I loved this book. From the very beginning, I was immediately hooked. Stayed up all night to finish it and am glad I did!

Brienne Dougray has suffered through trauma in her life. She was raised by her grandparents after she was taken away from her neglectful mother. Six months ago she was brutally stabbed and beaten and left for dead in an alley. Her wallet, purse, and watch were stolen as well. She's left with OCD, nightmares, migraines, PTSD, and a traumatic brain injury. She's also left with fear.

Brienne's fear is strong enough that she rarely leaves the house and her friends encourage her to take on a tenant. She does, Niall Emberlin, and quickly becomes co-dependent on him. Her friends start disappearing from her life and all she is left with is Niall.

A mysterious key arrives at her house and when Brienne starts to investigate she discovers someone is living their lives as her. A whole other Brienne Dougray is living the life she used to live before the attack, down to their social media presence. She contacts a private investigator who treats her like she's crazy so she decides to investigate on her own. Niall eventually gets involved and Brienne starts to doubt her own sanity.

There are twists and turns aplenty in this book. Just when you think you have it all figured out you are thrown a curve ball that sends you in another direction. I finished this book in a couple hours because I just could not find a good place to stop. I wanted to know every detail and didn't put it down until I was finished!

I know some readers, like me, will wonder why Brienne didn't go to the police at several times during the course of the book. Please, keep in mind that she was a victim and felt that the police had failed her by not finding her attacker. This mentality, along with the gaslighting and other aspects in the plot, can lead people to irrational decisions. That being said, I'll ask again...Brienne, why the hell didn't you go to the police?!

This book is slow for the first little bit but I appreciate it because Ms. Kent really gets into the details of what happens when someone isolates themselves from the world. Once the action gets going, however, it just doesn't stop. Fast paced page turner for sure!

Pick up this book ASAP. You will not be disappointed. This is the first book I've read by Ms. Kent but I am a fan now and am looking forward to reading more by her.

A million thanks to NetGalley and Thomas & Mercer for allowing me to read this book in exchange for a review. It was an absolute pleasure.

When I Was You by Minka Kent is another outstanding and unputdownable read by this author. Just like The Stillwater Girls is When I Was You a gripping thriller of it's finest with a storyline that kept me in suspense from start til the last page. A truly unputdownable read, excellent written, beautifully thought out and beautifully told.
Brienne is living a reclusing life after being viciously attacked. She seldom leaves her home and her only contact is her tenant. Niall, a doctor at the local hospital is a quiet man. But what Brienne not - yet - knows, he spun a web around her , an evil and masterminded web.
I read the book, cover to cover, in one sitting, I literally couldn't put it down.
I highly recommend the book, 5+ stars.

I really liked this book. I'm a huge fan of Minka and I love all her books. This one was definitely addictive. I was hooked from the very first page. All the twists and turns leave you guessing. It's a great thriller that deserves to be read.

Thank you Netgalley, the author and publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A quick read that was way too over the top. Hard to believe, unlikeable characters, the writing was engaging and I enjoyed the pace but I found the book just way too unbelievable and wanted to scream just call the police!

This is my second Minka Kent novel, but it won’t be my last. Brienne suffered a random attack with left her suffering from migraine headaches. She decided to take in a border to ease her nerves, and feels fortunate that Niall, a kind oncologist from the local hospital moves in. Soon Brienne snoops around and finds that Niall is married. Brienne’s life becomes twisted with Niall’s and there will only be one victor.

All I want is an answer. An explanation. And for this to end. I don't even need an apology despite the fact that it's beyond reprehensible to inflict mental trauma on someone who has already been victimized.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

The best advice I can give you about When I Was You is. despite the incredibly slow pacing at the beginning, to keep reading. Once you hit the 40% mark, the novel kicks into gear, and the action is fast-paced and fun.

Told from dual perspectives, those of Brienne and Niall, I have to admit the story is a bit far-fetched. The characters actions, particularly Brienne's, could easily be construed as "off-the-wall."
Hey, who knew gaslighting was so believable?

Not only was this my Amazon First pick for January, I also received an ARC from the publisher (many thanks). The opinions are entirely my own. Overall, I'm satisfied. Minka Kent is a very engaging writer, despite a couple issues within the story.

Brienne is a prisoner in her own home after an attack leaves her with terrible headaches and memory loss. She relies on her new tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin for support, but then she uncovers a disquieting piece of information. Someone else is living her life, with her name, her car and even friends. Will Brienne be strong enough to leave her “fortress” to confront this person? Kent has more than one bombshell hidden in this thriller and readers will be rapt

WOW talk about a mind twister. Get ready for a journey that you will think about after your done reading it. This is psychological thriller that keeps the reader intrigued and turning pages as fast as your little fingers will let it. I absolutely loved this story. The storyline was so interesting that it completely captivated me and was so intriguing that I couldn’t stop reading it until I finished with the very last word. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing book. Enjoy happy reading 📚
"I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book."

This is a gripping story that will keep you guessing. You will wonder who is who and what will happen next.

Brienne Dougray was brutally attacked and her attacker was never found. From that her whole world has been flipped upside down. She is afraid to leave her home and while she is there she is always on alert. When a friend suggest she get a tenant so there is someone living in the home with her she has no idea how her life will change.

