Interesting and well-written book that was nothing like what I expected.

The book centers on Sam and Elli, twins who spent a lot of pivotal moments in their lives pretending to be eachother (hence the title). I’m an only child and I always wanted to have a twin, so this book about the special relationship between a pair of twins was intriguing to me.

The girls start out as child actresses very much in the Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen wheelhouse, both playing part of the role of a single child on a popular television show. One twin, Elli, is introverted and does not really like acting that much. But Sam loves being in the spotlight, and starts secretly taking over her twin’s half of the work.

I wouldn’t say this book is really a mystery or a thriller. More of a literary family drama type tale. But I really enjoyed it. The way Janelle Brown writes really draws me in. Her characters were intriguing and had well-articulated backstories and motivations.

There’s a big plot about a cult in this book. Do be forewarned of this if books on cults aren’t your thing. The cult depicted here is basically a weird pseudo-feminist cult. I was worried about this at first (in my view, feminism ain’t a cult and also btw most cult leaders IRL tend to be sexist dudes gathering harems) but ultimately I enjoyed it. It was done well and was unique and, at times, pretty funny. I think there were more than a few Ayn Rand jokes, which I appreciated.

All in all a quirky, deep, interesting and satisfying read by an author to watch. Four stars. Thanks to Random House, NetGalley, and the author for this interesting read.

I read many reviews on this book before reading and I was surprised that it didn't get more positive feedback. I liked this book alot. It was so different than your usual mysteries. This was more of a family drama with a little suspense but I flew thru it! It was so captivating and loved the story being told by both sisters. This book definitely kept me reading into the night If your looking for a different storyline this book is for you!

"It was hard to tell where she ended and I began…"

I thoroughly enjoyed I’ll Be You! More of a family drama with mystery elements than a true psychological thriller, this book is well-written and engaging and still had moments where I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen next.

"There are moments in life when you collide with something that sends you careening down a path from which you can never return."

The story reminded me of a mash-up of The Girl in the Mirror , with the twins-who-sometimes-switch-places element, and A Special Place for Women , with its creepy cultish feminist group. The author offered really valuable insight into addiction, sobriety, infertility, and challenging family dynamics, which gave this book a lot more depth than what I would expect from suspense fiction.

"I didn’t understand how we could have started as the same person and ended up so very far apart."

The ending wrapped up a little quickly, and felt a little unrealistic based on all the twists the story had, but overall, it was a fast-paced, enjoyable read that I finished in a single day. A solid 4 stars!

——

Thanks to Janelle Brown, Random House, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5 stars. I thought this book was just "ok." Even though I blew through it, I am not sure I like the cult angle or the way the Charlotte story panned out. I think that Brown was trying to do too much with the child actors, twins, addition, infertility/egg donations, cult, sister dynamics. It just didn't really work for me.

I'LL BE YOU
BY: JANELLE BROWN

"I'll be you and you be me."

"I'll Be You," written by Janelle Brown is mostly character development top heavy. It definitely drew me in at the beginning. I enjoyed Sam's point of view. But it went on too long. It didn't change to Ellie's point of view until 60% into this novel. I do think that Janelle Brown is more of a literary fiction writer than a suspenseful thriller writer. And we do find out how different these two twin's are at least they both are their own person. It is about two identical twin sisters' who look so much alike nobody can tell them apart. But they have very different personalities and very different identities. This is the third one of Janelle Brown's book's that I have read. I did love "Pretty Things." This one features Eleanor and Samantha or Elli and Sam. Two child actor's who grow up acting in different series. Elli tires of this profession first and Sam at times fools the cast and director playing both sister's roles. The only one that knows that Sam is playing both roles is the make-up artist on the set who keeps the secret. Sam is soon introduced the drug Adderall that allows her to feel quick and sharp; It allows her to naturally conjure up her lines as they rise out of her mouth-giving an edgy performance; It makes the director take notice of her like it is almost the first time he really saw her. That begins Sam's addiction to drugs and alcohol. Sam is the extrovert where Elli is the introvert. But I digress. This story is so top heavy on character development as I said, the plot is shrouded in mystery and this causes the reader to recognize the plot at about 60% into the novel.

