Talk about whack-o and crazy people … When I Was You has a couple. We have Kelly Medina, and then there’s the other Kelly Medina.

The story and writing were fast paced and made for an enjoyable read. There were a few genuine twists, a few that you could see coming, and a pretty good ending.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Nice job, Ms. Garza.

The psychological thriller is very popular right now with the main character having had a breakdown of some sort and questioning his or her own sanity, or believing in their sanity but being questioned by others. This book falls into that specific genre. And I am okay with that!



Kelly Medina is an empty-nester who's husband works in another city and only comes home on weekends. We are aware early on that she has experienced some sort of trauma, but the specifics are elusive. A misdirected phone call alerts her to the knowledge that there is another Kelly Medina in town, the mother of an infant. She becomes obsessed with finding out who this other Kelly is. Old Kelly arranges a 'chance meeting' with Young Kelly and inserts herself into Young Kelly's life.



The story is told in the first person, personal. Which is to say that more than just relating the story, we are privy to Old Kelly's inner dialog and thoughts as well. It's a little scary at times knowing/hearing what is going on in the mind of someone who might just be a little off kilter.



Of course any good psychological thriller is going to provide some twists and turns and this is no exception. I found myself re-reading about five or six pages at one point just because the twist at that point was so subtle I was afraid I had missed something. You may or may not decide you know what the twist is early on, but never fear, even if you get it right, there is more to come.

It took me a bit to write this review. I couldn’t make up my mind if I liked the book or not. There are some nice twists in there but as a whole, it didn’t wow me. The story was ok. I struggled to like either of the main characters. That ending saved the whole book for me. I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did. I give this 3 stars.

When I Was You is the first book I have read by Amber Garza and it did not disappoint! Fast paced and leaves you wondering who you should trust with every turn of the page. Highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Netgallery for the free digital copy in exchange for an honest and voluntary review. All opinions are my own. Reviews currently on Goodreads and Bookbub. Amazon review to be post on publication day.

Really fantastic book!!! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this one! Total mind bender and kept me on my toes! I'll be looking for more of Amber Garza's books in the future!!!

This book is being compared to the show You, and I can certainly see why. The writing pace, prose, and people all feel very Joe-ish, with their obsessive I'm watching you vibe. It was atmospheric, fast paced, and full of twists. The characters are all deliciously unlikeable, although I'm not sure that was entirely the point with some of them, I really enjoyed this read and will be looking for more from this author.

This was an odd one for me, because, while I didn't enjoy any aspect of this overly repetitive and psychologically simple story, I did find it utterly impossible to put down.

When I Was You is a dark obsession thriller with a solid plot! Characters are intriguing and overall the book is intense! Loved it!
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have been having a lot of trouble when it comes to thrillers lately. I had a string of ones that were super popular that I really disliked so I moved away from the genre for a bit. I keep really wanting to love them though so I requested this one and as soon as I got approved I downloaded it. I read it in a few hours and really loved it! I rarely read thrillers so I don't have a huge backlog of them to compare this to but yeah this was a winner for me.

As I was reading it gave me major Gone Girl and YOU vibes which I appreciated. I loved that I didn't really like any of the characters because through the book I wasn't sure who I wanted to root for which really helped with that whole edge of your seat thing! While the writing wasn't the best I've ever come across I found myself not caring that much because the story kept me so invested. I literally couldn't stop reading it until I had finished it. It was a truly wild ride for me.

It is a quick and engaging read that captured my mind. If you loved Gone Girl and/or YOU I would recommend this one. It may not be for die hard thriller fans as the plot didn't feel all that original and even I was able to spot some of the twists but for those that like to dabble now and again I would really recommend it!

TW/CW: (spoilers) body shaming thoughts, memories of the death of an infant, a dead college age child, violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, alcohol abuse, mention of drugs and overdose, mention of possible suicide.

All in all I am giving this book 4 stars just because I had such a great experience reading it. I don't read that many thrillers and the last few that I have read have been huge disappointments but this one I really flew through and it made me want to read more thrillers by Amber Garza. I am excited to see what else she has.

Wow! When I Was You sucked me in from the blurb alone and did not disappoint! I loved this book. It was a fast paced, twisted thriller. I highly recommend this book!

