Annika Rose is an awkward English major at the University of Illinois. She has anxiety in every social situation--she doesn't know how to respond or how to act. She over analyzes every interaction with others. Her over analysis comes in handy every Sunday night when she casually plays chess with the members of the chess club. This is the only time she enjoys the company of others--she prefers her solitary life.



Jonathan Hoffman is trying to finish out his last year of college at U of I since he had to transfer there from Northwestern. Jonathan has always enjoys a good game of chess. The first time he ever loses is the same day he loses his heart to the quiet awkward girl. He slowly uncovers what makes Annika tick one piece at a time. She is brutally honest --almost to a fault. But he loves that she doesn't play games and tells it like it is. She pushes and challenges him like no one has before.



Jonathan was offered a job in New York and Annika remains in Chicago to finish her degree and recovery. Though the two made plans to be together after her graduation...they grew apart by tragedy. Annika realized that she needed to learn to take care of herself without her best friend and roommate or without Jonathan. But that didn't stop the anxiety or her "weird quirks" as her co-workers call it. Later, Annika finds out exactly why she is the way she is. Her therapist helps her cope and deal with her inner turmoils and encourages her to step outside of her comfort zone. That's what lead Annika to give Jonathan her phone number when she ran into him at the grocery store ten years later.



What started out as a "let's catch up" lead to a new relationship. But Jonathan is fresh off of a divorce and is attempting to re-establish himself at the Chicago office of the financial brokerage company he works for. How can he have a relationship with Annika and have a flourishing career where his is required to take a plus one to assist him with networking? Annika can barely talk to him let alone socialize with strangers! But after a new diagnosis from a neuropsychologist and her therapist--Annika has new skills that she didn't have before.

Annika is further pushed beyond anyone's comfort with a new tragedy that changed not only her life but the lives of an entire nation on September 11th. Her boyfriend, brother, and best friend's husband were all at work in the financial district in New York. One of them were in the South Tower of the World Trade Center when a commercial flight hit the building. Annika is determined to get to her loved one--no matter her own personal fears including her fear of driving.

This book is all about 2nd chances.

I was hooked from the get go. I really liked how the chapters were from alternating perspectives.

Definitely a must read, a few tears were shed as well.

5 million stars!
First let me start off by saying that The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves, is one of the best books I have ever read, Funny think is, On The Island is another one of my all time favorite books, and it is also written by
Tracey Garvis Graves. If you are looking for a beautifully written story with lots of emotion and wonderfully written characters, then her books are for you.

The Girl He Used to Know is an emotional tale of second chance love, with a curve ball storyline thrown in. Annika and Jonathan had a unique love story. They have something so special, it does really conquer all. It is a rollercoaster of a relationship that is played out through their college years as well as in the year 2001.

Annika was such a beautiful soul that I felt so much for. I loved her story and wanted more. Even days after finishing it, I am still am thinking about it. It left me with such a book hangover. I need more to this story!

This story was so well developed and drew me in from the opening pages. The characters were easy to invest yourself in. I would recommend this over and over again.

I recieved a free Advanced Readers Copy of The Girl He Used To Know from NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review. I am so glad I did too, because I absolutely loved this book! It had everything I enjoy in a good heartwarming story. A wonderful telling of not only one, but two loves stories between Annika and Johnathan. Well rounded characters you can't help but care about and become invested in their decisions as the story develops. A strong female lead, with plenty of twists, turns, and even more complicated given Annika's perspective of life. Yet through it all, every character had amazing life lessons that the audience can relate to and apply to their lives. I loved it and can't wait to share it with my bookclub, #BooksBrewsandBags

Fans of women’s fiction as well as romance will love this story of a second chances.

Annika and Jonathan were a couple back in collage and a chance meeting in a shop ten years later just serves to reinforce the attraction that Annika felt all those years ago. But of course, a lot can happen in ten years and Annika knows that she’s not the same girl anymore.

We learn fairly early on in the book that Annika struggles in day-to-day situations and certainly; I suspected that Annika would be on the spectrum. For many people this makes Annika someone to avoid, to make fun of and for some, to take advantage of.

But Jonathan is different and he takes the time to get to know Annika and to try to understand her.

