Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney is a slow burn psychological suspense novel that centers around friends Erin and Samantha. Samantha's life is falling apart when she receives an invitation from an old acquaintance - an escape to paradise, complete with beautiful beaches, delicious cocktails, and picture perfect views. As Samantha begins to relax, she starts to believe that this may be the fresh start she needed. But, of course, secrets have a way of revealing themselves and maybe, just maybe reconnecting with her old friend Erin wasn't the best idea after all.

While this looks like an awesome, quick, beachy read, this wasn't a hit for me. I wasn't able to connect with any of the characters, which makes it hard to care whether any of them come out on top. I was also frustrated by how repetitive the book was. There were times where I thought I was reading the same part over and over again, but it was just the same info being rehashed again. There is so much self pity happening that I was annoyed with the characters almost immediately. After wading through so much, I didn't find the ending of the book to be worth it for me. I am sure other readers had more to say and better things to say, but this one was a let down for me.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest thoughts.

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to read this as an ARC, here is an honest review of my experience.

I really enjoyed this book! I think the unexpected twists weren't too predictable and the pacing of the plot was really well done. The characters, including back ground characters, had well fleshed out and believable personalities and the rising action and conflict was perfectly done.

For me, there isn't really anything negative about this book, this is my first beach/tropical type setting for a thriller so this was quite new territory and I think it is a good introduction to the genre, especially for those newer to it. I look forward to being able to read more books in the future available to read as an arc.

Based on the reviews, I'm beginning to see J.E Rowney's storytelling style is not quite for everyone. I enjoyed The Other Passenger, and I was excited to get a copy of Wish You Were Her and see what she's done with it... The premise, concept, and delivery were executed nicely to my taste. The characters are flushed out in a way that you are not sure who you are supposed to be rooting for (if any of them). While we have David and Emma in The Other Passenger being complete strangers with an ulterior motive driven by circumstances, Wish You Were Her introduces long-term friends Samantha and Erin having an axe to grind. Estranged for 6 years, they each followed a life path 'destined' to oneself until an accidental Like on an Instagram post brings them back together...and all Hell breaks loose. The storyline actually had me ponder and reflect on my own life achievements! The final few chapters of the reveal volley the 2 characters' motives (grab some popcorn!), and I wasn't too impressed with each other's reactions - they felt unnatural and very "why would she react that way if she knew better". Regardless of that, a very good read! Many thanks to the author and Netgalley for providing a copy for an honest review

Thank you to NetGalley, Little Fox Publishing, and the author for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

While I enjoyed the twists, the plot felt a bit far-fetched. I found it repetitive at times, which affected my engagement with the narrative. I didn't care for or connect with any of the characters. I appreciated the short chapters which kept me engaged and I felt the storyline picked up towards the end.

Overall I enjoyed this book and didn't want to put it down until I finished. The beginning really pulled me in, trying to figure out what everyone's motives were. Once we got to Aruba, I feel like things could've gotten really exciting but it fell a little flat. Erin wanting to escape the perfectionism that her world demanded was understandable and passable for her behaviors. And Sam fit right into Erins world, taking over running the retreat and teaching her work. It was almost too acceptable that that was a scenario that could work for both of them if they weren't being so childish. I enjoyed the supporting characters and felt like they gave the story life. The ending became quite repetitive, unnecessarily so. with the constant one-upping and "I win" "no I win" This was almost amazing but just not quite there. I'd be interested in reading future books from Rowney to see her work progress.

I hate I can’t rate half stars, but I would give this book a good 3.5. It was a quick read (which I like) but I felt like there was a lot of redundancy and the same recaps repeated over and over again. The story was a good revenge mystery, but there weren’t any real twists or turns that left me mind blown.

I finished this book in one night, it was a real rollercoaster ride of a thriller! Just when you think you’ve got the plot figured out, another twist hits you in the face! Wow, just wow! The vivid descriptions of the destination really made me feel like I was there.

Really enjoyed this book. It was a great bait and switch and I think it would make a great series for TV

Wish You Were Her sounded like a good beach read for the summer. It was fairly interesting, until it all started getting over the top unbelievable in my opinion. I feel as though you have to really to suspend some belief in order to follow along with the storyline as Rowney presents it. Who was plotting against who first? Every time you think you've gotten to the bottom of it, there's yet another level. I'm just not buying it. On the positive side, it was a quick and easy read.

Ahhhh! I loved this book!! I loved the writing style and I love the story line. I highly recommend this book as a next read!! Can’t wait to buy

This one wasn’t for me. I felt the two main characters were both awful people and I didn’t want to root for either of them to succeed. I took issue with repeating information that occurred a couple times within the book. It almost felt like listening to my forgetful Granny relaying a story because at some points it was nearly identical info being regurgitated.

