I simply could not wait for another Emma Grey story. And this book did not disappoint.
I also am a sucker for gal+amnesia story. Pictures Of You follows the story of Evie who suffers from amnesia due to a car accident. She wakes as a 16 year old not remembering the past 13 years of her life.
The story that follows is the careful unraveling of her life from 16 on. Many pieces of her past are smudging together and all with the help of her school age friend, Drew that she met just after where her memory fails her.
I think I saw this book is listed as Romantic Thriller, while it is thrilling to piece together her past, the book is a verrrrry slow burn with finally picking up about 80-90% of the way through.
Grey does an amazing job of realistically and respectfully painting the picture of complicated friendships, emotional abuse, loss, self sabotage, self awareness, and tied up the ending in a concise way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Wow! Emma Grey did it again. I could not put this book down, I had to know what happened. So many twists and turns, lies and deceit. Evie having to look back at all of the choices she has made in her life, that got her to the point where she is left with no one. Understanding why she pushed those close to her away was painful to read, but Grey does a phenomenal job providing insight into the abuse her relationship with Oliver entailed. Grey makes you want to keep reading long after your eyelids are heavy. The story is that good! Pre-order Pictures of You (November 12, 2024 release), it will not disappoint!

Thank you Zibby Books and Net Galley for the advance copy.

I absolutely love Emma Gray and this was a fantastic book. Somehow so different from The Last Love Note, but with a lot of the same big feelings about deep topics.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines and the dual points of view. But, I did find Drew’s section a tad repetitive with his inner monologue. I think we could have had 70% Evie and 30% Drew and it would have allowed for a deeper exploration of Evie’s past (and present!) with her parents. That felt like a HUGE part of the story that wasn’t explored to its full potential.

I appreciate Emma’s care in discussing tough topics like abuse. And this was so interesting because she exercised restraint in not making it a physical issue, but an emotional one that slowly developed over time between Evie and Oliver.

The ending was abrupt for me. And I wanted Oliver’s parents to know the truth. Maybe a podcast episode recorded by Evie. We didn’t get a lot of payoff at the end.

With that said, I really enjoyed the premise of the story, and the writing is great. Gray really keeps you engaged throughout her books. I couldn’t put it down. I just think it really could use a little more precision to make it a book of the year.

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ Wow when I tell you this book consumed my every thought for 48 hours straight! If you need a bingeable book that’s going to take you on a roller coaster of emotions this one is IT! I will be thinking about this book for a very long time— such a complex, messy, thrilling story told in multiple timelines and two POVs. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

Emma Grey!
What have you done to me?!? This story! I loved it! I read it like my life depended on it!

I. Love. Family. DRAMA.
The tangled web of characters, lies, betrayals, loss, and grief that are woven together in this story makes it a must read!
It had a dash of mystery, a second chance romance, and a whole lot of PERFECTION!

Evie wakes up with amnesia and a wedding ring on her finger. She can only remember her life up until age 16. She is desperately searching for answers and finds she has pushed everyone she loved away. Every step of the way she uncovers hard truths from her past and clings to hope that her memory will return.

This was my most anticipated book of the year and it delivered!

Thank you so much to Emma Great and to NetGalley for allowing me to read this as an ARC! Mark your calendars, this one hits the shelves in November!

Emma Grey writes so beautifully I was immediately drawn in by the characters the story .This is an emotional moving multi layered story.Soared to the top of my 2024 favorites.#netgalley #zibbybooks

Quick intro:
Evie wakes up after a car accident to find she’s lost her husband and her memory - the 29 year old last remembers being 16. This story follows her as she reremembers and grapples with her tumultuous past.

Quick thoughts:
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey is already one of my favorite books I’ve read this year, so I absolutely could not wait to get my grubby hands on her next release. Thank you thank you thank you Zibby Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. After this read, Emma has secured herself nice and tight in with my auto-buy authors.

This is a story sure to make your heart ache, stomach drop, and eyes well with tears. I found it to be non-stop, addicting, compelling, and stressful from the very first page. Journeying along with Evie as she rediscovers the adult she is, but feels like a stranger to, was quite the ride. While there is a romantic plot line, I would consider this book more women’s fiction and general fiction with some mystery sprinkled in as well.

As with her other book, Emma gracefully handles very difficult topics and infuses them with such rawness, humor, and charm. Knowing Emma’s personal experiences with loss, you can tell she’s bravely put much of her self into this story. The characters she creates feel so real and relatable and the ride she takes them on is just so heartbreakingly human.

It feels important to include some content warnings, as there are some intense topics explored in these pages. I will include them at the bottom of my review so you can skip if you’d prefer as some are spoilers.

Read this if you like books with alternating time lines, dual first person POV, heavy topics, dramatic mysteries, themes of grief and loss, surprising plot twists, second chances, and complicated family dynamics.

Quick details:
Women’s Fiction / Mystery
PUB Date: November 12, 2024
CW: gaslighting, emotional abuse, control, isolation, cancer, death of a parent, suicide ideation, childhood illness, amnesia, car accident

Wow! Bravo Emma Grey! What a wonderful story full of interesting, realistic characters. With plenty of twists and turns to keep you reading way past your bedtime, be prepared to lose some sleep. I know I did, and it was totally worth it!

I look forward to reading more from Emma Grey in the near future.

Thanks a bunch to #netgalley # zibbybooks and #emmagreyauthor for the wonderful ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Emma Grey has become a must-read author for me! This book was attention grabbing from the first few pages. There are mysteries and family issues and friends and lovers full of complexities. The story fits very well together and develops at a pace I appreciated. I will think about this one for a long time. Five Stars! Thanks to NetGalley and Zibby Books for the ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (and then some!)

Emma Grey has done it again!!! 🙌🙌🙌

📚Pictures of You📚 is captivating from the very first chapter. It was impossible to put down—I devoured this book in a day! This beautifully written story of love, loss, grief, & second chances for Evie and Drew is a rollercoaster of emotions. From high school crushes, best friends, & future dreams to tumultuous times & severed ties, this story has it all. I laughed, I cried, and I absolutely LOVED this book! ❤️❤️❤️

Emma Grey's writing style makes you feel as though you are right there in the moment. Her character portrayals are so realistic & relatable. The story continues to evolve with a few OMG plot twists that I didn’t see coming but really enhance the plot.

This is my favorite read thus far for 2024. It is a “must-read” recommendation.

Many thanks to #PicturesofYou #NetGalley #ZibbyBooksPublishing & #EmmaGreyAuthor for the pleasure of this ARC. All opinions are my own and expressed freely.