For most people Halloween is a night of fun. For Cora, it brings back memories of the night she was kidnapped. Despite being found safe, no one was ever held responsible for what happened to Cora. Years later, Cora is now a mom to a four year old and she's determined that her daughter shouldn't have to live the same fears she did. Except it's Halloween night and now her daughter is missing. In order to get her daughter back, the kidnapper is demanding Cora take another child. It's obvious to Cora her kidnapper is back to mess with her, but this time Cora isn't going to go down without a fight.

When She's Gone is an action packed, nail biting, adrenaline fueled, on the edge of your seat thrill ride. This novel hits hard from the very beginning and doesn't let up until the very last page. It explores a mother's love for her child and the lengths she will go to protect her. I loved the alternating between the "now" and "then" timelines as it kept me in suspense while I was also trying to piece together how/if the two events were related. All the characters in this book were incredibly written, but I loved what a badass MC Cora was. She didn't let anything stand in her way of finding her child. This book was creepy, fast-paced, spooky, and very atmospheric. It was my first book by Rea Frey, but I will be reading more by her very soon.

I was excited to pick up this book. Told in timelines of Then and Now, we follow what happened to Cora when she was younger and kidnapped on Halloween as well as Cora's daughter being taken on the same day. The two circumstances are so similar, they must be related but who has it out for Cora?

This was a fast paced thriller that had me flipping through the pages at top speed. I managed to pick one of the twists but there were others that had me dropping my jaw in shock. This gymnastics centred thriller was fantastic. I'm glad I got to read it and I have no doubt other thriller lovers will be eating it up too.

A good thriller set in novel surroundings!

While I didn`t see every twist coming, the book didn`t have me on edge the whole time. However, I loved that it was set in professional sports and highlighted the lives of competitive atheletes!

I would highly recommend this book for a thrilling winter read!

"𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒆. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔. 𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒂 𝒗𝒊𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒎 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆."

Special thanks to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @reafreyauthor @amazonpublishing & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC

👉🏼 swipe for synopsis ➡️

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 [4.5]

Everyone over at The Pulse is so stoked for another Rea Frey novel.

This one started out strong with the domestic suspense 💪🏼. Your hooked on not only the kidnapping, but Cora's dread for Halloween.🎃 Joe seems like the sweetest "uncle", but who would leave that note?
The twists were so good, I thought i had the kidnapper nailed down and I was 1/2 right.
This was such a great dual timeline. I loved the addition of the gymnastics theme along with halloween and the 90s flash.

This is my 2nd Rea Fry and she did not disappoint.

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
January 14, 2025

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #whenshesgone #reafrey #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint
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I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy this book, as Halloween is a senitive holiday for me too. But this had plenty of twists and turns and sinister plots to keep you hooked from chapter one.
I highly recommend this book for those who love olympic nostalgia, gymnastics, and a good suspense read.

I love this Author's ability to weave together a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I really liked this one. It was twisted, fast and dark. I did find it to be slightly far fetched towards the end of the book. The last 1/3 of it dragged and while I finished the book it did feel like a chore. 3.75 stars from me.

I started this book in the afternoon and finished that night because I could NOT put this down!
When She’s Gone is a fast paced thriller that is super bingeable.
Halloween is a hard time for Cora as she was kidnapped as a teenager right before gymnastic Olympic trials. Years later on the same night, her daughter is kidnapped.
Told in Then and Now chapters we find out what happened to Cora 30 years ago and how it might be related to her daughter’s kidnapping.
This is my second book by Rea Frey and both have been five stars! Can’t wait to read more!

