Thank you Mira Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Jeneva Rose is one of my favorite authors. This is not her typical book that she usually writes. However, I think this is one of my favorite Jeneva books ever. The book centers around Alexis, a woman who is struggling to maintain a job, a relationship, basically a stable adult life. One night Alexis blacks out and wakes up in 2002. She goes on an adventure of healing and `self-discovery with her younger self. I think this is a reflective book that really makes you ask yourself, if you could go back in time and talk to your younger self what would you do/say? I laughed and cried. I had so many emotions. I LOVED this book.

Jeneva Rose has quickly become one of my comfort authors. Coming from Wisconsin myself I really enjoy all of the references that she has throughout her novels. The feature the state I love so much. Well, I know her as a thriller author I found this book to have so much heart in a simple but healing story. What a beautiful way to honor our former selves and all that we have been through. If you are a fan of the quirks, angst, and overbearing lessons of freaky Friday, then this book will feel like a comforting hug you’ve been needing.

*This was my not my usual genre, but I love Jeneva Rose so I made an exception*

This was a really heartfelt, relatable story. Who wouldn’t love a chance to go back in time and talk to your younger self? I love the journey of personal growth that Alexis experienced, and the ending felt well earned.

I would have rated this higher but I really hated how many times she called herself fat. That’s a personal ick of mine. 3.25 stars.

The Girl I Was
By Jeneva Rose

Publishing July 15,2025

First, I LOVE Jeneva as an author, and human she is the sweetest and funniest and while reading this I could hear it in her voice. This is one of my top 10 books of this year. Be prepared to cry if you are an emotional person because I can’t tell you how many times I cried while reading this. I really connected with this book, I related to so much of the timing of when it took place. As a 34 year old this really hit home. It was so eye opening to how the decisions you make it your life really impact your future and I feel like we all with we could go back in time, especially to be able to see someone who was gone just one more time and get just one more hug or smell of them. Here I am crying again writing this because it just really hit home. I finished this book SO fast and when I read physical books or digital it takes me a week or so I finished this in two days. It’s a can’t put down book and I absolutely LOVED IT.
Do go into this as this is NOT one of her thrillers but it’s truly eye opening more of who Jeneva is as a person.

Thank you Jeneva Rose and NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

I’m so used to reading thrillers/mystery’s by Jeneva. This book was not a thriller/mystery! It was interesting reading something different by her. It did take me a while to finish it.

Alexis ends up losing her relationship and job the same day.. rough! She ends up finding a bottle of vodka from her college days and blacks out. When she wakes up, she’s back in her college town and the year is 2002. She comes face to face with her 18 year old self.

I usually don’t enjoy time traveling but this time traveling romance was good. I did end up enjoying the book. It’s definitely very relatable. I absolutely love Jeneva’s writing. Her books are always the best.

Thank you so much Jeneva, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!

Rating: ✨✨✨
Publication Date: July 15 2025

#TheGirlIWasStandardEdition #NetGalley

4⭐️s - Well this was fun! Totally different vibe than this author’s prior thriller books but I knew that going in. And I loved the author’s note at the end and how this book came about. This reminded me of that movie 13 going on 30 a bit but in reverse. I can see how this book will resonate with many women and their reflections on their own life. I wasn’t a huge fan of the main character but the story was good and drew me right in. It’s coming out next month and will be a great summer read!

Expected release: 7/15/25

✨Special thanks to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for this complimentary digital advanced copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Another fantastic read from Jeneva! (Contains spoilers)
This story made me laugh, cry, mad (not like mad mad.. you’ll see) The FMC Alexis is a very relatable character, I think everyone has had an Alexis moment in their life a time or two!

Little Summary: Alexis gets fired from her job, her boyfriend Andrew tries to surprise her, everything go haywire and boom she’s back in 2002 as her older self! She finds her younger self, Lexi, they plot out how to get Alexis back to 2016… after many failed attempts and a funny but sad Thanksgiving.. Alexis and Lexi are at their wits ends and are giving up! Lexi ends up in the hospital and Alexis finally realizes how she can get back to her time!
If you wanna know more you’re gonna have to read it for yourself, trust me you won’t be disappointed!

This was a cute story about discovering yourself and how the past shapes your future. While I liked the theme of the story, I struggled with the main character(s). There wasn’t much that was likable them and I get that some of that was the point of the story, it was still frustrating. I also wish the ending would have been longer as it felt rushed. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of this re-release.

Unlike any other Jeneva Rose I've read, and unexpected in that way! I enjoyed the second chance at life that puts the main character face-to-face with her younger self. This story was heartwarming and exciting, offering a unique look into personal growth.

I want to start by saying I loved the original.

When comparing the two books, I prefer the new publication.

This book gave me all the feels, it made me laugh, smile, get a little tear drop rolling down my face. This book made me reflect and provided direction for growth and forgiveness. All while being fiction. This book has the perfect amount of nostalgia from the 2000’s.

I loved seeing the growth of Jeneva between the two books, and it was such a pleasure for her to share this story with us.

I think this book is perfectly paced, the length is good and it kept my attention from start to finish.

