Annika is at the grocery store when she bumps into Jonathan, her former boyfriend who she hasn't seen in 10 years. A boyfriend - the love of her love, really - who she thought still lived in NYC. When they make plans to get coffee, a sudden succession of interactions forces both Annika and Jonathan to confront feelings that they were not prepared to have surface.

The author alludes to the fact that Annika might be autistic well before confirming it. I love being on a journey where a female character has a lot to overcome.

The novel jumps back and forth between perspectives and time: present and college. The reader learns about how Annika and Jonathan fall in love, what drove them apart, and the past they must confront before a true second chance at love can happen.

While I didn’t want this to end, the ending TOTALLY threw me for a loop. My heart raced and I finished the book 20 minutes later!

I listened to On the Island on audio last year and knew I had to read more from Tracey Garvis Graves. Thank you NETGALLEY for sending me this arc!

I loved this book and devoured it it one sitting. The author does a fantastic job building toward a suspenseful finish you won't see coming--I didn't see coming--and it had me on the edge of my seat the last few chapters. This is a love story between unconventional characters, though there is nothing more lovely than the beauty and depth of their connection. You will root for Jonathan and Annika as I did and close the book wanting way more of them. Highly recommend! Brava Tracey Garcia Graves.

I was looking forward to reading this, and it didn't disappoint. I read it in one day. It's a simple story of boy meets girl, and they fall in love. It seemed like a young adult novel, but I don't read many of those so I am not sure that's what it's supposed to be. I would recommend this book to teens/young adults of college age.

The Girl He Used to Know is a beautiful book that tells the story of Annika and Jonathan in alternates POV’s and with some flashbacks to the past.
Through the book, we can read about how they met, how they got together and the things they lived.
I have to say I regret not reading this book sooner because it was an amazing read. The characters were complex but also very likeable and it was easy to connect with them at some level. I love reading the two sides of the story and the intertwined flashbacks. I never thought the story would end up the way it did and the minute I read about that turning point, my heart broke. I finished the book in tears, for everything that was happening, but it was in a positive way.
It was a great story; I thought it was sweet and beautiful. The romance is enough; it is not sugarcoated and it feels real.
Annika was a very interesting character and it made me realize how people can be different and how we can sometimes hurt other people without meaning too. I like it when books depict characters that make you aware of things you might have not thought before.
Overall, I deeply enjoyed the book and, without a doubt, would recommend it; because it is completely worth it and it will surely surprise you.

This is a total gem of a story about a girl/woman is who is totally misunderstood until she meets a boy in college. A story of their journey through the ups and downs of getting to know each other.

I was not familiar with Tracey Garvis Graves but I am definitely a fan. She had a way of writing Annika's story in such a special way. I could easily relate with quite a bit of Annika. It was refreshing to read a book with a POV that was so relatable. I knew very early on in this story that this book would be one of my favorite books of 2019 and all-time favorite list. I didn't want to stop reading this story but also didn't want it to end. Annika is a character that will stay with me a long time.

If you follow my reviews, this book does have more sex than I typically read but Annika's and Johnathon's story is special and worth the read.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin”s Press for the opportunity to read this ARC. Ioved Annika and Will. I rooted for them both throughout the story. However, the twist at the end seemed to come out of nowhere and seemed far-fetched given the situation.

This book was refreshing and new. I loved the themes on beauty, and I found the relationship between Annika and Jonathon very endearing. I enjoyed both the multiple points of view, and the flashbacks from past to present. I think that having multiple points of view in romance gives the story so much more character if it's done well, and this was absolutely done well. I can see some readers struggling with Annika as a character due to her social challenges and chopped dialogue. But I found this incredibly authentic and real, and I appreciated how genuine the author made her character. This was a 4 star read for me!

As a first time reader of Tracey Garvis Graves my excitement for this novel came from a fresh, unfiltered place. The blurb and simple, lovely cover intrigued me. As this author toggles between a ten year gap of time she introduces us to two misfit characters so well suited to each other and likewise so suitable to readers. Her story telling in the characters past is as reverent and nostalgic as it is shadowed by an inevitable separation. Bringing us to their present where this author weaves a tale of forgiveness, acceptance, and utmost courage through her wonderful writing.

I was consumed with this book almost all the way through. I couldn't get enough of the characters and their plights. Their story was as sweet as it was painful. It was interesting - two people who couldn't be more different coupled so well together. The trust and love apparent in this story is in abundance. As unseemly college sweethearts, Annika and Jonathan move through their journey together so naturally. Their stories and backgrounds are quite unique and different from each other. The patience and understanding of Jonathan and the quirks and bravery of Annika make them so appealing. As a reader, it was a comforting read even in it's delving into much deeper emotions than just simple romance.

