I listened to this on @netgalley (thank you!) and the narration was great and really added extra emotion to this heartbreaking story.

This is actually more of a devastating read rather than emotional. My heart broke a thousand times and at some points I almost stopped listening. I think this really hit home because I am a mom of young daughter and most of this story focuses on the death of a child.

I pushed my way through and I’m glad I did because the author truly did write a beautiful story. She really did a great job with allowing the reader to feel every emotion, the sadness dripped off the pages. The plot was also thought provoking and the back & forth timelines really was unique.

First, I will tell you this book has a child loss trigger warning, so if you are triggered by that, please be careful when reading this book. Second, I will tell you this: wow. Just simply put: wow. This book was absolutely gut wrenching, page turning, captivating read of a mother and daughter and an emotion "what if" scenario.
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Filled with heartache, grief, guilt and more, this story truly took me on one of the most thought provoking rides I've been on in a long time. As a mom, it was a struggle in some places to keep reading but it also was something I knew I had to push through reading. I can't imagine losing a child, not being able to hug them, talk to them, etc. But, I felt the raw, screaming pain that Kate felt and it was thought provoking.
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Hearing the story read by 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 was beautiful. She captured so many of the emotions of Kate as she struggled in one time line and lived a life of full motherhood in the other. It was both a refreshing & agonizing time. Beautiful job by the narrator for sure!
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𝚁𝚎𝚊 𝙵𝚛𝚎𝚢 is a magnificently talented author. One who's work I enjoy, but I warn you again. If you have triggers, please be cautious when reading this. It will gut you. It will take you on an absolutely emotional ride and leave you wanting to hug every single person in your life.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book early. Whew it was a DOOZY. This is literally the author's anxiety spiral written on page. Although I have not lost a child (praise God), this is so relatable because as an anxiety sufferer, I have followed way too many rabbit trails of thoughts about worst case scenarios, much like this book does. The book is based on one event in which a mother and her 9 year old daughter are at the beach. In one scenario, her daughter gets pulled under and then pops back up and all is well. In the other, she's pulled under and ends up drowning. The chapters are alternating between the 2 possible outcomes and we see how the woman's life progresses either way. The book discusses how grief defines you and changes your life and also how some things are meant to be and will happen regardless. This also explores guilt, changing relationships, and letting people in after hardships. The first few chapters are utterly painful to read. DO NOT PICK UP THIS BOOK IF YOU ARE NOT IN A GOOD PLACE because it is hard to read throughout. That bone deep fear of losing your kids is really explored and embodied in this story. While it was so hard to read and honestly painful at times, this made me FEEL things and thats a great accomplishment. I liked how, in the timeline where the daughter lived, they continued to bicker, disagree, test boundaries, etc. as all tween kids do, but in the timeline where she died, the relationship was idealized and reflected on with rose colored glasses. Both seemed very realistic and it was very interesting to see it juxtaposed chapter by chapter. I didn't love how much of the plot focused on the mother's romantic relationships in both timelines, but it was still much more complex than a straight forward, shallow romance. Overall, a riveting read!

In a Nutshell: A sliding-door style story. Mine is an outlier review, partly because I expected something else altogether from this book. Some of the content is excellent, but the annoying main character (and her equally annoying daughter) ensured my disconnect and the dual love triangles guaranteed my dissatisfaction.

Story Synopsis:
Forty-year-old single mom Kate Baker is on a two-week beach vacation with her nine-year-old daughter Olivia. However, on the very first day of the trip, Olivia is caught in a riptide and she goes under the waves – a moment that sets Kate’s heart thudding.
Now the story splits in two timelines.
In Timeline I, Olivia resurfaces almost immediately and the vacation continues as a typical vacation would. However, with Olivia’s increasing tantrums, Kate’s ex-husband’s intentions to return in their lives for a second start, and Kate’s best friend Jason suddenly discovering feelings for her, Kate’s life is full of tough choices.
In Timeline II, Olivia drowns, and Kate grapples with the loss of her only child. In the days following the funeral, Kate struggles to come to terms with her new reality. In a bid to get away from everything that reminds her of Olivia, she takes up an apprenticeship at a farm in idyllic Serenbe. Can grief be left behind easily with new distractions?
The story comes to us in Kate’s first person perspective, alternating between the two parallel timelines.

