New York Times bestselling author of On the Island, Tracey Garvis Graves, presents the compelling, hopelessly romantic novel of unconditional love.
THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW
by TRACEY GARVIS GRAVES
Publication date: April 2, 2019
Published by: St. Martin's Press
Genre: contemporary romance
SYNOPSIS
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.
EXCERPT
1
Annika
CHICAGO
AUGUST 2001
I run into him at Dominick’s, of all places. I’m poking around in the freezer case, searching for the strawberries I put in my morning smoothie, when a man’s voice somewhere off to my right says, “Annika?” He sounds unsure.
From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of his face. It’s been ten years since we’ve seen each other and though I often struggle to recognize people out of context, there’s no need for me to question whether or not it’s him. I know it’s him. My body vibrates like the low rumble of a faraway train and I’m grateful for the freezer’s cold air as my core temperature shoots up. I want to bolt, to forget about the strawberries and find the nearest exit. But Tina’s words echo in my head, and I repeat them like a mantra: Don’t run, take responsibility, be yourself.
I draw an uneven breath that doesn’t quite fill my lungs, and turn toward him. “Hi, Jonathan.”
“It is you,” he says.
I smile. “Yes.”
My hair, which used to be waist length and usually in need of a good brushing, is now shiny and straight and stops a few inches below my shoulders. The tailored shirt and slim-fitting pants I’m wearing are a far cry from my college wardrobe of skirts and dresses two sizes too big. It’s probably thrown him a bit.
At thirty-two, he still looks the same to me: dark hair, blue eyes, broad swimmer’s shoulders. He’s not smiling, but his brows aren’t knitted together in a scowl, either. Though I’ve vastly improved my ability to read facial expressions and other nonverbal cues, I can’t tell if he’s harboring any angry or hurt feelings. He has every right to feel both.
We take a step forward and we hug, because even I know that after all this time—and all we’ve been through—we’re supposed to hug. There is an immediate feeling of safety and comfort when Jonathan’s arms are around me. That hasn’t changed at all. The smell of chlorine that used to cling to his skin has been replaced by something woodsy and, thankfully, not too heavy or cloying.
I have no idea why he’s in Chicago. A prestigious financial services firm in New York had whisked Jonathan out of Illinois almost before the ink finished drying on his diploma, when what had once been a planned move for two turned into a solo endeavor.
When we separate, I stumble over my words. “I thought you lived … Are you here on business…?”
“I transferred to the Chicago office about five years ago,” he says. It astounds me that all this time, as I’ve walked around the city I now call home, I never knew bumping into him was a possibility. How many times have we been within a certain-mile radius of each other and not known it? How many times were we behind or in front of each other on a busy sidewalk, or dining in the same restaurant?
“My mom needed someone to oversee her care,” he continues.
I’d met his mother once, and I liked her almost as much as I liked my own. It had been easy to see where Jonathan’s kindness had come from. “Please tell her I said hello.”
“She died a couple of years ago. Dementia. The doctor said she’d probably been suffering from it for years.”
“She called me Katherine and couldn’t find her keys,” I say, because my recall is excellent and it all makes sense now.
He acknowledges my statement with a brief nod. “Do you work downtown?” he asks.
I close the freezer door, embarrassed that I’ve been holding it open the whole time. “Yes, at the Harold Washington Library.”
My answer brings the first smile to his face. “Good for you.”
The conversation sputters to an awkward halt. Jonathan has always done the heavy lifting where our communication is concerned, but this time he doesn’t let me off the hook and the silence is deafening. “It was great to see you,” I finally blurt. My voice sounds higher than it usually does. Heat rushes to my face, and I wish I’d left the freezer door open after all.
“You, too.”
As he turns to go, a pang of longing hits me so hard my knees nearly buckle, and I gather my courage and say, “Jonathan?”
His eyebrows are raised slightly when he turns back around. “Yes?”
