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thepagelady's review
4.0
Secrets of Our House is about a family with many many secrets! Desi the wife is in love with another man! Peter the husband wants a divorce! Jules their daughter doesn't want to go to college she wants to marry a local boy she has fallen in love with!
The family secrets all start coming to a head and intertwine so beautifully. This is a very emotional, heartfelt family drama! The characters are the type that no matter how much information you're given you will always want to know more! I loved this story! This was my first book by this author but I look forward to reading more of Rea Frey's other books!
Thank you Get Red PR and St. Martin's Press for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review!
The family secrets all start coming to a head and intertwine so beautifully. This is a very emotional, heartfelt family drama! The characters are the type that no matter how much information you're given you will always want to know more! I loved this story! This was my first book by this author but I look forward to reading more of Rea Frey's other books!
Thank you Get Red PR and St. Martin's Press for sharing this book with me in exchange for an honest review!
amandae129's review
2.0
It started off so well, but having 4 major "things" (for no spoilers) was too much and unbelievable.
lga3's review
3.0
Okay so this book was kind of boring… not much happened in terms of the plot but I found myself actually really enjoying it?
rmarcin's review
4.0
Desi is a designer who built the Black House in River Falls, NC as a retreat for her family. Her husband Peter is an ex-Marine who teaches survival courses. Their 17-yr old daughter Jules is good at everything and will head to Columbia in the fall. But now, the family is going to spend the summer at the Black House so Desi and Peter can reconnect and work on their marriage. When Jules falls in love with Will, and Desi’s old love, Carter, reaches out to her, Desi questions all the secrets she kept and the decisions she made. When tragedy strikes, the bonds of family are tested.
Emotional and very tense at times.
Emotional and very tense at times.
judithdcollins's review
5.0
Secrets, Lies, and Betrayal abound at The Black House. If these walls could talk.
A modern emotional story of loss and healing—unraveling the buried truths of love, family, and forgiveness.
The savvy bestselling author and talented storyteller Rea Frey returns with a heartfelt dazzling "grown-up" novel about fractured families. Her previous books (I have read them all and been a fan since her debut) feature mothers and younger children.
SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE showcases a successful businesswoman and architect, Desi (wife and mother), married to Peter (ex-Marine), and a mother to her daughter, Jules, a brilliant college student with a bright future. They reside in Chicago, and this is their vacation home in NC.
Set in the beautiful Western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains at The Black House in a fictional town called River Falls. Surrounded by nature and the wilderness, this stunning luxurious contemporary home features floor-to-ceiling glass, steam showers, a spa, a sauna, a gym, and all the modern high-tech touches.
Designed by Desi, the famous architect, their home is located on the crest of a bulbous mountaintop on almost an acre of land. The house was supposed to be their haven, but it has turned into a keeper of dark secrets within its walls.
Desi feels she is running out of time. She and Peter will be empty nesters; however, they have grown apart. Their marriage is in trouble. Her daughter is grown up about to start a life of her own. They barely communicate.
One decision can affect so many lives. Desi thinks about Carter. The guy she loved. Her choices and her future. Is Desi the architect of all their lives?
Now Carter surfaces and Desi has to make some tough choices. Jules, her daughter, also struggles with a life-changing decision and keeps secrets. Jules and Will are in love, but what does their future hold?
Rea deftly takes us through the seasons from summer, fall, winter to the following summer. From mother and daughter POV Desi and Jules, we soon learn their stories are more similar than they know.
Through loss came clarity. Through tragedy came truth. Through all the darkness comes light. From hidden secrets to honesty, the characters gained the possibility of a more honest future and a road to recovery. Life is not always IG. It is messy.
SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE is compelling and thought-provoking—an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.
The novel is a little different than her past psychological thrillers in that it is more focused on character development, family drama, marriage, motherhood, and essential life lessons. Well-written, there are emotions, guilt, shame, suspense, tension, and loads of secrets and lies. There are some major takeaways here.
Rea is known for her signature writing of mother-daughter relationships, and she does not disappoint.
With lyrical prose, there are beautiful symbols and metaphors. The survivalist and wilderness parts combined with the beauty of both the house and the setting of nature are sharp contrasts of our lives. The weather, nature, and the wilderness can be beautiful and dangerous.
Keeping secrets and locking them away in the darkest parts of self and the fear of hurting someone can often backfire. Often it is better to be RIP off the bandaid than let it fester.
On a side note: As I was reading this well-written, thought-provoking drama, it made me think of the new TV drama, "Ordinary Joe." I adore this show, and if you have not watched it— it follows a man, Joe, and the three possible paths he could have taken in life based on a single decision made ten years earlier at his college graduation. In all three paths, there are clear benefits and hardships.
As the novel portrays as well as "Ordinary Joe" and "This Is Us"—have we all not second-guessed ourselves, our past decisions, and our path in life? Choices we made or did not make. Courses we could have taken, or people in our lives. The what-ifs?
