It has been a while since I read the blurb and I hadn’t read any of the reviews so I went into the story without any spoilers. After reading the story, I now see many reviews that state several important parts of this story and glad that I didn’t read them in advance.

Annika and Jonathan meet in 1991 as seniors in college at a chess club. Annika is such a unique character and I could easily feel her awkwardness, social anxiety, insecurity on how to interact with others, and loneliness. Jonathan sees this beautiful, smart girl but realizes that he will need to be cautious in earning her trust.

The character development is excellent and while Jonathan is such a good man, patient, caring, and willing to do almost anything to make things easier for Annika, he also realizes it’s a struggle at times being with her. To me, it’s Annika that stole the show. You learn about her struggles from childhood, being bullied (and the incidents she recalls brought tears to my eyes), struggling with new situations, and while her coping skills aren’t the best, she continues to try. She also has such a sweet and caring nature, especially when it comes to animals. When it comes to playing chess, she managers to lose herself in the competitive game and forgets any distractions. Her love of books rivals mine!

I loved her college roommate, Janice, who was the perfect person to assist Annika through various social situations on campus and gave such great advice and insight of other’s actions and comments. It was bittersweet and funny when Annika would realize what she should or shouldn’t have done after certain situations.

The story begins in 2001 when Annika and Jonathan run into each other after ten years apart. The story is from a dual POV and moves easily from 1991 to 2001. Between the past and present, you learn more about their time in college and since, along with various heartbreaking circumstances and sweetness of first love. Jonathan can see how Annika has matured and while she still struggles every day, she has found some unique ways to cope. He is torn between the pain of the past and how much he still cares for Annika.

There are so many things to love about this story but I felt like the ending wasn’t complete. I love epilogues and wish that one was included in this story but we are left with a happy-for-now ending. One of my favorite scenes was towards the end when Annika surprises everyone with her strength and willingly places herself into stressful situations for Jonathan.

This is another great story from Ms. Graves and from the author’s note, part of the story is based on personal experiences. Sometimes you obtain the best insights into characters when you have lived through experiences versus research.

Thanks to the publisher, author, and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this new work from Ms. Graves.

I just finished a really great, refreshing contemporary "Women's fiction" book titled The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves. I'd definitely call it a romance but it was definitely non-traditional. Annika (rhymes with Monica) is a beautiful Illinois college student in the 1990s who has always felt a bit "different" than other people. She's incredibly uncomfortable and awkward in social situations and has trouble forming relationships and being able to connect with others. I loved seeing the main character as vulnerable and flawed. This was a character not often seen in literature, so I LOVED this.

During chess club one day, Annika meets the incredibly handsome and kind Jonathan Hoffman, who is immediately attracted to her brilliant mind and falls in love with her not only despite her awkwardness, but partly due to her little qwirks. They fall madly in love and all goes well until they break up (we don't find out why until later in the book). 

Flash forward to 2001....Jonathan and Annika bump into eachother after not talking or having any contact for several years. Both of them have changed and grown a lot, and they slowly make their way back towards each other. The book jumps back and forth between their time together in college and the time they reconnect. 

I loved their story, and I LOVED the representation of Annika's character. Not all relationships are easy (DUH!), and not all women are flawless. Yet even people who are awkward and "different" (you'll find out more about her differences in the book) yearn for love, have relationships, and navigate heartbreak. 

The ending was really surprising for me and was incredibly emotional! If you are looking for a great contemporary romance/Chick Lit/Fiction, this one is definitely for you!

4 out of 5 stars for The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, which will be published on April 2nd, 2019.

Thank you to the author and St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

What a book. Sticks with you days/weeks after you finish. The ending felt a bit rushed, but it was still a beautiful and satisfying end.

I really enjoyed Tracey Garvis Graves book The Island. but this title didn't do it for me. I actually enjoyed the story but the ending was too abrupt. The ending felt rushed and unfinished. I would have liked to have read an epilogue.

Unique love story that showcases disability in an important way.
While this is a sweet romance, the back and forth took away from the story and lost me a bit. I don’t usually feel that way, but for some reason I got bored.

