"When I Was You" by Amber Garza follows Kelly Medina. Kelly randomly gets a call from her son's pediatrician for a well baby visit- but her son is college age. Confused, Kelly discovers there is another Kelly Medina in town with a baby son. Kelly is drawn to the pair and kindles a friendship, but it quickly turns to obsession. When one Kelly disappears, you can only look to the other for answers...

Garza creates a tense atmosphere by using first person perspective. We hear the thoughts each Kelly has, unfiltered. One Kelly is older, the other younger, both obsessive, so it begins to get a little hazy which Kelly is which- and which Kelly is in danger. Being inside someone's head is definitely my favorite when it comes to thriller books.

I love how quickly this book seemed to flow. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. I think as the older Kelly reveals more and more of her life, the more mysterious the younger Kelly seems to become. And the more clues you get to which Kelly will disappear and why. 

The thriller, mystery genre is one of my favorites and this one stacked up fairly well. I give it 4 stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A totally engrossing psychological thriller, that is hard to put down; I can't wait for more books by this talented new author.

When Kelly Medina receives a call from a pediatrician's office reminding her of a well-baby visit appointment for her son, she is stunned. She tells the woman on the other end of the line that she is "19 years too late". Could there possibly be (2) Kelly Medinas in such a small town? Obsessed with finding out more about Kelly #2 , especially after learning that the woman even goes to the same gym, she decides to wait outside the doctor's office on the day and time of the appointment to see if she shows up.

When the women do meet, the older Kelly quickly has a new enthusiasm for her rather lonely life: she has a grown son, her husband is away a lot and she really only has one other person to talk to. She soon begins showing up unexpectedly at the younger Kelly's apartment, buying things for the baby and the one-sided friendship soon turns to obsession, quickly spiraling out of control.

When I Was You is a well written thriller with unexpected twists. I was never sure where this story was going. I loved how the story is told from the second person POV so you always know what the older Kelly was thinking (she definitely had some mental health issues); her thoughts were often funny, sometimes just so inappropriate and other times downright terrifying. A must read for psych thriller fans. Don't miss this one!

Many thanks to NetGalley, Harlequin/Mira Books, and Amber Garza for the opportunity to read this mind-twisting psychological thriller - 4.5 stars rounded up for a deliciously good book!

Just a short synopsis - Kelly Medina is an empty nester with son Aaron off at college and professor husband, Rafael, teaching in another town during the week and coming home most weekends. Kelly tries to stay busy with friends and yoga but it's not enough to fill her hours or her heart. When a chance phone call leads her to discover that another Kelly Medina just moved into town with a young son, she becomes obsessed. Is this her chance to rewind time and do things right this time?

This is one of those books that it's best to go in somewhat blind to because there are so many twists and turns that you'll have fun trying to unravel. It's told in the second person which is usually somewhat annoying to me but works so well in this book. There were a few times I had to flip back a few pages to let my brain catch up - love books that make me do that! This is the first book I've read by this author but it definitely won't be the last.

Kelly Medina is a mid-life empty nester looking for something to fill her days. An odd call from a paediatrician’s office clues her in that there is another Kelly Medina in town, this one with a young baby. And the older Kelly can’t quite resist finding out who this young woman is who shares her name.

It’s easy to feel sympathy with Kelly #1 (as I’ll call her). From the beginning it’s obvious she’s lonely, her son grown up and gone away to college, her husband only home on weekends. As more and more of her life is slowly revealed, her story becomes genuinely heartbreaking. Her obsession with Kelly #2 and her baby son Sullivan does get just a little bit creepy… until the big twist comes and we realise that it’s someone else who has been manipulating events all along.

There’s not a lot more I can say without spoilers, but this is a genuinely clever story. I didn’t particularly like Kelly #1, our protagonist, though I did feel immense sympathy for her; she was frustratingly passive and needed to have kicked her husband to the curb a long time ago. The villain was actually unhinged, and we got several excellent chapters in the villain’s point of view late in the story which I think was an excellent narrative choice; it held up a mirror and showed what Kelly #1 thought was happening was actually something completely different all along. We went from an unreliable (hiding things through grief) narrator to an unreliable (unhinged) narrator and it was absolutely fascinating. I couldn’t put this down. Five stars for an excellent psychological thriller.

