When I Was You

Identity theft or paranoia? 

I recently read 'When I Was You' by Minka Kent. It was a good read! It seemed fast paced and kept me guessing about two thirds of the way through. 

The story starts with the main character, Brienne Dougray, going through some of her personal history. She tells how she was brutally attacked and the lasting effects it has had on her life. Before her attack, she lived alone in a house that she grew up in and that she inherited from her grandparents. She decided to take on a roommate after her attack, to help her feel less alone and a little more safe. She finds a roommate in Dr. Niall Emberlin and they become friends. Brienne feels like she can trust him and they fall into an easy routine.  Brienne starts to try and work through her fears and anxiety and makes good strides towards a somewhat normal life...until she receives some mail that makes her question everything she has built. 

Brienne receives a key in the mail, along with a letter that states that her rent has been paid in advance and she can move in whenever she wants to. She goes back and forth about what this is and if it was a mistake. She eventually does some research (and a little spying) and finds someone who is pretending to be her. What happens next is for you to find out. 

I have read one other book by Minka Kent (The Thinnest Air) and I would recommend either book if you are looking for some suspense and twists and turns. They are fast reads and will keep you guessing. Happy reading!

The Unhoneymooners

Imagine going on an all expense paid vacation....with the one person you loathe. Now you are set for The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren.

I have to start by saying that this book was such a fun and fast read. The concept of this story is so hilarious- I would have never thought of it. The book starts on the wedding day of Ami and Dane. Ami has an identical twin sister, Olive, and the two could not be more different. Olive is a self proclaimed unlucky person and Ami wins everything. Thanks to various contests and drawings she has entered, her entire wedding, reception, and honeymoon have been paid for.  At the reception, everyone except for Olive and the groom's brother, Ethan, enjoy a buffet complete with shellfish/seafood. Consequently, everyone except Olive and Ethan end up with extreme food poisoning. In the mix of it all, Ami and Dane insist that their siblings take their ids and go on their honeymoon for them...much to their dislike.

As they embark on the trip, they start to learn more about each other, whether they want to or not. Once in Hawaii, they have to pretend to be newlyweds and it comes with many hilarious instances of them pretending to be madly in love and physically affectionate. They have ten days together and anything is possible. I loved how this story unfolded and how the dynamic changes between Olive and Ethan.

No spoilers for what happens, but this was so hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. And the characters, main and minor, are all so relatable and entertaining. I highly recommend picking this up for your next read! I need to check out Christina Lauren's other books. Other reviews I have read mentioned that this book did not disappoint compared to her previous books. I love finding new authors that I enjoy!

I hope this new year finds you happy and healthy. If you are still here following this blog, I appreciate you hanging in there! I want to make reviewing here a priority for 2020! Until next time, happy reading!