Thanks to the Publisher and author and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

This book is a psychological thriller. Imogen and Lev are married and on their honeymoon on a cruise of all places. Life has done a number on Imogen so she is constantly self doubting/suspicious of others, especially her husband.

He has memory loss due to an accident on the cruise and then it is that dreadful thing she has to suffer: her husband might remember everything.

All in all this is a good book. Although in between the editing could have been better.

Thank you, Thomas & Mercer, for providing the copy of I Become Her by Joe Hart. I have loved other books by Hart, so I was surprised this book didn’t grab me right away. I kept reading because I love his writing, and found myself engrossed in the story. Imogen was an interesting but odd character, and I don’t think I particularly liked her, although I’m not sure why. I loved her long road trying to expose Lev and I, especially loved the ending. I was NOT expecting that at all. If you love a surprise ending, this is the book for you! 4.5 stars, rounded up to 5.

3.5 stars

This book started out really strong for me but felt like it dragged quite a bit in the middle. Then the ending roared in like a wrecking ball and kept me on the edge of my seat. The middle felt extra long, though. All in all, I did enjoy this book, but I almost DNF a couple of times. I see I am a huge outlier here as others are raving about this book.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

What if the man you married—barely ten days ago—isn’t who he says he is? And what if your honeymoon nightmare is only the beginning?

📚 Title: I Become Her: A Thriller
✍️ Author: Joe Hart
📅 Publication Date: August 26, 2025
📖 Thank you: Huge thanks to @NetGalley and the publisher @Thomas&Mercer for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Description :
A wife’s search for her husband’s true identity spirals into a nightmare of fear and paranoia in a twisting novel of psychological suspense by the Edgar Award–winning author of Or Else.

Only ten days into their marriage, Imogen and Lev Carmichael are on a honeymoon cruise in the Mediterranean when Imogen suspects her husband of being unfaithful. Amid the recriminations, denials, and rage, Lev falls overboard into the water. It’s a miracle he’s found alive. And with no memory of what pushed him—and Imogen—over the edge.

Back home among family and friends, Imogen and Lev are finally starting to readjust. As terrified as Imogen is of Lev’s memories returning, it’s her suspicions of infidelity that get the best of her. Then, searching for clues, she discovers a woman from Lev’s past he never told her about…a woman who has been missing for years. More alarming is that Imogen soon has reason to believe that Lev remembers more than he’s letting on. But why would he lie?

The man Imogen loved, married, and trusted is a man she’s now beginning to fear. And she must decide how far she’s willing to go to uncover the truth.

My Thoughts:
This was a gripping psychological rollercoaster! Joe Hart builds tension brilliantly—between trust, fear, and buried secrets. Imogen’s paranoia feels real, and as Lev’s past unravels, the suspense only deepens. I was hooked, constantly second-guessing everything. The ending gave me chills… but I still craved a bit more detail in the final reveal!

I Become Her is a must-read! Perfect for fans of domestic noir and psychological thrillers.


📚 Tags:
#PsychologicalThriller #BookReview #IBECOMEHER #JoeHart #ThrillerBooks #DomesticThriller #NetGalleyReads #ThomasAndMercer #BookstagramIndia #MysteryReads #PlotTwistBook #MustReadThriller #ARCReview

I think there’s a difference between thinking a book is bad, and thinking a book isn’t bad, but you still don’t like it. And this one falls into that second category: it’s not the kind of thriller I like, but it’s not a bad thriller.

If you enjoy slow-burn thrillers, where mania, obsession, and uncertainty are present from the very first page, and where a doubt, a question, or a feeling from the narrator is explored paragraph after paragraph after paragraph — you’ll probably like this one. I personally prefer the more popcorn-style thrillers, where suspicion and weirdness build up little by little. Where everything seems normal and perfect at first. Where the protagonist is kind of a a little bit stupid, and the ending sounds a little too absurd.

I thought I was going to enjoy this one because the first few chapters really hooked me, but nope, nope. My problem was, mostly, the protagonist: being inside her head felt so heavy. I spent the whole book wanting to tell her to please take a Xanax. I reached the end feeling drained and just thinking about turning off the Kindle, logging the book as "read" on Goodreads, and calling it a day.

It wasn’t for me, but, again, I do believe it could be the perfect thriller for someone else, depending on the kind of thrillers you enjoy the most…

Thank you for the advance ARC in exchange for my honest review.
I Become Her unfortunately for me was a book I couldn't keep on reading. The beginning seemed like it was just all over the place. I struggle to get sucked into it. I only made it like 30% in. Had high hopes for this one.

I definitely did not see that ending coming. At first you think the list of characters is just that, a list, until you get to the end of the book and realize just how much they’re all tied together. Just when you think Imogen is this weak character she turns out to be the strongest one of them all.

I DNF’d this book at 10%. I just couldn’t get into this one at all. I found myself drifting and having to reread what I’d read. Very well could have been my mood. I’ll pick it up and give it another try in the next few books.

I Become Her is my first Joe Hart book, and I can see why he's so well-loved in the thriller world. I really enjoyed this slow-burn psychological suspense — the way the story unfolds through multiple timelines kept me intrigued and constantly on edge as the bigger picture slowly came together.

