This story was everything you need. Cults, mysteries, identical twins, fame, and character development - yes, please!

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC. I have been a fan of Janelle Brown since reading Watch Me Disappear. I'll Be You is the story of identical twin sisters, Sam and Elli. From childhood they are as close as can be and end up being discovered and work for awhile as child TV stars. As they grow up Elli leaves the Hollywood life behind and gets married. Sam struggles with what she feels is a failed acting career and deals with it through the use of pills and alcohol. As close as they once were, they haven't spoke in years. Out of the blue their father calls Sam with distressing news of Elli. The perfect life Sam thought Elli had seems to have fallen apart and their father cannot get in touch with her. He wants Sam to reach out and see if she can help. As Sam does reach out, she discovers that there is much she was not aware of concerning her sister's life. I completely recommend this book as well as Brown's first two books. Such a great author.

I highlighted tons of passages in "I'll be You" - I thought Ms. Brown did an excellent job of bringing addiction to life ("...I missed the soft blanket of a buzz..."). These characters are far from perfect but they are real and honest. I found myself cringing more than once at the antics of Sam and her mother (particularly mom, with her "New Age suburbanism: crystal energy and casseroles"); Elli is a little distant, we only hear her narrative voice once, but it's still compelling. It must be SO hard to be a twin.

P.S. Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC.

Thank you NetGalley and Janelle Brown for letting me read a early copy of this book.I enjoyed this book immensely. Family drama, addiction, fame and brainwashing! What’s no to like? There were a few hidden surprises along the way but I was waiting for one final big twist at the end that did not come. A solid 4 stars from me.

I'm a huge fan of Janelle Brown's books and absolutely loved this one. This is a page-turner that I read in one day and didn't want to put down. It explores the world of child actors and twin relationships in an interesting and entertaining way. Thanks for the advance review copy.

I could not put this book down! Two identical twin sisters (and former child stars), were as close as could be until a big falling out- they didn't talk for a year until one of the sisters disappears. Ellie and Sam are complete opposites their whole life, Ellie was always the dependable one until this disappearance and now Sam has to come and pick up all the pieces. It is such a twisted novel that will leave you wanting more- so good!

This is my first book by Janelle Brown. Wow! The pages kept turning for me. I really enjoyed the writing. Everything came together very nicely for the sisters. And there was some really interesting twists and turns.

I am going to start off by saying this is a five star read as I don't think waiting until the end of my review to state the facts is just. This is a mind bending novel that is very very dark and surrounds a cult. The writing style was impeccable and exceeded all expectations I had set forth for this book. Not to say I didn't think it was going to be good, I just didn't think it would have been THIS good.

I was born in the 80s and grew up in the 90s. Full House was a staple in my house. My obsession with Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen was not one you would want to brag about. I envied those who had a twin !!!

This story surrounds the life of Eli and Sam. As typical twins do, they loved swapping places. The girls are also child actresses on a popular sitcom . One twin thrives in the spotlight, one not so much.... Do you see the similarity here? Okay, lets keep going.

You are instantly drawn in and fascinated by these two girls. I found myself thinking of Sam and Eli as Mary Kate and Ashley throughout the entire book and I was completely consumed . Flipping the page became an addiction I could not feed fast enough. I was mesmorized by these two girls.

If you want a quick, dark read, this book will be right up your alley. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish and found that every detail was well done and led you right up to a satisfying conclusion.

Again, five stars!

4.5 stars; this book kept me hooked the whole time! Stories about twins fascinate me, as well as stories about cults. Both together and you have a winner.

I love twin stories and so I'll Be You was definitely calling my name! I really enjoyed this book, especially the flashback scenes to when Elli and Sam were younger and both before and after they were discovered.

The insight into Hollywood, agents, actors, and other such things were fascinating to me and kept me wanting more.

I actually would have classified this novel as more of a women's fiction selection, but either way, it was a fast, good read. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys books about twins, about actors, and other such things as well as a good mystery.

Thanks go to Netgalley, the author, and publisher for an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

Identical twins who in the past have been so close have now drifted apart. They used to know each other so well - to the point that they could take on each other's roles and now they do not even talk.
The "good" twin has now found herself in cult and a world of trouble. Can the recovering "bad" twin save her from this mess she has created?
I could not put this book down it was a definite page turner!

Sam and Elli have it all -- they are gorgeous identical twin girls who landed their dream job on a TV show as teenagers. What more could they ask for? But not all glitters is gold, and as the twins grow up, their lives dramatically veer apart. Elli is the perfect homemaker married to a successful lawyer, while. Sam can barely hold down a job, struggling with years of addition to pills and alcohol.