I always knew that gymnastics was a cutthroat sport. This book brings up the intense training, the diet pills, the willingness to do anything to make that ticket to the Olympic tryouts. Cora Valentine was brought up under these conditions. From a very tender age she was on the fast track to being the best, to never let up, and to only focus on that one goal. What happens if someone messes with your timeline and your goal? If they kidnap you and turn your life into a horror show. Cora thought that was the worst thing that has ever happened to her. She just returned to the town she grew up in. Coming to terms with the place and the people. Enough so that she can trust them around her four-year-old daughter, Lulu. Cora's everything is that little girl. She finally thinks it is time to allow Lulu to go trick or treating. That was the worst decision Cora could make. That nightmare that happened when she was a teenager is happening again. Lulu vanishes in the blink of an eye. Amongst the screaming adorable trick or treaters. Will Cora be able to track her down and find her before it is too late?

This is a fast paced, dive right, and be right in the middle of it type of read. I loved every second. The back and forth between the Halloween night Cora was kidnapped and the present Halloween, where Lulu has disappeared in her green and black stripped tights, and glittery black tutu. I did guess early as too who was involved, but not the entire store. I just know I am glad my son is not into gymnastics. Thank you to Rea Frey and Thriller Book Lovers the Pulse for my gifted copy of this suspense packed read.

Frey did a fantastic job of capturing a mother’s desperation and determination. Imagine losing your kid to crazy kidnappers? The twist was predictable, but still gripping.

I loved the complex family dynamics and secrets into the plot, making it feel authentic and raw. The pacing was consistently just right and definitely not dragging. I also appreciate that we made Cora a smart MC. It’s very rare in thrillers nowadays. May I also say (though I’m not sure if it’s intentional or it’s just me) I loved the subtle humor.

Overall, this is a solid 4-star read that I’d recommend to anyone who loves thrillers with strong emotional depth. It is a powerful exploration of a mother’s love, resilience, and the lengths one would go to protect those they love.

When She’s Gone
Rea Frey
Pub: 1/14/25
4☆

As soon as I read the first sentence of the synopsis, I was sold and as soon as I read the first chapter, I was sucked in. Overall a well paced, twisty mystery that keeps you guessing and flippin pages to see how everything unfolds. I really enjoyed how it was told in dual timelines. It kept the story flowing and the tension building.

What I enjoyed;
🍂 Thriller/Mystery
🍂 Gymnastics
🍂 Past/Present Timelines
🍂 Fall/Halloween Setting

Thank you to Thriller Book Lovers The Pulse and Rea Frey for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

At 14, Cora Valentine was a promising gymnast, aiming to represent her country in the Olympics. But just before trials, she's kidnapped and kept in an abandoned cabin. Eventually, she's returned home safely and is given the chance to try out despite missing the trials. She makes it into the Olympics and becomes a star.
Now, as an adult, she's a mum and only wants to live her life quietly and peacefully. But someone wants to make her pay for making it. And now her daughter is missing.

This was a great read, although all the talk about gymnastics had my eyes glazing over a little. However, the intrigue of what happened to Cora on Halloween as a teen, had me flipping those pages like a man woman. And I desperately wanted to know what happened to her little girl. I did figure out the big twist; who the person that kidnapped her daughter was, and how they were involved with what happened to Cora, but that didn't stop me from enjoying this one at all.

Wow! This book hooked me from start to finish.

When She's Gone follows main character Cora Valentine's point of view and alternates between a past and present Halloween night. Cora was kidnapped on Halloween night as a teenager and lived to tell the tale. Now in present day, Cora is a mother who finds herself in a similar situation except it is her young daughter who is kidnapped. What's the connection between these two cases?

This book was a quick read for me because I was so engaged and couldn't put it down. While I predicted some of the twists, there were some I absolutely did not see coming. I noticed some minor inconcistencies throughout the book, but I do not feel like these affect the overall plot. I also seriously questioned the main character's decision making, but this is part of what kept me guessing!

This is the first book I've read by this author, but I'm excited to explore some of the other titles. I would definitely recommend this book. It's got mystery, gymnastics, and fall season vibes - what's not to love?

