Pictures of You

by Emma Grey

If you knew then what you know now, would you make the same choices? Imagine having a second chance with the one you never forgot.

From the author of the global breakout bestseller The Last Love Note comes the story of a young woman struggling to piece her life back together in the wake of a tragic accident, and the man who gives up everything to help her.

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?

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.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Audiobook, Mystery, Book Club, Contemporary, Thriller

416 pages, Hardcover

First published November 12, 2024

About the author

Emma Grey is the author of the USA Today bestselling novels The Last Love Note and Pictures of You. Her forthcoming novel Start at the End will be published in the US, UK and Australia/New Zealand in April 2026. Grey lives in Canberra, Australia, where her world centers on her three children, loved stepchildren, and stepgrandchildren, as well as writing, photography, and endlessly chasing the aurora australis.

Reviews

[Sara Carrolli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this book is best to go into blind - it has a storyline that is so bingeable and chapters that are super short you’ll want to turn the page and find out what’s happening next!

Also all I could think of was the song Heartbreak Girl by 5SOS (one of my favorites) while reading this…do with that what you will 🫡

[Kail Lowry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t know if I’ve ever related to a main character more. Check your trigger warnings on this one - toxic relationship, mental abuse and narcissism. I feel seen/heard/validated.

[Bailee Latham · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Imagine this: You wake up in a hospital bed and the doctors are telling you that you're 29 years old and are now a widow. Apparently, you and your now dead husband were in a car accident where only you survived. Only, you don't remember having a husband, or the last 14 years of your life. In your head, you're still 16 and now these people are telling you who you are and that you don't speak to any of your friends or family anymore. And you want to get to the bottom of it.

This was a lot deeper than I thought it would be and at times it was a hard read, but I realllly enjoyed it. This is an example of an amnesia trope done correctly, IMO! Check triggers!!

[lauren‎♡₊˚ 🦢・₊✧ (semi-ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4💫

this is my 100th book read this year and i officially completed my 2025 reading challenge!!!!

I enjoyed this one!! i think my main complaint was that throughout the whole story, it seemed like everyone hated her by the way they acted, but then once she was closer to getting her memories back and when they were back, everyone instantly switched and treated her like the victim. i was waiting for the shoe to drop and to find out this big betrayal that evie did, but it was just her being manipulated and a victim in an emotionally abusive relationship.

i also thought the murder side plot was random and wasn't even finished? like we ended the book without even knowing what would happen.

this book was emotional and sweet to read tho! i loved the dual timeline and seeing evie and drew's relationship in the past.

[emilybookedup · Rating 4 out of 5]

i liked this one, it was super bingeworthy and i nearly finished it in one sitting on my flight.

i like when romances have surprising twists and shocking elements and this gave me Colleen Hoover vibes in that way.

read if you like:
- dual timelines / POVs
- second chance romance
- romances with twists
- romance with a bit of mystery
- friends to lovers tropes

this was my first book by the author but i’ve heard great things and can certainly see why. her plot and storyline was great and well developed—i was thoroughly surprised by some of the twists and liked the dual timelines!

i think it was a bit on the long side and could have been 75-100 pages shorter (400+ pages for a romance is intense!) but overall little complaints.

pick it up when you’re looking for a quick binge!

[Jan Agaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the easiest 5 stars I've ever given & just earned my #1 book of 2024. I was expecting a hard-hitting romance, but it was so much more than that. I was definitely not expecting a mystery element but the reveals were so brilliantly placed & well-thought out.
if you've ever been in a toxic relationship and need to feel seen, this is for you. the ending was so feel-good and satisfying while also leaving you that feeling of "where would these characters be now if they were real?"
ill be thinking about this one for a very long time.

[Val ⚓️ Shameless Handmaiden ⚓️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars

I loved last year's The Last Love Note by this author and was excited to pick this up when I saw it as one of my Book of the Month offerings. Like that one, this one also involved a deceased spouse.

This one tried to tackle a lot of other topics as well. And while I appreciated the effort at the nuanced approach it seems the author was going for...it felt poorly executed in my opinion. Most of the "secrets" and and answers that were finally revealed in the end didn't seem worth the build-up. And again, I appreciated the topics and the efforts at nuance...but the ending payoff didn't fulfill the promise of the building tension.

That said, please remember that three stars means that I DID like it. In fact, I read it in one sitting and was very engaged by the story. I just didn't love it, that's all. I can totally see this hitting for other people. And I do seem to be a bit of an outlier based on some of the other earlier reviews that I've glanced at.

I will definitely read the author's next book.

[Teres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picture this: you’re a 30-year-old married woman who awakens in a hospital critical care unit convinced you’re a 16-year-old high school student.

