"The Girl He Used to Know" by Tracey Garvis Graves was an amazing book. I literally couldn't put it down from the moment I started it and read it in one evening. I loved Annika's development, and watching how she grew from her freshman year of college to adulthood. Her relationship with Jonathan was so compelling and beautiful and often had me in tears. I could relate to her because I was made to understand her and her struggles with autism. Jonathan managed to be completely lovable while still being a real person. Annika was also a real, well-rounded person, not just a caricature of her disability.
Somehow, I'm an idiot and wasn't anticipating the 9/11 plot line until the date appeared on the page. Then I was so, so anxious about what was going to happen to the characters that I could barely read each word in my need to find out what happened. This part threw me off a little because it felt so much different than the rest of the book and felt kind of apart from the rest of the plot. It's also such an intense, terrible thing that I just felt distant from it, like it wasn't real. But overall, it gave the book a beautiful ending and I am so happy I got to read this book. It gave me a new perspective on people with autism and on relationships and how we form them and how they do and don't change us. I can't even express how good this book is--just read it!

Annika and Jonathan’s story broke my heart and knitted it together at the same time. It will take a special someone to love Annika and Jonathan is that special someone. They missed ten years of their lives, but maybe Annika needed to really mature to have a successful relationship with a man. They reconnected, but thie story was set in the 9/11 year. It was that and the role Annika played to find Jonathan that really sealed the deal for me. This story reminded me of the book ‘Find You in the Dark’ by A. Meredith Walters. The hero in that book is a little like Annika. Actually, Clayton has deeper diagnosis, if there’s anything like that. There were also several books, which dealt with 9/11. One of such where the heroine lost someone is ‘Searching for Moore’ by Julie A. Richman. Even though it wasn’t the hero, but it was still harrowing. Annika came through for Jonathan this time around. She stretched herself to drive twelve hours! Save a man and his son (only Annika will pick up a hitchhiker at night), because the man was carrying a kid.

In all, this story touched me at this point of my life. There is still goodness left in man towards others. I wish they will live happily ever after. I wish we get an epilogue though when the final draft comes out.

Am giving this my rare 5 stars!

The Girl He Used To Know will be one of my favorites for 2019I I love how we slowly unravel the love story of Annika and Jonathan interspersed with their present story. I found myself mesmerized by Annika, with her social challenges and quirks, loyal kindness and innocence. I was so torn between finding out what happens but not wanting to because I was so attached to these characters and their lives. In the end, I was taken totally off guard in public with my children asking why I was crying in an airport! I absolutely recommend this book. I received an ARC of this book, all opinions are my own.

Wow! Read this book! Heart wrenching! Beautiful! What an incredible window into the heart of a young woman who struggles with being on the Autism Spectrum and what life is like even years before there was an understanding of what Autism is and her diagnosis. It is a story of love and a story of not running away even when the unbelievable and impossible tragedy occurs. A story of love and miracles!

Annika isn’t like all the other y’all, blonde, pretty coeds that Jonathan has met. She’s an excellent chess player, says exactly what she means, be socially awkward. But that just makes him fall her even harder. When they break up they’re both devastated and then a chance meeting 10 years later gives them the option to rekindle their romance. Can Annika prove to Jonathan that she’s changed and not that girl that broke his heart all those years ago?

I loved this book so much! It was such a simple read but I really loved the way the author told Annika and Jonathan’s story through the flashbacks and the alternating narration. I feel like you knew that they’d probably give their relationship another go, but I in no way could have predicted the ending. I kind of started to guess when I saw the dates but I definitely couldn’t predict everything. I almost cried while reading it on the bus! Definitely pick this one up!

This was disappointing, particularly the ending. The entire time I was reading it, it just felt constrained by the time period (the present is 2001 in this book). It actually read as though the author wanted to include 9/11 in the book no matter how much the book didn't benefit from such a constraint in terms of the characters and the stories. It just felt like a cheap ending, especially given all the other unnecessary drama in the book.

The Girl He Used to Know comes out next week on April 2, 2019, and you can purchase HERE. For other, better romances involving the autism spectrum, you may consider The Kiss Quotient and Flat-Out Celeste.