This was a fun, cute book, a perfect palate cleanser between some heavier books. And, something very different for this author. There were perfect moments of humor mixed in with some life realities. And, I'm always a sucker for a happy ending!!

Thank you to Net Galley and Harlequin publishing giving me this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Girl I Was is a wholesome and complex telling of a woman's battle with younger herself over regrets and wasted years. The story navigates some tough themes, like grief and loss, while also making you chuckle and tear up.

I'll admit, when I started this book I was unsure if it was for me. I even considered a DNF about 15% in- but then I found myself forgetting that I was even reading. The story is short and sweet, but satisfactory nonetheless. I really enjoyed the conflict between Alexis and her younger self. These are arguments and experiences that are so relatable and real. The characters felt overdramatic and immature, which made it slightly less likeable in the beginning, but about 60% through there is definitely an uphill climb of character and plot development. I'd say this was a solid 3.75 star read for me. I read it in one sitting and while it wasn't life altering, it was definitely enjoyable.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing & Jeneva Rose for this ARC!

Ahhhhh sooo good! Jeneva is so talented and this was just great! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for early arc!

This book isn’t like Jenevas usual suspense filled reads but it was equal perfection. I think at some point everyone has had the “if I could go back and do it again” thoughts. Alexis has some hard lessons to learn and boy does she. After a trip to the path with her younger self, they both hit rock bottom before they can learn from each other. This book, for me, was growth, self acceptance, and the acceptance of things that, even though they suck, we cannot/should not change. This was a beautiful book.

Alexis Spencer is as bland/ basic beach as you can get- she relies on self help books, inspirational quotes, and just kinda depends on life to work out for her and do its thing with putting minimal work in. Rather than fixing things head on, Alexis decides to place the blame with her younger self. This becomes a very convenient excuse and place to discard the blame when Alexis wakes up face to face with Lexi, her much younger and "sexier" self. These tidbits of nostalgic memorabilia from the times will never ever fail to sucker me in. I experienced the best times of my life at this time period, so reading books about them really gives me that warm feeling that all is right in the world and I truly belong somewhere. I don't want to spoil too much, but this one totally brought the waterworks. I experienced attachment to the characters and the plot, glued in alongside each page as we traveled from then back to now. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll cherish Jeneva in a totally different light- honestly, you'll love this one. Thanks so much to the author and publisher for the chance to provide a review for an eARC!

I read this in one day. That’s how invested I was in the main character, Alexis. Lots of components resonated with me as I was also an 18-year-old in 2002 and understood all the references. The nostalgia was real!

I loved seeing this side of Jeneva and appreciated the moral of the story-remember who you were and who you can be. This one will speak to a lot of you!

I love any book Jeneva Rose writes. This one is no exception. Not her normal book, but this was so much fun to read.. we have all had those moments , when we think—- if only I could go back and tell my younger self——. Alexis is a 30 year old who lives her life as a “free spirt”. She feels, lifes problems can be solved with alcohol and inspirational quotes. Then, Alexis hits rock bottom. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, the same day she loses her job! She makes her way through a couple bottles of wine, and——next thing we know—- Alexis wakes up all discombobulated in a frat house. No shoes, makeup running down her face. She is totally at a lost, until she realizes she is in the year 2002, at her old college campus. On top of all of this, she runs into her 18 year old self. She needs to try and convince herself, that she is from the future and she is here to make sure she makes the right choices so her life doesn’t end up the way it is. This story turned out to be a really heartwarming and uplifting. The experiences in our lives make us who we are and Alexis was able to see those from a different perspective by visiting her past and making better decisions and/or appreciating the decisions she did make. This was a very fun read and encourages everyone who ever wondered—- "what if" to give this one a try..

#netgalley.

This book is a hilarious and unexpectedly moving journey through time, regret, and self-discovery. Alexis Spencer’s misadventures after waking up in 2002 make for a nostalgic, laugh-out-loud romp—complete with low-rise jeans, bad decisions, and plenty of pop culture references. But beyond the humor, the story shines in its emotional depth, as Alexis confronts her younger, wilder self and slowly realizes that healing doesn’t come from blaming the past, but from embracing it. Witty, clever, and full of heart, this is a perfect read for anyone who’s ever wished they could go back and do it all over—this time, with a little more grace.

When I started this, I thought it would be like Jeneva Rose's other books. (I was fresh off The Perfect Divorce). This is NOTHING like her other books, but I loved it. If any of us could go back to fix our lives, I'm sure that we would, and i'm also sure that we would be pretty frustrated with our former selves. This book also has all of the nostalgia--life before social media and news at our fingertips--what was that like again? I definitely recommend!

I was given an arc copy of the book but I’m writing my review of my own free will
First off I don’t normally read books like this I’m a crime horror thriller kinda girl so I didn’t know if I would like it
It’s honestly one of the best I’ve read this year so far
First the nostalgia of 2002 hit me right in the feels! This is a different type of book for this author it’s not a thriller it’s about a girl who gets a second chance to change the things of her past and it made me cry more than once
please give this book a chance it was amazing!