Cover Image: The Girl He Used to Know

The Girl He Used to Know

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Member Reviews

I had mixed feelings about this because of the reviews, but I can honestly say when I picked it up I was not disappointed.
This story was about acceptance, love and second chance romances. It was easy to fall in love with the characters and their stories. It was a sweet and cute little read. I was drawn immediately to the cover and the title.
I would recommend this to my fellow readers!

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This book was one I previously had trouble getting into but I have been trying things again that I previously couldn't get on with. I was able to read this one this time with a different mindset and different time. I enjoyed it, I didn't love it but I did enjoy my time with it. I very much enjoyed the diversity and how our main character is on the autism spectrum. I think it was an important story as it displayed that there all different levels to autism and people all function differently that have it. I see so many assumptions out there on how you are a certain way if you are autistic, probably impressions from movies like that of Rain Man but that does not encompass everyone. I enjoyed seeing her romance and how someone who was truly invested in it tried to work with her as a partner rather than think it's too difficult and move on. Overall I enjoyed the story and will always read more by Tracey Garvis Graves.

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This book took me on a roller coaster of emotions. The beginning was slow, the middle was fantastic, and the ending....well, I'm not going to spoil anything, but I almost quit reading it, then loved it, then felt it ended kind of abruptly. I really loved how Annika is written and how Jonathan responds to her. This is a very realistic love story between a woman who is on the autism spectrum and the man who falls in love with her. It is a dual timeline- 1991 when they are in college and 2001 when they reconnect. I will definitely read more by this author.

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This book was amazing, I didn't expect to love it so much, but it touch me in so many ways.It was intense , emotional, fast paced and intense. The story was perfect, it was unique and it has a deep meaning.It's not your usual romance.

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A beautifully told second chance romance.
Despite my dislike of flashbacks format to establish the couple’s history, it transitioned in a way that created meaning to the present. Add-in a heroine on the Spectrum, Annika’s and Jonathan’s story beautifully unfolded into a tale that gave a meaningful perspective and blissful contentment.

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Whoa. This book caught me off guard. I loved the characters in this book so much. Their love story was so sweet and genuine. I felt so much for Annika and wanted her to succeed so badly. I wasn’t fully paying attention to the present timeline towards the end so everything there just floored me and I ended up crying. Crying! I don’t usually cry easily in books, but this one got me. I loved it!!!

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I read this little book rather quickly. Every time I thought I knew where this book was going I found out I was wrong at every turn. The last part of the book was sobering- totally unexpected and absolutely nerve-wracking!! It was a beautiful, earnest, heartbreaking-at-times story. And it had some serious chunks of wisdom that will stay with me for a while.

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I loved this book from the very first sentence. I knew the main character was going to be someone I wanted to know more about and I knew I was going to learn so much from her. As someone with a severe anxiety disorder I understand the issues and fears of interacting when others when you are not sure how to interact properly. The time in my life that I was reading this I was working on a diagnosis for my daughter that we assumed was autism, we later found out that is was something different but I was still profoundly changed by the interaction of Annika and her parents. Annika's mom did not prepare her for what she was going to face in the world even though she saw how much her husband and Annika's dad struggled with his own autism.

I loved the relationship between Johnathan and Annika and I hope that my daughter has a person in her life like Johnathan.

The style of the book was easy to read and I enjoyed the multiple POV and timelines. The reader was able to see relationships and growth over time in order to build characters and plot.

I recommend this book to everyone. Everyone in this world could learn to see people for who they are despite differences and despite prejudice. I was given an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I give this book 5 stars

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This story blindsided me. I was all in with the storyline and the history and the challenges and saw a different ending in my head but I couldn't make sense of the timeline until the big twist reveals itself and OMG, it is huge and unexpected.
The Girl He Use To Know isn’t your everyday love story, it’s more. It’s different, unique and easy read.

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A touching romance I did not want to put down. Loved reading about Annika, a woman on the autism spectrum and how she sees the world. Highly recommend.

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Annika Rose likes being alone.
She feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting the wrong way. She just can't read people. She prefers the quiet solitude of books or playing chess to being around others.

I love when you read a book and you fall deeply in love with the characters. This book is filled with hopes and dreams, and makes you want to come back for more!

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This was a unique story which was so enchanting. I loved the characters that were woven into the pages of this novel. It was an enjoyable read that I just couldn't put down.

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The premise of the book is great and the author really delivers. Great read. Highly recommended. .

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Actual rating - 4.5 stars

Guys ... there isn't much about this book that I didn't absolutely LOVE.

First and foremost, what a breath of fresh air to read about a character on the Autism/Asperger's spectrum. Annika is someone that you cannot help but love. I truly appreciated her searing honesty, passion for chess and her unwavering love for Jonathan.

Now, onto Jonathan. CAN WE SAY SWOON-WORTHY? My word ... this man was so incredible to read about. And while he is fictional, I hope that there are real Jonathan's out there who accept and love purely, regardless of someone's differences. Their love story was very special and I smiled CONSTANTLY as it unfolded and matured.

Finally, everyone in the world needs a girlfriend like Janice. I swear to God, this is one bad-ass female who fought to protect Annika in an unsure world, yet gave her wings to fly and when she fell, was there to pick up all the pieces. I loved this strong relationship and would actually have LOVED to see a few chapters from her perspective.

This was fantastic on audiobook - I really liked that they chose a female and male narrator for each character. You'll find it very difficult to put this one down. I was rooting for Annika and Jonathan every step of the way in this book. I am SO beyond excited about Tracey's new book!

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The Girl He Used to Know was a fantastic read for me. I loved both Annika and Jonathan's characters; they both broke my heart many times over. There was a softness about them together that you don't often see in books that feature a romance as a main plot, and it made it such a sweet read. The reason I rated this four stars instead of five was because I feel like the ending came out of nowhere. While not every book needs an epilogue (in fact, if you ask me, most don't) I really would have liked to see one here.

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The first 3/4 of this book had my complete attention. The chapters are super quick and you cannot help but love the main characters. side note: there were a few things about Jonathan I was not on board with but revealing them would spoil it for you, so I'm staying mum.

But, let's talk the last quarter of the book. I was SO mad when I realized what was about to happen,. I am super sensitive when authors use the events of 9/11 as a plot point and immediately lost all the steam I built up in the first 3/4 of the book. I was blindsided and not prepared and did not like that at all.

I read this one in 2 days and it was a page turner. I just felt the ending took a complete turn and took away from what I was initially invested in.

I thank St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this one. I would read this author again.

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This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

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What an amazing story. I found the main characters to be so endearing and we rooting for her throughout the book! Highly recommend this one!

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I was a bit skeptical about this book after having not enjoyed one of the author's previous releases. I can happily say that I enjoyed The Girl He Used to Know very much and have recommended it to several friends.

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Annika first met Jonathan in college in the chess club. She was almost ready to call it quits and go back home but with her roommate’s help and then meeting Jonathan, she was able to make it on her own. Despite never explicitly saying that Annika is on the Autism spectrum, she has issues connecting to others and frankly prefers animals to humans. Annika and Jonathan loved each other but issues pulled them apart and now ten years later, they are given a chance. Can this couple find a happy ending? I was expecting that this was going to be a wonderful romance novel and while I enjoyed some parts about, it did not meet my expectations.

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