While the plot of this novel was a bit far-fetched, I enjoyed. I thought I had things pretty well figured out early on, but boy, was I wrong! Interesting quick read with good characters and many, many twists.

When this story starts, Brienne, recovering from a brutal assault that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, is living in her grandmother’s mansion with a roommate, Niall, who claims to be a doctor.

It’s important to know two elements about this book: Brienne is a millionaire several times over, having inherited her grandmother’s extensive assets, including her house; and. Brienne, due to her TBI, is practically agoraphobic. That’s the outline.

All I can safely say without giving anything else away, is that things are nowhere near as they appear, from the beginning of this twisted tale of psychological manipulation at the hands of a narcissist to the very end. And, I did not see an important piece of the end coming.

While I thought the writing was flat and the story literally implausible, I did find myself wondering what was going to happen next.

I received this book as an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Wow, I really liked this book! So much so that I finished it in less than 48 hours. The twists in this book kept coming making me not want to put it down. I saw the first "twist" coming but I didn't see what would happen after. This was just the book I needed to get me out of my bad book slump.

I thought this was a very interesting and intriguing story. It was definitely different that other books I’ve read. It has a storyline that will keep you reading until the end to find out all the answers to the questions that you have. I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

This book has an interesting premise. A young woman suffering from severe anxiety and PTSD discovers that someone is living her life. This other Brienne is using her identify but, she also has the same haircut, same wardrobe and same car. The story goes down an interesting path since Brienne has become isolated and easily influenced since the incident that caused her PTSD.
What I didn’t like about the story: It had a slow buildup but, a speedy resolution. A more even pacing would have helped the suspense. I didn’t like that her friends so easily left her life. These were BFF’s and I would have expected a dramatic face to face confrontation before ending a real friendship. There is also a part at the end that I don’t think true female friends would let a friend do alone. I don’t want to add a spoiler though.
What I liked: Brienne didn’t have a perfect life before the story began and it made her more relatable. I liked the story idea, I haven’t read a similar story. I loved the back and forth POV between Brienne and the antagonist. I also enjoyed the meeting between Brienne and the woman who was living life with Brienne’s identity.
I’m not sure if it was intentional but, it was a different take on the toll PTSD and anxiety takes on a person and how it changes even a strong and outgoing woman.
This is the second book I have read by this author. I felt that both books had great concepts but, disappointing endings that wrapped up quickly and neatly. I will continue reading by this author though. I feel that she is on the cusp of quite a breakthrough and I am excited to see what she does next.

I haven't read anything before by this author so was pleasantly surprised to be so completely immersed in the story. I haven't read a really good page-turner in a while. Despite catching some glimpses of the plot twists very early on, what I thought was going to predictable still managed to surprise me at times. I would definitely read another one by this author.

A good psychological thriller that kept me engaged throughout. I loved the blurb and was excited to read something different.

' After barely surviving a brutal attack, Brienne Dougray rarely leaves her house. Suffering from debilitating headaches and memory loss, she can rely only on her compassionate new tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin, a welcome distraction from the discomfiting bubble that has become her existence. '

So I literally flew through this book - which is unlike me 😂 I really enjoyed it & it had me hooked from the first chapter. I loved the storyline.. At first I was slightly annoyed at the first twist. I'm not quite sure why, I just wasn't expecting the story to head that way. But it definitely redeemed itself! I love the fact we also saw it from 'Nialls' perspective as I think that made the story even better!! I loved Brienne and found her character very lovable! I just wanted things to turn out right for her! I found this book on @netgalley and I'm soo glad I started reading it!! The only reason I personally didn't give it 5 stars was because I found it quite predictable after a certain point, or I'd of possibly imagined things going a different way. However I absolutely loved this book & will definitely keep an eye out for other books by Minka 👀😍👍

This was a real page-turner - I read it in a few days, and when I put it down I couldn't wait to get back to it! I thought it was well written and cleverly plotted. My one reservation is that the characters were a bit two-dimensional - there was nothing much to them other than the characteristics they needed for the sake of the plot.

Still, it was a great read and I really enjoyed it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this exciting thriller.

This was a gripping read. I couldn't wait to find out the ending. I didn't particularly like the parts told from Niall's view point but loved the overall story.

When I Was You by Minka Kent will require you to suspend all manner of disbelief, but will reward you with a roller coaster of twists, turns, and surprises.

Brienne Dougray is suffering from severe memory loss following a traumatic event. Her only solace comes from her friendship with tenant Dr, Niall Emberlin, who becomes Brienne's only source of support in a world that she has created for herself, one of self-imposed isolation. As Brienne's trust and confidence in Niall continue to grow, she is stunned to discover that someone has assumed her identity, beginning a quest not only to find answers, but to reclaim the life which is so rightfully hers. But whom can you trust when you're not even sure of your own mind, and everything you thought you knew to be true is suddenly blurred beyond recognition?

This is a fun read that demands the reader take a leap of faith and, for me, the leap was one well worth taking.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for this ARC.

Was ok. The first 1/2 of the book was a bit slow. The last 1/2 moved a lot quicker. Good ending. Some gaps that make it tough to read.

Thanks NetGalley for the arc.

