Who She Was by Stormy Smith
Published On : May 4, 2017 (Perfect Storm Publishing)
Genre : Contemporary, Romance, New Adult, Fiction
Trevor Adler loathes the music he used to love, but it’s the key to his full-ride scholarship and the ticket away from his dysfunctional parents. To kick off their freshman year, Trevor’s roommate drags him to a frat party, where he ends up face-to-face with his childhood best friend and finds himself entrenched in memories he’d rather forget.
Unable to let Charlie go again without understanding the truth of why she disappeared from his life and chose to become the type of person they always hated, Trevor is relentless in his pursuit of the girl he once knew.
Charlotte (Charlie) Logan is broken. Under her perfectly-crafted exterior are the shards of a shattered heart. A handful of angry words changed her life completely and Charlie’s never been able to forgive herself for the truth she’s hidden from everyone.
While Trevor pushes Charlie to remember the music that lit her soul and the laughter they shared, they find themselves reverting to a banter-filled rhythm that feels all too familiar, yet different now. When Trevor’s own secrets come to light, it becomes clear he and Charlie both must face their tragic pasts if they have any hope at a future together. x
Let me start by saying that I love the cover of this book! It is so stunning! I love the colors, and the inspiration behind the style and layout of the chapter pages.
Who She Was tells us the story of two childhood best friends, Trevor Adler and Charlotte „Charlie“ Logan. They parted ways when Trevor had to move away with his parents. They don’t have any connection for four years until one night, Trevor finds Charlie in a frat party. But Charlie has changed. She’s now far from the girl that he once knew. Trevor is determined to bring their friendship back and find out what happened to his best friend but Charlie doesn’t want to do anything about it.
Wow! This book was an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. Also, this book made it to my all-time favorite book dedication list.
Who She Was written in first person POVs of Trevor and Charlie. I love reading books with dual (or multiple) POVs because it makes me more connected to the characters. I enjoy reading their inner thoughts especially towards other characters and situations. The characters in this book, including the secondary ones, are all amazing! Their flaws make them so real and relatable. I love the chemistry between Trevor and Charlie. It felt very natural and not forced or instant. I love Trevor’s determination. He is kind-hearted and sweet. It was so hard not to fall in love with this guy. I had to admit that I didn’t like Charlie in the beginning but after reading about her painful experiences, I somehow understand what she’s going through and I think that she is a very strong person. And of course, the story wouldn’t be that great without Sam and Darcy.
The character development, as well as the romance and some mystery elements in this book were nicely done, in my opinion. The writing is lyrical and powerful at the same time. The author managed to transport me to Des Moines (Iowa) when in reality, I was just on our couch reading her precious book. This book made me want to pack my bag, book a ticket and fly to Des Moines.
One of the many things that I love about this book is how music played a very important role in the story. I personally love music. It’s one of the things that I’m grateful for in life. Trevor and Charlie are both talented musicians and music has been part of their friendship and life. The author created a playlist to go along with the book and if you’re one of those people who loves listening to music while reading then I recommend you to listen to it.
This book tackles on some of the most important topics (such as suicide, mental illness, child abuse) and the author did an excellent job on handling these sensitive subjects. We see the characters struggle to survive and how they eventually find themselves and accept who they are. The ending was great that it felt a little unrealistic but I definitely love the epilogue.
Don’t ever lose yourself. Life is hard and you will have to make so many decisions that aren’t fair. Decisions you know will hurt someone. But ultimately, you have to protect yourself. You have to stay true to who you are. I’m not saying you shouldn’t trust people, you should. You should love, and make so many friends, and live the biggest, best life ever. But make sure it is your life. The one you want.
Overall, this is more than just a romance/new adult novel! I highly recommend this book and I’m totally grateful that I give it a chance so I hope that you will too.
Happy Release Day, by the way!
About The Author
Stormy Smith is the author of the number one bestselling Bound series. She calls Iowa’s capital home now, but was raised in a tiny town in the Southeast corner of the state. She grew to love books honestly, having a mom that read voraciously and instilled that same love in her.
Writing a book had never been an aspiration, but suddenly the story was there and couldn’t be stopped. When she isn’t working on, or thinking about, her books, Stormy’s favorite places include bar patios, live music shows, her yoga mat or anywhere she can relax with her husband or girlfriends.
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*Disclaimer : An ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.