Wow! For a debut novel this was knocked out of the park! I was engrossed the whole time and what a grasp I DID NOT have on it whatsoever😂 I was convinced I had this figured out and wow. Not even close! I really enjoyed the writing style, that’s a big plus for me too!

This book is a slow burn that I flew through. I really enjoyed it.
The story follows twin sisters, told from a POV of each sister. It also takes places in dual timelines (if you have been following my reviews, you know that I love multiple pov/timelines) This was done really well in my opinion. At times I thought I was confused but once I got to the ending it was a "OH " moment, and it all got wrapped up nicely.

I'm not going to say too much but what kept me from giving it a full 5 star rating was that I just wanted more on the twins. Throughout the story it felt like it was leading to something major and ultimately it didn't come to a full boil and I just felt a little unsatisfied.

The twist though!!!! did. not. see. that. coming.

Read this book if you enjoy: suspense, domestic thriller, isolation, wilderness, twin sisters, multiple pov, dual timelines, slow burn

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press, netgalley and Marlee Bush for sharing a digital copy, as always opinions are my own.

I really love the cover of this book. But that’s about it 😅. I was soo bored. It was slow, repetitive and the alternating timelines were confusing. This could have easily been a DNF for me. There weren’t any moments were I was gripping the edge of my seat. I thought multiple times I could stop here and it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t find out what happens.

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora are living in a cabin in the woods, trying to hide from their past. Lenora is obsessive and suffers from PTSD which keeps her inside at all times. When a teenaged girl, whose family is camping nearby goes missing, Cassie thinks her sister is guilty.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an eARC. When She Was Me is available now.

The premise of this book sounded so good. Twin sisters, isolated cabin in the woods, murder mystery... sounds gripping and suspenseful!

Unfortunately, it was neither.

The multiple POV with multiple timeliness really threw me off on this one. There was something with the cadence of the speech that I never fully grasped what was happening and to which sister and in what timeline. The fact that one was a very successful crime YouTube who doesn't investigate the crime that happens on their doorstep is mindblowing and made me wondering what the point of having that plot line was.

Maybe in the first 20% I felt like I figured out the big twist as to what had these sisters all worked up. At 45% I just wanted to give up because it was so hard to get through. I skimmed the rest of the book, didn't feel like anything amazing happened, and on the last chapter realized I called it.

I know a lot of people are going to love this book. For me it was a little boring and predictable and didn't keep me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

I had high hopes for this one, but it couldn't quite keep my interest. It wasn't one that I was continuously craving to read, I felt like it didn't have a ton going on and wasn't as "thrilling" as it could have been

What a beautifully written debut! The atmospheric tension, the eerie twin element, the POVs…I’m obsessed.

Interesting premise, but it was repetitive and slow. It picked up somewhat, around 70%, and then went back to the initial inner thoughts. The ending was rushed, and the twist was anticlimactic.

To be honest, I think there were some chapters that didn't seem important at all and it made seem the book longer than it was. Yet, there's enough mystery, an eerie vibe and the fact that, in the end, some important facts were revealed that it makes you question everything. Congrats to the author on her book debut!

I'm sorry, but this is a debut novel?? This book centers around twin sisters, Cassie & Lenora, who live in a remote campsite. Choosing to live away from others and stay hidden after the trauma they endured all those years ago.

The middle of this book slowed down pace some, but remained creepy and kept me reading to see what was going to happen next. Past and present tense chapters. Codependent main characters. And a missing teen girl.

Solid 4.5 starts on this one!

Special thanks to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the advance copy of this book. Pub date is 5/7/2024.

Do you like slow burn psychological thriller with unreliable narrators? How about stories on sisterhood, of sibling love that will do just about anything to protect each other?