Bookish Yays:
😍 The book begins with the author’s note, and this is among the most genuine notes I have ever read. It sounds heartfelt, and seeks to carve a realistic idea of the author’s intentions than a picture-perfect one. I loved her candour! As she rightly says, ‘Life isn’t always about the good stuff.’
😍 The main characters aren’t perfect, and through the mistakes they make and the choices they mess up, we get many life lessons. I guess the most important of these was: Don’t wait until it is too late. One thing that really struck me was the contrast in Kate’s feelings about Olivia between the two timelines; it was a very realistic portrayal of human nature. This book also shows how we constantly ponder the ‘What-ifs’ after losing a loved one.
😍 I loved how the two timelines were settled at the end. Rather than being forced into resolution, the plot elements get sorted out neatly within the natural flow of the story.
😍 The initial section of Timeline II where Kate grapples with her grief after Olivia’s death is excellently written. I could actually feel Kate’s helplessness and sorrow as she grieved over the death of her little one. This was, by far, my favourite part of the book.

Bookish Mixed Bags:
😐 While there are quite a few Sliding-Doors style novels, this is unique in terms of its approach. Timelines I & II have common numbered chapters, with the formatting being different to help us identify them. Thus we get chapters numbered 1, One, 2, Two, 3, Three, and so on. That said, though the two timelines are somewhat distinct in content, it is a little tough to adjust to their contrary emotional situations. The constant switch of sentiments isn't easy, especially at the start of Timeline II when Kate’s grief was quite intense.
😐 Kate is a fairly realistic character. She isn’t portrayed as the perfect mother, nor does she get the work-life balance right. However, the only time I really felt connected to her was when she was in the initial stages of her grief. As I got to know her better, I was just frustrated with her. She was quite judgemental, stubborn and bossy. Because she was so annoying in the first timeline, it was hard for me to sympathise with her in the second. Moreover, she hardly ever acted forty, behaving instead as a lovesick teen caught between two hot dates. She did grow emotionally towards the end of the book, but it was ‘too little; too late’ for me.
😐 I initially loved the fact that Kate was an agricultural engineer. Great female STEM rep is a rarity in genre fiction, so such an unusual career choice made Kate a potential inspiration. At the same time, I was fed up by just how many times she mentioned her qualification in the course of the story, even in her inner monologues. It was almost as if she didn’t trust us readers to remember her profession.
(On an aside, it is sad to see that even an agricultural engineer didn't feel any guilt sawing off a live tree for Christmas. There was such a great chance to advocate a sustainable Christmas, but it went ignored.)
😐 I appreciate the diversity of some of the characters. The story had an Ethiopian woman (deceased), an adopted Ethiopian child, and a Mexican man and his family. As Olivia was biracial, I loved how she peppered her talk with both English and Spanish, and how Kate tried to speak with her using Spanish words. That said, other reviewers have pointed out that the Spanish used by Kate is more like a ‘Google Translate’ version and has usage errors, so the editing team should have proofread this aspect better. I found the portrayal of the Mexican family somewhat clichéd. Except for Michael’s being an archaeologist, there was nothing in their portrayal that went beyond the typical stereotypes. The Ethiopian representation is almost nominal, as we barely get to see anything about that culture. The active players of the story, except for Kate’s ex-husband, are white.

Bookish Nays:
😒 My biggest problem with the content was that I expected a greater focus on Kate’s grief in one timeline, and in the other, maybe a greater exploration of her parenting struggles. I didn’t realise that love triangle trope would be the dominant one in both timelines. (I am not a fan of this concept even in romances, so seeing it in a non-romance book irritated me much.) We get not one but two distinct romantic triangles in each timeline. It also didn’t help me that Kate’s verbalisation of her feelings for the two men were too physical, with every scene of her interaction with them containing at least some reference to their anatomical virtues. There’s only so much of lusty thoughts I can stand reading when the genre isn’t even romance.
😒 Along with the love triangles, we also get an OTT dose of the done-to-death miscommunication trope and a minor cheating trope as well. Liked neither of these!
😒 Sorry, but not a single man in the book had common sense. Each seemed absorbed in their own needs, and as such, I didn’t even care what happened to them and which of them finally ended up with Kate.
😒 I feel quite bad saying this, but I actually preferred the timeline where Olivia was dead. Not just because it explored more complex feelings, but because I could avoid the nine-year-old entitled brat. The bigger problem for me was that she never sounded nine. Her attitude and her conversation made her sound either much older (a young teen, perhaps) or much younger (around 5-6 years old). The inconsistency of her sketching and her behavioural issues meant that I simply couldn’t feel a bond with the child, which is never the case for me.
😒 I’m no expert at judging telling vs. showing, especially on audio. But it sure sounded like there was a whole lot of telling happening in this novel. The first person narration worsened this feel as we get to hear literally every single thing Kate thinks and does. There is also a fair bit of repetition in her thoughts.

🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 9 hrs 44 min, is narrated by Brittany Pressley. She was quite good overall, but where she truly shone was in the scenes where Kate was battling grief. Pressley narrated those scenes with such poignancy that it sounded as if she herself was grieving. She depicted Kate’s emotional turmoil perfectly.
Of course, keeping track of the two storylines is slightly trickier on audio, but as the narrator is great, I can safely recommend this version to avid audio listeners wanting to try this book. Audio newbies, maybe stick to reading.


All in all, most of my disappointment stems from the strong role that romance had to play in this plot. I had expected this novel to depict a parent’s grief, and their rebuilding their life after a tragedy. But as this fresh attempt at life involved love triangles, my interest turned into eye-rolling. Though the premise sounds like it will work for women’s fiction readers, it would certainly help if those readers are fond of the romance genre as well.
Must add that I am very much the outlier in my feelings about this. Most of my friends found this read an emotional experience. So do check out their reviews before taking a call on this book.

2.5 stars, rounding up for the audio version.

My thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ALC of “The Other Year”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

I adored this book! It was well written and thought provoking. What if... 'I did this instead?'was the question, would have avoided a major life changing tradegy however this book has a parallel story. A sliding door effect and we got to know how life panned out had the tradegy not happened.
The narrator was fabulous. She did all of the characters!
I listened to to this on audio.
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse, John harper media for a free copy in return fir an honest review.

It has been a long, long, long time since I have read a book that made me cry, but The Other Year had me bawling my eyes out in the car while listening to the audiobook.

To be honest, reality is hard enough and the daily news makes me want to cry most days, anyway, so I have been choosing lighter, happier reads recently. I didn’t expect this to affect me so much, and seriously considered DNF-ing for my mental health.

That said, I am so glad I continued listening to this book, as Kate’s story became one of yes, sadness and loss, but also healing and growth. The dual timelines were woven together so perfectly, and the chapters cut at just the right moment, that I…what’s the audiobook version of “couldn’t put this down”?

Thank you to BookSparks for the #gifted copy of The Other Year, and Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ALC.

What a unique premise. A little like a build you own adventure, but not really. Have you wondered what your life might be like if you made a different choice? I enjoyed this dual look into Kate’s life with one timeline being if her daughter drowned on vacation and the other if she hadn’t. It was an emotional read as the timeline where Kate’s daughter dies is quite focused on her grief and guilt and the people that surround her and support her through the next year. And you get a look into the same time period if she lived. And it wasn’t always what I expected.

As I looked at Kate’s two lives side by side, we see the good and the bad of her daughter surviving in the one but in the grief ridden one, she seems to remember a much different daughter than what is reality in the other. I both listened and read this one and I must give a nod to Brittany Pressley and her terrific narration. I’ve always liked her as a narrator, but with the two timelines being so different, it was her range was apparent of what a good job she did with both timelines.

The timeline where her daughter drowned are very emotional and at times were almost too much, but then that chapter would end and the chapters with her daughter alive would focus on the struggles of a parent with a child that is growing up,

This would be a great book club pick with a lot of thought provoking scenarios to discuss.

I have now read all of Rea’s books!!! I love her style and writing and have become a fan for life. This novel is completely different from her other domestic suspense books, and reads more like straight-up women’s fiction. I was fortunate enough to receive both the e-copy of this first, and upon finishing was gifted the audio. While both had their own unique perks, the storyline is the same so I will duplicate the review for the audio as well.

Life can simply change in a moment. A single second or two can make or break paths taken or cause life to continue or cease to exist. That’s what Kate realized (or better perhaps, the reader) in this alternate timeline. While at the beach, Kate’s gets a text…she moves to look at it and swipe through, but her daughter (9), Olivia, gets swept up in a current and drowns… However, in the other timeline, Olivia resurfaces and is fine. But you don’t know this until you see very distinctive chapter breaks — I loved that and have not seen that before. We therefore follow Kate’s grief, find her family and best friends coming together for a funeral and subsequently helping her navigate what’s left of her future. But then we also see her continue though her vacation with her best male friend, contemplate getting back with her ex-husband, thriving in her job and live a normal life. The only difference between leading two different lives is that they both intersect at Serenbe — a very different town with a very different lifestyle than the hustle and bustle of everyday life at home. It’s here, that Kate is introduced to a whole new perspective of what her life means… and it’s where she learns to truly love again.