Highly recommend all Rea's books. She is an incredibly gifted writer featuring real-life characters, emotions, and vivid settings that continue to draw readers in. Plus she is a heck of a business superwoman and podcast host helping aspiring writers.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented narrator—Samantha Desz (always enjoy), for an outstanding listening experience as well as read the e-book.
A special thank you to Get Red PR, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillian Audio for a digital and audio ARC.
Blog Review:
@JudithDCollins
#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
Pub Date: Feb 8, 2022
[b:Until I Find You|51164638|Until I Find You|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577255460l/51164638._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72729598]
[b:Because You're Mine|41150302|Because You're Mine|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539723056l/41150302._SY75_.jpg|64320741]
[b:Not Her Daughter|36504901|Not Her Daughter|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509387961l/36504901._SY75_.jpg|58222787]
A modern emotional story of loss and healing—unraveling the buried truths of love, family, and forgiveness.
The savvy bestselling author and talented storyteller Rea Frey returns with a heartfelt dazzling "grown-up" novel about fractured families. Her previous books (I have read them all and been a fan since her debut) feature mothers and younger children.
SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE showcases a successful businesswoman and architect, Desi (wife and mother), married to Peter (ex-Marine), and a mother to her daughter, Jules, a brilliant college student with a bright future. They reside in Chicago, and this is their vacation home in NC.
Set in the beautiful Western North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains at The Black House in a fictional town called River Falls. Surrounded by nature and the wilderness, this stunning luxurious contemporary home features floor-to-ceiling glass, steam showers, a spa, a sauna, a gym, and all the modern high-tech touches.
Designed by Desi, the famous architect, their home is located on the crest of a bulbous mountaintop on almost an acre of land. The house was supposed to be their haven, but it has turned into a keeper of dark secrets within its walls.
Desi feels she is running out of time. She and Peter will be empty nesters; however, they have grown apart. Their marriage is in trouble. Her daughter is grown up about to start a life of her own. They barely communicate.
One decision can affect so many lives. Desi thinks about Carter. The guy she loved. Her choices and her future. Is Desi the architect of all their lives?
Now Carter surfaces and Desi has to make some tough choices. Jules, her daughter, also struggles with a life-changing decision and keeps secrets. Jules and Will are in love, but what does their future hold?
Rea deftly takes us through the seasons from summer, fall, winter to the following summer. From mother and daughter POV Desi and Jules, we soon learn their stories are more similar than they know.
Through loss came clarity. Through tragedy came truth. Through all the darkness comes light. From hidden secrets to honesty, the characters gained the possibility of a more honest future and a road to recovery. Life is not always IG. It is messy.
SECRETS OF OUR HOUSE is compelling and thought-provoking—an ideal choice for book clubs and further discussions.
The novel is a little different than her past psychological thrillers in that it is more focused on character development, family drama, marriage, motherhood, and essential life lessons. Well-written, there are emotions, guilt, shame, suspense, tension, and loads of secrets and lies. There are some major takeaways here.
Rea is known for her signature writing of mother-daughter relationships, and she does not disappoint.
With lyrical prose, there are beautiful symbols and metaphors. The survivalist and wilderness parts combined with the beauty of both the house and the setting of nature are sharp contrasts of our lives. The weather, nature, and the wilderness can be beautiful and dangerous.
Keeping secrets and locking them away in the darkest parts of self and the fear of hurting someone can often backfire. Often it is better to be RIP off the bandaid than let it fester.
On a side note: As I was reading this well-written, thought-provoking drama, it made me think of the new TV drama, "Ordinary Joe." I adore this show, and if you have not watched it— it follows a man, Joe, and the three possible paths he could have taken in life based on a single decision made ten years earlier at his college graduation. In all three paths, there are clear benefits and hardships.
As the novel portrays as well as "Ordinary Joe" and "This Is Us"—have we all not second-guessed ourselves, our past decisions, and our path in life? Choices we made or did not make. Courses we could have taken, or people in our lives. The what-ifs?
Highly recommend all Rea's books. She is an incredibly gifted writer featuring real-life characters, emotions, and vivid settings that continue to draw readers in. Plus she is a heck of a business superwoman and podcast host helping aspiring writers.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by the talented narrator—Samantha Desz (always enjoy), for an outstanding listening experience as well as read the e-book.
A special thank you to Get Red PR, Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, and Macmillian Audio for a digital and audio ARC.
Blog Review:
@JudithDCollins
#JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 stars)
Pub Date: Feb 8, 2022
[b:Until I Find You|51164638|Until I Find You|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1577255460l/51164638._SX50_SY75_.jpg|72729598]
[b:Because You're Mine|41150302|Because You're Mine|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539723056l/41150302._SY75_.jpg|64320741]
[b:Not Her Daughter|36504901|Not Her Daughter|Rea Frey|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1509387961l/36504901._SY75_.jpg|58222787]
brandy_reads's review
4.0
This family drama certainly brings the drama and some unexpected thrills and excitement!
