Name: Ariana Morris's review of The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves
Item: The Girl He Used to Know
Rating: 4
Author: Ariana Morris

Tracey Garvis Graves

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. 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.

A Novel

The Girl He Used to Know

Ariana Morris

Denaiir

It's a wonderful feeling when you read a book at the end of the year, after a string of ok reads, and you absolutely fall in love with it. I adored Annika, she really touched my heart.

Back in the early 1990s, Annika and Johnathan were going out while they were studying at the University of Illinois. However after something went wrong, they went their separate ways, even though they seemed perfect for each other. Ten years later, they run into one another in Chicago and try to create a new connection.

The romance genre which I tried in 2019 really didn't agree with me, so I can assure you this is so much more than a second chance romance. Annika has a lot of trouble in social situations and from the start you kind of get the feeling that she's probably autistic, but since it's the 90's it's not that well-known and not addressed properly. But form the start you get the feeling that Jonathan is perfect for her because he just understand, instinctively, what she needs and how to interact with her. I loved their relationship to bits. 

And the parts that happened 10 years later were also great, to see how they had evolved separately, how they had grown, what choices they had made, was so engorssing! And the last part of the book left me in tears! Definitely one of my favorite reads this year.

The audio version was not amazing but neither did it take away form my enjoyment of the story, which is a full-fledged 5-star.

Sara Uribe

I buzzed through this book. It was extremely easy to read and such a great story that I couldn’t put this book down. I love that this story is told both in Annika and Jonathan’s perspectives. The story jumps back and forth from the present (2001) and the past (1991/1992) with us along on the journey of both Annika and Jonathan rekindling a lost relationship.

Annika is quirky. She has a huge fear of social situations and finds it hard to find friends and people to understand who she is. She doesn’t easily trust people as she has been burned before and doesn’t want to get hurt again. Yet, here is Jonathan to bring out the best in Annika and show her that not all are bad. Jonathan is sweet, kind, and so understanding. He encourages her to do things that she normally wouldn’t do and thought she shows some hesitation she does them anyway with him and doesn’t look back. He is so good for her. He balances things out for Annika as well as she does the same for him.

I fell in love with the story from the beginning, though I went through a TERRIBLE reading slump that took me forever to get out of. In part, I think this was because of the fact that I had an idea of what the ending was going to be. I knew by the time that this took place what was to come and I was extremely anxious myself about how it would end. Thought I was half right about the ending and I did enjoy how it ended, it seemed rushed and I found myself wanting to know what happens after. Do they just live happily ever after?

These are two very well written characters. They were very well developed making it easy for me to fall in love with both of them. They are both very likable, real and authentic characters. This was most certainly a page turner and I didn’t want to put this down for a second. There were a few parts of the story that felt disjointed and unrealistic, but I found it easy to overlook them as I truly enjoy this heart-warming story.

Overall, this was an enjoyable, light read with likable characters and a compelling romance. I give this a high ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ½ stars!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for sending me a copy of this book and Vilma Iris for hosting the huge giveaway with St. Martin’s Press that gave me a chance to with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Ivy 

punching me in the face would hurt less. but honestly i loved this book sooo much!!!

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.

The Most Surprising and Unexpected Romance of 2019 from the Bestselling Author

aleeya 

3/5
Well if anyone of you believe in first love, this book is absolutely for you 😉. 

Xoxo, 
Aleeya

menna

I feel really bad about not liking this but it was honestly just meh

bella <3

Raquel 

DNF AT 45% *

ok, let me start by saying that it's probably not the book's fault, but I just couldn't get past the 45% mark, I simply got so bored I couldn't take it anymore. The main couple was cute I'll give them that, but omg they had no chemistry at all, was that just me??? 

I will give this another chance because I don't like to leave books in the middle and because everyone seems to love it, but it will probably take a while.

'The most riveting, rewarding, refreshing novel I've read in years' - Barbara Delinsky, bestselling author 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. 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, Gail Honeyman, Jill Santopolo and Sliding Doors. ******* 'Tracey Garvis Graves has crafted an incredible story with a unique premise and characters you'll want to root for. The last thirty pages had me on the edge of my seat. This book is beautiful.' - Colleen Hoover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of It Ends with Us 'I adore Tracey Garvis Graves' work.' - Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Wife Between Us 'The Girl He Used to Know is unlike any book I've read. I loved every page.' - Camille Pagán, bestselling author of Life and Other Near-Death Experiences

I admit I would have rated this book higher if it hasn't been for the ending. It's not that it ended without a HEA or HFN, which is a deal breaker in a book which is presented as a romance. It was the fact it used a real life event for shock effect and I didn't feel comfortable with it. I felt like their romantic history was enough angst for this book and that ending was not necessary. That being said this was a beautifully written book and the characters were very compelling.

