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ive_colon's review against another edition
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 Her husband is an ex-military who suffers from PTSD and has withdrawn.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 Her husband is an ex-military who suffers from PTSD and has withdrawn.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?
nsa101's review against another edition
4.0
Desi, her husband Peter and their 18 year old daughter Jules take a 3 month vacation to stay at their magnificent vacation home, The Black House, in the North Carolina wilderness. Desi is hoping the getaway will be the opportunity they need to rebuild their marriage before Jules heads off to college. The thing is, nothing is quite what it seems.
In this domestic suspense, everyone has their secrets and Frey does a great job of mixing family drama with a little bit of mystery and intrigue to keep you wanting more. Each of the characters are well developed, especially Desi. Some of her choices had me screaming but then you see a softer side and realize that we are all flawed in some way or other.
This family is being held hostage by past loves, bad choices and unfortunate accidents. If you like a good family drama full of suspense, be sure to pick this one up!
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @reafreyauthor for the #gifted copy and having me on this tour!
In this domestic suspense, everyone has their secrets and Frey does a great job of mixing family drama with a little bit of mystery and intrigue to keep you wanting more. Each of the characters are well developed, especially Desi. Some of her choices had me screaming but then you see a softer side and realize that we are all flawed in some way or other.
This family is being held hostage by past loves, bad choices and unfortunate accidents. If you like a good family drama full of suspense, be sure to pick this one up!
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @reafreyauthor for the #gifted copy and having me on this tour!
luckycharmedlovesbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Rea Frey really knows how to write characters. I loved reading about Desi and Jules and their family, both genetic and chosen. There were a few thrills in the bumpy road to the end, and they kept me reading. If you love a book where you want to shake everyone and just say “it’s called communication! State your thoughts bro!” Then this one is for you.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s / Griffin for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s / Griffin for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest opinion.
meldav4's review against another edition
4.0
Secrets of Our House was so good, it was intense! I was on the edge of my seat and found myself reading throughout the night instead of sleeping - I could not stop reading! The characters, the story, the twists and turns, the setting, THE HOUSE! This one stayed with me long after I finished reading it and I love it more and more each day. There were several quotes that really struck a chord with me. I saved them and know I will go back to read them again, and will use myself one day. This was one of my favorites: “This is your life, honey. You are a human being who has her own desires, wishes, and dreams. It doesn’t matter if you’re seventeen or seventy-five. You want what you want for a reason. So don’t apologize for wanting what you want, Juliette. Ever.”
I am a big fan of Rea Frey and I loved the different angle and style she had with this one compared to her others. I absolutely loved her previous books but would welcome and appreciate a mix of all styles moving forward. She talks about her struggles with writing this one in the Acknowledgments, and how it “stuttered and started several times”, but I hope she knows that those struggles were worth the fight, angst, and frustration - this was a hit and would make a fantastic movie!
I am a big fan of Rea Frey and I loved the different angle and style she had with this one compared to her others. I absolutely loved her previous books but would welcome and appreciate a mix of all styles moving forward. She talks about her struggles with writing this one in the Acknowledgments, and how it “stuttered and started several times”, but I hope she knows that those struggles were worth the fight, angst, and frustration - this was a hit and would make a fantastic movie!
brooke_review's review against another edition
3.0
When Desi, a wildly successful interior designer, builds an exquisite dream home in the North Carolina mountains, she never imagines it will be the very thing that tears her family apart. Rea Frey’s new novel, Secrets of Our House, explores the skeletons hidden away in the closets of homes and how they impact the family members keeping those secrets.
Desi’s life is at a crossroads. Her husband is barely on speaking terms with her, so the summer at their getaway house, called the Black House, is not the reconciliatory trip she hoped it would be. To make matters worse, Desi’s daughter Jules has fallen in love with a local boy and is getting some wild ideas about her future … ideas that Desi does not approve of. When Desi’s old flame pops up on the scene, things are further complicated as she tries to prevent her husband from discovering the secrets she has been keeping from him for decades. Will Desi even recognize her life anymore at the end of this summer of secrets?
Told from the POVs of both Desi and her daughter Jules, Secrets of Our House is a domestic drama about the ways in which our choices impact the ones we love and reverberate throughout the years, following us through time. This novel will appeal to readers who love melodramatic family-focused stories, told through the eyes of both mother and daughter.