“Would you like to get together sometime?” I tense as the memories come flooding back. I tell myself it’s not fair to do this to him, that I’ve done enough already.
He hesitates but then he says, “Sure, Annika.” He removes a pen from the inside pocket of his suit coat and reaches for the grocery list in my hand, scrawling his phone number on the back.
“I’ll call you. Soon,” I promise.
He nods, his expression blank again. He probably thinks I won’t go through with it. He’d be justified in that, too.
But I will call. I’ll apologize. Ask him if we can start over. “Clean slate,” I’ll say.
Such is my desire to replace the memories of the girl he used to know with the woman I’ve become.
Copyright © 2019 by Tracey Garvis Graves
Annika
CHICAGO
AUGUST 2001
I run into him at Dominick’s, of all places. I’m poking around in the freezer case, searching for the strawberries I put in my morning smoothie, when a man’s voice somewhere off to my right says, “Annika?” He sounds unsure.
From the corner of my eye, I catch a glimpse of his face. It’s been ten years since we’ve seen each other and though I often struggle to recognize people out of context, there’s no need for me to question whether or not it’s him. I know it’s him. My body vibrates like the low rumble of a faraway train and I’m grateful for the freezer’s cold air as my core temperature shoots up. I want to bolt, to forget about the strawberries and find the nearest exit. But Tina’s words echo in my head, and I repeat them like a mantra: Don’t run, take responsibility, be yourself.
I draw an uneven breath that doesn’t quite fill my lungs, and turn toward him. “Hi, Jonathan.”
“It is you,” he says.
I smile. “Yes.”
My hair, which used to be waist length and usually in need of a good brushing, is now shiny and straight and stops a few inches below my shoulders. The tailored shirt and slim-fitting pants I’m wearing are a far cry from my college wardrobe of skirts and dresses two sizes too big. It’s probably thrown him a bit.
At thirty-two, he still looks the same to me: dark hair, blue eyes, broad swimmer’s shoulders. He’s not smiling, but his brows aren’t knitted together in a scowl, either. Though I’ve vastly improved my ability to read facial expressions and other nonverbal cues, I can’t tell if he’s harboring any angry or hurt feelings. He has every right to feel both.
We take a step forward and we hug, because even I know that after all this time—and all we’ve been through—we’re supposed to hug. There is an immediate feeling of safety and comfort when Jonathan’s arms are around me. That hasn’t changed at all. The smell of chlorine that used to cling to his skin has been replaced by something woodsy and, thankfully, not too heavy or cloying.
I have no idea why he’s in Chicago. A prestigious financial services firm in New York had whisked Jonathan out of Illinois almost before the ink finished drying on his diploma, when what had once been a planned move for two turned into a solo endeavor.
When we separate, I stumble over my words. “I thought you lived … Are you here on business…?”
“I transferred to the Chicago office about five years ago,” he says. It astounds me that all this time, as I’ve walked around the city I now call home, I never knew bumping into him was a possibility. How many times have we been within a certain-mile radius of each other and not known it? How many times were we behind or in front of each other on a busy sidewalk, or dining in the same restaurant?
“My mom needed someone to oversee her care,” he continues.
I’d met his mother once, and I liked her almost as much as I liked my own. It had been easy to see where Jonathan’s kindness had come from. “Please tell her I said hello.”
“She died a couple of years ago. Dementia. The doctor said she’d probably been suffering from it for years.”
“She called me Katherine and couldn’t find her keys,” I say, because my recall is excellent and it all makes sense now.
He acknowledges my statement with a brief nod. “Do you work downtown?” he asks.
I close the freezer door, embarrassed that I’ve been holding it open the whole time. “Yes, at the Harold Washington Library.”
My answer brings the first smile to his face. “Good for you.”