As soon as we met Annika it was immediately obvious to me she was on the autism spectrum and although this wasn't addressed until much later in the book, what I found interesting is we could see the ways in which the world was confusing to her and the different coping mechanisms she had in place to help her navigate it. I found it fascinating and it was very well written. Jonathan I was a little uncertain of, mostly the present day Jonathan, past Jonathan was charming and sweet. That's the other thing to brace yourself for, this is told with plenty of jumps back to the past to explain why this is a second chance romance and what went wrong originally for them. I didn't like how involved in his job present day Jonathan was, the man needed life perspective but the present is set in 2001 so I suppose there's a very different attitude to the corporate machine today compared to 20 years ago.

Honestly, it was an addictive read because I was desperate to know what Annika kept alluding to about their past and what broke them up. I sped through the book and it's not often I don't get distracted by my phone and TikTok when I'm reading at the moment it made a nice change. It was just the shock value of that ending I didn't like. There was enough angst in Jonathan and Annika's past the ending was unnecessary. 

Becky

I admit I would have rated this book higher if it hasn't been for the ending. It's not that it ended without a HEA or HFN, which is a deal breaker in a book which is presented as a romance. It was the fact it used a real life event for shock effect and I didn't feel comfortable with it. I felt like their romantic history was enough angst for this book and that ending was not necessary. That being said this was a beautifully written book and the characters were very compelling.

As soon as we met Annika it was immediately obvious to me she was on the autism spectrum and although this wasn't addressed until much later in the book, what I found interesting is we could see the ways in which the world was confusing to her and the different coping mechanisms she had in place to help her navigate it. I found it fascinating and it was very well written. Jonathan I was a little uncertain of, mostly the present day Jonathan, past Jonathan was charming and sweet. That's the other thing to brace yourself for, this is told with plenty of jumps back to the past to explain why this is a second chance romance and what went wrong originally for them. I didn't like how involved in his job present day Jonathan was, the man needed life perspective but the present is set in 2001 so I suppose there's a very different attitude to the corporate machine today compared to 20 years ago.

Honestly, it was an addictive read because I was desperate to know what Annika kept alluding to about their past and what broke them up. I sped through the book and it's not often I don't get distracted by my phone and TikTok when I'm reading at the moment it made a nice change. It was just the shock value of that ending I didn't like. There was enough angst in Jonathan and Annika's past the ending was unnecessary. 

Shan

Wow. I think this is my new all time favorite. I loved every page of this book and especially the main character. Her anxiety was relatable and understanding and their love story was beautiful.

Barbara Williford

This was a book I could not put down!

Annika has struggled with understanding social situations all her life. There are two people in her life that have always been there for her. Her best friend Janice and her boyfriend Jonathan. When she suffers tragedy, she has to learn to deal will her anxious life on her own. She’s doing well until Jonathon comes back into her life.

Taylor Hickman

Great book about the before and after of love and what it takes to keep the bond. Losing a connection can be hard, but it’s finding them again that makes it all worth it. Loved the writing, quick and easy read!

The most surprising and unexpected romance of 2019 from the bestselling author

CatarinaA

I really liked Annika. She is such a breath of fresh air and such a unique character that I never saw in a book.
The story was good but nothing extraordinary.

Caroline Lewicki

I actually really enjoyed this book. I'm not generally a huge fan of romance novels but this one was very sweet. I do think it's less about Annika and Jonathan and more about Annika coming into her own and really grappling with who she is and what she's capable of. I don't know for certain but I do feel at times that the author takes some liberties with expressing the feelings of someone on the autism spectrum. Despite doing research, I think it's hard to know exactly what it's like to be on the spectrum without being on it yourself; however, I don't think anything she wrote about Annika would be harmful to the neurodivergent community.

Overall a very sweet, heartfelt read!

Rebecca Browne

** spoiler alert **
           Wow. The last 20% of the book hit me hard. It’s so nice to read a book that’s from a different perspective, not everyone is ‘normal’ and to have a narrator on the spectrum was really interesting to read. It ended a little abruptly I would’ve liked maybe an epilogue but overall I really enjoyed it.

Emily S

Read it in one sitting, not because there were any cliffhangers, but because it felt like a really good rom-com and I just wanted to finish it. I liked this way more than I thought I would!

Ruth Parker 

I’ve read a few negative reviews on this book since finishing it and I can understanding them dislike of the ending (that is why this book isn’t a 5 star rating for me, the ending came out of nowhere and seemed ever so slightly tasteless to me...) BUT the rest of this book is fantastic. It reminded me why I don’t like second chance romances that much - I feel devastated when they break up in the past haha - but that’s what I’m meant to feel and this book captured that. People saying There was no chemistry between the two characters - I disagree with that. I loved the way Annika was able to create her own circle of her people and how Jonathan and Janice were there for her when they could be. There were aspects of the book which made me wonder if the author needed to do a little more research on the autism spectrum and Annika being described as childlike at times didn’t help... but overall this was an amazing love story. 