The story is told from both Annika and Jonathan’s point of view and is divided into when they are in college in 1991 and then again when they both find themselves living in the same city in 2001.

Many thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a gift for me, giving me remarkable insight into the life of a young woman on the Autism spectrum. Annika is one of the narrators in remarkable novel that tells the story of a love affair, almost doomed by her issues, with a man who loves her unconditionally.

The story is divided into the two periods of the relationship between Annika and Jonathan, in college 1991 and again when they reconnect in 2001. Despite their great love and plans for a future together a tragedy crushes the fragile Annika and she withdraws from school and their future together.

The extraordinary thing for a reader is seeing the world through the eyes of someone on the spectrum whose guileless honesty and social awkwardness make her a figure of fun, until she meets Jonathan.

The two meet by chance 10 years later. Annika has learned new coping skills and has gained strength, Jonathan is able to rekindle their love and, again, find peace and calm dealing with her unique quirks.

When tragedy strikes again, we root for them, and glory in Annika’s inner strength and courage.

This is a special book, especially for educators who often deal with students on the spectrum. I look forward to many discussions on campus in book clubs and seminars. Thank you NETGALLEY for allowing me to read this unique novel.

I really enjoyed this book by Tracey Garvis Graves. The main characters Annika and Jonathan meet at Chess club during their Senior year of college. Annika recognizes that she has a difficult time reading social cues and is probably "on the spectrum" but has never had herself tested. Annika is a sensitive sole who you can't help but care about. The reader wants to protect her. Jonathan is a transfer student at her school who is at a low point when they meet. The story is told from two time perspectives. We see the couple during college and then almost a decade later when they meet again. This is a love story but more so it is the story of how Annika learns to navigate the world around her as well as her finding the confidence to face life head on. The only weak part of the novel, is probably the way that Annika and Jonathan breakup during college. I felt that he would have fought harder to not let her shut down on him. On the other hand their breakup was necessary for Annika to develop into a strong and confident woman. I would have liked more of an epilogue but all in all- this was a very satisfying read.

This book amazed me. For a while, I had a hard time identifying with Annika but by the end, I closed the book and said "Wow" out loud. I actually cried. Moving and heartfelt.

Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the advanced read in exchange for this review.

I LOVED this book. Annika is anxious socially and has a hard time reading people's behaviors. She meets Jonathan and feels like she can finally be herself. They are supposed to be together, and they are. It's a beautiful love story until something rips them apart. Now 10 years later, they reunite.

Annika is the star of this book. Learning about her and how she navigates the world made the story for me. Tracey Garvis Graves writes about Annika with such sensitivity, and it's about what Annika can do, not what she can't. Jonathan is swoon worthy and you can feel how much he cares and loves Annika on each page.

I felt the plot twist at the end was unnecessary and really took away from the essence of the story. It's not enough to feel like it ruins the story, but it felt like too much. I suppose it's not really a plot twist if you read the dates, but I was surprised and a little disappointing when I came to that part. Also, I wanted an epilogue after all of that!

All in all, it's a heartwarming and touching story where you learn something about people and feel something good.

I was looking forward to this story and had hoped to fall in love with it because I like this author, but I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. Annika is insecure and the flashbacks to her college years explain why so her insecurities aren’t annoying. But I thought her reason for breaking up with Jonathan all those years ago was a bit cliche and not strong enough. It’s great when they stumble upon each other, but then when tragedy strikes again on that very dreaded date that will forever be in every American’s mind, I just couldn’t. I guess I should’ve seen it coming but I didn’t realize it until it was too late. Overall, fans of this author will enjoy this book.

Once again, Ms. Graves writing skills transports you to an alternate universe of uniqueness. Honest to goodness, if you are looking for a romance which is a far cry from the usual, this author fills the bill. I couldn’t have been more engrossed if I tried.

I’d never read anything by Tracey Gervis Graves before I downloaded the digital galley of The Girl He Used to Know, but you can bet that I’ll be picking up her other works before long. 

It was refreshing to read a love story written by an author who didn’t feel the need to make either of her protagonists self-destructive, cruel, or tormented. Neither did Graves bombard readers with pointless plot twists or over-the-top drama. Instead, we get to follow along as two uniquely kind people find love, comfort, and understanding in one another.

