Initially, the FMC was difficult to relate to but it set the foundation for the rest of the book. The flow and connectedness between the FCM, herself, friends, and family across timelines was seamless. There were so many deep themes embedded throughout that truly can together at the end. I finished this book in about 2 days with no desire to put it down towards the end. Highly recommend!

I sadly ended up DNFing this book. I almost feel like there should be a content warning about all of the references to early 2000s diet culture and fat shaming. It became too much and took me out of the story! I was intrigued by the magical realism aspect of the book and the main character meeting her past self. As someone who grew up in the 00s I enjoyed a lot of the pop culture references in the book!

Pick up if you enjoy:
🪄magical realism
⏰time travel
✌️2000s nostalgia
📖messy main characters

Thank you to MIRA for my eARC!

WHAT did I just read! I love all of her books. This was such a wild ride and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main character was a love/hate and I wasn't sure if I could get into it, but a couple chapters in everything went BOOM and I was hooked

The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose was a a great story!
I actually listened to the audiobook and loved it!
Anything Rose writes it’s bound to be a great time!

This isn’t your usual Jeneva Rose book but it’s just as amazing. It’s an interesting take on a time travel story. Unlike most stories when someone goes back in the time Alexis interacts with her past self. The relationship is hilarious Lexi has no interest in helping Alexis initially but comes around. They try everything from time travel books and movies to try to send Alexis back to her time and some of them are hilarious.

Alexis spends time with her best friends from college and works to help them while trying to help her younger self be a better person. She gets to go back home and spend time with her family which was heartwarming and funny. She grows tremendously through the story and learns so much. I could imagine meeting my younger self wouldn’t go well either. That girl had issues.

This was such a different and interesting book. Jeneva Rose is a literary genius and the stories she writes really hit you on a deeper level. This one helps you realize we’re all responsible for who we become.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA for providing me with an eARC of The Girl I Was in exchange for my honest review!

The majority of the books that I've been reading lately are thrillers, so it's nice to take a step away from such dark and suspenseful territory in favor of something more touching and life-affirming in the form of The Girl I Was. This isn't necessarily doing anything too new as it whisks Alexis back through time to the year of 2002 and forces her to confront Lexi, her 18-year-old self. But even while the foundation is familiar, it continues to lay down the groundwork for sincere emotions as we watch Alexis and Lexi learn to overcome their hostility towards each other and work on maturing themselves to the point where Alexis will be able to return to her original present-day world. Well, at least that's what they assume needs to happen in order for all of this to be accomplished. It does amuse me when they summon up some self-awareness about the different time-travel methods they could deploy in order to get Alexis back home.

I've seen some reviews criticize this book for presenting Alexis and Lexi as being too unlikable, but I think this was an effectively handled element that gets me endeared to them while helping me fully realize just how much they're irresponsible humans who are unwilling to take accountability for their own actions. Of course they're not going to be the kind of individuals we'd want to hang around with, but I remain compelled because I have faith in the book to have a satisfying payoff to their arcs and to get some chuckles out of me with their hijinks along the way. The narrative succeeds with those aspects, all while wrapping us up in an early-2000s backdrop that manages to entertain me rather than annoy me with its pop culture references of that time period.

Overall, I'm officially rating The Girl I Was 3.75 out of 5 stars, which I'm rounding up to 4 stars. I haven't read any of Rose's work before, although I've been aware of novels like The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn't Have Come Here. I'll keep an eye out for them down the line.

Thank you to Jeneva and her team for the ARC of The Girl I Was.

The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose was a powerful and emotionally resonant read. I found this version even better than the original—it felt more refined, more impactful, and more relatable. Jeneva does a beautiful job capturing the complexities of self-discovery, growth, and resilience.

As I turned the last page, I felt a deep sense of pride in the woman I’ve become. This story reminded me that our past doesn’t define us, but shapes us into who we are today. It’s not just a book—it’s a journey. One that stays with you long after you finish it.

Highly recommend to anyone looking for a book that inspires self-reflection and inner strength.

I absolutely LOVED The Girl I Was by @jenevaroseauthor! This book is such an incredible read for when it feels like your life is falling apart or not going to plan. Alexis’s world gets flipped upside down when she’s fired and ends up having a break up in the same day right before she’s transported back to 2002. I loved seeing Alexis battle with her past self, Lexie, to change the future. While the lack of plan may not may not have gone to plan, Alexis does get her happy ending. The last 15 chapters or so had me on a rollercoaster. I couldn’t put it down!

What would YOU say to your college self? Think about this for a moment, and then run, do not walk, to your local bookstore and pick up a copy of “The Girl I Was”!

I knew the premise of the book, but did not expect the novel of emotional engagement. This story is well-faced and engaged me throughout! Enjoy!

Thanks, Net Galley, for the early access!

This book was such a fun and surprisingly touching read! It follows Alexis, a 30-something “free spirit” who hits rock bottom and somehow wakes up back in her college days, face to face with her younger self. Watching Alexis try to convince her 18-year-old self to make better choices felt both funny and heartfelt, with plenty of nostalgic early-2000s vibes sprinkled throughout. The pace kept me hooked, and I loved all the pop culture references that really transported me back in time.

What really surprised me was how the story got heavier and more meaningful in the second half. It made me reflect on life, choices, and how the small moments really shape us. There were some important themes around body image and self-acceptance too, which felt honest and real given the era it’s set in. I laughed, I cried, and I found myself rooting for Alexis the whole way.

