I could not put this book down. I thought I was getting a straight-up thriller, given the blurb and the cover, but it's less that and more just a really compelling story about identical twin sisters and the secrets and behaviors that have driven them apart as adults. Sam and Elli were child actors whose lives have wildly diverged. Sam is a former addict who spent years partying and going in and out of rehab. Elli has become a suburban housewife who has given up trying to bail Sam out and is focused on her new adopted child. The sisters are estranged, but when Elli vanishes one day, Sam is drawn in to caring for her child and trying to discover more about where Elli has gone. I really loved the exploration of the bond between the sisters and Brown's ability to convey emotion. Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for a digital review copy.

I’ll Be You is filled with suspense. Janelle Brown spins a tale that keeps adding layers of complexity. Brown writes about twins who pretend to be one another but adds so many twists to the deception. I didn’t know how the story would end.

I highly, highly recommend this one! All the thriller vibes for real! And love that cover. Four well-earned stars.

Former child stars, twins Elli and Sam, used to be close, like two halves of a whole. They were even able to switch places with each other without anyone noticing. But the sisters haven't spoken in more than a year when Sam, the rebellious former addict, gets a call from her parents saying that they need her to come home and watch Elli's newly adopted daughter, Charlotte, while Elli, the golden child, takes some time out at a spa. But Sam soon begins to question what type of "spa" Elli has checked into, fearing it might be linked to a cult, worries that only increase as Elli's absence grows longer.

This book is like a mix between a family drama and a thriller. There are strands of the story that deal with the issues between Elli and Sam and the struggles they've faced trying to both stay close while forging their own identities, and parts that are very suspenseful as Sam tries to figure out what's going on with Elli and this group she's gotten mixed up with.

I've always enjoyed a good story about a cult/extremist group and this one doesn't disappoint. I don't want to get into too much detail and spoil anything, but it's quite a good story as Sam digs deeper into the inner workings of what Elli is involved in and as she tries to figure out what's going on. Let's just say that the author has created quite a scary little organization, but one that has a good business model as far as scammy organizations go. I enjoyed the suspense of it all and I loved seeing it all unfold.

There's a couple of twists in there - but once the big twist was revealed, I kind of guessed the rest of the plotline. But I still enjoyed seeing how it all played out. And there's some good connections to the overall themes in there that I really enjoyed seeing.

Overall, this was a really good, unique book.

Janelle Brown is one of my favourite writers and she delivers another great page-turner. I tore through this book!

Janelle Brown is becoming one of my favorite authors and has definitely made it into the one click territory! This was so well written, with phenomenal character development! It really grabbed me from page one and didn’t let go until I turned the final page! So full of tension. I felt it in the actual world! Realistic, but thrilling! So many fun twisty turns, made me feel I was riding a roller coaster, with plenty thrills, chills, and gasp worthy shocks! CANNOT RECOMMEND ENOUGH, but prepare for one heck of a hangover! It’s that good!

This was a terrific read! As soon as I read the description, I knew it was one I had to read. Once I started reading, I had a very hard time putting it down. The characters were very entertaining and the story was gripping.

Can’t wait to read more from this author!

I read this book in one sitting. I was really hooked for the first 60% or so and then I found myself skimming to get to the end. I was expecting more of a mystery but it turned out to be more about the strong and complicated bond between sister twins. Overall, a good read. 3.5 stars
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced reader’s copy of this book.

Thank you so much to Netgalley for a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This book was amazing. Read it in 2 days and highly recommend.

I’ll Be You is a thrilling story about cults, addiction and family, especially sisterhood. It has an underlying concept that is fairly popular in modern day media-twins pretending to be each other-but what happens to each twin individually created a compelling story. Brown wrote mostly from Sam’s point of view but switched to Elli’s in part two to give us a background on what was going on with her. Sam and Elli were both deeply flawed but not unlikeable and it made me root for them. Brown also goes into detail about their relationship with their mother which helped me understand the girls a little more as well.

