Is She Me? is a refreshing take on self love, self discovery and recovery. An outstanding debut novel that shows an honest interpretation of trauma and the journey during/after pain. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone who has ever felt that they are not good enough and/or need to apologise for speaking out.

The character of Elle is heartbreaking, powerful and emotive. Lauren Grace has beautifully captured the self doubt and courage that comes with freeing yourself from a challenging situation, especially one as challenging and painful as abuse. I hope that this book provides the hope that someone needs to realise that there can be sunshine after a storm.

Lauren Grace knows how to write a fantastic book! I was so shocked by this book, and how well written is was. She completely surprised me for how she brought twists and turns so graciously into this book.

this was a romance but so much more. it was a thriller but so much deeper than that too. it was such a brilliant contempory all rounder i absolutely would recommend it to anyone and everyone. there is no way to possibly pick the points i loved about this book. there would be too many. we would all be here for too long. and id end up sounding like too much of a fangirl. id get too mushy.
but this is a book well worth it for the overtime you put into reading it, well past the moments you should be doing other things.

the subjects were varied and all told with the same attention to detail. there were tough subject touched upon and they were all so brilliantly written and had me feeling a full on spectrum of emotions. i think i felt up and down set of them throughout the book!
the romance side of things was just as brilliant. i was rooting for our pair from the start. but it was done once again with the same touch and skill as the other topics. it felt real, it felt light and dark and brave and true. they both had their own issues and they werent light either. but both on their own and together they tackled them, and came together with love and support through it all. Lucy needs a big mention here as her love in this book was just as important. she was a brilliant character and one you cherish.
all our characters added their own parts to the book. they were all just as important both the main and side characters.
i dont know how she did it but Lauren has created a book with so many moving parts and genre points but somehow she has made them fit perfectly and made them all intrinsic to the book as a whole.

This book was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! The way the author told this story was beautiful. It has everything from romance to thriller and everything in between! I found myself laughing and crying all in the same chapters at some points. It was written so well for the story it told. I cannot tell you enough to read this story! The way the traumas were told were so realistic! Check your trigger warnings as this does deal with extremely difficult subjects but it is so worth it in the end. This author has definitely become an automatic buy for me and this is a must have for my bookshelf at home when it is released!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. READ IT!!!
Thank you NetGalley and Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for this ARC!

My heart! This book definitely pulled at my heartstrings, I might have ugly cried a time or two. Definitely recommend this one! Very well written, the plot was phenomenal and the characters were amazing.

Is She me? is a stunning contempory romance debut that dabbles with elements of thriller and mystery. As someone who doesn't normally read romance, I loved these extra layers to the read, as it helped to keep me engaged, in a genre that usually loses my attention!

The story touches on so many delicate subjects - PTSD, familial abuse, grief, and the author portrays these beautifully, interweaving them into the plot in such a way that the characters develop organically with the reader not being encumbered with a massive backstory info dump.

I particularly enjoyed the romance side of the novel - I'm not a fan of insta love and I loved how the character's past traumas hindered them in developing their relationship with each other - this was just so refreshingly realistic! Trauma is a sensitive topic to me, and it does have a massive affect on the individual's life going forward so I was pleasantly surprised to see that the author addresses this really well with the way she portrays her characters Elle and Ben. Whereas their meet-cute was super sweet, I was glad, that despite being instant attraction, the relationship developed organically and I think this is the novel's strongest point.

Elle's family background complexity was just another added bonus layer to the story, making it not just your typical romance read! I loved the gradual exploration into her past, with all the suspensful twists and turns!

It's rare that an author is able to intertwine such complex issues - romance, trauma, mystery, and I'm impressed that this is this author's debut! I'm excited to see where she will go next!

We follow the story of Elle who is trying to finally escape her abusive childhood home. After finding a photo of a famous missing child, she suspects her parents may have something to do with the case. She plans to reach the child's family and explain her suspicions. On her journey she meets Ben and his sister Lucy. They offer her help at her lowest point which continues into support and friendship as Elle tries to move forward, even when her past keeps trying to catch up with her.

I was intrigued from the start with the overview of this book and how a story of mystery and trauma would weave together with a romance. I thought it worked out so well and I was hooked from the start of the book. The plot had so much depth and detail, with twists and turns that didn’t stop coming. It gave such a lot of emotions too. I felt emotional many times whilst reading. I thought the trauma elements of the story were really well written in a sensitive way. It was a real roller coaster story that kept me turning the pages. I needed to find out what happened!

I really enjoyed the main characters in the book too. They all had their own story and circumstances they were dealing with, Ben in particular, but they all added to the overall story and how the characters interacted with each other. This was especially true between Elle and Ben as they navigated their growing feelings for each other. I thought this part was also written well as they had to figure out how to be together and also deal with their own issues, which wasn’t a straightforward path to romance. But it was so worth the wait! The friendship between Elle and Lucy also needs a mention as I really enjoyed them together. Without spoiling the plot the other side characters were great too, some of which gave me my most emotional reactions.

This was a story that was informative, emotional, though provoking, heart breaking and heart warming all at the same time. An impressive debut novel that deserves a place on every bookshelf.

Okay, first things first—Ben texts with kisses💋?? xx?? That completely threw me off🥴. The author definitely seemed to be aiming for a grumpy⛈️ x sunshine🌞 dynamic, but it felt more like clearing storm🌦️ x rising sun🌤️—like their personalities unfolded as they got to know each other rather than staying rigidly in the grumpy/sunshine mold. I actually liked that aspect; it gave the characters more depth🌊.

