This review was commissioned by Harper Collins.

This is more like it; from the moment you take a step into Kelly Medina's world, everything you're reading and looking at just goes a shade darker and more innocuous than it should be. Is what Kelly's narration is telling us the truth? Or is it all part of a mind unraveling from systematic velvet bat verbal spousal abuse and unspeakable tragedy?

Is Kelly really imagining things? Situations, slights, entire interactions with people? The people themselves?

And who is her new friend, this young woman half her age who shares her name- who is she really?

Dark and twisty (and twisted) from beginning to end, this is a book for people who love, to quote the master, Stephen King, "the dark, unquiet coffin".

'When I Was You' drops August 25th; don't miss this dark psychological thriller, for lovers of Tarryn Fisher and Jennifer Hillier novels.

Addictive, obsessive, chilling! Three perfect words to describe this novel! Wow what a thrill of a ride, and I loved every second of it!!

What starts as an innocent phone call to empty-nester Kelly Medina turns into a story of lies, secrets and crazy, full-on obsessions! Kelly is shocked when she gets a phone call about her upcoming “well-baby” appointment, only to find out another young mother with the same name was meant to receive the call. Kelly quickly is determined to find this other Kelly Medina and find out just who she and her baby Sullivan are.

I devoured this novel and wanted more as I flew through the pages of this novel, fully immersed in the obsessiveness that is Kelly Medina and how she fixates on the young mother and her baby, determined to befriend her and wiggle her way into their lives. With several shocks and twists, this novel will have you hooked. There will be moments you will not see coming!

This was the first novel I have read by Amber and I am totally excited to see what she comes out with next! Way to go Amber Garza! Fabulous novel!

At first there was a bit of an annoyance with the constant "you," "you," "you" but the concept played out really well in the end. It was a compulsive read-once I picked it up, I read through the night. I loved the surprise ending and the reveal (you know there's gonna be one). While not unique in tropes, I felt pleasantly surprised at the end at how much I liked this one. Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this copy.

I'm typically not a fan of second person narratives, but it actually worked beautifully here, which speaks to Amber Garza's immense talent as a writer.

When I Was You was an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I was engrossed from page one, and although I had an inkling of where the story was going, a few surprises were thrown in which I didn't see coming. The conclusion was a bit abrupt, but I was nevertheless mostly satisfied.

This is a cunning tale of revenge and obsession and I definitely suggest giving this story a chance...as it's a fun, quick, and gripping read.

3.5 stars rounded up.

**My sincere appreciation to NetGalley and Harlequin for my review copy.

Wow! Just wow! Though it's difficult to review this book without giving away any spoilers (which I truly don't want to do because you need to experience this thrilling book yourself!), you can be assured that this will be a wild ride of a read, and one which will leave you a bit breathless at the end.

Kelly Medina has been acutely suffering from empty nest syndrome since her son went to college. She misses her son Aaron terribly, and with her husband Rafael away so much for his job, she is struggling to find a new purpose for her life and to fill her long, empty days. One day, a pediatrician's office calls to confirm her appointment for her son's well-baby check. It turns out there is a young mother, new to town, with the same name of Kelly Medina.

Intrigued by this, Kelly #1 starts following Kelly #2 to satisfy her curiosity about her.At first, she just wants to see what she's like, but after arranging to meet Kelly and her baby boy Sullivan, Kelly #1 soon becomes obsessed with having the two in her life. As the reader learns more and more of the backstories of each of these women, the psychological suspense rachets up until it is screaming! Garza provides some glorious, unexpected twists to make this one helluva good read! Don't miss this well-done, well-characterized thriller!

My thanks to Net-Galley and Mira Books for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an unbiased review. All opinions stated here are my own.

Wow, what a book. I read it in 1 sitting. I could not put it down.
Kelly Medina gets a phone call from a pediatrician's office for her child's appointment. But her child is an adult so they realized they called the wrong Kelly Medina. Well Kelly thought that was really weird. Then she heads to Yoga class and signs in and was told there was a Kelly Medina there that morning. So now she wants to find out who this Kelly is.
Then they meet up and Kelly meets this much younger women with a baby and yes the same name. So Kelly friends her and kind of stalks her.
I had a feeling what had happened and I was right just a little bit but I didn't realize some other things until we get further in the book and that ending wow. Run out and buy this book. You will not be disappointed.
Thank you to Harlequin and NetGalley for the ARC.

DON'T READ ANY SPOILERS.

The blurb - a mom with a 19 year old receives a call about a well-baby appointment for a woman with the same name. That's all you need to know.

This book is a roller coaster. Every time you think it's at its peak, it goes two clicks further.

