What a great book! I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading it and couldn’t wait to dive back in. Lots of twists and turns!

Samantha is broke, sad, alone, and estranged from the bestie who is now rich and famous off her self- love framework. When said bestie/ nemesis resurfaces after a social media like, Sam is conflicted to find Erin wants her to travel to her and mend their relationship. Put yourself in Sam's shoes, really quickly- she follows her former sister's social media closely and observes as she uses every life lesson she came up with blatantly. I'm talking about this girl is giving speeches live in the same room as the girl she stole said speeches from!! Full of audacity, spite, and secrets between friends, this summer thriller definitely delivers when it comes to the popcorn variety. While it was riveting and intriguing, some of the detail didn't hold much weight to me and the plot felt stilted at times. This is for fans of Freida McFadden, summer themed thrillers, and palette cleanser book lovers.

This book had me hooked right from the beginning. I empathized with Sam and was rooting for her the whole way. The ending took a turn that I didn't see coming and it felt a little odd. Ultimately, the ending was satisfying though. Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC!

I really enjoyed Wish You Were Her. This book is a slow burn without a lot of "gotcha" twists, but the story is engaging and will keep readers' interest until the end.

Samantha has a chance to pick up the pieces of her broken life. Her former friend is now a self-help guru who lives her life online, an influencer of sorts. Sam is living in a cheap motel and accidently reconnects with Erin, but will this be the ticket for a new life for Sam or just more shattered dreams as she is confronted with Erin and their shared past?

I received an ARC from Net Galley

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney in exchange for my honest review and opinion. OMG - what a fantastic read! The cover drew me in right from the start and then once you start reading, you will be hooked. So stinking good and watch out for all the "surprises" along the way. I can't wait to read more by J.E. Rowney in the future!

Samantha's life is in a downward spiral, no money, no job, her boyfriend has dumped her, and she is existing in a seedy motel room with only a couple of pounds in her pocket. Idly scrolling through her social media on her phone, she sees the name of her used to be best friend at university, Erin. The two have not spoken for years after an argument, but glancing at Erin's picture, her looking relaxed and happy on a beach somewhere, Samantha accidentally presses the like button. Immediately Erin sends Sam a message, the two start chatting again and Erin offers Sam a chance of a job helping her at a luxurious island paradise. Erin would send a car to collect Sam and take her to the airport, the tickets would be there, and Sam would be met at the destination. This all sounds too good to be true, especially as the two have not spoken for so long. Sam decides to take up the offer, and so begins a complicated cat and mouse game between the two. The plot is twisty, with lots of lies and deceptions between the two of them, and others, and I must confess the ending wasn't what I expected. This was a quick and easy read, and I enjoyed it.
Thank you for my advance copy.

Manipulation, fraud, identity theft and revenge, never knowing what is real and what isn't in the beautiful setting of a psycho retreat.
What is authentic life? And what in this story is authentic?

Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney was a quick paced read that me flipping the pages quickly.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it was very intriguing. It gripped me from the start and I read it in two sittings. It was well written and very descriptive.

Love love loved this book! I want to read more by this author for sure! It had a great premise and I could not put it down. I really enjoyed the characters and thought there were some great twists!

This had a very slow start, and took too long to get going, however there was something about it that kept my interest as I did keep reading. When the plot gets going, there is suddenly twist after twist which made for intense, exciting reading.
The characters are interesting too, likeable enough without being too likeable and there is also an edge to them and an air of dislike.
Overall this is slow but there is something about it that kept me entertained.
Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advance copy.

A Gripping, Fast-Paced Psychological Thriller.
This book is an absolute page-turner! From the very first chapter. The twists are relentless—just when you think you have things figured out, the story takes another sharp turn that leaves you reeling. The suspense builds masterfully, keeping you on edge until the very last page.
It is unpredictable, and utterly absorbing. I found it nearly impossible to put down. If you're a fan of thrillers that mess with your mind and keep you guessing, this is a must-read.

