I loved the premise of this book and finished it in basically one sitting. The very end was a little cheesy but it didn’t take anything away from the story.

I read this fairly quickly due to the twists and turns for this book! I was shocked a couple of times throughout the book. I loved the identity switch and the women standing up for each other in the end, Overall, a great thrilling read!

I would recommend if you like intense thriller reads with a strong female MC.

Thank you NetGalley & Datura for the digital eARC.

In 2013 and Beth is freshly off a painful breakup and multiple personal struggles when she guardedly accepts an invitation from the glowing Marissa to a workout called Elixir. Beth decides to give it a try hoping it will make her feel more at home in her new city, San Francisco. Elixir turns out to be more than just exercise, including one-on-one therapy-like sessions and the mysterious guru Tate. Elixir soon has a hold on every waking moment of her life.

Ten years later, back in her home in the UK, Beth is in the throes of new motherhood, shrouded in anxieties and nearly agoraphobic. When she receives an invitation to a ten year anniversary party for Elixir, she begins to panic, realizing they found her and knowing what danger lies ahead.

Told in alternative timelines between 2023 and the events of 2013, we learn that Beth was sucked completely into the cult of Elixir its 'exercise' program imbued with psychobabble and a strict adherence to its rules expected from its devotees.

Be Mine is absolutely filled with twists and turns that I never guessed but definitely enjoyed. 4.25 stars for this creepy cult filled thriller.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Set in the world of toxic wellness cults, 'Be Mine' follows Beth who moved to San Francisco for a fresh start, ready to work hard and forget what happened to her in the UK. She is invited by new acquaintance Marissa to attend an exclusive wellness class called Elixir - and once she's there, she's absolutely hooked. The classes, the instructors, the approach to life , the exclusivity - all appeal to Beth in a way that nothing else has. She soon finds herself there more and more, getting up desperately early to attend classes or sneaking out of work to rush across town. Beth's efforts are noticed by Marissa, who encourages her to sign up for more classes and commit to a higher level of Elixir classes. Beth has heard Marissa talk about Elixir's founder, Tate, who is this almost mythical figure, issuing wellness advice and instructions to his followers who hang on his every word.

Beth becomes obsessed by Tate and getting his approval for all of her efforts, doubling down on all of the effort she's putting in. She's rewarded by being admitted to an inner circle, but life becomes even more demanding, especially when she meets Tate himself. God, Tate is an utterly vile self-serving character, as soon as you hear about him, you know what to expect and boy, he delivers in spades. He is so self-obsessed and narcissistic, an absolute master at manipulating others whilst simultaneously knocking their self-confidence and leaving them wanting more, desperate to please .

The Elixir timeline is interspersed with episodes from Beth's current life. She's managed to escape Elixir and get back to London to start a family, but she can't relax, paranoid that Elixir will find her even a decade later. As the book opens, it seems as though they have found her, as an envelope with their distinctive logo mysteriously appears in her flat.

This is Lizzy Barber's best book yet, an utterly addictive psychological read that I couldn't tear myself away from!

Gripping twisty drama about a cult taking place in duel time.
I found this to be a great book, kept me up all night reading it. The ending was so unexpected. I've never read anything from this author before, but I'll definitely be checking out any other books she's got coming up as I enjoyed this tremendously ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Past and present collide in this geipping amd disturbing read.

It's been a long long time since beth left Elixir but it still feels lie yesterday and she's still running, still hiding.

Now with a baby to protect she feels like time is running our for her and she's scared.

This is a brilliant read. I have always been fascinated by cults and how on the outside they seem enlightening and helpful but then deep down they are dangerous and brainwashing.

I really enjoyed this book it is well written, I loved the drama and enjoyed getting to know beth and her story

"Be Mine" is a whirlwind of a story that has your intriguied from the get go! It took me a while to get into the swing of multiple time POV (past and present day), but once I got into the flow of it, the book had me in its clutches, and I couldn't put it down. I loved being slowly trickle fed information as I tried to piece together what made the main character Beth who she was, and why she was getting so angsty over the mysterious occurances happening present day, whilst simultaneously slowly finding out exactly what those events were in the past! I can only imagine how hard it must be to write so many mysteries in both present day and past day without confusing the reader and it just goes to show how masterful Lizzy Barber is at her craft!