This started off a little slow for me but very quickly picked up the pace and became unputdownable. I knew what Desi’s big secret was going to be from the start, however, there were so many other dynamics at play in this book that it didn’t diminish my enjoyment one bit. I also wasn’t sure how the secret would be exposed so the anticipation was still maintained throughout the novel. The main character Desi is so controlling and manipulative. Normally this would make for a character I hate, which would then make it difficult for me to love the book. However, she was not a one-dimensional character, there were moment when you got to see the good in her and realise she wasn’t all bad, just flawed like the rest of us. I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you @reafrey, @getredprbooks and @stmartinspress for the complimentary copy.
This started off a little slow for me but very quickly picked up the pace and became unputdownable. I knew what Desi’s big secret was going to be from the start, however, there were so many other dynamics at play in this book that it didn’t diminish my enjoyment one bit. I also wasn’t sure how the secret would be exposed so the anticipation was still maintained throughout the novel. The main character Desi is so controlling and manipulative. Normally this would make for a character I hate, which would then make it difficult for me to love the book. However, she was not a one-dimensional character, there were moment when you got to see the good in her and realise she wasn’t all bad, just flawed like the rest of us. I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author.
Thank you @reafrey, @getredprbooks and @stmartinspress for the complimentary copy.
heatheradoresbooks's review
4.0
3.5⭐
Featuring ~ dual POV, family drama
There was quite the family drama going on in this one. Told by the mother, Desi, and her daughter, Jules.
Desi brings the family to spend the summer in North Carolina to try to save her marriage to Peter and to spend time with Jules before she is off to college in New York. But Jules has other plans when she meets Will and ultimately they fall in love.
As a mother you always want what's best for your child and you try to steer them in the direction you think is best, but who's to say what the right direction is?
So many secrets happening, which I guess you could have figured out by the title. I didn't agree with most of them, but who am i?
Featuring ~ dual POV, family drama
There was quite the family drama going on in this one. Told by the mother, Desi, and her daughter, Jules.
Desi brings the family to spend the summer in North Carolina to try to save her marriage to Peter and to spend time with Jules before she is off to college in New York. But Jules has other plans when she meets Will and ultimately they fall in love.
As a mother you always want what's best for your child and you try to steer them in the direction you think is best, but who's to say what the right direction is?
So many secrets happening, which I guess you could have figured out by the title. I didn't agree with most of them, but who am i?
sbojo32's review
4.0
I really enjoyed this... until the end where it just wrapped everything up too perfectly. I disliked the character of Desi but that was ok... I don't think she wasn't meant to be super likeable. She acted very immature at times and was very selfish in a lot of her choices. I liked the chapters with Juliet much more. She is trying to find her way in the world but is hesitant to talk to her parents. And it's hard to blame her - her mom is pining away for another guy. Her father is moody and seems to not be interested in their family.
Juliet is in love with Will and would rather stay with him than go off to Columbia. Why no one offered the option to defer Columbia for a year is beyond me. This seems like the best option given the situation, but this was never mentioned. *Shrug*
Anyway, without giving anything away, it was really good until the end. It was obvious all along that an airplane was going to feature into this story and it does, but this part was so unrealistic. I wanted to keep reading; I was just disappointed by how it ended.
Juliet is in love with Will and would rather stay with him than go off to Columbia. Why no one offered the option to defer Columbia for a year is beyond me. This seems like the best option given the situation, but this was never mentioned. *Shrug*
Anyway, without giving anything away, it was really good until the end. It was obvious all along that an airplane was going to feature into this story and it does, but this part was so unrealistic. I wanted to keep reading; I was just disappointed by how it ended.
notinjersey's review
4.0
3.5 Stars. Secrets of Our House was a family drama with some twists that I thought were predictable. Lots of bad things happen, especially to the daughter’s boyfriend’s family. In this book, Desi is torn between her husband and the one that got away. It does include infidelity. I enjoyed the survivor skills part of the book a lot.
ive_colon's review
4.0
3.5*
I think this book was not as thriller/suspense as I anticipated but more family drama. It was very well written, a great story line.
Desi has worked hard to provide everything for her family. Her husband is an ex-military who suffers from PTSD and has withdrawn. Jules is a newly 18 year old who is experiencing life in the mountains and all it comes with for the first time, college, boyfriends, etc. Then there's Carter, Desi's long lost friend who shows up... but there's history there that no one has truly let go. How do they handle all of the secrets between them and will it take a toll on the family?
I think this book was not as thriller/suspense as I anticipated but more family drama. It was very well written, a great story line.
Desi has worked hard to provide everything for her family. Her husband is an ex-military who suffers from PTSD and has withdrawn. Jules is a newly 18 year old who is experiencing life in the mountains and all it comes with for the first time, college, boyfriends, etc. Then there's Carter, Desi's long lost friend who shows up... but there's history there that no one has truly let go. How do they handle all of the secrets between them and will it take a toll on the family?