Told in semi-alternating viewpoints and timelines, I’ll Be You tells the story of twin sisters Sam and Elli. Former actresses, they’ve moved on with their lives, or at least, they’re trying to. Sam turned to drugs and alcohol, and Elli turned to her husband and dreams for her family. But when Elli doesn’t return after a spa weekend, Sam must step in to help, even if she feels unwanted, even if it’s triggering her sobriety.

For me, I liked Sam’s chapters more than Elli’s. Their mother is pretty much toxic garbage, and I can see why Sam has felt like such an outcast. While not a justification, it explains so much why she has turned out the way she is. I felt so much more for her and felt invested in her life.

The blurb on Goodreads states that this is a “magnetic thriller,” and it’s not a thriller. It doesn’t state that on retail sites, so perhaps they realized it wasn’t. I would pin it as a family drama or women’s fiction. Either way, this is a great read, with a fun storyline and rich characters. Thank you, Random House Publishing, for sending this along!

I’m torn on how I feel about this book. There were parts I really liked that were mysterious and kept me entertained, and there were other parts that for me were so ridiculously unbelievable that I considered DNF’ing this book. Finishing the book won out because I was curious what was really going on between twins Sam and Elli, but after loving Brown’s book Pretty Little Things, I’ll Be You was a big letdown for me. I think I was waiting for a big twist to be shocked with and that just didn’t happen.

Do you ever read a book and get to the end and you're like WOW, that author is seriously off their rocker?  Well Janelle Brown is definitely a little off her rocker and I'm really glad for it.  I'll Be You is very strong in character development with an amazing and unique plot. 
Highly recommended!   This is my second book by Janelle, Pretty Things was very good but this one is even better, especially the "spa".

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. As an identical twin I am always attracted to books who have stories centered around them, and as a psychological thriller, what could be better? I liked the two twins POV and reverting back and forth between the past and the present. As a twin myself I enjoyed the different characterizations, they may be identical in appearance, but not in personalities. I did enjoy that the book did center more around the twin's and their complex relationship than as just another mystery.

I enjoyed this book more than Brown's previous book, Pretty Things, I'll look forward to her future novels.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read and review this title prior to publication.

I adored Janelle Brown's previous book, Pretty Things, so I was excited to get a galley of I'll Be You. I read about 25% of the book, and I noticed a lot of similarities to This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel. I did not finish that book, and the further I got into I'll Be You, the more I was dreading that I was reading such a similar book. I would rather not "hate read" it to give it a bad review online, so I am just sending this one through Netgalley. I may still try to read more of Brown's backlist, but this one was just not for me. Thanks again.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House for the eARC. This was my first Janelle Brown book, and it won't be my last. I am a sucker for like the whole "trying to uncover what happened to me" plot so this was my bread and butter. The twin or sibling trope is something I enjoy, especially when it comes to having feelings of just something not being right. This was a wild ride. Definitely recommend.

When is a weekend retreat not a retreat? At what point does the family start to question whether or not their daughter should be back by now? Just exactly how long do the grandparents take on the responsibility of a two year old before they call in assistance from the twin sister, you know, the one who’s the family disappointment?

All these questions and more make up the beginning of I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown. The story centers around identical twins Elli and Sam who grew up performing on television, first splitting a supporting role and then as twins, starring in their own show. From the beginning, the differences between the two emotionally were almost so strong as to end their careers before they got started. Elli hated performing and Sam lived for it. The solution? Sam pretended to be Ellie on the show so she would stick with it. The problem? That left Sam too exhausted to get everything done and the perfect target for an unscrupulous makeup artist who was willing to become her first dope dealer.

This is how the two girls started down distinctly different paths. Elli became the classically good girl, leading an orderly life and demonstrating herself to be an upright, outstanding citizen. Sam, on the other hand, became a wild child, drinking, doing drugs, going down the path of addiction and creating havoc in her wake.

Now the twins are a year past Sam’s last relapse and rescue by Elli and this time it seems Sam may be successful. She has been sober a year, works in a coffee shop managed by her sponsor, and has cobbled together something of a life. Now Elli has gone for the weekend, leaving her 2 year old with her grandparents, to attend what she called a retreat. The problem? She’s been gone an extra five days, isn’t responding to phone calls or texts, and the grandparents are at their wits end. The solution? Call Sam to come and take care of the child for a few days until Elli gets back.

