Samantha is at rock bottom when her old frenemy Erin reaches out and offers her a tropical escape. But relaxation isn't exactly on the menu, secrets, rivalries, manipulation, and revenge are. This story is the epitome of a psychological thriller. The emotional and relationship dynamics take center stage and the character's flaws are well explored. There are some great twists and the setting makes it all the more better.

This is a fast-paced book about toxic female friendship. Erin and Sam were at university together, but their lives have taken very different turns, and they have been estranged for many years. They reconnect and Erin offers to help Sam, an offers her work on a Caribbean island retreat. The plot gets a bit far-fetched in places, but kept me interested. Good for the beach.

I was hooked right from the first chapter….wondering what tore Sam & Erin’s friendship apart and why they stopped talking. I was on the edge on my seat during the entire book - great unexpected twists and turns. The ending was perfect!!! Go Sam!!

I quite enjoyed this JE Rowney book.

Once I got into the story of Erin & Samantha I was went down let say the rabbit hole of the repercussions of the past six years.

Cat and mouse game. Who was winning and who was actually losing. You can always build yourself back up even when you’re at your lowest point. Rock bottom.

There’s definitely a life lesson to be learned even if it doesn’t end up costing you twenty thousand pounds.

Four star read!!

Thank you NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for this read.

It appears this book comes out today so I’m leaving a review for the portion I have read before this gets archived.

What I love:
-the cover
-the premise
-writing style
-humor

Update: I did in fact download this on kindle unlimited to experience it finalized and the text message formatting had not been adjusted. This and the slang is making it difficult to connect with this one. I sampled until 20% and could not get into it.

I’m hooked already and was slightly annoyed with the formatting for the text messages anyways so I may just get the published book instead.

Thank you for the eARC. I am leaving this honest feedback voluntarily.

I just finished Wish You Were Her. It was not what I expected but I very much enjoyed it. It’s a story about two women who were once best friends but all of that changed when one steals from the other and what happens in each others lives as a result. It kept me interested throughout the book. It’s a five star read for me! If you’re looking for something to read, I would definitely recommend this book!

This is my second read by J.E. Rowney. Wish You Were Her had me hooked from the very first chapter and I was really
Intrigued to see whether the story would go. I did find that some of the storyline had a few gaps that I would have liked to see explored in further depth, but overall I enjoyed the concept and give it 3 stars!

Thank you Netgalley! This is my second book by this author and I am hooked. I was left shocked by the twists and turns in this book. I could feel the pain of the characters and sympathized what they were going through

I Readly enjoyed this one at first but then it took a turn for something else and I found myself losing a bit of interest. I also didn’t enjoy all the parts of the retreat where the self psychology stuff were presented.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a chance to read this eARC for my honest opinion.

This took me several attempts to read.
Started off ok, Sam is at rock bottom and Erin is living her best life. Time for things to change.
I just felt it was a little over the top and went on far longer than it needed to.
Not the best from this author in my opinion.
My thanks to netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc.

This book fell short for me. The premise seemed very far fetched- starting with two friends that had a huge falling out and didn't speak for 6 years. They reconnect through social media and Erin invites Sam to come stay with her - no strings attached. Red flag #1...

The story goes on with lies, manipulation, and so much deception. It just seemed like they wouldn't have put themselves through the drama when their past was such a mess.

But the last 20% is so repetitive and just unnecessary.

If you're into psychological thrillers with toxic friendships, sun-kissed settings turned sinister, and surprising twists, Wish You Were Her delivers a head-spinning, bingeable ride. Go in expecting fast pacing and moral ambiguity, but also be ready for an emotionally ambivalent heroine and a finale that may feel sudden. It’s a smart, sneaky thriller with enough curveballs to keep you guessing—but it’s definitely not a comforting, feel-good escape.

Wish You Were Her by J.E. Rowney is an intense and entertaining psychological suspense novel that explores detailed planning, manipulation, hitting rock bottom, and rising from the ashes.

I loved it!

Reading this book felt like watching a tennis match! It was incredibly entertaining to follow the unfolding story of manipulation and lies, with secrets revealed layer by layer. And that final twist? Genius! The psychological depth of each character was clever and intriguing.

Divorced and broken, Sam reunites with her college roommate, Erin, after years of silence. Erin has essentially taken Sam’s motivational ideas and turned them into a multi-million-dollar enterprise, while Sam has struggled to find her footing. However, beggars can’t be choosers, so Sam agrees to work for Erin as a photographer. What starts off smoothly ends in a massive disaster!

It's unbelievably good (for me!) and I believe many will love it!

📚 PUB DAY E-ARC BOOK REVIEW 📚

Wish You Were Her By J. E. Rowney
Publication Date: June 20, 2025
Publisher: Books Go Social

📚MY RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to Books Go Social and NetGalley for this #gifted e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

📚MY REVIEW:

Wish You Were Her is a psychological thriller that's perfect for readers who love books about revenge amongst friends and cat-and-mouse vibes! The twists in this book genuinely shocked me, as I didn't see them coming at all, and the last few chapters REALLY made this book so much fun.