Wow. This is the first time I am reading a book by Tracey and I have a feeling it won’t be the last. She wrote such a beautiful story that had real depth to her characters. It might sound a bit silly, but I kept thinking about the tv show Parenthood when I was reading this. Her character Annika jumps out of the pages as a real person and it affected me in a meaningful way. People definitely should read this one!

I love Tracey Garvis Graves. She is truly one of my favorite authors. I was so excited to read this book that I rushed through the book that I was reading. I did like this novel...but I did not love it. I had a hard time connecting with the lead female character and didn't really believe their love story. That said, I will eagerly read her next book. Not every book can be a homerun. But Ms. Graves OK effort is still better than a lot of people who claim to give it their all.

It's been ten years since Annika and Jonathon have seen each other when they run into one another in the freezer aisle of a grocery store. Once upon a time they were college sweethearts who met at their college chess club and then, somehow, they weren't. The Girl He Used to Know is the story of how they fell apart and how they found each other again.

The most important thing to know about this novel is that Annika is written perfectly with what is easy for the reader to diagnose as autism. The writing is such that you can feel her discomfort and at times I physically ached knowing how hard she was trying. But while this book may be about a woman with autism, it's really just about a woman and a man and how hard they work to be together.

There's a twist ending that I'm still not sold on, but I still think The Girl He Used to Know is worth reading to decide what you think for yourself.

Thank you to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Girl He Used to Know in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I’m not sure any review I give this book will do it fair justice. This book far more than a 5 star book for me, and will definitely be one of the best I read this year (and it’s only January), if not of all time. There is something in Tracey Graves writing that will just make you fall in love with Annika and Jonathan.

Annika is slightly on the spectrum, and Tracy Graves delicate portrayal will leave the readers with a better understanding of what it really is like to live with Autism. Jonathan is the man who has stolen her heart and falls deeply in love with her as he seeks to rebuild his own life. What follows is their story which follows a dual timeline their time in college and then 10 years later in Chicago.

This book will pull at every emotion you have - you will laugh, cry, and root for the characters as you live right along with them. There are twists and turns which readers will not see coming - which are so eloquently written. I was left wanting so much more as I didn’t want their story to end.

I cannot recommend this book enough to all my reader friends out there!

This was a sweet love story that featured an autistic girl as the main character. I felt very invested in the characters and loved their interaction, as it seemed authentic. The ending was a bit contrived, and I didn't like that part of the book as much. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC.

I immediately connected with the main character, Annika, and fell in love with her. She reminds me very much of Stella from The Kiss Quotient, who I also love. The story follows Annika and her college boyfriend, Jonathan, as they reconnect 10 years after seeing each other and switches back and forth between past and present. This is a story about how we fight for the ones we love, even when it makes us uncomfortable. I would have liked the story to delve a little deeper at the end (it wrapped up very quickly) because I wanted more of these characters!!!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, for this free eARC.

This was the first book I have read by Tracey, and if they are all this good, I can not wait to read more!

I loved that this book had flashback chapters. Think of Love and Other Words. We got to learn a lot about Annika and Jonathan, and learn a little bit about what tore them apart.

Ten years after they separate, they find each other again in IL. As they catch up, and get to know each other even better, Jonathan goes on a business trip, and it is now 9/11.

The last part of this book had me sitting on the edge of my seat, wanting to know what happened!

I loved how this book ended, and was sad to be done with their story. Easily a 5 🌟 read for me, and one book that I will continue to recommend, this year.

Pub date April 2nd, 2019.

As you all know by now, I am a girl who loves to judge a book by its cover.

I thought this cover was just lovely, and I also thought the story was lovely as well.

I fell in love with Annika and Jonathan pretty much instantaneously. While I have no experience with autism, Annika’s struggles with anxiety resonated with me, and the tender, patient way Jonathan loved her reminds me of all the ways my husband makes me feel safe.

I learned a lot about how someone with high functioning autism navigates life, and Annika’s refusal to give up on herself is inspiring in a quiet way.