Again, beautiful writing and a great concept, with the cool introduction to a real place that I now want to escape to!
The reason for my 4 stars is that personally, i was frustrated with the MC’s back and forth with her feelings for her best friend and ex-husband. It started to get a little too repetitive for my liking. I was screaming at the book for her to “get on with it already!” :-)
Otherwise, it was solid read in her repertoire! I appreciate the chance to read early and review

Kate Baker and her daughter, Olivia, have taken a two week vacation at the beach. In one scenario, Olivia disappears in the waves long enough for Kate to panic. But, she eventually resurfaces with no ill effects. In another scenario, Olivia drowns and it changes Kate’s life irrevocably.

This is a unique layout for a book. And honestly, it might need to come with a trigger warning. When my children were little, I used to avoid books where a child was killed or kidnapped. When this child died…it tore me up. But, the way the author portrays the alternative year, very uncommon and different. I do not see how this author created this story and did not cry her eyes out, and maybe she did.

Sometimes you need a tale which will make you realize what is important and this story brings that front and center.

This novel is narrated by Brittany Pressley. I loved her. Excellent job on the emotion! And believe me…this story is emotional.

Need a heartbreaking tale…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Thanks #netgalley for this book in exchange for an honest review. I didn't enjoy this book. A little too sad for me. Maybe I just wasn't in the emotional place to read this.

Holy gut-wrenching and not? The Other Year alternates between two different realities for single mother Kate Baker: one where her split-second inattention turns into every parent’s worst nightmare, and the other where her child is fine.

We follow along as Kate grieves in one timeline the loss of her spunky nine year old daughter Olivia and works to find a version of herself that she can live with after that summer. In the other timeline Olivia evolves beyond a quick introduction into a person with her own character and opinions. In both timelines, Kate’s best friend Jason plays a pivotal role in her life wanting more since the loss of his wife and Kate’s divorce.

Rea Frey definitely plays with the idea of fate with similar events and people showing up in Kate’s life despite Olivia’s future or lack thereof. The novel forces the reader to question whether aspects of one’s life are certain regardless of big moments tragic or otherwise along the way. I loved the idea of this novel, despite one timeline breaking my heart (I have a nine-year-old myself). I only wish Kate’s love life didn’t have such a starring role in the plot. I was more interested in her role as a mother, grieving and acting.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and the author Rea Frey for the advanced copy of the audiobook. The Other Year is out now. All opinions are my own.

Interesting concept, interesting choice of chapter names.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was sooo good, she managed to convey the respective alternative reality only with the tone of her voice. You knew exactly which Kate you were listening too, applause!
I dreaded the alternative life where Olivia dies, it made me sad and frightened, I have daughters and it becomes harder by the day to read such stories without having my heart in a ball of nerves.
Is this really a book about two parallel alternative lives? I wonder. Because this easily could be the same and only story of non-alternative lives.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of “The Other Year” in exchange for an honest review. When I was about 80% through the book, I looked at some of the reviews and I was surprised. It’s proof of how as people, as readers, we are all different and every book isn’t necessarily for everyone. I was nervous to read this. I have a baby and—as I assume most parents do—worry deeply about something happening to her. In one timeline Kate loses her daughter and in the other, her daughter survives. This book is less about plot and more of a meditation and exploration of grief and loss. I appreciated the author’s note at the beginning because it helped frame the novel for me as well as prepare me to read it. I thought this book was painful and beautiful. It is one of those that will stick with me and I will be thinking about for awhile. I have thoughts on the writing, small moments and plot points, but in the scheme of the larger message of the book it just doesn’t feel necessary for me to articulate them. I thought this was a worthwhile read. It made me think. I also thought the narrator of the audiobook did a wonderful job.

What if one simple moment could change life as you know it? THE OTHER YEAR is a sliding doors story following a mother who experiences the drowning of her young daughter in one timeline, and in another timeline her daughter is alive and well.

Rhea Frey touches on some deep-rooted fears shared by many mothers. The story explores themes of mom guilt, complex relationships, and debilitating grief so well. It asks readers to consider how a single moment in time can alter the trajectory of our lives.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audiobook narrated by Karissa Vacker. I could put the book down and when I picked it back up easily discern which timeline we were in based on Karissa’s intonation and tone. THE OTHER YEAR was incredibly thought-provoking and would make for a great book club discussion!

RATING: 4/5
PUB DATE: August 15, 2023

Many thanks to Harper Muse for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 stars

i was intrigued by the dual-timeline premise of the novel but honestly struggled to get into either of the two realities. i think this was largely due to not being able to connect to the characters, who seemed quite bland and had no real edge to them, making them difficult to grasp. it’s not a badly written novel at all, but there was something missing for me in the prose too. the romance plot could have been cute, but there was too much back and forth to me, which made it a little frustrating at times. i did like the representation of kate and jason’s friendship though!