The acclaimed author of Gone Without a Trace delivers another twisting novel of psychological suspense in which a woman is backed against a wall–with nothing left to lose…The morning after real estate agent Gemma Brogan has dinner with a prospective client, she’s furious at herself for drinking so much. But there will be more to regret than a nasty hangover.She starts receiving mementos from … starts receiving mementos from that night: A photo of a hallway kiss. A video of her complaining about her husband. And worse…much worse. The problem is she doesn’t remember any of it.
As the blackmailing and menace ramp up, Gemma fears for her already shaky marriage. The paranoia, the feeling that her life is spiraling out of control, will take her back to another night–years ago–that changed everything. And Gemma will realize just how far the shadows from her past can reach…
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Thanks to Penguin Random House a digital ARC copy of this book.
This is definitely a page turner and not to be missed!
Gemma Brogan is a busy woman. Married, with a small child, she does it all while her husband Joe stays at home and takes care of their boy. Gemma is exhausted and frustrated. When a handsome client comes to her real estate office looking for property, Gemma is more than happy to show him around. When they meet up by chance later, Gemma is thrilled to take him to dinner and hopefully make a sale. Things take an unexpected turn and soon Gemma is being bribed with explicit photos. Fearing she may lose everything, Gemma has no idea where to turn for help.
I kept imagining myself in Gemma’s position as I read this and I felt so bad for her. With social media and advanced technology, it is so easy to be victimized!
This novel had a great plot and was filled with several twists and turns. I was never really sure which characters could be trusted until the very end! At times the book seemed a bit unrealistic but I’m sure some of these liberties were necessary to make the story work. This is an easy to read book that doesn’t require a lot of thought…a great quick read in my opinion!
Definitely recommended!
SO MUCH YES! Full disclosure, I was not a fan of Mary Torjussen’s other novel, Gone Without a Trace, but The Girl I Used to Be is amazing!
What it’s about: Gemma Brogan owns her own real estate company in the UK. After taking a client out to dinner and drinking too much, she is startled to learn that there are a lot of things she can’t remember from that night. When she starts being blackmailed with photos and a video of herself, she fears for her marriage… and must revisit a strong darkness from her past.
Obviously there is more to the plot than that, but that is the basis for this novel. I found the pacing was very quick, and I had a hard time putting it down. I was hooked right away, but part 2 of the book is especially where things pick up.
The problem I had with Gone Without a Trace was that I found the story became too convoluted and unbelievable, but that was not a problem here. The scary part is that I could actually see much of this book occurring IRL. There is always something happening, and I was never bored with the story. I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next and how everything would tie together. I kind of guessed a couple of things, but for the most part I didn’t find it predictable at all.
Final Thought: If you read Gone Without a Trace and didn’t like it, I strongly suggest not letting that scare you away from The Girl I Used to Be. It didn’t scare me away and I’m happy it didn’t. I really enjoyed the pacing, storyline (as much as one can enjoy something like this), and I did find myself connecting with the characters. Recommend if you are in the mood for a fast-paced thriller, or even just a good mystery!
Her life is filed with hope and promise, until…
An aura of menace is subtle but persistent, and I am wondering how far HE will go in her psychological torture.
I really don’t like Joe very much. I think he’s a bit lazy and selfish, though Anne needs to make her needs know. The longer you wait to solve a probe the less the other person understands why you feel the way you do. Communicate people! lol
Not sure what I was expecting, but the tangled web Mary Torjussen weaves makes it hard to put the book down. The damaged characters all have a special role to play and are pivotal to the story.
Twisted, mess with your mind, psychological thriller.
I won the book and voluntarily reviewed The Girl I Used To Be by Mary Torjussen.
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This book opens with Gemma and her good friends on the way to an end of the year celebration. Summer is starting and everyone will be going off to College after vacation. Inevitably there is too much alcohol consumed and Gemma finds herself in a life altering and horrible situation. The problem is while Gemma knows that she has been violated in the worst way, she feels guilty.
Fast forward to the present; Gemma is now married to Joe a stay at home Dad, has a young son and a successful real estate business. After a night away from home, a dinner with someone that she probably should never have had and too much wine, Gemma wakes up knowing that something might have happened but unfortunately she just cannot remember.
Hold on tight because the thrill ride started from that point on and just kept building. Someone is taunting Gemma with photos and threats, Gemma’s life just seems to unravel as she tells lie after lie to her husband. This is an edge of your seat type of psychological thriller that I love to devour. This story drew me in with its unrelenting twists and turns into Gemma’s past and present. I enjoyed every page of this intense and gripping book.
If you love a bit of a twist and a well written psychological thriller then you will enjoy this book. I liked the fact that it was told from different POV’s . This author did a great job of character building.
Holy Cow! I was already a fan of Mary Torjussen, but The Girl I Used to Be far surpassed my expectations. What a fantastically twisty psychological thriller!
When Gemma Brogan, owner of her own real estate company takes a handsome gentleman out house hunting, she has no idea her life is about to change forever. When they meet up at a hotel while she is attending a conference, they enjoy an innocent enough client dinner together, but for some reason Gemma realizes her memories of that night may not be as clear as she thought. She finds herself receiving tidbits of the evening that she can’t recall, and pretty soon she is cornered and cannot find a way out of the messy maze of lies she finds herself thrust into.
As she works harder and harder to hide the truth from her husband, she finds herself deeper and deeper in trouble. Will Gemma be able to figure out what is going on before it is too late?
This was such a well plotted thriller that kept me turning pages late into the night; a single sitting read for sure! For those who enjoy the twisty mind baffling books like Girl on the Train and Gone Girl, this is your next great read. I had a concept of where the story was going, but there were still unexpected twists that I was unable to anticipate before they came.
I absolutely relished this book. What an easy to read writing style with a great story line and believable characters. Grab some snacks, a drink and a cozy spot to curl up and read this one cover to cover.
A page turning 5 star read!
**Review by Amy, Late Night Reviewer for Up All Night with Books**