Is She Me? is a compelling blend of heart-pounding suspense and tender romance, featuring a journey of self-discovery and healing. Elle’s search for the truth behind her family's dark secrets is both emotional and raw, while her connection with Ben adds a swoon-worthy layer to the narrative. With a perfect mix of intensity and intimacy, this debut novel leaves a lasting impression.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Thank you Lauren Grace & NetGalley for the ARC!

This story starts off following Chantelle (Elle) finding a photograph of a high-profile case of a missing child that encourages her to leave her abusive environment and traumatic past in search of finding answers. She runs into some Lucy and Ben (siblings but unbeknownst at the time) that insist on helping Elle. The help turns into support, love, friendship, and found family especially when Elle's past is constantly trying to come back to haunt her (literally and emotionally.)

The author portrays trauma and PTSD is a way that is palatable but also realistic and raw. This book was captivating in 2 senses where I was intrigued with the wellbeing and emotional processing of Elle with coming to terms with her past traumas while trying to adjust to a new way of life as well as the romance boiling behind the scenes. I would say the author does a good job of highlighting trauma in a way that makes someone indecisive and ruminating over choices whereas many books highlight characters immediately owning and taking control of their healing (which realistically is not always the case and is not representative of survivors as a whole.) We watch Elle grow into her own, how she grows from the trauma, and having to learn how to manage real caring relationships with those around her.

Definitely be aware of trigger warnings but overall I would highly recommend this book!

I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley.

This story starts out as Elle desperately escaping her abusive family after discovering a picture of a young girl. Through her escape she meets Lily, her children and brother Ben.

As the story progresses and you get to know more about both Elle and Ben’s past traumas, you see many deep bonds and friendships begin. Elle blossoms and forms her new life as Ivy. There are many touching moments as Ivy has new experiences and learns more about her childhood from her parents.

But with any great book you get to have uncomfortable moments as Ivy’s past continues to break her down. You also get to feel the deep love between Ben and Elle form.

This was such an amazing book to read as it gave you true to life perspectives that most don’t think of. Thank you for such raw with real thought provoking book.

4.5/5.
This book was everything I need. Reading this feels like roller coaster. This played with my emotions. I swear I'm not that emotional. You can't stop reading until you finished it. I miss having this type of experience while I'm reading. The characters were well written. Ellie's story is so heartbroken. My heart bleeds for her. I just feel so sorry for what happened to her. The writing is top tier. It is so good. The author knows how to handle serious topics such as family abuse, grief, ptsd in respectful way. The story has plotwists and turns that you never expected to happen. This book is just the perfect mix between suspense and romance.

For me, this book is more than just romance between two characters. I felt like in some moments, I didn't believe chemistry between Ellie and Ben.

This is my honest review. Thank you for the ARC! :)

Do you ever read a book that’s so good you just sit there after it’s finished and don’t know what to do? That was me with this book.

If you like, thriller, mystery, or romance, this is the perfect book for you because it’s all three deliciously wrapped up in one. There were so many twists and turns I was literally on the edge of my seat while reading. Also get ready for some yummy tension and the SLOWESTTTTT burn.

-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-♡-

𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.

After discovering a photo of a missing person in her home, Elle decides to hunt down the family that is still searching for their child. You learn early on that Elle’s parents are extremely abusive and the environment she grew up in is super toxic. After years of enduring neglect and hatred she finds a small shred of hope in the photo—knowing now she has the opportunity to leave.

Follow Elle as she gains new friends (& a lover🤭), learns how to stand up for herself and conquer her fears, as well as learning how to let people in and accept the love they have to offer her. But most importantly how she learns to love HERSELF.

Elle’s story is painfully authentic, but that’s the beauty of it. If you’re looking for an easy and light read with perfect characters, this book isn’t for you. It’s brutally honest, gritty, and sometimes even uncomfortable. It is the perfect combination of heartbreaking and healing, and it just goes to show that your past doesn’t define who you are. Just because you’ve been broken doesn’t mean your story is over. And sometimes the best way to begin healing your brokenness is to start by taking one small step at a time and simply choosing yourself.

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Lauren did such a tremendous job at portraying the sensitive topics in this book. You can tell she genuinely cares and wants people to know and understand the realistic version of dealing with trauma. I can’t wait to see what she writes next!

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Lauren Grace for allowing me to read this arc. These are all my honest opinions in this review.

I ended up dnfing this book. This book just wasn't for me. There was nothing wrong with the book just turned out to be more not my genre than i anticipated. Think it was poorly explained.

3.5⭐️

𝘿𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨.
The dedication prefaced the story beautifully. Lauren explores how to navigate life and love with trauma and PTSD. Embedded into a heartbreaking plot we follow Ivy(Elle) on her journey to find her place and her happy.