I really enjoyed this book! It was a definite page turner - I couldn't put it down! I didn't like Kelly's character but it was perfect for this book. I will definitely read more from Amber Garza!

Actual Star Rating - 4.5

Thank you so much @netgalley and @mirabooks for my ARC of this deliciously twisty & CRAZY novel!

Oh.my.GOD.

THIS WAS SO GOOD!! I just finished it up on audio and my jaw dropped to the floor during the last few seconds of narration because HOLY HELL🤯🤯🤯. I feel like I ran a marathon listening to this because there were so many unique twists and turns and I had no idea what to believe for the entire book. You will be invested in this story from the very beginning. I simply couldn't stop listening once I started. The characters are great (and totally messed up), the plot is intriguing and the story is incredibly fast paced. One thing I will note is that I didn't personally love any of the characters for their actions / personalities, but they were very well written and each played their role very well. If you're a fan of anxiety inducing books, you must pick this one up. It was an absolute pleasure to listen to and overall, it was a fun ride!

MIRA has so many good books publishing this fall ... and I would love to partner more with you for future releases!

Murder and Obsession

Kelly Medina is lonely. Her nineteen-year-old son, Aaron, is away at college and her husband, Rafael, is a workaholic professor staying at the college during the week. Then a phone call changes everything. Aaron’s pediatrician calls reminding Kelly of her well baby appointment. She knows it’s a mistake and tells the receptionist who apologizes telling her there’s another woman in town named Kelly Medina who has a son.

Curious about the woman who shares her name, Kelly goes to the pediatrician’s office at the time of the appointment. When the baby loses a sock as his mother takes him out of the car, Kelly grabs it, introduces herself, and befriends the young woman.

Kelly is drawn to the baby in fact she becomes obsessive about taking care of him. Her friends and husband worry. Although we’re not told what it is, the suggestion is that there’s something in the past that had to do with Kelly and another woman’s baby.

This story is told from Kelly’s point of view, but throughout she talks to the younger Kelly in her mind. It becomes more and more eerie as the novel progresses. This is not a fast paced book, but as the plot becomes stranger you can’t help reading on to find out what’s going on and what will happen.

I didn’t like Kelly’s character, but the obsessiveness worked well in the story. There is a significant twist at the end that I didn’t see coming, but looking back all the clues were there. If you enjoy creepy psychological thriller, this is a good one.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.

There was just something about the blurb of When I Was You that made me want to read it instantly. A lonely empty-nester as the main character, her growing obsession with a young mother with the same name... It sounded like the perfect premise to build a story around. I've been looking forward to dive into this psychological thriller, and I can promise you that When I Was You most definitely lived up to expectations and more. Fans of the genre will be in for a treat with this one!

There are a lot of things I loved about When I Was You, but let's start with the plot itself. The plot of this psychological thriller is designed and executed brilliantly to completely mislead you along the way. The tension and suspicion is slowly build up until it reaches its climax, the plot interlaced with turns, secrets and plot twists to keep you guessing. The fact that we have two main characters sharing the exact same name is used to drop certain hints while also sending you off on the wrong track... Twisty, suspenseful and unexpected; When I Was You has more than one surprise for you in store before you reach that final page. And while I did guess some of the twists, there were also other turns I never saw coming. And I call that a success!

Now that we are talking about the characters, let's properly focus on them. The main focus of the story is on the older Kelly Medina at first: an empty-nester who has been feeling extremely lonely after her son Aaron left for college last year. Initially, as a reader you are being kept in the dark about certain events in the past; a strategy fully designed to give the plot twists an even bigger impact. Kelly isn't all that likeable if you look critically, but her development is more than solid and there is just something about her that makes you want to know more. Once the young Kelly comes in the picture, things are getting even more interesting. Who is this new mother sharing the exact same name with our main character? Why did she suddenly show up in the same town as our main character? Coincidence or is there something else at play? The mystery around young Kelly's past and motive definitely turned up the level of suspense.

