Pictures of You

Bingeable, predictable, and a little unhinged.

Let me be clear, any predictability comes from heavy foreshadowing. It’s definitely a wildly unique story.

A woman is left to piece her life back together after a tragic accident that causes memory loss of the last several years. Nothing in her life feels true to herself and she’s determined to find out why.

The beginning and middle were strong, the end would have been too if there wasn’t so much going on. But I binged it in less than 24 hours so it definitely had me captivated.

Content: narcism, physiological abuse, death, grief

Oh Emma Grey....I'm sorry but this one was not it for me. After absolutely adoring The Last Love Note I was very happy to receive a copy of this one but it was...whomp whomp...not a good time.

In "Pictures of You," Evie Hudson awakens in a medical facility following a catastrophic vehicular collision, only to learn that she has lost her husband, Oliver, and her recollection of the past thirteen years. As she confronts her traumatic amnesia, she must reconstruct her life with the assistance of Drew, a photographer who unexpectedly becomes a part of her journey. Together, they navigate the complexities of her marriage and the circumstances surrounding her husband's demise, compelling Evie to face painful realities and reassess the decisions she has made. This second-chance romance delves into themes of grief, loss, and self-exploration as Evie maneuvers through her tumultuous history.

Emma Grey’s prose excels in this poignant narrative, illustrating the intricacies of complex relationships and the challenge of overcoming toxic dynamics. The storyline is engrossing, featuring alternating viewpoints that enhance the reader's connection to both Evie and Drew. As hidden truths emerge and new insights are revealed, readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster, culminating in unexpected plot developments that challenge Evie's comprehension of her existence. Rich with heartfelt moments and a focus on personal development, "Pictures of You" is a compelling literary work that resonates with themes of resilience and the transformative power of second chances.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Waking up in the hospital after a horrific car crash that has killed her husband, Oliver, Ellie must try to piece her life back together. but, that's harder than it seems as she is suffering from an acute case or amnesia and can't remember anything beyond her life when she was sixteen. She doesn't remember her husband, her closest friends or her family and if not for a chance encounter outside her husband's memorial service -which she leaves in total confusion, she might have never remembered the real Ellie.

Drew has been "stuck" on Ellie since they were sixteen. Now, 13 years later it seems he is getting a second chance but how much should he reveal about their past to Ellie who doesn't remember him at all?

Flashbacks fill in the missing information for the reader, but Ellie it seems will remain forever in the dark about the last 13 years of her life with an abusive husband and his controlling family. It will take patience and unwavering support from Drew who just might be the key to unlocking her memories for Ellie to return to her true self.

Filled with surprises and sympathetic and not-so-sympathetic characters, "Pictures of You" is a story that shows the subtle ways a relationship can become uber controlling and abusive and should not be missed.

Evie wakes in the hospital after a car accident searching for her bff, only to find she’s actually been widowed in the crash. She’s lost 10+ years of her memory and has no recollection of the husband she should be grieving.

I was glued to the pages, with Evie searching for her memory after the accident and answers to how her life had become isolated. So many twists and turns as she tries to connect with those she had previously cut off from her life, yet having no idea why. How could she have a husband she doesn’t remember? What decisions will she make after realizing what has happened? A look at toxic relationships and how women become trapped in them.

This is a must read! Soooo good! Loved this as much as The Last Love Note, one of my very favs from last fall! Thx to Netgalley and Zibby Books for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

PICTURES OF YOU is utterly amazing! I fell in love with Emma Grey's writing when I read THE LAST LOVE NOTE and was very excited to see what was next. I envisioned a Hallmarkesque story to be what would be next...boy was I wrong and in the best possible way! This story has unexpected twists and turns and just when you think you know what will happen, something else drops in your lap.

Told from the two perspectives of Drew and Evie, the reader will hear the deep thoughts and perspectives of each character while venturing into the past mixed with the current day. You will find yourself rooting for both of these characters while also feeling knots in your stomach of what might have happened and what the future could hold.

Emma is brilliant! Having followed her since THE LAST LOVE NOTE, interviewing her and getting to know her, it was an absolute joy to read PICTURES OF YOU and also be able to find the parts of Emma in the book that are personal. This is a must-read!!!!

This book started off really strong with a plot that instantly pulls you in. (If you have the ability to go in blind, I do recommend it, but I doubt it'll stay quiet for long). As the reader you are immediately concerned for Evie and her current circumstances that are completely out of her control.