If these tickle your fancy, then this debut novel by Marlee Bush is for you! When She Was Me started with POVs of reclusive twins Cassie and Lenora, living in a cabin at a remote campsite, away from the prying eyes of the public. From the get go, we know something happened to them 15 years ago. The book won’t tell us what it was until the end so it really will amp your anxiety and raise your suspicions. Both sisters claim to know one another, but at the same time distrusts each other. A past timeline interspersed with the present one serves to further throw us some backstory. But be warned, this could either clarify or confuse the heck out of you! I guessed part of the plot twist but it didn’t really matter. I still liked the story, especially as it portrayed strong sibling bond, specifically that of twins, which could turn toxic if left unchecked. Overall, this was a solid debut novel. I would definitely read anything Marlee Bush writes! Love her beautiful prose, dark characters and deeply atmospheric setting.

The bond between sisters, especially twin sisters, plays a major part in this debut thriller. As children, they experienced severe trauma. Their means of coping is to remove themselves from the rest of the world, thinking the'd never be hurt again. So their home is in a remote area, where they see few people. Then a family stays in the cabin close to theirs, where the teenage daughter promptly disappears. This is the back story of WHEN SHE WAS ME. Marlee Bush then takes the readers through the investigation where the sisters must interact with strangers, causing PTSD flash backs. The sisters will stick together as the story grows and the hunt intensifies. The end is definitely not what I expected.

Shoutout to Poisoned Pen Press and Netgalley for the ARC! Unfortunately, this one didn't quite grab me like I hoped. Despite having all the elements I usually love – interesting characters, a unique premise, creepy vibes, and a tantalizing mystery – it fell flat for me. I found myself taking way to long to read this and then was annoyed by the delayed secret reveal. But hey, everyone's taste is different, so give it a shot if it sounds like your thing! When She Was Me drops today!

Props to her first debut novel, but sorry to say it wasn't my favorite! This book has alternating chapters between Cassie and Lenora and then chapters from the POV of one twin from many years ago, and the reader cannot tell whose perspective it was written.

This wasn't a bad book per se, it will likely have a lot of readers that love it; it just wasn't for me. I don't know why, but whenever I was reading it I found myself wanting to do something else and very distracted. I stuck with it, but if I wasn't trying to give my opinion, it would have landed in my DNF pile. I may have opted for a more faster paced thriller.

When She Was Me is a fast-paced psychological thriller, and what this book successfully achieves is the perfect isolated setting. It is based at a campsite with cabins in the woods, and it was very atmospheric and mysterious.
It has dual POV between the main characters who are twins, Cassie and Lenora, with interspersed chapters which are flashbacks from an unknown narrator. It did hold my intrigue throughout, but it did feel very repetitive and I just wanted those big reveals and twists, but when they did happen it felt anticlimactic in my opinion. It did have a tense ending which I thought was well done but I didn't think the 'epilogue, HEA' was necessary.
I personally think this book needs a trigger warning list, as for me there was unexpected content which made me feel very uncomfortable and I wouldn't have picked this title up if I knew about it. It actually turned out to be a twist which I think was handled poorly. I know some readers are not a fan of trigger lists because of spoilers, especially in thrillers, but I would have appreciated one for this book.
Whilst this wasn't the book for me, I would still recommend it to fans of isolated thrillers if you are looking for a quick, nail-biting read. It is a debut and I would try out this author again in the future.
⭐️⭐️ 2/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Marlee Bush for the opportunity to read this advanced reader copy.

Review posted to Goodreads and Amazon.

This twisty, multiple POV debut is a winner! The author's character development and skill with information reveals is spot on. I loved the concept and execution and can't wait to see what she does next!

3.5⭐️

Happy Pub Day to this gem of a thriller!!!
Thank you to NetGalley & Poisoned Pen Press for the ARC copy!

I found this to be such an odd story, with quite odd characters, but that's a big reason it drew me in. I really enjoyed the POVs here and how you were left guessing who one of the POV's belonged to throughout most of the book.
The setting was absolutely perfect for where this story led & gave it the best backdrop in my opinion.

I would have enjoyed a little bit quicker of a pace, and truly had a hard time deciding on my final rating. I would recommend this one, especially if you enjoy twins, true crime (ish) and an outdoorsy camp setting!

