The Girl He Used to Know: ‘A must-read author’ TAYLOR JENKINS REID

by Tracey Garvis Graves

'This book is just special' COLLEEN HOOVER
'A must read author. Her voice is wise, tender and refreshing' TAYLOR JENKINS REID

What if you had a second chance at first love?

Annika Rose likes being alone. She feels lost in social situations - she says the wrong thing or acts the wrong way. And it's not her fault, she just can't read people. So instead she prefers the solitude of her books or playing chess to avoid people!

Other Jonathan, of course. Annika liked being around him, but she hasn't seen him for ten years. Until now, that is. And she's not sure that he'll want to see her again after what happened all those years ago...

Annika Rose likes being alone. Except that now, actually, she's beginning to wonder if she likes being alone that much after all.

The Girl He Used to Know is an uplifting novel full of surprising revelations that keep you turning the page. Perfect for fans of Jojo Moyes, Gail Honeyman, Jill Santopolo and Sliding Doors.

*******

'I adore Tracey Garvis Graves' work.' - Sarah Pekkanen, bestselling coauthor of The Wife Between Us

'The most riveting, rewarding, refreshing novel I've read in years' - Barbara Delinsky, bestselling author

• ISBN10: 1409183696
• ISBN13: 9781409183693
• Publish Date: 8 August 2019 (first published 2 April 2019)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Orion Publishing Co
• Imprint: Trapeze
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 304
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

It was ten years since she let him go. Annika spent those ten years working on herself and becoming more independent. After a decade, she wanted to show Jonathan, that she wasn't quite the girl he used to know, and that she was (hopefully) the girl he still loved.

Graves had me hook, line, and sinker from the very beginning of this story. I am trash for second chance romances, and seeing these two meet again after so many years made me believe the universe had a plan for them.

I probably would have been happy enough just getting the present day tale with these two rekindling their romance, but it was made even better via the flashbacks. It was like getting to see Annika and Jonathan fall in love twice, and I was exceedingly happy for them - both times.

The flashbacks also served the purpose of showing us what went wrong so many years ago, and helped me understand all the ways both Annika and Jonathan grew and changed. Each were different due to their experiences over the years, but they were still essentially the same two people, who met and fell in love back at the University of Illinois.

Call it mushy, call it OTT emotional, but I am all about that. There were so many beautiful moments in this love story, and I gladly ingested each and every one. Not only did the romance work my heartstrings, but I fell head over heels for Annika.

She was so lovely and honest and kind. It pained me to hear about the way she had been treated in the past, but Jonathan and her best friend, Janice, were two stupendous humans, who luckily were able to see what was in Annika's heart, and they loved her for it.

My only complaint about this book was something Graves did towards the end. It was an extreme way to have Annika prove that she would not run, and that she was all in with Jonathan. I understand what the author was trying to accomplish, but like I said, it was a pretty extreme circumstance she elected to use.

And, though the ending gave me an idea about where Annika and Jonathan's futures were heading, I really wished we had an epilogue to let me know where they ended up.

Even though the ending left me wanting, I still enjoyed every second of this story. I laughed, I cried, I cheered, I swooned. This book provided me with some fantastic feels, and I am so glad I got to see Annika and Jonathan take that second chance on each other.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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[Molly J(Cover To Cover Cafe)]

Do you ever get to read one of those books that are all consuming? Those books that are so fascinating and gripping that you get lost in what you're supposed to do, in what's going on around you? Yea, that's exactly how it was with this book by Tracey Garvis Graves. It's not my first book by her, I absolutely loved Coveted. But, I have to say that this one is one that will stay with me from some time.

Annika. Bless her soul, I absolutely loved her character. She was full of quirks and struggled through her life but that just made me love her even more. Call it mama mode in me, but I did. I loved her hard. Enter Jonathan. Another cant-help-but-love character, and watching him both in the 1990's and then again in 2001 in the story, really had me cheering for him and Annika. I loved how he felt about Annika.

That's the character portion. Now, did I love the plot line? Absolutely. It's tragic, it's romantic, it's twisty, it's perfect. I loved it all. Graves has a stellar writing style and knows how to turn out a story that will not only haunt you and make you want more, but will wrap you up and consume your soul. And, when you reach the end of the story...….well, let's just say this. It will make you stop cold and think about the entire story over again!