Personally, I feel misled by Secrets of Our House’s cover and synopsis, as I thought I was picking up a suspense thriller; however, this book is much more a story about relationships - mother-daughter, wife-husband, girlfriend-boyfriend. Secrets of Our House reminded me of a Jodi Picoult novel, so if you enjoy her books, you will like Secrets of Our House. I think that if I had gone into this book knowing what to expect, I may have liked it more.
Desi’s life is at a crossroads. Her husband is barely on speaking terms with her, so the summer at their getaway house, called the Black House, is not the reconciliatory trip she hoped it would be. To make matters worse, Desi’s daughter Jules has fallen in love with a local boy and is getting some wild ideas about her future … ideas that Desi does not approve of. When Desi’s old flame pops up on the scene, things are further complicated as she tries to prevent her husband from discovering the secrets she has been keeping from him for decades. Will Desi even recognize her life anymore at the end of this summer of secrets?
Told from the POVs of both Desi and her daughter Jules, Secrets of Our House is a domestic drama about the ways in which our choices impact the ones we love and reverberate throughout the years, following us through time. This novel will appeal to readers who love melodramatic family-focused stories, told through the eyes of both mother and daughter.
Personally, I feel misled by Secrets of Our House’s cover and synopsis, as I thought I was picking up a suspense thriller; however, this book is much more a story about relationships - mother-daughter, wife-husband, girlfriend-boyfriend. Secrets of Our House reminded me of a Jodi Picoult novel, so if you enjoy her books, you will like Secrets of Our House. I think that if I had gone into this book knowing what to expect, I may have liked it more.
bookapotamus's review against another edition
4.0
Omigosh this book.
Engaging, propulsive, and with a dramatic, heart-pounding final act, Secrets of Our House is a dazzling novel, richly-drawn, that shows no matter how hard outside forces may shake you, the bonds of family are stronger than the harshest winds.
I flew through this because the drama was literally non-stop. Just when you think things are settling down, secrets are safely buried… BAM! Think again. Forget what you know about family drama - this book takes it to a whole new level. From secret loves, to first times, accidents and cancer - even the wilderness seems out to get them.
A really fun read - family drama in all it’s glory, with all the secrets, twists, and shocking reveals that propel this deeply-felt, intense novel.
Really great audio narration as well.
Engaging, propulsive, and with a dramatic, heart-pounding final act, Secrets of Our House is a dazzling novel, richly-drawn, that shows no matter how hard outside forces may shake you, the bonds of family are stronger than the harshest winds.
I flew through this because the drama was literally non-stop. Just when you think things are settling down, secrets are safely buried… BAM! Think again. Forget what you know about family drama - this book takes it to a whole new level. From secret loves, to first times, accidents and cancer - even the wilderness seems out to get them.
A really fun read - family drama in all it’s glory, with all the secrets, twists, and shocking reveals that propel this deeply-felt, intense novel.
Really great audio narration as well.
catreader18's review against another edition
4.0
Rae Frey is a fabulous author. She writes books about family drama and hidden secrets. In this book Desi and Peter are married with a daughter, Jules. Jules is in love with Will, a slightly older man, which makes a difference with you are 17 turning 18 years old. The book focuses on the relationships of the two couples and the relationship between Jules and her parents. Her parent ls want what every parent wants, the best for their child. What they think is best is not what Jules thinks is best.
I loved this book. It started out a little slow but quickly picked up. The relationships are very complex and you wonder which ones are better off alone. There is a lot of emotion in the book and it is perfect. I loved Jules for her strength and knowing what she wanted. I was very happy with the ending of this book.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy.
I loved this book. It started out a little slow but quickly picked up. The relationships are very complex and you wonder which ones are better off alone. There is a lot of emotion in the book and it is perfect. I loved Jules for her strength and knowing what she wanted. I was very happy with the ending of this book.
Thank you to the publisher for an advanced reading copy.
boiler_bookworm's review
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Read this because I thought it was a thriller (based on title and summary). This is a family drama—- not mysterious and def not a thriller. Main character Desi is truly awful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
emmakate_3's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bc7ate9's review
2.0
⭐️⭐️ This is not a thriller despite what the library thinks. It’s just a predictable family drama…