such a brilliant cover for this book that lends itself to what to come within the pages. This author certainly knows her genre and knows how to write these smartly woven together plots.
Samantha is at her lowest ebb when she re connects with her old friend. she is willing to do anything to get out of her troubles. and when he friend seems to offer just that she knows her answer will be "yes" in an instant. it couldnt get any worse right? oh Amanda it turns out it really can, it almost always really can. straight away as a reader you are feeling this tension and the emotional tension only rises from here on in.
Erin is such a complex character. i love it when you dont have to like the characters in a book to still be completely fascinated by them so "love" them in that kind of way.
its added layer of question fills your thoughts throughout. who wouldn't choose luxury,beach,sun and brightness if it was offered to us. and would you spot the signs something darker is lurking. especially if your are already vulnerable.
Samantha realisation that not all is what it seems is really well written. and you are never quite sure who playing mind games with who. even our author, is she playing with us haha!
you can totally see the reasons in this book. for many things that happen even if they arent morally brilliant or the choices that should be made Rowney easily gives us plausible explanations from the characters need for something. insecurities of all kinds are a huge part to the book.
this is a thriller and so much more. the suspense yet realistic way it all plays out and why is really addictive to read.

2.5 stars. Like what did i just read? It was so repetitive and when the twists finally came it was just an ‘oh’ moment. The pacing was slow and fast at the sane time, i guess? Really tried to enjoy this but i couldn’t. Boring, repetitive and slow.

Gahhhhh - I wanted to love it all the way through … I am digging JE Rowneys books. This one started out strong and immediately pulled me in. Samantha’s world is falling apart when she receives a message from her old friend Erin Blake—offering an escape to a luxurious, picture-perfect life filled with beaches, cocktails, and a chance to leave her past behind.

It was the kind of setup that promises secrets, suspense, and emotional tension—and for a while, it delivered. I was fully invested in the mystery, drawn to the dynamic between Samantha and Erin, and waiting for the other shoe to drop. The writing is smooth and the pacing kept me flying through the first half. But around the final quarter of the book, things started to unravel. The plot took a sharp turn that felt disconnected from the careful buildup, and the character decisions stopped making sense. By the time the story wrapped up with a surprisingly neat and “happy” ending, it felt out of sync with the dark, unsettling tone the rest of the book had established.

I still enjoyed the premise, the tension early on, and the writing style, but I can’t say the payoff was worth the setup. A strong start that fizzled out into a “wait… that’s it?” finale.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney is an entertaining and fast-paced read that kept me curious, especially as I tried to figure out the central betrayal at the heart of the story. The psychological element was one of my favorite parts, and I appreciated how the author explored the characters’ inner lives.

That said, I personally prefer darker thrillers, so this one felt a bit lighter than I’m used to. Some of the twists were a little predictable or leaned toward the unrealistic side, and the ending wrapped up more quickly than I would have liked. Still, that’s more about personal taste than a flaw in the writing itself.

Overall, I think this would be a great choice for readers looking for a light mystery with psychological layers. It’s the kind of book I’d recommend as a mysterious beach read that won’t weigh you down but will still keep you turning pages.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my review. Although it is not a great literary work, it is a fast paced beach read.

Another fantastic story by J.E Rowney! Loved it from the start and read it in two days! Fantastic highly recommend

A quick, entertaining thriller with just enough tension to keep the pages turning. Samantha, down on her luck and stuck in a dead-end life, reconnects with an old university friend after liking an Instagram post.
Erin, now successful and seemingly living the perfect life invites Sam to Aruba for what looks like a dream escape. But beneath the sunshine, there’s a simmering sense of unease—old grudges, hidden agendas, and a friendship that was far from perfect.
The setup is intriguing, and I liked the slow unravelling of their dynamic. But some of the twists, especially the cat-and-mouse about who was really pulling the wool over whose eyes, felt a bit contrived and unrealistic. I didn’t feel as connected to the characters as I’d hoped, but it’s still a fast, easy read if you’re after a light thriller with a tropical backdrop.

This was an easy read. I hated the antagonist up until the very end. She infuriated me. I’m the end o just felt sad for her, but it was satisfying to see someone “get what they deserve”. The book follows the main character on the brink of disaster, alone in a hotel room, beyond broke, until she likes the Instagram post of an old “friend”, a woman who is everything she is not, rich successful. She has it all. This woman offers the main character an all expenses paid opportunity to turn her life around, but as always, there’s a catch.
Would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something you can finish in a couple of days.

I read this so fast! The psychology in this is insane and so interesting!!! Loved it!
I love this authors books she is a must read for me.