As many books do these days, we begin to alter between timelines and that's where it lost me. Not in a way of confusion, but more of it lost my interest. This is where it also began feeling very YA, which I don't typically love or seek out in my reading. The book and storylines also become very duplicitous to a point of wondering if I somehow got pushed backwards in my kindle with my bookmark? But no, the story tends to repeat itself.

There are some great plot points and surprises that the reader is well rewarded with. But at times, with the bread crumbs that were dropped, I already had it figured out by the time the book actually gave me the reveal, so it was a bit anticlimactic.

I absolutely loved and adored Grey's previous adult book, The Last Love Note, and I'm sad that this didn't work as well for me, but I look forward to reading her next adult novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the advance e-copy of this book.

“Boundaries are something you put around yourself,” Bree says quietly. “When someone else puts them around you, it’s called a prison.”

I (along with everyone else I know) fell in love with Emma Grey last year with her adult debut of The Last Love Note. As soon as Pictures of You became available on NetGalley, I downloaded it so fast and started reading it right away (thank you Zibby Books!). This is a vastly different story than her first, but the writing is equally compelling and propulsive. Since amnesia is involved, you don’t really know who to trust and you get to learn Evie’s history right alongside her. I truly loved everything about the ride Emma Grey took me on.

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Read if you like:
What Alice Forgot
Dual time lines
Dual POVs

The premise to this book sounded very interesting to me so I was very curious to read it!

It started very strong and sucked me in immediately to the story which opens with Evie waking up thinking she is 16 and not remembering the last 13 years of her life.

This is a tricky one to review and rate for me because overall I did enjoy the actual story and was interested the entire book but also found a lot of things lacking.

The writing felt fairly juvenile and almost like I was reading YA. I do like YA so that’s not necessarily a bad thing but when a book is targeted at an adult audience but feels YA, it isn’t a good thing. It also was really predictable which was fine for me but I know it can bother other readers. The ending was super abrupt and I wanted more answers to some of the plot points.

Overall, there are better books out there with similar plots that you might enjoy more. That being said, this was just mid for me.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

This was an incredible read! I read this in one day and could not put it down. The author did an amazing job describing the past and present. I was rooting so hard for her to remember what happened! Such a great read!

I simply could not wait for another Emma Grey story. And this book did not disappoint.
I also am a sucker for gal+amnesia story. Pictures Of You follows the story of Evie who suffers from amnesia due to a car accident. She wakes as a 16 year old not remembering the past 13 years of her life.
The story that follows is the careful unraveling of her life from 16 on. Many pieces of her past are smudging together and all with the help of her school age friend, Drew that she met just after where her memory fails her.
I think I saw this book is listed as Romantic Thriller, while it is thrilling to piece together her past, the book is a verrrrry slow burn with finally picking up about 80-90% of the way through.
Grey does an amazing job of realistically and respectfully painting the picture of complicated friendships, emotional abuse, loss, self sabotage, self awareness, and tied up the ending in a concise way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Emma Grey did it again. I could not put this book down, I had to know what happened. So many twists and turns, lies and deceit. Evie having to look back at all of the choices she has made in her life, that got her to the point where she is left with no one. Understanding why she pushed those close to her away was painful to read, but Grey does a phenomenal job providing insight into the abuse her relationship with Oliver entailed. Grey makes you want to keep reading long after your eyelids are heavy. The story is that good! Pre-order Pictures of You (November 12, 2024 release), it will not disappoint!

Thank you Zibby Books and Net Galley for the advance copy.

I absolutely love Emma Gray and this was a fantastic book. Somehow so different from The Last Love Note, but with a lot of the same big feelings about deep topics.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the dual points of view. But, I did find Drew’s section a tad repetitive with his inner monologue. I think we could have had 70% Evie and 30% Drew and it would have allowed for a deeper exploration of Evie’s past (and present!) with her parents. That felt like a HUGE part of the story that wasn’t explored to its full potential.

I appreciate Emma’s care in discussing tough topics like abuse. And this was so interesting because she exercised restraint in not making it a physical issue, but an emotional one that slowly developed over time between Evie and Oliver.

The ending was abrupt for me. And I wanted Oliver’s parents to know the truth. Maybe a podcast episode recorded by Evie. We didn’t get a lot of payoff at the end.