"I transferred to the Chicago office about five years ago," he says. It astounds me that all the time, as I've walked around the city I now call home, I never knew bumping into him was a possibility. How many times have we been within a certain-mile radius of each other and not known it? How many times were we behind or in front of each other on a busy sidewalk, or dining in the same restaurant?

This was not for me.

Look, the writing is fabulous and the story is interesting, but Annika clearly had too many anxieties and behaviorally confusing. Jonathan is the good looking guy. They 'change each other's lives'

This is a second chance type romance book, but I couldn't connect with either character. They both felt emotionally immature and just...Manic Pixie Dream Girl.

Still, I can see why some people love this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.

It was ten years since she let him go. Annika spent those ten years working on herself and becoming more independent. After a decade, she wanted to show Jonathan, that she wasn't quite the girl he used to know and that she was hopefully the girl he still loved.

Graves had me hook, line, and sinker from the very beginning of this story. I am trash for second chance romances, and seeing these two meet again after so many years made me believe the universe had a plan for them.

I probably would have been happy enough just getting the present day tale of these two rekindling their romance, but it was made even more interesting via the flashbacks. It was like getting to see Annika and Jonathan fall in love twice, and I was exceedingly happy for them both times.

The flashbacks also served the purpose of showing us what went wrong so many years ago, and helped me understand all the ways both Annika and Jonathan grew and changed. Each were different due to their experiences over the years, but they were still essentially the same two people, who met and fell in love back at the University of Illinois.

Call it mushy, call it OTT emotional, but I am all about that. There were so many beautiful moments in this love story, and I gladly ingested each and every one. Not only did the romance work my heartstrings, but I fell head over heels for Annika.

She was so lovely and honest and kind. It pained me to hear about the way she had been treated in the past, but Jonathan and her best friend, Janice were two stupendous humans, who luckily were able to see what was in Annika's heart, and they loved her for it.

My only complaint about this book was something Graves did towards the end. It was an extreme way to have Annika prove that she would not run and that she was all in with Jonathan. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish, but like I said, it was a pretty extreme circumstance she elected to use.

And, though the ending gave me an idea about where Annika and Jonathan's futures were heading, I really wished we had an epilogue to let me know where they ended up.

Even though the ending left me wanting, I still enjoyed every second of this story. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I swooned. This book provided me with some fantastic feels, and I am so glad I got to see Annika and Jonathan take that second chance on each other.

I requested this book because I had read the author before and really liked her writing style [even though I am not a fan of romance AT ALL - she writes in such a realistic way, that it doesn't feel like a typical romance, it just feels like life and what happens in life] and thought that this would be a nice and fluffy book in the midst of all the hard books I had going on at the same time.

I. WAS. WRONG.

This is NOT [I repeat, NOT] a light and fluffy book. This is NOT a beach book. This is a book that is and can be a quick read [I could have read it in one sitting if not for needing that pesky thing called sleep], but it is also a book that you will think on and reflect on for D A Y S afterwards. It will make you think about how you treat everyone around you, it will CHANGE how you look at people and it may or may not give you hope if you have been hurt and burned by love or friendships [or both].

I really cannot review this book anymore than this because I am very anti-spoiler and delving into Annika and Jonathan's story here would absolutely require spoilers and would take away from the loveliness that is their story. Because it is a beautiful story. It is a story of friendship. It is a story of risks being taken for friendship. And it is a story of love. Love that comes from being willing to jump in and accept someone at face value and learn that person instead of trying to make them into someone you want them to be. It is an absolutely beautiful, gorgeous story and I am so grateful to have read it.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Annika and Jonathan dated while in college. Now, after a chance encounter 10 years later, they start seeing each other again. First, as friends and then, maybe, as something more. Alternating between the past and the present, many blanks are filled in as The Girl He Used to Know blends with the woman she's become. Why did they break up? How have they changed during their decade apart? Will their second chance at love survive the test of time?

Girl is so much more than just another love story. It's also a coming of age story about the power of love and friendship and overcoming obstacles while finding your place in the world.

"Life isn't easy for anyone. We all have challenges. We all face adversity. It's how we overcome it that makes us who we are."

I found Girl heartwarming, and it brought tears to my eyes several times. Annika's character was endearingly quirky, and the portrayal of first love was sweet and romantic... yet there were also some passionate love scenes (wink wink).