The conversation sputters to an awkward halt. Jonathan has always done the heavy lifting where our communication is concerned, but this time he doesn’t let me off the hook and the silence is deafening. “It was great to see you,” I finally blurt. My voice sounds higher than it usually does. Heat rushes to my face, and I wish I’d left the freezer door open after all.
“You, too.”
As he turns to go, a pang of longing hits me so hard my knees nearly buckle, and I gather my courage and say, “Jonathan?”
His eyebrows are raised slightly when he turns back around. “Yes?”
“Would you like to get together sometime?” I tense as the memories come flooding back. I tell myself it’s not fair to do this to him, that I’ve done enough already.
He hesitates but then he says, “Sure, Annika.” He removes a pen from the inside pocket of his suit coat and reaches for the grocery list in my hand, scrawling his phone number on the back.
“I’ll call you. Soon,” I promise.
He nods, his expression blank again. He probably thinks I won’t go through with it. He’d be justified in that, too.
But I will call. I’ll apologize. Ask him if we can start over. “Clean slate,” I’ll say.
Such is my desire to replace the memories of the girl he used to know with the woman I’ve become.
Copyright © 2019 by Tracey Garvis Graves
Purchase your copy now!
Praise for The Girl He Used To Know:
"Careful to balance the emotional and intellectual power between Annika and Jonathan, Graves creates a believable love affair in which Annika is not infantilized but rather fully realized as simply different. And her differences become her strengths when catastrophe strikes, compelling Annika to take the lead for the first time in her life. A heartwarming, neurodiverse love story. " - Kirkus
"Graves's strong, autistic heroine fights for the love she once lost in this sensitive, affecting romance." - Shelf Awareness
"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 and All Your Perfects
"I adore Tracey Garvis Graves' work." - Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Wife Between Us
"Tracey Garvis Graves is a must read author. Her voice is wise, tender and refreshing." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
"Written with sensitivity and spot-on truth, this is the most riveting, rewarding, refreshing novel I've read in years." - Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Salt Air
"From page one, this enchanting story resonates with gentle humor and lush detail. I adored this book." - Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy and Breakable
"Smart and sensitive, with wholly original characters you can’t help but root for, 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
“Tracey Garvis-Graves keeps the tension high throughout, and readers will be rooting for this pair’s happy ending from the first page until the last.” – Kate Hilton, bestselling author of The Hole in the Middle and Just Like Family
"Tracey Garvis Graves pens a compelling novel with beautifully rendered characters, an extraordinary tale filled with sensitivity and empathy that gives readers a peek into the world of autism through the eyes of a woman who proves to be as audacious as she is charming. Readers, don't you dare miss this love story." - Kellie Coates Gilbert, author of the Sun Valley Series
"Tracey delivers another romantic gem! This time an engaging exploration of second-chance love mixed with real-life drama. The last few chapters had my heart beating fast and furious.” —Dina Silver, author of No Time To Blink and One Pink Line
"Tracey Garvis Graves has the magical gift of capturing enduring love in the face of adversity, and The Girl He Used to Know is no exception . . . well written, engaging and quietly romantic." - Renee Carlino, National bestselling author of Blind Kiss
“Tracey Garvis Graves is a master at writing layered characters you’re thrilled to spend time with, and Annika and Jonathan are no exception. The Girl He Used to Know is a consume-in-one-sitting read, full of heart and depth, with a most satisfying ending. I loved it!” - Karma Brown, bestselling author of The Life Lucy Knew
“Both charming and unique, The Girl He Used to Know follows Annika and Jonathan as they grapple with how the past defines their present. The climax of their sweeping love story will slam you hard in the chest, leaving you grasping for tissues as you race to find out if they’ll find their happy ending.” - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Good Widow
“Tracey Garvis-Graves has written a beautiful novel that goes far beyond the classic boy meets girl. Annika is a unique character who will stay with you long after the last page and the ending will have you cheering and reaching for a box of tissues at the same time. A true love story for the ages. - Anita Hughes, author of California Summer
