I always love a Jeneva Rose book. This one was very reflective and I could tell that she wrote it from a place in her heart. While some parts made me cringe (like the brother situation…ew - could’ve left that part out) others made me tearful like her saying goodbye to her mom. Overall I liked it and would recommend.

I’ve tried to start this review in so many different ways- but it’s so hard to put into words how this book made me feel. As someone who is always wishing that I could go back in time and make different decisions, I connected to Alexis/Lexi a lot. (And not just because my name is Alexis and I go by Lexi- though that made it hit that much harder for me personally). I cried, I laughed, had a whole life-altering experience while I absolutely flew through this book. This book will make you want to talk to those friends you grew apart from, call your family, and pretty much just get your life together.

If you’ve read from Jeneva Rose before- be prepared that this is nothing like any of her other books. I usually like to bring up issues I had with books I’ve read so others can be aware going in- but it’s hard for me to do that with this one because I feel like everyone can take something away from this book. Honestly I don’t think I can recommend this book enough. Please go read it so you can also cry alongside me.

I was so incredibly honored to receive an arc of this- so thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for gifting me an early arc in exchange for an honest review.

This was such an interesting read and very different (in all the best ways) from a Jeneva Rose thriller, which I also love. This one was written from the heart. Being in my early 30s and in a time of reflection really led me to deeply appreciate this book.

Lexi loses her job, and her boyfriend breaks up with her on the day he planned to propose. With everything in life seeming to go wrong, Lexi wakes up in 2002. She finds herself trying to solve how to get back to 2016 with the help of her 2002 self. As they work through two different plans, so much growth happens for Lexi as she copes with grief and a deep self discovery. It was such an interesting take on how we look back and reminisce as we continue to get older.

Plot: Imagine if the classic 13 Going on 30 had a baby with the modern gem My Old Ass (highly recommend if you haven’t seen it yet) , the result is The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose, a story that's equal parts hilarious, heartbreaking, and totally gripping.

This book follows Alexis, possibly the most pessimistic protagonist you’ll ever meet, whose life begins to unravel in spectacularly within the first few chapters — and I mean literally fall apart. In the aftermath, she starts reminiscing about her college days in 2002: a time when she was wild, reckless, and full of hope. Back then, she had a seemingly tight-knit group of friends, a dreamy boyfriend, and a future that looked bright.

One night, after one too many drinks and a deep spiral into nostalgia, Alexis falls asleep… and wakes up in 2002. But here’s the twist — she’s still her 30-year-old self.

Determined to get back to 2016 and fix the disastrous mess she left behind, she retraces her old college stomping grounds, only to run into Lexi, her 18-year-old self. The two form an uneasy alliance as they bicker constantly, trying to send Alexis back to her present-day life.

But the journey becomes more than just a time-travel quest. Alexis is forced to confront the hard truths she’s been avoiding: the way she treated her friends, the apathy she showed toward her education, and the grief she’s buried so deep it threatens to consume her. Facing her younger self means facing everything she’s tried to forget.


My Favorite quotes: “It’s odd that when we look back, the big moments are the little ones and the little moments are actually the big ones.”

“I cry for my past. I cry for Lexi. I cry for my mom. I cry for the girl I was, the girl I am, and the girl I might never become. All I can do is cry, because there’s not a goddamn thing I can do about any of it. Life just is.”

“But I knew this book wasn’t about changing the past. It was about learning to accept it and knowing that it doesn’t hold us back—it only grounds us.” (Jeneva Rose talking about this book)

“The hardest things to admit are the things we have to admit to ourselves. I know now that I am the problem, but I also know I am the solution. There’s still time for me to change, still time for me to make things better.”

My thoughts: I had the privilege of being accepted to read the ARC of this book, and I am so glad I was. If you know me, you know I love Jeneva Rose, and I even met her a few months back for her The Perfect Divorce mini tour. On this tour, she said that this book is nothing like her thrillers, and as much as I agree, I also disagree. Something I truly love about Jeneva Rose’s writing is the voice that comes through all of her characters, and this book is no different. I laughed, I cried, and I was SO immersed in Alexis’ story

Although I was born in 2000 and wasn’t fully cerebral enough for 2002 to feel nostalgic to me, I do have to say this book still felt nostalgic in a different way. This time of my life is one of big change. I’m moving out to go to grad school, and although I am so very excited to start this chapter, I cannot help but feel bittersweet about my current chapter coming to an end. In a way, this book really delves deep into reflection of one’s younger self, and I felt all of Alexis’ emotions so profoundly.

