New York Times bestselling author of On the Island, Tracey Garvis Graves, presents the compelling, hopelessly romantic novel of unconditional love.Annika Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people’s behavior confusing, she’d rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess.… solitude of playing chess.
Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game—and his heart—to the shy and awkward, yet brilliant and beautiful Annika. He admires her ability to be true to herself, quirks and all, and accepts the challenges involved in pursuing a relationship with her. Jonathan and Annika bring out the best in each other, finding the confidence and courage within themselves to plan a future together. What follows is a tumultuous yet tender love affair that withstands everything except the unforeseen tragedy that forces them apart, shattering their connection and leaving them to navigate their lives alone.
Now, a decade later, fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago. She’s living the life she wanted as a librarian. He’s a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.
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Felt all the feels with this one! Pretty much throughout the entire book, I was an emotional wreck. This book really touched me so very much. The story of Annika and Jonathan is so unique and beautiful and it is one that will stay with me for a long time. This was not the typical love story that I thought it would be and didn’t think I’d be grabbing my tissue box so much. I loved these characters, as well as Annika’s college roommate Janice. I was hooked from the very beginning until the end. This is a book I will be highly recommending. It would be wonderful to see this one made into a movie.
I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
This is one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read! Totally enchanting. A story of unconditional love. So sensitively written. So heartwarming! I was so invested with the characters that toward the end when the story became REALLY intense I was honestly afraid to turn that page. I wanted to know what happened and its outcome, yet I was so afraid to know. I loved these characters so much! I wanted a happily ever after for them and was so afraid they would be torn apart yet again.
In 1991 Annika (Monica, but without the M) and Jonathan were in love. But then Jonathan went away to college, they broke up, he got married, he got divorced. It’s now ten years later and Jonathan is back and Annika pursues him, hoping to regain that love. Annika is shy, awkward, and refreshingly honest, doesn’t know how to play relationship games. In fact, being on the highly functional end of the autism spectrum, she has always struggled with relationships. With Jonathan, she feels safe. Annika brings out the best in Jonathan.
What a delight – an honor – it would be to have Annika, Jonathan, and Janice (Annika’s college roommate and best friend) in my life. Janice is the BFF everyone should have. Janice took Annika under her wing and taught her the ends and outs of campus life. It was Janice that took Annika to a chess club meeting where she eventually met Jonathan. These are truly beautiful people. To fit with the transparency of the characters the story itself was kept simple – a story of two lovers who lost their way and are now trying to regain what they had. The story is told from the perspectives of Annika and Jonathan. It also alternates between 1991 and 2001, first telling us how they met and how their sweet love developed and then how they found each other again and work at rekindling their relationship.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and SheSpeaks for the advance reading copy of this novel. Opinions are my own.
This was my first Tracey Graves book. It was so well written and engaging. I was sucked in from the first page to the last. Annika is a student at the University of Illinois. She’s quirkly, shy, and has trouble responding appropriately to social cues. She meets Jonathan at the university chess club. After she trounces him at chess, Jonathan is taken with Annika. They start a love affair that ends with a tragic event. The book picks up ten years later when they meet again in Chicago. Both characters are so likeable and endearing that you can’t help but root for them to get their second chance.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Girl He Used to Know” by Tracey Garvis Graves , St. Martin’s Press, April 2, 2019
Tracey Garvis Graves, Author of “The Girl He Used to Know” has written an emotional, heart-warming, intriguing, captivating and thought-provoking novel. The Genres for this Novel are Fiction, Women’s Fiction, and Romance. The time-lines for the story are 2001 and a decade before. The author describes her characters as complex, and complicated. Some characters are very kind and loyal.
Annika has always seemed quirky and different from other people that she has met. She is kind-hearted to animals, and a genius at playing chess. Annika has a social problem that makes her feel anxious, and insecure. Annika feels comfortable surrounded by books, and easily gets upset when her routine is different and at loud noises and smells. While playing chess , Annika meets Jonathan, and they form a relationship. Annika always regrets seeing the relationship end.
Ten years later, Annika and Jonathan bump into one another. Is it possible that the two can rekindle their passion and friendship? Can they overcome what has happened in the past.? Annika is now working as a Librarian, and has written a play for children. She also volunteer at a wildlife rescue society. Jonathan is in the corporate world.