If you are looking for a book that will leave you laughing til you cry, or make you hate it, don't get this book. If you are looking for a book that is stunning, gripping, and filled heart wrenching, unforgettable characters, then this is the book for you. This is beyond worthy of 5 stars. I would give it 5000 if I could! But, since I can't, I will just tell you to go now, forthwith, and pre-order it. Order one for you. Order one for your sister, your best friend, and your mom, too. I can not wait to see what Graves has in store for her fans in her next book!

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from St. Martin's Press and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*

[Linda]

*I received a free copy of The Girl He Used to Know from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley. This has in no way influenced my review which is honest and unbiased.*

What an emotional story! Annika really had trouble with a lot of social interactions. However, she grew so much between her college years and ten years after! Still not fully fluent in social cues, she still managed to live her life, have a job she loved, and interact with more people than in the past.

Jonathan is the kind of hero that makes me swoon. He was fully capable to fight for a relationship he believed in. And he trusted that Annika would get there, too.

Full review to come.

[chymerra]

Annika was not expecting to fall in love when she met Jonathan. Shy and anxious in new situations, Annika keeps to herself. Annika has issues with personal relationships. She finds most people difficult to be around. But not Jonathan. He loves her for her quirks. Their relationship is perfect until a tragedy forces Annika and Jonathan apart.

10 years later and 10 years wiser, Jonathan reunites with Annika in Chicago. Jonathan realizes that his feelings for Annika never went away. Annika comes to the same realization and they restart their relationship. Will their relationship be as strong as the first time? Or will another tragedy stop it before it can begin?

When I started reading The Girl He Used To Know, I didn’t know what to think about it. I was also a little put-off. This book is told from two different 1st person perspectives. It is also told in two different time periods. In my experience, those two things do not go well together. I usually have issues following these types of storylines. I didn’t have those issues with The Girl He Used To Know.

I loved the storyline that revolved around Annika. I did guess that she had autism early in the story. I have a nephew who is non-verbal autistic and he shares many of the earmarks that Annika did. What I also enjoyed was seeing how far Annika came from college. There was a point in the book where I thought she would give up.

I liked Jonathan. I did have my doubts about what his intentions were when he first started hanging out with Annika. But as their love story deepened, I could see that he cared about her. He never pushed her past her limits. By the end of their college romance, I was in tears. I didn’t want them to break up.

I do want to give some attention to Annika’s friendship with Janice. It was even more amazing that Janice chose to become Annika’s protector on campus. That scene where she saved Annika from a potential gang rape was short of amazing. Janice became my hero.

I thought that Annika and Jonathan’s romance was one of the sweetest romances that I have read. I couldn’t wait to see what the next step would bring. I was devastated when they broke up (and why they broke up too). When they reunited in Chicago, I did have my doubts if they would rekindle their relationship. And I was happy when they did.

The end of The Girl He Used to Know gave me chills. I am not going to get into what happened but it was tragic. What Annika did and her determination to find Jonathan made me cry. I was a little confused by the last line of the book. It was the only thing that made zero sense to me. While I knew what it was referring to, I didn’t understand why it was at the end of the book.

I gave The Girl He Used to Know a 4-star rating. This was a well-written book that had me in tears. The characters were relatable. The plot-lines were well written. The only complaint I had about the book was the end. It made no sense to me.

I would give The Girl He Used to Know an Adult rating. There is sex (but not graphic). There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be bullying, attempted rape and drug use. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Girl He Used to Know. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Girl He Used to Know.

All opinion stated in this review of The Girl He Used to Know are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

[Terri M. LeBlanc]

The Girl I Used to Know is an honest examination of love. It shows the depths at which two people come together and make changes, adaptations and sacrifices to be together. Ratcheting up the tension in the final chapters of the book, leads to a breathtaking, page-turning conclusion that will leave readers believing that love does survive the toughest struggles and as a result, becomes something more.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for a honest review.

[Romance Schmomance]

I would wait forever and forever for any book by Tracey! She doesn't release a book super often, but they're always so worth the wait. She has her own brand of romances that leave you with an unforgettable story.

I couldn't tell you the amount of appreciation I had for this book. I'm a huge fan of second chance romances and Tracey gave us two characters who were different, but brought out the best in each other.

CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY REVIEW : HERE

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