The Me I Used to Be: A Novel

The Me I Used to Be is a story full of lies, betrayal, and ultimately redemption. It shows us the power of love and family as well as how neither can really coexist without the other. Evangeline is in jail for a crime she did not commit. The same cop who put her in there is now getting her out. Chris needs help on an ongoing investigation, and the way to expunge Evangeline’s record is to help bring down the perpetrator. We’ll head down a rabbit hole that isn’t as deep as we expected because the person who set off the chain of events won’t go down without a fight. I had a love/hate relationship with the story itself. Mainly because I hated how terribly Evangeline’s family treated her–as if she was a pariah. Do they have a reason to be upset? Yes! But they don’t know the full story, and it’s not as if she killed anyone. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She paid penance for something she didn’t do. I guess I was also upset because Evangeline could tell her family what truly happened and have them forgive her, but she didn’t. It was infuriating! The romance was okay, but it happened a little too quickly for my taste. There’s really no mystery as to what’s going on; you find out from the beginning who the “bad guy” is. Overall, I think Ryan writes interesting stories that are easy to read and easy to like. Sure, it has its problems, but they in no way take away from the enjoyment.