After nearly a year of estrangement, Sam receives a call from her father letting her know that Elli is missing and asking for help caring for Elli's adopted daughter. While the twins' parents think that Elli has extended her spa weekend to unplug, Sam thinks something more sinister is in play, but does she really even know her sister anymore?

I'll Be You is a great domestic thriller, with a smattering of fun plot lines. I truly enjoyed it!

Elli and Sam are twins who find themselves estranged after years of childhood stardom tore them apart. Janelle Brown shares both twins struggles with acceptance thought Sam's struggles with sobriety and Elli's story about joining a women's group that turned out to be a cult. The overall story and the bond of twins was well written with some unexpected twists along the way.

This was a very engrossing story and definitely a page-turner. However, I don't feel as if we really got to know Ellie and there was something that did not sit right with the ending.

An interesting story about twin child actors who drifted apart, one chose addiction an one joined a cult. This was a very interesting read but the ending left me wanting more. A good read overall!

"I'll be you" by Janelle Brown is going to be in my 2022 favorites for sure. It was such a moving suspense. I really enjoyed the deep dive into the sisters, loved the plot twists, and the cult, I can never get enough of stories with a cult. Loved it.

Sam and Elli are twins, but very different. After being Hollywood stars as children, they live different and separate lives. Elli goes missing during a mysterious spa trip and it’s up to Sam to track her down.

I was really into the first 75% of the book and was involved in the mystery. I loved the flashbacks of the twin’s childhood and time as Hollywood stars. I wish there was even more of the flashbacks! Once the mystery was revealed, I wasn’t quite as interested. It wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be. I would consider this more a contemporary fiction or womens fiction than a thriller/suspense.

“It’s impossible to fully escape the world in which you were raised; it beats inside you, a muted pulse, always waiting for the opportunity to rush back to the surface.”

I’ll Be You comes out 4/26.

“I’ll Be You” is the latest novel by Janelle Brown who brilliantly writes suspenseful novels about families and their dysfunctions.

Like many identical twins, Sam and Elli often would pretend to be each other. Growing up, they became TV stars. Yet, Elli, seeking a more quiet life, focused on college and raising a family while Sam could not let go of being in the spotlight. However, she turns to drugs and alcohol as her star crashes and the twins became estranged.

Now, sober, Sam is trying to put her life back together again. Her father asks her to help out with her niece, Charlotte (whom Sam didn’t know existed because of her estrangement with her sister). Apparently, Elli’s husband left her and Elli went to a spa for mental health wellness. Yet, when Elli doesn’t return from the trip, Sam begins to think something is wrong and her investigation leads to a cult who might be responsible for Elli’s disappearance.

As true with all of Ms. Brown’s writing, I really enjoyed this book. The author does an awesome job in keeping the reader engaged while moving through dual storylines and the POV of both twins. I really enjoyed the sections of the novel that focused on the twins together as child stars and times when they’d pretend to be one another. Stories about twins can be full of clichés ,but Ms. Brown did an excellent job in keeping one twin from being the “good” one versus the “bad” one—Sweet Valley twins these women are not. If you are looking for more than your basic thriller with not just twists and turns (and there are plenty of those) but smart, well-written characters, then I highly suggest this book.

My thanks to the publisher, the author and NetGalley for this intriguing book.

I really enjoyed this book. I did not want to put it down. So many twists and it really held my interest. I will definitely recommend this book at the library.

Oof. Not really sure what how to say what I thought about this book. Samantha and Eleanor are identical twins, blond haired, blue eyed. They are discovered by an agent as young girls and become actors, often becoming each other. Sam loves the spot light but Elli wants out and as they age they start to grow apart. Sam spirals in drug and alcohol addiction while Elli creates what seems to be the perfect "normal" life. But when Elli suddenly takes off to a women's retreat in Ojai, leaving her adopted 2 year old daughter with their parents, estranged Sam is asked to come help take care of sweet Charlotte. Things aren't as they seem and as Sam starts to look into her sister's disappearance she uncovers lies and secrets she couldn't imagine. The book is divided into sections told by Sam and Ellie. There are also chapters that reflect on previous events and how they shaped the sisters. I initially struggled with reading it but not because it is poorly written or because it was a bad story. I just didn't really connect with the story for a bit but I am glad that I stuck with it (honestly I felt the same way about her last book as well). The writing was honest and real and wasn't shy about conveying struggles and consequences. Some of the scenarios seemed to be hinting at recent news stories but overall this ended up being much better than I expected. It is about family, good or bad, and the ties that bind. I don't know that I would call it a thriller but definitely a page turner of a story.