From beginning to the end, this book is intriguing. The first sentence grabbed my attention. It is difficult, at times, to determine what is real and what is not.And what is not. I didn’t want to stop reading. I wanted to know how the story ended. As I read, I tried to determine what was going to happen. The ending did not surprise me, but it was too sudden. It left questions. I would like to have had those questions answered. They being said, this is a must read for the psychosocial mystery reader.

When I Was You by Amber Garza starts out with a phone call. Kelly Medina receives a phone call intended for Kelly Medina, just not the right one. Kelly is stuck at home, an empty nester with a husband who is away most weeks. She becomes intrigued by the other Kelly, and seeks her out. Kelly meets the other Kelly, who is young with a new baby. Kelly goes out of her way to help and be a friend, worrying her husband and friends that she is too fragile for that. But the name isn't such a coincidence...

I found this book incredibly hard to keep straight who was narrating and who was not. Since the two main characters have the same name, it took a bit of context to figure out whose POV the reader was in. The main plot twist also happens so quickly, that is it confusing to figure out what is happening immediately after. Perhaps it was the format on my Kindle, but it was also hard to differentiate what was a quote and what was a text message. I don't think the characters were intended to be particularly likable, and they certainly weren't. The reader sees Kelly as an unreliable narrator, and starts the book not trusting her and second guessing her. The plot was well thought out and unique, so this may be a great book for print or final edition.
Thanks to NetGalley for the chance to read and review.

4.5 stars.

“If you thought that was all it would take to break me, you thought wrong.”

If Liv Constantine and Caroline Kepnes wrote a book together, WHEN I WAS YOU by Amber Garza would be it. This book reads just like a B. A. Paris novel: fast, twisty and compelling.

Imagine meeting a woman who shares your first AND last name, lives in the same town as you, and takes her kid to the same doctor. That’s what’s about to turn Kelly Medina’s life upside down. Now, even though I DID guess the first few twists - such as the identity of the perpetrator (hence the 4.5 stars) - which I was perfectly okay with, I still needed to find out the “why”. What REALLY makes this book stand out is that it keeps surprising you at several turns, in addition to the excellent execution, the chilling atmosphere and especially the shocking way things unfold in the second half.

And heck yes to that ending! You’ll literally lean forward in your seat during some final scenes and think, “is this really happening?” One of the things I also enjoyed was how the author navigated the mother-son relationship between Kelly and Aaron, I found myself thoroughly invested in that aspect. I definitely recommend checking out this dark and twisty domestic thriller.

Y’all, doesn’t this title just scream “read me”?! I mean oh my goodness I could not wait to jump right in it and read this because dang was it amazing!! The suspense and thrill was really keeping me going and y’all will love it too.

Amber Garza lays out a wonderful plot line and amazing characterizations in this superb suspense thriller!

Hooked from the start, I enjoyed "the Kelly's" interactions. This read is immensely fascinating from start to finish!

Many Thanks to Harlequin - MIRA and NetGalley for a roller coaster of a ride!! I suggest this book to readers of all genres.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Standing Ovation!!

That was a 5 star read! I was drawn in from the cover design, the title and the very first line of the book.
I chose to jump into this one without reading any reviews or summaries and it was SO worth it! My heart was pounding, my nails were bitten and my sleep was deprived! GO READ THIS NOW!!

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

ALL THE STARS!

When I Was You by Amber Garza. A chilling, creepy, insanely, crazy thriller of a story. Great ending. Very highly recommended.

Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.

Had me shaking in my shoes, literally. Plus a shocking ending I really didn't se coming. Don't want to do spoilers, so let me just recommend this book to anyone who likes vets a fabulous mystery.

Fatal attraction comes to mind when I go to describe this book. Imagine finding out another person in your town has your exact same name with a small kid. You “stalk” this woman and kid until ... This grabbed me from the very first page and kept me glued to the very last page. Holy Cow what a psychological thriller this was!! Did not see the MANY twists coming throughout the book - what in the world??? I had guessed all wrong what was going to happen! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. Can’t wait to read more from this author. She sure has an imagination!!!!

This one for sure keeps you wondering what is going on.
Not totally Unputdownable for me but was a very solid read. Great coming together and twists. Pick this one up if you like thrillers that keep you guessing.


Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for an early release of this book.