Loved it ! Twins, mysteries and cults! What's not to like? Janelle Brown is the queen of twisty novels with new perspectives and plots.

Sam and Elli are identical twins with very different lives. Once childhood starts, Sam's life has careened into disaster while Ellie has transformed into the perfect wife. But when Sam's parents call her to come assist with caring for a niece she knew nothing about, Sam knows their is more to the story.

Told from both twins' POV's, I'll Be You is a tense and exciting novel. Well written and plenty of emotional depth that allows you to care for all of the characters and become invested in the ending.

If you like mysteries, sister-relations, twin stories and cults, this is surely a novel for you! Highly Recommended! #NetGalley #IllBeYou

Cults, twins, washed up teen stars? Yes, please! This was one of Janelle Brown's better books, I think. It was paced well and I think we all know a mom who willfully ignores what is right in front of her even if is her own granddaughter's fishy adoption. I felt like the end section at the compound was a little weak, we didn't get as much of a feel for the sister who got sucked into a cult--I know that multiple perspectives is popular now but I'm not sure it was needed here. Her part was very small in comparison and seemed more rushed. That said, I really enjoyed the book and thought it was a lot of fun and surprisingly realistic to be based on a fairly far out scenario.

Janelle Brown wrote Pretty Things, which I haven't read but apparently people like.

I'll Be You is the first book of hers that Ive read. It's a mystery-ish book. Sam and Elli are identical twin sisters but they haven't seen or talked with each other in over a year. Sam became a party girl and addict who has spent the year getting sober. Elli has built a more conservative life with the suburban home, the husband, daughter and her floral business.

Then Elli goes away for a weekend retreat and stays longer. Their parents call Sam to help take care of the daughter.

From there the mystery unfolds.

Their identical twins and it's called "I'll be you" so from that alone you can probably guess some of the shenanigans that follow. And that's part of the problem - the entire story is pretty cliche. In fact, if you heard the NIXIVS podcast, you'll feel this to be quite similar.

Overall I wouldn't consider this a great book but a decent enough read that requires little to no thinking - which means it will probably sell very well in the US.

Definitely not a waste of my time to read - I'm always intrigued by an identical twin perspective - but I'm not jumping out to immediately pick up any of Janelle's other books.

#netgalley #illbeyou

Thoroughly enjoyed this book! Excellent writing about twin identical sisters and the challenges they face in life. Very different roads for each sister Including addiction, life as a child TV star, and a cult. Very good storytelling ability by the author and very much enjoyed the writing style. Very easy to read and follow. Definitely would recommend.

Really enjoyed the twists and storyline. Would definitely recommend to any thriller lover. Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy!

This is the first book I have read by Janelle Brown. It was a very enthralling book about twins Sam and Elli. I couldn't put it down - I finished it in a day. Highly recommend this book.

I am a big fan of Janelle brown. Her books sort of skate the edges of the psychological thriller category which is how I discovered her, but defy the usual formula and are smartly written with unexpected twists. I’ll be You did not disappoint - the story of identical twins who have become estranged and how the “broken” one can save the other. The perspective switches from one twin to the other and I did enjoy the Sam part a bit more as this was the more mysterious part. Elli’s part was more explanation for what Sam uncovered. But both were compulsively readable. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a twisty, well written book that will be hard to put down. And as always, thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher - this book was a pleasure to read and review. .

Having enjoyed the author’s previous work, “Pretty Things”, I was thrilled to read a DRC of her latest novel, “I’ll Be You”. I found myself totally engaged in this tale of two twin sisters, Sam and Elli, both former child actors, now grown & estranged and living very, very different lives in S. California. The novel shifts POV’s between the two, and there are multiple flash-backs to understand their motivations as we journey along with one now searching for other’s whereabouts. Twists and turns abound. Great writing on sisterly dynamics here. Recommend to those who like their thrillers with a dose of familial tension. My sincerest thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for generously providing me with a complimentary DRC of this book upon request. The rating and opinions shared are my own and were not affected by this exchange.

This book was great. Read it in two days. The cult aspect was fascinating. Not quite as fascinating to me were the chapters delving into the twins' childhood. I guess I'm just a cult reader! Great writing though and I did love the book. Sorry that I finished so fast.

Fast paced and quick. A fantastic thriller and my first by this author. It certainly doesn’t disappoint. I enjoyed reading this immensely and will be sure to look into other books by this author. TW for past alcohol and drug abuse as we follow Sam in her quest to find her twin sister after she disappears in this new book. My thanks to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review:

This book was captivating from page one. I could definitely relate to the sobriety and the tumultuous family part, which I loved. The author’s writing style is cause for page turning. Well done!

I'll Be You is a story if twins, both having real life problems and issues. Sam is the twin that has been sober for a little ovér a year and has not. Been very dependable in the past, Ellie is the twin that is considered "perfect", she had it all, husband, her own business a beautiful daughter she adopted..... So when Sam's father calls her to come help with her niece she's never met because Ellie went on a spa retreat and is days late coming home. Sam goes to her parents to help out, and after a few days of being there she finds out some disturbing thing about Ellie and where she really is.

The book was well written, had some twists and turns I did not see coming and was actually related to real life. I would definitely recommend if you are looking for a good mystery/thriller.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This was great. I absolutely love the writing style, so much so that I intend to pick up more of Janelle Brown's books. I was able to get right into the story, which is something that is very important to me.
Definitely connected more with Sam than Elli but both points of view were enjoyable!

This was completely engrossing and I stayed up way too late to finish it in one sitting!