Amber Garza has written a domestic thriller that constantly pulls the rug out from under you.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: When I Was You

Author: Amber Garza

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 3/5

Recommended For...: mystery lovers, thrill seekers

Publication Date: August 25, 2020

Genre: Mystery Thriller

Recommended Age: 16+ (weird friendship, mystery, and letting me know why I should never befriend my neighbors)

Publisher: MIRA

Pages: 368

Synopsis: You meets Fatal Attraction in this up-all-night psychological thriller about a lonely empty-nester's growing obsession with a young mother who shares her name.

It all begins on an ordinary fall morning, when Kelly Medina gets a call from her son's pediatrician to confirm her upcoming "well-baby" appointment. It's a cruel mistake; her son left for college a year ago, and Kelly has never felt so alone. The receptionist quickly apologizes: there's another mother in town named Kelly Medina, and she must have gotten their numbers switched.

But Kelly can't stop thinking about the woman who shares her name. Lives in her same town. Has a son she can still hold, and her whole life ahead of her. She can't help looking for her: at the grocery store, at the gym, on social media. When Kelly just happens to bump into the single mother outside that pediatrician's office, it's simple curiosity getting the better of her.

Their unlikely friendship brings Kelly a renewed sense of purpose, taking care of this young woman and her adorable baby boy. But that friendship quickly turns to obsession, and when one Kelly disappears, well, the other one may know why.

Review: Overall, this is an ok book. The book has a great story line and plot. The pacing is well done and the world building is good as well. The book is a very well done mystery in my opinion.

But, my problem is the characters. I couldn’t really figure them out and they didn’t grab me as some usually do. I was annoyed with all of them the majority of the time I read the book and that might have been my mental space at the time (I was hangry when reading this book), but I just couldn’t really care about the characters in this book.

Verdict: It was good, just annoyed me a bit.

My thoughts

Rating: 4

Would I recommend it? Yes

Would I read more by this author? Yes

First off I want to thank HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) as well as NetGalley for inviting me to read and review it as well as helping me find a new author to keep a watch out for because with out them I might not have discovered her at all. And I'm so glad I did because man did this book play with my mind and had me question stuff I thought I know about the main character Kelly and I totally agree when they say its Fatal Attraction meet up, if you ever seen that movie then you probably know what I mean. Because there was times I thought Kelly was just out of her mind and that she was making things up. And there was times I thought why wasn't her friends and her husband happy that she had a friend but then that thought or whisper would come back what if her friend isn't real. As for the story itself the author wrote a tightly woven plot, twists I never saw coming, and characters so sharply drawn,that I also though man what if this was a movie and they had the right people playing the parts now that is a movie I would watch . And after reading this I can't wait to see what else she comes up with.

When I first started this book, I'll be honest. I didn't think I was going to like it. I thought I had the whole plot and outcome completely figured out, and I kept reading to prove myself right. Well, I was totally wrong. I did not see any of the twists and surprises coming. I was completely floored to find out who everyone was in relation to the other characters and who was still alive and who wasn't. I definitely see this one as being a top psychological thriller of the summer! Five stars!

This twisty tale is one of motherhood and obsession. I am not usually drawn to that type of book these days, but I was in the market for a thriller and this one fit the bill. I found myself reading this one only in the daylight and I checked on my kids more than once just to make sure... All of this means that Garza did her thriller writing job!

You know when you think you have the whole book figured out by page 10, and then Part II starts and you think "wait, what?" and everything changes? That's the type of book this book is. It's a psychological thriller that has everything you can wish for - someone died, someone is unfaithful, someone has psychological issues, someone needs help and doesn't want, someone wants to help but can't... Kelly Medina has had some psychological problems in the past, but she thinks she is fine now. But her husband Rafael and her friend Christine are always worried about her and think that she may be delusional when she tells them that she has just met another person with her exact name and last name. The thing is, the story is sketchy and they never seem to get ahold of the other Kelly. So they think that maybe she is imagining this new friend. But is she? You have to read to figure out.

(4.5/5) 😮 Whoa! This was a dark and twisty book that I devoured in two days. When Kelly Medina finds out there's another Kelly Medina in her town, she wonders if it's a mistake and decides she must find her. She eventually does and they become friends. I thought Kelly #1 was a bit disturbed and a stalker as she was always showing up at Kelly 2's home and wanted to know where she and her baby son were and what they were up to. I found her a bit annoying at times but then would actually feel a little sorry for her as well as I figured she was lonely with her husband working out of town and her son away at college. It's hard to say too much about the book without giving things away. The twist towards the end surprised me, though, and the ending....it just blew me away. When I Was You was quite the page-turner and a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