Now, while I enjoyed the story, something about the pacing felt… off🙊. I can’t put my finger on whether it was the timing⏳ of events or just the way things unfolded, but the flow wasn’t quite right🗓️. And when it came to how the characters reacted to certain traumatic events, it didn’t feel entirely believable🧟‍♀️. Not that a book has to be hyper-realistic to work, but it still needs to make sense emotionally🎭, and this one wavered a bit in that department.

Also, is it just me, or did Ivy not fit the FL🙅🏽‍♀️? I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picturing her with that name. Something about her just didn’t click🤌🏼 for me.

That said, I really enjoyed Ben and Ivy playing games together🃏. It was a fun little touch that made their relationship feel more natural🍁 and gave them some cute bonding moments.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC 👏🏽 ❤️‍🩹 🔥

Is she me? Is a novel that follows Elle as she escapes a life marked by trauma, PTSD, and grief.  Elle escapes from her home and encounters Ben and his sister Lucy.  They became friends and they help her out. The story unfolds as Elle discovers her place and identity, while her past continues to threaten her and those she cares about.

This book offered many twists and turns, along with heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. It beautifully portrays Elle's strength despite her past experiences.  The author's skillful handling of sensitive topics is truly commendable.  It's definitely a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of *Is She Me?* for this wonderful ARC opportunity.

Is She Me? follows a young woman named Elle as she escapes from her cult-like community after finding a photo of a missing little girl and suspecting her family might have had something to do with it. While on the run, she meets Ben, a successful but lonely man struggling with his own ghosts. Together, Elle and Ben support each other in processing their respective traumas and try to forge their own futures, all while dodging the threats posed by her past.

There are a lot of things I really liked about this book, and a few things I didn’t like as much. I thought that each “side” of the story — the romance side and the thriller/drama side — were both extremely strong. Elle and Ben had a great connection and it was really beautiful to see them grow and heal in tandem throughout the story. Romance novels that center around trauma can often feel too clean, but this was messy. Both characters kept making mistakes and hurting one another; their actions often came across as quite selfish and at time childish, but it felt incredibly authentic given what they’d each gone through. The thriller/drama aspects of the book were a little weaker but still good. Because the narrative structure was almost entirely linear, it felt more “show” than “tell”, and the overall effect was that it felt watered down at times. That said, I was still really invested in the story and excited to see where it was heading, especially during the last 25%.

Where this book lost me a bit was in how the romantic and dramatic elements blended. It was incredibly jarring to go from emotional trauma processing to intense flirting in the span of just a couple of pages; the chapters sometimes alternated in tone, but there was very little room to transition between these different vibes. I think that the two sides of the story worked really well individually, but either might’ve felt stronger without the other.

In terms of characters, all of the “good” characters — Elle, Ben, the friends/families/coworkers we meet along the way — were wonderfully complex. The side characters in particular were lovable and added a lot of dimension to the story. The villains — the people from Elle’s past and some of the catty people in Ben’s circle — didn’t feel as fleshed out, which made it a bit harder to take the serious.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. If you are looking for a book that depicts the messy reality of processing trauma and grief, all while navigating new relationships, this might be a good book to pick up!

I really enjoyed this!

I liked the realistic use of trauma which can be simplified in books sometimes. It made the book more relatable to those that have been through trauma, even if it’s not exactly the same as what the fmc went through.
I loved watching the two main characters grow individually as people which then helped their relationship. Their relationship can be perceived as quite toxic at the start but the characters do acknowledge that and work on it which I enjoyed. When their relationship was healthy and fulfilling for the both of them, I loved them together. Even at their ‘meet-cute’, their chemistry was so good and I was so excited to see where the relationship went.
The plot of the missings persons case was so intriguing and kept me hooked from start to finish. Without spoiling it, I loved how the fmc, mmc and the mmc’s sister all worked through that plot and how they all helped in their own ways.

3.75/5 stars

Is She Me?

By Lauren Grace

Is She Me? follows the story of Elle who on finding a photo from her past embarks on a quest to find out more about who she really is, in more ways than one. Not long into her story she meets Lucy and Ben, a sister and brother who care for her and help her enter a whole new world of family. Unfortunately, Elles past catches up to her and she is forced to face her trauma many times throughout the story, showing just how non linear the healing process really is.

I enjoyed the story of Elles search for her family and the interesting nature of her relationship with Ben as they sought to understand each other. I did find the storyline at times a bit rushed and would have liked to have more detail at times. While I loved the description of Elles relationships with some characters like her mother, other relationships felt brief when I think they could have been explored more in the story.

Overall though a good, interesting read!

Thank you Netgalley and Lauren Grace for this ARC read.

I stayed up way too late last night to finish this book but I was hooked from the start. This book has a bit of everything and beautifully tackles so many different topics from PTSD, trauma, grief, lost/found family, romance, and so much more.

I loved seeing the evolution of Elle & Ben's grumpy x sunshine relationship. Their banter and how Elle always made sure to keep Ben on his toes and never back down was so fun to read. Plus, who doesn't love a super protective, smart MMC. I also really loved the sister/best-friend relationship between Elle and Lucy because Lucy was such a ride or die for Elle. Right from the beginning when she didn't even know who she was, Lucy brought her into the fold, provided her safety, and made her feel like part of the family. It was such a contrast from what i've read recently that it was such a breath of fresh air seeing that kind of dynamic. The suspense in the story really helped bring this all together with all the twists and turns and keeping everyone on their toes on what was going to happen next.

I will say some of the transitions from end of chapter to beginning of the next one were a bit abrupt and caused a little confusion and made me have to go back and re-read just to figure out how we ended up here vs how the last chapter ended.

Overall, this was such a really good read and one that I knew as soon as I started that I had to keep going to see how it all turned out.