4.5 Stars!

What a fabulous book. I consider this a second-chance romance, but it’s so much more than that. It encompasses so many powerful topics. I don’t want to list what they are, because to me that would ruin the journey of reading the book – and this book will take you on quite the journey.

The book is told in dual POV. It also alternates between the time when Annika and Jonathan first met in college, and ten years later when they reconnected after a chance encounter.

Annika was such a beautiful character. The author did a fabulous job of portraying all her ‘unique’ characteristics and making the reader feel so much empathy for her and all she endures.

I loved Jonathan too. He was the exact person that Annika needed in her life. He was so patient with her, but he also pushed her boundaries a little, and I think that was good for her too.

Janice is probably the best friend anyone could hope to have. She was so kind and understanding with Annika.

I highly recommend this book. I encourage everyone to read it and experience this story about love and friendship.

I think the only thing keeping me from giving it a full 5 stars is the lack of an epilogue. I really would have liked a little bit more at the end. Perhaps we’ll get another book in the future. One can only hope.

ARC received from publisher via NetGalley.

OMG! This book left me with a major book hangover! I’ve been needing a book this good and I’m so glad I found it. I laughed,I cried, this book made me feel ALL the emotions and it’s such a unique story! The heroine was so fun and I loved her so much and I loved how much our hero loved her. Such a beautiful story!!

Annika and Jonathan dated in college. MANY years ago.
Now they have run into each other after all these years. They decide to meet for coffee. Annika wants to see him again. Jonathan just wanted closure.
But you guessed it, these two go out again. Eventually a relationship forms.... And now I am going to stop writing about this book.

I have enjoyed all prior books by this author, this one, just didn't speak to me like the others ones did. I couldn't relate to these characters. You should form your own opinion on this one.

4.5/5 stars

Oh wow! This book made me feel so much!

This book is sort of like a combination between Women's Fiction and contemporary romance. Although to me it felt more like the former.

The book alternates between August 2001 and 1991. The story alternates between the past and the present (male and female POVs).

The female main character is Annika. 1st person POV.

In 1991 Annika is 22 and a senior in college. In 2001 she is 32 and works as a librarian in Chicago.

Annika is very pretty. But she is socially awkward. Different. Anxious. I really liked how the author wrote Annika. The way she would act in social situations. Her coping mechanisms.

I knew right away what her condition/issue was. I like reading about characters that are not like everybody else. This heroine is different. And I definitely enjoyed getting peeks into the past. This is usually not my thing. But it gave me lots of insight into the characters.

The male POV is Jonathan (1st person). He met Annika in 1991 at Chess Club. I really enjoyed him throughout this story. However, to me this was Annika's journey.

The things that I loved about this book:
I loved how Annika cared for animals. She worked at animal shelters.

Annika's therapist Tina and their sessions. I loved watching Annika try to work things out.

Chess. I loved how chess played such an important role in this book. And I loved how much both Annika and Jonathan loved the game.

And lastly I absolutely loved Annika's friend Janice. Her friend Janice is probably my favorite best friend character ever.

Going into this book I did not know what the story was about or how it would make me feel. But I was so impressed with this book. An original female heroine and an intriguing past/present storyline had me completely captivated.

The story took a direction that I saw coming, but I suspect many will be shocked by:[SPOILER) As soon as I saw that the story was set in August 2001 and that Jonathan was going to NYC I knew right away where this story was going to go. Especially given his profession. I had a bad feeling.

But I really had no idea what would happen or where the story would go from there. I also wondered why the author decided to set the book in this time period vs the present? (END OF SPOILER)]

This book is a definite 4.5 stars. Both time periods were super interesting. But I do wish that we had gotten a bit more of the present, especially in the last half of the book.

Overall, this book was outstanding. I had no idea that I would be crying by the end. The last part of this book made me feel so much. It was brutal. It was emotional. I had to know what was going to happen or I felt like I would burst. I highly recommend this book.

This was a really good book. I started it 2 days ago and couldn’t put it down. I have a family member with the same “quirks”. I’ve always wondered what was going through her mind and Annika answered a lot of my questions. When I started the book I did not know where the story was going and having a back and forth in time is not something I enjoy but to go back and see where Annika and Jonathan started explained the story. Meeting her Mom and Dad was also a treat. The brother Will turned out to have a heart and I never would have guessed the story would end in 2001. I think the hero of the story should be Annikas roommate.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy in exchange for my review.

