Elli and Sam are identical twins. As children they were thrust into the world of Hollywood, sharing roles in various children's-themed T.V. shows. Sam was right at home being in front of the camera, while Ellie…not so much. Over time, being a loving sister, Sam assumed Elli’s roles as well. And no one was the wiser.🤫 Thus began the tale “I’ll Be You.”

Growing into adulthood, the sisters eventually drift apart. Sam’s life imploding, as Ellie seemingly settles into marriage and motherhood.

After Elli leaves for a weekend and doesn’t return Sam knows instinctually that something is wrong. Oddly, no one else around them seems to take notice. Is Ellie simply taking a break from her mundane life? Or is her disappearance something far more ominous?

A thoroughly engaging read. I was a bit hesitant going in as I’ve read numerous “twin” themed books lately. But from the first page it felt different and I was immediately swept away by the storyline and the superb writing talent of Janelle Brown. Definitely looking forward to more from this author. Luckily for me I have two of her previous books sitting on my shelf just waiting for me!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group

I'll be you was an entertaining, engrossing book about twins. I finished the book very fast as it was so dramatic and fast to read. I am also a sucker for any cult based book. I'll be you about twins who are miles apart from each other. Sam is the fun extrovert who wanted to be an actor; Eli is the silent introvert who doesn't like the lime light and just wants to fit it.

Sam and Eli were former child artists and when Eli decided to stop acting, Sam lost her job as well. People wanted twins, not just one half of a twin. Sam battled with addiction and finally after a huge fight, Sam and Eli were estranged. Out of the blue, Sam gets a call from her parents to come babysit Eli's daughter, Charlotte.

Sam comes back to her childhood home and finds out that Eli is divorced. Eli is gone for self help retreat and the days just keep flying by. Eli never comes back and Sam becomes extremely concerned. The rest of the story is about how Sam uncovers the cult, GemFem that Eli is attached to. The story had so many secrets and it explained the intricacies of Twin relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed all the drama and it was a fun book to read.

I'll Be You is a book full of twists and turns that keeps the pages turning.

Sam and Elli are identical twins that have not spoke in over a year.

One goes missing and one tries against all to try and find her.

Sam and Elli each have their own story and both are given the chance to tell it.

Sisters have a unique bond and identical twins one would think would have even a stronger bond.

But do they?

I don't want to give anything away but suffice to say I cheered them both on, I cried with them and I cringed at them several times.

Janelle Brown is a great story teller that draws you and keeps you reading until the surprising conclusion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Random house for fast paced read.

This is a story about twins. It is classified as Thriller/Suspense but to me, it seemed more like just a story about the very complicated relationship between twins, Elli and Sam. And there is some mystery.

On the surface, they have a relationship that would be stereotypical of twins, especially as children. They shared the same room, dressed the same, traded identities and even had their own unique language.

The trouble starts when they are “discovered” and become child stars. Sam loved the acting, the glamour, the fame. Elli just wants to be out of the spotlight, have friends and go to regular high school.

This is where their relationship starts to fall apart. One sacrifices for the other, one spins out of control. Throw in a bit of the need control and passive-aggressive behaviour. Add some secrets and addiction. They find it hard to be together yet are not able to stay apart. But then comes estrangement.

The story is told from both perspectives, Elli's and Sam's. But there is no clear Good Twin or Evil Twin. Very complicated relationship.

This story intrigues me on a personal level. Close family members are twins, adult twins. Their relationship is interesting. I can't help but make comparisons between what I’m reading and what I have observed.

I'm satisfied with the ending, as far as the relationship between Elli and Sam. But, the moral aspect of one of their actions leaves me feeling a little unsettled. For that reason, I would rate the book 3.5 stars. But, no half stars so I have rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an Advance Readers Copy of this book.

This was disappointing because the premise was so good and I was hopeful. I liked the dual timelines of Elli and Sam but felt like I could identify more with Sam because her life and choices are so messy and she is trying to start over/be happy. Of course, they both have secrets and obviously these deeper secrets have what kept. Elli seems like the perfect twin, but her the husband moves out and things spiral from there.

IMO, this is not really a thriller but a women driven suspense book with a lot of action. The first quarter or so if this book was great, the middle portion was so-so and a little drab; and I felt the end was anti-climatic, abrupt and mediocre. JMO. It could have wrapped the story better than it did. Hope her next book will be better than this one.

Overall, just ok but not memorable. Still recommended if you like Brown's past books. Thanks to Netgalley, Janelle Brown and Random House Publishing Group Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available: 4/26/22

Janelle Brown has written several successful novels, among them Watch Me Disappear and Pretty Things, both of which I read and reviewed; I rated both five stars. So I was greatly looking forward to I’ll Be You, anticipating the same sort of page turner I associate with this writer. Sadly, that’s not what I found. Though it has some nice moments, the pacing doesn’t measure up, and the whole thing is burdened with trite story elements and devices.

