Ten years ago, at a difficult time in her life, Beth got caught up with a wellness group called Elixir, led by the mysterious and charismatic Tate. But as she eventually discovered, Elixir had disturbingly cult-like elements.

When she decided to make a break from them, she knew that they would not let her go so easily. And now, as an exhausted new mother, when she receives something through the door featuring the familiar Infinity symbol, Beth realises that they have not closed that chapter, however badly she might want to...

A gripping read, this one will be enjoyed by thriller readers who enjoy the added bonus of charismatic leaders and cult-type themes thrown in. It easily gets 3.5 stars.

A deliciously twisty read that I just couldn't put down

Wow! What a read. This is my first book by Lizzy Barber, but it won't be my last. Gorgeously written, utterly sublime to read and the type of book that you really must read "just one more chapter" of. What more could you want from a book?

Be Mine is the story of Beth. After a turbulent time in her personal life, she decides to leave the UK to start afresh in San Francisco. Thankfully, she's been able to transfer through work, but because she's still doing the same job, being halfway around the world doesn't quite give Beth the break she wants.

Then she meets Marissa, who introduces her to the world of Elixir. Billed as a wellness group for both body and mind, it seems like just what Beth needs. But is Elixir everything it seems?

Be Mine is told in two timelines, separated by roughly 10 years. There's 2013, where Beth is in California, and the present day, with Beth back in England, raising her newborn daughter. We know something happened with Elixir that made her come back - but we don't know what. But trust me, you'll be desperate to find out.

Both timelines of Be Mine are filled with hooks to keep us hanging on, dripfeeding tension and introducing questions that keep us guessing right to the very end. There's an incredible twist I just didn't see coming, adding a whole new layer to the story. Even when it occasionally feels too far-fetched, it's hard to care: I was that invested in Beth, in how deliciously villainous Elixir and its founder are, in the world surrounding them, that I gladly ate everything up.

This is a wonderful read from start to finish. If you like quick-fire thrillers that always keep you on the edge of your seat, if you want a taste of San Francisco, if you like the idea of a cult-like wellness group that's hiding dark secrets, pick Be Mine up. You won't regret it.

Be Mine reminded me of a documentary I watched a few years ago about NXIVM cult. Everything about this book is five stars. Characters that feel fully formed, perfect pacing, and a clever plot with a twist I did not see coming!

I love a great cult psychological thriller and this one did not disapoint. Great characters, dark and creepy twists, I loved it, highly recommended xx

This book sounded so interesting to me so I requested as I was looking for thirllers from different authors. I haven't read a concept quite like this before and was invested the entire book

Thanks os much for the giftedc opy!

3.5 💫

Maybe it's just because I've read a few cult-themed novels in the past year, but I wasn't as thrilled by this as I was hoping to be. I don't want to say it was predictable - because the twists at the end (most of them, at least) did get me, but up until those reveals, it just didn't feel like anything new or too exciting.

I did genuinely enjoy the writing style itself, and was hooked enough to keep reading, but there was just something that felt lacking for me. But Lizzy Barber is certainly an author I can see myself returning to and giving another chance.

This book had me hooked with its twists, while offering a sharp take on control and identity in today's world.

BE MINE BY LIZZY BARBER.
5 ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨ ✨s
Release date set for the 27th of May 2025.
This book starts off with a bang and pulls you in from the very beginning.
Really enjoyed this story.
I love anything cult related and this one did not dissapoint.
I highly recommend this book

Very good psychological thriller which opens in Marin County, San Francisco in 2014 where an unnamed woman is waiting, with a gun, for a man called Tate. The story then moves to Muswell Hill, London in July 2023 where Beth lives with her partner Adam and their daughter Etta. The dual timeline works very well and I found this a compelling read.

Briefly, in May 2013 Beth has been in the San Francisco Bay area for three weeks, having left England after a traumatic breakup. After meeting Marissa in a coffee shop she is persuaded to join a wellness group called Elixir. Soon it takes over her life and eventually the obsession with the Elixir lifestyle causes her to lose her job. In 2023 Beth is struggling with motherhood and a baby that cries, a lot. She has no friends so when she meets someone who wants to be friends she grabs at it with both hands. However her life is gradually turned upside down when she starts receiving letters from Elixir.

