Immersing myself in this novel was an absolute delight, and I found it incredibly difficult to set aside. The narrative artfully oscillates between the past and present lives of identical twins Sam and Elli, painting a vivid portrait of their adolescence and their strained relationship in the present day. The plot thickens when Sam receives an unexpected call from their father, requesting her assistance with Elli’s daughter—a niece Sam was previously unaware of. This revelation comes amidst mysterious circumstances, as Elli had vanished after claiming to be on a spa retreat, leaving her family fraught with worry.

The novel skillfully utilizes flashbacks to flesh out the characters, offering a rich backstory that elucidates their present dynamics and decisions. Both Sam and Elli are portrayed as deeply flawed yet relatable characters; I found myself particularly drawn to Sam’s perspective. The author excels in maintaining a brisk narrative pace while delving deep into the psyche of the characters, striking a commendable balance that is both engaging and thought-provoking. The story evokes a spectrum of emotions, from sadness to frustration, keeping the reader hooked till the end.

My only minor critique would be the resolution, which felt somewhat overly neat, bordering on the implausible. Nonetheless, the book was a compelling read, and I am keen to explore more works by this author. For fans of psychological thrillers and mysteries, this book comes highly recommended. Ithanks to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. A really good premise dealing with the different points of view of the twins. Kept my attention with some twists and turns! A good read.

Really enjoyed this book ! A really original storyline told from the POV of each twin dealing with fame in different ways and how through it all they still have a special bond that nothing will break

Thank you to NetGalley, Orion Books and Janelle Brown for this advanced copy!

I'll Be You was so, so good! From the first page I was pulled into the book and it kept hold of me throughout.  Bits of this story were definitely out there but made for a much more thrilling read. The little twists revealed along the way were very well done and kept me guessing. I haven't read a lot of fiction involving cults but I am here for it! I found it to be a very interesting aspect to the book and gave it an edge.

I really enjoyed reading about the relationships explored within this book. With Sam and Elli being identical twins growing up in Hollywood, there was such a straight between them, even in their adult lives. But to see them work through it all and come together was great! Also, Sam and Charlottle were adorable.

Overall, a really enjoyable thriller about the strength family, the power of sisterhood and overcoming the hurdles life throw at you.

*Please research any trigger warnings before reading *

But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker: married to a real estate lawyer, living in a house just blocks from the beach. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to the pills and booze that have propped her up for the last fifteen years.

This had such a strong premise and idea behind it, the writing was kind of a let down for me. The characters were written okay but they never had such strong identities that they were strong enough to stand out on their own. I did like the little flashbacks between the present and the past and this made a nice division between what caused the incident to happen. it's a shame that the book didn't deliver in these areas as it had real promise.

I really enjoyed I'll Be You. The description had me intrigued and the book did not disappoint. It had just enough twists and turns to keep me reading and it also kept me guessing.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my ARC.

My first book by this author but definitely not my last. This is a cracking story about the relationship between identical twin sisters. The novel is really well written, the prose is light and plausible and the two central characters are brilliantly portrayed. A fantastic summer read!

I'll Be You
Janelle Brown

YOU BE ME AND I'LL BE YOU.
The story follows identical twins Sam and Elli, who as child TV stars were rarely apart but now after 379 days and having not spoken, Sam receives a call from her Dad to say her sister has gone missing following a Spa weekend and they needed her help.
The story follows Sam's journey on finding out what's happened to her sister and how she can help bring her back home.
The story switches from Now and Then, telling the story of the twins childhood all the way upto the point they had no longer spoken.
The story also covers Sam's journey into addiction and her recovery.
I had never heard of Author Janelle Brown until I saw this book on netgalley but it will not be the last book of hers I read as I throughly enjoyed this book.
I have not read a book with a storyline like this so it was nice to read something different. The book takes many twists and turns which keep you wanting to read more and the topics of addiction, twin relationships, family and friendships are all covered very well.

I was lucky enough to read this early thanks to netgalley and orion books but you will be able to read from the official publication date 7th July so not long to wait.

A brilliant story I loved every minute, The characters are fantastic, the setting is fantastic, and the twists are fantastic. And the writing, I was shocked and I laughed out loud. Love it. I highly recommend.

Janelle Brown is not an author I had heard of before but oh my goodness, what a read! The premise of this book was a new one and I hadn’t ever read any books with a similar plot. The twists and turns kept on coming! Flashbacks can sometimes be a little confusing but this was done in a way that they weren’t and easy to follow. I would recommend this to everyone! I will be eagerly anticipating her next novel.

Elli and Sam Logan are identical twins, two halves of a hole, peas in a pod and a “you be me and I’ll be you“ scenario. Growing up as child stars they frequently interchanged roles but things move on and alter. As grown-ups it’s a case of a sensible one versus the wild, the perfect child and the messed up and now their lives are separate, splintered and fractured as they haven’t spoken in over a year. Why? When Sam gets a phone call to say Elli is missing she has to step up and help her parents to look after two year old Charlotte. Where is Elli? What answers has she been looking for? Sam plays detective as well as babysitter for Charlotte.

The first half works well as this is from Sam‘s point of view and back tracks to growing up and we get to understand the triggers between them and how their relationship turns sour. I like her, she feels real and you understand her issues. In the second half the narration switches to Elli and this part drags for me and there’s some unnecessary repetition. Once we learn where Elli is we enter into weird “cult territory“ the novel take some bizarre turns in my opinion.
The GenFem retreat/cult is awful, there’s too much information and this doesn’t gel for me. Some of the dialogue here is dreadful and makes me wince it seems so inauthentic.
The book is far too long with a pace that chops and changes, at times it’s very slow and I nearly nod off.

The novel is in the mystery/thriller category and yes to a degree there is a mystery but I can’t describe this as a thriller as there is little suspense, although there is some tension. The Charlotte storyline is hard to buy into and requires much suspension of disbelief. The ending is too abrupt and neat, it’s resolved with way too much ease.

Overall, I think the twin thing has now had its chips as it’s been a much flaunted theme of late. The point of view of Sam is good and if the book hadn’t changed narrator I might have enjoyed this more. I looked forward to this and I honestly expected more.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Orion for their much appreciated arc in return for an honest review.

Keenly Observed…
Deliciously conveyed in dual timeline narrative, the tale of identical twins - so alike that not even their parents could distinguish them. So beautiful that they became childhood stars of Hollywood, often playing the same roles. Adulthood has seen some changes and now the bond is tumultuous and fractured. Hollywood has left it’s mark. And, now one of them is missing. Compelling suspense incorporating a deep familial drama, twisting and turning, and keenly observed.

I liked the character of Sam and I found the back and forth of seeing the present and also seeing how the relationship between the twins had evolved in the past as well, the author did a good job of blending the two so the flashbacks didn’t feel annoying or detracting from the story. It was a good story, there were some twists and turns but overall there were no jaw dropping moments for me although the character’s did make up for that. All in all a solid effort.

Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli's life has been in turmoil: her husband moved out, and Elli just adopted a two-year-old girl. Now she's stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is her sister just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? As Sam works to connect the dots left by Elli's baffling disappearance, she realizes that the bond between her and her sister is more complicated than she ever knew. Mind-blowing, jaw-dropping, gripping… Once you pick up the book you just can’t put it down…

well written with a compelling narrative and characters that were well developed and believable. A good amount fo twists and unpredictability in the book that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed it

I thoroughly enjoyed I'll be you!

We follow twins Elli and Sam. Sam is an addict and Elli seems to get wound up in a strange women empowerment group. Things escalate from here.

Overall a satisfactory book!