I thought this was an excellent first novel. I loved the unique premise, being the "relationship' between a young woman (Alice) found dead on the banks of the Hudson River in NYC, and the young woman (Ruby) who found her.

The story explores much more than that, however. Both of these women had arrived in NYC with the hopes of a fresh start. When Alice's body is first found, she could not be identified and no one had reported her missing. This sincerely grieves Ruby, and she is determined to learn Alice's identity and ensure that she doesn't remain a "Jane Doe." Through attending a trauma survivors' support group, Ruby makes friends who have also had to deal with death or other traumas, and they give her the strength to get past her initial shock and focus on making sure Alice is identified and that the person she was and could have been is not forgotten.

This well-written book explores themes of feminism, misogyny, violence, heartbreak and trauma, yet somehow manages not to be depressing at all. The characters are all well-developed, and the story moves along at a good pace. I will definitely look forward to reading more from this author.

I fell in love with this story and the way it was narrated! It was very moving and very heart-wrenching! Great debut novel!

This book was well written but had tough subject matter(s). I will definitely read more from this author but hoping for lighter reading.

Special thank you to NetGalley, Atria Books and Jacqueline Bublitz for the ARC of this wonderfully-written and heart wrenching novel, told by two broken yet resilient female characters.

This novel had me hooked from beginning to end. It was rather uniquely written, which is guaranteed to capture the readers attention. The story is told not only from two strong female characters, but told from the living and the dead. I love how the two main characters had this bond that tied them together, all while building each other up and drawing out their individual strengths.

4.5 ⭐️ rounded up to 5. HIGHLY recommend.

It is quite amazing that Jacqueline Bublitz's debut novel is Before You Knew My Name. I found the writing flawless and smooth.

This is a story of two females whose stories are intertwined. Alice is a newly eighteen-year-old who has left her small hometown in Wisconsin for New York City. Ruby is a thirty-eight-year old who is come to New York City from her home in Australia. She has been in an affair with a man who is engaged to be married. Moving to NYC for a fresh start is Ruby's goal.

Alice, who we discover is dead, is the narrator of this story. She tells the entire story from her point of view.

Before You Knew My Name is a story that will stick with me for some time. The first quarter of so of the book was so hard for me to read as a mother of a teenage girl and of a young adult woman. The relationship between Ruby and Mr Jackson literally made me sick. It was disgusting and made me so mad. I wanted to slap Mr Jackson for what he did.

There are some very relevant topics in this book. Missing White Woman Syndrome is sadly an issue that our society needs to rectify.

I found myself yelling at Ruby at different points in the story. I wanted her to listen to me as I tried to tell her what to do and what not to do. I was invested in the story to say the least.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Atria Books in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Before You Knew My Name is not a whodunnit or a whydunnit and doesn't focus on the perpetrator at all. Instead, Jacqueline Bublitz offers a refreshingly unique premise that kept me engaged and is recommended for crime and thriller readers - both new and seasoned - looking for a new perspective.

A wonderful debut novel.

3.5 Crossed Paths Stars
* * * 1/2 Spoiler Free
We live every day and never know what will happen next and change our lives. Some days may seem never-ending, possibly even boring...or they could be never-ending and frightening. Whatever the motivation, two women, strangers from many miles from each other figured out they needed to make a huge escape and moved to NYC and landed on her streets on the same day.

One died, the other discovered her, and from that point forward, they became part of each other's life. The one still breathing feels compelled to understand what happened to the other, snuffed out too soon.

Compelling read.

In this slow burn mystery set in present day NYC, two women, who've never met and recently moved to the City, are forever linked to each other. Within a few days of moving to NYC one of them will be dead and the other will be haunted by "what could have been" of the other woman's life.

Before You Knew My Name is narrated by the woman who died. I'm not going to tell you who she is, but you very early learn which of the two women she is. You learn the backstory of the two women and it's interesting how many similarities the two share within their different lives. So many people come to NYC hoping to start a new life and these two women are no different.​

It's a slower narrative as readers learn about the past of the dead woman, moreso, to move to make the choices that she did. I found myself nevertheless engrossed in the novel and didn't want to put it down. It's hard to think this is a debut novel. I can't wait to see what Jacqueline Bublitz writes next.

