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A review by themumwhoreads
Being Me by Lisa Renee Jones
4.0
Review also published on my blog StudentSpyglass
Plot: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Readability: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
If I Were you followed Sara as she tried desperately to find out how and why Rebecca disappeared. Armed only with Rebecca’s journals, full of tantalizing hints about Rebecca’s ‘Master’, Sara steps into Rebecca’s life to try and determine whether she left by choice…or by force.
In Being Me, the hunt for Rebecca is ongoing, but it felt like a slightly smaller part of the plot than in the first book. There’s a larger focus, in my opinion, on the development of both Chris and Sara, as well as the growth of their relationship, in this book. Lots more about Sara’s past will become clear, and she grows a lot as a character, attempting to live her own life, rather than living Rebecca’s as she arguably did in If I Were You.
If I had to try and quantify the slightly different feel to the novels, I’d have said If I Were You felt like 60% mystery:40% romance, whilst Being Me is the other way around. There’s certainly still enough mystery to keep you engrossed, but I felt more invested in Chris and Sara (as well as their relationship) as a result of the increased focus on them in Being Me. Chris and Sara’s pasts and troubles mean their relationship faces some serious bumps, and you may well find yourself wondering whether you’re rooting for the wrong man at times! Obviously as well as the emotional side to their relationship, there is some seriously steamy romance, without any graphically kinky or intense elements that may offend some readers.
As well as Chris and Sara, the supporting characters are wonderful. Dylan is a fantastic addition to the plot, managing to sometimes lighten up the story and at other times put you through an emotional rollercoaster! We also find out a lot more about Mark, and see some other sides to him, which made for great reading.
The mystery, though not as dominant in If I Were You will still have you reading on desperately, feverishly trying to put clues together to determine the Master. The story is faster-paced and I know I personally found it hard not to say “I’ll just read one more chapter”. Still filled with the clues from the journals and Sara’s musings on various characters in Rebecca’s life, the apprehension and suspense that kept me glued to If I Were You persist throughout Being Me. Having said that, there is also more ‘real-life action’; dramatic events and revelations that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
It’s very difficult to say too much more without giving away spoilers, so I’ll leave it there! What you really need to know is that questions about Rebecca’s disappearance will be answered, including the identification of her Master. Chris, Sara, Mark and various minor characters are fantastic, and as always Lisa Renee Jones’ writing is wonderful. The only limitation for me was that sometimes I felt like Chris and Sara were a bit too up-and-down, occasionally making me want to give one or the other of them a good shake!
Plot: ★★★★★
Characters: ★★★★
Readability: ★★★★
Overall: ★★★★
If I Were you followed Sara as she tried desperately to find out how and why Rebecca disappeared. Armed only with Rebecca’s journals, full of tantalizing hints about Rebecca’s ‘Master’, Sara steps into Rebecca’s life to try and determine whether she left by choice…or by force.
In Being Me, the hunt for Rebecca is ongoing, but it felt like a slightly smaller part of the plot than in the first book. There’s a larger focus, in my opinion, on the development of both Chris and Sara, as well as the growth of their relationship, in this book. Lots more about Sara’s past will become clear, and she grows a lot as a character, attempting to live her own life, rather than living Rebecca’s as she arguably did in If I Were You.
If I had to try and quantify the slightly different feel to the novels, I’d have said If I Were You felt like 60% mystery:40% romance, whilst Being Me is the other way around. There’s certainly still enough mystery to keep you engrossed, but I felt more invested in Chris and Sara (as well as their relationship) as a result of the increased focus on them in Being Me. Chris and Sara’s pasts and troubles mean their relationship faces some serious bumps, and you may well find yourself wondering whether you’re rooting for the wrong man at times! Obviously as well as the emotional side to their relationship, there is some seriously steamy romance, without any graphically kinky or intense elements that may offend some readers.
As well as Chris and Sara, the supporting characters are wonderful. Dylan is a fantastic addition to the plot, managing to sometimes lighten up the story and at other times put you through an emotional rollercoaster! We also find out a lot more about Mark, and see some other sides to him, which made for great reading.
The mystery, though not as dominant in If I Were You will still have you reading on desperately, feverishly trying to put clues together to determine the Master. The story is faster-paced and I know I personally found it hard not to say “I’ll just read one more chapter”. Still filled with the clues from the journals and Sara’s musings on various characters in Rebecca’s life, the apprehension and suspense that kept me glued to If I Were You persist throughout Being Me. Having said that, there is also more ‘real-life action’; dramatic events and revelations that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
It’s very difficult to say too much more without giving away spoilers, so I’ll leave it there! What you really need to know is that questions about Rebecca’s disappearance will be answered, including the identification of her Master. Chris, Sara, Mark and various minor characters are fantastic, and as always Lisa Renee Jones’ writing is wonderful. The only limitation for me was that sometimes I felt like Chris and Sara were a bit too up-and-down, occasionally making me want to give one or the other of them a good shake!