I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a true thriller even though there were twists. The twists felt a little predictable but I also really liked that the twists moved the story along and weren’t just there for shock factor. There is also a deep cult plot line that is similar to the NXIIM crime that happened a few years ago. As someone who loves the psychology of cults I really enjoyed this but it may not be for everyone.

Overall I found this to be an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend. This is possibly my favorite book I’ve read by Janelle Brown!

Thank you to NetGalley for the digital copy in return for my honest review!

I really enjoyed this book. The cover really attracted me. I enjoyed the characters and storylines. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for review.

4.5/5

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy.

This was a good solid read. I liked the dual perspectives. A very interesting read.

Genre: suspense/thriller
Pub date: 4/26/22
In one sentence: Sam and Elli are identical twins - and when Elli suddenly disappears, Sam will have to put her demons behind her and rescue her sister.

As an only child, I'm fascinated by stories about sisters. I enjoyed the story of Elli and Sam's relationship from their early years to adulthood - with all their secrets peppered in along the way. Sam is the larger than life personality, the one who seeks the spotlight, whereas Elli seeks to fade into the background.

I liked how Brown built up the tension slowly in this story - there are some true thriller twists, but this is also a psychological drama and character study of the two sisters. It's a slow burn with everything coming to a head in the last 20%. If you like stories about families with secrets, you might enjoy this one!

Thank you to Random House for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Published to Goodreads 1/7/22, to be posted to Instagram closer to pub date.

This was a slower moving story, but hit on a lot of issues - addiction, family, siblings, and of course mystery.
Twins, Ellie and Sam were child actresses, who grew up to be very different, or so it seemed to others. Their lives may be very different, but they each have their own struggles. When Ellie goes missing, Sam works hard to understand where she is and what has happened.
Had a lot of interesting twists. Overall a great read.
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review

Identical twin sisters, Elli and Sam, are playing on the beach when a talent scout “discovers” them at 9 years old. They went to Hollywood and became stars. Fast forward to when the girls are in their 30’s and one of the sisters has adopted a little girl but she decides she needs a “break” from the little girl and calls her mother to help for a few days. Told in different POV’s, I thought it moved kind of slow throughout. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review.

I’ll Be You was not what I expected going in, but turned out to be a solid read!

My thoughts:
-this book has a dual timeline plot with alternating POVs between identical twin sisters (I am always game for a twin story)
-premise and characters were raw and real making this a thought provoking read
-it centers around a cult and tackles the subject of addiction so beware of trigger warnings going in

If you are looking for a family drama with some creepy cult vibes, character development, and small twists then pick this one up!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC of I’ll Be You.

I received this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Family dysfunction, sibling dynamics and a great suspenseful story. These two sisters seem polar opposites, but are they really. Riveting and a true page turner.

I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading about child stars, and how fame corrupts their mind, maybe because that world is so out of fetch for me, who's neither young or famous.

In this case, this story is about a pair of twin sisters, opposite in personalities (DUH!) and what happened to their lives after being the stars of one hit show. They no longer speak, but one day, Sam, a recovering alcoholic receives her parents request for help. Her sister had never returned from a "retreat vacation" and left them a toddler she's adopted, and told them to get Sam to help.

The story was well- written, even tho the twist, left me an icky feeling.

Thanks NetGalley for this delightful book. Sam and Elli are identical twins who end up in show business. After a few years, Elli doesn’t want to do it anymore. Sam loves the spotlight. As their paths diverge, Sam becoming an addict, Elli owning her own floral shop, something happens. Elli asks her mom to take care of her daughter, Charlotte, who is being fostered. Elli’s mom can’t handle it and calls Sam, who hasn’t spoken to her sister in over a year. Sam likes being an aunt but no one can find Elli? Why isn’t she answering her phone? What’s this retreat that she is at? Sam and Elli find out that they aren’t exactly the same after all

QUICK TAKE: a slow-burn mystery that feels more like Brown's WATCH ME DISAPPEAR rather than her more commercial PRETTY THINGS. That being said, I still found myself very immersed in the story of a woman searching for her missing twin sister.