2.5

I love this genre, but this one was just okay for me. Some parts were a bit too unbelievable (such as that a nurse would give out personal info on another patient, and that reveal was a huge component of the entire story).
Some parts were quite entertaining, though it didn't balance out with the over-the-top elements. Some issues with the POV voice made it hard to connect with fully. The pacing was a bit off as well.

This book was absolute fire! This book was You for the mom set and I loved every minute of it.

Our main protagonist, Kelly, is a middle-aged housewife who spends more time alone than she does with her husband and son. A past event and possible mental illness is alluded to multiple times by both Kelly and her best friend, Christine, so the reader is suspicious that Kelly may be an unreliable narrator.

Early on in the novel Kelly becomes obsessed with another woman who has her exact name. Kelly becomes obsessed with this younger Kelly and her young son, Sullivan. As a reader you move back between cheering for Kelly and cringing at moments where she seems to be mentally unstable. This book is a quick read and an absolute roller coaster. This is also one of my favorite reads so far this summer. Five stars

Thank you Net Galley and Harlequin, WHOA What a book!!!! I did figure out most of it pretty early But that didn’t stop me from loving every chapter. It was a fast and fun read. I just LOVED IT!!

I was looking for some escape reading and When I Was You ended up being a great choice. It is a messy ride and doesn't tie up neatly at the end but it definitely kept my head spinning and was totally engrossing. It's a tough story that is quite dark and twisty and does touch upon mental health issues and abuse if those are triggering for you as a reader.

None of the characters are particularly likable, which I think was the author's intent. If you struggle with an unreliable narrator, this may not work for you...The plus of this is that she really keeps you on your toes about who's story you really should believe...and you will be guessing until the very end.

For a thriller, which I often struggle with, this one kept my attention throughout and definitely got my mind off of real-life so I would call it a win. I really enjoyed Garza's writing style and I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next!

Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for a gifted copy.

Getting a phone call about a well-baby appointment when your son is 19 was definitely unexpected.

When Kelly Medina realized the office had made a mistake because someone had the same name as she did, she had to find out who this other Kelly was.

Kelly did find out who the other Kelly was...she was a single mother living in a small apartment with no one to help her with the baby.

Well...now that Kelly found Kelly, she was going to help her especially since she was lonely herself.

Tension abounds. and you will question what’s going on and who the “new” Kelly really is.

One day the “old” Kelly finds out who she is or does she find out? We are kept in the dark.

This information definitely ramped up my curiosity and apprehension.

WHEN I WAS YOU kept me turning the pages as I knew the ominous plot was heading for more, and I was correct.

This book is a twisty, creepy, psychological thriller with a very intriguing, clever story line and characters that have unhealthy obsessions.

This book will definitely keep suspense fans on the edge of your seat, have you shaking your head, and keep you guessing because it is just brilliant.

READ IT...I bet you won’t figure it out, BUT I know you will love it. 5/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

When we first meet the first Kelly Medina, it’s pretty clear she is unhinged. Who wouldn’t be? Her husband rents an apartment two hours away where he lives during the week and her only child is away at college. Kelly is all alone in her big house.

So when she finds out there is a another Kelly Medina in town, a younger version of herself complete with a baby boy, Kelly springs into action. She has to meet this woman. And when she does, she quickly inserts herself into the others Kelly’s life.

And it’s so creepy and cringey. It’s like watching a train wreck. But don’t worry, the worst is yet to come. It definitely brings You to mind, minus adorable Joe (is it unhealthy to think a serial killer is cute?). And perhaps Fatal Attraction although I’m thinking more Single White Female.

But When I Was You is one of those books that tells things from different viewpoints. Without giving too much away, it’s a fun one to watch unfold. And that’s all I’ll say. Lips zipped because this one is worth checking out and I don’t want to ruin it.

Special thanks to Mira Books and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. This one is out August 25. Preorder your copy!

Oh my goodness this was such a great book! I completely enjoyed the first person perspective. I loved the way she talks to the other Kelly in her mind. I loved not knowing what was real and what wasn’t. I loved the shocking twists and jaw droppers. And I loved the ending! When I Was You checks off all the boxes to make a phenomenal psychological thriller and I can’t recommend it highly enough! Definite 5 stars from me and I can’t wait to read more books by Amber Garza!

Huge thanks to Harlequin and NetGalley for allowing me the privilege of reading this book in advance!

Book: When I Was You
Author: Amber Garza
Rating: 4 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Mira Books, for sending me an ARC.

