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.

Ellie and Sam are twins who were child actors on Nickelodeon shows but who have since moved in completely different directions. While Ellie has pursued marriage and a business as a floral arranger, Sam tried to stay in the business. Each has her own burden to bear: Ellie wants desperately to have a child and Sam has been an addict since she was a teen.

Now in their 30s, the sisters barely speak. When Ellie leaves her adopted daughter with their parents, Sam knows something instinctively that something is wrong. But because she has long been the irresponsible twin, her instincts are dismissed. It's up to her to find Ellie before it's too late.

I really enjoyed this book (love twins, love child actors, love thrillers) and I recommend to others who enjoy the same elements.

Thanks to Netgalley for the arc to review.

Thank you to Random House and Netgalley for the free ARC of I'll Be You by Janelle Brown in exchange for an honest review. This book comes out on April 26th, 2022.

Rating 5 star
Genre Thriller

This book was enthralling, from start to finish-a cult themed mystery. The story is told from each sister's perspective which makes it all the more interesting. The whole time I couldn't decided who I was rooting for, both characters were so intricate and layered. But I couldn't stop reading!

This review will post on our Instagram and Goodreads on the publication date!

Excellent book. The plot resolves around two twin sisters. Sam and Eleanor are former child TV stars who have drifted apart as adults and chosen very different lifestyles. Eleanor has married and wants nothing more than a large family. Sam, the more outgoing of the two, misses her acting career and has spiraled into alcoholism and drug abuse. After several attempts on Eleanor's part to rehabilitate Sam, she finally cuts ties with her after a major betrayal. But now Elli is missing and has left behind her adopted 2-year-old girl in her grandmother's care and Sam, one year of sobriety under her belt, gets a frantic call not only to help with child care but eventually to track down Elinor who has seemingly disappeared, perhaps into a cult-like female support group called GenFem, whose most committed members shave their head, wear sack-cloth dresses, and are in residence in some kind of isolated compound in the desert. .

I felt both sisters (who are each given a POV at various parts in the story) were well-drawn and distinct. Each had their own challenges and the plot had some interesting twists I didn't see coming. but at no time was I pulled out of the story, but instead was immersed in the narrative. This is a well-written, thoughtful examination of the strong bonds between twins who look alike but are quite different in their approach to life, their desires, their attitude toward having children, and their life goals. I also thought the gradual build-up of the female empowerment group was well done. I was touched by the final outcome of the story which seemed very true and honest.

Janelle Brown has done it again. I love all of her books and this may be my newest favorite! She has such an addictive writing style you can’t help but fly through the pages to figure it out!

This book was a lot of fun and I had trouble putting it down. Centered on identical twins Sam and Elli, it goes back and forth between when they were teenagers and current time. Sam and Elli are currently estranged until their dad calls Sam and asks her to help out with Elli's daughter that Sam didn't even know she had. Turns out Elli went away on what she said was a spa retreat and hasn't returned, causing concern to her family. The flashbacks did a great job of building out the characters and giving the reader a backstory that explains their current relationship and actions.

Both characters were flawed and believable, though I connected with Sam more than Elli. The book managed to move at a fast pace while also really getting inside the character's heads, which was really well done. It was sad at parts, and I was frustrated with the characters at other parts, but it was engaging throughout. My only small nit was that it all seemed to be tied up just a little too tidily at the end- it verged on unrealistic.

All in all, I enjoyed the book and would definitely read more books by this author. I'd recommend it to those who enjoy psychological thrillers and mysteries. Thanks to Netgalley for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

You can’t go wrong with twins, Hollywood and all the twists and turns you can think of! This was a great book and I enjoyed the author’s writing style and character development. The reason I didn’t give this 5 stars is because I felt the book was just too long and could have been shortened with the same amount of goodness. Overall, a great read though.

The premise of twins switching lives and the strong bond of identical twins was very interesting. Also I haven’t read much about cults and the intrigue was gripping

I always enjoy Janelle Brown books and this was no exception. It was fast-paced story told from alternating viewpoints of Sam and her twin sister Elli. I really enjoyed the concept of identical twins and how they can become two completely different people but still somehow stay connected in the end. Without giving away too much, this story was about sisters who have drifted apart who ultimately save each other when it really matters. I didn’t necessarily like either of the characters very much, but I think that’s the point. Both sisters are flawed in the own way it’s about how they overcome their flaws, that makes them human. Definitely a solid 4-star book.

Who can resist a story about twins; twice the fun, double the trouble. Sam and Elli are identical twins who become child semi-stars but their differences send them in separate directions by the age of 18. One becomes an addict while the other strives to be the perfect wife and mother. Cue the oblivious parents of these girls who ignore what they are up to, yet judge them for their actions. This story moves between the present and the past. You discover how they ended up where they are today, and then see the repercussions of those decisions. When the story begins, Elli has disappeared, and Sam is asked to help take care of Elli's child. The suspense builds over where Elli has gone, although Sam seems to be the only one concerned. No matter what has occurred and how far apart their lives have moved, you can't break the bonds of twins. Sam will right old wrongs to find and rescue her sister while keeping her sister's daughter safe. Lots of twists in this page turning story. This is my second Janelle Brown novel. I enjoy her style of writing and will continue to catch up on the books I've missed.
My thanks to NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll Be You by Janelle Brown is my new favorite book. I love a book that has a storyline with twists and turns, dips and curves. I love a book that keeps me guessing and won't let me put it down. Has anyone propped a book on the windowsill while washing the dishes so you can keep reading? I'll Be You made me glad all my kids are grown because they would have received no attention from me while reading this book. The storyline is simple enough. Twin sisters struggle with life after being child stars. How cliche! Well, if you are a Janelle Brown fan, then you know she doesn't do cliche. So who can Sam and Ellie blame their struggles on? A mom that ignored the obvious, opposite personalities despite being twins, the pressure to succeed at such a young age? In the end it doesn't really matter. Both girls make their own choices on what path to follow and the consequences that come with those decisions. Like I said, Brown is a master at dropping the bottom out in the middle of a story and she literally does that in I'll Be You. First, we read Sam's story. Then to confuse us, Brown starts over in the middle of the book and tells us Ellie's story. But it all makes sense! It meshes together and becomes one fantastic story. After reading all of Janelle Brown's other book, I know better than to think I have the story figured out. I just let the story take me on a roller coaster. Good thing I like rollar coasters! I voluntarily received a copy of this book from NetGalley.