𝗘𝗹𝗹𝗲
Oh Elle (Ivy)
Strong girlie. Heartbreaking story. Lauren’s exploration of victim stereotyping was where I found myself really gravitating to Elle. I felt sorry for her, but I also found her strength inspiring and her moments of vulnerability and weakness very realistic.
I’m so glad she found her people, in the end. I’ll always be a bit of a sucker for that found family vibe that Lucy, the kids, Ben, Susan and Derek all brought to her narrative.

𝗛𝗲𝗻𝘄𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵
Having Elle escape Henworth in such a dramatic way, we had the set up and understanding she’d suffered while she lived there. The early navigation of Elle’s fear in leaving, as well as the constant threat that the residents of Henworth hold throughout the whole story contextualised Elle’s PTSD and trauma.
Henworth underpins both elements of the plot;
Elle’s choice to leave, to figure out what her past really was and who she really is as well as how Elle navigates a romantic relationship after being subject to a lifetime of abuse and mistreatment.
𝘗𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘭𝘭𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺🤍

𝗠𝗮𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗜𝘃𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲
This element of the plot had me page turning. When Elle found a picture of misper Maeve White the little blonde girl who had been snatched from her parents when she was 5 years old (who never stopped looking for her) and she started to piece together that her memories at Heworth didn’t exist prior age 5, that her ‘parents’ dyed her blonde hair brunette her whole life my heart actually hurt for her. She couldn’t say for sure she was Maeve, but all of a sudden she was no longer Elle😭
After the DNA confirmation the chapters between Elle (now identifying herself as Ivy) reuniting with Susan and Derek were my absolute favourite in the book. My heart hurt for both Susan and Derek and the navigation of their new relationship was heartbreaking and beautiful to read;
- Ivy giving Susan her mobile number and their texts😭
- Ivy getting relationship advice from both parents
- Seeing her childhood bedroom and memories coming back, Susan and Dereks reaction
- Derek protecting Ivy
- Ivy and Susan cooking together🥹
- Derek at the end😭 “𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙤. 𝙂𝙤 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙣. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙄𝙫𝙮, 𝙬𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠. 𝙎𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙞𝙩’𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”

𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗕𝗲𝗻
This is one of the first really ‘real’ depictions of a love story that lives somewhere between what you’d expect from a fluffy romance or a dark romance and it took me a good chunk of the book to get on board with Ivy and Ben. The heavy juxtaposition between their trauma making them both pull away and then their ‘love bomb’ instant obsession felt quite stunted to read.
I couldn’t get fully on board with Ben, BUT by the end of the book he really was our anti hero.
I felt like he allowed himself to become Ivy’s crutch and I was anxious that she was falling in love with the concept of Ben, rather than Ben himself.
The more we unpacked Ben’s trauma he became far easier to understand, but it wasn’t till Ben’s POV chapter that I really felt like I understood him and could feel invested in him. I do think the book would have benefitted from being dual POV, even if it was heavily Ivy and we got Ben bleeding in for 3/4 chapters throughout.
There are definitely elements of their relationship that will have some readers kicking their feet and squealing, Ben gave me the ick before I could love him. But the forced proximity, one bed tension, if you like Ben, will get you giddy🌶️

𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆
Overall I feel like Lauren explored the themes of love and growth alongside trauma and PTSD beautifully, the Maeve plot was my favourite to follow.
My reasoning for a little bit of a lower rating was my lack of connection to the characters themselves. Ben especially. I feel like the pacing and Bens character especially kept the reading quite stunted in places. For the context of their trauma, I expected to be way more emotionally invested but structurally I found myself a bit lost and confused about how I was meant to feel about them until the very end. At that point, it’s hard to shift your whole rating based on a feeling you get in the last 15/20% of a book.

I found myself a little bit plot lost a couple of times and thinking I’d missed something important, but we often got context for behaviours a little later. I am so glad all the characters got their HAE, and this book definitely has all the qualities for a 4+⭐️ read, I can see why people have rated it higher than I have and I’d still recommend giving this a read, with the advice to be patient with the characters and their purpose.

Congratulations Lauren, on your debut novel. An intelligent, beautiful story🩷

This was a really decent blend of romance and mystery. The relationship was organic and wasn’t an insta love situation. It touched on trauma and PTSD in a realistic way. Honestly, the only thing I wish it had touched on was WHY they took her. That’s literally never mentioned and it’s driving me insane.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for providing me with an ARC and allowing me to provide my honest review

I enjoyed this book, the way the Ivy and Ben helped each other through their traumas was real and felt genuine. I appreciated the way that her trauma showed and how she handled it because it was not over the top or exaggerated. The writing was greatly detailed and I enjoyed learning things along the way and not all at once. Thank you for taking us along the healing journey of Ivy and Ben🖤

This book offers a breezy, heartwarming escape, filled with witty banter, endearing mishaps, and just enough chemistry to keep the pages turning. The love interest is suitably charming, with enough depth to make their dynamic engaging, even if some of their conflicts feel a bit predictable.

