When Evie Hudson wakes in an unfamiliar hospital room, she thinks she’s fresh out of a teenage party with her best friend, Bree. Except, Bree isn’t around anymore and high school was years ago. Evie had just survived the crash that killed her husband, Oliver—whom she can’t remember either. After suffering a traumatic loss of memory, she’s left to connect the dots. But how?
Enter: Drew, a promising photographer whose chance encounter with Evie unravels the elusive details of her marriage and her husband’s death. As Drew watches Evie stitch the story of her life together, secrets emerge that might shatter both of their worlds.
This tangled second-chance romance leads Evie to question every decision she ever made. This time around, she’s seeing all the things she missed–and the life she gets to choose . . . again.
Pictures of You is a captivating and emotionally intense novel that masterfully intertwines themes of love, loss, and second chances. The story follows 29-year-old Evie Hudson, who awakens in a hospital with no memory of the past thirteen years, including her marriage to her now-deceased husband, Oliver. When Evie attends the funeral for Oliver, she reconnects with Drew, a photographer and supposed former close friend, who becomes instrumental in her journey of healing and rediscovery. The story includes several popular tropes, including second chance romance, love triangles, and young instalove. The book weaves together romance, family drama, and slow-burn mystery into a very compelling story.
The characters are richly developed, and each of them is grappling with their own complexities and past regrets. Grey’s vivid writing and her characters’ emotional depth allow readers to view the story from a multifaceted lens. Evie is an emotional and complex character, and as she remembers her forgotten past, more of her authentic self springs to life. Her amnesia serves as a compelling narrative device and allows readers to uncover the complexities of her life alongside her—readers’ reactions to her bad choices will likely differ from her own, and it may be difficult to sympathize with her at times! Evie’s relationship with Oliver quickly evolves from immature teenage “instalove” to unhealthy. As they reach their mid-twenties, the relationship becomes extremely toxic, infuriating, and somewhat unbelievable for a modern-day relationship. It may also be triggering to some readers, especially those that have been involved in abusive relationships. On the contrary, Evie has an intense and soulful chemistry with Drew, but their romance takes a backseat for much of the story to the central narrative of her memory loss, mysterious past, and toxic relationship with Oliver.
The story is told in multiple timelines, with a dual POV from Evie and Drew. Both perspectives are told from them as teens and adults, allowing readers a more complete picture of their character flaws and true motives. The story has a slow-burn start, and the alternating past and present timelines steadily fill in readers on the truth of Evie’s past. What’s most compelling in the first half is the building mystery of Evie’s current life and the palpable chemistry between her and Drew. The story has more plot points in the second half, including a few twists that are implausible but still engrossing. The story then abruptly ends with several questions unanswered, which may leave readers unsatisfied. There is a buildup of possibilities for the characters that seems to go nowhere—it may have been more effective to have included an epilogue or additional chapters for more character resolution. In any case, the ending remains thought-provoking!
Overall, Pictures of You is a genre-bending novel that will resonate with readers who enjoy unpredictable romance stories intertwined with mystery and dark themes. Emma Grey’s talent for crafting emotionally intense stories and memorable characters is on full display in this book, and if you weren’t a fan of her writing already, you’ll likely become one now. Narrators Kristy Best and Nic English do a phenomenal job depicting the intense emotions and chemistry of the characters and deliver well-paced performances that allow listeners to get the most out of this novel. After reading, it’s a story that will linger in readers’ minds, prompting reflection on the choices the characters made and their future outcomes. If you’re a fan of heart-wrenching, character-driven second-chance stories, add this one to your immediate reading list!