As a mother with a young baby myself, I found myself relating to a lot of what Beth (present day POV) as a mother was going through - I think the sheer exhaustion and how that can affect your mental state, was beautifully written! I was jealous that Beth managed to get Etta to take to a bottle straight away, but to evoke such emotions in me, just goes to show how ingrossed I was in the read!

I thought the cult aspect of the story was well done, with lots of angsty tension, and a good portrayal of the mental abuse that followers can suffer at the leader's hands.

Overall, I thought it was a fun read, with plently of mystery to keep you engrossed. I always end up saying this about Lizzy Barber's work, but it's a perfect holiday read!

This story takes place in alternating time frames of the past and the present as Beth struggles to come to terms with the consequences of leaving the cult-like group Elixir almost a decade ago. As with most people sucked into these groups, she was lonely, living in a strange country, and looking for friends and a sense of belonging. She found it with Elixir, an exercise and wellness organization where she flew through the ranks the more brainwashed she became. We know she escaped, but the narrative builds up to the how and why she did it.

In the present timeframe, she’s an overwhelmed new mother, almost in the same position – lonely and exhausted from staying in with her baby all day every day and missing having adult friends. She receives a letter with the Elixir symbol and fears that they have found her at last.

I thought at first that I wouldn’t enjoy the book too much because there have been so many about cult-like groups and they all go the same way, manipulative leaders taking advantage of people to get them in and ensuring it’s almost impossible to leave. The brainwashed followers who refuse to see the truth, and their friends and family who work hard to bring them back. But this book has a little bit of an edge with some surprises thrown in. And even if I knew where the story was headed, I still found myself not wanting to stop reading.

“The Only Thing Holding You Back Is You.”

“Be Mine” is a gripping cult thriller that immerses readers in a world of psychological manipulation and suspense. The narrative is filled with unexpected twists and turns, keeping you on the edge of your seat. Just when you think you’ve figured out the ending, another surprise awaits, challenging your assumptions.

The incredible twist and turns, told by a multi-narrative perspective keeps you guessing until the very end. This has easily been one of my top 5 years of the year.

Thank you to Angry Robot, Datura Books & NetGalley for this incredible ARC.

#angryrobot #daturabooks #netgalley #arc

3.5/5

Morale of the story: the wellness industry is very corrupt and everyone is shady (this book highlights that, but as a chronic illness girlie, I can also confirm that things be weird).

This follows a culty, MLM-feeling sort of wellness group and how one member is dealing with it. She was a part of that group in the past and now has to navigate the impacts of it later in life. We get multiple timelines in this book, following the different stages of her being a part of this group.

We get to see a lot of the psychological impact this group had on her as well as it combines with the normal (but stressful) things she has going on in her life (like being postpartum). That was a very cool element of this book. At times, I did find the characterization to be a bit flat. But that does make sense given this book is more about the effect on a person and not so much the person. I just really like having super solid characters that feel real.

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

Love Lizzy Barber , she not only writes good, twisty, atmospheric thrillers, but she takes you on a journey. Her writing style is beautiful, she really makes you feel like you're living alongside the characters.

I enjoyed most of this book. I love books that show the pull and lure of cult behavior. Barber weaves the tale well. Beth finds herself starting an exercise class and by the end of the book we have seen the full extent of that decision.

This book has dual time lines and we know that Beth has escaped. I found this all very believable until the last 3rd of the book where there was twist over twist and the spiral of all these shocking moments made me think “OH COME ON” and largely give up on the book.

I finished this book because the most of it was excellently written, carefully paranoia became reasonable and it made me as worried for Beth as she was.

I look forward to reading this author again, but maybe a little more reality next time.

I received this as an eARC from Netgalley and the Publisher in return for an honest review which this is. Thank you to them.

When Beth joins wellness group ‘Elixir,’ she thinks it is the answer to everything. So why, ten years later, is she still running from them? And what do they want from her, now?! Good book! This book was a bit different! It had the usual, it had good suspense, mystery, murder, intrigue, and a few wild twists and turns! The story was a bit out there but still interesting! It wasn’t one of my all time favorites but still worth reading! Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this story with me!

One word gripping... If you're looking for atmosphere, drama and suspense then this is definitely book for you!

This book was totally unexpected and explosive, but you'll need to read it to find out why! I was glued to my kindle all evening until I finished it and devoured it in one sitting! I never expected the ending at all totally shocked me!

The blurb drew me in immediately I couldn't put it down! This was a wonderful 5 star read! Love, love, loved it!