This was gifted by Netgalley & the publisher.

Cassie and Lenora are tied together, basically inseparable. They reside in cabin 2, in a isolated Tennessee campground. They like the isolation, as it allows them to stay out of the public eye, it makes it easier to forget the past. But then one of the teenagers goes missing in one of the other cabin's which brings up the past again.

I thought that this was a fun popcorn style thriller. I really loved all of the elements, they were well described and it felt like I was right there in the woods with them. I think this would be a fun one to read if you like to go camping. But the overall plot was not new or unique, but it was a fun time. 2.5/5

Rating: 3 stars!

This is a debut novel? Everyone needs to keep their eyes out for this author and all of their future releases.

The story contains Dual(?) POV betweeen twin sisters. The love that these sisters feel for each other is a bond like no other. They are in an isolated camp ground in the woods where they only have each other. The owner of the camp ground passes away and new ownership takes over. In that process, the camp ground starts to have occupants again, which is great, until its not.

Throughout the story, you get dual timelines to explain why the sisters are in the situation there are in now. The story is a slow build with a wild ending. I cant wait to see what this author releases next.

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

This book is a solid debut. I found the timeline to be a bit confusing at times (there were times where I couldn’t tell if something was actually happening at that moment or if they were reminiscing), but overall the author has a clear, vivid writing style and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

I really tried to get into this story but it just didn’t click with me, I see what the author was trying to do but it fell flat for me.

I appreciate NetGalley for allowing me the chance to check this one out.

Thank you, NetGalley for providing me with this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was shocked when I found out this is a debut novel, it's so good and it reads so well.

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora live in a cabin on a campground away from the rest of the world, isolated and most importantly: together. They've always been close but ever since "That Night" the two became inseparable and their cabin is a safe haven away from the media, true crime fans and the idea of facing life after the tragedy they lived at such a young age. But when a cabin next door gets rented and the family's teenage girl goes missing, Cassie and Lenora are brought back to a past they want to leave behind.

Told through recollections of the past and the present, When She Was Me caught me completely off guard with it's ending. I love when I don't see something coming!

Very solid thriller about what it means to love someone you are scared for and scared of. I do think it could have been shorter though, that's why I'm giving it 3 stars instead of 4.

The twins, Cassie and Lenora, live in a cabin in the middle of nowhere. When one of their neighboring campers dies there are lots of questions with no answers. Who killed the camper, and what are our sisters hiding from? This is a good start off thriller from a debut author. I thought I guessed the twist, but I was wrong. Any book that can keep me guessing is a good thriller.

This book is told through dual POVs, and it has a past/present timeline. The setting is perfect for this book. I can imagine the woods and the creepiness of it. I also enjoyed the bits of anxiety I experienced throughout the story. I didn't know where the plot was going, but everything came together in the end. I do feel like it was a tad slow and I found myself getting a bit distracted when reading.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for this eARC to review. All opinions are my own! This book will be available on May 7th, 2024.

Read if you like
​🏕️ Cabins and Woods oh my!
👓 Dual POVs
🫣 Books that make you nervous
🧠 Psychological Suspense

If this is Marlee Bush’s debut novel I can’t wait for her next one. This book kept me on my toes the entire time, second guessing everything I thought I had figured out with every turn of the page. Twins living out in a cabin in the woods, isolating themselves because of some trauma they experienced in their past and it seems that more trauma has followed them out there. I absolutely loved this one and I will be patiently waiting for Marlee’s next book to add to my TBR.

I really enjoyed this thriller, and I was not expecting the twist at the end! I like the multiple points of views, and the chapters that took us to the past tricked me in the best way. Thank you for the opportunity to read it early!

Solid debut and 3.5 stars.

We meet sisters, Cassie and Lenora, and I was definitely immediately interested in hearing their story. And boy did they have a story!

There were multiple POVs and timelines, and I will admit that sometimes on the audio (I had both audio and eARC), I was confused and wasn't sure who or what timeline it was in. I ended up reading more of the eARC because I found it easier to follow.

And that ending!

Will definitely look for more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press and Dreamscape Media for eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

This was a good thriller! The whole flashback and flash forward chapter alternations played with my mind so much leading up to the twist, which was unexpected and awesome. Would recommend to others for a quick and easy spook.

I was so excited when I received a copy of this eBook from Net Galley. Poisoned Pen Press always releases book that peak my interest. When She Was Me definately peaked my interest. The biggest selling point was the twin aspect, there’s so many ways that that trope (does twins count as a trope? lol) can go. Now unfortunately me and this book didn’t jive for some reason. I enjoyed the alternating time frames and it definitely tricked me (I can’t tell you more or it would spoil it). I have guessed the ending, but the other half I didn’t see coming. And this was a quick read for me. I would still recommend it to mystery/ thriller lovers. I think other readers will have rated it higher.
The characters I didn’t really connect with. Like I previously stated I enjoyed the twin trope. I think I was a bit confused at the whole “why?” The story is actually unfolding and some of the parts I got lost. Sometimes I couldn’t remember which twin was who when they were doing things so it would confuse the storyline for me. The Tilly part still seems weird to me because we don’t really get the details even when we find out. And Lenora’s like nightmares/ dreams parts were confusing and they actually made me believe that the book was going to have a supernatural element (which I don’t like so I’m glad that was a incorrect guess on my part). The character that was the most interesting to me is Wayne and we learn nothing about him lol.
Like I mentioned earlier I think a lot of people will love this story it just wasn’t the best I have read but it was still a good read. Thanks again to Netgalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy to review.