This book will make you laugh, cry, and think about it for a LONG time. For real, read this book. I already have my special edition preorder waiting to be delivered at my new place.

JENEVA... I have always loved her thrillers but THIS was everything! I loved it. It spoke so much to us looking back at our past selves and being angry, ashamed, and disappointed. Also seeing our past selves and having compassion, empathy, and understanding. I can't wait to get the finished copy. It is gorgeous.

I absolutely loved this book so much! It’s so different from the thrillers we know and love from Jeneva, but wow was it so good. Learning the reasoning behind her writing this book from the acknowledgements really brought on my emotions. The Thanksgiving scene with Alexis’ mom knowing who she was brought tears to my eyes. I loved the concept of time travel and the nods to the early 2000s. The story was so well executed and you could really see the time and effort Jeneva put into this.

I literally just finished it, so I’m struggling to wrap my head around how much I loved it. I just know this story is going to stick with me. Alexis is a character that I truly bonded with. The opening scene where everything is going wrong and the way she handles it kind of makes you dislike her in the beginning. And honestly, I feel like that’s how I react sometimes. Seeing it play out through someone else taught me a personal lesson, to enjoy and the moment and live your love.

I would recommend this book to everyone!

Jeneva Rose!!! U are an amazing writer. This book brings you back nostalgia and current times. This has all the feels too. We as adults always like to say what if. What if I did this differently or what if I went here instead. This is what this book says and does but u learn something better while going back in time. You appreciate ur past and everyone in it and gives u different perspectives. 13 going on 30 vibes mixed with freaky Friday. Book with depth and appreciation for life. Thank you for letting me read you rewrite copy in advance. I look forward to read ur other books!

I went into this book not sure how I would feel, it is a completely different genre than I normally read. That being said, it took me a minute to get into, but once I was in it, I couldn’t put it down! I think every older female would hate going back to their younger selves, you don’t realize how much you’ve matured until you’re looking your old self face to face! I think very late 20s to 30 year old woman should read this book to remember how far you’ve come, and to remember to thank your younger self for the woman you are today!

One of the novel’s strengths lies in Rose’s exploration of identity and the emotional scars of childhood abuse, betrayal, and regret. As the protagonist pieces together fragments of her former self, readers are invited to consider how trauma can distort reality and shape behavior. The pacing is tight and cinematic, with short chapters and cliffhangers that keep the tension high. Rose’s prose is direct and visceral, giving voice to a protagonist who is both vulnerable and determined. Her portrayal of psychological unraveling feels authentic, without relying on sensationalism.

I absolutely adore Jeneva Rose and her books, but this one unfortunately didn’t hit for me. This novel is different from her murder/mystery/thriller and is advised as such; I was hoping because I love Rose’s writing style in other books, that I would like this one too, but it was the exact opposite. I really couldn’t stand the characters; the main two characters, Lexi and Alexis, are both annoying and whiny. They are drama starters and believe they can do nothing wrong. I didn’t care for the writing style of this book either, it seemed like a high schooler’s diary. The last part I really didn’t like was the way the plot unfolded. I wanted to know how Alexis was going to “fix herself” and I think it could have happened way sooner than 98% the way thru the book.

I will say I liked the later half of this book more so than the beginning. There were some really heartwarming moments that had me tearing up. Overall this novel offers lots of moments of self reflection and features opportunities in second chances. What would you do if you could go back in time and change the decisions of your younger self?

Thank you Netgalley, Jeneva Rose, and Harlequin Trade Publishing for allowing me to read and review this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for allowing me to read and review this book.

I very much enjoyed this book. The writing was great and the characters were well developed. I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Jeneva proves again why she’s one of my favorite, go to authors!! This isn’t your usual thriller she’s known for, but it is another home run from her. It’s the most nostalgic, sweet story and it just feels like a warm hug. Love Jeneva, love this one. Can’t say enough good things. Thank you for the ARC!!!