So, yeah, I thought had the ending figured out to this one and that’s not how it went, at all. This book messed with me so much and I had a great time trying to figure out what was actually going on. We don’t get the whole story right away and are left trying to figure out what is going on. Plus, the characters are all holding important information from us. I liked how the author did this. I thought everything was well put together and thought out. Even though the ending did bother me, it did actually make a lot of sense. Although the other take would have been better, in my book. I hate not being able to say much, because this is a thriller and it’s not out yet.

Let’s talk about Kelly. Kelly is one of those characters who has a backstory with a lot of depth. The main thing with her character is that we don’t know her entire story and what actually brought her to this point. It is very clear that something has happened to set her over the edge. Plus, the way the other characters treat her make it very clear that something is wrong, but we just don’t know what that is. She meets another person with the same name who has a baby. This sets off a whole chain of events. The way the other characters reacted also implies that there has been a history of this with Kelly. The way that Amber writes it also makes you wonder if this is real or just made up. As we read, we do get more of Kelly’s back story and it just makes you wonder what is real and what isn’t.

As we learn more about Kelly and her past, things really start to get crazy. The more we learn, the more you find yourself questioning what you are reading. I mean, it seems so far fetched that you can’t help but feel like everything is made up. Plus, Kelly is not the most reliable of narrators, which makes everything that much more difficult to make out. It also makes it so difficult to put the book down.

To me this is just a sign of what a good author Amber is. The way she portrays everything just has you guessing and on the edge of your seat. She pulls you in one direction, only to pull you another a few pages later. She crafts everything in a way that makes you question what you are reading, which gives you a chance to kind of form your own opinion as to what is happening. When it all comes together, you do kind of end of walking away thinking that it did make sense. I just love how smart and well put together this book is.

I had a fun time reading this and if you are looking for something softer than Gilian Flynn, I highly recommend this title.
This book comes out on August 25, 2020.

Youtube: https://youtu.be/i6rhwK-CTC8

I thought I knew what was going on then Bam! I was totally thrown! Had to go back a few pages
because I thought I missed something. Throughly Enjoyable!
Kelly Medina is lonely and longing for some companionship. Her husband works far away and occasionally comes home on weekends and her son left for college a year ago. When the doctor’s office mixes her up with someone else with her same exact name who has a baby boy, Kelly starts to fantasize about the other Kelly who has a new son and a whole life
ahead of her. Her curiosity gets the better of her and she shows up at the appointment to meet the other Kelly and her son. She instantly feels a connection and becomes friends with her. She dotes on the baby buying him everything and attempting to spend every free moment with them. Kelly becomes obsessed and wants to make her home full again by any means possible. She longs for a baby to hold and take care of and give her a purpose again but she may be taking things too far and having the opposite effect! My loyalties kept flip flopping as the story went on! I wasn’t sure who to feel bad for or who to trust!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This Author is really great. I really loved this book. This tale was highly engrossing and highly recommendable!!

Looking for a thriller that you can’t put down? Look no further! This one doesn’t hit shelves until August so mark your TBRs!
🍼
An interest in the life of another woman who shares her name quickly becomes an unlikely friendship between the two but it’s not long before that becomes an obsession. The plot is a slow unravel, peeling back layer after delicious layer. This is a page turner, as the slow unraveling of the story leaves the reader inhaling the pages. When I Was You was a suspenseful psychological thriller with twists strewn throughout and thrown at the reader at the most devilish of times. I read this in a single sitting because I could NOT put it down! The conclusion had me gasp and go back to re-read because it’s JUST THAT GOOD! 🙌🏼 It’s exhilarating, twisty, compelling, and FABULOUS! I inhaled this book and loved every minute. You don’t want to miss this one! 5⭐️. My thanks to @harlequinbooks for the gifted copy!

Ok, this one was crazy. Yes, it pulled me in and yes, I couldn’t put it down. But it wasn’t perfect for me.

Having finished it, I’m a bit sad. It’s a tough story. There are so many damaged people and one severely narcissistic one and the end result is horrifying.

There are several twists and they are good ones. The writing and characters are quite clever. Things are not tied up neatly, many questions are unanswered. Mainly how the damaged became so damaged...

The story was entertaining. I’ll give it that. Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Harlequin - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for a copy in exchange for a review.

This book was twisty turny crazy ride! Kelly is an empty nester and misses having babies and children. When she gets a phone call from a doctor's office confirming her baby's appointment, she goes out of her way to meet the other Kelly Medina and her baby. This is a book of obsession and knowing what you want and doing everything in your power to get it! I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.

Good, solid book. Easy to follow. Would recommend to anyone who likes a thriller or mystery book. Liked the characters and it was difficult to put down!

The description of this book says that it’s an “up all night thriller,” and the publisher isn’t kidding. It did take me a few chapters to get into the story and the author’s voice, but once that happened, I strapped myself in and held on for a hell of a rollercoaster ride.

