The Girl You Thought I Was

by Rebecca Phillips

[Sam@WLABB]

Morgan had a dirty little secret, which she thought she hid well, and she did, until she was caught. Now Morgan had to battle to preserve her "good girl" image, while earning back her father's trust and fighting the compulsion to steal.

• Pro: Phillips captured those emotions related to Morgan's addiction so well. I experienced her highs and her lows, the adrenal rush, and the guilt that followed. It pained me to watch Morgan struggle, and I was hoping she could get to the root of her problem before she lost everything.

• Pro: Rita was a really wonderful character. She found beauty in the pain, and I am happy people like her existed in this world. She was someone, who knew the whole truth about Morgan, and still believed in her, and I loved her for that.

• Pro: Eli, dear sweet Eli. Eli sort of lost a lot and decided he wouldn't wallow in self pity, and this made me want to grab hold of him and hug him forever. I loved his optimism and his ability to look for the good parts. He was really special and yet flawed, but his flaws were forgivable, because he had such a big heart, was so kind, and was sort of an all-around good guy.

• Pro: The romance was quite wonderful. I think Morgan and Eli complimented each other well, and they found their calm in each other.

• Pro: The characters in the book were so messy and real. They had struggles and shortcomings, and they had to work through all these things. Though they had their own issues, they were all still there for Morgan when she really needed them, and I appreciated how they tried to support Morgan during her recovery.

• Pro: Though I was sometimes disappointed in Morgan, I was always sympathetic towards her. I have to commend Phillips on this, because it not easy to make people care about a character, who at first seems self-centered, selfish, and self-serving. As Phillips pulled the layers away, we learned a lot more about Morgan, and I found myself hoping things would improve for her, that she would make better choices, and that her family could find some healing.

Overall: A compelling and realistic portrait of a girl in crisis, who I hoped would be able to put her life back together.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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