Nevertheless, my thanks go to Random House and Net Galley for the review copy. This book will be available to the public April 26, 2022.

The premise: Samantha and Elli are twins, and they grow up in Southern California as child actors, with the sort of rabid fan base that makes it hard to go out in public. Sam loves acting, but Elli doesn’t, and as they grow up, Elli leaves it all behind, attends college, then marries a successful career man and buys a home in the ‘burbs. They can’t have children of their own, but adopt Charlotte, who is now two.

Samantha discovers the horrible truth, that her skills were good enough when she was a child actor; twins are popular in the industry, because child labor laws prohibit any child from working more than half a day. Identical twins can each work a half day, and so filming can take place all day. Once she is grown and looking for a single, adult career, however, she finds roles hard to come by. The drug habit she’s developed as an adolescent burgeons into something larger, more horrible, and she’s been in and out of clinics ever since, sometimes on her sister’s dime.

Now Elli has taken off and left Charlotte with their mother, who is having trouble keeping up. Mom calls Sam, figuring that helping care for Charlotte is the very least that Sam owes their family. And Sam comes. Soon it becomes clear to Sam that Elli isn’t just off on a weekend retreat, but has been absorbed into a cult; in order to save her sister, she has to (yeah, this again) pretend to be her. Meanwhile, Mom is no help whatsoever, caught in a combination of denial and family roles, in which Elli is the good daughter, and Sam isn’t.

So we have here just about every overused element I’ve seen in the last ten years. We have the alcoholic addict that wants to drink but mustn’t, needs to use, but must resist. Over. And over. And then we have Bad Mama, a very popular mechanism of late. Mothers can rarely be good guys in today’s novels, and they’re (we’re,) such low-hanging fruit. As if that isn’t sufficient, we also have the twins-changing-roles trope, slightly modified. Even the name—Elli—can anybody out there write a novel, oh please, in which the protagonist is not Allie, or Alex, or Ellie, or some other variant on this same, eternal name?

I made it through the first forty percent or so withholding judgment, because I figured this author is one that can pull it out of the water and make it shine. But I realize this book is not up to snuff when I see how frequently I am setting it aside to read my other galleys. When I read the other two of Brown’s novels mentioned above, I started them, stuck with them to the exclusion of other books, finished them fast, and reviewed them. This time I would often consider opening it, and then decide on another book instead. Finally, I resolved to finish it, and so I did, but as you can see, I wasn’t impressed.

Brown is a capable novelist, and I’m not giving up on her. Anybody can have a dud someplace in their career. But as for this book, I advise you to read it cheap or free, if you read it at all.

This was SO MUCH FUN! I could not put this one down. I loved the Southern California setting, the child actor storyline, and the cult aspects. The author kept me guessing and turning pages, trying to figure out what was going to happen. I enjoyed the multiple POVs from the twin sisters. The ending was satisfying. LOVED this one!!

Thank you to Random House for the early copy of I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown. This book is about female twins and covers childhood and adulthood, some via flashback. I enjoyed the book. The sisters, Sam and Ellie, were very well depicted and I rooted for both of them. It’s hard to know how much to say without giving spoilers. The pace was good and I couldn’t put it down. I definitely recommend it.

With a compelling premise, this story about a missing twin started off strongly. I read the first half in one weekend, eager to figure out what was happening. However, the second half wasn't as nearly as interesting, and I had to stop myself from skimming through repetitive information. The ending was fun, though!

Elli and Sam are identical twins. After a period of fame as tween/teen stars, they struggle. Elli wants a normal life and Sam wants to get a handle on her addictions. What are each of them willing to do in order to get what they want? The story does an interesting balancing act between showing the solid connection between the two while also showing the impact of having someone so close to you for so long. The resulting story has a lot of depth and nuance. The reader can get completely wrapped up in the story of female power, sibling rivalry, cults, and drug addiction or read it at surface level for a good thriller. Depending on your mood and perhaps familial relationships, this story can be a different experience for the reader. No matter, I expect it is one most will enjoy.

Twin sisters and former child stars, Sam and Elli haven’t spoken in over a year, but when Elli goes missing it's up to Sam to figure out what happened and in the process confront the secrets from their past.

Billed as a thriller, this is slower-paced than that genre usually implies. There are twits, and they are satisfying is not always surprising, and the momentum is perfect - the need to uncover the mysteries will keep you turning pages. But there is also great character development and a real literary quality to the writing. I was invested from the start and never wavered.

