When I Was You

When I Was You is a twisty rollercoaster ride from the first page. When Brienne Dougray, a woman with PTSD after being mugged, receives a key in the mail to an apartment she knows nothing about, she starts to question everything around her. Soon, what first appears to be a case of identity theft morphs into much more. This story immediately pulled me in and kept me glued to every page. I found the plot very original and entirely plausible. Although I liked the conclusion, I hoped for more of a "Wow" at the end. But if you're looking for a thriller that will make you question everyone you meet in the future, this book is for you.

This was good! But I feel like with all Minka Kent books, they're decent thrillers, but nothing too insane. I feel like the middle of the book was better than the end. It was one of those, that I wanted a final twist on the last page that the girlfriend actually knew all about it, behind the boyfriend's back. I thought that's why the private detective had laughed when she originally called him, which I still don't understand that part. Why would he laugh? I thought maybe the private detective was already working for the girlfriend because she thought something was up with the boyfriend. SPOILER: Overall, this was a decent book about a guy who moves into a girl's house to be a roommate and then eventually convinces her that she's got show more amnesia and she's actually someone else and has her committed. In the end, she gets out of the facility and catches on to the fact that he's stealing money from her. And he has a girlfriend who has no idea that any of this is happening. Definitely far-fetched, which I don't mind for an easy thriller, but also wasn't earth shattering. show less

Billed as a psychological thriller. It was told from two different perspectives. The first 50% of the book was slow and labored; I almost quit. I had the plot figured out in the first chapter. However, at about the 50% mark the story started to pick up. The denouement was what I expected, but still somewhat satisfying. I wouldn't really call this a psychological thriller because of its transparency. This is the story of a stolen identity. This was a free Kindle of the month read. 272 pages

I'm giving this one 3 stars; meaning, if you like the genre and don't have anything else to read, you might enjoy this one.

For most people, 3 stars will mean average, and this is a clear average book. At the beginning, the story starts as a suspense/mystery novel, and then, in the middle of the book, switches to a thriller. That's the problem. It tries to be two different books and fails at both.

Like I say, the book begins with an inexplicable mystery. Someone has stolen the identity of Brienne Dougray but is not doing the normal identity theft things with it. On top of it, the person who stole the identity is wide open about it. She has social media profiles, shares everything she does, and she doesn't try to hide any of it.

All this is show more fine. The book starts building as a suspense novel, and it keeps you engaged for the first part of the book.

Then, all of the sudden, the mystery is revealed, and the book changes to a thriller. Things start happening a lot faster. The problem is at this point, you know how the story is going to end, and the actions that happen through out the rest of the book are very disorganized.

Overall, the idea is not bad. it had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, the author gave up very quick on the suspense and created a story that didn't make any sense.

You might enjoy this book, but I seriously doubt it. show less

After reading very mixed reviews about this book, When I Was You by Minka Kent, I became a little nervous and wondered whether I would like it. I have to honestly say that I thought it was a great read! It was fast-paced, compelling, and by the end I couldn’t get through the pages quick enough because I was eager to see how it would conclude.

With all the being said, there was a definitely a point where I became very frustrated with some of the decisions made by Brienne, the main character. Without going into too much detail for fear of giving anything away, Brienne sometimes found herself in situations that could have been easily avoided had she used some discretion. Once I was able to look past this minor flaw and move on with the show more story, I thought it was highly entertaining and one I’d recommend to friends. show less

Brain Injury or Burglary

Brienne Dougray lives in a beautiful old Victorian house in Quinnesec Bluffs, Iowa. From a wealthy family, she leads a leisurely life except for one small problem.

Brienne is recovering from a traumatic brain injury caused by an attacker the police still haven't found. She is terrified that he will return to hurt her again.

Deciding that she can no longer live alone in fear, Brienne advertises for a roommate and meets Nialle Emberlin, a doctor at the nearby hospital. He is quiet, fastidious and comforting and Brienne comes to depend upon him for her safety.

Everything begins to unravel when Brienne finds a key in the mailbox addressed to her for a condo she has no idea how she purchased.

Author Minka Kent serves up a show more bone cracking, nerve wracking mind twisting thriller on a silver platter that will leave you famished for more. The end is especially satisfying. Highly recommended. show less

I read and listened to this book with Kindle Unlimited.
This is a very good Psychological Thriller that takes place in Quinnesec Bluff Iowa.
The question is..... is she crazy or not... she voluntarily admitted herself into a mental hospital 2 different times....so you read and be the judge.
Is she Brianna who was mugged and terribly injured, or is she Kate the wife of the very charming Dr.?
All of her prior friends have deserted her, but her tenant or husband has been there for her, or has he?
This is a very good book. The characters are very believable, you find yourself holding your breath wondering what the charming Dr. will do next to drive his wife over the edge. It’s a shame that this Dr. didn’t put more effort into improving show more himself than driving Brianna crazy!

This will be a June 2021 BOTM choice at Snag A Read For Free show less