This book was so unique. I have never read a suspense story that wasn’t predictable but this one is far from it. The characters are so realistic. The descriptions are so vivid I could picture everything. This is a must read for everyone.

This was such an amazing, emotional and different kind of suspense book. I thought it was going to be predictable, it was far from that. I loved the dual point of views between Gretchen and Regina. This book had so many different elements, it was hard to categorize it as just suspense, supernatural/fantasy or young adult; it was all that and more! The story itself? Very unique from start to finish. As a reader, you will experience every detail Gretchen is going through.

I am so glad I found this book!!! Why I did not stumble on this before makes m e feel stupid, but better late than never. Everyone needs to read this is they want a different kind of suspense book. This book has all the elements. If I could this a million stars, I would! It was that good.

Thanks to Netgalley, Alretha Thomas and Diverse Arts Collective for an after publishing copy in exchange for an honest review. I will be telling EVERYONE about this book!

I hope to read more in the future by this author!

Already Available: 6/18/19

The Truth About Gretchen is captivating. It flows very well between all the different views you are reading. This book will grip at your heart with all the emotions it has within in. This book is about the death of a young athlete who was murdered. Dealing with death of someone you know is hard but can you imagine dealing with the death of someone from your dreams. To wake and find out... It also has a gripping story line to find out what happen to Robert and who murdered him. Thank you NetGalley for this ARC and to the author, Alretha Thomas.

Interesting view of an unsolved murder - from the young athlete to the actress whose life experience mirrors his murder to the author who dreams of his murder through the athlete's eyes.

A bit confusing to follow and slow to build, it's actually a good story to puzzle through.

I found this to be an ok read. A bit plodding but interesting to power through. Will probably try it again soon. Thanks for the ARC!

Gretchen Holloway is producing a film based on a recurring dream she started having at the age of 24. Her dream is about a young man who was shot and killed at the age of 24. The young man was a football player.

Regina Wilson is an actress who plans to read for a part in Gretchen's film, but the subject matter is very hard for her, as it brings back memories of her brother, Robert, who was shot and killed on his 24th birthday. Regina feels like the film is based on his life. Regina leaves the audition in a rush because she can't handle reading for the part. She leaves behind the last gift her brother gave her, which is a water bottle with his picture on it,

Gretchen is cleaning up after the auditions and she comes across the water bottle....all of a sudden the worsl starts to fade away....

Let me just say that this is not the type of story I usually read, but I'm glad I read this one. It is a very interesting subject, and t was well written.

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

As a believer in reincarnation, I was sure this would be right up my alley. It left me feeling a little short-changed, and I'm not sure why. For the most part, I just didn't feel compelled to push through it, and it took me several days to read it, which kind of ruined the momentum.

I'm certain many readers will enjoy this, it simply didn't work for me.

This is my first novel by Alretha Thomas. I read it in a couple of days, and I've already ordered another!

It's not like anything I've read before -- a story about reincarnation, involving a young white woman and a young black man, film student and football star -- and how they work together to solve the young man's murder. The murder mystery/chase aspect of the story really picks up in the second half, and I truly enjoyed the ride.

When I wasn't reading the book, I was thinking about the book and its characters. That's the mark of a good story for me. Rated 4/5 stars, will recommend!

Interesting concept about reincarnation.

Well written, plenty of twists, interesting plot. Overall a good story. I would recommend this book but I kind of think it would be a very specific audience. 4 stars

Don't Start The Truth About Gretchen Late at Night....

Since you won't be able to put this book down, don't start it late at night! Gretchen believes she is the reincarnation of a murdered young man who has been haunting her dreams. When she meets the man's grieving sister, they set out to find his murderer so they can both move on with their lives.

While the premise may seem fantastic, the author does a very good job of making the paranormal element believable in this suspenseful and exciting thriller.

I will look forward to reading other books by Alretha Thomas.

Written in first-person The Truth about Gretchen is a challenging voice, but Alretha Thomas knocks it out the ballpark. A captivating story of two women a screen writer; Gretchen and Robert’s sister; Regina brought together by a tragedy. The strong female characters have such determination in what their steps will be and their support of one another. As you are reading you will assume you know who killed Robert and your heart will begin to ache but the other relationship that will pull at your heart strings is between Gretchen and Regina.
It’s a fast-paced story with several twist I didn’t see coming. If you enjoy mystery and a heart pulsing story of suspense this is the book for you.