While the book excels in humor and sweet moments, the protagonist’s personal growth occasionally takes a backseat to the romantic plot. A deeper exploration of their emotional journey could have added more weight to their happily-ever-after.

That said, the supporting cast adds plenty of fun, and the romantic tension is well-paced, making it easy to root for the central couple. The writing is light and engaging, perfect for readers looking for a feel-good story with a few laughs along the way. If you don’t mind a little predictability and enjoy banter-filled romance, this book is a charming pick—just don’t expect too much introspection between the meet-cutes and grand gestures.

Is She Me? is a refreshing take on self love, self discovery and recovery. An outstanding debut novel that shows an honest interpretation of trauma and the journey during/after pain. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who has ever felt that they are not good enough and/or need to apologise for speaking out.

The character of Elle is heartbreaking, powerful and emotive. Lauren Grace has beautifully captured the self doubt and courage that comes with freeing yourself from a challenging situation, especially one as challenging and painful as abuse. I hope that this book provides the hope that someone needs to realise that there can be sunshine after a storm.

Lauren Grace knows how to write a fantastic book! I was so shocked by this book, and how well written is was. She completely surprised me for how she brought twists and turns so graciously into this book.

this was a romance but so much more. it was a thriller but so much deeper than that too. it was such a brilliant contempory all rounder i absolutely would recommend it to anyone and everyone. there is no way to possibly pick the points i loved about this book. there would be too many. we would all be here for too long. and id end up sounding like too much of a fangirl. id get too mushy.
but this is a book well worth it for the overtime you put into reading it, well past the moments you should be doing other things.

the subjects were varied and all told with the same attention to detail. there were tough subject touched upon and they were all so brilliantly written and had me feeling a full on spectrum of emotions. i think i felt up and down set of them throughout the book!
the romance side of things was just as brilliant. i was rooting for our pair from the start. but it was done once again with the same touch and skill as the other topics. it felt real, it felt light and dark and brave and true. they both had their own issues and they werent light either. but both on their own and together they tackled them, and came together with love and support through it all. Lucy needs a big mention here as her love in this book was just as important. she was a brilliant character and one you cherish.
all our characters added their own parts to the book. they were all just as important both the main and side characters.
i dont know how she did it but Lauren has created a book with so many moving parts and genre points but somehow she has made them fit perfectly and made them all intrinsic to the book as a whole.

This book was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The way the author told this story was beautiful. It has everything from romance to thriller and everything in between! I found myself laughing and crying all in the same chapters at some points. It was written so well for the story it told. I cannot tell you enough to read this story! The way the traumas were told were so realistic! Check your trigger warnings as this does deal with extremely difficult subjects but it is so worth it in the end. This author has definitely become an automatic buy for me and this is a must have for my bookshelf at home when it is released!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. READ IT!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for this ARC!

My heart! This book definitely pulled at my heartstrings, I might have ugly cried a time or two. Definitely recommend this one! Very well written, the plot was phenomenal and the characters were amazing.

Is She me? is a stunning contempory romance debut that dabbles with elements of thriller and mystery. As someone who doesn't normally read romance, I loved these extra layers to the read, as it helped to keep me engaged, in a genre that usually loses my attention!

The story touches on so many delicate subjects - PTSD, familial abuse, grief, and the author portrays these beautifully, interweaving them into the plot in such a way that the characters develop organically with the reader not being encumbered with a massive backstory info dump.

I particularly enjoyed the romance side of the novel - I'm not a fan of insta love and I loved how the character's past traumas hindered them in developing their relationship with each other - this was just so refreshingly realistic! Trauma is a sensitive topic to me, and it does have a massive affect on the individual's life going forward so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author addresses this really well with the way she portrays her characters Elle and Ben. Whereas their meet-cute was super sweet, I was glad, that despite being instant attraction, the relationship developed organically and I think this is the novel's strongest point.

Elle's family background complexity was just another added bonus layer to the story, making it not just your typical romance read! I loved the gradual exploration into her past, with all the suspensful twists and turns!

It's rare that an author is able to intertwine such complex issues - romance, trauma, mystery, and I'm impressed that this is this author's debut! I'm excited to see where she will go next!

We follow the story of Elle who is trying to finally escape her abusive childhood home. After finding a photo of a famous missing child, she suspects her parents may have something to do with the case. She plans to reach the child's family and explain her suspicions. On her journey she meets Ben and his sister Lucy. They offer her help at her lowest point which continues into support and friendship as Elle tries to move forward, even when her past keeps trying to catch up with her.

