Okay, first things first—Ben texts with kisses💋?? xx?? That completely threw me off🥴. The author definitely seemed to be aiming for a grumpy⛈️ x sunshine🌞 dynamic, but it felt more like clearing storm🌦️ x rising sun🌤️—like their personalities unfolded as they got to know each other rather than staying rigidly in the grumpy/sunshine mold. I actually liked that aspect; it gave the characters more depth🌊.

Now, while I enjoyed the story, something about the pacing felt… off🙊. I can’t put my finger on whether it was the timing⏳ of events or just the way things unfolded, but the flow wasn’t quite right🗓️. And when it came to how the characters reacted to certain traumatic events, it didn’t feel entirely believable🧟‍♀️. Not that a book has to be hyper-realistic to work, but it still needs to make sense emotionally🎭, and this one wavered a bit in that department.

Also, is it just me, or did Ivy not fit the FL🙅🏽‍♀️? I don’t know why, but I had a hard time picturing her with that name. Something about her just didn’t click🤌🏼 for me.

That said, I really enjoyed Ben and Ivy playing games together🃏. It was a fun little touch that made their relationship feel more natural🍁 and gave them some cute bonding moments.

Thanks Netgalley and the author for the ARC 👏🏽 ❤️‍🩹 🔥

Is she me? Is a novel that follows Elle as she escapes a life marked by trauma, PTSD, and grief.  Elle escapes from her home and encounters Ben and his sister Lucy.  They became friends and they help her out. The story unfolds as Elle discovers her place and identity, while her past continues to threaten her and those she cares about.

This book offered many twists and turns, along with heartwarming and heartbreaking moments. It beautifully portrays Elle's strength despite her past experiences.  The author's skillful handling of sensitive topics is truly commendable.  It's definitely a must-read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher of *Is She Me?* for this wonderful ARC opportunity.

Is She Me? follows a young woman named Elle as she escapes from her cult-like community after finding a photo of a missing little girl and suspecting her family might have had something to do with it. While on the run, she meets Ben, a successful but lonely man struggling with his own ghosts. Together, Elle and Ben support each other in processing their respective traumas and try to forge their own futures, all while dodging the threats posed by her past.

There are a lot of things I really liked about this book, and a few things I didn’t like as much. I thought that each “side” of the story — the romance side and the thriller/drama side — were both extremely strong. Elle and Ben had a great connection and it was really beautiful to see them grow and heal in tandem throughout the story. Romance novels that center around trauma can often feel too clean, but this was messy. Both characters kept making mistakes and hurting one another; their actions often came across as quite selfish and at time childish, but it felt incredibly authentic given what they’d each gone through. The thriller/drama aspects of the book were a little weaker but still good. Because the narrative structure was almost entirely linear, it felt more “show” than “tell”, and the overall effect was that it felt watered down at times. That said, I was still really invested in the story and excited to see where it was heading, especially during the last 25%.

Where this book lost me a bit was in how the romantic and dramatic elements blended. It was incredibly jarring to go from emotional trauma processing to intense flirting in the span of just a couple of pages; the chapters sometimes alternated in tone, but there was very little room to transition between these different vibes. I think that the two sides of the story worked really well individually, but either might’ve felt stronger without the other.

In terms of characters, all of the “good” characters — Elle, Ben, the friends/families/coworkers we meet along the way — were wonderfully complex. The side characters in particular were lovable and added a lot of dimension to the story. The villains — the people from Elle’s past and some of the catty people in Ben’s circle — didn’t feel as fleshed out, which made it a bit harder to take the serious.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable read. If you are looking for a book that depicts the messy reality of processing trauma and grief, all while navigating new relationships, this might be a good book to pick up!

I really enjoyed this!

I liked the realistic use of trauma which can be simplified in books sometimes. It made the book more relatable to those that have been through trauma, even if it’s not exactly the same as what the fmc went through.
I loved watching the two main characters grow individually as people which then helped their relationship. Their relationship can be perceived as quite toxic at the start but the characters do acknowledge that and work on it which I enjoyed. When their relationship was healthy and fulfilling for the both of them, I loved them together. Even at their ‘meet-cute’, their chemistry was so good and I was so excited to see where the relationship went.
The plot of the missings persons case was so intriguing and kept me hooked from start to finish. Without spoiling it, I loved how the fmc, mmc and the mmc’s sister all worked through that plot and how they all helped in their own ways.

3.75/5 stars

Is She Me?

By Lauren Grace

Is She Me? follows the story of Elle who on finding a photo from her past embarks on a quest to find out more about who she really is, in more ways than one. Not long into her story she meets Lucy and Ben, a sister and brother who care for her and help her enter a whole new world of family. Unfortunately, Elles past catches up to her and she is forced to face her trauma many times throughout the story, showing just how non linear the healing process really is.

I enjoyed the story of Elles search for her family and the interesting nature of her relationship with Ben as they sought to understand each other. I did find the storyline at times a bit rushed and would have liked to have more detail at times. While I loved the description of Elles relationships with some characters like her mother, other relationships felt brief when I think they could have been explored more in the story.

Overall though a good, interesting read!

Thank you Netgalley and Lauren Grace for this ARC read.

I stayed up way too late last night to finish this book but I was hooked from the start. This book has a bit of everything and beautifully tackles so many different topics from PTSD, trauma, grief, lost/found family, romance, and so much more.

I loved seeing the evolution of Elle & Ben's grumpy x sunshine relationship. Their banter and how Elle always made sure to keep Ben on his toes and never back down was so fun to read. Plus, who doesn't love a super protective, smart MMC. I also really loved the sister/best-friend relationship between Elle and Lucy because Lucy was such a ride or die for Elle. Right from the beginning when she didn't even know who she was, Lucy brought her into the fold, provided her safety, and made her feel like part of the family. It was such a contrast from what i've read recently that it was such a breath of fresh air seeing that kind of dynamic. The suspense in the story really helped bring this all together with all the twists and turns and keeping everyone on their toes on what was going to happen next.

I will say some of the transitions from end of chapter to beginning of the next one were a bit abrupt and caused a little confusion and made me have to go back and re-read just to figure out how we ended up here vs how the last chapter ended.

Overall, this was such a really good read and one that I knew as soon as I started that I had to keep going to see how it all turned out.