Thank you to Atria Books and Netgalley for allowing me access to this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

The writing in this book was interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before. I liked what it brought to the story. I also like the way the story was told from Alice’s point of view both alive and dead. I began to lose interest towards the middle of the book though. I was skimming quite a bit and found myself bored with the plot by the end of the book. Please check for trigger warnings before diving in - this has some tough topics.

It's very hard for me to believe this is a debut novel. This author did such a beautiful job of writing this story. It's very heartbreaking and will have you weeping so much in parts. A few chuckles but mostly it's just sad. But the way it is written you just can't look away. You have to know who and why. You have to know. Why did this young lady have to go through this? Why did this happen to her?

Alice Lee and Ruby Jones arrive in New York on the same day. Their paths are destine to cross and neither knows yet why or how. Or even that it will happen. Both are fleeing bad relationships. Men have not been kind to either of these woman. Alice Lee just barely eighteen and Ruby Jones thirty six.

Alice left her hometown to find a new life. She is getting away from an older man. One that use to be her high school teacher. A very controlling man who loves young girls it seems. He set his eyes on Alice and knowing her story knew it would not be hard. He could offer her a type of security that she hasn't had since her mom's death. But he also introduced her to a life that was not so good. Photos and videos of a personal sense. She trusted him completely and of course he let her down. She was deceiving him in that she was not quite eighteen yet. But when she does turn legal he kicks her out. She takes a camera and some cash and a but to New York. Her young life will end in a month.

Ruby is madly in love with Ash. Ash is engaged to someone else. She's known this from the start of their relationship and thought she could handle it. Her heart says she can't. She leaves Australia and goes all the way to New York. To the US to get away and maybe clear her head. Maybe start a new life. Ash is a very controlling man also. He is only using Ruby and keeps her a secret. Of course he does. Ruby stays in for a week. Barely getting out of bed. Then she decides that she needs more out of life. She decides to go for a jog. Everyday for so many days she is out jogging and taking in New York. Her life is going ok but still she misses Ash. Then one rainy morning while she is out she finds a young woman floating facedown in the Hudson River. Now her life is going to change and never be the same. In many ways it will get better.

Alice is telling this story. An eighteen year old girl who finally has almost everything. A home. A friend. A life. A future school to learn photography. A happy life. Given to her by a very kind man. Noah does not want anything from Alice except to help her. He has so much and she has nothing. He is a very kind old man who lost his child so long ago and wants to give Alice a new chance at life. Help her in ways that she has never had before.

This book is truly written in a beautiful way. It draws you in and holds on to your heart from start to finish. You will keep guessing at who killed Alice but you won't guess. It's not an obvious one by any means. While I thought I had it figured out I was so wrong. The why of it was horrible. The cold blooded murder and rape of this kind young woman is so senseless and sad. She was just getting started with her life. When Ruby finds her Alice knows she will need help solving her murder. She tries hard to reach out to Ruby. To make Ruby see her. To warn Ruby in places also.

This book is one that will stick with you. It will make it way into your heart and won't let go. The story that Alice Lee tells is sad yes it is. It's much more than that though. It's about things that happen to women in life. Things that are horrible and even a few good things too. Finding love. Dealing with controlling men. Learning to love yourself just as you are. This book is beautiful but in a sad way. Beautifully written. The way this story unfolds. The way the sentences flow. It's just hard to believe it's a debut novel. But it is. This author has done such a good job with this one and I can't wait to see what comes next.

Thank you #NetGalley, #JacquelineBublitz, #Atria for this ARC. This is my own true thoughts about this book.

5 huge stars and I highly recommend it. Grab this one. Just have some tissues handy.

Very unique debut novel and one that touches on so many emotions and an important hot topic issue, violence against women.

The characters were so real, so relatable and understandable that I was pulled in quickly. This novel is engrossing, it touched me on several different levels, and I found myself wanting to finish it as quickly as possible, but not wanting it to end.

I absolutely cannot wait to find out what this author's next novel will be. It will be hard to top this one and I think the world of readers has many good reads to look forward to from Jacqueline Bublitz.

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

This novel certainly hit hard and at times it felt tough for me to keep moving through due to the tough subject matter - however, I think that's a personal problem after the last few years vs anything wrong with the book itself. I enjoyed the unique viewpoints and found this book to be quite well written. This was a haunting and emotional book that will stick with me for awhile.

Ruby and Alice move to NYC as young women, not knowing each other. Their paths cross when Ruby stumbles across Alice's body on the Hudson River. Ruby makes it her mission to find out who "Jane Doe' is and to give her some closure.