[NetGalley Read #42]
3.25 ⭐️

"I have hit rock bottom so hard, I think I've left a dent."

This is the third book I've read from this author and the writing has really grown on me. Going in, reading the first chapter, the first sentence, I knew what I was in for. And I enjoyed it immensely. Does that mean it's a great, perfect book? No. But would I read another book from this author? Absolutely!

There is an inherent sadness and melancholy to Rowney's characters. Their backstories (or their current situations) are so spectacularly sad. Whether it's David in 'The Other Passenger', Isla and Clara in 'Xmas Break', or Samantha in this book, their souls and sense of self are so beaten down by society or their circumstances or their relationships. There are common themes of suffering, loneliness, and redemption. And one might argue that some of those are horrible things. They are. But the way they are written is so...alluring. There is a magnetic pull that attracts me to the writing style.

The plot is interesting. The execution is alright. One thing that bugs me is the repetition. Though I found it amusing in this book because whenever Samantha was thinking: "My ideas. My concept. My framework. My vision." A part of my brain, in a deep, sinister voice, went: "My desert. My Arrakis. My dune." while picturing the Baron from Dune, floating in the air.

The plot does end up feeling ridiculous towards the end. It requires great suspension of disbelief to accept every twist and turn that occurs in this story.

It's a short book (200+ pages). Easy to read. Slightly frustrating at times because of the character choices and the twists that end up not making sense.

If you've read books from this author before and enjoyed them, then there's definitely something to enjoy here. If you like reading characters at their rock bottom, trying to claw their way out, this could be the book for you. Otherwise this might not be for everyone.

For someone who loves plot twists, this read had a few. Perfect for anyone who likes a perfect revenge thriller book with complicated characters.

What on earth did I just read? Right from the very start, I felt like I couldn’t trust a single character—every one of them seemed to be hiding something. If you love a story with an unreliable narrator that keeps you second-guessing everyone’s motives, this one’s definitely for you.

Not bad!!

It was a good psychological thriller and the writing was well done

I wasn’t able to connect with any of the characters, but that isn’t a deal breaker for me

Thank you for the ARC!

I would highly recommend this psychological thriller. It ticks boxes for days, gripping, twisty and super hard to put down as it is!

The plot is written from the perspective of Sam, a woman who has lost it all and is living hand to mouth in a gritty motel room. An accidental like on the Instagram post of ex-best friend Erin, a successful wellness guru and Sam finds herself reconnecting with Erin. Erin, seeing that Sam has fallen on hard times rescues her to a life of luxury. As the novel progresses we learn that the mastermind behind Erins successful business may in fact be Sam, who had her work stolen. How this plays out is just fantastic.

Great character development and an exotic location add to the appeal of this gripping novel.

My thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for the opportunity to review this book inn exchange for a advance copy.

Thank you for the advanced copy and opportunity to read. I thought the book was okay. A little slow paced for me. Not bad just nothing seems to be happening for a majority of the book. And idea was stolen. And the entire rest of the book just reiterates this over and over. Again, not bad, just lacking umph.

Wish You Were Her by J. E. Rowney
Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Three Stars⭐⭐⭐


Thank you to NetGalley, Little Fox Publishing, and the author for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book I've read by this author (the first being Xmas Break). While I didn’t fully connect with either book, I genuinely respect the time, creativity, and dedication it takes to write a novel.

In this particular story, the plot felt a bit far-fetched and could have benefited from a tighter, more cohesive ending. I found it somewhat repetitive at times, which affected my engagement with the narrative. I did appreciate the short chapters as they made the pacing more manageable, but I didn’t feel compelled to keep turning the pages.

I have mixed feelings about this book. While it wasn’t terrible, it wasn’t great. 2.5 stars. It felt very high school and repetitive. I struggled to connect with the characters or to care about them.

I do want to thank Netgally, the author and the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review. I wish it was a better review. I would try this author again though.

The cover caught my eye right away, and the premise had me interested. I love a good story built on manipulation, secrets, and shifting power plays. The setup had real potential.

But the pacing made it hard to stay invested. Most of the first half dragged, and I found myself getting impatient with Sam’s constant self-pity. Then everything suddenly picked up at the end, but it felt rushed. The back-and-forth between characters trying to outsmart each other could have been really satisfying, but it all came too late and too fast.

I also didn’t connect with any of the characters. Their motivations were interesting, but there wasn’t much emotional depth, and by the end, it felt like Sam hadn’t changed at all. I think this could have worked better as a multi-POV story or even a duet.

The concept was smart, but the uneven pacing and lack of character growth kept it from fully landing for me.