Thanks to NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks for this copy of "When She Was Me."

Cassie and Lenora are identical twins who are living? hiding? in a cabin in a campground in Tennessee.

Lenora's unreliable memories and PTSD have caused agoraphobia but she does leave the cabin when she sleepwalks at night.

When a new family rents one of the cabins and their teen daughter is found dead, Cassie and Lenora are afraid the past may be repeating itself.

The ending was explosive and completely unexpected. I understand now why part of the story felt disjointed, so if you feel that it's moving a little slowly, just know that the end is worth it.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book. I really enjoyed this read! Our story is told from twin sisters POVs and it made it more suspenseful. The characters are well done for the most part unreliable They kept me guessing until the last page!

This book definitely is a slow burner and takes some time to build up to the anticipation and thrill. It keeps you wondering enough for most of the book to keep you coming back for more.

Some "dark and twisted" thoughts and events took place but nothing too crazy. I enjoyed reading both sisters points of views throughout the book and really loved the strong bond and protection they had over each other.

Overall it's a good book with a different storyline than most thrillers I've read. I will say I was confused a time or two towards the end of the book but then it sorted itself out! I would be interested in reading more from this author since I enjoyed her writing style!

This is a debut novel by this author, the premise of the book sounded really good and I was excited to read it. This book is told in dual timelines and MPOVS. Twin sisters: Cassie and Lenora had a tragic event happen to them which leads them to taking up residence in the woods in a cabin they rent from a reclusive landlord who owns the camp grounds. I honestly struggled to connect with the characters in this book. I personally found Lenora insufferable and kinda whinny. If you are looking for a fast paced thriller this might be for you. This is more of a slow burn book. When new neigh its move into the cabin next door to Cassie and Lenora things start to happen. The daughter goes missing and is found dead the next day. But what happened? And did Cassie or Lenora have something to do with it. Honestly I found parts of this book confusing does Lenora suffer from mental health issues?? Overall the book was okay but I felt like the middle of the book was kinda boring starting around 28% in. Parts of it seemed repetitive. Thank you NetGalley for the arc and chance to post an honest review.

Identical twins, Lenora and Cassie, have been living in Cabin Two at an isolated campground in an effort to escape their past and “that night.” When the grounds come under new management, and the teenage daughter of a visiting family goes missing, Cassie and Lenora both start reliving the past and begin to question who they can trust.

WHEN SHE WAS ME by Marlee Bush is a really strong debut suspense novel!

The sisters were both intriguing characters with very interesting careers and the isolated campground setting was so so good!

The alternating past timeline kept the suspense up and also had me questioning everything I thought to be true.

This one is on the lengthier side, which I didn’t feel was completely necessary, but it still managed to be a quick read regardless.

I’m definitely curious to see where Marlee goes from here!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Publication Date: May 7

When She was Me is a debut author and you wouldn't notice. I was enthralled in this story that by the time I hit the ending I was SHOOK/shocked. Twin sisters, Cassie and Lenora have that "twin thing", you know that bond people sometimes talk about. Their past was a rocky one, so they chose the secluded life in the woods. All was okay until a teenager in the cabin next door went missing.

This story is a page turning that you just want to keep reading so you can find out if the evidence presented is the truth or a false reality.

I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves a good blood pumping murder mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for an advanced electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Cassie and Lenora are living in a cabin, mostly off the grid, except for two other cabins nearby. When their landlord dies, a new person moves in to take over. Before they know it, the teenage daughter staying in the third cabin with her parents, is missing, and later found dead. But how? Nothing makes sense, and with Cassie and Lenora's secretive past, who knows what secrets lurk in the darkness?

I felt like this book was trying too hard to be mysterious. Like it was overselling it without it feeling genuine. I didn't hate it, but I also felt like it was dragging and I didn't feel compelled to read it - just desperate for it to be over. It was still interesting enough, but it was a miss for me.

CW: violence, blood, murder, death, grief, trauma, mental illness, fire

**I got this book for free from Poisoned Press. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book.**

This debut novel from Marlee Bush was amazing. This book is told in 3 POV’s, Cassie, Lenora and “Then”. This is about twin sisters that live in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere Kentucky. Cassie and Lenora are hiding away from something. What happened to their dad when they were younger? Where did Tilly go? Did Lenora do that? Why are the twins lying to each other? This was a fantastic book.

Cassie and Lenora are identical twins who went through a traumatic event together and now live in a campground in Tennessee. Lenora is able to work as a ghostwriter, but barely steps outside their small cabin. Cassie does a true crime podcast, putting herself in the shoes of the victims whose deaths she covers. Cassie is always there to protect Lenora from others and from herself. Things begin to change for the twins when a teenage girl arrives with her parents for a short camping trip and goes missing. What happened to Tilly and what secrets are Cassie and Lenora keeping from each other?

This book is told from both Cassie and Lenora's present point-of-view as well as an unidentified person in the past. The story is intriguing, but at times confusing. Both sisters keep referring to an incident in their past, but the reader isn't given details on what it was. The "past" narration is also kept purposely vague to keep up the suspense, but for me the repetition sometimes slowed the pace of the story. I was able to figure out some of the plot twists before they were revealed. After some slow chapters in the middle, the ending picks up and I was surprised when all of the secrets finally came out. Better pacing would have made the book more suspenseful for me, but it's still an entertaining read. 3.5 stars

I received an advance copy of this ebook at no cost from NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and Sourcebooks. My review is voluntary and unbiased.