Absolutely Loved this book! Jeneva Rose reminds me with every book, exactly why she is becoming a new favorite author

was lucky enough to receive an ARC of the republishing of The Girl I Was. I loved everything about this book. The banter between Lexi and Alexis was great. Back in 2012 I lost my father extremely unexpectedly and there’s nothing I wouldn’t give than to be able to go back in time and live my last moments with him over again. Witnessing these moments for Alexis brought tears to my eyes. I just really loved it ❤️

This was a cute book for me. I believe any woman now in her 40’s would love this throwback to their college days!
If you could go back in time and change some of your past decisions in life would you? Alexis is not have a great go of her life and is hitting rock bottom hard when she starts drinking one night. When she wakes up she is back in 2002, her college days, along with her 18 year old self. She tries to make Lexi ( her 18 year old self) realize that she needs to make better choices but Alexis also isn’t sure what she is doing in the past and how to get back to her present self.
I really enjoyed the nostalgia of my own college days and how if I had made different decisions how it would have affected my current self.
I enjoyed the journey through self discovery, trauma, self reflection and especially the trip back home to visit her family.
This book is not a thriller at all so even though Jeneva wrote it, it is very different than her other books but I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to NetGalley and HTP for the ARC.

I love, love, love this book! As much as I love her thrillers, this is now my favorite Jeneva Rose book! I didn't know what to expect,
it is an emotional read that comes from the heart. We all have moments where we wish we could go back in time and do things differently. This story isn’t about changing the big moments; it’s all about changing ourselves. I love a good time travel book! I laughed and cried (a lot) while reading this, especially when I got to the acknowledgments.

Thank you, NetGalley, Harlequin Trade & Jeneva Rose for the advanced
copy.

As a millennial, this book was full of nostalgia for me- Blockbuster, the start of Netflix, specific bands and songs, low rise jeans, Hollister, and Juicy, oh my! The book starts on a sort of fun, sci-fi note where Alexis (also ironically my name) travels back in time to 2002 and visits her college self in an attempt to change herself and have a better future. While bonding with friends, she starts to second guess that idea. The second half of the book focuses more on her family and I bawled my eyes out from that point clear to the end. Prepare to feel all of the feelings, face your past, personal mistakes, and finally feel hope for your future. The Girl I Was is a beautiful, relatable book that showcases Rose’s range when it comes to writing (it is nothing like her thrillers, but equally as good). Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mira publishers for the chance to read this ARC. (An updated release of a 2021 release by the amazing Jeneva Rose!)

If you could go back in time and talk to your 18-year-old self, what would you say? What would you try to change—if anything at all?

At thirty and freshly fired, Alexis sabotages what should have been a romantic evening with her boyfriend—unaware that he was about to propose. When he walks out, she drowns her sorrows in too much wine and regret. But the next morning, she wakes up not in 2016, but in 2002—on her old college campus—face to face with Lexi: her stubborn, carefree, and judgmental 18-year-old self.

Lexi is unimpressed. She sees Alexis as a future she wants no part of—older, heavier, unsuccessful, and a buzzkill. But Alexis isn’t there to win popularity points. She’s there—perhaps—to help. As Alexis relives the college years with new eyes, she sees her old friends in deeper ways and learns truths she never noticed the first time. And when she’s invited to join Lexi for Thanksgiving, she gets an unexpected gift: the chance to spend time with her mother, who she hasn’t spoken to in over a decade.

As Lexi plots to send her future self back where she came from, Alexis tries to break through the youthful bravado and make her see that choices matter—and that life doesn’t magically work out just because you want it to.

Will Alexis succeed in changing their shared future—or will meddling in the past only make things worse?

Fast-paced, heartfelt, and emotionally resonant, this novel pulled me in and made me reflect on my own 18-year-old self—what I knew, what I thought I knew, and what I might have done differently. Then again, maybe everything really does happen for a reason.

Received as an ARC

This was an emotional read, it asks the question if you could go back in time to your younger self to change how you’re life turns out would you?

After a rough day Alexis world crumbles, she is let go from her job, her boyfriend dumps her and she believes nothing good happens in her life. It’s one bad thing after another, while going through a box of all college items and realizing she has lost touch with all her friends she wishes she could go back and fix her younger self. When she wakes up she’s back in 2002 and comes face to face with her 18 year old self.

They must work together if they want to get Alexis back to her time but they’re both so stubborn that neither wants to listen to other. Packed is nostalgia from the 2000’s this book pulls in all your emotions.

Publish date July 15, 2025

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, especially it being a different genre of book for Jevena, but it was AMAZING! This book had me hooked, laughing, but most of all BAWLING! It was such a great read that hit me right in the feels!