Two identical twins. Sam and Elli, so alike that most people could not tell them apart. Both became child stars which Sam loved and Elli hated, so much so that Sam often played both parts, just to keep Elli happy. When reaching adulthood, they drifted further apart as Elli settled in a nice house with her husband while Sam took to drugs and alcohol and Elli often had to come to her rescue.
They did not keep in touch and Sam was surprised to hear from her parents, that Elli had separated from her husband and had also adopted a baby. Sam's mother was looking after the baby while Elli was at a retreat, but she was concerned as Elli had not returned to get her baby, as expected. Sam arrived at her parent's house to help with the baby, but hearing the way Elli had left and not been heard from for some time, Sam became suspicious and eventually found out that she needed to rescue Elli this time.
This book held my interest to the end, well written and flowed well.
Thanks to Netgalley for my ARC.

I mostly listen to audiobooks lately but there are a few authors I’ll request actual books of because I enjoyed one or more of their books so much. I was blown away by Pretty Little Things so knew I HAD to read this.

I’ll be honest, I was expecting some mind blowing twist but it never really happens in this book. It’s more a slow and steady burn throughout which normally might be disappointing to me but this book hooked me right from the first few chapters and never let up even when I sort of knew where it was going, the ride to get there was enjoyable and worth the trip.

I cannot wait for Janelle Brown’s next book. Her writing is intriguing and her character development is flawless. Definitely 5 stars.

3.75
*netgalley copy*
Another compulsive read from this author!! Such an intense and interesting story, it kept me turning pages long after I should have gone back to responsible tasks!!

This book was a good one to get me out of an
I-don’t-know-how-many-days slump. Excuse me if my review skills are a bit rusty. Ha!
This book had all of my attention as soon as I saw the word “cult”. And the cult in this book is interesting for sure. The relationship between the twin sisters is complicated and I like that this story was built up enough to give a full picture as to why their relationship is the way it is. The cult element of the story is also well developed and it’s maddening to see the character fall for their scheme. The story is a great balance of suspense and meaningfulness with a great twist thrown in. Seriously didn’t see it coming. If you like suspense novels and are looking for one that also has a lot of heart, this is it.

Enjoyed this novel. Especially loved Sam more than Elli but I think that may be expected as I prefer women with grit though at the end Elli found hers. Interesting look at identical twins. Are they identical in looks or personalities?

Thanks so much for an advance copy of this book! I have loved this author before (Pretty Things was one of my favorite books), so I was excited to tackle this one. Overall, I liked it - although it certainly had some points of dragging for me. I'd love to hear what you all think about this one!

This book was just okay for me. I feel bad saying that but I found it a bit slow. The story is about twins who haven’t spoken in a year. Sam has addiction issues and Elli has her own set of problems. When Elli disappears leaving her adopted daughter with the grandparents who call Sam to come help. Sam starts looking into the “spa” that Elli went to and figures out she is actually in a cult. So she proceeds to save her. The story goes back and forth from when they were kids to present day. All in all the book was okay just a little more drawn out than I think it needed to be. Decent story though so I definitely would recommend!

I had a little trouble falling into the story in the beginning. I wasn't sure I wanted to read pages and pages about an addict who used to be a famous actress. I did like the premise of two identical twins, Sam and Elli, who were famous actresses as kids, and now are estranged adults with one being a washed up addict and one being little miss perfect with a husband and now a toddler she adopted.

What finally hooked me was that Sam's mom and dad ask her to come help watch Elli's toddler because Elli has gone on some spa retreat to find herself. Sam and Elli have been estranged, which you don't find out why until near the end, and it's shocking! So, Sam has no idea that Elli even has a child and that she's divorced her husband as well. But, what Sam discovers is even worse! Her sister appears to be trapped in a cult and has just abandoned the child she desperately wanted. What's more, as days to turn into weeks, Sam can't find any evidence of an adoption for this little girl at Elli's house!

I enjoyed this thriller. It's told in both the perspective of the Sam and Elli, and it's a good old fashioned twins switching places storyline, but with a crazy cult added to it!

I plan to definitely check out more books by Janelle Brown.

I’ll Be You by Janelle Brown is a thriller surrounding identical twin sisters. Sam and Elli are beautiful identical twin sisters who were Hollywood stars when they were younger. Now that they are older they aren’t close anymore until Elli doesn’t come home from a recent trip. Sam vows to find out where she is.

I’ve always wondered what being a twin would be like. Growing up I had a few friends that were twins & I used to envy them so much. That unspoken language or just being able to switch places whenever we wanted. Like in I’ll Be You.