I went into this book not knowing anything about it, except that it was written by Tracey Garvis Graves and that I will read anything she writes. I am so glad I did. This was a beautiful story. Annika is on the Autism spectrum, but she doesn't know it. She just knows that she thinks differently and has to work a lot harder at most things. The author wrote Annika's character so beautifully. I felt everything she experienced. Some of it was so heartbreaking. She has such a big heart that to see her getting taken advantage of/made fun of was just cruel.

The story takes place in 1991 when Annika meets Jonathan at her college chess club and they fall in love and in 2001 when she meets Jonathan again and they reconnect. The reader knows something happens to tear them apart in college, but we just don't know what.

I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving me for an Kindle ARC of "The Girl He Used to Know," by Tracey Garvis Graves. This book was even better than I anticipated. I don't read a lot of books that include romance - it's usually just the opposite - its usually about married couples going through a crisis. However, when I first saw this book I was intrigued. The old cliché is "don't judge a book by its cover," but it really was the cover that intrigued me initially. It seemed like a sweet story and I wanted to give it a chance and I did. Annika is a young woman who doesn't understand her quirks and feelings. The story begins when she is in college and is fortunate enough to find a roommate, Janice, who is patient with her and interested in helping her fit in. It is fairly evident to the reader that Annika is somewhere on the autism spectrum but apparently she's never been tested and just considers herself shy and backward. In the college chess club, she meets Jonathan, a gentle young man who takes an interest in her. They fall in love, only for Annika to break up with Jonathan without a good explanation. Both go on to live their lives - he is in finance for a big Wall Street firm and she does what she always wanted, which is to become a librarian. They meet up 10 years after college and re-connect, but not without the ups and downs of Annika's "quirks," and the fact that she never gave Jonathan a good explanation for their break up. Without giving too much away, there are events that happen that affect their relationship. The writing is very sweet and gentle and it was actually refreshing to read a book that seemed to come from a different time. It was definitely great to read a book with a lead character who is autistic and to see through her eyes the struggles of daily life and how she tries to sort why she feels the way she does. It was nice to read characters who were friends of Annika's that had the time and patience to care enough about her. I truly was interested in the outcome of Annika's and Jonathan's relationship and the struggles both within the characters and real life getting in the way. This book will do really well as it should.

This was a really good novel. I could not stop reading it. A definite page-turner. I did wonder what was going on with the main character and pretty much figured it out after a few chapters but I was still intrigued. I definitely enjoyed it and would read it again.

Thank you very much to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an unbiased review.

Annika Rose and Jonathan Hoffman meet during chess club at the University of Illinois. She is an English Major who dreams of becoming a librarian and works in a wildlife animal clinic because she feels much more comfortable around books and animals. Jonathan is a business major who transferred from Northwestern. His future aspirations are working for a big financial firm in NYC so he can make a lot of money and take care of himself and his mother. Annika is socially awkward and very lonely. Jonathan is down on his luck and intrigued by the quiet beauty and as their relationship grows, they find comfort in the strength of their relationship. No good book can be with out a little adversity and Tracey Garvis Graves does a masterful job of creating a story that is so touching and wonderful I am sad to have finished it.

It is extremely rare for me to want to flip back to the beginning and start again as soon as it's over. This is my first book by the author and it definitely will not be my last. The cover art is what caught my attention and the story will stay with me for a long time. The characters were very well developed and relatable, which made the impact of twists that much more powerful. I thought the story was going to be boy meets girl, boy and girl break up and then boy and girl get back together again. Due to how much I loved the characters and this story, I was perfectly content with that. It was so much more and I can't wait to recommend this to everyone I know.


I will post my review in March 2019 on my Goodreads/Amazon/Instagram/Facebook and Listy accounts.

This book was great! I wasn’t sure quite what to expect as I started reading it. It was very intriguing.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

I’m not typically a romance kind of reader, but this one sparked my interest as a psychologist, due to the female character being on the spectrum. Well-written, with well-developed characters that you don’t realize how much you care about until the gut-punch climax.

It's been a while since I've read a proper romance book so The Girl He Used To Know was a nice break from the more heavy books I've been reading recently. It had plenty of romance, which I loved but also had some great life lessons.