As I was reading, I found myself thinking ‘this is a beautiful love story, but shouldn’t more be happening?’ And then more happened and I wished I could take it back. Despite all the subtlety laid clues, I had lost myself in their happiness and I did not see the climax coming.

I don’t want to even marginally spoil anything for you, but the ending is what made this a five star book. This is classified as Women’s Fiction, and I think that’s correct, but there’s something here for you tenderhearted men, too.

I received an ARC of this book from St Martin’s Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Expected date of publication is April 2, 2019.

I really enjoyed this book, it was a lovely story and well written. I can't remember reading a book recently where the main character was on the autistic spectrum and it was handled beautifully. I especially liked hearing her internal dialogue.

Briefly, Annika and Jonathan meet in college and fall in love, then break up. She's unusual and unforgettable, and they need to figure out whether they move forward or not after they see each other after 10 years. The ending was unexpected and heartwrenching but satisfying.

I highly recommend this book. Thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What an emotional story! Annika really had trouble with a lot of social interactions. However, she grew so much between her college years and ten years after! Still not fully fluent in social cues, she still managed to live her life, have a job she loved, and interact with more people than in the past.

Jonathan is the kind of hero that makes me swoon. He was fully capable to fight for a relationship he believed in. And he trusted that Annika would get there, too.

I loved this book! Annika and Jonathan run into each other at the grocery store after years apart. The book follows their story from the past and present. The chapters change from the past to the present and also from Annika’s voice to Jonathan’s voice. It is written in a great way that the chapters flow together amazingly, giving you background when you need it. It’s a great love story of college sweethearts that are separated by a tragedy and find each other years later. Can they rebuild their relationship? I never expected the ending and was almost in tears. I highly recommend this book!

First I must thank Netgalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to review an ARC of this book. It was truly a pleasure!

For days I've been sitting and trying to think about a review I could write to capture the essence of this book properly. Unfortunately, I don't think I could do this book justice. With the simplistic writing style and moving passages from two very different people experiencing a love so profound for both of the main characters, Tracey Garvis Graves opens her readers eyes to issues that haven't been dealt with in women's fiction all that often.

"It's like everyone around you has a copy of the script of life, but no one gave it to you so you have to go in blind and hope you can muddle your way through. And you'll be wrong most of the time."

From the very first chapter told in Annika's POV, I knew we were going to get a very special story that was going to have a profound effect on me and the world we now live in. This is a story told 10 years apart, alternating from present to past and in both Annika and Jonathan POVs. This is their unique journey to a second chance at first love.
Ten years ago, Annika and Jonathan were college students trying to make their way through the beginning stages of their grown up lives in college. But something tore them apart and it's 10 years later until they bump into each other again.
Tracey takes us back in time to show us the difficulties Annika had to navigate to "become or appear normal" (for lack of a better phrase). She is on her own, living away from home in the college dorms with an amazing roommate. Chess (and volunteering with the local vet clinic), they find out is her go-to for relaxation and that is where she finds her tribe and her 'normal'. Annika has what we would now call high functioning autism with anxiety. But in the 90's this wasn't something we talked about or diagnosed. Annika just knew it was more difficult for her to see and do things than other people. She WAS normal, but people just thought her weird in a beautiful package.

"She marched to the beat of an entirely different band. One you've never heard of and under no circumstances ever expected to like."

The Girl He Used to Know is a beautiful story told in a very careful and thoughtful manner. It deals with real and now issues that we can talk about and educate ourselves on. It is a story of love, second chance romance, understanding, family and opening your life and eyes to the different ways of processing and thinking.
I enjoyed seeing a love bloom in the eyes of two different people that needed two different things. To see a woman grow and accept who she is and put herself out there and out of her comfort zone over and over again for herself and for a man she has never stopped loving was very brave. And to connect with and understand Jonathan and his needs and his attachment to Annika was quite touching and powerful. I commend Miss Garvis Graves for approaching a subject matter during a crazy time in history and doing so with simplicity and a bit of drama for good measure. Some of the drama was a tad much, but honestly, I was expecting SOMETHING. It all made sense in the outcome of what she was looking to achieve. I adored the family and the relationships all the characters had with one another.
Overall, this was a fantastic read to start off my year of ARCs for 2019. I would definitely recommend this book and give high praises!