Twisty enough to give you whiplash, this one had my head spinning by the end. A toxic friendship, betrayals, revenge, a luxurious tropical setting, and oh-so-much intrigue...Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.

When Samantha’s life falls apart, an unexpected message from an old friend offers her a way out—and a ticket to paradise. Swept into a luxurious world of beaches, cocktails, and curated perfection, Samantha starts to believe she might finally leave her past behind. But not everything is as it seems. Behind the glossy smiles and sparkling oceans, old secrets are waiting. And the closer Samantha gets to her new life, the more she wonders: Was reconnecting with Erin Blake the best thing that ever happened to her... or the most dangerous?

Happy Pub Day to J.E. Rowney! If you're a fan of intelligent psychological thrillers featuring toxic friendships, tropical getaways, betrayals, and shocking twists -- this book is for you! And it's out TODAY!!

#WishYouWereHer #JERowney #BooksGoSocial #gifted #ARC #NetGalley #NetGalleyReviews #bookreviews #bookrecs #thrillerlover #thrilleraddict #psychologicalthriller #booklover #bookaddict

J.E. Rowney’s Wish You Were Her is a gripping tale of manipulation, vulnerability, and long-brewing revenge, told through the eyes of a woman pushed to her emotional limits. This psychological thriller delivers a tense, unsettling ride as it delves into the complexities of toxic friendships and the cost of trust misplaced.

Rowney does an excellent job crafting the character of Samantha—a woman reeling from years of emotional hardship. Fragile yet sympathetic, Samantha’s internal struggles are written with striking realism. When she reconnects with a so-called friend who has a history of using her, readers immediately sense that not everything is as it seems. As the story unfolds and strange occurrences escalate, Samantha is forced to question her past, her perceptions, and the true motives of those around her.

Wish You Were Her is layered with suspense and emotional tension, with a satisfying undercurrent of revenge that plays out in clever, unpredictable ways. Rowney’s storytelling is sharp, immersive, and psychologically charged—making this novel a must-read for fans of dark, character-driven thrillers.

2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and BooksGoSocial for an advanced copy of Wish You Were Her.

Sam is at the lowest point of her life. She is broke and staying at a motel when she sees a post from her former friend Erin about her perfect life. Sam accidentally liked the post and Erin reached out to her and invites her to stay with them. Sam has her reservations but she is desperate. Nothing can change what Erin did to her in the past and Sam knows that she always has an ulterior motive.

I thought this book had potential but the execution failed for me.

The beginning and middle of this story were really intriguing. I was so hooked up until about the 80% mark. It was getting super twisty, and I liked the position the FMC took as part detective to try to figure out the maze she found herself in. HOWEVER, when it was time to start revealing the big twist, multiple other twists tumbled out all at once. I was a bit lost with all of the information being thrown at me, and I honestly felt like I was watching a tennis match (reference not intended) with how back and forth the twists were. One character thought that had a leg up on another character until it was revealed that they didn’t because the other character revealed another twist…. It was just a lot of information at once that wasn’t necessarily needed. The ending was overall decent. I wasn’t the happiest with the ending, but it wasn’t a flop either. We see the end result of all of the twists that were revealed, and it’s slightly satisfying to see. Overall, for the last 20% of this book, I think the story kind of flopped compared to what it could have been.

Are you a thriller fan? Check out Wish You Were Her by JE Rowney. It’s out soon and is one you’ll want to pick up.

While the novel presents an intriguing psychological premise, its execution suffers from uneven pacing. The first two-thirds of the story move slowly, largely centered on the introspective and self-pitying narrative voice of Sam, an unreliable narrator. The final chapters, by contrast, accelerate rapidly, compressing a series of shifting power dynamics between characters into a fast-paced, dialogue-heavy conclusion the book itself likens to "psychological tennis." This abrupt shift in momentum creates a sense of narrative imbalance. A multi-POV structure may have provided a more immersive and evenly distributed exploration of the story’s core tensions, enhancing the suspense and character dynamics throughout. Although the book wasn't a personal favorite, it was an enjoyable and fast-paced read—well-suited for light, casual settings such as the beach or poolside.

This was such a fast-paced read for me! Wish You Were Her pulled me in right away with it’s writing and emotional intensity. I loved the premise and found myself flying through the first half, constantly wondering what was real and what wasn’t. J.E. Rowney does a great job getting into the main character’s head. I absolutely loved the writing style.

That said, I did start to feel a little worn out by the end—the pacing felt a bit stretched and I was ready for things to wrap up sooner. Still, I really enjoyed the ride overall and would recommend it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this fun ARC.