Location: Chicago, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and NYC

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Beautiful and inspiring! Annika is a little quirky, highly intelligent and socially awkward. Today we recognize it as possible highly functioning autism, on the spectrum. When she was in college, 1991, this wasn't really well known and testing for it was rare or unheard of. Jump ahead ten years and she adapts to the world and has plenty of coping mechanisms and people she counts on. One of those being Jonathon, her college boyfriend. He's special in the sweetest way possible, considers her feelings and admires her ability to adapt. They struggle through something huge, fall apart and meet up again in 2001. We get their story in flashbacks as it pertains to their reunion. I fell in love with Annika and her "weird" ways because I believe we all have a touch of weird and use special ways to deal with the strange and unwanted things in our lives. Just like another favorite book of hers, On the Island, Graves has taken a historical event and woven it in to her story. She writes books that are unforgettable and unique. I was lucky to receive a copy through Netgalley and wrote my review voluntarily.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Tracey Garvis Graves for the opportunity to read this wonderful book. 5 stars because I absolutely adored both Annika and Jonathan, as well as most of the characters in this book.

It's 2001 and Annika runs into her first love, Jonathan, at a grocery store in Chicago where she works as a librarian and he works as an investment banker. Alternating chapters take us back to 1991 where they met at college. Annika is autistic, although not diagnosed or even discussed back then, and is struggling to adapt to college after being homeschooled since 7th grade. Chess club is the only place where she can let down her guard and be herself, and that's where she meets Jonathan. They begin a friendship that turns to deep love but it can't survive a life-changing event. Fast forward to 2001 - can they rekindle the magic or is it too late?

I didn't want this book to end and - it was probably just me - I was startled by the revolution near the end of the book. Such a great portrayal of autism and how wonderful that Annika had such supporting people around her. A must read, feel good story!

The Girl He Used to Know is one excellent read! It's also a wonderful love story, but there’s so much more to it than that!

Annika Rose has felt out of place all her life. She knows she's different from other people; she doesn’t understand why they talk the way they do, or act as they do, why they keep looking at her as though they expect her to do or say something, or as if she did or said something wrong. She’s never had a friend, been on a date or done most of the things young people her age have. She’s on the autism scale, high functioning, in fact she’s brilliant, but suffers from anxiety and has difficulty socializing. It doesn’t help that she was removed from school in the 7th grade due to bullying, and home-schooled until she started college. Thankfully, her freshman roommate, Janice, took her under her wing, and became a good friend, helping Annika understand people and how they think, what is expected of her in various situations, and advising her on clothes, make-up etc. Annika, now a senior in college, is grateful for her friend’s tutelage and relies heavily on it.

Jonathan Hoffman meets Annika in 1991 when he transfers to the University of Illinois from Northwestern. He joins the chess club and is paired up with Annika (not a club member despite years of urging by Eric, leader of the chess club) for a game. By the end of the game, he is smitten and walks her home. He has never met someone like Annika and finds her beautiful, smart, and amazingly honest. Annika finds him very comfortable to be with, smart, quiet and caring. Just being with him calms her. Soon they are spending all their free time together.

The story is told from both the points of view of Annika and of Jonathan. It is interesting to be an onlooker as he comes to understand her needs and gently, patiently fulfills them, and as she comes to realize that she wants to be with someone. They fall in love and make plans to go to New York together after graduation, something that both are very excited about. But a tragedy befalls them, and Jonathan moves to New York alone, expecting Annika to come when she can. She never does.

Ten years later, in 2001, they meet again in Chicago. While the way they parted has each of them feeling awkward, they can’t deny the feelings that are rekindled simply by seeing one another again. But if they can’t talk about what tore them apart before, will they be able to move past it and have the life together they once wanted?

Not as much was known about autism in the time period covered in the book as is known today. The author does a wonderful job of conveying the difficulties, fears and frustrations of someone with autism interacting with the world around them. Graves has written an endearing, fascinating story with deep, rich characters that I came to care about. All in all, a very satisfying, memorable read!

Many thanks to NetGalley and to St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions expressed here are my own.

I finished this book last month and I still haven’t been able to find the words to describe how special this book is. Great seems like such a small word for how good this book is.

I’ve been a fan of Tracy Garvis Graves since On The Island, one of my favorite reads of all time, and a go-to comfort read. The Girl He Used To Know might join that exclusive club.