Once I reached a certain point though and the author made it point to be more obvious to something I should have been paying more attention to, I was overcome with a sense of uniqueness in a situation that hits all of us so close to home. The devices used to create the final conflicts of the past coupled with what's happening in their present hit me full force. Unfortunately, the way the story races to the end in a series of questions and tumbles left me a little leery about truly loving it for five stars. Those devices weren't fully fleshed out for me in a natural way but rather seemed too obvious of plot devices once they happened. After so much excellent build up and beautiful story telling the ending felt rushed and even a little incomplete.

The Girl He Used to Know still does come very much recommended from me though. The character building of Tracey Garvis Graves is worth the read in and of itself. She needles her way into the very center of the loving and scarred hearts of her unforgettable characters and in doing so opens up her reader's hearts. Coupled with beautiful writing this story is one you don't want to miss.

Amazing story! Such a sweet read. really enjoyed it! Great read for anyone looking to find a great one to curl up with!

What a great book. Certainly a sweet, romantic and fun reading that made me fall in love with the characters and the plot! Everything is perfect and the writing is fantastic! I really did not expect to like it so much and I had a positive where from the front pages I couldn't let go of this story.

I fell in love with Jonathan and especially Annika. I loved every minute of this story and found myself cheering for the second chance of this fantastic couple. They are cute, funny, if they understand each other and together they are complete! Could not imagine Annika with someone else! Stella is amazing, so sweet and I was fantastic to be in her mind and find her dealing with day to day situations. A original and passionate heroine for sure.

The Girl he used to Know brings a refreshing, Sweet and romantic story.

Lovely, romantic story of people who reconnected after time. It makes you heart feel warmer. I'd recommend it to everyone on the night when they just want to make themselves feel better.

I was initially drawn to this book based upon the description of an awkward librarian reuniting with her long-lost college love. However, it was Annika who kept me enthralled with this story from beginning to end. I found Annika to be one of the most endearing characters I've read about in a long time. She is on the austism spectrum, and her story vacillates between heartbreaking and uplifting as she navigates through life and love unable to understand social cues and norms.

The drama in the latter half of the book gave me major anxiety. I can't believe I didn't see it coming, but my nerves were shot when it all happened.

I don't really read a ton of romances, but I totally would if they were as sweet and lovely as this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance e-copy of this book for my honest review.

I really enjoyed this book. Ms. Graves did a wonderful job with character development. I loved this story so much. I have to say, the ending seemed very rushed. I had an inkling that the story was headed toward 9/11 and was prepared for the emotion that it might evoke ( I was in Manhattan that day). I certainly felt emotional, but earlier in the book Ms. Graves was so descriptive and took her time with the story, so it felt very fast at the conclusion. Overall - I would absolutely recommend.

This is a hard review to write because I don't really even know how I feel about The Girl He Used to Know. On the one hand, I like that we have more and more fiction where the main character is on the spectrum and shows a diversity of experiences--some heavier, like Annika's and some lighter. And I know that I'm not the one to judge if a character is the "right" representation. But, I have questions. Did Graves have a sensitivity reader? I don't know and it's not clear in the acknowledgments and maybe it doesn't matter to most readers but it matters to me. Because Annika's character seems very defined by this, I can't help but think it's important but as I don't know how Graves came to write this novel, I'll move on.



I like Annika. I like Jonathan--until I didn't...but that, too, is convoluted and spoilery so I'll just say that there are many many reasons why I liked him and a few reasons that I didn't. I like them together and I enjoyed their story. It's a little unconventional, a little flat in places and curious in others, and ultimately nice to see how they got together, broke up, and found each other again.



I'm not sure about the last several chapters. I understand, I think, why Graves would do what she did in those chapters but I still don't know if I felt like it enhanced or detracted from these characters and their story.



Ultimately, even with my questions and uncertainty about what I feel about this novel, I've been thinking about it for days and that definitely says something in this day and age of rapid romance reading consumption.

Warm, sweet, funny, touching: these are all of the words that come to mind in describing the love story between reunited college sweethearts. That the protagonist is on the Autism Spectrum is refreshingly believable, not predictably bumbling. Perhaps it is my age (somewhere in the middle), perhaps I've lost that sense of ooey gooey romantic spark after years of marriage and motherhood, but either way I was left feeling rather underwhelmed by the whole premise of boy meets girl, boy and girl drift apart, boy and girl unexpectedly meet again. This book was very good, but not great.