Dr. Niall Emberlin moves into Brienne's home as her tenant and he is very helpful and comforting to her. When she discovers information in his room one day and then discovers there is another woman who has stolen her identity she starts to doubt everything she thought was true.

So many twist and turns in this book and oh so good. It is one that was hard to put down because I needed to know what was going to happen next. It will keep you guessing for sure.

I received an early copy from Netgalley to read and review with my honest opinion. This is a great book and I enjoyed it. It is 5 stars for me and I highly recommend it.

Once again, Minka Kent gives you a story that’s twisty and turny and keeps you guessing to try to figure it out. We’ve got Brienne, who’s recovering from being attacked and having a hard time adjusting to life again. She has a tenant, Niall, who helps her feel safe in her big house. But things start getting weird when she discovers someone else is living as her..identity, look, pretty much everything. Which starts her down a road that leads to so many twists and lies, you can’t stop reading to find out what happens next!

* Review contains spoilers*
I was hooked from the first page, wondering who hurt Brienne. And then I was beginning to wonder who this imposter was, so already less than a quarter of the way through I’m hooked. Then the whole thing with Brienne/Kate was a plot twist in and of itself and then Minka Kent serves you another plot twist when Brienne is actually Brienne, Niall is Shane and the imposter is Sam and I mean if you wanted me to finish a novel in a couple of hours, this is how you do it. This novel continuously kept me guessing and confused and it’s kind of like we were Brienne because like her, we didn’t know what was going on but unlike her. We were also invited into Shane’s perspective so we were also one step ahead of her.
Would definitely recommend this novel to anyone who loves a little bit of a mystery.

Sometimes you can tell right from the beginning that a book just isn’t for you. This was one of those books.

When I Was You stars Brienne Dougray, a thirty-year-old single woman living with PTSD after she was violently attacked. I’ve read plenty of other mysteries and thrillers that feature a female protagonist who is struggling to hold her life together after a traumatic event: Little Secrets by Jennifer Hillier, Trace of Evil by Alice Blanchard, Dark Places and Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, all books I thoroughly enjoyed. I hoped When I Was You would join that list. It did not.

Brienne is a shell of a character. She has no personality outside of her fear and anxiety and infatuation with her tenant, Dr. Niall Emberlin. She’s passive, two-dimensional, and her motivations are flimsy at best and incomprehensible at worst. When she discovers someone has stolen her identity, she calls one private investigator, and when he doesn’t believe her story, she immediately gives up and decides to take the case on herself, despite having none of the requisite skills to do so.

When I Was You had a slow beginning, the first third dedicated to Brienne’s dull everyday life. Then we get to the first twist, which was so cliché it almost made me stop reading, but because it came so early on, I thought, “Surely there must be another twist,” which there was. It was less cliché than the first, but infinitely less believable, and that was the point at which I put the book down.

Ultimately, the final nail in the coffin for this book was that Minka Kent never succeeded in making me care about her characters or her plot. I didn’t read to the end because I didn’t need to know how it ended. This one was a pretty big disappointment, but at least I didn’t waste too much time on it. Unfortunately that’s the best praise I can give it.

When I Was You by author Minka Kent is a great psychological thriller with mystery! Loved this one!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good story. A psychological thriller that keeps you intrigued and wondering until the very end. Well developed characters, intriguing story, entertaining.

This is Brienne’s story and what a thrilling and mysterious journey this is. This is a well written tale which is filled with twists and mystery which all leads to a great psychological thriller. I recommend for all readers.

I love when you read a book and it is so good you can't help but finish it in one night.. This book kept me reading into the night. The writing just flowed off the book and the story is not what I thought it was going to be at all. This is the story of Brienne and Niall and what starts as a simple story of Brienne being attacked and Niall living with her as her roommate to keep her house from being quiet as she deals with the attack turns so much more sinister! I was shocked half way thru the book and there is so many twists. I am a big fan of Minka Kent there isn't a book she has wrote that I haven't loved. I definitely recommend reading this book and anything this author has written . If you love twists and turns and a book with so much intrigue then read today!!!

Intense suspense!
My mind is a mess. About halfway through until the end my palms were sweating and I didn't realize that my muscles were clenched tight. I've never had a book physically effect me like that. I just couldn't stop turning pages!
Poor Brienne doesn't know if she's going crazy or if someone is trying to make her crazy. It's a crazy ride to get it all straight! You think you know but you have no idea.
Great great great read!!

What do you say about a book, about a story that absolutely kept you twisted in knots the entire time? You don't say anything. You yell from the rooftops about what an AMAZING story you just read. Holy smokes! It kept twisting, I kept guessing, it would turn and my jaw would drop. I was on the edge of my seat the entire read and couldn't get through it fast enough. I was completely pulled in by Brienne from the start. This is a perfect psychological thriller that will have questioning everything you think you know. Brilliant!

When I was You
By Minka Kent
Main Characters: Brienne and Niall
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
4 out of 5 stars
I try to read all things contemporary romance/suspense. This fits the bill of contemporary suspense. Very little romance in this book but it does make you think about how and who can be stealing her identity. It is about 280 pages on my Kindle. I would categorize this as a psychological thriller. I can't get into too much in the book or it would be a spoiler. Suffice to say, this was one of the better Amazon first reads books.