The author did a brilliant job disguising certain facts and witholding others, creating an air of suspicion and that ominous feel that something is about to spin out of control. We have older Kelly and her growing obsession, we have the questions about younger Kelly's past and her motive, we have secrets, twists and turns to uncover... When I Was You is designed to keep you on your toes the whole way and trust me, you will be having a hard time stopping before you reach that final page. Especially once things are starting to REALLY escalate and certain plot twist bombs are being revealed... And that ending! Holy guacamole, what a way to go out with a bang!

If you enjoy a well written, misleading and suspenseful psychological thriller with an explosive ending, When I Was You should most definitely be on your wishlist. The two Kelly's will keep you more than entertained!

I really don’t want to say anymore than what is in the blurb so as not to give anything away, just know that this book is cra cra crazy and then add a bunch more craziness to that. A fast, enjoyable read.

Has a twist at the end that you will never see coming in a million years. That being said if you like well written suspenseful books pick this up. It's edgy and taunt. Happy reading!

Kelly Medina is an empty nester, her husband works and lives part time in another city and her son has left for college. All these things leave Kelly with a lot of time on her hands. When she receives a call from a pediatrician’s office for a “Kelly Medina”, she is curious who this woman is that shares her exact same name. Kelly cannot stop thinking about her, so she shows up at the appointment willing to meet this other woman.

Kelly and Kelly become friends, and this is where the story becomes fast paced, and the twists and turns leave you breathless. When the histories and secrets of both women come to light, you are left wondering which Kelly is telling the truth, which one is the sane one and what is truly going on. It is a riveting novel of suspense! I could not put this book down! Thank you so much to the author Amber Garza, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

The blurb calls this one You meets Fatal Attraction and that is such a great comparison for this one you guys! It has the creepy, stalker vibes of You with a twist and was a perfect popcorn thriller as my friend Abby at Crimebythebook called it. Think pure entertainment with some over the top scenarios and dark enough to satisfy most thriller fans.

While I wouldn’t necessarily call this one twisty, it did have some surprises as well as some parts that were predictable for me. BUT the predictability didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all because the shocks were pretty good on their own. Obsession plays a big role here and half of the fun was following along with Kelly as her obsession caused her life to unravel in front of the readers eyes. It’s definitely an escapist, binge worthy read and definitely perfect to pick up over a weekend and just lose yourself in. Have fun reading about characters that are way crazier than the problems in your own life, that’s exactly what I did 🤦🏻‍♀️🤣

If you like reading psychological thrillers that leave you breadcrumbs along the way to try and figure out what is going on, Amber Garza's new novel, When I Was You, is your next good read.

Kelly Medina is a empty nester, with her son Aaron off to college ten long hours away. Her husband Rafael is a professor at a college two hours away, and he lives there during the week, returning home on weekends.

Things don't seem good between Kelly and Rafael, Kelly talks about how he was very hard on Aaron growing up, and not always kind to his wife either. Kelly is lonely, has no job, and only a few friends with whom she goes to yoga class and lunch.

She gets a call one day from Aaron's pediatrician reminding her of a well baby appointment the next day. Knowing it can't be for her, she tells the receptionist who discovers there is another Kelly Medina in town, and apologizes for the mixup.

Curious, the next day Kelly drives to the doctor's office and waits in the parking lot. She sees a young woman struggling to get her baby out of the car, and when the baby loses a sock, Kelly jumps in to the rescue. She introduces herself, and the younger Kelly is surprised to find out they have the same name.

Older Kelly befriends the younger Kelly. She is drawn to baby Sullivan, and wants to help the new mom out. She is shocked at the home they are renting; it is in dirty disarray and there is no crib, high chair or furniture. Kelly goes on a major shopping spree for the new mom and baby boy. The young mom is grateful, but wary of this insistent older woman.

We're given clues that something happened to Kelly, and it involved a child not her own. Her friend Christine is very concerned about her well-being, and becomes worried when Kelly tells her that she has befriended the new mom. Rafael is concerned as well, on the rare occasions he talks to his wife. We know that Kelly sees a therapist, but we don't know why.