I was intrigued from the start with the overview of this book and how a story of mystery and trauma would weave together with a romance. I thought it worked out so well and I was hooked from the start of the book. The plot had so much depth and detail, with twists and turns that didn’t stop coming. It gave such a lot of emotions too. I felt emotional many times whilst reading. I thought the trauma elements of the story were really well written in a sensitive way. It was a real roller coaster story that kept me turning the pages. I needed to find out what happened!

I really enjoyed the main characters in the book too. They all had their own story and circumstances they were dealing with, Ben in particular, but they all added to the overall story and how the characters interacted with each other. This was especially true between Elle and Ben as they navigated their growing feelings for each other. I thought this part was also written well as they had to figure out how to be together and also deal with their own issues, which wasn’t a straightforward path to romance. But it was so worth the wait! The friendship between Elle and Lucy also needs a mention as I really enjoyed them together. Without spoiling the plot the other side characters were great too, some of which gave me my most emotional reactions.

This was a story that was informative, emotional, though provoking, heart breaking and heart warming all at the same time. An impressive debut novel that deserves a place on every bookshelf.

Okay, first things first—Ben texts with kisses💋?? xx?? That completely threw me off🥴. The author definitely seemed to be aiming for a grumpy⛈️ x sunshine🌞 dynamic, but it felt more like clearing storm🌦️ x rising sun🌤️—like their personalities unfolded as they got to know each other rather than staying rigidly in the grumpy/sunshine mold. I actually liked that aspect; it gave the characters more depth🌊.

Now, while I enjoyed the story, something about the pacing felt… off🙊. I can’t put my finger on whether it was the timing⏳ of events or just the way things unfolded, but the flow wasn’t quite right🗓️. And when it came to how the characters reacted to certain traumatic events, it didn’t feel entirely believable🧟‍♀️. Not that a book has to be hyper-realistic to work, but it still needs to make sense emotionally🎭, and this one wavered a bit in that department.

Also, is it just me, or did Ivy not fit the FL🙅🏽‍♀️? I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picturing her with that name. Something about her just didn’t click🤌🏼 for me.

That said, I really enjoyed Ben and Ivy playing games together🃏. It was a fun little touch that made their relationship feel more natural🍁 and gave them some cute bonding moments.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC 👏🏽 ❤️‍🩹 🔥

Is she me? Is a novel that follows Elle as she escapes a life marked by trauma, PTSD, and grief.  Elle escapes from her home and encounters Ben and his sister Lucy.  They became friends and they help her out. The story unfolds as Elle discovers her place and identity, while her past continues to threaten her and those she cares about.

This book offered many twists and turns, along with heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. It beautifully portrays Elle's strength despite her past experiences.  The author's skillful handling of sensitive topics is truly commendable.  It's definitely a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of *Is She Me?* for this wonderful ARC opportunity.

Is She Me? follows a young woman named Elle as she escapes from her cult-like community after finding a photo of a missing little girl and suspecting her family might have had something to do with it. While on the run, she meets Ben, a successful but lonely man struggling with his own ghosts. Together, Elle and Ben support each other in processing their respective traumas and try to forge their own futures, all while dodging the threats posed by her past.

There are a lot of things I really liked about this book, and a few things I didn’t like as much. I thought that each “side” of the story — the romance side and the thriller/drama side — were both extremely strong. Elle and Ben had a great connection and it was really beautiful to see them grow and heal in tandem throughout the story. Romance novels that center around trauma can often feel too clean, but this was messy. Both characters kept making mistakes and hurting one another; their actions often came across as quite selfish and at time childish, but it felt incredibly authentic given what they’d each gone through. The thriller/drama aspects of the book were a little weaker but still good. Because the narrative structure was almost entirely linear, it felt more “show” than “tell”, and the overall effect was that it felt watered down at times. That said, I was still really invested in the story and excited to see where it was heading, especially during the last 25%.

Where this book lost me a bit was in how the romantic and dramatic elements blended. It was incredibly jarring to go from emotional trauma processing to intense flirting in the span of just a couple of pages; the chapters sometimes alternated in tone, but there was very little room to transition between these different vibes. I think that the two sides of the story worked really well individually, but either might’ve felt stronger without the other.

In terms of characters, all of the “good” characters — Elle, Ben, the friends/families/coworkers we meet along the way — were wonderfully complex. The side characters in particular were lovable and added a lot of dimension to the story. The villains — the people from Elle’s past and some of the catty people in Ben’s circle — didn’t feel as fleshed out, which made it a bit harder to take the serious.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. If you are looking for a book that depicts the messy reality of processing trauma and grief, all while navigating new relationships, this might be a good book to pick up!