My review makes it seem awful I realise. Reading my review back, I don’t know if I’d want to read this book! But it is a beautiful romance and for me the characters had chemistry and Janice was amazing. There were just one or two problem areas that made me cringe a little and pulled me out of the story. Overall a high recommend!

Shawna Gavas

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

Abby Hoggatt

I loved the first half of this book, but the end took a turn that I was not expecting. I wish the romance was more of a slow burn and the main conflict of the book just wasn't what I look for in a romance. I definitely enjoyed it, but it was just an okay book for me!

Heather Harrington

Being social isn't something that Annika Rose does well. She finds interacting with others to be very uncomfortable, and in turn, is usually prone to saying or doing the wrong thing. She much prefers to spend her time lost in a book or playing chess. Until she meets Jonathan. Being with him taught Annika how to open up and not be so afraid of others. The time they spent together was some of the best of her life, and so she's left devastated when something ultimately tears them apart. Now, ten years later, the pair run into each other, and despite so many things left unsaid and unresolved in the past, Annika will give anything to go back to what they used to have. 

I had only vaguely heard of this before picking it up, so I wasn't too familiar with what it was about, but I ended up really enjoying this. It's told in dual perspectives, both Annika and Jonathan's, and also alternates between 2001 and back when they were in college in 1991, which I think worked well. I thought Annika was such an interesting character and that Jonathan complimented her nicely. There were some aspects of the story I felt were a tad unbelievable, but I was able to look passed it since everything else was so good. The ending especially tugged at my heartstrings. All in all, after going into this with zero expectations, I found it entirely moving while being heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Megan Leprich

Thank you so much to St. Martins Press and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first novel by Tracey Garvis Graves and I've heard many rave about her past works so I was very excited to receive this book. But I felt myself really struggling with this book. I thought Annika was sweet, compassionate, and an amazing girl and I really liked Jonathan as well for how well he treated her and how amazing he was towards her and her special needs. Even though I loved the characters I'm still conflicted about how I felt when I finished reading.

Annika and Jonathan fell in love in college in 1991 after meeting at a chess club that they were both players in. Fast forward 10 years later and they meet again not knowing that they've both lived in the same city for the past 5 years. As they start to try and re-kindle the love they used to have Annika finally finds out why she's different from everyone else and why they broke up all those years ago.

The beginning of this book was a bit slow for me and I had a hard time getting into it. I did like that the book is told from the past and present, 1991 and current day 2001. I also liked that the story is told from both Annika and Jonathan's perspectives but I still struggled with this one.

The ending is what I feel really did it for me. There was barely any lead up in the book and then you get thrown a twist at the end and then the book just ends. Like, that's really all you're going to say about it? I would have liked the author to talk more about it instead of just ending the book.

Jolie

Annika was not expecting to fall in love when she met Jonathan. Shy and anxious in new situations, Annika keeps to herself. Annika has issues with personal relationships. She finds most people difficult to be around. But not Jonathan. He loves her for her quirks. Their relationship is perfect until a tragedy forces Annika and Jonathan apart.

10 years later and 10 years wiser, Jonathan reunites with Annika in Chicago. Jonathan realizes that his feelings for Annika never went away. Annika comes to the same realization and they restart their relationship. Will their relationship be as strong as the first time? Or will another tragedy stop it before it can begin?

When I started reading The Girl He Used To Know, I didn’t know what to think about it. I was also a little put-off. This book is told from two different 1st person perspectives. It is also told in two different time periods. In my experience, those two things do not go well together. I usually have issues following these types of storylines. I didn’t have those issues with The Girl He Used To Know.

I loved the storyline that revolved around Annika. I did guess that she had autism early in the story. I have a nephew who is non-verbal autistic and he shares many of the earmarks that Annika did. What I also enjoyed was seeing how far Annika came from college. There was a point in the book where I thought she would give up.

I liked Jonathan. I did have my doubts about what his intentions were when he first started hanging out with Annika. But as their love story deepened, I could see that he cared about her. He never pushed her past her limits. By the end of their college romance, I was in tears. I didn’t want them to break up.

I do want to give some attention to Annika’s friendship with Janice. It was even more amazing that Janice chose to become Annika’s protector on campus. That scene where she saved Annika from a potential gang rape was short of amazing. Janice became my hero.