Overall, this isn’t groundbreaking literature, but it’s a fun, relatable read that will especially resonate with millennials and anyone who’s ever wished for a second chance. If you want something light yet thoughtful that mixes humor and heart, this one’s definitely worth picking up.

I loved this book! So self reflective. I loved how Lexi learned so much about herself and got a second chance to tell her mother goodbye while also making positive changes in others’ lives.

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

The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose

Alexis is an adult—and a bit of a mess. In one day, she manages to lose her job and her boyfriend (mostly her own doing). Hoping to numb the pain, she finds an old bottle of vodka from her college days, downs it, and passes out… only to wake up in a frat house, in 2002, at her former college. She’s somehow time-traveled back—and comes face to face with her past self, Lexi, who’s also a mess. Can Alexis help steer Lexi onto a better path… and figure out how to get back to the future?

This book had a fun concept with lots of nostalgic early 2000s references (flip phones! chunky highlights!), but I found that the time travel element was accepted a little too easily by the characters, which made parts of the story drag. That said, once the Thanksgiving scenes rolled around, the emotional depth really hit. From there, it tugged at the heartstrings and wrapped up in a satisfying way. It’s a quick, quirky read with a unique take on second chances. I’d be curious to see more of Jeneva Rose’s non-thriller work!

Book Review: The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose

I received this eBook from NetGalley and truly appreciate the opportunity to read and review new books from incredible authors like Jeneva Rose.

I absolutely love Jeneva Rose, she pulled me in with her gripping thrillers, but The Girl I Was shows a completely different side of her storytelling talent. This book isn’t a thriller, it’s a heartwarming, thought-provoking, and emotionally rich story about self-reflection, growth, and second chances.

The story explores the idea of going back in time and facing the person you used to be. What would you say to your younger self? What would you change if you had the chance? And more importantly, would those changes really lead to a better life? These are the kinds of questions this novel poses in such a relatable, emotional way that it really made me pause and think about my own journey.

Jeneva Rose delivers a beautifully written and uplifting narrative that’s full of introspection and hope. It’s a lovely reminder that healing and growth come with time, and that the person we are today is shaped by everything we’ve lived through.

Thank you, Jeneva Rose, for giving us this moving and meaningful story. The Girl I Was is a standout novel that proves she’s not just a master of thrillers—she can write with heart and depth too. Highly recommend!

✨This book was nothing like I expected it to be. It was raw, emotional, and it felt real. The FMC, Alexis, felt relatable in many ways. Wow! I’ll be honest, it got a little slow at some parts and thought about DNF’ing it but I am so glad I kept reading on because I had to fight back the tears at the end.
✨The cover is stunning! And I loved all the 2000 music references. I couldn’t stop laughing at Alexis’ witty banter. Her inner monologue was phenomenal.
✨Thank you NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

“To the girl I was. Without you, I wouldn’t be me”

3 solid stars for this nostalgic, heart-tugging story that was different than expected (but still a lot fun!)

The Girl I Was is a charming and clever blend of time travel, self-reflection, and early-2000s nostalgia. I went in thinking this would be a light, quirky comedy, and while there are some laugh-out-loud moments (especially with the clash between present-day Alexis and her younger, more impulsive self, Lexi), what I found was a deeper, more emotional journey about healing, choices, and becoming.

I loved the early-2000s setting! Bring on the chunky highlights, low-rise jeans, and dial-up drama. Lexi is peak chaotic freshman energy, and watching Alexis wrestle with her past mistakes (and that version of herself) made for some really sweet, and sometimes uncomfortable, reflection.

That said, this wasn’t quite what I expected. The pacing felt uneven at times. The first half is lighter and funnier, while the second half takes a much more serious, introspective turn. I appreciated the emotional depth, but it did feel like two different books merging to exist in one. I also found myself wanting a bit more from the supporting characters. They had potential, but never fully developed for me.

Still, this is a unique, nostalgic read with heart. If you're a fan of books like The Midnight Library or In Five Years, you'll probably enjoy this take on "what if you could do it over again." And if you ever wish you could have a heart-to-heart with your younger self (maybe with a little tough love and eyeliner advice), The Girl I Was will hit the mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read an early copy!

Thanks to Jeneva Rose, Mira and NetGalley for the eARC!

This was SO different from her thrillers but in the best way. This was fresh and interesting and just. You want to pick this up.

This was a refreshing change from the authors previous novels. The author combines the need for nostalgia with a personal transformation, making this a hopeful read.

This was a very interesting and good read! It is very different from the author’s normal genre of writing but once I got past that, I enjoyed it! It was funny yet poignant at times and overall was a genuinely enjoyable book.

I loved The Girl I Was by Jeneva Rose.
Vastly different from the other books I read from her, it was heartwarming.
Lexi's life falls apart. while drinking and looking at some college pictures in 2016, Lexi ends up passing out and waking up in 2002. She finds herself and together, they try to figure out how to get her back to her correct year.
There were some literally heart wrenching scenes (the one with the dog about made me cry), but the book makes you wonder, if you could go back in time, what would you change?

Was it my favorite book by Jeneva Rose? No. But it also wasn’t my least favorite.. I feel like the beginning half was really good in the second half was OK