Their solution is riddled with problems, not the least is the expectation that being back with her parents will serve as a major trigger for Sam to start drinking and drugging again. Still, she feels an obligation and goes, only to discover things are stranger than she thought. No one has heard from Elli. The retreat she is supposed to be attending is behind a tall, impenetrable fence and the occupants refuse to let Sam in or acknowledge Ellie’s presence, and Ellie’s life appears to be in chaos. Her husband has taken off for Tokyo, Sam can find no information on Charlotte, the daughter, a “For Sale” sign suddenly appears in front of Ellie’s house, and Sam meets with total failure when trying to contact Elli.

The first part of the book is told from Sam’s point of view and describes her spiral downward, how she manipulated Elli into performing, and the ways in which she believes she contributed to the destruction of her twin. In her mind, it all started when she convinced Elli to swap places with her in various situations. Now she is feeling guilty for whatever has happened to Elli and feels she must fix it. The solution? How about the “I’ll be you” of old? Can she pull off turning herself into Elli and breaking into the compound where Elli is?

The second half of the book is told from Elli’s point of view, and tells how the story ends. She also believes she has some blame coming in terms of being responsible for Sam’s addiction. She has gotten involved in a group way over her head, though, and without Sam’s help might not be able to extricate herself.

While the book is not a mystery in the classic sense, it does present a puzzle regarding what has happened to Elli, who are the people who now seem to be controlling her every move, and how can this situation be resolved. It takes a long look at what it might feel like to be a twin, highlighting a feeling of being half a person on their own.There are numerous moments that create tension or peril for each sister, and leave the reader wondering if the twins are going to be successful in rescuing themselves from this situation. Although the pace is somewhat uneven and seems to drag in spots, overall it’s a gripping read that will have your heart pounding during parts of the journey.

There may be some difficulty in getting started with the book as Sam is not a very sympathetic character which may make it difficult to become invested in the book. She comes across as totally unlikeable, largely because she doesn’t like herself. The turning point for that is when Elli’s narrative begins and the reader is given the chance to see Sam from another point of view. That change and the decision Sam makes to “rescue” Elli and try to create some positive outcomes from mistakes presents Sam in a different light.

My thanks to Random House Publishing for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for this review. The opinions stated here are entirely my own.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really like the way Janelle Brown tells the story. Generally speaking I must confess that I am not a fan of twin stories. It's a very convenient trope that is often used as a way out of corners, and so I tend to avoid such plot lines. Nevertheless I had faith in Brown's ability to pull this one off, and pull it off she did.

From the opening pages I was completely drawn in and found the tale of Sam and Elli to be engaging, infuriating, challenging, and oddly moving - which pretty much sums up a sister relationship in a nutshell... the writing was crisp. The characters were well-developed. And if the central plot construct wasn't a wholly original one, the way Brown deftly navigated its twists and turns certainly was - rendering it a fabulous read that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Ms. Brown is a marvel, and this new thriller is no exception. What a page-turner with her usual twists and turns, and on top of that, an incredible foray into the psychological make-up of twins, and her searing all to real, exploration of addiction. It’s a thriller on another level, and a book I’m happy to talk up and push.

This is an identical twin story that is unlike any I’ve ever read! Elli and Sam were very close as young twin sisters, but each chose very different paths in adulthood, with Sam getting herself into trouble after trouble! When Sam gets a phone call to come help, she has no idea what she’s getting into… or what Elli a horrible situation her sister has entered. This was a crazy wild ride!

This book was fantastic, my favourite so far by Janelle Brown. I could absolutely see this being made into a film or series. I don’t want to give away too much of the storyline, but the suspense in this book definitely kept me on my toes and fully engaged in what happened next. I’ll definitely recommend this book to fans of this genre.

This was a great read! Once I started it, I could not put it down. Have purchased for my library and for Lucky Day Collection!

An excellent read by Janelle Brown. Twin sisters who couldn't be more different, yet one knows when something is off with the other. As Sam searches for Elli, the secrets begin to spill. This book is thrilling and will have you turning pages quickly to see what exactly is going on!

This book gave me Mary Kate and Ashley vibes. Identical twins get discovered at the beach one day by a casting agent and skyrocket to fame as Hollywood's favorite child stars. Sam loved acting and the spotlight. Elli loved Sam and would do anything to maintain a relationship with her sister. The sisters used to swap places-- Sam taking on double the acting roles so they could continue to live the LA life she loved. 