Along with the aforementioned breadcrumbs along the way, there is a big twist at the end that I didn't see coming, and it is a shocker. (Although there seems to be one plot point I couldn't quite wrap my head around.) If you are a fan of the Lifetime movies, When I Was You would make a perfect addition to their collection.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Summer Mystery & Thrillers Tour.

Kelly Medina receives a phone call from the doctor’s office reminding her of her upcoming well-baby appointment. Kelly tells the woman that she has the wrong person and the phone numbers must have gotten switched. Her “baby”, Aaron, is 19 and currently in college.

Kelly’s husband, Rafael, is a professor and stays closer to his office and college during the week, traveling home on the weekend. Living by herself, she gets lonely. That’s when she starts to wonder about this other Kelly Medina and her baby. She waits at the doctor’s office on the appointment time and seeing a woman with a little baby boy, she introduces herself. She then starts getting in touch with the other Kelly who is a single mother. Working to get as much information on her, this woman and her baby start to become an obsession with her. Evidently she has had problems in the past with stalking people and sees a psychiatrist. But she insists that she just wants to help this mother.

This book keeps getting more and more compelling until you wonder who is crazy and who isn’t. I loved how the author sets the reader up to think one way and then - bam - something else happens. Well done. Don’t miss it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Well now, it has been quite a while since a thriller has surprised me and OMG, this book absolutely did that!!! How many times have you met someone with your first and last name? And if you have, wouldn't it make you curious to know what kind of person they were? I barely meet anyone with my first name ever - I couldn't imagine both... and yes, my curiosity would be highly peaked.

For a while, my WTF face and the line between my eyes got bigger and bigger with every page. I couldn't figure out if she was crazy or not and was legitimately getting concerned with her behavior. A few times I even grabbed my face like um.... leave the poor girl alone!!! And as everything was escalating, we get to the 65%-ish mark and BAM - TWIST! I absolutely was not expecting that and it gave me the biggest smile!

What's great is the way the author writes is that for a moment you're not sure which Kelly she's talking about - which gives that added layer of OHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Know what I mean? 😉 I could NOT put this book down. I'm gonna stop here for fear of giving anything away. This is an absolute must read and let me just end this by saying bitches be craaaaazy! And I'm here for ALL OF IT.

The cover reads: Two women. One life. They can't both have it.

Oh. Boy. COUNT ME IN! Such a creepy premise: Two women, one name. When the older Kelly Medina receives a phone call from the pediatrician to remind her of her son's upcoming appointment, she tells them they must have the wrong phone number. That's when she discovers there's another Kelly Medina in town. That's where the obsession begins.

I LOVED THIS BOOK FROM PAGE ONE!!

Amber Garza does an amazing job of weaving story questions throughout the prose, compelling the reader to keep turning pages to find out what will happen next!

When I Was You was easily the best book I've read in ages.

Normally, I don't enjoy reading a story written in second-person POV, but Amber Garza used the device so skillfully to ramp up the creepy factor of the book! The second-person POV made it feel like the main character was writing a letter to the woman she was obsessed with. For example:

"As the water boiled, I thought about you. Thought about how lucky you were to have a baby and your whole life ahead of you."

There were really only two elements of the story that bugged me. One: there were moments of missing time for the main character that were never resolved. Two: the sexual relationship with Rafael was too cruel and misogynistic. And yet, even with those two things, this is still the best book I’ve read in ages, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good mystery and suspenseful novel.

When I Was You is the type of book you can't stop reading, and when you do have to stop (for work, sleep, shower, whatever) you can't stop thinking about it.

Some of my favorite lines from the book:

"You seemed surprised, almost shocked, at my kindness. It endeared me to you a little. I knew that feeling. I often felt like everyone around me was my enemy, not my friend. Rarely did people stop to hep each other. It was like everyone was too into themselves to notice when someone was in need."

"But if you thought that was all it would take to break me, you thought wrong. You'd grossly underestimated the determination of a mom."