With that said, I really enjoyed the premise of the story, and the writing is great. Gray really keeps you engaged throughout her books. I couldn’t put it down. I just think it really could use a little more precision to make it a book of the year.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ Wow when I tell you this book consumed my every thought for 48 hours straight! If you need a bingeable book that’s going to take you on a roller coaster of emotions this one is IT! I will be thinking about this book for a very long time— such a complex, messy, thrilling story told in multiple timelines and two POVs. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Emma Grey!
What have you done to me?!? This story! I loved it! I read it like my life depended on it!

I. Love. Family. DRAMA.
The tangled web of characters, lies, betrayals, loss, and grief that are woven together in this story makes it a must read!
It had a dash of mystery, a second chance romance, and a whole lot of PERFECTION!

Evie wakes up with amnesia and a wedding ring on her finger. She can only remember her life up until age 16. She is desperately searching for answers and finds she has pushed everyone she loved away. Every step of the way she uncovers hard truths from her past and clings to hope that her memory will return.

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it delivered!

Thank you so much to Emma Great and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC! Mark your calendars, this one hits the shelves in November!

Emma Grey writes so beautifully I was immediately drawn in by the characters the story .This is an emotional moving multi layered story.Soared to the top of my 2024 favorites.#netgalley #zibbybooks

Quick intro:
Evie wakes up after a car accident to find she’s lost her husband and her memory - the 29 year old last remembers being 16. This story follows her as she reremembers and grapples with her tumultuous past.

Quick thoughts:
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey is already one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, so I absolutely could not wait to get my grubby hands on her next release. Thank you thank you thank you Zibby Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. After this read, Emma has secured herself nice and tight in with my auto-buy authors.

This is a story sure to make your heart ache, stomach drop, and eyes well with tears. I found it to be non-stop, addicting, compelling, and stressful from the very first page. Journeying along with Evie as she rediscovers the adult she is, but feels like a stranger to, was quite the ride. While there is a romantic plot line, I would consider this book more women’s fiction and general fiction with some mystery sprinkled in as well.

As with her other book, Emma gracefully handles very difficult topics and infuses them with such rawness, humor, and charm. Knowing Emma’s personal experiences with loss, you can tell she’s bravely put much of her self into this story. The characters she creates feel so real and relatable and the ride she takes them on is just so heartbreakingly human.

It feels important to include some content warnings, as there are some intense topics explored in these pages. I will include them at the bottom of my review so you can skip if you’d prefer as some are spoilers.

Read this if you like books with alternating time lines, dual first person POV, heavy topics, dramatic mysteries, themes of grief and loss, surprising plot twists, second chances, and complicated family dynamics.

Quick details:
Women’s Fiction / Mystery
PUB Date: November 12, 2024
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, control, isolation, cancer, death of a parent, suicide ideation, childhood illness, amnesia, car accident

Wow! Bravo Emma Grey! What a wonderful story full of interesting, realistic characters. With plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading way past your bedtime, be prepared to lose some sleep. I know I did, and it was totally worth it!

I look forward to reading more from Emma Grey in the near future.

Thanks a bunch to #netgalley # zibbybooks and #emmagreyauthor for the wonderful ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Grey has become a must-read author for me! This book was attention grabbing from the first few pages. There are mysteries and family issues and friends and lovers full of complexities. The story fits very well together and develops at a pace I appreciated. I will think about this one for a long time. Five Stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (and then some!)

Emma Grey has done it again!!! 🙌🙌🙌

📚Pictures of You📚 is captivating from the very first chapter. It was impossible to put down—I devoured this book in a day! This beautifully written story of love, loss, grief, & second chances for Evie and Drew is a rollercoaster of emotions. From high school crushes, best friends, & future dreams to tumultuous times & severed ties, this story has it all. I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely LOVED this book! ❤️❤️❤️

Emma Grey's writing style makes you feel as though you are right there in the moment. Her character portrayals are so realistic & relatable. The story continues to evolve with a few OMG plot twists that I didn’t see coming but really enhance the plot.

This is my favorite read thus far for 2024. It is a “must-read” recommendation.

Many thanks to #PicturesofYou #NetGalley #ZibbyBooksPublishing & #EmmaGreyAuthor for the pleasure of this ARC. All opinions are my own and expressed freely.