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora lives in a secluded campsite to escape their past. When a teenage girl disappears, it unravels layers of secrecy which triggers a confrontation of what haunts them. What exactly are they hiding from, how did they get here, and what happened?

I found this book quite enjoyable overall. The characters were distinct, their development was well-crafted, and the plot felt solid. I particularly appreciated the eerie atmosphere of the secluded cabin setting, which added a sense of unease and creepiness. It follows Cassie and Lenora's alternating perspectives and timelines. There were secrets, paranoia, history, trauma, mental health challenges, and mystery. The mystery kept me turning the pages, but it was a VERY slow burn reveal. It felt like it dragged on which caused me to get easily distracted. Even though the twist took me by surprise, the book was longer than necessary. Despite this and considering it's the author's debut novel, I still look forward to reading her other work. I would recommend reading this with either digital book or physical book if you're able to commit your full attention because it can get very confusing with an audiobook and I've had to replay to hear what I missed multiple times.

Thank you @netgalley & Dreamscape Media @dreamscape_media, Poisoned Pen Press for providing me an advanced eARC and advanced audiobook copy of this book.

⚠️ [Content warning: agoraphobia, depression, PTSD, anxiety, OCD, family violence, voyeurism, death. Other topics touched on: arson, substance abuse (addiction and overdose), CSA, animal harm]

This thriller intrigued me from the start. Cassie and Lenora are twins with a troubled past (and present), but are only just some of the interesting characters we meet in Bush's debut book. And what a debut it is...the multiple point-of-view timelines kept me guessing throughout. And right when I had it all figured out, it was unpredictable and twisty. It was very unique and I could totally see this play out in a movie with a clever screenplay.
Thanks to #NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this ARC.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

If you’re looking for an eerie thriller that has creepy moments and a past full of dark secrets, then this one is for you! This is a debut thriller, and it was so good! I’ll be looking forward to Marlee’s next book.

Mini blurb: Cassie and Lenora have been living in cabin 2 at a campground in Tennessee. The isolated location of the campground provides them the peace of trying to heal from their traumatic childhood. When the owner of the campground passes away, a cabin by them is sold to new owners. This makes Cassie and Lenora’s hideaway feel vulnerable. It only gets worse when a teenager from the new family goes missing. When the search begins, it’s hard to tell what happened or who did it. Is anyone safe here?

When She Was Me has:
✨ Traumatic childhood past
✨ Family secrets
✨ Dual timeline
✨ Psychological thriller
✨ Multiple POV

Throughout the story, you’re told about Cassie and Lenora’s past piece by piece. I was so eager to find out what happened during their childhood because they’re strange individuals. Their behaviors from the beginning tell you something awful happened to them. When I say this thriller was eerie, it made me feel like I was being watched. It ends with a shocking twist that had jaw unhinged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a copy of this ARC!

Book Review🪵
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Summary; Ever since that night, twin sisters Cassie and Lenora have been inseparable. As the sole permanent residents of Cabin Two, their refuge on an isolated Tennessee campground, they manage to stay away from prying eyes, probing questions, and true crime junkies. Just the two of them, Cassie and Lenora against the world. The peace and quiet is almost enough to make them forget what happened all those years ago. Almost.

Until a teenage girl camping at the neighboring cabin goes missing, and the memories come rushing back. As the crime becomes ever more recognizable—they know better than anyone that so-called ‘happy families’ can be anything but—each sister suspects the other knows more than she’s letting on….

Trapped in the isolating, claustrophobic wilderness, Cassie and Lenora must piece together the truth of what happened—and the sinister truth lurking in their own pasts—before it’s too late.
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Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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My thoughts: thank you @poisonedpenpress and @marleebushwriter for the advanced copy, this one comes out today and it is so good !! This one is so creepy and atmospheric, I almost felt suffocated by the woods while I read it. I love a good thriller and this one will definitely keep you on your toes. I think it really came together beautifully at the end, I was second guessing myself all the way up until then. This was highly enjoyable and a quick read !
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QOTD- are you an outdoorsy person? Could you live in a cabin in the woods?! I absolutely could not 😂
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