I loved this story, truly. Annika and Jonathan had a real story, and I so appreciate when a love story feels genuine (insta-love is fun, but that can be hard to connect with!). The characters were so well done, and seeing actual growth always endears a story to me. I read this in one sitting!

Spoilers ahead!

Trigger warning here for: ectopic pregnancy, the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

Plot spoilers here: The timeline throughout this story flips back and forth from college (1991) to ten years later (2001). Throughout, I was thinking of how nice it was that it was just a normal story that felt really authentic, not filled with plot twists and random details (which I enjoy! But this was a nice change of pace). Then at LITERALLY 84% I said to my boyfriend "ohhh noooo...", because it was in that moment that I realized Jonathan was going to NYC on SEPTEMBER 11th, and nothing good could possibly come from that. I won't give away the plot, but I really liked how this was woven in to the story.

This is my first experience reading a novel by Tracey Garvis Graves, so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had heard good things about some of her previous novels and this one was already getting great reviews from authors I admire. I didn't know that once I picked it up, the story would grab me and not let go, even after I turned the very last page.

I love how the story went between Annika (pronounced like Monica without the M) and Jonathan's life in college and then ten years later. I enjoyed revisiting college life in the nineties. Even though I'm not into chess, I enjoyed learning about what chess practices and tournaments are like. And I thought it was cool that the story was set at the University of Illinois, as it wasn't far from where I went to college. I visited friends there, so I had some level of familiarity with the campus.

I loved everything about this novel and wished it was even longer than it was. It was such a sweet love story with a very interesting female protagonist. It was very easy to care about her right away. Jonathan was an equally compelling character and I can see why Annika would fall in love with him.

There was a part of the story that became a cliffhanger for me, as I got to it right as I needed to get back to real life. I was so worried about what was going to happen that I was itching to pick it up again. When I did, I was satisfied with the direction in which the story was taken afterward. I do wish there was an epilogue instead of just moving ahead a few months and leaving it at that.

Overall, I was very impressed and have been recommending this novel a lot. When it hits shelves this spring, be sure to pick it up right away and devour it like I did!

Movie casting ideas:
Jonathan: William Moseley
Annika: Mackenzie Davis
Janice: Leighton Meester

I had high expectations for this one because I loved On the Island. One of the complaints I saw often for On the Island was that the writing was very simple and kind of amateur, but to me that's not necessarily a con as long as the author shows instead of tells, which TGG does. This book is like that as well, it just means it is an extremely 'easy' read, you will likely fly through it.

Anyway. The way I would describe this book is Eleanor Oliphant meets Love and Other Words - in the sense that Annika has some social anxiety and is definitely on the spectrum, but it's also about two people and their second chance romance. I definitely think it's more chick-lit than actual romance, that's *not* a bad thing, but I know some people shy away from romance books because they don't like them, this is the kind of book that would appeal to both romance readers and women's fiction readers. In my opinion.

I really liked Annika, I liked Jonathan most of the time, but sometimes he frustrated me.

Also, people smarter than me will take note of the dates and know something is coming. I am not smart like that when reading so it was as it was happening that it clicked for me.

This one is hard to rate because even though I enjoyed it because it was nice and easy, it gets super emotional towards the end (I wish there had been a trigger warning for something she went through because that ripped me to pieces and I 100% would not have read it a week after something similar happened to me if I had known) but wraps up way too quickly and without a much needed epilogue. When I got to the end I literally said 'WTF' and kept trying to turn the page on my kindle. It needs an epilogue! The end all wraps up far too quickly, it either needs to be more fleshed out or it needs an epilogue.

So, do I recommend? Yes, for a light-sprinkled-with-heavy-AF-shit read, if that sounds like your jam. I would really like to re-read it once it's published to see if anything changes or if the ending is added to in any way.