Beth is an interesting character, flawed from the events before she moved to San Francisco, she was ripe for the picking, and an ideal candidate for indoctrination. A dark and gripping story with an inevitability in the way Beth’s life progressed. I was completely blindsided by the massive twist in the story, shocked! It was so tense it made me feel very uncomfortable at times. A good read. 4.5⭐️

This was my first thriller by Lizzy Barber and I love stories with cult vibes. It certainly met my expectations!
I enjoyed the tension-filled plot and the fast pace of the narrative.
Beth was a strong character and her motivations and choices kept the plot engaging and provided insight into the story.
Thank you to the publisher/author for the opportunity to read this complimentary advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Cult thrillers are some of my absolute favorites, and Be Mine did not disappoint. With perfectly timed twists and reveals, Lizzy Barber delivers a gripping, psychologically layered story that had me hooked from the first page.

This was my first book by Barber, and I’m already eager to dive into more of her work. The dual timeline, contrasting Beth’s desperate present with her intoxicating and dangerous past, was masterfully done. The way Elixir slowly tightens its grip on her felt disturbingly realistic, and the creeping dread as the past collides with the present kept me flipping pages until the satisfying ending!

Thank you NetGalley and Datura Books for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Oh wow this book has so many twists and turns. Lizzy Barber hits you with one after another.
After a bad split with her ex Beth heads to San Fransico for a new start, a chance encounter with Marissa at a coffee stall, leads to Beth being swept into a wellness brand called Elixir. Slowly but surely Beth is swept in to the Elixir lifestyle, she meets the enigmatic leader Tate and gets deeper into the lifestyle. It takes over so much of her life that she eventually is fired from her job, making her desperate to stay in San Fransico. Be mine is told in a two different timelines, before the cult and after. We know Beth escaped the cult and you will eventually find out how and why. Lizzy Barber tells an engaging story. I did find the character of Beth annoying at times. Even so I could not put this book down. I also felt the ending wasn't really necessary, she could have left that out. Highly recommended for fans of psychological thrillers.

A gripping psychological thriller with sharp twists, layered characters, and a haunting sense of inevitability, this is a story about identity, obsession, and the cost of reinvention. I bloody loved it!

Flitting between Muswell Hill in 2023 and Marin County 2014, we meet Beth. Beth. The new mum of Etta. The wife of Adam. Knee deep in that challenging stage of innumerable wakes. Feeling like the waking dead. Getting just enough rest to paper over the cracks until it all starts again on repeat. But Beth can't possibly ignore the privilege of motherhood, or choose not to cherish every moment, especially when she considers all she's been through to get there.

Although she misses the days of sharp edges. Of laptops, and coffee cups and meetings and lunchbreaks, she adores her baby girl. Even if the magnitude of responsibility for preserving another human being is a lot alongside the constant anxiety over whether she's doing the right thing.

And then the envelope arrives to throw Beth even further into freefall. The envelope embossed in gold. Elixir. And she is right back in 2013, like the last decade hasn't happened. Back in the city of disruption that was San Francisco. Thrown back to that first meeting with Marissa in the coffee queue. The coffee that changed the course of her life. Remembering what that 1 inch patch of flesh etched on her arm really stands for. Recalling how she was convinced that it was the answer to everything. Incandescently happy.

How Elixir ruled her life. How the belief system drove every decision. Every move. How it became her remedy. Her cure all. Her belief system. Her perfection. How she committed to the Elixir Guarantee, every word of Tate Larson's Manifesto. Hook. Line. And. Sinker.

As her past catches up with her we understand her need for invisibility, and realise that the shell she wears is forged in iron. And the rollercoaster she is on is not showing any signs of slowing down. If you love a twisty turny psychological thriller then strap yourself in, you're in for a wild ride!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Datura Books for gifting me a digital ARC of the latest book by Lizzy Barber. All opinions expressed in this review are my own - 4.5 stars!

Beth was running from her past when she got involved with a wellness group, Elixir. That too became a nightmare. Then years later, her life looks very different - she's married with a young child. But she's still struggling to fit into her new role. When she receives a mysterious letter bearing the infinity symbol, she knows instantly that Elixir is back in her life.

You won't be able to read this without thinking of another cult, NXIVM, that was in all the headlines. This story was told out in dual timelines - Beth before when she was getting involved with Elixir, and in present day where she's fearful of them coming back in her life. There were lots of twists and turns in this one that I could never have guessed. I am fascinated with cults and how leaders are able to brainwash people so thoroughly, so this was both a look into that as well as just a great read!