At the heart of the novel is an unreliable narrator, Imogen (the wife), whose perception teeters between suspicion and delusion. She believes her husband is cheating but has no proof. Is her paranoia justified, or is she simply spiraling? Is her husband truly deceptive, or is he the supportive partner everyone else sees?

Hart does a great job blurring the line between imagination and reality — I found myself questioning everything right along with Imogen. The twists near the end totally caught me off guard (in the best way). This is a layered, suspenseful read that keeps you guessing all the way through. Be sure to add this one when it releases in August!

Thank you for the opportunity to preview I Become Her.
I have read this authors books and enjoyed them. This is a bit different but still a good drama.
Newlyweds face trouble at the onset of their marriage when the husband suffers from amnesia from an accident on a ship. The wife become suspicious that perhaps this man may have some secrets of his own.
A cat and mouse game with a satisfying ending. 3.5 stars

This was my first book from Joe Hart and this was a very twisty thriller. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and was kept on my toes the entire time.

The plot of I Become Her is absolutely insane! What a rollercoaster this was, I couldn't put it down!

The beginning of this book was great, and honestly, so was the ending. Man overboard on a cruise ship?! I could read 500 pages about it. But the middle was a bit like reading three different thrillers at once, and not necessarily one that was about crimes on a cruise ship.

"𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅. 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒏𝒐 𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒂 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒂𝒔. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒅."

Special thanks to @joe_hart_author @thrillerbookloversthepulse @amazonpublishing & @netgalley for the #gifted eARC.

➡️ swipe for synopsis 👉🏼

𝙈𝙔 𝙍𝙀𝙑𝙄𝙀𝙒:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I was URGED to move this up on my read now list by @carriereadsthem_all , and for good reason. This is one twisty phsycological novel.

Starts out on a cruise ship with a newly married couple but the wife has her suspicions then BAM 💥 , the whole world as she knows it turns upside down. BUT WAIT....give it a few hours and it turns again!

So much built up suspense and lingering mystery, I can't read fast enough.

@joe_hart_author is one i know will never let me down, and he is definitely one of my auto-buys after this one!

𝙋𝙐𝘽 𝘿𝘼𝙔:
Aug, 26, 2025

ℚ𝕆𝕋𝔻❓️⁉️❓️ Who are some of your auto-buy authors?

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#mysteryandthrills #thrillersandsuspense #thrillerfriendsunite #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #thrillerjunkie #thrillergirlie #bookbuzz #upcomingthriller #thrillerbooklovers #thepulse #pulsepoint #joehart #ibecomeher
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4.5

thank you to Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for a review

WOW! men are terrifying! :-)

this book was a TRIP!

the first 60% is a total mystery and a little
slow, you’re not sure what is reality and what Imogen is making up in her head and then once it gets to the truth this book picks up and flies by because it sucks you in and you NEED to know what’s going to happen

i love books where you don’t know if the woman is fully connected to reality or if her instincts are right and things are truly wrong

lev is so scary. the fact that men like him exist and you can never really know who someone’s true self is until they snap makes you never want to meet anyone new ever again

this was my first joe hart book but it probably won’t be my last!

I like it when novels mess with my mind and this one fits the bill.
I couldn’t ascertain if it was Imogen or Lev who was the “bad” person.
I loved it when Imogen finally unleashed on the person who needed their comeuppance.
I also thought the ending was good, well thought out and entirely believable.
Sometimes the end does justify the means.

If Joe Hart writes it, I will read it.

I was excited to pick up I Become Her as it felt more like my typical genre and not quite the horror I've come to expect with Hart. I Become Her will hit the mark for suspense fans. It kept me guessing and about halfway through, I couldn't put it down.

Some of the storyline felt familiar - a bout of amnesia after an accident, a new spouse that may not be who you believed them to be, a hidden past, secrets, and a mystery narrator. But as with other Hart novels, the execution was flawless and he walked me into a twist I never thought to see coming.

I liked that this novel took a seemingly well used idea and flipped it on its head. The use of multiple narrators and mixed timelines kept me guessing and kept the story propelling forward.

You won't get the dose of horror we've come to love and expect from Hart with I Become Her, but if you're looking for a psychological suspense that will make you question everyone and everything, look no further.

The Pulse continues to buzz about Hart's latest so don't miss out!

I Become Her releases 8/26/2025.

I absolutely loved this book!! The different characters in the book were interesting and well described. Definitely a 5* read! Well done!

suspense and thrilling elements brought this one to life. I love a good family thriller as well. I was able to enjoy the twists

Another book everyone at The Pulse is raving about. Thanks to @joe_hart_author and @thrillerbookloversthepulse for an advance copy.
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I devoured this psychological thriller and I still don’t know who I trust.
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Just ten days into their marriage, Imogen and Lev are celebrating their honeymoon when things take a dark, dangerous turn. A confrontation. A fall overboard. A miraculous rescue. But Lev remembers nothing, or so he says!
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Back on land, Imogen tries to move forward, but paranoia creeps in fast. Who is the man she married? And what happened to the woman from his past who vanished without a trace? Each chapter had me second-guessing everyone and everything. Just when I thought I had it figured out, another reveal.
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This book is the definition of a slow-burn suspense that explodes into full-blown WTF territory. Secrets, gaslighting, and a marriage on shaky ground. If you’re into twisty domestic suspense with unreliable characters and a ticking time bomb of a plot, add this one to your list immediately.