Whoa, Nellie. Hello, transient amnesia.

While this appears to be the plot of a made-for-television Lifetime movie or a classic chick-lit read, after only a few pages you realize there is much more at play here.

Admittedly, Pictures of You by Emma Grey is not my typical choice in novels, but it sucked me right in and held me captive until the very end.

The author’s use of a non-linear timeline, cycling between present day and more than a decade of forgotten experiences, is so effective.

Grey also succeeds in her sensitive and insightful portrayal of toxic relationships.

Winner winner, chicken dinner!

[Kelly (and the Book Boar) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh yay, another TikTok sensation about an abusive spouse! (Said no Kelly ever.) Good news is dickhole is dead in this one on page one and his widow has a traumatic brain injury that has given her the perfect case of amnesia to forget all about his dumb ass. Bad news is there’s a billion and twelve time hops to relive their relationship along with a present narrative where the leading lady will reconnect with the one who got away and everyone else she ostracized over the years which equals plenty pages of predictably.

Although the tides have recently turned from my seven plus year trolling about Colleen Hoover’s trauma porn trash when the herd mentality finally realized how problematic her stories are and the money grabbing schemes/tone deaf film release showed nothing is sacred above the dollar, we can go ahead and say I still was a little traumatized about going against the grain again and reopening a similar can of worms LOL.

Good news is this story came off simply emotionally manipulative rather than highly offensive, but since I’m a robot with no emotional capacity whatsoever it didn’t work and the extra reveals at the end nearly had me laughing . Yes, it did feature the abusive partner theme with a female main character who knew he was a real dildo while the two were dating, and yes she still ended up marrying him which was obviously a bad choice, but like I said above yay he was dead so I knew she wouldn’t repeat the pattern any more and I could keep reading.

[Em (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This isn’t a romance; it’s a flashback fest with choppy writing, recycled drama, and an ending that ghosted its own plot.

[Lynn Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25. A woman is in a terrible accident that kills her husband and when she wakes up in the hospital she has amnesia. She remembers she 16 and before only. What follows is her trying to remember. But does she want to remember? And where is her best friend? Why aren’t her parents at her husband’s funeral?

A wonderfully written story that delves pretty deep at times.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ WHAT AN EMOTIONAL READ!!

"The die I die when my life flashes before my eyes, this scene will be the finale."

I was hooked from the beginning, this was so well written. GO IN BLIND. This is a rollercoaster and I loved every jaw dropping turn. Now, I need more by this author!!

[Delaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Binged this in 2 sittings

[Meagan (Meagansbookclub) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Buckle up for this one! I think it’s best to go in blind because there are lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed the dual POV alternating between Evie and Drew. There is a lot of back and forth and also timeline changes. I think by the end the story felt a little convoluted and rushed but all in all, this one is bingeable and enjoyable. Felt a little Colleen Hoover in the aspect of the emotionally abusive and manipulative relationship.

[Ashley (wickedreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars minus .5 stars because it just ended kinda abruptly....

Me:a certified epilogue hater: “idk man this could use an epilogue, I just don’t feel like everything was resolved to my satisfaction.”

I need to know if the villains get their comeuppance

[Maren’s Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am keeping my review short and to the point to prevent any potential spoilers because this, my friends, is one you want to go into completely blind. I knew I loved Emma Grey’s writing style as soon as I read her previous book, 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆.

As soon as I saw she had a new book releasing, I jumped at the chance to read it. And my goodness, it did not disappoint. With characters who feel so incredibly real, a dynamic plot line, twists and turns throughout, and the inclusion of real world issues, make this a winner through and through. Trust me, you need to read this one.

🎧 Kristy Best and Nic English absolutely crushed their duel narration of Evie and Drew. While I was easily submerged in the plot line, I could have just as easily spent the day listening to their gorgeous accents all day, every day.

TW: There are a few. Please make sure to check triggers beforehand if you are sensitive to them.

Thank you Zibby Books and Libro.fm for the gifted copies.

[Violet · Rating 4 out of 5]

•Dual POV
•Past/Present timelines with flashbacks
•Second chance romance

Pictures of You is part romance, part mystery, part suspense, and so beautifully written. I enjoyed the dual points of view and the flashbacks, but admittedly was a bit lost at times with all switching back and forth. Still loved this book.

Thank you to Zibby for a digital Arc in exchange for my honest review.

[kaz ruby 𐙚 ‧₊˚ ⋅ · Rating 5 out of 5]

So i went into this one totally blind. Read the synopsis of course, but I was completely unprepared for what this book was actually about.