Wow, this was such a good one! I started this book not knowing too much about it, but I became hooked and loved it!
•
Brienne rarely leaves the house since her attack last year. She makes sure the doors are always locked, and even got a roommate, Niall, so she wouldn’t have to be alone. Then, she mysteriously gets a key one day to an apartment in her name. After looking her up, this woman has the same name, car, appearance, and even orders the same drink order. Who is this woman and why is she so similar to Brienne?
•
I loved getting to know Brienne’s character and watching her change as the story goes on. I was so intrigued and wanted to know why there were two of this woman with the same name. Who should I trust? I also really enjoyed having part of the story from Niall’s point of view because it gave new perspective of the story and gave me more insight into his character. The twist wasn’t majorly surprising, but I was still hooked to see how the following events would play out. I loved this one and really enjoyed the ending too!
•
Thank you Netgalley for the copy! The book is out now!!

Brienne Dougray, after surviving a near death attack, has isolate herself from the world, She barely leaves home, her friends had abandoned her and she is suffering from debilitating headache. Amidst all of this the only distraction in her life is her new tenant Dr. Niall Emberlin. He is charming, handsome, empathetic and caring.

But her world is turned upside down whe discovers there is another Brienne Dougray with same hair, same bag, same car, same clothes and it is as if she is living the life Brienne used to live before her accident. To find out who is she Brienne has to leave the comfort of her house and face the world once again.

Review-
Can I just say I am truly blown by this book!! It has all the elements of a perfect psychology thriller. You actually keep guessing till the end that what will happen next.

Character development is the true star element of this book. They are highly unpredictable, convincing, manipulative and very interesting to read. They hooked you, make them like and the show their true colors.

I am a sucker for a high drama ending and this book completely satisfy that hunger. The ending will shock you and make you cry at the same time.

My only problem was that the suspense was revealed a little bit soon. The author could have drag that main suspense element a little bit more and then reveal it in a dramatic way. It is just my opinion.

Still apart from that the book has enough ups and downs to make it a one sitting read. And even you keep thinking that actually who is one step ahead in this game. I am truly and utterly impressed by the writing.

I would recommend this book to everyone who is looking for a good psychology thriller.

🌟🌟🌟💫 raised to 4.

Brienne is brutally beaten, something that leaves her scared and scarred. She is convinced she was targeted and her identity, her life stolen. Enter Niall Emberlin, a doctor who rents a room from Brienne and watches out for her. He seems to understand her, until he drops a bombshell.

Told in two voices, you hear Brienne’s side and the Niall’s side, then a combination. Suspenseful in the beginning as Brienne deals with identity theft and the trauma of being assaulted. Then you hear all about Niall, and things fall into place. The last part is their coming together and figuring out how the story will end.

The author adds to the suspense by keeping the last chapters very short, going back and forth between the main characters. The characters are definitely flawed, leaving you feeling sorry on minute and frustrated the next, and angry at best. Fast paced, perfect for a cozy night in or a vacation read.

I received this book as an Amazon First Read, and it must have sounded so good, I requested it again from NetGalley! Opinion is mine alone!

Review was also left on B&N and Amazon.

This was a great read once you get past the first quarter of the book, which was VERY repetitive. Brienne's scared emotional state and her need to find out who took her identity became boring after the first ten mentions or so. The reader knows how she feels because that is the premise of the book! Once you get past the annoying beginning, this is a great read.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

I love a good thriller and this was one I couldn't put down. There was a sense of unease about it right from the beginning but it was hard to guess exactly what was going on. Then everything became clear and from then on it was just wondering what was going to happen next!! Lots of twists and turns and unexpected alliances. It's really frightening when you realize how easily identity theft can occur - - and what someone can do to your life!

6 months after a brutal attack Brienne is finally trying to get her life back to normal, but suffering from severe migraines and memory loss it's harder than she expected. She decided to get a live in tenant at her home and decides on Niall Emberlin who is a Doctor and he starts acting very strange... Brienne receives a set of keys in the mail for an apartment she didn't rent and finds out there is an exact replica of her going around town, who is this double who is trying to take over her life? with no family and no friends she has to figure out who this stranger is that is trying to impersonate her!

The whole end half of the book I was literally yelling CALL THE POLICE, the book did get a little bit maddening over the fact that she just wanted to do things herself, but overall it was a good easy read.

Thankyou netgally and publishers for the early release of this book.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review, and I am so very glad I read it. When I Was You follows a young woman named Brienne as she struggles to deal with life in the aftermath of an attack that left her with a traumatic brain injury. Brienne struggles to differentiate between what is real and what is in her head, when she finds a woman to be using her name and living the life she had before she was brutalized.

I have to preface this by saying that I love a good thriller movie or tv show, because I can tell you what the plot is and who did what within the first 5 minutes of the show. Minka writes this tale in such a way that early on things start to take shape. She paints this very vivid picture, and you start to feel like you really have a sense of what is happening. At the same time she also has you questioning your own sanity right along with Brienne. It’s like taking a math exam and wondering if there are trick questions. I will tell you this.... EVERYTHING IS A TRICK QUESTION. Minka really leaves you guessing until the very end. Maybe not about the plot, but about what comes next for our characters. I truly enjoyed reading this and look forward to reading more from this genre and from Minka Kent. If you want to have your heart beat right along with the main characters, pick this one up today.