The novel moves between the past (1991) where Annika and Jonathan first meet in college, fall in love but are torn apart by a tragic event - and the present (2001) where they reconnect and get to know one another again. Each chapter is told either in Annikas perspective or Jonathans,

The characters in the book were likeable and I enjoyed getting to 'know' them, especially Annika Rose, the main character. Annika is an extremely kind and sweet young woman, who has been through some difficult experiences in her past due to her being deemed 'unusual' by those around her.

We find out that Annika is on the Autism spectrum, and for her parts of the novel we experience the world as Annika does, with an open heart and a joy for life. I enjoyed reading about her persevering character, as she develops and finds healthy ways to manage her anxiety. It was such a great feeling as a reader to see her progress and overcome aspects of her mental illness which were holding her back from enjoying her life to the max.
The writing style flows so nicely - I was once told by my english teacher that writing doesn't flow but it's the best way to describe it! Each time I put the book down, I couldn't wait to pick back up with the story and get back into the sweet love story which Garvis Graves created.

It would be impossible to write a review and not mention Jonathan - he's the type of character that I like reading about. A genuine good guy, who doesn't pressure Annika but is understanding and accepts all her behaviours, without patronising her. Simply put, he gets her, and it's sweet to see the way their relationship grows. While he's not as developed as a character and I didn't connect with him as much, I didn't mind it too much as it felt like - to me anyway, that Annika was the main star of the novel.

I didn't expect to get emotional but what do you know? The last few chapters in particular are heartbreaking and warming all at the same time - I didn't see it coming but it hit me hard all the same. I don't want to spoil anything as it's another major climax in the novel, but just know it will evoke some emotion!

My only critique would be the ending as I would have liked a bit more, it just felt sort of lacking in comparison to how good I found the rest of the novel. Perhaps the characters can be revisited in another book or short story?

Overall, I can say I really enjoyed this novel and would happily read any other books by Tracey Garvis Graves. It's the type of book I enjoy, a good romance with deeper issues explored within it, what's not to love.

4.5 wonderful stars!!

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up The Girl He Used to Know - I’ve read and loved previous novels by Garvis-Graves (On the Island & Covet) and both dealt with the situations of love in somewhat taboo situations (tutor student, extramarital) so the story of Annika and Jonathan taking a totally different turn really surprised me and I absolutely love how this novel played out. Annika is a girl who is stunningly beautiful, but her autism has her lacking confidence when it comes to relationships. When she meets Jonathan at a chess match, they fall in love and her walls begin to come down a bit. The story takes place in two different timelines and the reader is aware something happened between the then and now to push them apart.

This book has such strong characters who are well developed and feel real as well as plot lines that will stay with you for quite some time (they will with me for sure)! I don’t want to spoil anything but I can say this book is a masterpiece and an absolute must read. Tracey Garvis-Graves has outdone herself here and I was thrilled to be an early reader of this beautiful book.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from NetGalley. My opinions are my own.


Annika and Jonathan fall in love in college. Annika has a past that involves bullying and that has caused her to withdraw socially, even more so than she already does naturally. She experiences most firsts with Jonathan, including her first time falling in love. They have a beautiful love affair until they don't.... then one day, ten years later, they bump into each other in the grocery store. They begin to reconnect and then tragedy strikes. I loved reading about how odd Anniak is, her quirks, coping skills and her achievements. I loved reading about how much Jonathan and Anniak loved each other in college. I loved the angish of trying to find out if Anniak and Jonathan had what it takes to make an adult relationship work. There came a point where I almost stopped reading the book. Not because I disliked it, but because I really didn't want to know if this would not work out for the two love birds. I will admit, I am a sucker for all things "The One That Got Away". This book is way more than that. I love when books become movies but I almost wouldn't want The Girl He Used To Know to become a movie because I loved the way I imagined it.

The cover is beautiful and the premise of the story is interesting. It was well thought out but just not my cup of tea.

This is the first book I have ever read by Tracey Garvis Graves, and it was amazing! It had the perfect storyline that kept you interested to the very end. The ending had the perfect twist to make the great even more amazing!!