The story begins in the first chapters where Sam who is a barista in Los Angeles and estranged from her twin Elli for over a year is summoned home to Santa Barbara to take care of Elli's adopted toddler. Elli has checked herself into a spa and nobody can get in touch with her. Taking care of Charlotte has gotten to be too much for Sam and Elli's mother so Sam is asked to take charge.

Sam moves back in with her mother and father and starts to take charge of Elli's adopted daughter Charlotte. It is only supposed to be for a few days, but it turns into a couple of weeks and Elli is not responding to Sam's texts messages and voicemails, but it is evident that they have been listened to and marked read. This leads Sam who has been sober for 386 days to think that something nefarious has been going on with Elli. Sam takes Charlotte for her favorite strawberry ice cream outings and to the beach and park by day. She ventures out to AA and NA meetings at night in Santa Barbara where they serve Nespresso and bakery cookies instead of the regular coffee and store bought cookies Sam is used to from her meetings in LA. At this meeting she befriends a man named Caleb who has a daughter named Mae who they get together for play dates.

You will never guess the plot or the big reveal that is so popular with this type of genre these days. This is being marketed as a thriller but is more like a mystery that doesn't start to surface until at least 60% into this novel. That you or I should say I never guessed the plot twist is to Janelle Brown's credit. The downside is that the plot is a slow burn and it becomes too bogged down with character development that the plot moves along at a snail's pace. It became a chore to slog through. That being said if you don't mind the really slow pacing you will appreciate Janelle Brown's psychological acuity at her descriptions of almost like peeling the many layers of an onion to get to the prize. I prefer to be drawn in and captivated with a novel that makes me lose track of time because I am so invested in the beautiful prose or the storytelling. This definitely has a message it just seems like something is off with the amount of time it takes to get it. I honestly don't know if I am being less than charitable by rating this 3.5 stars rounded up or if I should follow my instincts that while there is a powerful message, that this could have been better if the pacing was faster. This should be an appreciative literary novel rather than touted as a thriller because it absolutely lacks suspense. There are a few gems to marvel at but for me this was not my usual enjoyable or entertaining reading experiences. I think that this will be my last Janelle Brown book that I read. I would never tell somebody not to just take my humble opinion. I would encourage reader's to check out other reviews before deciding to read this. If you like heavy descriptive writing that meanders before it reveals the gems and nuggets that holds our attention then you might like this better than I did. Both Sam and Elli are basically good people at heart--even though each is flawed and as the reader reaches the twist it is evident that Elli has done something awful. Elli is thought to be the one who has it together but after reading further Elli is not superior to Sam.

Publication Date: April 26, 2022

Thank you to Net Galley, Janelle Brown and Random House Publishing Group for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

#I'llBeYou #JanelleBrown #RandomHousePublishingGroup #NetGalley

Review Also Posted on Bookbub Account and Facebook

𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘪𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘫𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦...𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘦𝘵, 𝘴𝘰 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺, 𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺, 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘶𝘮𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴.

I have no idea how to characterize this book...it wasn't a thriller, and I wouldn't even call it suspense, but I did enjoy this dark story of twins separated by choosing two different paths.

Sam and Elli were B-list child tv stars, so perfectly attuned to each other that they would fall asleep holding hands. The game started when they were young..."𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞 𝐦𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐛𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮."

Now as adults, Elli is a homemaker, married to an attorney, and trying desperately for a child. Sam has gone through her royalties, spending it all on alcohol and drugs. Because of her destructive behavior, she hasn't spoken to Elli in over a year. When her father calls her out of the blue, worried about Elli, Sam is shocked to find that she has split from her husband, adopted a child, and has stopped answering her phone after checking into a spa to decompress.

As Sam searches for her missing half, her journey takes her to shocking and unexpected places, and to her horror, she realizes her sister has been duped by a cult. While this story line didn't develop much until the second half, I found it to be well-written, especially the psychology behind how cults prey upon and recruit, especially vulnerable women like Elli. When Sam finds out the catalyst behind her sister's sudden adoption even as her marriage was imploding, she is rocked to her core and realizes that all roads, all decisions, would have eventually led here.

Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for this early read.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In challenging times, twin sisters would trade places to help the other get through a difficult circumstance. During a particularly difficult time when the sisters were estranged, Elli reaches out to Sam through their mother. Sam rises to the challenge and faces a daunting moment and a heartbreaking opportunity to do the right thing.

