I enjoyed the plot of this one and the way it was told with past and present although I found some of it seemed rather choppy and didn’t flow as nice. This makes more sense in the end. The characters were well done albeit not always likeable. The atmosphere however was amazingly done. I love the isolated cabin in the woods feel. The whole thing was eerie. This was overall a good read but I did find it was excessively dragged out and felt it was a bit too long for the story itself. The ending was very well done and an epic climax that made the read worth while

when she was me✨| ARC review

this one was misleading in the very best way!! it was giving unreliable narrator, and i was obsessed with the storyline. it was confusing for a bit, but completely worth it in the end. i just love when books make even the tiniest details relevant and mesh so well with the twists. really enjoyed this one!
four stars from me!🌟🌟🌟🌟

I love twin thrillers and although this kept my interest the whole time I found the story over complicated and a little confusing. I was invested in the twins story and definitely enjoyed the mystery regarding Tilly. I will definitely try this author again in the future.

What a great debut novel! Cassie and Lenora are twin sisters, inseparable since that one night long long ago. Since then, they've found themselves very reclusive, untrusting of strangers and hesitant to let anyone new in their life. When their landlord dies and the property is sold to a stranger, moving in right next to them, they are forced to learn more about this person.

Then, a girl suddenly disappears. Everyone is in a frenzy, pointing fingers and trying to find out what happened. Cassie and Lenora are pulled right in the middle of it.

I did feel that parts of this book were slightly drawn out, at times feeling a bit slow. But the end of the book was told beautifully and I really loved reading from both Cassie and Lenora's perspective. The author did a great job separating their identities.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC, all opinions are my own.

Overall a good read. I liked the multiple POVs and timelines. Fast-paced and well written. I enjoyed it

When She Was Me by Marlee Bush
Release Date: 5.7.24, available for preorder

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Mystery
Pages: 400
Spice: Several insinuations and closed door scenes, nothing graphic
Pace: Medium overall. Some slow sections
Tropes: Unreliable narrator, plot twist in the 3rd, flawed characters, flash backs, creepy twins
Overall: More suspense than thriller, a mix of character and plot driven.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Reminds me of: Long hikes through deep, dark forests. Highly atmospheric, moody camping trips. My favorite, eerie, true crime podcasts.

I cannot get over this book being a debut novel. It certainly reads as well honed craft. I LOVED the atmosphere created and spooky, suspenseful vibes that kept me guessing through the entire story.

Unputdownable and satisfying, I enjoyed the double twist reveal towards the end.

Don’t miss this one!


Available for preorder now! Release scheduled for May 7, 2024
(Synopsis in comments)

Many thanks to Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press, and NetGalley for the ARC. This was my very first ever ARC and I could not be more thrilled and excited to have had the opportunity. 🫶

“That there’s a battle in me. A war waging in the deepest pit of my stomach. The thing I did versus who I am.”

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora are inseparable. Bound together by a tragic event in their past they live off the grid in a cabin on a campground. Their peaceful routine is interrupted when a teenage girl staying at a nearby cabin goes missing.

Holy unreliable narrators! I wasn’t sure who was more secretive and damaged, Cassie or Lenora. If they can’t trust each other, I certainly can’t trust them either! When She Was Me is a propulsive character driven thriller with dysfunctional complex characters who are entirely likable AND relatable despite their flaws. I was fully immersed into the sisters’ co-dependent yet somehow enviable relationship. Is it enabling, or loyalty to be there for someone no matter what? Wouldn’t we all like to have that one person in our life we know will ALWAYS be there?

Marlee Bush excels at revealing just the right amount of tantalizing information at a steady pace to keep you wanting more! Between the past and the present, I was swiping pages as fast as I could because I NEEDED those details from the past. At the same time, what in the world is happening in the present?! The increasing dread and anxiety was contagious. The past and present slowly weave together for a stunning and shocking conclusion. Yup, I was smacked over the head just the way I like it. I literally stopped reading so I could re-think 80% of the story! Deliciously twisted, yet filled with heart and poignant moments, I was truly blown away by this debut! I can’t wait to see what Marlee has in store for me next!

Thank you Marlee Bush, Poisoned Pen Press and NetGalley for my gifted copy.

Scroll down for potential spoiler trigger warnings.









































⚠️Trigger Warnings: anxiety disorder, agoraphobia, depression, complex PTSD, OCD, voyeurism, family violence, death, Mention of: CSA, arson, animal harm, drug abuse, addiction and overdose

Twin sisters Cassie and Lenora live in an isolated campground, escaping a traumatic night from their past. They can almost forget their past, until a teenage girl at the campground goes missing.

A nice debut; I’ll be looking forward to the next book the author writes. I enjoyed the setting, and the plot with the twins. The twins themselves were annoying to me so it was hard to feel for them. The beginning and end were fast paced but some parts in the middle dragged for me.

“No one ever told me that there could come a time when trusting myself would be difficult and hating myself would be easy. What to do when the monster is you”

When She Was Me comes out 5/7.