Kelly Medina is lonely. Her son enrolled in a college 10 hours away and her husband is gone more often than he’s home. So naturally, when she learns that there’s a new woman in town with her name, she gets curious enough to look into it.

The other Kelly Medina has a baby, is much younger, and lives in a rundown guesthouse. The elder Kelly quickly becomes obsessed, which sets off a big chain of twists and turns. Some of them I saw a mile away (like the first big reveal), but others were genuinely shocking.

The best part of When I Was You (make sure you pick up the right book as two novels were published in 2020 with the same name) is the ending. It’s absolutely perfect. The worst part is how critical the female characters are of each other and how brainwashed they are into making almost everything about their male partners. Sadly, that’s not unrealistic for some women. The author definitely uses this to make a point, though, so it’s not shown as something that women should merely accept.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

WOW! I couldn’t put this book down! It was a fast, crazy book with lots of twists and turns! I will definitely be recommending to my friends! Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this!

Holy crap. When I Was You was a pretty crazy book. I thought I had things figured out early, but then I kept changing my mind. I love books like this.

There's not too much I can talk about. Kelly Medina is living at home alone in Folom, California. Her son went off to college and her husband is only home on weekends. He's a professor a couple hours away and they can't afford the houses closer to there. It's pretty obvious early on that Kelly and Rafael aren't doing well. There are hints at some indecent that Kelly is seeing a therapist for. She was very close and almost overly attached to her son, Aaron. The empty house gets to her. She does spend time with her bet friend, Christine when she can. One day, her son's pediatrician's office calls for a well check up. They realized that they had the wrong number. There was another Kelly Medina with a baby. Kelly starts obsessing over this. She decides to show up at the apt just to see what she looked like. New other Kelly had a son, Sullivan. They spoke and exchanged numbers.

Kelly starts spending time with the younger Kelly. She gets attached to Sullivan. She buys baby things, even furniture. Her husband and Christine are both worried that Kelly is making them up. None of them have seen her and Kelly has a past history of delusions. As things get worse with Raf, Kelly focuses more and more time on the young Kelly. Things start to get really weird. We get to see little bits from the past. The delusions and attachment start to make more sense. Then things change even more. One of the Kelly's disappears. Which Kelly and why? It takes a bit to find out and everything starts to make sense.

I really enjoyed this one. The pacing was pretty good for most of the book. I gave this 4 1/2 stars, rounded up to 5 on Goodreads.

Thank you to Goodreads for my giveaway win. Thank you also to the publisher and netgalley for my review copy for the blog tour.

Warnings for obsession, mental illness issues, talk of abuse, and other things I can't mention without giving the whole story away.

This novel has all of my favorite things... an unreliable narrator, a killer twist(s), and edge of your seat suspense! I picked it up and couldn’t put it down... a very quick and entertaining read!

I liked some of this book an extraordinary amount, but a lot of it felt like I'd either read it before or like it was so over-the-top going for shock value that it went from shock to schlock... I'm starting to think what it boils down to for me is that I'm over the unreliable narrator. I'm over the shocking plot twists and the nobody-is-what-they-seem-in-suburbia stories. Each one seems to try to outdo all the others, and as a result the plots feel overly layered and overly full of red herrings and misdirection.

That being said, watching the original Kelly Medina devolve was fascinating and at least for the first half to two-thirds of the book, was also extremely entertaining. That's when things started getting a little crazy and running off the rails, and that's where this one lost me. I saw one of the big twists from that section coming early on, but that didn't lessen the enjoyment for me, as I was curious to see how the author would roll out the information, so it wasn't an "I know what's coming" issue I had, so much as an "oh my goodness stop layering things on here and wrap it all up already" one. It went from a fascinating psychological study of how a woman falls apart to a story that felt like it was trying to draw out the tension - and overdoing it in the process.

The ending brought it back - I do love when an author literally ends the book with a shock - but it still netted out at only three stars for me...

At first, I thought this was just going to be your typical obsessive stalker story, but it ended up being so much more!

There appears to be a mix up after a call from Kelly Medina’s doctor and because of that she finds out there’s another woman in town with the exact same name as her. But because of Kelly’s curiosity, she can’t seem to let it go. She essentially forces her way into this other woman’s life, and what starts out as an innocent friendship turns into a case of creepy stalking. Unfortunately because of her past, not everyone believes that this other Kelly, who just so happens to have the same exact name, is real.

This story took a turn I didn’t see coming and the suspense factor increased exponentially from there. Some of my suspicions panned out to be true, but others completely caught me by surprise. Definitely worth reading!

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3399680024