I thought that Annika and Jonathan’s romance was one of the sweetest romances that I have read. I couldn’t wait to see what the next step would bring. I was devastated when they broke up (and why they broke up too). When they reunited in Chicago, I did have my doubts if they would rekindle their relationship. And I was happy when they did.

The end of The Girl He Used to Know gave me chills. I am not going to get into what happened but it was tragic. What Annika did and her determination to find Jonathan made me cry. I was a little confused by the last line of the book. It was the only thing that made zero sense to me. While I knew what it was referring to, I didn’t understand why it was at the end of the book.

I gave The Girl He Used to Know a 4-star rating. This was a well-written book that had me in tears. The characters were relatable. The plot-lines were well written. The only complaint I had about the book was the end. It made no sense to me.

I would give The Girl He Used to Know an Adult rating. There is sex (but not graphic). There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be bullying, attempted rape and drug use. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Girl He Used to Know. I would also reccomend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review The Girl He Used to Know.

All opinion stated in this review of The Girl He Used to Know are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

Alyssa Jacunski

This was a book I picked up because it was included in the Goodreads Choice Awards, and one of the few romance nominees that I hadn't yet read. With that said, I had zero expectations of this story or really knew anything aside from being a second chance romance. Cannot tell you how much I absolutely loved not having any expectations.

We follow two characters in dual timelines: 1991, while they're seniors in college, and 2001. Due to being a second-chance romance, I loved being able to get to know the characters in both timelines. Watching them grow was satisfying and I felt it in my soul; Annika especially. She grew the most and knowing she had friends to help her feel comfortable throughout life was absolutely amazing. It's difficult for me to put into words how much I loved her story arc and watching her grow into the person she is. Graves did a fantastic job writing her and helping us understand her better. 

Based on this review, you may expect that I gave this five stars. Which would be incorrect. While I loved it, I did feel that it was slow at times. Also, being that one of the timelines is 2001, (view spoiler)[9/11 does come into play in the plot (hide spoiler)]. Overall, Annika as a character has stuck with me and I'm looking forward to trying more for Graves' work.

Trigger warnings: ectopic pregnancy; 9/11 (the entirety of 9/11 is a trigger warning to me).

Ana Couto

Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the free book in exchange for an honest review!

I flew through this book practically in one sitting. THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW by Tracy Garvis Graves is told in alternating timelines of a 10-year difference (1991 and 2001), and it follows how Annika (rhymes with Monica) and Jonathan fell in and out of love in college, but eventually reconnect again 10 years later. Without giving too much away, I just want to say that I loved these characters and their relationship — wholly “unconventional” yet just as captivating, if not more so, than other books I’ve read that involve romance. There was also a big focus on Annika’s personal character development, which I found so interesting to read. This is definitely one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. Seriously guys, get yourselves a copy!

Jo H

Annika is an autistic female character in a time where the difference was known about, but not understood as widely as it is today and she was my single driving force for wanting to read this book. A beautifully written story of second chance love, self-acceptance, and learning to live with and manage adversity, rather than the normal trope of trying to overcome it. But am I the only person who felt that it ended somewhat abruptly? And by that, I don't mean on a cliffhanger or that I was looking for an epilogue that tied things up neatly, but it just seemed to end in the middle of a scene that was very much a Happy-ish For Now rather than a proper HFN let alone an absolute HEA. 

This is a 'recent past' (I can't call it historical because it is far too recent) romance told alternately in two timelines; 1991 when the MCs first get together in their senior year of college and 2001 when they reunite unexpectedly. I do wonder why the author felt it necessary to set the 'present' sections of the book in the run-up to 9/11 as even though I have no particular issue with it, it seems redundant given that it only seems to prop up the last fifth of the book. The desperate courage that Annika showed at that time could have been better (as some people seem to have understandably taken offence to the inclusion of the terrorist act of that day) shown in a different way. The only conclusion I can come to is that the author wanted to write an autistic character in the time before we knew most of that we know about the spectrum today.

Also, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about the (TW) (view spoiler)[ectopic pregnancy/miscarriage (hide spoiler)] plot which occurred in the 1991 time and was the catalyst for the couple's original split, especially as it is not ever mentioned again in the 2001 timeline. I kind of get why it was included, but don't think it was dealt with, with the brevity such a sensitive topic deserves. I can imagine that for some people that could have been a very triggering situation to read about. 

And for some reason, I cried my way through almost the entirety of this book from very early on. I'm not sure if that is because of my mood independent to the book, or just because of the effect Annika and her difficulties but also some of the unwavering support she did have to help her cope had on me because I related to some of them, but the tears never really stopped and despite that, and some of the issues I had with various plot points throughout, I couldn't put it down. I guess that on this particular occasion, character really was key for me.

Ariana Morris &
The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis Graves

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