Twins are so interesting, and this story turned out to be just as good as I was hoping, if not better. The only problem with this book is that I can’t reveal much about the major plot themes without spoiling anything … this book is full of good twists!

Elli and Sam are identical twins, child actors who have now fallen out - fallen out of the limelight, and fallen out with each other. Elli is the “good” twin; she gave up acting, got married and runs a posh decorating company. Sam is the “bad” twin; she stayed in Hollywood and went down the typical child actor road of drug and alcohol abuse. I don’t like to think of them as good or bad though, because they both seem to be good humans who happened to make mistakes in life.

After years of Elli paying for multiple rehab stints and supporting Sam, and after one her sister’s drunken ideas backfired horribly, the girls who shared a womb haven’t spoken in over a year. One day, Sam gets a call from her parents, begging for help. Elli has gone on a wellness retreat but she hasn’t returned and they can’t reach her, and they need help watching her child. This throws Sam for a loop, and not just because she knows nothing about babies.

Why is her always-dependable sister gone, and wait, WHAT? She has a child now? When did this happen? Where is her husband, why can’t he take care of the baby? And why does her mother want her help, when she’s a recovering addict who nobody trusts?

Sam agrees to go meet her niece, but soon realizes just how far apart she and her twin have grown. So much has happened in the past year, and as her sister remains missing, she starts trying to find out what is going on. Exactly what is this “wellness retreat”? Why has she left her child for so long? There are so many questions in this book, but you’ll get the answers eventually … and they’re good.

This is obviously a thriller, but it also had the element of child fame and how it can go one of two ways. You’ll see those ways evolve when the two women take very different paths in life. There are a few mysteries along the way, the ending was done well and overall, I really enjoyed this one. 4.5 stars for a book I highly recommend!

(Thank you to Random House, Janelle Brown, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.)

I had to request this because I loved Pretty Things so much! I’ve been following this author waiting to see what else she has up her sleeve! Brown knows how to write a thriller and captivate an audience! The story is about twins who were actors as children and where they are as adults now. One sister has had problems and is in and out of rehab while the other wants to live a normal life. The twins have their problems and different lifestyles so they don’t talk anymore until one goes missing. You’ll love the multiple viewpoints and the girls may be twins but couldn’t be more different! Can’t wait to see what Janelle Brown writes next! I’ll be impatiently waiting!

I loved this author's first book, but this one just wasn't for me. I was not invested in the story line at all and I put it down at 31%.

I love Janelle Brown's previous books and this was just as good. She writes a great thriller. This one about identical twin girls who were child B actresses. One just wants a normal life as an adult and the other has been in and out of rehab. One ends up not coming back from a wellness retreat and the other has to come help with her daughter and try to figure out how to get her back home. A solid 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of I'll Be You.

I've read books by this author before and they've always been either hit or miss but the premise of this was pretty interesting so I was pleased when my request was approved.

I'm a sucker for novels based around sibling relationships since I'm the oldest and I have a pretty good relationship with my younger sister.

I'll Be You is about identical twins who survived the travails as child B-list TV stars only to find themselves still struggling as adults.

The twins have stopped speaking after Sam's destructive behavior ripped their relationship apart. But, their parents ask Sam for help when Elli disappears to a retreat and they need assistance with Ellie's adopted daughter, Charlotte.

Soon, Sam realizes Elli's radio silence is not what it seems, nor is Charlotte who she is supposed to be. Sam soon realizes she must fall back into a role she was born to play; her sister, Elli.

I have friends who are twins, though fraternal so they never did the identity swap but I enjoyed Sam and Elli's bond as twins and sisters, how Sam struggled with her sobriety and finally got her act together after a terrible falling out with Elli.

I liked reading about how Elli becomes involved with the cult; her personality and personal life make her an easy target and when the narrative turns to Elli's POV, it was clear what was happening to her though she refused to admit how deep she was in.

There were some hard to suspend disbelief moments but I was able to let it go mostly because I liked Sam and Elli and hoped they would find their way back to each other again.

There is very little suspense minus the part about Charlotte's parentage; this isn't a mystery but more about the bond between sisters, admitting your fears and faults and taking steps to recover your identity and yourself.

This book was hard for me to rate. I didn’t dislike the story but I didn’t love the story. Overall it was a solid 3 stars

This story is about twins and goes back and forth in time from their childhood as child stars to their current very messy adult lives.