This was my first book by Janelle Brown and I am eager to read more.

Janelle Browns thrilling book is about a set of identical female twins who got into some sort of arguement or disagreement over a year ago. 388 days ago to be excat but whose counting?! The girls ended up not speaking to one another that entire time. Until now, sorta. Elli and Sam's mother calls because she received a text from Elli to have her get into contact with Sam to take Charlotte whom Sam knows nothing about. Charlotte is Ellis adopted 4? year old daughter. Charlotte was adopted while Elli and Chuck were still together, during the time that Elli and Sam quit talking. Ellis parents dont seem too worried about where Elli is or the fact that she hasnt come to pick up Charlotte. As their mother states: She is the responsible one and she maybe just needed more time since Chuck and her are getting a divorce. Elli is at some GenFem retreat and or spa. Upon Sam speaking to the neighbor lady at her sisters home, she learns that the woman feels GenFem has "culty" vibes. Is it a cult?

When Sam goes to take Charlotte to see her mother at this "retreat" they refuse to let them in, stating they have nobody by the name of Elli or Ellanor and they need to leave they weren't invited. So, what happens next will sujrprise you.... and why can't Sam find any of the paperwork on Charlottes adoption?? What is really going on??
Read this book. It's very good and a bit misguiding at times but a true "whodunit" Is Elli in trouble? Does she need rescued? Is Elli running from parenthood because Chuck and her are getting divorced? You decide, then conclude for yourself. You won't be sorry you did.

Triggers from Book:
abandonment, family feuding, drug talk, pill use, divorce, selling to minors, child star abuse, cultish, bad parenting, adoption, secrets, lies, retreat, feminism, and soooo many others.

Sam and Ellie are beautiful twin sisters, former childhood actresses, and have not spoken in a year. Sam loved acting and being the center of attention, but has faced a long battle with addiction and grief at the decline of her acting career. Ellie , the responsible sister, seemingly has it all with a loving husband, big house, and career she loves.

When Sam's dad asks her to come home to help out with Charlotte, Ellie's daughter (this is Sam's first time hearing of her niece!), Sam agrees. With one year of sobriety under her belt she struggles being around her family, but thrives with caring for Charlotte. After the weekend passes, with no sign of Ellie returning home, Sam starts to worry. With help from a new friend from AA, Sam tries to get to the bottom of where Ellie is and what is going on.

Written in dual timelines we switch to Ellie and learn where she is, and how she got wrapped up in what many would consider a cult. We dive into the cracks in her "perfect" life and deep secrets that shocked those around her. The book wrapped up nicely with not everything perfect, but everything going as well as they should be,

I loved this book. I have read many books about cults, but this one was different. It did not focus on a lot of the nitty gritty workings of the group, but instead the logic for members and how they got so involved. I also loved the pacing of the book. The woven in past chapters helped tie things along as we went through the story. I appreciated that there were no crazy background mysteries and that we seemingly had all the details we needed along the way. I had never read a book by this author before, but have immediately ordered more. I give this book 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

If you enjoy women's fiction and reading about cults, this book is definitely for you. If you're hoping for a nail biting thriller, you may want to keep looking.

I really enjoyed the crux of this story, the cult concept and the interesting lives of child actor twins - twins are always interesting!

I don't want to give anything away, but just know there are some really interesting twists that you will not see coming.

The only issue I had with the book was that it dragged a bit, and the ending felt a bit anticlimactic to me. It just didn't have the punch I was looking for from a thriller.

I’ll be You by Janelle Brown is an impressive and engaging look into sisterhood. I’ve always been fascinated with books about sisters and twins. My sister is my best friend and my mom was a twin. This story even brings in another aspect I’m intrigued with-cults. Brown weaves together the characters their motivations and the action flawlessly. At one point, the perspective changes and it elevates this to the next level. There was one point where I got actually chills. Sam was such a layered person that she felt real to me. I’ll be You is impossible to put down once you start. Brown evoked so many emotions and I am immediately getting her entire backlist.

Sam and Elli Logan seemed to have it all. Identical twins who were discovered by a talent agent at the age of nine, they were transported from a quiet life in Santa Barbara to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. They were a team: inseparable, each defending and covering for each other, often switching their identities to do so. Sam, the outgoing one, loved being the center of attention. Elli, the shy one, longed for a normal, quiet life. But as they hit their teen years, the pressure of Hollywood took its toll and their once impenetrable bond fractured.