Jonathan and Annika meet in college and fall in love, though they struggle to keep their relationship together in the face of tragedy. Ten years after their breakup, having had a decade to grow up and gain the wisdom that only comes with time and experience, they fall back in love and make another attempt at building a life together. The challenges they face along the way are realistic, relatable, and endearing. Annika, who falls somewhere along the autism spectrum, and Jonathan are two genuinely good people, and their love story is filled with compassion, thoughtfulness, and devotion.

The bulk of the character and plot development is relayed through Jonathan and Annika via internal monologues, which offer commentary on both the past and the present. I enjoyed getting to read both perspectives throughout the book and I can see why Graves made that choice—it allows us a glimpse at the inner-workings of Annika’s mind and convinces us of Jonathan’s sincerity. Nevertheless, it means that the majority of the book does more 'telling' than 'showing,' and I tend to prefer the latter. I’m also torn over the final events of the story. Jonathan and Annika are forced to endure another, much larger, tragedy after they reconnect in their early thirties. The choice of tragedy felt a little trope-ish to me—I think there were more creative choices available—but that may just be a matter of personal taste.

If you’re a fan of realistic loves stories that swing more towards happy endings and hope than drama and cynicism, The Girl He Used to Know is a lovely and compelling read. I fell in love with just about every character and finished the book quite quickly, eager to find out how Jonathan and Annika’s story ended.

I LOVED this book. I wish I could give it 10 stars!!! I honestly did not even know what it was about before diving in but I have read all of Tracey Garvis Graves books and have loved all of her writing so I was confident I would adore this one as well and I was not wrong.
This might be my favorite book of her...but then again, I say that about all her books!
The main character Annika was the key to the success of this story. She was not only a unique character but the way the author incorporated the autism into her character was so true to life- I was deeply impressed.
The character of Jonathan was also beautifully developed- the way he cared for her so deeply and really saw the incredible person who she was, had me in tears.
The ending of the book made me nervous. I did not know how this book was going to end and I found myself holding my breath. Graves did an incredible job completing this journey of the characters and it had one of the best endings I have read. I highly recommend this book (and all of Graves' books!) Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Initially, I was reluctant about this heroine. Television's Sheldon Cooper has seemingly launched a whole wave of 'quirky' characters who may or may not be on the spectrum, and while it's great to see a wider range of humanity represented in storytelling, it often feels forced or gimmicky. But I fell in love with Annika and Jonathan, and their love story. I was not ready for the book to end, and was sad when I turned the last page; I wanted to stay longer. Fans of second chance romance will not be disappointed.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC!

I wasn't sure I would enjoy this book, but it sucked me in and proved me wrong. The character of Annika made the book great. We get to meet her and flash between her time at college and ten years later. I was about a quarter of the way into the book when it hit me what year the ten years later meant. If you're paying attention as you read then you see what's coming. It speaks to the author's character development that I didn't walk away from the book when I put it together. There was a lot of angst in this book and the ending just added to it. Yet, I wanted to keep reading to see what happened with Annika and Jonathan. This was a romance, but not in the usual sense and I enjoyed the story. This was my first book by Tracey Garvis-Graves and I will be checking out her other novels.

With a heroine that I can relate to in almost every situation, this is probably going to be one of my favorite books of 2019. I have read only a few of the authors previous novels and really liked them, but this one spoke to me in so many ways. It's a beautiful and complicated story, one that will touch upon many hearts in the months and year to come. I very much recommend it, even if you are unfamiliar with the authors work.

At the very surface, this is a second chance love story. But for me this story was more than that because of the Annika the main character. I really liked her! She is such an interesting character and not your typical female protagonist. I appreciated getting to know her.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advance copy of this book.

Love this author's books, and this one did not disappoint. This is a book you won't easily forget.
You won't be able to out it down.
Thanks to author,publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free,it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

I loved this book! The heroine, Annika, is refreshingly different from every other character I've ever read. I'm so glad that I was able to read her story. The book was told in alternating between past and present. I'm impressed with the Annika's character growth in every aspect of the story. I also loved how Tracey Garvis Graves wrote such a patient and understanding hero. The way he loved Annika was beautiful. This book was unique and left me feeling hopeful for humanity. I highly recommend it.