This was such a switch up of a thriller. When Kelly Medina answers her phone one day, she doesn’t realize how much that one call would change her life. She receives a call from her son’s pediatrician confirming an appointment, the only problem, her son’s in college and away from home. It turns out that there’s another Kelly Medina living in her small town in California. Setting out to discover who this other Kelly Medina is, Kelly throws caution to the wind and starts to stalk her. Eventually befriending the young mother, Kelly starts out just wanting to help the young single mother. Her helping though, quickly turns into stalking and obsession. No matter what her friends and family say, she’s not letting up.
But this story isn’t just about Kelly’s obsession with the younger woman. It’s also a poignant story of a relationship in need of help. Kelly and her husband have been married for many years, and it’s not a good marriage. Having their son soon after the wedding, Kelly’s husband accuses her of getting pregnant on purpose. As you read along, you realize that Rafael Medina is not a good husband or father. He sounds like a narcissist and a predator. His role in this story is rather a large one, even though he reads like a minor character, at least until the end.
This book is nothing like I thought it would be when I started. Ms. Garza has a way of only letting you have a little of the whole story at a time, you have to keep reading because you need to know what’s going to happen next. You have to know who the real evil person is. You want to know the whole truth, and the only way to find out is to read until the very end. The writing is superb, there’s great character development, and a compelling story arc. You’re drawn into the mind of the main character, you feel her feelings, but at the same time you know that there’s something going on that you just don’t understand, it leaves you restless and worried. Just like a good thriller should.
I highly recommend this surprisingly suspenseful novel for fans of psychological thrillers. You won’t be disappointed.
**I received an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Book Review: When l Was You by Amber Garza
5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Pub Date: Aug 25th

This is my first novel by Amber Garza and WOW!!!!!!!! I never expected it to be as twisted as it is!!!!!!! I could tell by the sypnosis that it was going to be a good thriller but I didn't expect as GOOD as it was. I devoured this book in one day. Would have sped through it sooner if life hadn't of gotten in the way lol. This is definitely one you don't want to miss if you are a thriller fan. Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin Books, & St. Martin's Press for my honest review.

This book was totally not what I expected. At some point all psychological thrillers pretty much have the same story line. And, it seems that this one does too....but then you keep reading and the story changes. I couldn't put this down. The story drew me in, I felt like I was watching it all unfold in front of me. I felt connected to each character in the story as if I knew them in real life. I definitely recommend this book if you want a thrilling page turner.

This was kind of weird. I didn't love the storyline and it just got even weirder as it went along. I enjoyed the ending though.

Ok... THIS was the perfect escape read for me during the stressful week of moving.

What a heck of a messy ride this one was. When I was You is quite the dark and disturbing read with very unlikeable characters. But, I feel that this was definitely the author's intent which works very well in this one.
The author does an amazing job keeping her readers on their toes and wondering... who is telling the truth and which character you should or shouldn't trust.

I am very picky with my thrillers but this one kept my interest. This one touches on mental health issues and I have to say I did kind of guess what was going on... but not fully. I really enjoyed Garza's writing style and will for sure be checking out the next novel that she writes!

I'd recommend this one for all my thriller fans!

3.75/5 stars

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harlequin/Trade Publishing for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Pub date: 8/25/20
Published to GR: 8/6/20

While I considered the things I want to say about this book, I quickly realized that most everything I want to say about it is a spoiler. When I Was You is a psychological thriller where every twist and turn is one that you want to be surprised by as you read it. And, there are many delightfully dark and twisted surprises for which to look forward.

What I Loved

I loved the TWO unreliable narrators. They both have significant mental health disorders, which makes the narration both fascinating and cumbersome. An unhealthy mind is complicated to process, but it is also interesting to see what happens when a disorder occurs. I felt that the depiction was reasonably accurate, and I loved the inclusion of a counselor and therapy for one of the narrators. I found that to be a very realistic portrayal.

As cumbersome as the stories narration is, it is also what builds the suspense throughout the book. Nothing creates suspense like knowing you have no idea what lengths a character will go and what they will do next. Chills went down my spine with the first few pages, and that feeling did not let up until after the story ended.

There are plenty of twists and turns and surprises. Even if you predicted one twist, wait because there will be plenty more you never anticipated. And that is true to the very end, where there is one last twist that will leave you delightfully uncomfortable and wondering what happened after the pages stop.

The characters that are not plagued by a mental health disorder (there are only a few) are very relatable and the ones who are suffering, you can’t help but feel weary compassion for them. Overall, I felt that characters were developed nicely with complex layers derived from a series of actions and consequences.

To Read or Not to Read

If you love psychological thrillers with unnerving endings and multiple unreliable narrators, this story is just what you are looking for to provide lots of thrills and chills and all those delightfully dark, twisty things that make the genre so fun.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This one was a page turner from the very beginning!

Kelly is dealing with a lot. However, we aren't really sure what it is yet. Her husband and best friend are very cautious of her actions and she seems to be processing some kind of trauma or event. When she learns there's someone in town with the exact same name as her it instantly intrigues her because Medina is not a very common name. After a chance meeting where she and the new Kelly Medina strike up a conversation, it leads them fairly quickly to a new friendship. However, why are her best friend and her husband so worried about this relationship? The new Kelly seems to give us more questions than answers initially but we end up on a wild ride of turmoil, unhappiness in her marriage and the struggle to find herself again.