Janelle Brown captured the perfect blend of family drama and suspense in I'll Be You. The story of twins in the Hollywood spotlight, one who wanted to be a star and the other who shied away. Twins who haven't seen each other in over a year. A twin who struggles with sobriety and the other who has disappeared leaving a child behind. But what would make her do that? Her sister knows she wouldn't so she begins searching and finds disturbing details, would her serious twin actually join a cult? How can she bring her back?

Highly readable. Highly recommend. For fans of family drama, suspense but not scary, very well done for general interest readers and those who enjoy more drama and thrills.

Twins Elli and Sam are discovered one day on a beach by a talent scout/agent. While Elli isn't exactly over the moon about being an actor, Sam takes to it immediately. They hit the jackpot, since twins are able to allow Hollywood to work around the max hours underage children can work. As the grind off filming goes on, Elli becomes more and more reserved, and it's clear she doesn't want to do it any longer. Sam come sup with an idea: "I'll be you," she says, and so she does, taking on both her and Elli's parts. This is draining, though, and no one notices. Except the makeup artist, who tells Sam she's going to burn out if she keeps it up. Sam continues, though, and the makeup artist starts her on a dark road by giving her Adderall.

Eventually, the girls age, and as happens far too often for the very young in Hollywood, there are soon some unpleasant items popping up: Elli gets drunk and vomits at a party, Sam, now on to more drugs than Adderall, passes out one day after excusing herself from another party.

The book deals with the grownup Elli and Sam. The backstory we get in a series of "Then" chapters. Sam's downward trajectory into drugs and alcohol continued, eventually consuming her and leaving her broke. After multiple rehab stints, she's finally sober for over a year, and attending AA. She now works as a barista at a coffee shop. Part one is from Sam's POV.

One day, Sam gets a call from her father, asking her to come home and help them. With what? The niece she didn't know she had, because she hasn't spoken to Elli in over a year. The toddler is running the grandparents ragged. Sam agrees, and heads home.

There she finds her parents caring for Elli's adopted child, while Elli attends some kind of spa. But Elli's been gone for a couple of weeks, and her parents have no idea where exactly she is, or when she's coming back.

From there, the book takes off, and it's Sam who drives it forward. Part two is from Elli's POV, and we get her story on what's she's doing - basically, joining a cult that's obviously based on Scientology. She's pushed into a rather despicable act

But it's Sam who is the more interesting POV character, who tracks down Elli, who discovers the truth about everything and who, despite her history, and against all odds, winds up being the rational one in the entire mess. I love a good redemption story.

There are a couple of UK Englishisms on the front end of the story but they're not interruptive ad it's clear what is meant, so no ding for that. the story is well told, and the dive into the formative years for the twins in Hollywood is fun, despite what Sam gets into. There are no slow spots here. It's a one sit read, really, and in this case, that's a good thing.

A solid four out of five stars.

Thanks to Random House and NetGalley for the reading copy.

An interesting book. The author sets the story qnd background perfectly. I really enjoyed this and would read this author again.

Another reason to be excited for spring is the expected release of this absolutely mind-consuming book by Janelle Brown! At first, I was thinking…another book about identical twins…is it going to feel overdone…but NOoooo. I loved every minute of this twisty, turny, cult-involved psychological thriller that somehow even managed to feel realistic. I highly recommend this book. I also really enjoyed this author’s Pretty Things, making Brown one of my new psych thriller authors to follow…can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader’s copy of this book.

What an interesting, well-told story! It’s been a while since I stayed up late to finish reading a book, but I couldn’t put this one down. Janelle Brown impressed me with I'll Be You. I’ve only read one of her other books and it didn’t leave a strong impression, but the story of Elli and Sam is one I will not soon forget. I liked that the story focused on the different responses that twins can have to the same life events. The writing was strong, with unexpected twists and solid character development. One of the elements that I liked the most was the abrupt shift in narrators about halfway through the book. The change from Sam's POV to Elli's added even more intrigue to an already interesting story.

Wow! What a ride this book is. From the very beginning of the book, the reader is drawn into the lives of identical twins, Sam and Elli. Now grown, these former child stars are dealing with their adult lives (and lack of stardom) each in their own way. Sam, the brash, bold twin fights inner demons and substance abuse. Elli, the more subdued "peacemaker" twin has molded herself into the "perfect" wife and mother. But things are not as they seem on the surface. After a falling out, the twins haven't spoken in a year. When Sam receives a call to come and help her parents take care of Elli's daughter while Elli is away at a "retreat", she is more than a little surprised. Perhaps this is a chance to redeem herself? Once back in her parents' home, it doesn't take long for Sam to figure out that things are not quite right with Elli's absence. When she tries to discuss it with her parents, she is immediately shut down. Twin instincts are rarely wrong, but Sam and Elli have been estranged for so long. Is Elli really in trouble or is their relationship so fractured that Sam can no longer feel what Elli feels? After all the times that Elli saved Sam, is it Sam's turn to save Elli? Is Elli who she appears to be? Is Sam?

This is an amazing story full of twists and turns. Sam and Elli's stories are told separately and together, in the present and in past tense. It is full of suspense that keeps the reader engaged until the very end.

Elli and Sam, identical twins, grew up as teenage actresses. Sam, the outgoing twin, was always up for more. Elli, more reserved, really wasn’t into acting at all but wanted to make her sister happy.

20+ years later, the twins are estranged. Sam has completed over a year of AA and Elli has disappeared “on a retreat”. Sam’s parents beg her to come help babysit her niece (she has a niece?) and soon things are falling apart.

This novel was a fast read but I felt the storyline has been played out by at least 3 other books I’ve read this year. That might make me a bit jaded as a reviewer, BUT I still feel like the ending was lacking…a lot.

The author does know how to keep a reader engaged and I will definitely seek out her other titles, since this was a first of her books for me.