Thank you to NetGalley, Thomas & Mercer, and Rea Frey for a digital advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

WHEN SHE’S GONE was a great thriller by Rea Frey that combines gymnastics, abductions in past and present timelines, and a Halloween setting I loved. This might be my favorite book by Frey!

Cora Valentine was an Olympic gymnast hopeful when she was abducted one night just before Halloween. Decades later, the people who took her have never been found and she’s never regained her sense of safety, which impacts her parenting as she struggles to find a way to parent her daughter Lulu without smothering her. But when Lulu is abducted and the notes Cora receives point back to the kidnapping, Cora is sent on a creepy trail of terrible choices.

This was a thriller that started off fast and never let up the pace. I loved the gymnastics element, being a fan of the Olympics, and the setting on Halloween added a great element too. It’s told in dual timelines, set back when Cora was a teen and an Olympic hopeful and in the present day when her daughter has been taken. Author Rea Frey did an excellent job of keeping the tension high, the demands on Cora, the sense of fear and uncertainty. I had my guesses and I liked that the book kept me guessing about who was behind it and their motivations. 5/5 stars.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book from Netgalley and Thomas & Mercer for review purposes.

DNF

“In this haunting story that spans three decades, a young gymnast escapes a kidnapping. Years later, she's forced to face the past when her own daughter disappears.”

While the book description was intriguing, sadly i gave up after 47%. I might try to pick it up another day but for now it is DNF.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was the perfect Halloween read! Even though the release is in Jan, I picked the best timing to read this during spooky season. The pacing was fast, except in the middle it started to slow down again before going full speed ahead. The alternating chapters between then and now does a great job at building tension. The motives behind everything lacked a little for me, but overall I enjoyed this thriller.

Thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

When you take Halloween, gymnastics and the 90s era and put them together with Rea Frey's writing the end result is an outstanding book that I cannot wait for everyone to read. When former Olympic gymnast returns to her hometown she begins a simple life and keeps her young daughter close and protected. After being kidnapped on Halloween night right before the Olympic trials for the 96 games her life has never been the same. After leaving gymnastics and her family behind Cora felt she left that world and all its trappings for good. Now, in the present, when Cora's daughter disappears on Halloween night she can't help but feel it is all connected. A fast-paced thriller, When She's Gone will twist and turn (no pun intended) and have the reader questioning everything. Frey's writing continues to wow and this is one of her best yet!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer for the copy of When She’s Gone by Rea Frey. This was a fast-paced, fun thriller and it was fun that it tied in with Halloween. I love gymnastics and I liked that Cora was a former gymnast. The reveal was a surprise, but I didn’t really enjoy it. If you’re looking for a quick read that is engrossing, try this one! 4 stars.

When She's Gone is a fast paced thriller that grabbed me from the start. You are plunged into the action right off the bat, it did fizzle out a little for me, but then picked back up until the smashing conclusion. The tension gradually builds with the alternating NOW & THEN chapters. Trying to figure out what is happening and why whoever has her daughter has kidnapped her.

I liked the characters. They were fun, they were untrustworthy and kept me guessing. The plot was good, it had me on the edge of my seat throughout. There was just a little something missing for me in regards to the motivations behind everything, it just fell a little flat for me and made me roll my eyes a little. It just missed that shock factor for me.

A fun, easy, fast and bingeable read that will keep you flipping those pages. I think it will appeal to a lot of readers, so give it a shot !

✨️Thank you to @thrillerbookloversthepulse @netgalley, Thomas & Mercer and Rea Frey for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

What a thriller!!! I could not put this one down at all!! As told in dual timelines, it was absolutely full of suspense.. It will get you wondering, who should you trust?!

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review!!!

Frey’s latest psychological suspense involves the highly competitive world of elite gymnastics and a kidnapping of a young gymnast who eventually escaped. When years later, her daughter is also kidnapped, she raced against time to figure out who is responsible and how to save her daughter. Although the plot and ending were a little bit of a stretch at times, this was an entertaining read. I especially liked the glimpse into the gymnastics world.