This books started out so slow but then the twist at the end made me not able to put the book down. I would give the 1st half of the book 3 starts and the last half 4.

I did not see that end coming!!!! I loved to read about the close relationship with the sisters. Finally finding out what happened down that hallway was worth the wait!

I was so intrigued by the cover and title of the story from the start. Great debut novel. The author kept me guessing until the very end, but I did feel that it was a slow start.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC! I loved this story so much! This is told from the perspective of 2 twin sisters who have been living on a campground in a cabin. You find out early on that something traumatic has happened in their past and it has affected them. Sarah recently bought the property and occupied one cabin and another couple and their daughter rented out the last cabin for a weekend getaway. When the young teenager goes missing, Lenora can't help but remember the past. As they are navigating this time, we get a snippet from "back then" told from a first person perspective. All I can say is, when the truth finally comes out, it was the LAST thing I was expecting. Truly a riveting story with jaw dropping twists. I love how everything tied together, I will 100% read this book again to see things from a different view knowing what I know now. This will be one of the top books of 2024 for sure!

For a debut, this book was really sold and well written. I enjoyed the dual timeline and the alternating points of view. I also really enjoyed how everything came together so neatly at the end. However, this one was a little slow for my liking and felt predictable at times to the point where I started to wonder if it's the writing or just the volume of books I read in this genre.

The atmospheric setting really set the mood for me and allowed me to get into the story a bit more, but overall this was just a very middle-of-the-road mystery and a solid debut novel.

Cassie and Lenora sisters and very much look alikes, set in a common scene, a cabin in the woods. However, not as common, is the great detail the author writes in setting the scene and did an excellent job in creating imagery. As a reader, I felt in the midst of the atmosphere.
There’s something sinister in the way the author writes the two sisters, depicting their every move and leaving you wondering who they really are. Each holds a secret, Lenora appears to have agoraphobia and anxiety. Even though I did enjoy this, at times the slow burn got so vague, it left me wanting more. It did get repetitive in places, specifically within the thoughts of the sisters but that could have been the drag of some of the slower pacing. Overall, I did enjoy this one, even though it was easy to call half way in. The author did an exceptional job in creating imagery. If you’re a fan of true crime podcasts, I would recommend picking this one up

I really liked the story, it had almost anything that I wanted. At first it was a little boring to me but when a murder happened I was hooked. However, I was disappointed by the ending. I might not have expected the twist with the killer, but to me was way too convenient the whole thing.

Highly enjoyed although I thought it was a bit slow, character building was on point and suspense left u hanging for longer than you wanted. But I’d totally recommend

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for allowing me to read this debut book from Author, Marlee Bush. The story starts with twin sisters Lenora and Cassie. Lenora is a ghost writer, and Cassie is a true crime Youtuber living on a secluded desolate campground with only two other cabins. One cabin was occupied by the owner who passes away and a new owner takes over, the other cabin is used for rental. This read for me was a very slow burn with the author not giving away enough to know what truly happened in the twins past but enough to know they both suffered psychologically, especially Lenora. While these sisters will do anything for each other, they start to doubt each other when a teenage girl who was on vacation with her parents in the rental cabin disappears and is found murdered and Cassie becomes friends with the new owner, a woman named Sarah who has secrets of her own. Why else would these individuals choose to live in a isolated campground away from society. I found areas of the book confusing especially with the third narrator and not being able to tie that in till the end but once I understood who all the characters were and what role they played, it all came together. Can't wait to see what Marlee Bush writes next.

This book! I cannot believe this is the author’s debut!! It’s that good! This is a true psychological thriller.
Identical twins Cassie and Lauren live in a little cabin in the woods. There are only 2 other cabins- it is very isolated. They moved here after the death of their parents.

This is told in alternating POV’s: Cassie, Lauren, and a third unknown woman. I don’t want to give too much away- so writing this review is hard!
It is a claustrophobic setting. The writing draws you in, then takes you on a journey through the thoughts of Cassie and Lauren. It all begins when they meet the new owner, then meet a family renting the other cabin. The teenage daughter of the couple goes missing.
Oh, the twists!!!
I love how the author weaves the narrative, dropping subtle clues- yet leaving the reader questioning the reliability of all the characters. And trying to figure out what the connection is. I stayed up way too late because I had to know where this is going. I thought I knew- but the end left me questioning everything!!

I highly recommend this book. I cannot wait to read the next book this author writes!

Thank you NetGalley, Poisoned Pen Press, and the author for this Arc. This is my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for the copy of When She Was Me by Marlee Bush. There are so many great reviews, I don’t know why I couldn’t get into this book. I think it was a combination of the characters and the writing style, because the premise of the story and eventual reveal were both great! This book was not for me, but it may be for you if you love a great story!

This slow burn thriller makes you think you have it all figured out but in reality you don’t! It was a roller coaster of twists and turns.

Deception, obsession, revelation of dark secrets and the dual POVs between the twin sisters kept me on edge and it was so well written that it made me feel I was actually living the story.

Overall, this was a really good thriller especially for a debut!

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press for a digital ARC copy.

#WhenSheWasMe #NetGalley