Before I get lynched—I’m just gonna go on record and say that this is the first time author for me. Even though I have a Graves books on my kindle, I’ve never gotten around to reading them. Yes, yes. I’m a bad girl. But you’ll be happy to know that my first experience was an incredible one. I see what the big deal is now.

I’m at a loss for words at what this book did to me. I LIVE for moments like these—where I e been so consumed by a story, that I can’t stand it. The Girl He Used to Know is told in a past and present storyline; with two POVs. Annika and Johnathan. They met in college when they were 22 while playing chess. Then something happens to tear them apart.

Now, it’s ten years later and they bump into each other in New York. When I was first approached to read this book, I had no idea what to expect. Luckily, while reading, I still didn’t know what to expect. It was nice being able to go in and see something new and fresh come along. Annika is a character much like a lot of us. She’s sociably awkward, quirky, and very beautiful. There’s no way that I would be able to do anything but adore her from the very first page.

Johnathan was awesome as well. He loves every single part of Annika and for that, I immediately felt drawn to him. Their romance was endearing and sweet—it’s hard not to root for that. The book was not without the bittersweet that makes you shed a tear or two. It happened to me and it was so unexpected. Overall, I thought was a very beautiful and poignant story that will no doubt leave a lasting impression on me.


*Thank you to the publisher for providing a free copy for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! I began this book because I went to the University of Illinois and was intrigued to read a book in this setting. To avoid spoilers, this book takes a turn you will not be expecting and is so worth the read. Annika and Jonathan are both lovable characters, and Annika loves books more than people, which is so relatable. You will find yourself rooting for the both of them.

Oh my heart...i LOVED this book so so much. It is fantastic from page 1 and keeps you moving through the book quickly. My favorite part was the writing style. It jumps from present day to college days and back and forth between the two main characters. Sounds confusing, but it is done beautifully and very easy to follow and understand. Loved the insight into Annika's mind and how she sees things and thinks through every words said. This is a beautifully written book that I highly recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my own thoughts and review.

Although I've only read Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves, I feel like I can trust her writing enough to know going in blind, I'm not going to be disappointed. With the Girl He Used to Know, what I got was a wildly unique heroine and one of the best "book boyfriends" you could ask for.

Annika is different. She's socially awkward, very smart, very beautiful, and is unapologetically honest. Jonathan is sweet, smart, handsome and patient to a fault. What bothered me the most about this story is how I felt about a character like Annika. I lacked Jonathan's patience for sure, but honestly, that means her character was written to perfection. Despite my lack of patience (Seriously, what kind of person am I?), I really could not put this book down. I had to know why Annika and Jonathan didn't end up together 10 years ago when it seemed so simple and pure.

Annika is the epitome of a strong heroine. Managing the obstacles of day-to-day life could cripple someone like her, but she persevered and acquired a life and a career of her own ON her own. She truly is a remarkable character especially seeing her finally fight for the love she deserves.

Tracy Garvis Graves had excellent characterization built in Annika and Jonathan. I can't wait to devour more of her stories. The only thing I REALLY needed in this book was an epilogue. The ending was just a little too abrupt for me, but it really is a story that still deserves attention. If you're in need a strong heroine and a unique love story, this is the story to dive into.

The Girl He Used to Know was such a unique, sweet, and uplifting romance story.

I loved Annika and Jonathan!! I wasn't sure what to expect when picking up this book... and it turned out totally different then I envisioned in my mind.

Annika and Jonathan meet in 1991 at a Chess club in college. Annika is stunningly beautiful but due to her autism she has challenges with her confidence in relationships. Annika and Jonathan fall in love but a tragic event occurs between them that causes the relationship to end. The storyline takes place in 1991 and present... so naturally the readers are aware something happens between the two to break up the relationship.

Presently, Annika and Jonathan run into each other at the grocery store and end up rekindling their relationship. Can Annika and Jonathan rekindle their flame despite their challenges of why they broke up to begin with?

Tracey Garvis Graves does an amazing job with characterization. The characters feel so real, raw, and beautiful. I couldn't get enough of the story of Jonathan and Annika. Do you ever have just those perfect effortless reads? Well.... this is definitely one of them my friends!

I highly recommend this book. Sweet, unique, and amazing!

4 stars!!

Huge thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 4/2/19
Published to Goodreads: 1/28/19