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Two Minds, One Unforgettable Ending

What can I even say about My Real Self? I have so much to say… and yet I’m completely lost for words. As this is book three in the series, I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll keep it simple.

Alicia and Josslyn share one body, two minds forced to coexist. Alicia claims she’s a psychopath, incapable of emotion and is on a murderous mission. Josslyn feels she is slipping away. In this final instalment, everything comes to a head.

This book took me exactly where I expected it would, straight onto an emotional rollercoaster. It’s dark, sharp, raw… and somehow beautiful. Yes, beautiful. Not many psychological thrillers can be described that way, but this one truly can.

The character development across this series has been incredible. Watching Alicia and Josslyn evolve, together and individually, has been such a journey. The writing flows effortlessly, and once again it felt like I was inside their head, part of their conversations, part of their shared body. That’s something Jessica Huntley does so uniquely well.

I couldn’t put this book down. I was completely immersed in their world. I had an idea of where things might go, and I was secretly hoping for that ending. Even so, it still broke my heart. It was painful, but necessary. And in a strange way, it was beautiful.

There was also an earlier scene that absolutely broke me. I held onto hope that it might not be truly the case… but unfortunately it wasn’t.

I’m not usually a big series reader, but this has easily become one of my favourites. Dark, gripping, emotional, and impossible to forget.

And this will sound funny — you’re allowed to laugh at me — but when I first discovered Jessica Huntley and saw titles like My Bad Self, My Dark Self, My True Self, My Real Self, along with The Darkness Within Ourselves and the others, I genuinely thought they were psychology or self-discovery books written by a therapist. Safe to say… I was very wrong 😅

A Mother’s Double

Poppy arrives at nursery to collect her daughter, only to discover someone already picked her up hours ago.

The CCTV footage shows a woman who looks exactly like her.

But it wasn’t her.

As panic sets in and secrets begin to surface, Poppy realises this nightmare is far more personal than she ever imagined.

Jessica did it again!! This was a fast-paced, unputdownable psychological thriller. It’s such an easy read, with short chapters that constantly keep you engaged and wanting “just one more chapter.”

The story is told through multiple POVs, Poppy and Layla, which worked really well for this type of story.

Poppy has quite a difficult personality—one many readers will probably find unlikeable. I personally think she’s often misunderstood, and she most definitely has trust issues. Despite that, I connected with her and was fully invested in finding out how everything was going to unfold.

Layla was also a fascinating character. I felt for her, even during the moments where she seemed completely unhinged. Both women had strong character development, and the supporting cast added even more tension and layers to the story.

Jessica’s writing is once again effortless, uncomplicated, and such a joy to read. Her books are incredibly bingeable.

I also really enjoy the kidnapped-child trope, so this plot immediately intrigued me. And I love stories involving twins. If you’ve read a few Jessica Huntley books before, you’ll know she likes incorporating twins into her stories—which makes sense, considering she’s a twin herself.

Now, Joffe Books… let’s talk about the title. When it was first announced, I honestly didn’t love it. It has grown on me since, but I still feel a little more creativity wouldn’t have hurt. The title needs to pull readers in because more people really need to discover Jessica’s books.

That said, at this point you could literally publish “Untitled by Jessica Huntley” and I’d still read it.

Thank you to Booksprout, Joffe Books, and Jessica Huntley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.