Overall it was good read. Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for a digital ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own

Janelle Brown upped her game with I'LL BE YOU. Don't get me wrong--I loved her other books, too. But this book is at a whole different level.

Brown takes the reader on a journey from two different twins' points of view, twisting and turning, showing us how their lives intersect and yank apart abruptly. The story centers around child actors, whose lives take on a whole new pathway as they become stars. But one of them loves it--Sam, and one of them doesn't--Ellie. Years later, separated and no longer speaking to one another, Ellie disappears, possibly to have joined a cult, and Sam, good sister that she is (and owing Ellie so much in helping her deal with her addictions), commits to finding out what happened to her.

Usually, I don't enjoy books that include a child as a main part of the plot, at least not thrillers--but this book is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about it. The child was integral to the plot and yet never once truly in danger (not a spoiler), which I as a mother so appreciate.

This book gets five HUGE stars from me. Auto-buy! Can't wait for her next one.

Thank you so much for this ARC!

Janelle Brown is an incredibly talented writer and continues to prove it in "I'll Be You".

So interesting to see how the lives of each twin was so different and how two people who look exactly alike could have nothing in common.

Reading Sam's point of view was great, but I found Eli to be more intriguing and was obsessed with learning more about her retreat and her daughter. Incredible twists and will definitely keep you on your toes!

Total 5 Stars!

I absolutely loved this book! It was extremely well written, totally engaging, a bit suspenseful, the plot points are all really well thought out and make sense, and although the subject matter isn't meant to be amusing, there are some clever turns of phrases that kept me amused. Both of the main characters, identical twin sisters and former television stars, have their issues--Sam is a recovering addict and Elli has been taken in by a cult--but they are quite likeable and I enjoyed each character's part of the book. The surprise at the end of part one is especially intriguing and the explanation for it in part two is believable and well done. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an e-ARC of this book. I highly recommend it!

I recommend. Keep me engaged and interested, thank you for the advance chance to read this. I’ve already told family and friends about it

This is my fourth read by Janelle Brown, and it did not disappoint! I'll Be You is centered around identical twins, Sam and Ellie. After finding fame and struggles as childhood actors, they continue to struggle as adults with others and each other. The story switches points of view between the sisters and also between the past and present. Sam struggles with addiction and Ellie finds herself deeply involved in a women's self-help group that isn't what it initially appeared to be. Without giving too much away, we watch the sisters try to find a way back to each other. I enjoyed the story and recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC!








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A book about identical twin sisters switching places? Been done a thousand times, right? I thought so until I got into this one. The author takes that idea and gives it a completely original twist! I really felt like I was reading a completely original story even though certain elements have been used many times over.

I really enjoyed following Sam on her journey. Meeting Elli and hearing her voice deeper into the novel. That twist with Charlotte completely surprised me and from that point on, I read deep into the night to see where this would go. I wished I got to see a little more of what awaited Dr Cindy! That jerk.

A gripping story about sisterhood and self discovery, forgiveness and acceptance. I really enjoyed it. This one is going on my “you gotta read this!” recommendation list.

A big thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is the second book I have read by this author and I continue to be impressed with her work. She creates such deep and realistic characters that you begin to feel like you know them personally.

Sam was my favorite twin. She was honest with herself, flawed and funny. Despite messing her life up as a teen/ early adult, like so many child stars (and regular people to be fair), she was not beyond redemption and I kept rooting for her to get/keep herself together. Especially because this time, it's her sister that seems to be in danger and Sam is the only one who sees it. Maybe it's twin intuition... maybe their mom is turning the same blind eye as always. But Elli has come to Sam's rescue so many times, and now she needs help.

Sam has to navigate though a world she hasn't been a part of for a long time, interpret her sister's cryptic text and find out if she does in fact need saving. No problem right? Did I mention her mom asked her to take of her niece too? A niece she only now heard about.

This was fun and enjoyable. I would have loved a little more from the ending. I would also classify this as more mystery than thriller.

I will keep this out of my review as I don't write spoilers, but them simply walking out of the cult was a little anticlimactic. IMHO, Someone should have gotten hit in the head with a pipe.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the advanced review copy! I devoured this in 2 days!

My review will be on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookstagram @Books_beaches_and_tea