This book was sad, tense, hopeful - and full of one of the best love stories i’ve read this year.

Evie wakes up in the hospital after a car crash that claimed the life of her husband. Which, you know, isn’t great. But throw in some amnesia, and it’s worse! She doesn’t remember her husband, and this book basically takes us back in time to when they first met - and how it all ended.

If you read this book - expect tears.

[Southern Lady Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This honestly didn’t feel super romantic? I think it felt more tragic... but really that's better! I went into it thinking it would be a cheesy romance but it's SO much better than It Ends With Us for many different reasons - number one being the lack of Dear Ellen letters!

It's perfect for anyone going through a season of transition and change, with a little doubt sprinkled on top. I also really love when I see a book cover that immediately makes sense after you read the story!

There are elements of this that are really sweet - but as for the adult timeline - I started realizing what was happening pretty quick. *Please make sure to read content warnings!! If you like It Ends With Us - I feel like this was much better!

[taylor tippett · Rating 2 out of 5]

the plot of this book could have been so so cool but this book is way overrated and i am so sad.

[Suz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read The Last Love Note 🗒️

💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫💫
This book gave me a funny but real mix of emotions - anxiety and the need to keep going, being propelled in this gripping story. I developed an immense dislike to the right characters, which created this kind of avoidance in picking it up again. But I had to know. I was deeply impressed with this book, asking myself how had I not read the author’s previous book.

When I read, I love to learn, and this was the case here. I had never once considered forensic linguistics, and having a daughter study criminology, and following a little of the author’s journey and interests on IG has been fascinating.

The insidious topics of DV and coercive control were presented alarmingly well, the way in which this phenomenon takes hold of an individual is shocking. It does not discriminate by the number of letters after your name or the strength of your support system.

Woven together via a piece by piece narrative as a traumatised woman loses her memory in a severe way, the reader witnesses love from both sides by many means of attempting to protect both sides. From the same evil force. An incredibly gripping story, which presented me with this odd sensation which I mentioned already and continue to think about. Such evil actions which compelled me to keep going, with a type of pleasure pain in doing so.

I look forward to seeing the author’s updates on her American book tour (this is crazy exciting!) as well as her upcoming event at the Embassy of Australia in Washington along with her daughter who holds a PhD in topics related to gendered violence. What an amazing thing. And to dedicate a story to such a clever daughter as well, this just adds to the loveliness of it all. 

Highly recommended as a love story, with so much more packed inside. Also, if you are considering the audio version, a complete YES from me.

I listened to this book via the Libby app and my local library.

📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷📷
🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊🌊

[Shantha (ShanthasBookEra) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars This book grabbed me from the first page and held my attention with nonstop drama and suspense. When Evie wakes up in the hospital and thinks she is sixteen years old, you are compelled to learn more about her. Through memories, we learn about her best friends and her husband, which creates the most intriguing love triangle. If waiting to find out if Evie will get her memory back isn't enough suspense, you get more invested as stunning revelations unfold throughout the story. This is much more than a romance - it is genre-bending literary fiction at its finest with mystery, romance, and a family saga seamlessly woven into the narrative. Fingers crossed that this becomes a movie or TV series. This one is a must-read that I highly recommend.📚❤️

[Casey Reads 🌸 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine you had love for 2 guys many years ago and you chose 1, but a horrible accident happens and you can’t remember either of them. Suddenly you are young again and have no idea what happened to your life and have to piece it back together.

This book had me from the first page. It was tragic. I couldn’t stop reading, because I had to know what happened. I had to see her get her memories back. There were so many beautiful moments, some twists and turns, and some shocking moments too.

Emotional abuse plays a big role in the story and if you have ever been in a situation like that, reading this could be hard as it is very realistic.

The only thing I didn’t like was the last 15 pages as they seemed a little out there. I am usually one to say that books should not be too long, but I think that in this case the ending felt a little rushed and needed more time to fully round out the story. I am still giving it 5 stars though, because I enjoyed the rest so much.

[Jace · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.✨ Wow when I tell you this book consumed my every thought for 48 hours straight! If you need a bingeable book that’s going to take you on a roller coaster of emotions this one is IT! I will be thinking about this book for a very long time— such a complex, messy, thrilling story told in multiple timelines and two POVs. Highly recommend! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

[Christopher Febles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Evie Roche, a semi-famous crime podcaster, wakes up in the hospital. She’s told she’s been in a car accident in which her husband, Oliver, perished. But the accident has given her a form of amnesia and can’t remember anything after age 16. She fears her in-laws and all the publicity surrounding Oliver’s death, so she flees the funeral and hops in a waiting car, driven by a photojournalist. And that guy knows her REALLY well: he’s Drew, a high-school era friend who’d pined away for her before she got involved with Oliver.