I highly recommend When I Was You by Amber Garza.

[I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Net Galley. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book.]

From my blog: Always With A Book:

As soon as I read the synopsis for this book, with it comparing it to You, I knew I had to read this book. And I loved it...this psychological thriller was just the popcorn read I needed this past weekend and I hope Amber Garza creates more of these types of books soon!

These are the types of psychological thrillers I love. The type where you just cannot put them down. I was pulled into this one right from the start and as the book progresses, I loved that we got hints that something was amiss. Something had happened in Kelly Medina's past that we keep getting hints about that kept me glued to the pages. Then a second Kelly Medina shows up and I knew right away, something sinister was going on...just what I never guessed.

This book had such great twists and turns, and the theme of obsession and stalking are used so well here. It really keeps you on your toes as you try to put all the pieces together. Do we have an unreliable narrator here or is something more sinister going on?

I am so glad I read this and will definitely be keeping an eye out for what comes next from this talented author. I totally read this in less than 24 hours - and probably would have read it in one sitting if we didn't have plans for the day...it's that kind of read. Definitely add this to your reading list if it is not already on it!

When I finished this book all I could think was holy crap, what a story!This was one of those stories that hooked me from the beginning and never let go. Even when everything was explained and tied up in a neat little package, there was still more to come.
Kelly Medina(Kelly #1)is lonely. Her husband is a workaholic and their son who is away at college doesn't call, write, or visit. Kelly is at loose ends wondering what to do next when she receives a surprising phone call. Her old pediatrician's office is confirming her baby's wellness appointment. She thinks it must be a mistake until she learns there is another Kelly Medina( Kelly #2) living in her town and the office just called the wrong one.
It is as if fate intervened, allowing Kelly(#1) to get a glimpse of this younger Kelly(#2) and her infant son. All of her memories of happier days come to the surface and she befriends this young woman and is immediately enthralled with her son Sullivan. But when Kelly(#2) rebuffs her advances, Kelly(#1) is not amused. She starts to think she would be a better mother to Sullivan and she is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Well, holy crazy crackers, I wish I could say so much more but I would be entering spoiler territory. It never became hard to tell which Kelly's POV was in control, I just used the numbers 1 and 2 because I didn't want to go into more detail and give anything away. I can't wait until this publishes since I want to talk about When I Was You to every reader I know. A fast-paced story that was well done and well played as I didn't see what was coming. Amber Garza is an author to watch!

Kelly has become a lonely, empty-nester with neither her son nor her husband around much. One day she receives a call from her son's pediatrician reminding her of an appointment. That can't be correct. Her son is college-aged. It turns out that another woman with the same name in town has the appointment. This peaks Kelly's interest to know that there is another woman in town with her same name. It actually peaks her interest to an obsessive level and she is determined to become friends with the other Kelly. Shortly after befriending her one of the Kelly's disappear. The other one may know what has happened.  
 
This book was quite the page turner. I just had to know the truth of what was going on. One of my couple of guesses at the big reveal was correct but I'm not mad about that. I feel that it was the right for the story.

Kelly Medina got a call from her son's pediatrician about an upcoming well-baby visit when her son is actually in college. It turns out there's another Kelly Medina with an infant son, and Kelly soon becomes obsessed with her. The two strike up a friendship, which brings the older Kelly a sense of purpose. But when one Kelly disappears, the other may know why.

When I Was You is a book where invoking the second person point of view works. Kelly is addressing the younger Kelly in her mind, daydreams transcribed onto the page. She is definitely obsessive, thinking about her distant husband and son in college. She tries to bond with her best friend Christine, but they all look at her oddly when she mentions the other Kelly Medina; Kelly once had an imaginary friend and there were odd behaviors that occurred in the past which she has to see a therapist for. They dance around the topic, so that we don't get an idea of what actually happened until about halfway through the book.

At that point, there is a shift in perspective that I had to reread to parse. That was such a twist in what I was expecting that I couldn't just race through it, even though I needed to know what happened next. The second half was full of surprises, all coming together at the end.