I’m just going to come right out and say it: this one wasn’t really for me. At times I thought it was ok, enjoying the bits about Sam and how she overcame her struggles and her relationship with Elli’s daughter, but that’s pretty much it. I found myself skimming a lot of the book, especially the parts about their childhood. The middle of the book, especially Elli’s parts, seemed to drag on forever & got a little weird and the ending seemed rushed to me. I wasn’t a fan of this one, but maybe someone else will be. 2.5 ⭐️ (Rounded to 3)

Thank you to Netgalley, Janelle Brown, and Random House for this e-arc. Check out I’ll Be You on its pub date 4/26/22!

Elli and Sam are identical twins. They had a falling out and have not talked in some time. Sam's dad calls one day to tell her that Elli went on a spa retreat and has not returned. They are worried and need her help. We learn Elli has a young daughter, Charlotte, that she adopted. Sam knew nothing about any of this. When Sam goes home will she be able to find out what happened to her twin sister? Was it really a retreat she is on, or is it something more sinister?

This was a fast-paced exciting novel. It is told in three parts, past and present time-lines and alternating points of view between Sam and Elli. I love the backstory of these characters, the author really did a good job explaining everything so you get a good grip on the story and where it is going. Another excellent novel by Janelle Brown. I just love her books. Be sure to add I'LL BE YOU to your TBR list.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.

This book was a page turner from beginning to end. Very captivating with amazing character development. Twins who has perfected the ability to step into each other’s lives and trick others around them when they need a break. And when a twin goes to a retreat for a week and doesn’t return why isn’t anyone worried - except for her twin? And why isn’t anyone wanting to learn a little more about a place where she is willing to leave her own child? I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I want to start off with saying I really enjoyed this book! This is the second book I’ve read by this author. Brown is very creative, she’s an excellent writer & storyteller!

The one thing I wanted to touch on before getting into my review is that I didn’t really get the twisty thriller vibe with this one🤷‍♀️ I feel like it was more of a domestic psychological messy family book with some wtf added in. The other thing is there’s a lot of cult talk in it. I personally don’t like reading about cults (at all!) it’s just not for me.. BUT even with it having a cult storyline to parts I still really liked it & was entertained by the direction the author took with the story/characters.

Besides the cult based aspect of the book there are a few things/triggers that could be a turnoff to some readers. There’s heavy drug & alcohol use, as well as maintaining sobriety. Also the topics of fertility from being infertile to not choosing to keep the child such as being an egg donor & adoption.

In the book we alternate past & present with identical twins Samantha (Sam) the “bad” twin & Elli the “good”. Elli goes out of town for a little alone time getaway but Sam, estranged from her sister, thinks it may be more complicated than that & is seemingly the only one concerned about her sisters whereabouts & recent life choices. I liked reading from Sam’s point of view best, she was more relatable & I just enjoyed her personality more. Elli’s pov was a great addition though to give perspective on their past as far as their childhood (like 2 sides to a story), and to shine some light on what was currently happening in her life vs Sam’s perspective since a lot of her end of it was unknown & guessing or finding out along the way. Some of the things that happened in this were jaw dropping (had me saying “what the eff” out loud lol) & emotional at times. I think the first half of the book was my favorite, there was some dragging in the second half, and a lot of the second half was Elli’s POV so maybe since I liked Sam’s POV better is why it felt draggy? Overall it was interesting & I was curious to see how the author was going to wrap it all up. As I already mentioned I do not feel this was what I’d consider a thriller.

Great book, definitely worth a read - I’m looking forward to what Janelle Brown comes out with next!

Thanks to NetGalley & the publisher Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! If I hadn’t had the opportunity to read an ARC for this as well as her last book I probably wouldn’t have come across this author, and I’m thankful I did🤗

Sam and Elli are identical twins from Santa Barbara. They are discovered when they're young and get signed on to a TV show, taking turns filming to stay within regulations. However, life has a way of creating twins who wish to have separate lives - no longer wanting to be part of a package, but finding their own identity.

Elli goes to a retreat in Ojai, which results in Sam being called back to her parent's home to help them care for her sister's child. They haven't spoken in over a year, so Sam is somewhat taken aback that her sister has a 2 year old, but comes home to help out.

This is a story about family, self worth, self discovery, and the ease in which one can take on different personas, even if you're not a twin. "The only thing that we can hope to change is the path forward." Looking to the past may give us clarity, but you can't change what happened. This becomes more clear as the book progresses and we learn about Elli's whereabouts and how her child came to be.