Is it possible for anyone to change? When tragedy strikes, priorities for some people change. Is it too late for second chances?
I love that Tracy Garvis Graves discusses how people are different, bullying, unconditional friendship, self-acceptance, and self-worth. Also important are friendship, honesty, communication, love and hope. I loved the way that the author has written the story and vividly discusses the characters, their strengths and weaknesses. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking novel to readers who enjoy emotional and intense stories. I received this ARC for my honest review.
The Girl He Used To Know, is a beautiful, sweet, enchanting story. I loved it! Jonathan is romantic, kind and patient. Annika is pure, sweet, quirky, smart and braver than she knows. Their love story is tender, heart-wrenching and hopeful. It has All The FEELS!!! There is gentle humor, heartache, sadness, angst, regret, suffering, hope and so much more. This is my first time reading Tracey Garvis Grave and I am blown away by this tender offering of first love, second chances, and resilience. The Girl He Used To Know is a refreshing and sensitive story, with characters you can’t help but root for!
#TGHUTKnatasha
I enjoyed this book. It kept my interest and when I would have to put it down I was eager to pick it back up.
It alternates from present to past showing the reader how Annika and Jonathon got together and how they rekindled their friendship and more 10 years later.
Annika is an interesting heroine as she is beautiful on the inside and outside but struggles with life on a social level and has been quite sheltered because of it. Annika’s journey is quite remarkable and you can’t help but root for her the whole way through. I loved the way the author explained her struggles and adaptations. While I liked Jonathon I wasn’t always sure he completely understood Annika but he was loyal and continued to try even when loving her proved difficult.
There is a key moment/chapter when it just clicked for me why the book was written in the format it was written and I think I actually gasped out loud as soon as I realized. I won’t say anymore as I don’t want to spoil it, but unfortunately I felt like the book was a little rushed and over too quickly after that point, leaving me REALLY needing an epilogue. Give me an epilogue Tracey, PLEASE, LOL! Regardless of my need for a little more closure, I enjoyed the writing and the characters and the journey.
The Girl He Used to know by Tracey Garvis Graves tells the story of Annika and Jonathan, who reconnect 10 years later, after their previous relationship ended.
Annika, who is clearly on the Autism Spectrum struggles on a daily basis with social cues. The story goes back and forth between 1991 and 2001. In 1991 individuals on the spectrum were not widely diagnosed and most people weren’t sure how to interact with someone like Annika.
Jonathan loves Annika for who she is and they are learning how to navigate a relationship when one is on the spectrum.
From the moment I started this book I fell in love with the characters. Ms. Garvis truly brought you into the world of someone who sees the world so differently, which in my opinion is very rare.
This was a beautiful and unique story and I was sad to see it end, but one which should not be missed.
The publisher provided an ARC for an honest review.
Annika and Jonathan were characters I couldn’t help but love. They meet in college in the early 1990s and their story travels back and forth from there to the present days of 2001.
Annika felt like something was wrong with her for most of her life. She would get easily frustrated and agitated. Any change in her daily routine would throw her for a loop. Her college roommate, Janice, helped her with her daily struggles and problems. She met Jonathan at her chess club and he partnered with her every week. Their relationship was one that was handled carefully and slowly. These two people were her lifelines in her college years.
The progression of the story and the characters themselves had me mesmerized and reading as fast as I could. The romance was written in a sweet caring way with a few tears here and there. Some of the scenes were a little more graphic than I’m used to reading but overall it was a well written story that I personally think is worth a second read.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and was not required to write a review positive or otherwise.
An easy to read love story with wonderful characters. Anika and Johnathan’ story is unlike most love stories in that she is a person with a mild disability. I don’t often see characters like her in books I read.
Not only a Romance , it’s so much more ……
Annika runs into her high school sweetheart Jonathan 10 years after their College romance . They try to start anew and rekindle that spark that once burned bright , but when you have Autism and anxiety, like Annika does it’s harder than you think.
I found myself deeply immersed in this book rooting for this relationship to work out . The author makes you feel every emotion imaginable, at times it’s palpable especially towards the ending of the book.
Jonathan to me is a Caring Soul. Sweet ,Patient and most of all he sees the Real beauty in Annika’s True self .You can feel his love for her pouring out of these book pages.
I want my very own Jonathan….Loved him.