The premise behind The Truth about Gretchen is unusual and intriguing. Once I started reading, I could not stop. Gretchen is making a film for her student thesis, Regina goes to audition for the film. They are connected through Regina's long dead brother, although they don't know it. It takes awhile before they actually meet.
Thoroughly enjoyable book!

I really enjoyed this book. I was a little scared it might be a gruesome, but it was not. I enjoyed the parallels of Gretchen's and Robert's lives. I know that a lot of people probably get turned off by the idea or reincarnation, but I really enjoyed that part of this book. I can only imagine how crazy Gretchen's family was by her insistence that is what was going on. I loved Regina. She was a strong, capable, black woman. She held her own with her husband, mother, step-father, step-daughter and Gretchen. I really enjoyed the bond that developed between Regina and Gretchen. I can't imagine how hard it would be to lose a sibling and have some young girl of a difference race claim to be that reincarnated sibling.

I liked how this book ended. The only thing I have a hard time accepting is that the family rejoiced. I have seen a lot of Dateline and Dateline type shows and the family even after getting answers still feel a void or a loss. They are never happy with the verdict even when it is in their favor.

Thank you to Diverse Arts Collection and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, what a unique story! I read a lot and I've never read anything worth a plot even close to being similar. This is such a well written thriller that I couldn't put it down. I actually read it in a single day, because I HAD to know what happened next. I hope Alretha Thomas writes many more books and that they are all as good as this one.

Imagine dreaming about your own death, but you are a different person. Gretchen appears to be sharing a body with the soul of a murdered football star. Trying to figure out if she is crazy, Who can she trust? With help from her "sister", a friend and a waitress, she searches out a killer. Every time I think I had everything figured out, my theory changed. I stayed up until 4A.M. It was that good. Thank you Netgalley!

The Truth about Gretchen is a book about a 20 year old cold murder case with a supernatural twist.
I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but I really enjoyed reading it. It has all the elements of a good mystery with some supernatural experiences to round out the story. If you like mysteries and are looking for something different then this is a book for you. I would recommend readers to give it a try. You might just be surprised.

Thank you to #netgalleyand @AlrethaThomas for the copy of this book.
#thetruthaboutGretchen

The Truth about Gretchen has an intriguing bookcover and a twisty plot to go with it . The story begins with film student Gretchen Holloway making plans to audtion actress Regina Wilson for her final project film but Regina flees when she discovers the film is too close to home with a murdered football player at the center of the story. This sends Regina hurrying away and leaving behind her photo of her football player brother who has strangely enough been murdered in real life. When Gretchen sees the photo she realizes it is the same face she sees in her dreams and so begins the process of putting together the pieces to discover what really happened.. It is an interesting story line and it makes you really want the characters to succeed in their quest for the truth..

Boasting an intriguing premise that pulled me in right from the start, “The Truth About Gretchen” is a suspense story with a very unique twist. The concept of reincarnation and past lives therapy has always held a certain fascination for me, so it is little wonder that I found this storyline so appealing. Certain secondary characters, however, I found less appealing, so that did detract some from my overall enjoyment of this book. Still, the author spun a pretty decent tale, and if you are willing to suspend belief, sit back and enjoy the ride, you’ll find yourself getting lost is this intriguing, easy-to-read story that will keep you guessing along the way.

Holy WOW! This book was impossible to put down, I read it at a blistering pace. It’s not possible to not, the author did such a phenomenal job of making it the perfectly readable and thrilling story that it is! I’m blown away by her prowess; I’ll definitely be looking up more of her work. Regina and Gretchen were perfection, and I couldn’t have loved the supporting characters more! It was a fast, twisty read until the very last page. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my free arc in exchange for my honest opinion! It was magnificent!

This is a Suspense book. I have to say this is a super unique book, and I cannot say I have read anything like this book. There is weird parts, but those weird parts is what makes this book so unique. I loved the characters. This book was told in the point of view of Gretchen and Regina because the chapters switches off from Gretchen and Regina point of view. The suspense in this book was super good, and I really loved the ending. This is an emotional storyline that really shows what happens when bad people buys out what should be good people. There is so much put into this book, but it is so well-written. Great book. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Diverse Art Collective) or author (Alretha Thomas) via NetGalley, so I can give honest review about how I feel about this book. I want to send a big Thank you to them for that.