This was labeled a thriller/suspense genre, but I didn’t get that feel.
Sam and Ellie , twins, were child actors and now adults with very different lives. Ellie is married. Sam has struggled with addiction her whole life.
When their parents call to ask for help when Ellie has gone on a weekend away, Sam comes. Only to find Ellie has a daughter, 2 yrs old. She is divorced and selling her home and has most likely joined a cult.
While their mother doesn’t believe she is anywhere but a spa retreat, Sam is convinced Ellie needs to be saved from the cult.
There is no drama, nor suspense or thrill in the book. More like a sad story of loss.

This was a great story about the bond of twin sisters. The beginning was intriguing felt like a thriller, the middle slowed down a bit. There were a few twists I didn’t see coming, the ending wasn’t what I was expecting, felt a bit rushed but all in all it was a great mystery.

Thank you Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Identical twins Elli and Sam spent their early years as child actresses, their lives constantly intertwined by shared interests in supporting each other. They continued to grow further and further apart as they approached adulthood, such that by the time they are adults they aren't speaking and headed in completely opposite directions. When Elli heads off to a self-help retreat, Sam comes in to help their parents care for Elli's newly adopted daughter. Sam starts to worry that Elli is in over her head with this self-help program and begins playing detective to find out what's really going on. You won't see the twists and turns that come next.

This is my favorite kind of thriller. Suspenseful, but not scary or violent. This book kept me on the edge of my seat from the beginning. I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a twisty storyline that is entertaining, even if not completely realistic.

This is actually the first Janelle Brown book I’ve ever read, though I’ve always wanted to try one of her books. I’m glad NetGalley gave me the opportunity to review “I’ll Be You”, as I really enjoyed it. It was based on a set of twins, former child actors. A “good”, responsible twin & a “bad” addict twin. But in this case, the “bad” twin has to help & look after the other, as she’s gotten involved with a woman’s help group (cult?) with possible nefarious motives…..😮

Great read!!

Identical twins Sam and Elli have been inseparable since birth. They took pleasure in pretending to be each other, doing so numerous times. Dubbed the “new Olsen sisters”, they rose to fame in their early teens doing tv shows and the occasional movie. As the girls grew older Elli decided that she wanted out of the Hollywood life, pursuing college, and later a family. Sam on the other hand couldn’t get enough if the glitz and glamor. However, her solo career didn’t last long. She crashed and burned reveling in the night life, drugs, and alcohol. Think Lindsay Lohan circa 2007. A few huge mistakes and an unforgivable fight later, Elli and Sam stop speaking. A phone call from their father to Sam would change everything.

Sam learns her seemingly perfect sister adopted a two year old girl named Charlotte, and that her husband left her. Her father asks her to come home to look after Charlotte until Elli returns from her spa trip. Sam struggles taking care of the toddler and as the days pass with no contact from her sister, she begins to think something is wrong.

Her hunch takes her down a rabbit hole leading to a compound where women follow strict rules in order to better themselves. The deeper she digs into this organization, the clearer it is that place is a cult and her sister is in trouble. Will Sam be able to free her sister and ultimately mend their broken bond?

I enjoyed this book. Told in alternating time lines as well as the point of view of each sister, you truly understand that they are not simply twins but they are individuals. A few good plot twists didn’t hurt either.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc.

"I*'ll Be There "is an engaging, character driven book that falls somewhere in between a mystery/thriller and general fiction. It is the story of twin sisters, Sam and Elli who have a close bond but also a estrangement which has prevented the sisters from speaking in over a year. Sam is the wild child, a struggling alcoholic and someone who strives for the spotlight. Elli is more quiet and passive and has always been torn between wanting to please her sister and wanting to please herself. The book begins when Sam's mom calls her and says that Elli has gone to a self-help retreat and has not returned and she needs help taking care of Charlotte, a little girl Sam didn't know her sister had. Sam becomes concerned when her sister doesn't answer her texts and at the same time she begins to think about the past and how the sisters ended up so far apart.

The book is told through Sam's viewpoint for most of the book and we learn how the sisters became child actresses, a career which worked for Sam more than Elli. Sam turned to drugs and alcohol while Elli married and became a florist. In the present day story, we slowly find out Elli has become part of a cult, and now it is Elli's turn to save her twin. Books about cults are always fascinating to me, especially when we see how easy it is to lure troubled people into believing in their methods. The last third of the book is partially from the viewpoint of Elli where we find out how and why she became a victim to this evil cult. I really liked the idea of the sisters working together to save Elli and to finally have the supportive and adult relationship they needed to survive. I enjoyed this book and it's themes of sisterhood, forgiveness and starting over as well as the mystery portions regarding the cult.