When Elli finally chooses normalcy (prom, college, and marriage), Sam's career tanks. One-half of America's favorite pair just won't work. Sam turns to drugs and alcohol, and "perfect" Elli bails her out time and time again. 

Then, Sam gets a call from her parents. They need her to come home to take care of Elli's newly adopted daughter who seems to have shown up out of nowhere. Her husband left her and no one's heard from Elli after she signed up for a spa retreat. 

Sam decides to "play" Elli one more time to get into this mysterious spa, that's starting to feel a whole lot like a cult. Will she be able to save her sister? And does Elli want to be saved?

Who doesn't love a good identical twin story? "I'll Be You" tells the story of former child actors Elli and Sam and the ways their paths have diverged since stardom. It's a fast, engaging read with some unexpected twists, plus there's even a cult in there for good measure!

I really enjoyed this book! I loved the premise of this book and flew through it in no time! I can't wait to read more from Janelle Brown

Twin sisters, both beautiful, talented, and smart, once close enough that the edges of each of them felt blurry and overlapping with the other, but with adult lives so far diverged they haven’t talked in a year.

Once child actors, Sam loved the spotlight, but too much, and it left her a recovering addict, broke, and alone; Elli walked away from their childhood fame and established a calm and stable life for herself, frequently called on to help Sam out of another mess or into another rehab. But when Elli goes missing – solid, dependable, Elli – Sam suddenly finds herself called on to help the niece she never knew she had, and the sister she’s let down over and over again.

At first it’s clear Sam is floundering, as she’s never needed to be dependable, always either being rescued by her family or keeping them at a safe arm’s distance. As she searches for clues about her sister’s disappearance to a mysterious desert retreat with the ominously obscure FemGen, though, she starts to actually find that’s not just trying – she’s capable when she tries. As we follow her hunt, we’re also shown stories from the childhood she shared with Elli, moments that explain their relationship and how their estrangement began. The tension builds naturally but steadily, and when we start to get an idea of the whole picture, it’s clear there’s a whole lot more going on than first appeared.

I’ll Be You took me by surprise, in a good way – there’s a lot of thrillers in the world, but this novel deservedly stands out in a crowded genre. Janelle Brown is a talented author, and she wrote with sensitivity and authenticity about a sibling dynamic that brings new meaning to the word complicated. Sam was a likeable and, more importantly, believable mix of guilt, impulsivity and caring, while Elli was entirely distinct but just as complex and genuine. While tense and high-stakes, the action at the center of the novel felt plausible but original – it was a mix of excellent characters, a beautifully twisty and intriguing plot, and an author who knows how to keep her readers glued to the page. What’s not to love?

4.5 stars! Are identical twins really identical? Are they just copies of the same person? Elli (Eleanor) and Sam (Samantha) may look the same on the outside, but they couldn't be more different when it comes to their personalities. As children, Ellie and Sam are inseparable. They would often "become" each other and switch roles. Sometimes even tricking their own mother.
Elli and Sam are discovered as kids to be actresses. Sam is a natural and soaks up being the center of attention that comes with acting. Elli does not. She does not enjoy being put on display. Now as adults, they have created very different and separate lives. Elli has a very stable life with a career and a husband. While Sam is an addict who has been in and out of rehab. But through all their differences, they still support each other.....until something happens that tears them apart.
Sam is called to her parents' house to help care for Elli's adopted daughter after Elli checks into a spa retreat and stops answering her phone. Sam finds all of this behavior from Elli to be odd and decides to find out what is really happening with her.
The book is told from the perspective of both sisters and allows you to get the complete story. This book grabbed me right away and I couldn't put it down. Will the bond of sisterhood be enough for Sam to help Elli? Will she be allowed back into the life Elli is leading? With twists and turns, this book will not disappoint. Once again, Janelle Brown writes a great thriller that investigates family dynamics. Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group and Janelle Brown for the ARC of this book.

Thank you @netgalley and @randomhouse for this advance reader’s copy.
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I think this book was just a case of unmet expectations. I thought it read more like a family drama when I was expecting a page turning thriller. The premise of twin sisters with one missing and cult vibes thrown in sounds like my perfect read, but I really struggled to get invested in the story. I think I expected faster pacing going into the book, and that probably led to my disappointment with this one. I would still be interested in reading more from this author.