Annika,I really loved her character . She goes from an Awkward, Misunderstood college student trying to fit in and find her way, into a brave independent woman by the end of the book.
I Found myself really needing her to succeed in her goals , conquer her fears and overcome all those roadblocks in her way .
It was a freeing feeling when she finally breaks down those walls. It’s an inspiring site to behold . Thank you Tracey for those moments and sharing Annika and Jonathan’s story with me .
I received an Arc Copy from #shespeaks and @stmartinspress for an honest review .
I just finished one of the most beautiful books I have read. The Girl He Used to Know is the story of Annika and Jonathan, but mostly, it’s how Annika faces the world and her own world.
The story is told from both POV, and it changes from present to past.
It’s been 10 years since the last time Jonathan saw Annika with a promise of a future together, but suddenly everything changed.
Jonathan is back in town and destiny puts him in Annika’s path again. Jonathan has a lot going on with his life so he is not sure if he can leave some unfinished business in the past.
When Annika meets Jonathan again, she is not the same girl he fell in love 10 years ago, she is now an independent woman, ready to start over. Now though it’s not her decision to make but everything depends on Jonathan.
This is not your typical love story with an adventurous heroine or one that can rule a room, this is more about acceptance of herself and not the people who surround her.
This is about a Hero who looks beyond what is socially “normal” and in his way to find love again, he will teach us that love is more than attraction or good looks.
We don’t always get a second chance, but for Jonathan and Annika this is something that they both maybe needed. They just need to figure out if they are willing to forgive their mistake from the past.
I loved the story from the beginning to the end, I loved each of the characters and their strengths, it was easy and beautiful to fall in love with Jonathan’s and Anikas story just as easily and beautifully they fell in love
I absolutely fell in love with this book and the characters. I did not want to put it down, especially in the last 35 pages!! I didn’t see that coming and that made me love it that much more…a must read!!!
This is my first Tracey Garvis Graves book and now, I’m sitting here wondering if I’ve been living under a rock. The Girl He Used to Know is seriously an incredible book! I’m a huge fan of second chance romances, so this is right up my alley. I’m an even bigger fan of genuine characters. Annika and Jonathan are characters you can’t help but cheer for. They are truly good people. The ending wasn’t my favorite. It was nice to see Annika step out of her comfort zone and show how strong she really is. For so long, all we saw is how she leaned on those in her life. This book is so unique and is not like anything I’ve ever read before.
#TGHUTKnatasha
**I voluntarily read an early copy of this title courtesy of the publisher**
I read a lot and I read all different authors, writing styles and types of books. The Girl He Used to Know was my first Tracey Garvis Graves book and I sit here now wondering why?! This book as absolutely fantastic. It is hands down one of the best books I have read in quite some time and I connected with it so quickly that I did not want to put it down. Not only was the writing absolutely superb, I loved how the story unfolded and how these characters were able to grow both together and individually, throughout the book.
Annika has always been shy, socially awkward and she has difficulty both reading people and connecting with them. If she had her druthers, she would spend all of her time with books or animals. They make her feel safe and she isn’t put in any embarrassing situations because of them. She relies on her friend and roommate, Janice, to help navigate her undergraduate years. One Sunday while at the chess club meeting, she is paired up with Jonathan and the unthinkable happens when he takes a liking to her. She’s been burned before, so she isn’t certain that the advances he is making are really on the up and up. When she determines they are, they embark on a romance that will stay with both of them far beyond college.
Fast forward ten years to the aisle of the grocery store in Chicago where Annika and Jonathan run into one another. Annika is stunned since she thought that Jonathan was still working in New York City. Even though they broke up a decade earlier, we as readers are unaware as to why and it’s clear they still have a connection. As they attempt to reconnect as who they are now, they deal with years of unresolved feelings and an event that no one saw coming.
The story switches back and forth between 1991 and 2001 giving you a glimpse of what happened between the couple during their college years, what led to their breakup and how they are trying to put the pieces back together after having reconnected. You get POV’s from both Annika and Jonathan, which I think helps to make the story that much richer.
As I mentioned at the start, I was drawn into this book from the outset and it evoked many different emotions in me as I navigated through the story of these two soulmates. Kudos to Tracey Garvis Graves for crafting such a unique and enjoyable novel.