I was enraptured with Annika from the moment I met her. Having a daughter on the Spectrum, I found some aspects of Annika’s personality to ring so true. I encouraged my sister and my older daughter to read the book as well—not only because they are also Graves’ fans—but because this book shares insight into the way my younger daughter thinks.

And Jonathan was her perfect counter-point.

There were times this book brought chuckles to me, deep despair, tears, and then ultimate satisfaction that it ended up just right for the characters in the story.

Sometimes I waver between four and five stars, but not this time. A solid five-star review
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I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

I really really loved this book! It does such a good job of describing someone who is on the spectrum and how it can affect their everyday lives.
I love Annika & Jonathan's relationship and how he took the time to know her and love all of her quirks.
When I got to the chapter where it said it was September 11, 2001 my heartbroke. But I am so glad that it ended like it did.
A beautiful book!

This is the story of Annika and Jonathan told in dual timelines and POVs we get to see their story. We see how they met in college and how they fell in love. Annika is on the autism spectrum which I loved the representation and we see how she functions at college and doing through the experience of trying to make friends and dating. They meet at chess club and soon they become friends and soon after that Jonathan falls for Annika.

Annika is a breath of fresh air for Jonathan he likes how she is so honest. She can’t lie and she wears her heart on her sleeve. She was taken advantage of by a guy she liked before but with the help of her roommate, she slowly starts getting the hang of college life. So when she meets Jonathan and they hit it off she doesn’t know he likes her. They begin to spend time together and they fall in love but Annika wants certain things in life and so does Jonathan so when it comes time to move together Annika doesn't show up leaving Jonathan heartbroken. Flash forward a few years and Annika and Jonathan randomly bump into each other and both are single and despite the years Annika still makes Jonathan’s heart skip a beat. They decide to reconnect and hang out never feeling like time has passed. The connection that they have never has gone away, he was her first love and the one who loved and supported her when others didn't even see her.

I really enjoyed this novel of a second chance at love but the only thing I didn’t like was that I felt the ending was rushed. We get the grand love story between these two but everything just felt forced at the end. 9/11 plays a huge part towards the end and while that in it’s self is emotional I just felt their story just wrapped up too fast. This was a good love story and Tracey Garvis Graves gave us a couple you will root for.

There are a couple authors whose books I LOVE. I pre-order their new-releases, download them the moment they are available, squeal with delight when I’m approved for the ARC.

But then I let the book sit in my Kindle for months, unread. I’m not exactly sure why.

Because I always end up loving the story, devouring page after page, unable to put the book down. Always, I kick myself for not reading the book the very second I had it in my possession. Yet, I hesitate over and over. Probably because I know the book isn’t light and fluffy and pure entertainment. Probably because I know my mind and my heart will be fully invested and a piece of soul will change. It’s a heady endeavor to undertake in a flippant way and I feel like I need to be in the right headspace before starting such an endeavor. So I question myself:

Have I prepared myself sufficiently?
Is my mind (and the house) cleared enough so I’m not distracted and can give the book the proper amount of attention?

Is that overthinking things??? Probably. But I knew this book could be epic, and I wanted to give it the respect it deserves. And be prepared for the carnage on my heart that may ensue.

Because Ms. Graves has caused it several times. And DAMN IT. She did it again.

Annika Rose was a college senior at the University of Illinois when she met Jonathan Hoffman at chess club. She’s socially awkward, but by the end of their first game of chess, Jonathan was smitten. They spent their final year of college playing chess, learning about each other, and falling in love. When a sad, unfortunate situation occurs, it upends their plans for a future together in New York and they went their separate ways.

Ten years later, Annika and Jonathan have a chance meeting in the frozen food aisle at their local grocery store in Chicago. Both are shocked to see the other, but Annika recovers enough to ask if Jonathan would like to meet for coffee. She’s anxious to show him she’s not the girl he used to know, and he wants to know if they’re able to put things back together after so many years apart, after things were left unresolved between them the first time.

This story is told in alternating present and past storylines, taking place in 2001 and 1991. We know something devastating caused the demise of their relationship, and it was an excruciating wait to find out what. In the meantime, we see how Annika has learned to deal with life and get a glimpse of what it’s like - the challenges and coping mechanisms - of living with an autism-spectrum disorder. You feel her frustrations, her discomfort, her heartaches as she navigates a life that makes sense to everyone but her. You feel her joy in finding someone who seems to understand her and loves her, but also her confusion in not knowing how to be in a relationship.