The story is meant to jog Evie’s memory, and in the jogging, she learns things went pear-shaped at some point. For some reason, she shunned her friends, her family, and even Drew, and surrendered all her allegiance to Oliver, who turned out to be more controlling than she thought. There’s a clever, winding trail here: Evie re-meets Drew, he whisks her away, tells her some things, and they go on a search for her parents, hoping they can give her the support she needs. Secrets are revealed, and down the road, there’s a murder-mystery: a very interesting development!

The book spends perhaps more time in the past than in the present. We get tipped off to something that Drew remembers, and off we go to thirteen, ten, five, two years ago. Lots and lots of time jumps, but eventually the past and present collide.



Thankfully, the pace is swift: plenty of dialogue and easy-to-read narrative. It’s over 400 pages but it flows nicely. It’s told from both Evie’s and Drew’s perspective, which can feel dizzying. The shifts are frequent and fast: in some cases, a character will have a two-page chapter before passing it onto the other MC. You might get confused, forgetting who’s talking. That said, both MCs were textured and likeable, from modest circumstances. It was easy to root for them, to maybe see them get together after over a decade of unrequited love. The interactions border on melodrama but were also fun to read.

Despite the many flashbacks, for the most part this was a tactile plot. Dramatic stuff happens, and Grey describes them in great detail. There’s a pool scene that’s very tense and sharp. She describes “phosphorescence” in a way that makes me want to travel to Australia just to see it!



Though it required just a little stretch of the imagination, I liked the budding romance, delayed for over a decade, between Evie and Drew. I kinda wish there was a bit more spark, more time spent between them, but I liked where it was headed at the end. I also enjoyed the mystery angle, something of a surprise and well-constructed. I felt the ending was a tad rushed but I liked how things got left. Felt like there was an opening for a sequel!

Finally, Grey mentions in the Author’s Note that the controlling, abusive relationship here was inspired by her daughter’s research. Now that was excellent! Oliver brings the textbook to life. His actions were creepy, scary, and wrong. He was a test case for the theory.

It's a quick, entertaining, and creative beach read. Think I’ll read some more from her!

[BookmarkedByAlia · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

I was not expecting much from this book when I picked it up. I knew it was likely that I would enjoy, but not one to write home about.
Let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised and thoroughly enjoyed my time with this.
This follows Evie after she wakes up in the hospital after a car accident resulting in her husband’s death, and her suffering from amnesia. She thinks she’s 16 years old although she’s almost 30. She has no clue who anyone is including herself and who she’s become since high school.

All I’m going to say is give this one a shot. I was not ready for the amount of suspense that this book gave. The plot twists were good and I wasn’t even expecting this book to have any twists and turns the way it did. Short chapters, dual pov, multiple timelines and likable characters. What else could I ask for?
I highly recommend 🩷

There could be a few triggering topics in this so check the warnings.

[EmG ReadsDaily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was captivated by this story from the beginning and simply could not put it down! What a compelling mixture of grief, identity, friendship, coercion and heartbreaking secrets.

I cannot wait to read more from Australian author Emma Grey!

4.5 stars (rounded up)

[Sara (sarawithoutanH) · Rating 3 out of 5]

miss me with the amnesia plots

vlog: https://youtu.be/Nxoacb4XZKk

[Olivia | Liv's Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW WOW WOW.

I’ve never been more happy that I picked a book up on a whim.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read, specifically on toxic abusive relationships. I’ve never had a story make me more enraged & sad, yet I couldn’t stop reading. Emma creates such emotion & imagery on the page like I’ve never experienced before! The feeling I had while reading this was similar to how I feel while reading a Taylor Jenkins Reid. I also couldn’t get enough of the mystery element that kept me turning pages!

The way things came full circle by the end had me in TEARS. 🥹 This story is for the ones that love a tragedy but a happy ending.

Pictures of You will most definitely will be going on my favorites of the year list!

[britta ⋆˙⟡ · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25 ⭐️ love the idea: woman wakes up from car crash, thinks she’s 16, it’s 2011 her fave show is grays anatomy, she role plays pride and prejudice on the weekends, she’s a feminist who never wants to get married and she’s never seen an iPhone. She finds out she has a popular crime podcast, her husband is dead and she can’t get a hold of her bff or her parents. 🤯🤕

the execution wasn’t hitting for me: chapters were super short and it made it feel choppy and slow at points, the twists felt a bit predictable and the romance wasn’t there in the present day. I think some readers would enjoy the suspense feel of this and the cast of characters, but it just wasn’t a match for me. 😘