Be Mine by Lizzy Barber review – You’ll be HOOKED
Secrets, lies, and a cult: what more could you want from a thriller?
Be Mine by Lizzy Barber: The key details
- Publish date: 13 May 2025
- Genre: Thriller
- Publisher: Datura Books
- Series/standalone: Standalone
- Length: 400 pages
Blurb: Once, Beth was a different person, convinced she was living her dream life with the enigmatic wellness group, Elixir. But when that dream became a nightmare, she had no choice but to run, no matter what – or who – stood in her way.
Ten years later, exhausted and struggling with the pressures of motherhood, she receives a mysterious letter bearing only the infinity symbol, and knows immediately it is from them.
The past she’d run from has finally caught up with her, and the secrets she’s tried so hard to hide will soon be uncovered. Can she finally escape them for good, or will her freedom pay the ultimate price?
Be Mine by Lizzy Barber: The review
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. You’ll need to keep on reading to see how everything unravels. 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.
Thanks to Datura Books for supplying a paperback copy for the purposes of this review.
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