Book Synopsis:
What if you had a second chance at first love?
Annika Rose likes being alone.
She feels lost in social situations, saying the wrong thing or acting the wrong way. She just can’t read people. She prefers the quiet solitude of books or playing chess to being around others. Apart from Jonathan. She liked being around him, but she hasn’t seen him for ten years. Until now that is. And she’s not sure he’ll want to see her again after what happened all those years ago.
Annika Rose likes being alone.
Except that, actually, she doesn’t like being alone at all. And she just might have a second chance at first love.
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, Mhairi McFarlane, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and The Flatshare.
The Girl He Used To Know is available in ebook now and paperback on the 4th August 2019. You can purchase or pre-order your copy using the link below.
My Review:
The Girl He Used To Know is a beautiful love story that had me completely enthralled from the beginning.
Annika is a wonderful main character that was very easy to warm to. She is a fairly unusual main character, especially in a romantic story, but I think this is what makes the story such a special one. Her social awkwardness and other issues made me feel quite protective of her which made the story hard to put down as I had to keep reading to find out what happens to her.
The story is told from the point of view of both Annika and Jonathan, going back and forth between their time in college and the present time. This might sound confusing but it’s quite easy to follow as each chapter is headed with the year and place that chapter is set in. I thought this added to the story and I really enjoyed reading about events from both characters points of view.
The book does start as purely a romantic one which I was thoroughly enjoying on its own but then something happens that changes things and the story goes off in a bit more of a serious direction. The last quarter of the book was exceptionally gripping and I couldn’t put the book down until I found out how it was all going to play out. I found myself hiding away from the kids or letting them on their tablets while I desperately tried to finish the last pages.
The author has included some sensitive subjects in this book which some readers might find difficult to read about. These are dealt with sensitively as they weren’t over dramatic just for the sake of it. I haven’t any experience, thankfully, of this experience but from the stories I’ve read from people who have it seemed quite real. I thought the author was quite brave for discussing in her books.
Huge thanks for Tracy Fenton for inviting me onto the blog tour and to Orion for my copy of this book via Netgalley. If you are looking for an unusual love story that is beautifully written, with some wonderful characters then I thoroughly recommend this book!
About The Author:
Tracey Garvis-Graves lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, with her husband, two children, and dog Chloe. She blogs at http://www.traceygarvisgraves.com, and can also be found on Twitter @tgarvisgraves and Facebook at facebook.com/tgarvisgraves. This is her first novel.
Over The Rainbow Blog 
I do enjoy a good second chance romance. This one sounds like it has just enough meat to it that it would make an enjoyable read. Nice review Joanna.
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