I've been waiting a long time for another book from Tracey Garvis Graves. I loved her other books and had the honor of meeting her at a book signing in Iowa. I couldn't wait to read this book. And I'm telling you whether you have read one of her books before or this is your first one, you will not be disappointed. I devoured this book from start to finish. Page after page, I was amazed with the story. Annika is a beautiful young lady that by looking at you wouldn't know she was on the Autism Spectrum. Struggling through her life she finally finds true friends and a love that will last a lifetime. Tracey does an amazing job of portraying this beautifully courageous character. Annika was real in my mind as I was turning the pages I could picture her and her life and the daily struggles that she faced. This book is beautiful, amazing and was an honor to read. It had me laughing, crying, on the edge of my seat and had my heart so full of love at the end. You won't be disappointed. The challenges Annika faces are real and can be overcome with love and support. Tracey hit it out of the ballpark with this one. I'd definitely give it more than five stars if I could

“The Girl He Used to Know” by Tracey Garvis Graves is a genuinely heartwarming look at the love story of Annika and Jonathan, told in their present (after a chance meeting in a grocery store) and their past when they met in college 10 years ago. The books flips between their individual perspectives as well as the two different time frames, and I really didn’t want to stop reading. When Jonathan’s friend asks him if Annika moves to the beat of a different drum, he responds that she moves to the beat of a whole different band. And that’s a perfect description. I found myself completely caught up in Annika’s approach to life and Jonathan’s ability to understand her and to love her. I started reading the book two days ago, and it only took so long because real life got in the way. Had I started it on a weekend, I probably wouldn’t have stopped…I was that taken in by it.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Annika is quirky, and I knew early on that she must be on the autism spectrum, but that isn’t confirmed until late in the story. This facet of her life is what drives her persona. She deals with the world and people differently, and Jonathan is exceptionally good at understanding her and making her feel calm and safe. I found myself wondering what could have possibly happened to split them up to begin with, and there is a hint early on that Jonathan met someone else. I really wanted to find out HOW he ended up meeting someone else though because he was so in love with Annika that I couldn’t imagine why they would ever split up. The 10 years apart, however, help her to develop into the independent woman she is even with her careful and structured place in the world.

I will admit that I didn’t pay attention to the timeframe in the chapter headings until I saw September 10, 2001, and Jonathan was flying to New York. I actually gasped when I realized what would be coming. Up until then, the chapter headings had the year 1991 for the past and August 2001/September 2001 for the current day. At that point, I was pretty desperate to finish. Having been glued to the news after September 11, I was anxious about where the author was taking the story. As Annika’s search for Jonathan carried over into several days, I was preparing to write a review that talked about how horrible it was that Annika and Jonathan came back together only for him to die two months later.

I was satisfied with the happy ending, but I would have liked a little more, which is why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5. It wrapped up Annika’s growth pretty well, but it was way too fast. I wanted to know how their story turned out. An epilogue of the present day would have been nice, maybe with Annika and Jonathan teaching a child to navigate the same world that Annika inhabits.

Overall, though, a nice take on a love story that I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This book is scheduled for publication in April 2019.

This is my first book from this author but I can guarantee it won't be my last. TGG had me hooked on her writing from the very first page. The story she built in this one was addictive and beautiful. The growth in the characters was unbelievable, especially with Annika. The flow of the story never got stuck and kept you captivated until the very last word.

Annika will easily be a heroine that won't be forgotten. Her resolve to make it in a world she didn't always understand was admirable and so damn inspiring. She did march to the beat of her own band but she never ever let that deter her from a life she wanted or deserved. Although there was a one huge dark cloud that I worried she just wouldn't shake she took me by surprise and by the end of the book I had goosebumps for the resolve she had. Her perseverance is something we should all aspire to have in our own lives.

Johnathan was just that guy. That guy we all love and can never find anything wrong with. He's just a good guy finding his own way in the world. His patience and understanding of Annika, both past and present, made me love him even more. He was the peace to Annika's chaos and it doesn't get better than that.

The author took on some pretty heavy topics in this book but she did it gracefully. It never felt over the top but just right. These are the types of books I am addicted to. Ones with meaning and will touch not only your heart but your soul in some way. This one will stay with me for a long time.

Loved the characters in this book. They're real, imperfect, and captivating. Annika and Jonathan meet over chess and the alternating timeline give a story of love and love lost with a twist.