Billed as "not just another novel about a dead girl" but it was exactly that. The beginning of the book drug on seemingly without a point. A lot of "the background" info could have been removed and still stayed true to to the gist of story. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but this thriller wasn't really a thriller.

Thank You NetGalley and Atria Books for the free e-galley

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this beautiful, yet tragic story. A tale of two women who arrive in a new city on the same day, but whose paths don’t cross until one finds the other dead, murdered in a park. It’s a story about how some men think they can do whatever they want to their female counterparts, raping and murdering them and then tossing aside their bodies like trash. It was absolutely heartbreaking yet I couldn’t put it down. A story that will resonate with me for a long time. A story of so many girls whose lives have tragic endings because of the evil in this world. Thank you Jacqueline for writing it. The ending, of what could have been, was absolutely incredible.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers through NetGalley for review, all words and thought are my own.

Before you knew my name is a bit of a "true crime" type fiction book with a twist. The book follows two women, Alice Lee and Ruby Jones as they find residence in New York City. Alice Lee is unfortunately murdered and this is her story and how Ruby helps Alice tell it. But it’s also Ruby’s story too.

Alice Lee herself is the narrator telling you her story through the lens of basically herself as a ghost. The story has beautifully written prose that pulls you in artfully with use of just enough detail without feeling dragged down by it. Most of the time it felt like I was there feeling what Alice or Ruby was feeling or seeing.

Both women go through some very tough situations and there are some trigger warnings that I will leave below. There’s lots of unfortunate events that both go through but at the same time, there’s still hope. I also loved that the whole story focuses on the victim of the murder vs the murderer themselves as there’s already so much of that in true crime. I loved that this was specifically Alice’s story.

Overall great book and will definitely be added to my bookshelf for rereads.

This book has really touched me in a way that I hadn’t expected. The author is ver insightful about the feelings of the two women (Ruby and Alice Lee) and their lives. The story was very sad but also very touching.
Two women coming from different parts of the world meet in an unexpected way in the big city of New York. What are the chances of that happening? One is half the age of the other but both have similar feelings and have been let down by people in their lives.
I would definitely recommend this book to others. The only thing that kept it from being 5 stars for me was that at times it was confusing as to who was talking. Overall though, I thought this was a very good story and I would look forward to other books by this author.

When she arrived in New York, Alice Lee was looking for a fresh start. One month later, she's the city's latest Jane Doe. Meanwhile, Ruby Jones is also trying to reinvent herself when she finds Alice's body... Alice is convinced Ruby is the key to her mystery.
I'm sad to say I did not finish this. I couldn't relate to the characters, I felt the story was dragging, and there was almost no dialogue, which I'm not a fan of, but that's a me thing. So many people loved this, but it simply wasn't for me.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

When I read the synopsis for this book I was so interested in reading how this story would go and it was a tragic yet beautiful story. Alice and Ruby two women strangers to one another yet connected by one tragic event Alice is murdered and Ruby is the unfortunate person who discovers her body in the river. This story follows Ruby and how she works through what she found that day seeking help she joins a group called the Death Club. This book was amazing the story was told with such care and I think Ruby grows and learns to release the trauma that came from finding Alice. I think Jacqueline did an amazing job with this book I hope others enjoy this story just as much as I did

Before You Knew My Name is a very, very emotional read so be prepared going into reading it.
This is the story of two women, Alice and Ruby. When they meet from a bond through death, they have so much to learn from each other. Do you believe in afterlife? This story will make you think about that question.
Truly a haunting, thought provoking and powerful read.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Before You Knew My Name was an enjoyable read. Alice Lee has a difficult life. She makes some unfortunate choices and ends up running off to NYC with $600 dollars and a camera. Alice's life seems to be improving with support from an older person she ends up renting a room from.

Ruby Jones is running away from her life in Australia to NYC. She has been dating a man that is engaged to another. Ruby and Alice's lives collide when Ruby finds Alice's body on an early morning run. Ruby goes through tons of emotions after this traumatic event and meets some interesting people. Alice believes Ruby is the key to solving her murder, so she hangs around a bit.

The story makes you think about how many murders go unsolved. The murders make the headlines and eventually are forgotten. It is not fair to the Jane/John Doe's in the world nor their families that have no closer about what happened to their loved ones.

Enjoy the ride with Before You Knew My Name. #BeforeYouKnewMyName #NetGalley #JacquelineBublitz