“What didn’t kill me didn’t make me stronger; what didn’t kill me made me into a victim. But I made me stronger. I made me into a survivor.”
― Tess Sharpe, The Girls I’ve Been
Nora is in a bit of a mess. First off, her ex-boyfriend and best friend Wes walked in on Nora and her current girlfriend Iris making out. Wes knew they were friends, but not that they were dating. To make matters more awkward, the three have to meet up the next morning to deposit money at the bank that they earned as the result of a fundraiser. Nora just wants to get in and out of the bank as quickly as possible to minimize the awkwardness. The day has other plans, because as soon as the trio walks into the back, two bank robbers walk in and take everyone hostage.
This situation is concerning to Nora, but for different reasons than it is for the others. Nora is the daughter of a con artist. Her mother has moved her around the country, targeting criminal man. Nora grew up as a lot of different girls, becoming whomever her mother needed her to be for the con she was running. Nora’s life changed when her mom ended up falling for her mark. She knew she needed to escape, which resulted in the ultimate con and eventually landed Nora where she currently lives.
It’s been five years since Nora escaped, but these two bank robbers have the ability to destroy what little stability she has managed to grab for herself. If she isn’t careful, the robbers could learn Nora’s secrets and upend her life. Nora has plans though. They have no idea all that she is capable of.
I listened to the audiobook version of The Girls I’ve Been and loved it. This book is intricately plotted, yet quickly paced. The characters are strong, opinionated, and sassy. Heads up that this book does alternate between different timelines, so you need to pay attention! This book is definitely set up as the first book in a series as not everything is solved in the end and readers are left wanting to know more about the characters and their backgrounds. I have high hopes that my questions will be answered in book 2!
Girls I’ve Been series
- The Girls I’ve Been (2021)
- The Girl in Question (2024)
“There is no normal. There is just a bunch of people pretending there is. There’s just different levels of pain. Different stages of safe. The biggest con of all is that there’s a normal.”
― Tess Sharpe, The Girls I’ve Been