“On the surface, this book might appear to be a girl-meets-boy, girl-loses-boy, girl-gets-boy-back-years-later type of story. But dig a little and you'll find so much more. The girl in question is not your usual heroine: she's somewhere on the autism spectrum. And the boy isn't typical either--he's not trying to take advantage of her, he's trying to heal too. Both a touching love story and an interesting insight into life on the spectrum, I raced through this in a day and felt all the feels when life intervened in a way that might have kept them apart forever. I recommend it.” - Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden and The Good Liar
“This wonderful novel deals with life and love on the spectrum with captivating and heart-warming characters who will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Memorable, and remarkable, Tracey Garvis Graves has written another winner.” - Kaira Rouda, bestselling author, Best Day Ever and What Comes Around
"Careful to balance the emotional and intellectual power between Annika and Jonathan, Graves creates a believable love affair in which Annika is not infantilized but rather fully realized as simply different. And her differences become her strengths when catastrophe strikes, compelling Annika to take the lead for the first time in her life. A heartwarming, neurodiverse love story. " - Kirkus
"Graves's strong, autistic heroine fights for the love she once lost in this sensitive, affecting romance." - Shelf Awareness
"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 and All Your Perfects
"I adore Tracey Garvis Graves' work." - Sarah Pekkanen, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Wife Between Us
"Tracey Garvis Graves is a must read author. Her voice is wise, tender and refreshing." - Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
"Written with sensitivity and spot-on truth, this is the most riveting, rewarding, refreshing novel I've read in years." - Barbara Delinsky, New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Salt Air
"From page one, this enchanting story resonates with gentle humor and lush detail. I adored this book." - Tammara Webber, New York Times bestselling author of Easy and Breakable
"Smart and sensitive, with wholly original characters you can’t help but root for, 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
“Tracey Garvis-Graves keeps the tension high throughout, and readers will be rooting for this pair’s happy ending from the first page until the last.” – Kate Hilton, bestselling author of The Hole in the Middle and Just Like Family
"Tracey Garvis Graves pens a compelling novel with beautifully rendered characters, an extraordinary tale filled with sensitivity and empathy that gives readers a peek into the world of autism through the eyes of a woman who proves to be as audacious as she is charming. Readers, don't you dare miss this love story." - Kellie Coates Gilbert, author of the Sun Valley Series
"Tracey delivers another romantic gem! This time an engaging exploration of second-chance love mixed with real-life drama. The last few chapters had my heart beating fast and furious.” —Dina Silver, author of No Time To Blink and One Pink Line
"Tracey Garvis Graves has the magical gift of capturing enduring love in the face of adversity, and The Girl He Used to Know is no exception . . . well written, engaging and quietly romantic." - Renee Carlino, National bestselling author of Blind Kiss
“Tracey Garvis Graves is a master at writing layered characters you’re thrilled to spend time with, and Annika and Jonathan are no exception. The Girl He Used to Know is a consume-in-one-sitting read, full of heart and depth, with a most satisfying ending. I loved it!” - Karma Brown, bestselling author of The Life Lucy Knew
“Both charming and unique, The Girl He Used to Know follows Annika and Jonathan as they grapple with how the past defines their present. The climax of their sweeping love story will slam you hard in the chest, leaving you grasping for tissues as you race to find out if they’ll find their happy ending.” - Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, bestselling authors of The Good Widow
“Tracey Garvis-Graves has written a beautiful novel that goes far beyond the classic boy meets girl. Annika is a unique character who will stay with you long after the last page and the ending will have you cheering and reaching for a box of tissues at the same time. A true love story for the ages. - Anita Hughes, author of California Summer
“On the surface, this book might appear to be a girl-meets-boy, girl-loses-boy, girl-gets-boy-back-years-later type of story. But dig a little and you'll find so much more. The girl in question is not your usual heroine: she's somewhere on the autism spectrum. And the boy isn't typical either--he's not trying to take advantage of her, he's trying to heal too. Both a touching love story and an interesting insight into life on the spectrum, I raced through this in a day and felt all the feels when life intervened in a way that might have kept them apart forever. I recommend it.” - Catherine McKenzie, bestselling author of Hidden and The Good Liar