Now, in their thirties, Sam is recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. Elli is apparently living a charmed life as a florist, married to her college sweetheart. But Sam finds out that things have not been quite as idyllic for Elli as she thought. Elli sends a cryptic message to their parents, asking that Sam help take care of her adopted daughter, Charlotte, while she extends her stay at an exclusive “retreat”. Sam learns that Elli is going through a divorce and her business is floundering. As Sam spends time with Charlotte and Elli still does not return, she can’t help but feel that something is wrong. Sam begins to investigate her sister’s life and the organization behind this retreat, as she tries to piece together who Elli is now from the version she knew growing up. Both Sam and Elli will have to confront their fears, vulnerabilities, flaws, and regrets, as they pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and figure out how to embrace who they truly are on their own.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a slow burn for me, but I still devoured most of it in one day. I love how Janelle explores their relationship and how inseparable they are, but also the struggles they have together and how they handle their lives independently. Personally, I cared for Sam’s character more. I was more emotionally attached to her, despite not ever having dealt with addiction. I was able to understand the path of addiction better by how Janelle crafted her storyline, and I loved Sam’s attitude throughout the entire novel. Elli is probably more like my personality, but she fell a little flat for me, particularly with her choices. Without giving any spoilers, I was a fan of the reveal concerning Elli’s whereabouts. Janelle Brown did her due diligence researching that element, and I felt like I gained more knowledge on why people are susceptible to the life that Elli found herself inadvertently choosing. Also, I always love an ending involving redemption. In all, I definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I will link this review to my Goodreads profile and post a sneak peek review on Instagram this week, with my full review closer to the publication date.

I'll Be You was an enjoyable read primarily because of its interesting exploration of identical twins - their psyches and their unique roles in the TV industry. This book is classified as a thriller/mystery, but it falls short on both fronts. While it's hard to classify the novel within a rigid genre, to me, it read more like a contemporary family drama. Three and a half stars rounded up.

Overall the writing and plot were good, and the story was engaging.; I wanted to keep reading. Midway, however, it slowed down. While I wanted the author to move the story forward, she kept going back in time to explain the twins' history. Also, I felt like much of the cult material was adapted from recent cult documentaries, especially those focused on NXIVM. More emphasis on the cult's leader and her interactions with followers would have been welcome and added to the suspense.

All in all, I'll Be You is a good read, but not if you like "heart in your throat "thrillers.

Thanks, NetGalley, for providing me with a free ebook version of this book in exchange for an honest review.

After recently reading (and loving!) Pretty Things, I was super excited to get I’ll Be You audiobook as a #PRHAInfluencer as well as a digital copy on NetGalley. The book starts out with the POV of Sam, narrated by the always amazing Julia Whelan, and I was intrigued by both the present day Sam as well as the flashbacks to her and her twin’s childhood acting career. This book did a great job at portraying the messy family relationships and the way hurt and anger can exist along with deep love and devotion to your family members.

When the POV shifted to Elli I struggled a bit, her storyline seemed to drag out a bit too long and touched upon many things we already knew. I also felt like her storyline had some very far fetched plot points which I can’t really detail without giving away spoilers. The ending also felt a bit too clean and easy given the multitude of issues being addressed. This was missing a bit of the suspense I’d expect in a thriller and feel like it might be more of a family drama than a thriller/mystery. It is an entertaining and well written novel that I enjoyed that I would recommend to fans of literary family dramas. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the DRC. I’ll Be You will be out on April 26!

I really enjoyed this novel by Brown. While there is a bit of a mystery/thriller angle, it's really a family drama about identical twin sisters, B-list child stars, who are now trying to navigate adulthood, and what that looks like for each of them.

“'You be me, and I’ll be you,” I whispered.'

As children, Sam and Elli were two halves of a perfect whole: gorgeous identical twins whose parents sometimes couldn’t even tell them apart. They fell asleep to the sound of each other’s breath at night, holding hands in the dark. And once Hollywood discovered them, they became B-list child TV stars, often inhabiting the same role.

But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker: married to a real estate lawyer, living in a house just blocks from the beach. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to the pills and booze that have propped her up for the last fifteen years.

Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli’s life has been in turmoil: her husband moved out, and Elli just adopted a two-year-old girl. Now she’s stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is her sister just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? As Sam works to connect the dots left by Elli’s baffling disappearance, she realizes that the bond between her and her sister is more complicated than she ever knew.

Thanks to NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Twins have always fascinated me, especially Identical twins. Sam has to find her sister Elli, who seems to have vanished. Ellie left her daughter behind, something Sam can’t fathom or even know her sister had a daughter. What the story? Each twin has her perspective, but the narrative mostly focuses on Sam, only turning to Elli in the end.
This was an ok read, although I didn’t care for either twin, especially Elli, for many of her actions.