Annika and Jonathan form a bond over a chess board one game at a time during college. Their young love is tested by tragedy and distance. Upon rediscovering each other it seems like their time has finally come but fate has another tragedy for them to endure. #TGHUTKheartbreakers
A review copy was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
I was absolutely in love with this story!! This was such an unique and heartwarming love story.
I was fascinated with this story right from the beginning and let me tell you, the last 10% or so of this book had me on the edge of my seat. Although I did have some idea of what might happen when the headings for the chapters hit a certain time.
I loved the characters in this story. I could relate to Annika on such a personal level. This story hit really close to home for me. I don’t want to say more because I think it would spoil the story.
I loved how open and loving Jonathon was with Annika. He was so accepting of her and would do just about anything for her. You couldn’t help but root for them to get their HEA!!
The Girl He Used to Know is a standalone second chance romance novel told in Dual POV.
It has been awhile since I have read a book by Tracey Garvis Graves and I am so glad I picked up this book…it reminds me of why I love Tracey’s writing.
I would 100% recommend this book to all readers. This is definitely going on my Best of 2019 list
The Girl He Used To Know by Tracey Garvis Graves is absolutely breathtaking.
Graves has created a masterpiece of characters intermingled in a storyline that is simply magnificent.
TGHUTK is filled with unique characters that face challenges that so many people today can relate to. Especially the heroine, Annika. Who reminds us there is always more than meets the eye, and to always be kind.
I loved Jonathan as well. His character showed a depth of understanding and voiced the need to be loved in ways many of us are afraid of facing.
And I definitely hope that each of us has a friend like Janice. She is truly a blessing and defines true friendship.
This is a book that will grip you from the very beginning, even as it shocks you toward the end.
I would unreservedly recommend this incredible novel to everyone I know.
“You’re like the ketchup in my life.”
“I never know what people are thinking. It’s like visiting a country where you don’t speak the language and you’re trying so hard to understand but no matter how many times you ask for juice, they keep bringing you milk. And I hate it.”
A must read!
5 Stars
#TGHUTKnatasha
http://geni.us/eKEt
One word for this book – AMAZING!
The Girl He Used to Know completely blew me away. Such a sweet and simple love story woven into a life that was anything but simple.
Annika has always been different when she compared herself to others. She never felt like she fit in, although she tried. Her mother pulled her out of school in grade 7 and home-schooled her until it was time for her to go away to college.
There, she met her first true friend (and roommate) Janice, who understood Annika and made her feel comfortable and gave her the courage to try new things.
One of these things was joining the Chess Club. Annika had always loved chess; it was so much easier and straight-forward to understand than people. It was while at Chess Club, she met Jonathan.
Jonathan was a transfer student who was instantly drawn to Annika. He didn’t mind her quirks and had a way of making feel just as comfortable as Janice did. Slowly, Annika and Jonathan forged a relationship that was honest and beautiful until an unforeseen event changed everything.
I’m not even going to touch on the last part of the book, because it will have you reading long into the night. I couldn’t put it down – but it was so worth the book hangover I had this morning!!
This book had all the feels and checked all the boxes. It had wonderful character development that easily let you connect to each one. This is a perfect book to suggest to your bookclubs!
Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me an ARC and thank you to Tracey Garvis Graves for writing such an unforgetable book! #TGHUTKvilma
The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
This book was a really special one, full of awkwardness and heart and utterly endearing characters.
Annika and Jonathan meet in college at chess club in 1991. While others look at Annika and see an oddity, Jonathan sees her in quite a different light and is one to appreciate her as she is. For reasons you’ll have to read about, there is a heartbreaking breakup and the two don’t see each other until ten years later in Chicago.
The book skips back and forth between the then and now, between 1991 and 2001 and is written so beautifully that we get to experience every feeling, uncertainty, anxiety Annika and Jonathan go through. Every heartache and every heartbreak. I don’t want to say too much but I will say that I adored this book and the characters – ALL of them. Annika captured my heart and Jonathan just stole and ran away with it.
*I voluntarily read an early copy of this book.
**Reviewed by Melinda for Joandisalovebooks Blog.
I can definitely add this book to my favorite books list. The story is so beautiful, emotional and just awe inspiring. It makes you laugh and cry and it is just simply wonderful. I can not recommend this book enough, it is a must read.