“This wonderful novel deals with life and love on the spectrum with captivating and heart-warming characters who will stay with you long after you’ve finished. Memorable, and remarkable, Tracey Garvis Graves has written another winner.” - Kaira Rouda, bestselling author, Best Day Ever and What Comes Around
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The Girl He Used to Know by Tracey Garvis GravesMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Girl He Used To Know comes out on autism awareness day. The heroine, Annika is on the high functioning end of the autism spectrum and I think her character was handled with sensitivity and care. I enjoyed this second chance romance very much, but the book also strongly focuses on the heroine's own personal growth. How she evolves from someone filled with anxiety that leans heavily on others to cope socially, to a woman who has fought for her own self-confidence and the skills to thrive on her own two feet. The book is told in dual POV and alternates from the present time to flashbacks of the past in the couple's college years. So you really get a sense of how Annika has evolved since their mysterious break up. In the beginning, you're left in the dark as to why, but it's clear that she blames herself entirely for the disintegration of their relationship.
Annika Rose meets Jonathan Hoffman at chess club. This is such a geeky thing to bond over, and I really loved that aspect of the book. Both are highly intelligent people, and their competitive games soon help her overcome her initial nervousness around him. Typically she avoids social interaction whenever possible, because the stress of worrying if she will inadvertently say something inappropriate is crippling. But from the first time he sat down with her, he was always kind and accepting and that helped to put her at ease. Annika also has a deep affection for animals and her other hobby is to volunteer at the wildlife medical clinic. She was such a kind and sweet natured young woman who has struggled so harshly with cruelness, that's it's no wonder she gravitates towards animals with limitless unconditional love.
“I never know what people are thinking. It’s like visiting a country where you don’t speak the language and you’re trying so hard to understand but no matter how many times you ask for juice, they keep bringing you milk. And I hate it."
Jonathan's initial interest in her may have been superficial and somewhat self-serving, but his kindness and total acceptance of her differences was heartwarming. Even though neither had any knowledge as to why she was different, he was able to make logical deductions based on her comfort levels in different situations. You could really see that they both enjoyed being able to strip down and be completely real in who they were with each other, without any artifice or guesswork into what the other was thinking. There were a lot of sweet moments between the two of them, like Jonathan pressing his forehead against hers and closing her eyes so that she could feel their connection in a way that was sensitive to her trouble with eye contact.
Maybe other people felt what I was feeling at that moment when they looked deeply into each other’s eyes, but when Jonathan and I were joined in a way I could handle, I knew what it felt like to be deeply connected to someone.
Annika was struggling hard and had to make the difficult decision to put herself first. I didn't agree with the way that she chose to do it, or his unfeeling final message to her, but no one can say he didn't try to hold onto her despite the distance she cultivated between them. It wasn't meant to be at that point, and I was glad to see that there was no bitterness or anger on either of their parts as they got to know each other again.
There were two points in the plot that occurred in the last 15% of the book that did bring down my rating, but clearly I was thoroughly enjoying the story for the majority so it didn't alter my rating that much. Number one: there was a major conflict that cropped up unexpectedly that felt jarring. I wasn't expecting it to happen and it didn't really feel cohesive with what I had read up until that point. With such a huge event, I didn't feel as if there was significant page time to address it, and it ended up feeling too rushed. Number two: the ending was abrupt and random. I was left wondering about Annika and Jonathan's future regarding their relationship and career path.
I loved reading about their unique connection and the representation of such a wonderful character like Annika. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy emotional second chance stories. It was tragic in parts, poignant, and easily engages your emotions. I will definitely read more from this author in the future.
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