I was finding the whole book fascinating, and heartwarming, and was feeling so hopeful that Jonathan was as interested in reconnecting as Annika was, all the while asking myself “why is this book taking place in 2001 and not today?” I was happily reading along when, at 80 percent, I got a dreaded, sinking feeling about exactly why this story was taking place when it was.

And BOOM. Here comes the carnage I knew I needed to prepare myself for.

DAMN YOU, TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES. Damn you.

A few short pages after my suspicions, I was transported from a heartfelt and compelling story to one where I wasn’t sure if everything would turn out okay.

And then, just as I’m getting the answer…

Book over.

Not gonna lie...BIGGEST disappointment ever. It was such an abrupt, unsatisfying ending. I may have been able to bring myself with being okay about the emotional rollercoaster Ms. Graves forced us on if we’d gotten a better picture of a happily ever after. But nope. The rollercoaster hadn’t even skidded to a stop, the safety harness was still engaged, and the attendant pushed us out onto the platform without ceremony. There was no more to the story. I can’t decide if I want to give the book five stars, or two, all because I’m so pissed off at the ending.

An hour after finishing, my heart was still pounding a little, and that “bottom fell out” feeling hadn’t left my stomach. So even if I do feel a bit perturbed at being emotionally manipulated, I gotta give the author props for that. I mean, how often does a book give a reader such a visceral reaction? I fault myself a bit for not being more mentally prepared - since I waited so long to read The Girl He Used to Know I could have read some other reviews and known something big was gonna happen, and that we’re left with an unceremonious ending. Would that have kept me from reading the book? Absolutely not - Tracey Garvis Graves is one of my all-time favorite authors. But I sure wish I’d managed my expectations better.

* thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Annika Rose, an anxious and socially-inept English major at the University of Illinois, prefers the company of animals and books except when she’s concentrating on a challenging game of chess. Jonathan Hoffman meets her after joining the chess club his senior year (having transferred from Northwestern). Over a series of games (“one of the ways we communicate best”) and evening escorts to her apartment, they fall in love. Despite the quirks and awkwardness that have led to her being bullied, assaulted and ostracized throughout her life, he is drawn to her ethereal beauty, her courage, and her straightforwardness and feels he can be himself with her. She falls easily for him because he’s the first man whose touch she can tolerate, who protects her, and who loves her without wanting to change her. Although they have plans to move to New York together after graduation, a tragedy delays her departure, and her subsequent postponements finally lead him to believe she no longer loves him, leaving both of them to navigate their lives alone.

Ten years later, they’re both living in Chicago and run into each other. He is divorced and working for a branch of a New York financial firm, and she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a librarian. After years of therapy, she’s ready to love him as he deserves and he’s looking for a fresh start. “The affection I once felt for Annika might have gone dormant for a while, but it roars out of hibernation and makes me feel better about life than I have in a long time.” They both know they’ll eventually have to talk about what drove them apart, but will they be able to rekindle their love before they lose the chance for good?

Graves does a brilliant job of getting readers into the mindset of a person with high-functioning autism (the diagnosis comes late in the book), and paints a frustrating and bleak picture of what it means to be different in a world that is threatened by anything outside the norm. The love between Annika and Jonathan and the kindness and protectiveness they share warms the heart. The chapters alternate between 1991 and 2001, a date which becomes shockingly familiar towards the end of the story. This novel is about unconditional love, endurance, and the lengths people will go to protect those they cherish. Share it with fans of Susan Meissner’s A Fall of Marigolds and Jill Santopolo’s The Light We Lost.


I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Annika and Jonathan. I loved their love for each other. A perfect couple although they are not perfect people. Annika has trouble managing life because she was not given the correct playbook. Watching her struggle made me realize how much everyone struggles throughout life, especially during those college years. Seeing Annika learn from her mistakes, with a huge amount of help from her friends, brought me joy. This book is definitely a feel good book.

A very enjoyable light read with great characters. I liked the story including the writing style and especially the friendship between Annika & Janice.

I would like to thank NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest review.