Lizzy Barber delves into the dark but well-toned underbelly of a health and wellness programme. As I’ve come to expect with Lizzy Barber’s books, Be Mine is a sultry thriller replete with interesting characters, well-described locations and an intriguing mystery.
The depictions of motherhood, in particular, were absolutely spot on and, because I’m the mother of two young children, the scenes with Beth and her daughter really hit home.
Another compelling read.

Be Mine by Lizzy Barber is a very toxic and dark cult thriller with jaw-dropping, absolutely unexpected twists! You know - this is an absolute brain-washing nut-house!
This book makes me wonder what goes on behind closed doors among all those toxic positivity gurus.

This story follows Beth in past and present storylines.

In 2013, Beth moved to the US from the UK to start a new life. Unexpectedly, she finds herself starting an exclusive exercise class that soon escalates and becomes a dark and toxic health and wellness trap. When she loses nearly everything, she is invited to the elite group of Elixir. Sadly, Beth can't see that all this is a toxic cult and carefully calculated manipulations.

In 2023, Beth is back in the UK, she has a boyfriend and daughter, but she never stopped looking over her shoulder because she knows they will come after her. When the mysterious envelope is delivered to her house, she knows her time is running out.

This book made me mad and sad, and frustrated. I wanted to scream out loud at some parts and just through that book in the corner at others. And it's scary that all this is legal!

The story begins with Beth Myers moving from London to San Francisco for a new job after a relationship breaking down. One morning, Beth meets Marissa and thus begins, Beth's journey with Elixir and Tate. In the present day, Beth receives an invite to Elixir's 10th year Founder's Day Celebration. We learn that Beth is a new Mum and she is not in a good place. The book is told over several timelines, which tells the tale of how Beth became so involved in what we might call a cult. It was a twisty, turney, rollercoaster of a read that it was unputdownable. I had to keep reading it till the end and what an ending! All the subplots came together with an unexpected conclusion.

Loveeeeees this.
Made me feel all them emotions.

Be mineeee.

Thank you for this opportunity.
Truly a great great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Datura Books for this eCopy to review

Be Mine by Lizzy Barber is a gripping psychological thriller that delves into themes of identity, manipulation, and the desperate desire to belong. The story follows Beth, a new mother struggling with the pressures of motherhood and a haunting past she thought she had escaped.

Beth receives a mysterious letter bearing only the infinity symbol, a chilling reminder of her time with the wellness group, Elixir. Ten years earlier, Beth was introduced to Elixir by the charismatic Marissa, who promised it would change her life. Beth quickly became enamoured with the group's leader, Tate, and the seemingly perfect lifestyle they offered. However, as Beth's involvement deepened, she began to uncover the dark underbelly of Elixir, leading to a desperate escape.

One of the standout aspects of Be Mine is its exploration of the psychological impact of cult-like groups and the lengths people will go to find a sense of belonging. Barber masterfully portrays Beth's internal struggles and the tension between her past and present. The narrative is filled with suspense, keeping the reader on edge as Beth's past catches up with her.

The characters are well-developed and complex. Beth's journey from a vulnerable young woman to a determined mother fighting for her freedom is compelling and relatable. The dynamics between Beth, Marissa, and Tate add depth to the story, highlighting the manipulative tactics used by Elixir to control its members.

Be Mine is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that offers a fresh perspective on the psychological thriller genre. Fans of suspenseful and emotionally charged stories will find much to enjoy in this book.

I want to preface this with the fact that I am all consumed with the history of and story related to cults. I will always pick up a book on the topic and this one was perfect! Be Mine follows Beth, a young woman out on her own, living in California, and out of her element. By chance, she meets a new friend, Marissa, who introduces her to a wellness group, run by the charismatic leader Tate. As Beth is introduced to this lifestyle change, she falls under Tate’s spell and becomes part of his health-focused community.

Fast forward a decade and the story is focused on a new mom and her constant fear of her past. With subtle reminders and potential threats, she’s faced with her worst nightmare.

I really enjoy this storyline, reminiscent of a cult in recent news. The names and places may change, but a large majority of cult stories start the same way- and that’s by taking advantage of insecurities and alienating their subjects from friends and families. The author did a good job of representing that aspect. I really liked the dual timelines and felt the fear of present-day Beth as she slowly unraveled. My only dislike was the pacing. I felt like the ending wrapped up too easy and too quickly for the amount of time and pacing that was dedicated to the first 75%.

Overall, I was very happy with this book and am grateful to NetGalley and Datura books for the ARC!